cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiwavelength Blue Light Source Based on MgO : PPLN SHG Using Vertically Stacked Grating-Coupled Surface-Emitting Lasers

In this letter, we present the first experimental results of frequency doubling the output of vertically stacked grating coupled surface-emitting laser/dual-grating reflector devices with different emitting wavelengths. We used a multigrating 5% magnesium-oxide-doped periodically poled lithium niobate (MgO : PPLN) crystal as the nonlinear conversion medium. In pulse operation, 0.6 W of multiwavelength total second-harmonic peak power was obtained. The individual emitter output is focused into each channel of the crystal by diffractive beam shaping optical element array to minimize the footprint area of the whole setup.
Tidal Spectroscopy and Prediction

Nineteen years of hourly tide readings at Honolulu, Hawaii, and Newlyn, England, are analysed without astronomical prejudice as to what frequencies are present, and what are not, thus allowing for background noise. The method consists of generating various complex input functions c i , ( t ) for the same time interval as the recorded tide £( t ), and of determining the associated lag weights w in the convolutions ζ ^ ( t ) = ∑ i ∑ S ⁡ w i s c i ( t − τ s ) + ∑ i j ∑ s s ′ ⁡ w i j s s ′ c i ( t − τ s ) c j ( t − τ s ′ ) + . . . by the condition ((£—£)2) = minimum. The two expansions represent linear and bilinear processes; the Fourier transforms of w for any chosen i (or ij ) are the linear (or bilinear) admittances. Input functions are the (time variable) spherical harmonics of the gravitational potential and of radiant flux on the Earth’s surface; these functions are numerically generated hour by hour, directly from the Kepler-Newton laws and the known orbital constants of Moon and Sun, without time-harmonic expansions (unlike the harmonic method of Kelvin-Darwin-Doodson). The radiative input is required to predict non-gravitational tides, and it allows for the essential distinction that the Earth is opaque to radiation and transparent to gravitation.
Identifying Challenges for Facilitation in Communities of Practice

The role of a facilitator is key to the effective establishment and maintenance of communities of practice (COPs). This paper presents challenges faced by facilitators in COPs based on a taxonomy of facilitation tasks inspired by facilitation research in the area of Group Support Systems (GSS). An online survey of the experiences of COP facilitators was conducted to discover which tasks were the most difficult and the most important for COP facilitation. The results show that tasks related to participation are considered by the majority of facilitators to be difficult as well as important. This and other findings can help facilitators in preparing for their role in COPs.
Reaction of DNA Peroxyl Radicals with Cysteamine and Glutathione: The Formation of Sulfoxyl Radicals

The oxygen enhancement effect has been attributed to defect (radical) fixation by oxygen which prevents repair by sulfhydryls (1–4). Actually, in model systems, oxygen in the absence of thiols is a slight radioprotector of DNA and does not act to increase damage (5,6). Indigenous thiols not only account for the radioprotective effects but their radical reactions in the presence of oxygen are also a likely source of the oxygen enhancement effect. Prutz has suggested in recent studies that disulfide anion radicals formed by thiyl radical attack on thiol (reaction 1) are the primary species responsible for the radioprotective effect of thiols (7).
Anti–slip regulator system (ASR)

When wheelspin occurs the anti–slip regulator system (ASR) regulates the drive torque in such a way that steerability is always retained, together with good forward traction. The microprocessor which performs the regulating function compares the wheel speed increase at each driven wheel with the vehicle acceleration, and calculates the 'excess torque' which is causing wheelspin, and eliminates it automatically by briefly actuating the wheel brake and/or by backing off the throttle. At low speeds the wheel with the greatest amount of wheelspin is slowed by an exactly calculated brake application with a simultaneous reduction of engine power, so that the amount of forward traction is determined by the greatest available surface adhesion. At higher speeds, however, in order to avoid undesired yaw reactions, the system operates only by reducing engine power delivery by the necessary amount, which means that the amount of tractive force is determined by the lower surface adhesion value in each case.
Real-Time Classification of Bladder Events for Effective Diagnosis and Treatment of Urinary Incontinence

Diagnosis of lower urinary tract dysfunction with urodynamics has historically relied on data acquired from multiple sensors using nonphysiologically fast cystometric filling. In addition, state-of-the-art neuromodulation approaches to restore bladder function could benefit from a bladder sensor for closed-loop control, but a practical sensor and automated data analysis are not available. We have developed an algorithm for real-time bladder event detection based on a single in situ sensor, making it attractive for both extended ambulatory bladder monitoring and closed-loop control of stimulation systems for diagnosis and treatment of bladder overactivity. Using bladder pressure data acquired from 14 human subjects with neurogenic bladder, we developed context-aware thresholding, a novel, parameterized, user-tunable algorithmic framework capable of real-time classification of bladder events, such as detrusor contractions, from single-sensor bladder pressure data. We compare six event detection algorithms with both single-sensor and two-sensor systems using a metric termed Conditional Stimulation Score, which ranks algorithms based on projected stimulation efficacy and efficiency. We demonstrate that adaptive methods are more robust against day-to-day variations than static thresholding, improving sensitivity and specificity without parameter modifications. Relative to other methods, context-aware thresholding is fast, robust, highly accurate, noise-tolerant, and amenable to energy-efficient hardware implementation, which is important for mapping to an implant device.
Time-lapse Monitoring Carbon Sequestrated Brine Aquifers- a Feasibility Study

Substantial research efforts are now underway on injecting (sequestrating) carbon dioxide (CO2) into deep saline aquifers. These sequestration efforts require remote monitoring using available geophysical tools to ensure that the sequestrated CO2 is in place and does not disturb the geological integrity of the surrounding rocks. Since seismic method is the only accepted geophysical tool that can potentially image detailed subsurface information to large depths, here we develop a monitoring strategy using seismic data alone. Fluid substitution at different saturations of CO2 in a brine filled aquifer and comparing its elastic properties with the original indicates that the formation density will play the key role in successful monitoring of carbon-sequestrated aquifers. As multicomponent seismic data are more sensitive to subsurface density variations than vertical (P-wave) component data, we believe that multicomponent seismic data are necessary for obtaining an accurate subsurface presequestration model. Multicomponent data are however more expensive than conventional (P-wave) data. Therefore, acquiring multicomponent data both for baseline and for successive monitoring surveys is not cost-effective. Since above-normal pore pressure due to sequestration may fracture the overlying formations, we investigate if microseismic events generated from these fractures could be used for monitoring. Inducing microseismic events with different fault-plane source mechanisms and computing passive seismic responses from them, we find that these computed responses are sensitive to the fracture fault plane geometry, and passive seismic data could be a potential monitoring tool. We conclude that if multicomponent seismic data are acquired prior to sequestration as a baseline survey and inverted for an accurate presequestration elastic earth model, we can then use passive seismic data for subsequent monitoring. This strategy, in turn, may provide a cost-effective way to monitor carbon sequestrated deep saline aquifers.
Poly[[diaqua-bis(μ(3)-maleato-κO:O,O:O)dicopper(II)] trihydrate].

In the title compound, {[Cu2(C4H2O4)2(H2O)2]·3H2O}n, CuII ions with square-pyramidal coordination are bridged by exo­tri­dentate maleate dianions into [Cu2(maleate)2(H2O)2]n layers coincident with the bc crystal plane. The inter­lamellar regions contain hydrogen-bonded cyclic water hexa­mers which facilitate layer stacking into a pseudo-three-dimensional crystal structure. The water hexamers themselves are formed by the operation of crystallographic inversion centers on sets of three crystallographically distinct water molecules of hydration.
Book Review: Scenario-Based e-Learning: Evidence-Based Guidelines for Online Workforce Learning. Ruth Colvin Clark

Ruth Colvin Clark’s Scenario-Based e-Learning: Evidence-Based Guidelines for Online Workforce Learning presents a well-developed method for deploying scenario-based learning models in online environments. A level of general familiarity with both instructional design practice and e-learning development is assumed throughout; some sequencing of concepts within the text may prove challenging for less-experienced readers. Nonetheless, Scenario-Based e-Learning is a significant contribution to the field. Experienced practitioners will find this book an excellent introduction that repeatedly rewards the careful reader.
Thyroid cancer nodal metastases: Biologic significance and therapeutic considerations

Lymph node metastases at presentation are common in PTC and MTC (about one third of patients at presentation), but are rare in other types of thyroid malignancy, though HCC frequently recurs in lymph nodes. Nodal metastases can be detected by a variety of means, but high resolution ultrasonography may be the method of choice. Unlike other epithelial malignancies, in thyroid cancer neither prognostic significance nor optimal treatment of nodal metastasis are known with certainty. For PTC lymph node metastases at presentation do not seem to adversely affect survival, but do increase the risk of locoregional tumor recurrence. By contrast, in FTC nodal metastases at presentation may adversely affect cause-specific mortality, but because of their rarity definite conclusions are impossible. Except for the oxyphilic variant of FTC (HCC) nodal recurrence in FTC is rare. The most firm evidence of prognostic relevance for nodal metastases in thyroid malignancies exists in medullary thyroid cancer, where most studies suggest that survival and recurrence are both adversely affected by node-positive status at presentation. Primary treatment of nodal metastases is removal of macroscopically affected nodes at initial surgery, optionally supplemented with adjuvant radioiodine treatment in an attempt to reduce recurrence risk. The value, however, of postoperative radioiodine in preventing either nodal recurrence or cancer death in patients with papillary and follicular thyroid cancer remains controversial. Extensive lymph node dissection at presentation offers no advantage (and may cause increased morbidity) in papillary carcinoma, but may be useful in medullary thyroid carcinoma, where nodal metastases seem to increase the risk of cause-specific mortality. In all tumor types postoperative nodal recurrences should primarily be treated surgically.
APPLICATION OF SEQUENTIAL INDICATOR SIMULATION METHOD TO DELINEATING SEDIMENTARY MICROFACIES

Correctly delineating sedimentary microfacies provides guidance to the study of reservoir heterogeneity and distribution of reservoir parameters. However, traditionally the determination of the boundary of sedimentary microfacies largely relies on the researchers' experiences and thus tends to be subjective. In this work, the Sequential Indicator Simulation Method is used to solve the problem. With the method, equi-probabilistic models of distribution of microfacies in the plan can be obtained. When integrated with the experience of geological researchers, this approach not only demonstrates the variation of microfacies, but also minimizes the uncertainty of models due to the lack of data. Application of the method to the S2-2 layer in X oil field has shown satisfactory results.
Cultures of normal human urothelial cells from ureters of perfused cadaver transplant kidneys.

AbstractIn this comparative study, we report that urothelial cultures initiated from ureters of mechanically perfused cadaver-obtained transplant kidneys display characteristics of explant attachment, explant viability, cellular morphology and area of outgrowth essentially indistinguishable from cultures established from ureters of living donor kidneys. We conclude that ureter specimens from cadaver kidneys are a suitable, routinely available source of tissue from which cultures of normal human urothelial cells can be propagated.
Standardization of 63 Ni by 4πβ Liquid Scintillation Spectrometry With 3 H-Standard Efficiency Tracing.

The low energy (Eβmax = 66.945 keV ± 0.004 keV) β-emitter 63Ni has become increasingly important in the field of radionuclidic metrology. In addition to having a low β-endpoint energy, the relatively long half-life (101.1 a ± 1.4 a) makes it an appealing standard for such applications. This paper describes the recent preparation and calibration of a new solution Standard Reference Material of 63Ni, SRM 4226C, released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The massic activity CA for these standards was determined using 4πβ liquid scintillation (LS) spectrometry with 3H-standard efficiency tracing using the CIEMAT/NIST method, and is certified as 50.53 kBq ·g-1 ± 0.46 Bq · g-1 at the reference time of 1200 EST August 15, 1995. The uncertainty given is the expanded (coverage factor k = 2 and thus a 2 standard deviation estimate) uncertainty based on the evaluation of 28 different uncertainty components. These components were evaluated on the basis of an exhaustive number (976) of LS counting measurements investigating over 15 variables. Through the study of these variables it was found that LS cocktail water mass fraction and ion concentration play important roles in cocktail stability and consistency of counting results. The results of all of these experiments are discussed.
SymChaff: a structure-aware satisfiability solver

We present a novel low-overhead framework for encoding and utilizing structural symmetry in propositional satisfiability algorithms (SAT solvers). We use the notion of complete multi-class symmetry and demonstrate the efficacy of our technique through a solver SymChaff that achieves exponential speedup by using simple tags in the specification of problems from both theory and practice. Efficient implementations of DPLL-based SAT solvers are routinely used in areas as diverse as planning, scheduling, design automation, model checking, verification, testing, and algebra. A natural feature of many application domains is the presence of symmetry, such as that amongst all trucks at a certain location in logistics planning and all wires connecting two switch boxes in an FPGA circuit. Many of these problems turn out to have a concise description in many-sorted first order logic. This description can be easily specified by the problem designer and almost as easily inferred automatically. SymChaff, an extension of the popular SAT solver zChaff, uses information obtained from the "sorts" in the first order logic constraints to create symmetry sets that are used to partition variables into classes and to maintain and utilize symmetry information dynamically. Current approaches designed to handle symmetry include: (A) symmetry breaking predicates (SBPs), (B) pseudo-Boolean solvers with implicit representation for counting, (C) modifications of DPLL that handle symmetry dynamically, and (D) techniques based on ZBDDs. SBPs are prohibitively many, often large, and expensive to compute for problems such as the ones we report experimental results for. Pseudo-Boolean solvers are provably exponentially slow in certain symmetric situations and their implicit counting representation is not always appropriate. Suggested modifications of DPLL either work on limited global symmetry and are difficult to extend, or involve expensive algebraic group computations. Finally, techniques based on ZBDDs often do not compare well even with ordinary DPLL-based solvers. Sym-Chaff addresses and overcomes most of these limitations.
Use of Diversity to Improve FH/MFSK Performance in Worst Case Partial Band Noise and Multitone Jamming

The performance of an uncoded frequency-hopped (FH), M-ary frequency-shift keyed (MFSK) communication system can be severely degraded by worst case partial band noise or multitone jamming. This paper demonstrates that time diversity, a simplified form of coding, will effectively recover most of this jamming loss, particularly at low error rates.
Question Review Model for Q&A systems

This paper describes a review model for an on-line question and answer (Q&A) system whose objective is to personalize student's study review session in order to improve user conceptual proficiency and limit the number of necessary review questions based on individual and class performance data. The Question Review Model (QRM) structures study review for each user by prioritizing a list of critical concepts from which conceptually related questions are chosen based on their difficulty level. The model serves to identify a student's conceptual strengths and weaknesses to provide comprehensive feedback about student in-class performance and recommend the order of questions best suitable for practice. For each concept, a binary question tree is formed that enables, either the user or the system, to structure the review session with a trade-off between question difficulty and the number of questions necessary for conceptual mastery.
Theoretical Perspectives on Ethical Dilemmas in Globalization and International Taxation

Global corporations confront ethical dilemmas that lead to increasingly contentious environments where corporations extend tax planning by availing of ambiguities and new devices such as tax havens emerging from a globalized economic system. Adopting a normative theory-based approach, the paper contextualizes global tax planning approaches applying three theoretical perspectives, agency, legitimacy and normative stakeholder that help interpret ethical issues in global taxation to reflect the tensions and viewpoints of interest groups. The paper thereby extends the classifications of tax planning beyond those that emerge through the stages of historic growth of tax departments as profit centers and risk management centers (e.g., Donohoe, McGill, & Outslay, 2014) to stakeholder accountability centers. Specifically, drawing attention to the multiple stakeholders impacted by global business and international taxation, the paper presents a rationale for public policy that engages global business to further the public interest through a stakeholder based tax planning approach.
Curious software engineering experience

It is paramount for software engineers to develop the skills and background necessary to effectively work, communicate and innovate on an international scale. Our growing global world needs an increasingly diverse workforce. The effects of the globalization have been felt in the software engineering arena through software engineering projects realized by diverse professionals located in different continents with different industrial background, culture, time zone, and even language. During 2014 and 2015, Kennesaw State University (KSU) faculty from Marietta, GA, USA traveled to La Salle University in Arequipa, Peru to deliver special Software Engineering (SWE) winter programs. The programs provided opportunities to study the student's understanding of software engineering terms, knowledge, and practices in two different international arenas, KSU and La Salle. This paper discusses details and results of the winter programs executed by KSU bi-lingual faculty to La Salle participants with limited English understanding. A cycle of knowledge building emerged from the two cultures in the preparation and execution of the courses. The student participants aligned their knowledge and understanding of their Latin American software engineering practices to the new perspective given in the program. The experience educated faculty and participants of the agreements, differences, and challenges to the software architecture and game development curriculum, terminology, and development trends. The process of the collaborative knowledge distribution and assimilation that was built and experienced in the courses was surveyed with the student's views about pre-understandings, personal comprehension, opinions and final assimilation of the course content.
Full ZVS soft-start of a SiC medium voltage series resonant DC-DC converter using variable frequency variable duty cycle control

A novel variable frequency variable duty cycle (VFVD) control scheme using off-line digital control by only sensing the output voltage is proposed. Designed for a 6 kV 40 kHz series resonant DC-DC converter in solid state transformer application, it realizes cycle-by-cycle resonant current limiting and zero voltage switching (ZVS) at any load condition. According to the state plane analysis, with a certain output voltage, the resonant current can be well controlled by modifying the on-time, and ZVS of the medium voltage (MV) SiC devices can be ensured by adjusting the switching frequency. By sensing the output voltage, a digital controller with off-line lookup table can be easily implemented. Full ZVS together with fast current limiting greatly improves the reliability of the MV medium frequency converter.
Pathways to a Caregiver Identity and Implications for Support Services

Caregiving at the end of the life cycle is now widely recognized as a normal role in later life for most women and many men. The caregiving role, however, is not uniformly embraced by all potential caregivers, nor is it experienced in the same manner by those who assume the role. Indeed, a large number of studies conducted over the two past decades have documented differential impacts of caregiving on caregivers’ lives (Anhensel, Pearlin, Mulan, Zarit, & Whitlach, 1995; Farran, Miller, Kaufman, & Davis, 1997). Despite early questions about the utility of research on caregiving and its corresponding costs (Zarit, 1989), the experience of caregiving has been designated by The National Institute on Aging as one of the top priorities for social and behavioral research. Caregiving has also moved on to center stage in the policy arena. Where in the past, the presence of a family caregiver was often the basis for denial of public services, the introduction of the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) as Title III-E of the Older American’s Act in 2000 legitimized family caregivers as a group with needs deserving of assistance. Since the initial implementation of the NFCSP in 2000, there has been an explosion of newly developed family support programs at both the state and local levels.
A 2.5nJ duty-cycled bridge-to-digital converter integrated in a 13mm 3 pressure-sensing system

Small form-factor piezoresistive MEMS sensors, often configured in a Wheatstone bridge, are widely used to measure physical signals such as pressure [1-3], temperature [4], force [1], and gas concentration. A common method to realize a digital output from the bridge involves biasing the bridge with a DC voltage source and using a low-noise amplifier followed by an ADC. While a bridge measurement can achieve high resolution and linearity, it is very power hungry [3] because the bridge resistance is low (typically 1–10kΩ). Both the high power and high instantaneous current make it unsuitable as a sensing interface in miniaturized microsystems with battery capacities of EX ) is sourced from an on-chip decoupling capacitance that drops ∼100mV during excitation and then slowly recharges from the battery. To avoid accuracy degradation from this voltage fluctuation, the design samples not only the inputs (V IN+/− ) but also V EX , from which it generates a DAC reference voltage (V DAC ). We also propose an offset calibration and input-range matching method. We demonstrate operation of the bridge-to-digital converter (BDC) integrated with a complete and fully functional pressure-sensing system, including a processor, battery, power management unit, RF transmitter, and optical receiver.
Strong Semantic Computing

Abstract Standard computing will be characterized as a functional extension of syntax. Using BICA claim of continuity between human-animal-robot cognitive architectures, we will define strong semantics as the ability of a cognitive architectures to consult cognitive maps, in particular phenomenal content maps (Damasio, 2010). This follows the work on semantic maps, yet the maps we postulate are based on phenomenal markers not syntax and predicative logic. We define extra strong semantic maps (and extra strong computing in general) as those that go beyond human capabilities. The goal of strong semantic computing in autonomous robotics should be to ‘know what is going on’ (Sanz, 2012) before engaging in detailed logical analysis. Such sort of Gestalt computing is needed in advanced autonomous robotics, especially robots functioning in human environments.
Anionic and Zwitterionic Residues Modulate Stiffness of Photo-Cross-Linked Hydrogels and Cellular Behavior of Encapsulated Chondrocytes

Photo-cross-linked poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) hydrogels have been widely utilized for cartilage tissue engineering. However, strategies for improving their stiffness have been predominantly limited to increasing the degree of photo-cross-linking or weight fraction of the polymer. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that covalent incorporation of anionic sulfonate or zwitterionic sulfobetaine residues into photo-cross-linked PEGDMA hydrogels could enhance their mechanical properties without altering overall polymer content or swelling behavior. In addition, we investigated whether and how covalent incorporation of these chemical residues would affect cartilage extracellular matrix secretion by encapsulated chondrocytes. With the incorporation of 5–10% anionic or zwitterionic residues, the compressive moduli of PEGDMA hydrogels increased and the stress relaxation expedited while the swelling behavior and overall polymer fraction were kept the same. The incorporation of anionic residue...
Connect the Dots to Prove It: A Novel Way to Learn Proof Construction

This paper describes a new method for helping students improve their ability to develop proofs, a skill necessary for comprehending and appreciating the foundational topics of computer science. Our method transforms ordinary pen-and-paper homework problems into a puzzle-like game, where students connect dots to justify assertions, in a quest to reach a desired goal. We have implemented a software tutoring system using this method, for students to use at home as an optional study aid. Potentially, our system could one day become a full replacement for traditional hand-written homework, which has the additional benefit for course instructors of automating the grading of student work. Our system is also easy to adapt to any class that requires students to write proofs, and it is easy for instructors to create new problems to use with this system. This stands in contrast to many other educational tools for teaching proofs, which are limited to specific topic domains. We have demonstrated the versatility of our system by testing it in two computer science classes at a large public university. One was a Sophomore-level discrete mathematics course where the students were learning first-order prepositional logic, and the other was a Junior-level algorithms course where students were being first exposed to the concept of NP-completeness. Students from our experiments reported that they would like our system to be used in more of their classes.
Universal Access to Shopping: Apparel Acquisition Preferences for the Working Woman with Physical Disabilities

Consumers with physical disabilities often find the acquisition of suitable ready-towear apparel to be problematic and in some cases impossible. The number of female consumers with physical disabilities who are employed is expanding and these consumers need access to affordable, functional and attractive apparel. In spite of multichannel retailing being available, consumers with disabilities tend to prefer to shop in traditional brick and mortar stores. However, significant problems exist in finding the right product, accessing stores and fitting rooms, and finding personnel who are willing to listen and/or have some knowledge of disability. The current qualitative study involving a sample of working women with a variety of physical limitations (n=9) supports the evidence that the shopping preference of consumers with disabilities is the brick and mortar store. Their reasons for this preference included being able to see and touch the fabric, and getting a feel for how the garment looks on the body before making the purchase decision. In addition, price points were examined to see exactly how much money consumers with disabilities were willing to pay for an apparel product (jacket). This study has implications for retailers and apparel manufacturers who wish to address the diverse shopping needs of this often neglected segment of consumers.
Editorial: Globality and Locality

This issue of West Africa Review brings you engaging analyses of the theory and practice of globalism. Amin Alhassan illuminates the not so bright corners of the deregulation and privatization processes of the telecom industry in Ghana. Teju Olaniyan examines the implication of new theories of global relations for people who reside outside of the main metropolitan centers of capitalism. Osita Agbu dissects the global tentacles of human trafficking in Nigeria. Olaniyan says, "Globality and the global diaspora seem to be an unequal and one-way traffic." Compare these words to Alhassan's on the European model of privatization being applied to Ghana's telecom industry: "Europe . . . is now using the market model after successfully using the state to put in place the basic telecom infrastructure." Both articles speak eloquently and passionately about the prospects and problems Africa has to counterbalance in order to profit from contemporary global economic and political constellations.
LIFE AFTER DEBT: POSTGRADUATION CONSEQUENCES OF FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS

We estimate the causal effect of student loans on post-graduation outcomes exploiting a kink in the formula determining the eligibility for need-based federal student loans. Using a nationally representative sample of students graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1993, we establish that student debt leads to lower earnings soon after graduation, an effect which dissipates over time. Surprisingly, the negative effect on earnings is driven by a decline in hours worked rather than the wage rate. Students with debt tend to be less ``choosy'' on the job market: they are more inclined to accept part-time jobs as well as jobs that are less related to their degree and offer limited career potential.
COMBINED NON-INVASIVE AND INVASIVE TESTING FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF OBSTRUCTIVE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Fractional Flow Reserve - Computed Tomography (FFRCT) correlates accurately with invasive (FFR). However, there have been no prior studies combining invasive anatomical imaging with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and high definition 60 MHz intravascular ultrasound (HD-IVUS) and functional
Development and Validation of the Ventral Hernia Repair Outcomes Reporting App for Clinician and Patient Engagement (ORACLE).

Background Patient engagement is an increasingly important component of surgical decision making. Given the many factors associated with successful ventral hernia repair (VHR), we developed and validated the Outcomes Reporting App for Clinical and Patient Engagement (ORACLE) tool to help facilitate preoperative surgeon-patient discussions about VHR. Methods All patients undergoing elective, VHR with 30-day follow-up data available within the Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative were eligible for study inclusion. Using bootstrapping and bias-corrected calibration, predictive models were generated and validated for 5 quality measures after VHR, including postoperative wound events, estimated length of hospital stay, unplanned 30-day readmission to the hospital, and risk of hernia recurrence at 1 year postoperatively. Results A total of 10,690 patients met inclusion criteria. Based on comparison of the theoretical best to the observed calibration curves, the models for each of the 5 outcomes of interest have strong predictive strength as reflected in the Brier score for surgical site infection, surgical site occurrence requiring procedural intervention, and 30-day hospital readmission, the c-index for 1-year hernia recurrence and the R2 value for the model for predicted hospital length of stay. Conclusions Using a national data set for development, ORACLE can be used to facilitate patient engagement, with the goal of tailoring interventions for VHR given each patient's unique factors. With ongoing data input into the Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative and a continuous re-evaluation of these risk models, it is our intention that this tool will serve as an up-to-date resource for hernia surgeons and ventral hernia patients.
Capacity Results via Message Merging and Superposition Coding in the K-Receiver Broadcast Channel with General Message Sets

A K-receiver discrete memoryless (DM) broadcast channel (BC) with general message sets is studied. A general message set is one that contains any subset of or all possible 2K−1 groupcast messages, with each such message intended for a distinct subset of receivers. Message merging is a simple idea of bijectively mapping multiple messages into a single message, and hence with a rate that is the sum of the rates of the merged messages. Using a natural form of message merging it is shown that superposition coding of the merged messages and successive decoding of a subset of those messages at each receiver achieves the capacity region of the class of K-receiver interleavable DM BCs for any general message set. The interleavable class of DM BCs subsumes the K-receiver degraded DM BC and the less noisy DM BC in the three-receiver case as special cases. A generalization of that result is also given. For certain classes of message sets, message merging, superposition coding and successive decoding is shown to again achieve the capacity region, but for corresponding classes of channels that are larger than the interleavable DM BC. In each such class, there is a group of receivers that are not constrained to be ordered in strength by any notion of order (i.e., degraded, less noisy or more capable). Most known results on the optimality of superposition coding and successive decoding, including notably, for the interleavable DM BC with private messages, and for the recently found classes of DM BCs for two nested multicast messages with one private or one common receiver, are subsumed by the general —yet simply established —result of this paper.
Genomic adaptations to chemosymbiosis in the deep-sea seep-dwelling tubeworm Lamellibrachia luymesi.

Symbiotic relationships between microbes and their hosts are widespread and diverse, often providing protection or nutrients, and may be either obligate or facultative. However, the genetic mechanisms allowing organisms to maintain host-symbiont associations at the molecular level are still mostly unknown, and in the case of bacterial-animal associations, most genetic studies have focused on adaptations and mechanisms of the bacterial partner. The gutless tubeworms (Siboglinidae, Annelida) are obligate hosts of chemoautotrophic endosymbionts (except for Osedax which houses heterotrophic Oceanospirillales), which rely on the sulfide-oxidizing symbionts for nutrition and growth. Whereas several siboglinid endosymbiont genomes have been characterized, genomes of hosts and their adaptations to this symbiosis remain unexplored. Here, we present and characterize adaptations of the cold seep-dwelling tubeworm Lamellibrachia luymesi, one of the longest-lived solitary invertebrates. We sequenced the worm’s ~ 688-Mb haploid genome with an overall completeness of ~ 95% and discovered that L. luymesi lacks many genes essential in amino acid biosynthesis, obligating them to products provided by symbionts. Interestingly, the host is known to carry hydrogen sulfide to thiotrophic endosymbionts using hemoglobin. We also found an expansion of hemoglobin B1 genes, many of which possess a free cysteine residue which is hypothesized to function in sulfide binding. Contrary to previous analyses, the sulfide binding mediated by zinc ions is not conserved across tubeworms. Thus, the sulfide-binding mechanisms in sibgolinids need to be further explored, and B1 globins might play a more important role than previously thought. Our comparative analyses also suggest the Toll-like receptor pathway may be essential for tolerance/sensitivity to symbionts and pathogens. Several genes related to the worm’s unique life history which are known to play important roles in apoptosis, cell proliferation, and aging were also identified. Last, molecular clock analyses based on phylogenomic data suggest modern siboglinid diversity originated in 267 mya (± 70 my) support previous hypotheses indicating a Late Mesozoic or Cenozoic origins of approximately 50–126 mya for vestimentiferans. Here, we elucidate several specific adaptations along various molecular pathways that link phenome to genome to improve understanding of holobiont evolution. Our findings of adaptation in genomic mechanisms to reducing environments likely extend to other chemosynthetic symbiotic systems.
Generation of three-dimensionally homogenized focal spot with uniform intensity distribution using vectorial optical fields

Abstract We propose a new approach to create a focal spot with three-dimensionally homogenized intensity using 4 π microscopic configuration. By collecting the radiations of electric and magnetic dipoles oscillating at the confocal point of the 4 π microscope, radially and azimuthally polarized beams with complex intensity distribution are analytically calculated at the pupil planes of the microscope objectives in conjugation with Richard-Wolf diffraction method. Through coherently combining both dipoles’ radiations and reversing the problem, the total focal field is calculated at the focus using the Debye integrals. The constructive and destructive interferences of the focal field components can be tailored under the 4 π focusing setup to generate a focal spot with three-dimensional homogenized intensity structure that possesses a uniform distribution and controllable polarization at the vicinity of the focal volume.
Flash Cards In The NICU: A Novel Approach To Resident Education

Purpose Ongoing restrictions to resident work hours along with fewer NICU rotations during residency limit the time residents are involved in the care of high risk newborns. The work pace and work flow of the NICU is highly efficient to address the needs of an often fragile and unstable patient population, but limits the amount of time that can be spent educating residents. Resident satisfaction and morale in the NICU is low due to an imbalance of service and education time. Innovative strategies that provide effective and …
Reduced-Size Converter in DFIG-Based Wind Energy Conversion System

Induction generators operate in a wide range of speed to accommodate the forced turbine speed tracking required by the MPPT controllers. Consequently, the size of the rotor-side converter needs to be large. This paper introduces a DFIG-based wind power conversion structure that can achieve MPPT in a narrow window of generator speed and consequently reduce the size of the converter. A new hydraulic power transmission system is employed to decouple the shafts of the generator and the turbine, allowing independent control of MPPT and generator speed regulation. The proposed DFIG is investigated by analytical calculations as well as a simulation at different wind speeds to demonstrate the reduced size of the converter and dynamic performance of the power generation.
Tobacco Reborn: The Rise of E-Cigarettes and Regulatory Approaches

This paper examines e-cigarettes, FDA-regulated products which heat nicotine-containing fluid into an aerosol to be breathed into the lungs. Recent data show that e-cigarettes are used by about one-fifth of U.S. high schoolers. Given that we have, in the Surgeon General’s words, reached an epidemic of youth e-cigarette use, it is worth asking how a product within FDA jurisdiction became a serious threat to to 3.6 million youth. This article will review the law surrounding e-cigarettes and the history of FDA’s attempts to regulate them. Administrative law doctrines instruct us that increased presidential control will rein in misbehaving agencies by allowing the people to vote out a president who improperly directs the administrative state. However, e-cigarettes present a potent counterexample. On multiple occasions, presidential control over FDA stymied essential tobacco regulations by increasing the influence of the tobacco industry over expert agency policymaking. Yet children harmed by these tobacco policies have no right to vote and little political clout with which to advocate for their interests. Ultimately, the emerging approach to regulating e-cigarettes stands in opposition to a looming historical context and a boiling epidemic of nicotine addiction. By painting the context of e-cigarettes in lush detail, drawing from history, law, medicine, and public health, this article will chart a path forward for e-cigarettes and other addicting products.
Impact of fission gas bubbles on thermal conductivity of UO2 fuels with high thermal conductivity additives

Abstract High thermal conductivity additives are being considered to create composite nuclear fuels with a higher effective thermal conductivity (ETC) to reduce the peak fuel temperatures during reactor operation. However, the benefits of the additive may be reduced, or possibly eliminated, when placed into a reactor environment. In this work, we investigate the impact of fission gas bubbles on the ETC of composite fuels. We create 2D simulations representing a small portion of a composite UO 2 fuel containing a single additive particle and calculate the ETC with various volume fractions of fission gas bubbles. Our results show that fission gas bubbles, depending on the volume fraction and contact angle at the additive interface, can completely remove any benefit of the additive and even result in a lower thermal conductivity than in UO 2 without the additive. We also expose a trend that relates the fraction of additive that is screened by bubbles to the ETC. We then propose a model which predicts the ETC of a composite fuel with fission gas bubbles to better estimate the benefits of a novel fuel design.
Semantic Clustering During Verbal List Learning Is Associated With Employment Status in a Community Sample

The ability to learn and remember verbal information is highly relevant to many work roles and environments, but we know little about the underlying cognitive mechanisms of those associations. This...
First Bite Syndrome: What Neurologists Need to Know.

Though first bite syndrome is well known in surgical settings, it is not commonly included in the differential for sharp paroxysmal facial pain in the neurology literature. This paper will highlight the clinical features and relevant anatomy of first bite syndrome, with the goal of helping clinicians differentiate this from other similar facial pain disorders. First bite syndrome is severe sharp or cramping pain in the parotid region occurring with the first bite of each meal and improving with subsequent bites. Pathophysiology has been attributed to imbalanced sympathetic/parasympathetic innervation of the parotid gland. This is seen most typically in the post-surgical setting following surgery in the parotid or parapharyngeal region, but neoplastic etiologies have also been reported. It is common for patients to present with concurrent great auricular neuropathy and/or Horner’s syndrome. Evidence regarding treatment is limited to case reports/series, however, botulinum toxin injections and neuropathic medicines have been helpful in select cases. It is critical for clinicians to be able to differentiate first bite syndrome from other paroxysmal facial pain. To help with this, we have proposed diagnostic criteria for clinical assessment. Patients often improve gradually over time, but symptomatic treatment with botulinum toxin or neuropathic medicine may be required.
A Fresh Look at Prevention for Health Risks

We analyze how risk preferences affect optimal prevention for health risks using Kihlstrom and Mirman's (1974) transformation function approach. This ensures consistency of ordinal preferences. The effect of comparative risk aversion depends on a probability threshold while the effect of comparative downside risk aversion is always negative. This corroborates the role of downside risk aversion as an important determinant of optimal prevention for health risks but renders fear of sickness insignificant. We also point out several unique properties of prevention for health risks compared to financial risks.
Performance of steel dynamic message sign-support structures in extreme wind events

Abstract With a focus on addressing the fatigue-related issues, overhead truss dynamic message sign (DMS)-support structures have witnessed a material shift from aluminum to steel, further to a shift in their connection details from welded tube to slotted tube gusset plate connections. While the effect of fatigue on this category of structures has been investigated through field monitoring programs and numerical simulations, the potential vulnerability of DMS-support structures to extreme winds has remained largely unexplored. To address this research gap, the current study aims to evaluate the structural response and assess the possibility of failure of overhead truss DMS-support structures under a wide range of wind loading scenarios. For this purpose, a representative finite-element (FE) model is developed with all the necessary details. The FE model is first validated using the data from the field-instrumented DMS-support structures. The validated FE model is then subjected to extreme wind loads of various intensities. The main structural response measures are studied, including those for the U-bolt connections that tie the horizontal truss to the vertical supports. To obtain the most realistic results, the wind simulations examine the code-specified drag coefficients in comparison to the drag coefficients refined through an advanced computational fluid dynamics study. The performance of the steel DMS-support structures is further examined considering various contributing factors, with a special attention to the loading demand experienced by connections, columns, and chords. This provides a holistic vulnerability assessment of this important category of structural systems subjected to extreme wind events.