cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Genetic Counselor’s Role in Managing Ethical Dilemmas Arising in the Laboratory Setting

Ethical dilemmas are encountered commonly in the setting of the clinical genetic testing laboratory due to the complexity of genetic testing and the number of relevant stakeholders involved in the genetic testing process. Based on their clinical training and role within the laboratory, genetic counselors are uniquely equipped to identify and facilitate management of ethical dilemmas. This paper reviews the historical context of ethical theory and its application to the field of genetic counseling. Theoretical and applied ethics are explored in the context of dilemmas arising in the laboratory setting, with a focus on the role of the laboratory genetic counselor in managing ethical dilemmas. Two illustrative case examples are provided.
284 PHYSICIANS AND HOSPITAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS: REACHING COMMON GROUND.

We surveyed the chief executive officers (CEOs) of US hospitals and health care systems to determine (1) how they came to be CEO [career path], (2) why they chose to be CEO, and (3) their concerns for the future. Our goal was to develop understanding and thereby to improve communication between managers and care providers. Six hundred seventy CEOs responded. There was a male predominance (88%); all other demographic measures reflected the general population. Over 90% had master degrees; 9% had doctorates (half were MD). Regardless of background—finance, operations, administration, or care provision—virtually all prior work experience was within the health care industry. Forty percent had been hospital CEO less than 5 years; 35% had over 10 years9 tenure. Reasons to become CEO included personal advancement = 31%; serendipity = 23%; in 4%, hospital administration was a family tradition. Many (23%) wrote of the “challenge” and then explained their desire to match their talents with “good work.” Altruism was reported as the primary reason to become CEO in 26% and was subtext in over half of all other respondents. Commonly expressed future concerns were reimbursement/cost issues (77%) and shortages of critical personnel (66%), both reflecting imbalance between resources and commitments; lack of national health policies (33%), contradictory obligations and ineffective systems (33%), under- or uninsured patients (27%), and unfunded mandates (27%) all speak to system-wide dysfunction. Twenty-two percent were concerned about loss of public confidence in the health care system. Open conflict with their own physicians was reported in 11%. The repeated message from the CEOs was powerlessness to do what the physicians, the public, and the government expect them to do. Hospital CEOs have highly diverse educational and work backgrounds. This results in differing worldviews and approaches to problem solving compared to care providers. However, there is remarkable similarity in core values and in future concerns. System-wide dysfunction—contradictory requirements, regulatory burdens, partisan and self-destructive behaviors, resource constraints, and focus on short-term costs—weigh heavily and equally on CEOs and providers. These commonalities can be used to convert an adversarial relationship into a collegial one. Effective alliance of managers and care providers could turn their diversity of talents and experience into a powerful tool for solving health care problems.
The Evolving Landscape of Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension.

Normal pulmonary artery pressures at rest, with an exaggerated rise during exercise, characterize exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension. Exercise itself as it relates to this condition is not deleterious, nor does it cause or induce disease. However much like any classical stress test, it is a physiologic probe that aids in disease unmasking. Although more work is required to establish criteria for defining this clinical entity, the phenomenon is real. It remains unknown whether it represents a nascent form of cardiopulmonary disease and whether its genesis predicts fulminant cardiopulmonary disease. Incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing and the construction of pressure–flow plots to describe the pulmonary vascular response to exercise will be essential in defining this disease. The critical first step remains a consensus definition that will allow for further prospective study focused by a common language.
A Game Theoretic Analysis of Commercial Cheating in Non-shop Sales

In recent years,there have been increasing complaints against television and online non-shop sales for their miscon-ducts like advertisement cheating,the mismatch between their goods’ quality and prices and poor after-sales service.Based on a mathematic model constructed on the Game Theory,this paper,through an analysis of the advertising policies adopted by non-shop businesses,finds some quantitative results concerning the optimal advertisement investment and thus the real reasons for the abuse of advertisement in non-shop sales.Moreover,through such an analysis,it obtains the quality control strategies adopted by non-shop businesses and finds the real reasons for the varying of products quality under different circumstances.Finally,it reveals the sup-ervising efforts and the punishment executed according to the varying quality of non-shop businesses’ products and the percentage of fake goods being detected,and thus offers some corresponding suggestions and measures.
A backend framework for the efficient management of power system measurements

Abstract Increased adoption and deployment of phasor measurement units (PMU) has provided valuable fine-grained data over the grid. Analysis over these data can provide insight into the health of the grid, thereby improving control over operations. Realizing this data-driven control, however, requires validating, processing and storing massive amounts of PMU data. This paper describes a PMU data management system that supports input from multiple PMU data streams, features an event-detection algorithm, and provides an efficient method for retrieving archival data. The event-detection algorithm rapidly correlates multiple PMU data streams, providing details on events occurring within the power system. The event-detection algorithm feeds into a visualization component, allowing operators to recognize events as they occur. The indexing and data retrieval mechanism facilitates fast access to archived PMU data. Using this method, we achieved over 30× speedup for queries with high selectivity. With the development of these two components, we have developed a system that allows efficient analysis of multiple time-aligned PMU data streams.
Recurrent critical points and typical limit sets for conformal measures

Abstract For a rational f : C → C with a conformal measure μ we show that if there is a subset of the Julia set J(f) of positive μ -measure whose points are not eventual preimages of critical or parabolic points and have limit sets not contained in the union of the limit sets of recurrent critical points, then μ is non-atomic, μ(J(f))=1 , ω(x)=J(f) for μ -a.e. point x∈J(f) and f is conservative, ergodic and exact. The proof uses a version of the Lebesgue Density Theorem valid for Borel measures and conformal balls.
Regression Mixture Model Clustering of Multimodel Ensemble Forecasts of Hurricane Sandy: Partition Characteristics

AbstractTrack and cyclone phase space (CPS) forecasts of Hurricane Sandy from four global ensemble prediction systems are clustered using regression mixture models. Bayesian information criterion, cluster assignment strength, and mean-squared forecast error are used to select optimal model specifications. Fourth-order (third order) polynomials for 168-h forecasts (60-h forecast segments) and 5 (6) clusters for track (CPS) forecasts are selected.Mean cluster paths from eight initialization times show that track and CPS clustering meaningfully partition potential tracks and structural evolutions, distilling a large number of ensemble members into several representative and distinct solutions. Rand index and adjusted Rand index calculations demonstrate a relationship between track and CPS cluster membership for both 168-h forecasts and 60-h forecast segments, indicating that certain tracks are preferentially associated with certain structural evolutions. These relationships are explained in greater detail us...
Acoustic phonon dispersion measured with time-resolved X-ray diffraction

Summary form only given. Acoustic phonon dispersion was measured in a Ge single crystal using time-resolved X-ray diffraction. The experiments reported here were conducted at the Advanced Photon Source. An undulator/cryogenically cooled Si monochrometer pair produced 10 keV X-rays for the experiment. A commercial Ti:sapphire 840 nm, 70 fs, 1 kHz laser system was phase locked to the electron bunches in the storage ring. The laser was used to impulsively excite a two side polished Ge [100] single crystal. The absorption of the ultrafast optical light on the crystal surface generates a coherent acoustic pulse. The symmetric 400 diffraction plane was used to diffract the X-rays. The time-resolved X-ray detector was an avalanche photodiode.
Consequences of Delayed, Unfinished, or Missed Nursing Care During Labor and Birth.

: The purpose of this study was to examine the concept of delayed, unfinished, or missed nursing care when patient census and acuity exceed nurse staffing resources with nurses who care for women during labor and birth. Focus groups were held during which labor nurses were asked about aspects of nursing care that may be regularly delayed, unfinished, or completely missed during labor and birth, including possible reasons and potential consequences. Seventy-one labor nurses participated in 11 focus groups in 6 hospitals. Nurses focused on support and encouragement as aspects of care that they felt are essential but often not able to be performed when the unit is busy. Nurses seemed to assume technical features of care as a "given" in the background and not always noticed unless missed. They voiced concerns about risks to maternal and fetal well-being when they were short-staffed. Potential outcomes were discussed including cesarean birth, depressed infants at birth, hemorrhage, and negative effects on patient satisfaction, successful breast-feeding, and the overall patient experience. Conclusion When essential aspects of nursing care are delayed, unfinished, or completely missed, there are potentially negative implications for numerous patient outcomes and patient safety is at risk.
H2S concentrations in the heart after acute H2S administration: methodological and physiological considerations

Administration of exogenous H2S was unable to increase the pools of combined H2S in the heart of rats, even after H2S intoxication. Any long-lasting effects of H2S on the heart, previously reported...
In Vitro Susceptibility Testing of Bedaquiline against Mycobacterium avium Complex.

We performed bedaquiline broth microdilution susceptibility testing using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines on 104 nonduplicate isolates of Mycobacterium abscessus complex [M. abscessus subsp. abscessus (76); M. abscessus subsp. massiliense (10); M. abscessus subsp. bolletii (2); and M. abscessus subsp. abscessus-M. abscessus subsp. massiliense hybrid, i.e., M. abscessus subsp. abscessus by rpoB gene and M. abscessus subsp. massiliense by erm(41) gene (16)]. All isolates from patients not known to have been on bedaquiline prior had MIC values of ≤0.25 μg/ml. The bedaquiline MIC50 value for all 76 isolates of M. abscessus subsp. abscessus and 16 isolates of M. abscessus subsp. abscessus-M. abscessus subsp. massiliense hybrid was 0.06 μg/ml. The MIC50 and MIC90 values for 10 isolates of M. abscessus subsp. massiliense were 0.12 μg/ml. Only two isolates of M. abscessus subsp. bolletii were tested with bedaquiline MICs of 0.06 μg/ml. Our study suggests that oral bedaquiline may have potential use in the treatment of disease caused by the M. abscessus complex. Combination therapy with other agents (imipenem, cefoxitin, amikacin, and/or tigecycline) is recommended.
The pedagogical potential of drawing and writing in a primary science multimodal unit

ABSTRACTIn consideration of the potential of drawing and writing as assessment and learning tools, we explored how early primary students used these modes to communicate their science understandings. The context for this study was a curricular unit that incorporated multiple modes of representation in both the presentation of information and production of student understanding with a focus on the structure and function of carnivorous plants (CPs). Two science teacher educators and two first-grade teachers in the United States co-planned and co-taught a multimodal science unit on CP structure and function that included multiple representations of Venus flytraps (VFTs): physical specimens, photographs, videos, text, and discussions. Pre- and post-assessment student drawings and writings were statistically compared to note significant changes, and pre- and post-assessment writings were qualitatively analysed to note themes in student ideas. Results indicate that students increased their knowledge of VFT stru...
High performance and tunable artificial muscle based on two-way shape memory polymer

Artificial muscles, a class of bio-inspired actuators, have been investigated for decades. Recently, a remarkable breakthrough in artificial muscles was achieved by twisting then coiling polymeric fishing lines or sewing threads. Driven by the negative coefficient of thermal expansion (NCTE), the tensile actuation strain, which was about 4% in the precursor nylon 6,6 fiber, was magnified to about 34% in the muscle. However, the muscle is limited by its higher actuation temperature (up to 160 °C). Also, some applications such as soft robots require even larger actuation strain to maintain locomotion. In this study, chemically cross-linked poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (cPEVA) two-way shape memory polymer (2W-SMP) was synthesized, characterized, and processed into precursor fibers based on a solid solution approach. Artificial muscles were manufactured through twist insertion in the precursor fibers. It was found that the 2W-SMP fibers contract upon heating and expand upon cooling, similar to polymeric fibers with NCTE, but with lower actuation temperature and higher actuation strain. The cPEVA fiber, which has about 18% contraction when the temperature is increased from 20 °C to 67 °C, exhibits an actuation strain up to 68% in the muscle. It was also found that the muscle actuation is tunable, i.e., independent of its actuation history.
Group 2 innate lymphoid cells are recruited to the nasal mucosa in patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.

Background Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is characterized by tissue eosinophilia and mast cell activation, including abundant production of prostaglandin D 2 (PGD 2 ). Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s), which promote tissue eosinophilia and mast cell responses, undergo chemotaxis and cytokine production in response to PGD 2 , but it is unknown whether ILC2s are active in patients with AERD. Objective We sought to determine whether ILC2 numbers change in peripheral blood and the nasal mucosa during COX-1 inhibitor–induced reactions in patients with AERD. Methods Blood and nasal scrapings were collected at baseline, during reactions, and after completion of ketorolac/aspirin challenge/desensitization in 12 patients with AERD. ILC2s and eosinophils were quantitated by means of flow cytometry. Urine was also collected, and quantification of PGD 2 metabolite and leukotriene E 4 levels was done by using ELISA. Baseline and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug reaction clinical data were correlated with cell changes. Results ILC2 numbers significantly increased in nasal mucosal samples and decreased in blood at the time of COX-1 inhibitor reactions in 12 patients with AERD. These changes were not observed in 2 patients without AERD. Furthermore, eosinophil numbers decreased in blood concurrently with significant increases in urinary PGD 2 metabolite and leukotriene E 4 levels. The magnitude of increases in nasal mucosal ILC2 numbers positively correlated with maximum symptom scores during challenges. Furthermore, blood ILC2 numbers during the reaction correlated with time for the reaction to resolve, possibly reflecting reaction severity. Conclusions ILC2s are recruited to the nasal mucosa during COX-1 inhibitor–induced reactions in patients with AERD, correlating with enhanced production of prostaglandins and leukotrienes.
Shape Matching for Rigid Objects by Aligning Sequences Based on Boundary Change Points

This paper presents a new boundary (shape) matching algorithm for 2D rigid objects without voids. Our new algorithm presents a new shape representation that uses the outcome from an active contour (AC) model. An object’s shape is partitioned into a clockwise ordered sequence of edges, where every edge is a boundary segment enclosed by reference points. These points are convex hull vertices which lie on boundary corners. Further, the reference points are used to generate angles. Hence, a boundary shape maps to a sequence of angles, turning the shape matching problem to alignment of cyclic sequences of angles. The latter makes our method scaling and rotational invariant. Experiments validate the theoretical concept, and provide qualitative comparison with other methods in the field.
Commentary on ‘Ethnography as Knowledge in the Arab Region’ by Roosbelinda Cárdenas

I write these words from what feels like a crumbling world. As I walk through the streets of Havana to find an internet spot from which to read the terrible news coming from the three places I cons...
Ethics in Critical Care

The treatment and subsequent recovery of most ICU patients present few ethical challenges. However, the nature of surgical critical care is such that psychologic and physiologic stress, end-of-life care, caretaker and family dynamics, and limited resources can result in an environment where conflict occurs. These difficult times are taxing on patients and providers alike. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the existing consensus statements and precedents that are associated with the more common ethical dilemmas that may present in an ICU as well as identify the key principles and resources that may be applied to a variety of critical care scenarios to help providers make informed, practical decisions.
Normal Vascular Structure and Function

Tissues require a relatively continuous supply of blood to provide oxygen and nutrients, and a means to remove waste products. To accomplish this, the vascular system circulates blood from high-pressure and high-velocity arteries into low-pressure, low-velocity capillary beds where the necessary diffusion of the various metabolites can occur and returns it through the high-capacity venous system in a continuous loop. The dictates of metabolic demand determine the fixed density of capillaries perfusing a given tissue (brain and myocardium having the greatest concentration), but the arteries and arterioles leading into an area also need to respond to changes in demand (e.g., in exercising muscle, or to shunt blood from the extremities to maintain core body temperatures). While vessels typically maintain the circulating blood in a liquid state, vessel trauma must also induce prompt coagulation, and sites of peripheral injury must respond by eliciting inflammatory cells recruitment. Although the general organization and cellular composition of blood vessels are qualitatively similar throughout the circulation, different functional requirements in different tissues (e.g., filtration vs. maintaining a blood–brain barrier) also lead to distinct regional specialization. An important consequence of such specialization is that pathologic lesions characteristically affect certain parts of the circulation. Thus, atherosclerosis is the bane of elastic and muscular arteries, arteries and arterioles are negatively impacted by hypertension, and the various forms of vasculitis are characteristically restricted to distinct parts of the vasculature.
Response to Bechtel and Lloyd

The field of cognitive imaging is explodingboth in terms of the amount of our scientificresources dedicated to it and the associatedpublication rate. However, all of this effortis based on a critical question – Do cognitivemodules exist? Both of the reviewers of my book(Uttal, 2001) and I agree that this questionhas not yet been satisfactorily answered and,depending on the ultimate answer, the cognitiveimaging approach as well as some other parts ofthe quest for mechanistic models of mind mightnot be successful. Our views of how our scienceshould respond to this serious problem,however, are quite different. Both ProfessorBechtel and Lloyd argue for an optimisticattack on the problem of the localization ofcognitive processes in the brain based on thehistory of other sciences. I argue that arealistic appreciation of the limits of thisapproach should temper the enthusiasm for whatultimately will go the way of other attempts tounravel the mind-brain problem.
The Relationship Between Georgia Public School Educational Funding Sources and Academic Achievement

Revenues from local property taxes has been the source of public funding for schools in Georgia. This quantitative study evaluated financial management of public funding in local school districts and student academic achievement outcomes. The research examined whether there was a difference in achievement levels of economically disadvantaged students based on the 8th grade population, property valuations, and home prices from 2006 to 2014 school terms. Correlation analyses indicated the existence of an inverse relationship between the variables. Multiple regression analyses revealed that academic performance was predicted by the total number of 8th grade students who passed the test.
THE MECHANICAL STRENGTH OF PYROLYTIC GRAPHITE

Pyrolytic graphite may be fractured in three mechanically different directions by transverse bend testing. The strength and its temperature coefficient from 90°K to 1300°K have been measured in the two strong directions, and the strength has been found to be essentially constant at 23,000 lb/in2 over the whole temperature range. It has also been found that the strength for one of the strong orientations is weaker in air than in vacuum. A tentative explanation of this atmosphere effect is suggested.
Multicultural Perspectives on the Neuropsychological Assessment and Treatment of Epilepsy

Rajendra Kale (1997) states that, “The history of epilepsy can be summarized as 4000 years of ignorance, superstition, and stigma followed by 100 years of knowledge, superstition, and stigma” (p. 1). Epilepsy was first recorded in Babylonian times, as far back as 2000 bc. The recordings of that time describe many of the different seizure types that we see today and treatments that were essentially spiritual in manner (WHO, 1997a). In the 5th century Hippocrates believed that epilepsy was not a “sacred disease” but rather a disorder of the brain. The word “epilepsia” is of Greek origin and means to “seize” or “take hold of.” The stigma and superstition associated with this condition was pervasive. It was not until the 19th century, when the field of neurology appeared, that the concept of epilepsy being a disorder of the brain became widespread and the idea of it being a medical condition started to counter the magical thinking to date (WHO, 1997b). However, Rajendra Kale is correct: After 100 years of medical knowledge and learning about epilepsy, most of the world continues to shroud the disorder in mystical and spiritual terms. This means that many who suffer from the disorder do not receive help, those that do receive help are many times discriminated against, and epilepsy stays ”in the shadows“ (WHO, 1997c).
Electrochemistry and Corrosion on Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Metal Surfaces

The driving force for a reaction is the change in Gibbs free energy, AG, for reactants to products. Mathematically this may be expressed by $$ \Delta G = \mathop{\sum }\limits_{{products}} G - \mathop{\sum }\limits_{{reac\tan ts}} G $$ (1) The summation signs are used as a general notation to indicate that all reactants and products are included in the calculation. From the nature of the free energy function, this calculation applies to initial (reactants) and final (product) states, and is independent of intervening states. The reaction may be investigated under controlled reversible conditions such as in an electrochemical cell, or under irreversible conditions such as in corrosion, and the same total free energy change (ΔG) will be appropriate. A quite general predictive capability may be applied to specific corrosion reactions since all the available thermodynamic data may be used for corrosion calculations directly. This enables the position of final equilibrium of the corrosion system to be established. The thermodynamic calculations have the limitation that no information of the rate of the reaction is provided, only what the final state will be for the process. Another limitation of the thermodynamic treatment is found when there are multiple reactions in a corrosion system but none are dominant, so that the final state is not well known. The limitations will not be described further here, but the influence of kinetics on corrosion behavior is significant and is the subject of the remaining sections. However, this section will briefly describe the sources of thermodynamic data and procedures for using it, since this remains a powerful resource despite the limitations.
Investigation of hydrophobic coatings on cellulose-fiber substrates with in-situ polymerization of silane/siloxane mixtures

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the interfacial interactions of SilRes BS290, a mixture of silanes and siloxanes, upon in-situ polymerization and curing over cellulose substrates (40 and 110 °C), and to further investigate the influence of these chemical interactions with hydrophobic development of the film. SilRes solutions (7 wt%) were prepared in n-heptane and roll-coated over pure cellulose substrates (Whatman). The bond development with time was monitored with FTIR, and was compared with surface hydrophobic development, monitored with contact angle analysis using deionized water droplets. It was found that the bond development was completed well before the onset of surface hydrophobicity in both the low and high temperature curing cases, with superhydrophobicity being observed for the high temperature preparations. Hydrophobic development tended to be influenced more strongly by surface topology resulting from the appearance of 300 nm-size polysiloxane beads on the fiber surface. Film porosity was also observed in some cases which additionally improved the hydrophobic outcome of the surface. While the hydrophobic behavior did not appear to coincide with the interfacial bond development of the in-situ polymerized film, damage to the surface hydrophobic layer via mechanical action decreased the hydrophobic performance in some cases. This was mainly due to a reduction in vibrational activity of the surface hydrophobic groups. High temperature curing maintained hydrophobic performance despite similar damage to chemical bonding, perhaps as a result of higher levels of covalent bonding to the substrate. Therefore, although the hydrophobic surface requires roughness and porosity to fully form, the chemical hydrophobicity created from polymerization also ultimately contributes to the overall hydrophobicity observed.
Phase and microstructure evolution in plasma sprayed Yb2Si2O7 coatings

Abstract Yb2Si2O7 coatings were deposited on Si/SiC substrates by atmospheric plasma spray (APS). The different power and plasma chemistries used in this work produced mainly amorphous crack-free coatings with compositions shifted to lower SiO2 content with higher power and H2 flow. Differences in microstructure and thermomechanical properties (crystallization behavior, thermal expansion coefficient and thermal conductivity) of as-deposited and thermally treated coatings were directly related to the evolution from amorphous to crystalline phases. A Yb2SiO5 metastable phase was identified after thermal treatments at temperatures ∼ 1000 °C that transformed to its stable isomorph at 1220 °C. This transformation, followed by the growth of the crystal cell volume, promoted the coating expansion and the “healing” of microcracks present in the amorphous as-sprayed coating.
Square Planar Nucleophilic and Radical Pt(II) Carbenes

A square planar platinum(II) carbene complex [{PC(sp2)P}HPt(PMe3)] ([PC(sp2)P]H = (bis[2-(di-iso-propylphosphino)phenyl]methylene) was synthesized through the dehydrohalogenation of [{PC(sp3)HP}HPtCl] in a microwave reactor. The tert-butyl substituted analogue, [{PC(sp2)P}tBuPt(PMe3)] ([PC(sp2)P]tBu = bis[2-(di-iso-propylphosphino)-4-tert-butylphenyl]methylene), was synthesized via an analogous route. The nucleophilic nature of the carbene carbon was confirmed through DFT calculations and reactivity with HCl. Additionally, [{PC(sp2)P}HPt(PMe3)] was treated with 0.5 equiv of I2 to generate a paramagnetic product, [{PC(sp2)P}HPtI]. The Evans method and EPR spectroscopy revealed that a one-electron oxidation occurred at the carbene carbon, thus generating a persistent radical carbene.
UWB-Based Single-Anchor Indoor Localization Using Reflected Multipath Components

Indoor localization has many applications in the context of smart buildings that interact with objects and humans. Due to their resilience to multipath fading, high penetration rate and low duty cycles, Ultra-wideband (UWB) radio have been utilized in indoor localization. In the presence of Line-of-Sight (LoS) signals, UWB-based indoor localization system can locate a target with small errors (< 5 cm) but in situations with Non-Line-of-Sight (NLoS) signals, UWB systems work at a much reduced accuracy. In this work, NLoS signals are utilized to improve the robustness of the positioning system. The proposed system uses the statistical characteristics of Reflected Multipath Components (RMCs) of UWB signals in different locations as fingerprints and locates the target node based on previously seen locations. We implement and evaluate our proposed system on Decawave platform. Our evaluation shows that the proposed solution can locate objects within squares of $20 cm \times 20 cm$, with an accuracy of 96% using only one anchor which outperforms existing solutions in robustness and accuracy.
How College Makes Citizens: Higher Education Experiences and Political Engagement:

One function of undergraduate education is supporting successful citizenship later in life. Educational achievement is positively, if variably, related to political engagement. However, questions r...
Does the Measurement Matter? Assessing Alternate Approaches to Measuring State School Finance Equity for California’s Local Control Funding Formula:

Scholars have not reached consensus on the best approach to measure state school finance equity. The regression-based approach estimates the relationship between district poverty rate and funding l...
Science With GALILEO

In these last decades scientific activities by Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) were developed covering a wide spectrum of topics. We will focus on two scientific areas: Fundamental Physics Experiments (FP), and atmosphere remote sensing by GALILEO. On August 22nd 2014, two Galileo satellites (GSAT5-6) were launched on wrong very high eccentric orbits (e=.156). The two satellites have provided the unique opportunity to perform investigations in the field of General Relativity and Gravitation (GR). Dark matter (DM) makes up about 85% of all matter in the Universe and nothing is known about its nature. There is a growing interest in finding candidates alternative to Weakly Interacting Mass Particles (WIMP). Some models provide DM in the form of spatially large objects, such as Topological Defects (TD), of the same order of Earth that can cause anomalies in atomic clocks.The transit of TD induce changes in Fundamental Constants such as: the fine structure constant, the ratio of the light quark mass to the quantum chromodynamics energy-scale, and the electron and proton masses. GALILEO clocks can be suitable to detect the DM. Gamma ray bursts (GRB) are caused by extremely energetic events in the very distant universe. They have durations from seconds to minutes and cover the entire electromagnetic spectrum. The challenge is their detection and location in the sky in real-time allowing detailed follow-up observations of these exotic events within minutes by dedicated satellites and earthbound telescopes. A GNSS constellation like Galileo is the ideal detector for GRB. We have a radio occultation event when a Low Earth Orbit satellite (LEO) equipped with a spaceborne receiver, catches signals when a GNSS satellite is eclipsing/rising behind Earth. In this geometry configuration GNSS signals propagate tangentially through Earth’s atmosphere. From the received signal is possible to retrieve very accurate Temperarture, Pressure and Humidity profiles of the atmosphere as well as its ionosphere structure.
Colorectal Cancer Screening and Women

Colorectal cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States and second leading cause of cancer death. The overall risk of colorectal cancer has declined over time with improved screening efforts in older adults. However, rates of colorectal cancer are rising in young adults who do not meet current age-based screening guidelines. This is especially pertinent for women of childbearing age, who may be diagnosed during pregnancy or experience problems with infertility after colorectal cancer treatment. In this chapter, we discuss risk factors for colorectal cancer, current screening recommendations for average and high-risk populations, familial colorectal cancer syndromes, work-up of newly diagnosed disease, and special treatment and fertility considerations for women with colorectal cancer.
Case Histories of Significant Medical Advances: Computed Tomography

We describe how Computed Tomography (CT) scanners - that combine x-rays and computers to image soft tissues of the brain and other organs -- have become a widely used diagnostic tool. Specifically, we chronicle the: 1) development of the first CT scanner (through the early-1970s); 2) rapid and enthusiastic adoption of CT scanning (until the late 1970s); 3) regulatory backlash against the perceived overuse of this expensive technology (in the 1980s); and 4) innovations that reignited growth (in the 1990s and 2000s).
Prevalence of Extreme Heat-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria Carried by U.S. Cattle at Harvest

ABSTRACT Prevalence of heat-resistant bacteria in beef poses a potential problem as thermal interventions are routinely used in beef processing to control contamination. Despite extreme heat-resistant (XHR) Escherichia coli having been isolated from a ground beef processing plant, there has not been a study to assess the prevalence of XHR E. coli among types of cattle. Therefore, this study used a screening assay for XHR gram-negative bacteria and its molecular determinant, the locus of heat resistance (LHR), on feces collected from U.S. cattle. Fecal samples were collected from fed (n = 538), cull dairy (n = 425), and cull beef (n = 475) cattle at nine regional beef processing plants located across the United States. Among the 1,438 cattle sampled from northern (n = 288), southern (n = 288), eastern (n = 287), western (n = 287), and central (n = 288) regions of the United States, 91 (6.3%) cattle showed presence of XHR bacteria, as evident by growth in MacConkey broth following heat treatment of 80°C for 15 min, in their feces. Heat-resistant bacteria (n = 140) were isolated from the 91 fecal samples. Prevalence of XHR bacteria was highest (11%) in cattle from the northern region. Ninety percent of the XHR isolates were identified as E. coli. Multiplex PCR of all 1,438 fecal samples showed that the LHR was absent in 40.7% of samples and intact in 18.7% of samples. Despite the higher prevalence of intact LHR from PCR analysis, only 11 samples (0.8%) were confirmed to contain bacteria with an intact LHR. The LHR was absent in 91% of XHR bacteria, and only 7.9% of XHR bacteria had intact LHR, suggesting a novel mechanism of heat resistance. By developing and using the screening assays, we established the prevalence of XHR bacteria (6.3%) and LHR+ bacteria (0.8%) in U.S. beef cattle. HIGHLIGHTS
Sulfur donating extractants for the separation of trivalent actinides and lanthanides

Abstract The effective separation of trivalent actinides and lanthanides is capable of reducing the long term radiation hazard associated with used nuclear fuel. This class of separation exploits the tendency of ligands containing large and polarizable soft donor atoms to preferentially bind to the trivalent actinides instead of the lanthanides. Among the soft donors, nitrogen and sulfur based ligands have received the most attention with sulfur donors generally having greater selectivity for the actinides. Herein, the speciation, mechanism, and selectivity for the extraction of lanthanides and actinides from aqueous media into an organic phase by various sulfur containing extractants is reviewed.
Modeling the chemo-mechanical behavior of all-solid-state batteries: a review.

Solid-state-batteries (SSBs) present a promising technology for next-generation batteries due to their superior properties including increased energy density, wider electrochemical window and safer electrolyte design. Commercialization of SSBs, however, will depend on the resolution of a number of critical chemical and mechanical stability issues. The resolution of these issues will in turn depend heavily on our ability to accurately model these systems such that appropriate material selection, microstructure design, and operational parameters may be determined. In this article we review the current state-of-the art modeling tools with a focus on chemo-mechanics. Some of the key chemo-mechanical problems in SSBs involve dendrite growth through the solid-state electrolyte (SSE), interphase formation at the anode/SSE interface, and damage/decohesion of the various phases in the solid-state composite cathode. These mechanical processes in turn lead to capacity fade, impedance increase, and short-circuit of the battery, ultimately compromising safety and reliability. The article is divided into the three natural components of an all-solid-state architecture. First, modeling efforts pertaining to Li-metal anodes and dendrite initiation and growth mechanisms are reviewed, making the transition from traditional liquid electrolyte anodes to next generation all-solid-state anodes. Second, chemo-mechanics modeling of the SSE is reviewed with a particular focus on the formation of a thermodynamically unstable interphase layer at the anode/SSE interface. Finally, we conclude with a review of chemo-mechanics modeling efforts for solid-state composite cathodes. For each of these critical areas in a SSB we conclude by highlighting the key open areas for future research as it pertains to modeling the chemo-mechanical behavior of these systems.
Biotin as a masking agent in chorionic gonadotropin assays utilizing biotinylated antibodies.

Biotin interference in streptavidin/biotin-based immunoassays has been recently recognized as a confounding factor in clinical settings. Depending on the nature of the assay, the presence of excess biotin in patient samples can cause falsely high or low results. One of the platforms known to be affected, Roche Cobas, is widely used in anti-doping laboratories to test for intact chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in urine. While biotin levels in blood have been well studied, less is known about urinary biotin due to its limited clinical significance. Having analyzed over 4,000 urine samples, we have established a reference range for urinary biotin with a median concentration of approximately 12 ng/ml. However, a significant number of samples contain much higher amounts, with a maximum approaching 10 μg/ml, suggesting biotin supplementation. Consequently, the tolerance of hCG STAT assay towards biotin was investigated over a wide concentration range. The apparent hCG concentration was found to decrease almost linearly as biotin increased from 100 to 1,000 ng/ml, with only 10% of the expected value reported by the assay as biotin reached 1,000 ng/ml. Further increase of biotin resulted in a progressive, albeit more moderate, decline in measured hCG concentration. To avoid a false negative result in the context of anti-doping analysis, it is highly recommended to monitor biotin in urine and perform diafiltration before hCG measurement in samples with elevated biotin to remove the interference.
Are Spin Density Waves Involved in High-Temperature Superconductivity?

In the La2-xBaxCu04, La2-xSrxCu04, and M1Ba2Cu30y compounds, where M is a transition metal such as yttrium and y is apparently between 7 and 6, the quasi-two-dimensional metallic planes of repeated Cu02 have a perfectly-nested square Fermi surface when there are exactly two extra electrons per Cu02, in a tight-binding band structure. In this case one expects formation of an electron charge density wave (CDW) or spin density wave (SDW). The Fermi surface is significantly different from a simple square in more sophisticated band-structure theory,1,2 however in this case saddle-points (Van Hove density of states singularities) in E versus k may be responsible for a density wave, as suggested by Rice and Scott3 for the 2H crystal form of several transition metal di-chalcogenides. In this case, when the number of extra electrons per Cu02 unit is somewhat less than two, e.g. 1.85 for x = 0.15 in the lanthanum compounds, or somewhat more than two for M1Ba2Cu30y, density wave formation may be controlled by the Van Hove singularities, with no increase or even a decrease in the electrical resistivity of the CDW or SDW state from the normal-metal state3: the high-velocity parts of the Fermi surface are not gapped by the density wave.
Test and Measurement of Fiber Optic Transceivers

Publisher Summary Time-domain waveform is analyzed to determine how well a transmitter carries information. This chapter focuses on testing of the transmitter and the receiver. Most optical communication waveforms are viewed using a wide-bandwidth sampling oscilloscope. The internal electronics of the sampler circuits in a wide-bandwidth oscilloscope produce a small amount of noise. An oscilloscope channel response with a gradual roll off produces a faithful output waveform than the oscilloscope with the wider but more abrupt frequency response. This happens even with a comparably lower bandwidth. Mask testing is automated to take special action when mask violations occur. Waveform acquisition can be halted, violating waveform can be captured and saved, or tests can be run to capture only a specific number of waveforms regardless of the number of failures. This leads to interesting modifications of the standard mask test process. Mask failures typically occur when the transmitter waveform is at the extremes of its performance.
Distributed multiprocessor environments

This paper discusses the material included in a seminar for seniors and graduate students on distributed parallel processing offered as an experimental course at Eastern Washington University in the Fall 2000 and Winter 2002 quarters, along with the difficulties discovered as the courses progressed.
PYK2 as a Mediator of Endothelin-1/Gα11Signaling to GLUT4 Glucose Transporters

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) signaling through Gαq/11 stimulates translocation of intracellular GLUT4 glucose transporters to the plasma membrane of 3T3-L1 adipocytes by an unknown mechanism that requires protein tyrosine phosphorylation and ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6) but is independent of phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)-kinase. In contrast, insulin action on this process requires PI3-kinase but not ARF6. Here we report the identification of two proteins selectively tyrosine-phosphorylated in response to ET-1 but not insulin: the Ca2+-activated tyrosine kinase PYK2 and its physiological substrate, the adhesion scaffold protein paxillin. Endogenous paxillin as well as expressed Myc-tagged PYK2 or a Myc-tagged kinase-deficient PYK2 protein were acutely directed to F-actin-rich adhesion sites from the adipocyte cytoplasm in response to ET-1 but not insulin. CADTK-related non-kinase (CRNK) is a dominant negative form of PYK2 containing the C-terminal portion of the protein, which binds paxillin but lacks the PYK2 autophosphorylation site (Tyr402). CRNK expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes inhibited ET-1-mediated F-actin polymerization and translocation of Myc-tagged GLUT4-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) to the plasma membrane without disrupting insulin action on these processes. These data reveal the tyrosine kinase PYK2 as a required signaling element in the regulation of GLUT4 recycling in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by ET-1, whereas insulin signaling is directed through a different pathway.
The Tao of SOA

This paper describes a comprehensive framework aiming to facilitate the effective adoption and operationalization of SOA in large enterprise computing environments, which consists of the Strategy, Automation, Methodology, Patterns, Lifecycle, and Engineering (SAMPLE) aspects. The major pain points in SOA are analyzed, such as the increasing dynamics, growing integration, proliferation of techniques, more heterogeneous platforms, disparate visual notations, intricate processes, disjointed operating models, and fragmented activities of WS-* specifications. The overarching SAMPLE model is designed to provide a sophisticated integration of appropriate capabilities and knowledge to filter the inessential from the essential. In the Strategy aspect, a metamodel, technology architecture planning, and strategy roadmapping are presented. The Automation aspect deals with tools, service lifecycle, and COTS mapping. The Methodology aspect covers a hybrid method, SOA principles, and a methodical process. The prominent elements of the Patterns aspect include data caching patterns, a reference model, and open source reference implementation. The Lifecycle aspect contains a methodical means to mature IT systems: review, refactoring, reengineering, and rearchitecting (R4). Finally, the Engineering aspect evolves the traditional software engineering and systems engineering practices to the service engineering discipline. Moreover, a 10-point list of SOA guidance is introduced from a practitioner’s standpoint, which gives best-practice guidelines to adopt and execute SOA practically in big organizations.
An FPGA implementation for a high throughput adaptive filter using distributed arithmetic

In this paper, an FIR adaptive filter implementation using a multiplier-free architecture is presented. The implementation is based on distributed arithmetic (DA) which substitutes multiply-and-accumulate operations with a series of look-up-table (LUT) accesses. This can be achieved at the cost of a moderate increase in memory usage. The proposed design performs an LMS-type adaptation on a sample-by-sample basis. This is accomplished by an innovative LUT update using a matched auxiliary LUT. The system is implemented on an FPGA that enables rapid prototyping of digital circuits. Implementation results are provided to demonstrate that a high-speed LMS adaptive filter can be realized employing the proposed architecture.
Interferometry for space-based gravitational wave detection

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be the first space-based laser interferometric gravitational wave detector. LISA poses a new set of challenges, requiring picometer level interferometric measurements between spacecraft separated by 5 million kilometers.