cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of Rare Variants Predisposing to Thyroid Cancer.

Background: Familial non-medullary thyroid cancer (NMTC) accounts for a relatively small proportion of thyroid cancer cases, but it displays strong genetic predisposition. So far, only a few NMTC susceptible genes and low-penetrance variants contributing to NMTC have been described. This study aimed to identify rare germline variants that may predispose individuals to NMTC by sequencing a cohort of 17 NMTC families. Methods: Whole-genome sequencing and genome-wide linkage analysis were performed in 17 NMTC families. MendelScan and BasePlayer were applied to screen germline variants followed by customized filtering. The remaining candidate variants were subsequently validated by Sanger sequencing. A panel of 277 known cancer predisposition genes was also screened in these families. Results: A total of 41 rare coding candidate variants in 40 genes identified by whole-genome sequencing are reported, including 24 missense, five frameshift, five splice change, and seven nonsense variants. Sanger sequencing confirmed all 41 rare variants and proved their co-segregation with NMTC in the extended pedigrees. In silico functional analysis of the candidate genes using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis showed that cancer was the top category of "Diseases and Disorders." Additionally, a targeted search displayed six variants in known cancer predisposition genes, including one frameshift variant and five missense variants. Conclusions: The data identify rare germline variants that may play important roles in NMTC predisposition. It is proposed that in future research including functional characterization, these variants and genes be considered primary candidates for thyroid cancer predisposition.
Progress in Neural NLP: Modeling, Learning, and Reasoning

Abstract Natural language processing (NLP) is a subfield of artificial intelligence that focuses on enabling computers to understand and process human languages. In the last five years, we have witnessed the rapid development of NLP in tasks such as machine translation, question-answering, and machine reading comprehension based on deep learning and an enormous volume of annotated and unannotated data. In this paper, we will review the latest progress in the neural network-based NLP framework (neural NLP) from three perspectives: modeling, learning, and reasoning. In the modeling section, we will describe several fundamental neural network-based modeling paradigms, such as word embedding, sentence embedding, and sequence-to-sequence modeling, which are widely used in modern NLP engines. In the learning section, we will introduce widely used learning methods for NLP models, including supervised, semi-supervised, and unsupervised learning; multitask learning; transfer learning; and active learning. We view reasoning as a new and exciting direction for neural NLP, but it has yet to be well addressed. In the reasoning section, we will review reasoning mechanisms, including the knowledge, existing non-neural inference methods, and new neural inference methods. We emphasize the importance of reasoning in this paper because it is important for building interpretable and knowledge-driven neural NLP models to handle complex tasks. At the end of this paper, we will briefly outline our thoughts on the future directions of neural NLP.
The Human Genome Project changed everything.

Thirty years on from the launch of the Human Genome Project, Richard Gibbs reflects on the promises that this voyage of discovery bore. Its success should be measured by how this project transformed the rules of research, the way of practising biological discovery and the ubiquitous digitization of biological science. Thirty years on from the launch of the Human Genome Project, Richard Gibbs reflects on the promisesthat this voyage of discovery bore. Its success should be measured by how this project transformed the rules of research, the way of practising biological discovery and the ubiquitous digitization of biological science. Richard Gibbs, AC, PhD is a human geneticist and the Founding Director of the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center (HGSC). He graduated from the University of Melbourne in Genetics and Radiation Biology and moved to Houston, TX, to study the molecular basis of genetic disease. He developed basic methods for DNA and mutation analysis and was an early contributor to the Human Genome Project (HGP), leading one of five sites that generated the majority of the sequence. Since the completion of the HGP, he has led multiple genome projects including the generation of the first personalized whole-genome diploid human sequences. His group pioneered the oligonucleotide exon-capture methods that are widely used today for whole-exome sequencing, and he is currently leading programmes for translation of genomic data into the clinic.
Emergence of Canonical Functional Networks from Complex-valued Laplacian of Structural Connectome

How do functional brain networks emerge from the underlying wiring of the brain? We examine how resting-state functional activation patterns emerge from the underlying connectivity and length of white matter fibers that constitute its "structural connectome". By introducing realistic signal transmission delays along fiber projections, we obtain a complex-valued graph Laplacian matrix that depends on two parameters: coupling strength and oscillation frequency. This complex Laplacian admits a complex-valued eigen-basis in the frequency domain that is highly tunable and capable of reproducing the spatial patterns of canonical functional networks without requiring any detailed neural activity modeling. Specific canonical functional networks can be predicted using linear superposition of small subsets of complex eigenmodes. Using a novel parameter inference procedure we show that the complex Laplacian outperforms the real-valued Laplacian in predicting functional networks. The complex Laplacian eigenmodes therefore constitute a tunable yet parsimonious substrate on which a rich repertoire of realistic functional patterns can emerge. Although brain activity is governed by highly complex nonlinear processes and dense connections, our work suggests that simple extensions of linear models to the complex domain effectively approximate rich macroscopic spatial patterns observable on BOLD fMRI.
Room-Temperature Lasing Action from All-Dielectric Metasurfaces near Bound States in the Continuum

We demonstrate lasing action in the visible from an all-dielectric metasurface. A low laser threshold is achieved with a high-Q resonance due to operation at the near bound states in the continuum (BIC) regime.
Can Interventions that Strengthen Couples' Relationships Confer Additional Benefits for their Health? A Randomized Controlled Trial with African American Couples.

This study examined the effects of the Protecting Strong African American Families (ProSAAF) prevention program on adults’ self-reported health outcomes 25 months after enrollment. ProSAAF is a couple-focused prevention program specifically designed to meet the needs of African-American families residing in the rural South. African-American couples (N = 346) with an early adolescent child participated in a randomized controlled trial of the program. Dyadic data analyses indicated significant direct effects on changes in couple functioning post-intervention as well as significant indirect effects of ProSAAF on changes in health through post-intervention improvements in couple functioning. These benefits were documented for men’s and women’s general health, depressive symptoms, and problematic sleep. There were no significant direct effects of ProSAAF participation on changes in health. Findings provide tempered optimism regarding the potential benefits of couple-focused programming for adults’ physical, mental, and behavioral health.
Imagine: Protests for a Dream

Let them say that it was your generationwho laid down the heavy burdens of hate at lastand that peace finally triumphedover violence, aggression and war.11 John Lewis, “Together, You Can Redeem the...
The meaning of social support for persons with serious mental illness: A family member perspective

Objective: Social support is essential to the health and well-being of persons with serious mental illness (SMI), and family members are a primary source of this support. Despite the primary role of family in the lives of persons with SMI, family is an understudied source of support. This study investigated the types of social support beneficial for persons with SMI from the perspective of family members. Method: Participants were 14 adult family members recruited from a Bay Area National Alliance on Mental Illness who provided regular support for a family member with SMI. Focus group data was analyzed using NVivo10 and consensual qualitative research. Results: Results revealed five support categories: (a) person-centered support, (b) autonomy support, (c) community participation support, (d) health management support, and (e) day-to-day living support. Discussion: Participants described family supports that are conceptually distinct from traditional models of social support and uniquely tied to SMI-related stressors. Findings are also aligned with the mental health recovery model and self-determination theory. Conclusion: Results advance our understanding of SMI-specific types of social support by describing five support categories grounded in the voices of family members supporting a loved one with SMI. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
A Quality Improvement Initiative to Increase Completion and Documentation of Advanced Directives in the ICU at a U.S. Community Teaching Hospital.

Advance directives can help guide care in the ICU. As a healthcare quality improvement initiative, we sought to increase the percentage of patients with a healthcare power of attorney and/or practitioner orders for life-sustaining treatment in our ICU and to increase medical resident experience with advance directives through routine screening and documentation of advance directives in the ICU. Design Prospective analysis. Setting Urban U.S. community teaching hospital. Patients All patients admitted to the ICU from September 2018 to February 2019. Interventions Internal medicine residents in the ICU received a lecture about advance directives and instructions to screen their patients for advance directives. For willing and decisional patients, residents facilitated the creation of a healthcare power of attorney and/or practitioner orders for life-sustaining treatment. Residents were anonymously surveyed at the beginning and end of the ICU rotation about their experience and level of comfort with healthcare power of attorney and practitioner orders for life-sustaining treatment completion. Measurements and Main Results Three-hundred seventy-five patients were admitted to the ICU during the study period. Healthcare power of attorney documents were generated by 34% of all ICU patients without a prior healthcare power of attorney, increased from a baseline rate of 10% (p < 0.001). The number of practitioner orders for life-sustaining treatment documents for patients with code status of "no cardiopulmonary resuscitation" did not increase significantly. The percentage of residents who facilitated completion of a healthcare power of attorney document increased significantly from 56% to 100% (p < 0.001), whereas their practitioner orders for life-sustaining treatment experience did not change significantly by the end of their ICU rotation. On a Likert scale of 0-10, mean resident comfort increased significantly both with healthcare power of attorney documentation, rising from 6.14 to 8.84 (p = 0.005) and with practitioner orders for life-sustaining treatment form completion, increasing from 6.00 to 7.84 (p = 0.008). Conclusions Training ICU medical residents to routinely screen for and facilitate completion of advance directives significantly increased the percentage of ICU patients with a healthcare power of attorney and significantly improved medical resident comfort with healthcare power of attorney and practitioner orders for life-sustaining treatment form completion.
Monte Carlo Calibration Method of Stochastic Volatility Model with Stochastic Interest Rate

Implied volatility skew and smile are ubiquitous phenomena in the financial derivative market especially after the Black Monday 1987 crash. Various stochastic volatility models have been proposed to capture volatility skew and smile in derivative pricing and hedging. Almost 30 years after the advent of the first type of stochastic volatility model calibrating them to the market volatility surface still remains challenging, especially when stochastic interest rate has to be also taken into account for long-dated options. Many techniques have been applied to tackle this problem, including Fast Fourier Transform, singular perturbation expansion, heat kernel expansion, Markovian projection, to name a few. Although they have achieved some success in deriving either a close-form solution for a specific type of model or asymptotic solution in more general, none of them can really solve the calibration problem satisfying our need in term of both efficiency and accuracy. Monte Carlo method is a flexible numerical pricing method but has not been considering for calibration because of its slow convergence. However, with the great advance in computational power, in particular, parallel computation and the invention of other variance reduction techniques fast and accurate calibration using Monte Carlo becomes possible. This paper presents a Monte Carlo calibration method for stochastic volatility models with stochastic interest rate, which reduces simulation dimension by conditional expectation and further improves speed by vectorization. Numerical experiments show that both the calibration speed and accuracy of this generic method are satisfactory for almost all applications.
Molecular testing in advanced lung adenocarcinoma: A single-center experience.

e21157Background: Standard of care testing prior to first-line therapy for advanced lung non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) includes EGFR mutations, ALK rearrangements, and PD-L1 expression. There ...
The relationship between plantar sensation and muscle onset during automatic postural responses in people with multiple sclerosis and healthy controls.

BACKGROUND Plantar sensation is critical for balance control in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). While previous research has described its impact on standing balance, the influence of plantar sensation during automatic postural responses (APRs) is not well understood in PwMS. The purpose of this study was to characterize the relationship between plantar sensation and APRs in PwMS and controls. A secondary aim was to determine whether the relationship between plantar sensation and APRs is different across PwMS and control groups. METHODS 122 PwMS and 48 age-matched controls underwent forward and backward support-surface perturbations from stance. The onset of the tibialis anterior (TA) and medial gastrocnemius (MG) were the primary reactive balance outcome measures for backward and forward losses of balance, respectively. Plantar sensation was measured as the vibration sensation threshold (VT). RESULTS As expected, PwMS had significantly higher (i.e., worse) VT (p<0.001) and an increased MG and TA onset latency (TA: p<0.001, MG: p = 0.01) compared to the control group. A higher VT was related to increased MG (p<0.001) and TA latency (p<0.001) across all participants. However, no moderating effect of group (control or PwMS) was observed for the relationship between VT and muscle onset (MG: p = 0.14; TA: p = 0.34). CONCLUSION PwMS demonstrated poorer plantar sensation and delayed muscle onset during APRs compared to controls. Plantar sensation was also related to muscle onset after perturbations in all participants. Although this relationship was not moderated by group, this may be related to the lack of dynamic range of VT scores in controls. These results indicate that plantar sensation may be related to reactive balance and provides insight into a potential contributing factor of delayed automatic postural responses in people with MS.
Fatigue Tests and Life Estimation with Specimens Extracted from Welded Structures

Abstract In this study, fatigue tests and life prediction method for welded structures are proposed. Specimens were extracted from welded structures including embedded flaws detected by ultrasonic testing. The loading conditions of the fatigue tests were set to be identified as the operating conditions of the structures considering the crack closure effect due to welding residual stress distribution measured by strain gauges. The predicted results are well consisted with the experimental results within the factor of two scatter bands. Hence the fatigue life of the welded structures can be predicted within ±50% accuracy in life.
Metabolic Studies on the Rabbit Corpus Cavernosum

Erectile function (erection and detumescence) involves the complex interaction of direct neuronal stimulation of corporal smooth muscle, neurohumoral release of specific endothelial contractile and relaxant factors, and secondary modulation by a variety of putative neuropeptides and vasoactive modulators. The net result is a rapid and sustained relaxation of the smooth muscle elements during erection and contraction of the smooth muscle during detumescence. Proper function of the corporal tissue is dependent upon cellular metabolism of glucose and the generation of cellular energy in the form of high energy phosphates. The current study characterizes the following metabolic parameters of the rabbit corpus cavernosum: Tissue concentrations of creatine phosphate (CP), ATP, ADP, and AMP; maximal rate of glucose metabolism to lactic acid and CO2; and activities of the enzymes creatine kinase (CK), citrate synthase, and malate dehydrogenase. For comparative purposes only, bladder smooth muscle preparations were analyzed simultaneously with and under the same conditions as the corpus cavernosum. The results are as follows: The concentrations of ATP and CP in the corpora were significantly lower than the concentrations in bladder. In the corpora, the tissue concentration of CP was lower than the tissue concentration of ATP, whereas the concentration of CP in the bladder was higher than the concentration of ATP. The rate of glucose metabolism to lactic acid and to carbon dioxide was similar for both bladder smooth muscle and corpus cavernosum. The maximal enzymatic activity of the mitochondrial enzyme citrate synthase was similar for both tissues; similarly, there was no significant difference in the activity of malate dehydrogenase between the two tissues. However, the CK activity of the bladder smooth muscle was significantly greater than the activity in the corpus cavernosum. One important factor that must be considered is that only 34% of the corpus cavernosum is smooth muscle, the balance being extracellular matrix, endothelium, and cytoskeletal elements. Thus, the differences between these two tissues may well be related to the different structural components.
The effect of low levels of carbon dioxide on metabolism of Mus musculus

Abstract 1. 1. In this study we measured the metabolic response of individual mice to low concentrations of carbon dioxide in air (0.14 to 1.7%). Both oxygen consumption (Vo2) and carbon dioxide (Vo2) were determined, and the respiratory quotient (R) was calculated. 2. 2. Vo2 was significantly reduced at levels of 0.14 to 0.50% CO2 in the air. At 0.23% for example, Vo2 dropped from 3.11 ± 0.6 to 1.26 ± 0.69 cc O2/g × hr. R increased from 0.7 to 1.0 and higher throughout the 6-hr testing period, which consisted of 1.5 hr of exposure to 0.0% CO2, 1.5 hr of exposure to a test gas and a repetition of 1.5 hr each of baseline and test exposures. 3. 3. We conclude that low levels of CO2 such as mice might encounter in a nest, burrow or even metabolic chamber may effect a feedback mechanism which acts to decrease metabolism.
Using our best judgment in conducting human research.

The federal regulations of human research were written to permit the use of discretion so that research can fit the circumstances under which it is conducted. For example, the researcher and institutional review board (IRB) could waive or alter some informed consent elements if they deem this the morally and scientifically best way to conduct the research. To do so, however, researchers and IRBs would first have to use mature moral and scientific judgment. They might also have to rely on empirical research to discover the most effective way to act on their moral sense (e.g., to discover how best to approach potential research participants and explain the nature and purpose of the research participation for which they are being recruited, to ensure comprehension and competent decision making). On discovering the most ethical way to proceed, they would then need to look to the federal regulations of human research to discover how to document their decision and justify it within that somewhat flexible regula...
Simulation of auroral double layers

Some basic properties of plasma double layers are deduced from a particle-in-cell computer simulation and related to parallel electric-field structures above the auroral regions. The simulation results on the processes leading to double-layer formation are examined, particularly in relation to the transient stage and double-layer structure and stability. It is concluded that: (1) a large potential difference applied to a finite-length plasma will be concentrated in a shocklike localized region instead of occurring over the entire length of the system; (2) the initial stage in double-layer formation is dominated by a large-potential pulse propagating in the direction of the induced electrostatic drift; (3) the entire potential is dropped over a specific scale length once the double layer has formed; and (4) this scale length is expected to be of the order of 1 km for a double layer above a discrete auroral arc with a potential of 10 kV and the electric-field vector parallel to the magnetic-field vector.
Quantitation and cloning of human urushiol specific peripheral blood T-cells: Isolation of urushiol triggered suppressor t-cells

A limiting dilution assay was developed to quantitate urushiol (the antigen of poison ivy; Toxicodendron radicans) specific T cells from peripheral blood of a patient with a history of rhus (poison ivy) dermatitis. It was found that maximal sensitivity with minimal nonspecific proliferation could be produced with the use of 5 U/ml of recombinant IL2 added to the assay on day 6. This donor was found to have a frequency of urushiol specific peripheral blood T cells of (1/2935). Five interleukin 2 (IL2) dependent urushiol specific T-cell clones were generated from the peripheral blood of this patient. These T-cell clones had a CD8+ (T8+) phenotype and proliferated specifically to both extracts of Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy) leaves and pure urushiol. Pentadecylcatechol was an inferior antigen, only stimulating proliferation of one clone. The ability of all clones to proliferate to pure urushiol, despite their having been induced with leaf extract, suggests that urushiol, or closely related catechols, represent the only allergenic constituents of Toxicodendron radicans. Lymphokine production in response to antigen varied between (0.6-5.0) units/ml of interleukin 2 (IL2) and (1.0-120) units/ml of gamma interferon. Although none of the clones showed significant cytotoxicity against NK targets, three of five lines showed considerable cytotoxicity against concanavalin A treated (lectin approximated) targets. However, cytotoxicity for rhus conjugated autologous targets was not detected. It was found that several of these CD8+ clones could suppress IgG production in the presence of rhus antigen. The isolation of these T-cells from peripheral blood several months after rhus dermatitis suggests that these clones may have a role in down regulating delayed hypersensitivity to urushiol.
Henry's Constant in Mixed Solvents from Binary Data

The Kirkwood−Buff formalism was used to derive an expression for the composition dependence of the Henry's constant in a binary solvent. A binary mixed solvent can be considered as composed of two solvents, or one solvent and a solute, such as a salt, polymer, or protein. The following simple expression for the Henry's constant in a binary solvent (H2t) was obtained when the binary solvent was assumed ideal: ln H2t = [ln H2,1(ln V − ln ) + ln H2,3(ln − ln V)]/ (ln − ln ). In this expression, H2,1 and H2,3 are the Henry's constants for the pure single solvents 1 and 3, respectively; V is the molar volume of the ideal binary solvent 1−3; and V10 and V30 are the molar volumes of the pure individual solvents 1 and 3. The comparison with experimental data for aqueous binary solvents demonstrated that the derived expression provides the best predictions among the known equations. Even though the aqueous solvents are nonideal, their degree of nonideality is much smaller than those of the solute gas in each of t...
Symmetries of grain boundary trijunctions

Abstract Some general properties of trijunctions are examined by considering the case of highly symmetric cubic microstructures in which there are only three grain orientations, rotated 30° about a common 〈001〉 from each other. We find in this example that there are two families of trijunctions along the common 〈001〉. In one family there are two structures with 2-dimensional projected point symmetry 3 m , one with point symmetry 3, two with point symmetry m and one with point symmetry 1. In the other family, there are two with m and one with 1. In addition, when the trijunction is not along the common 〈001〉, two kinds of Injunctions with symmetry m and a trijunction with symmetry 1 can occur. Many of these symmetries have been found by Dahmen and co-workers. In microstructures with trijunctions along the common 〈001〉, adjacent trijunctions must belong to different families. This places severe restrictions on microstructure topology and on grain growth, and is expected to be of particular significance for problems in epitaxy. Application of the principles of symmetry dictated extrema suggest that the family of less symmetric trijunctions will often deviate from the common 〈001〉, and further reveals that the usual conditions for dihedral angles are not sufficient for full equilibrium.
Neurodevelopmental patterns of visual P3b in association with familial risk for alcohol dependence and childhood diagnosis.

Abstract Background: The P3b component of the event-related potential (ERP) has frequently been reported to be reduced in children and adolescents at high risk for developing alcoholism relative to control children and adolescents without familial loading for alcohol dependence. P300 amplitude changes during development for all children. Previously it has been shown that high-risk offspring display a pattern in which the amplitude is lower at age 8 with a smaller rate of change during adolescence. Methods: Admixture analysis was applied to data obtained for those children and adolescents having five or more annual assessments of ERPs to determine if multiple P3b growth patterns exist. The P3b amplitude patterns obtained were related to risk status, concurrent presence of childhood psychopathology (internalizing or externalizing), and age of onset to develop a diagnosis. Results: A pattern characterized by lower P3b amplitude at study entry and a slower rate of change during child and adolescent development (pattern 3) was most often associated with high-risk status in boys and high-risk status in combination with the presence of a childhood diagnosis in girls. Pattern 3 was significantly related to the overall presence of childhood psychopathology (internalizing or externalizing) and to the presence of an Axis I diagnosis at young adult follow-up. Conclusions: The developmental pattern previously described for offspring at high risk for developing alcoholism because of their familial/genetic background was confirmed. Admixture analysis has refined this observation and suggests that among all children and adolescents tested, three developmental patterns can be identified, one of which is most often seen in association with male high-risk children and adolescents.
La pesquisa en Castilla y Aragón: un caso curioso del Libre deis Feyts de Jaume I

In this autobiographical Libre dels Feyts, James I the Conqueror, King of Aragon, describes a juridical procedure which he instituted in 1267 against a gang of counterfeiters operating out of the town of Tarazona. This procedure, which the King calls an "inquisicio", corresponds exactly to the "pesquisa" of the neighboring kingdom of Castile, although the Aragonese legal tradition was theoretically hostile to the "pesquisa" as a legal instrument. Here the various steps of James'trial of the counterfeiters are compared to the regulations governing the use of "pesquisa" in contemporary Alfonsine legislation.
Diagnosing Teachers’ Understandings of Rational Numbers: Building a Multidimensional Test Within the Diagnostic Classification Framework

We report a multidimensional test that examines middle grades teachers’ understanding of fraction arithmetic, especially multiplication and division. The test is based on four attributes identified through an analysis of the extensive mathematics education research literature on teachers’ and students’ reasoning in this content area. We administered the test to a national sample of 990 in-service middle grades teachers and analyzed the item responses using the log-linear cognitive diagnosis model. We report the diagnostic quality of the test at the item level, mastery classifications for teachers, and attribute relationships. Our results demonstrate that, when a test is grounded in research on cognition and is designed to be multidimensional from the onset, it is possible to use diagnostic classification models to detect distinct patterns of attribute mastery.
Concise syntheses of d-desosamine, 2-thiopyrimidinyl desosamine donors, and methyl desosaminide analogues from d-glucose

Abstract A concise synthesis of d -desosamine has been accomplished in five steps and in 15% overall yield from methyl α- d -glucopyranoside. Desosamine was then transformed into two known 2-thiopyrimidinyl donors (Woodward and Tatsuta donors), each in two steps. Finally, analogues of methyl desosaminide at the C-3 position were prepared (3-pyrrolidino, 3-piperidino, 3-morpholino) from a common 2,3-anhydrosugar intermediate.
Decrease in the visibility of the interference fringes in a cold-atom accelerometer

We analyze operation of a cold-atom accelerometer, an interferometric device which measures linear accelerations. We develop an analytic model that predicts a decrease in the visibility of the interference fringes and also their shift caused by the acceleration of the device. This effect places an upper limit on the maximum value of acceleration that can be measured for given parameters of the confining potential and the measurement cycle time.
Teaching nursing students and newly registered nurses strategies to deal with violent behaviors in the professional practice environment.

Direct and indirect violent behaviors toward nursing students and newly registered nurses must be eliminated. Nursing students and newly registered nurses are particularly vulnerable to acts of violence. The article discusses the effect of violence on students and newly registered nurses, the role of the continuing education nurse in eliminating violence, examples of aggressive situations, and strategies to educate and support students and new nurses and empower them to eliminate violence directed toward them. Strategies include confrontation tips, implementation of violence-free contracts, participation in role-play activities, adoption of a professional communication technique, reflection journaling and cognitive recognition, promotion of carefronting, introduction of dialogue through the World Cafe, and use of nurse preceptors, practice partnerships, residency programs.
The Recovery of Religious and Spiritual Significance in American Psychiatry

This paper reviews a body of data that identifies underlying influences that have contributed to an evolving change in American Psychiatry toward a more positive and receptive stance toward religion and spirituality over the past three decades. This development, surprising in light of the remedicalization of psychiatry and its predominantly neuro-biological orientation, is attributed to five foundational ideas that have helped to leverage this change. These are significance of culture, creative power of ritual, psychic function of belief, neuro-biology of spirituality, and relevance of recovery narratives. The impact of these factors for psychiatric assessment and treatment is described, as well as the contribution of the Oskar Pfister legacy and award to the ongoing dialogue between religion and psychiatry. Adapted from the American Psychiatric Association’s 2011 Oskar Pfister Lecture in Religion and Psychiatry.
Spatial Distribution of Dissolved Radon in the Choptank River and Its Tributaries: Implications for Groundwater Discharge and Nitrate Inputs

The Choptank River, Chesapeake Bay’s largest eastern-shore tributary, is experiencing increasing nutrient loading and eutrophication. Productivity in the Choptank is predominantly nitrogen-limited, and most nitrogen inputs occur via discharge of high-nitrate groundwater into the river system’s surface waters. However, spatial patterns in the magnitude and quality of groundwater discharge are not well understood. In this study, we surveyed the activity of 222Rn, a natural groundwater tracer, in the Choptank’s main tidal channel, the large tidal tributary Tuckahoe Creek, smaller tidal and non-tidal tributaries around the basin, and groundwater discharging into those tributaries, measuring nitrate and salinity concurrently. 222Rn activities were <100 Bq m−3 in the main tidal channel and 100–700 Bq m−3 in the upper Choptank River and Tuckahoe Creek, while the median Rn activities of fresh tributaries and discharging groundwater were 1,000 and 7,000 Bq m−3, respectively. Nitrate-N concentrations were <0.01 mg L−1 throughout most of the tidal channel, 1.5–3 mg L−1 in the upper reaches, up to 13 mg L−1 in tributary samples, and up to 19.6 mg L−1 in groundwater. Nitrate concentrations in tributary surface water were correlated with Rn activity in three of five sub-watersheds, indicating a groundwater nitrate source. 222Rn and salinity mass balances indicated that Rn-enriched groundwater discharges directly into the Choptank’s tidal waters and suggested that it consists of a mixture of fresh groundwater and brackish re-circulated estuarine water. Further sampling is necessary to constrain the Rn activity and nitrate concentration of discharging groundwater and quantify direct discharge and associated nitrogen inputs.
Synthesis and reactivity of tricarbonyl(η5-4-triethylsilyl-1methylpentadienyl) iron(+1) cation

Tricarbonyl(η5-4-triethylsilyl-1-methylpentadienyl)iron(+1) hexafluorophosphate was prepared by the protonation of γ-endo tricarbonyl (η4-5-triethylsilyl-3,5-hexadien-2-ol)iron with hexafluorophosphoric acid. The cation reacts with H2O, CH3OH, NaBH3CN, PPh3, sodium dimethylmalonate and dimethyl cuprate in a regiospecific fashion by nucleophilic attack at C1. The regioselectivity for nucleophilic attack appears to be predominantly the result of steric control.
Computation of drain and substrate currents in ultra-short-channel nMOSFET's using the hydrodynamic model

The authors develop a robust and efficient numerical solution of the hydrodynamic model, which solves the energy balance equation, and compare predictions of this model, using one set of parameters, with experimental nMOSFET characteristics for a range of channel lengths down to ultrashort channels. The substrate current is calculated by direct integration of the energy distribution function, which uses the computed temperature to obtain the number of high energy electrons. The drain current calculated using this method is accurate for a range of channel lengths and biases, and correctly predicts the observed enhanced transconductance for ultrashort-channel devices. The substrate current matches the experimental data for a range of channel lengths and biases above threshold with one set of physically reasonable parameters. >
Analysis of resolution for an amplitude-steered array

In 1976, Hughes and Thompson introduced the idea of steering the maximum response of a linear array by amplitude weighting the output signals of the elements, thus eliminating the need for time delays or phase-shift networks. Currently that amplitude-steered array concept is being extended to a broadband two-dimensional array that can be used for real-time three-dimensional imaging. In shifting the use of the amplitude-steered array from underwater acoustic communications to imaging, we must consider different issues of the array’s performance such as lateral and axial resolution. For the linear amplitude-steered array, we show that both lateral and axial resolution are limited by the length of the array. The dependence of axial resolution on the length of the array is a unique feature of the amplitude-steered array, leading to an interesting tradeoff between lateral and axial resolution. A theoretical basis for the dependence is developed and simulation results are given.
Policy development and access to wireless technologies for people with disabilities: results of policy Delphi research

This paper discusses the relationship between policy research and policy change, and it provides examples of the policy research outcomes informed by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Mobile Wireless Technologies for People with Disabilities’ (Wireless RERC) policy research process. In 2005 and 2006, the center conducted empirical research, using the policy Delphi polling methodology, to probe key stakeholders’ opinions on the most significant issues surrounding the adoption and use of wireless communication and information technologies by people with disabilities. Drawing on the results of three rounds of polling, the Wireless RERC developed a set of policy options, and “fine-tuned” them using participating stakeholders from the disability community, wireless industry, and policymakers.
Extracorporeal removal of toxic valproic acid levels in children.

Toxic ingestion of valproic acid is difficult to treat as no antidote exists and hemodialysis has been considered ineffective for clearance due to high protein binding of this drug. Recent reports suggest that protein binding of valproic acid is saturated at toxic levels, thereby allowing for removal of free drug by extracorporeal circuits. We describe our experiences in two children with toxic blood levels of valproic acid, in whom we were able to achieve effective clearances by extracorporeal removal without charcoal hemoperfusion. In an 18-year-old girl with initial valproic acid levels of 663 µg/ml (therapeutic 46–88 µg/ml), the elimination constant (kel) increased five- to eightfold from 0.04/h pre dialysis and 0.06/h post dialysis to 0.31/h during high-flux hemodiafiltration. In the same time periods, drug half-life reduced from 15.96 h pre dialysis and 21 h post dialysis to 2.23 h during hemodiafiltration. In a younger 18-month-old child with initial levels of 922 µg/ml, kel was fivefold higher at 0.25/h during conventional hemodialysis, compared with 0.05/h after dialysis. Similarly, the drug half-life was 2.9 h during dialysis and 12.9 h after dialysis. Both conventional hemodialysis and high-flux hemodiafiltration are effective treatment modalities that should be offered to all pediatric patients with valproic acid ingestion and neurological compromise.
HIGH EXPLOSIVES VAPOR DETECTION BY GLOW DISCHARGE-ION TRAP MASS SPECTROMETRY

The combination of atmospheric sampling glow discharge ionization with quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry for the detection of traces of high explosives is described. Atmospheric sampling glow discharge provides a simple, rugged, and efficient means for anion formation while the quadrupole ion trap provides for efficient tandem mass spectrometry. Mass-selective ion accumulation and non-specific ion activation methods can be used to overcome deleterious effects arising from ion/ion interactions. Such interactions constitute the major potential technical barrier to the use of the ion trap for real-time monitoring of targeted compounds in uncontrolled and highly variable matrices. Tailored waveforms can be used to effect both mass-selective ion accumulation and ion activation. Concatenated tailored waveforms allow for both functions in a single experiment, thereby providing the capability for monitoring several targeted species simultaneously.
Fabrication of a microfluidic device for simultaneous patterning of multiple chemical species by Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN)

This paper describes the fabrication and testing of a microfluidic ink delivery device for Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN ). The purpose of this microfluidic device is to maximize the number of chemical species (inks) for nanofabrication that can be simultaneously patterned by DPN. The device (called Centiwells) consists of a two-dimensional array of 96micro-wells micro-machined on a silicon substrate and a thermoelectric module attached to the bottom of the substrate. Microbeads of a hygroscopic material (Poly-Ethylene Glycol) are dispensed into the micro-wells. By reducing the temperature of the substrate to below the dew point water droplets are condensed on the PEG microbeads, dissolving the beads and creating PEG solutions. Following the formation of the PEG solutions, an AFM tip (pen) is lowered into the micro-wells for loading ink (dipping or inking step) and subsequently nanolithography is performed.
Vapor segregation and loss in basaltic melts

Measurements of volcanic gases at Pu'u‘Ō’ō, Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i, reveal distinct degassing regimes with respect to vapor segregation and loss during effusive activity in 2004–2005. Three styles of vapor loss are distinguished by the chemical character of the emitted volcanic gases, measured by open path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy: (1) persistent continuous gas emission, (2) gas piston events, and (3) lava spattering. Persistent continuous gas emission is associated with magma ascent and degassing beneath the crater vents, then eruption of the degassed magma from flank vents. Gas piston events are the result of static gas accumulation at depths of 400–900 m beneath Pu'u‘Ō’ō. A CO2-rich gas slug travels up the conduit at a few meters per second, displacing magma as it expands. Lava spattering occurs due to dynamic bubble coalescence in a column of relatively stagnant magma. The large gas bubbles are H2O rich and are generated by open-system degassing at depths of <150 m. Static gas accumulation and dynamic bubble coalescence are both manifestations of vapor segregation in basaltic melts, but their implications differ. Accumulation and segregation of CO2-rich vapor at depth does not deplete the melt of H2O (required to drive lava fountains near to the surface) and therefore gas piston events can occur interspersed with lava fountaining activity. Lava spattering, however, efficiently strips H2O-rich vapor from magma beneath the crater vents; the magma must then erupt effusively from vents on the flank of the cone.
Smooth Pycnophylactic Interpolation for Geographical Regions

Abstract Census enumerations are usually packaged in irregularly shaped geographical regions. Interior values can be interpolated for such regions, without specification of “control points,” by using an analogy to elliptical partial differential equations. A solution procedure is suggested, using finite difference methods with classical boundary conditions. In order to estimate densities, an additional nonnegativity condition is required. Smooth contour maps, which satisfy the volume preserving and nonnegativity constraints, illustrate the method using actual geographical data. It is suggested that the procedure may be used to convert observations from one bureaucratic partitioning of a geographical area to another.
MCDM---If Not a Roman Numeral, Then What?

An attempt to present multiple criteria decision making MCDM in plain English as the author realized that most published papers on the topics are too mathematical and full of jargon, so that most of it is incomprehensible to managers.
Reinforcement omission on fixed-interval schedules.

Experiments with pigeons and rats showed that: (1) When a brief blackout was presented in lieu of reinforcement at the end of 25% of intervals on a fixed-interval 2-min schedule, response rate was reliably and persistently higher during the following 2-min intervals (omission effect). This effect was largely due to a decrease in time to first response after reinforcement omission. (2) When blackout duration was varied, within sessions, over the range 2 to 32 sec, time to first response was inversely related to the duration of the preceding blackout, for pigeons, and for rats during the first few sessions after the transition from FI 2-min to FI 2-min with reinforcement omission. Post-blackout pause was independent of blackout duration for rats at asymptote. These results were interpreted in terms of differential depressive effects of reinforcement and blackout on subsequent responding.
Connecting the Cytoskeleton to the Endoplasmic Reticulum and Golgi

A tendency in cell biology is to divide and conquer. For example, decades of painstaking work have led to an understanding of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi structure, dynamics, and transport. In parallel, cytoskeletal researchers have revealed a fantastic diversity of structure and cellular function in both actin and microtubules. Increasingly, these areas overlap, necessitating an understanding of both organelle and cytoskeletal biology. This review addresses connections between the actin/microtubule cytoskeletons and organelles in animal cells, focusing on three key areas: ER structure and function; ER-to-Golgi transport; and Golgi structure and function. Making these connections has been challenging for several reasons: the small sizes and dynamic characteristics of some components; the fact that organelle-specific cytoskeletal elements can easily be obscured by more abundant cytoskeletal structures; and the difficulties in imaging membranes and cytoskeleton simultaneously, especially at the ultrastructural level. One major concept is that the cytoskeleton is frequently used to generate force for membrane movement, with two potential consequences: translocation of the organelle, or deformation of the organelle membrane. While initially discussing issues common to metazoan cells in general, we subsequently highlight specific features of neurons, since these highly polarized cells present unique challenges for organellar distribution and dynamics.