cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The bidirectional associations between state anger and rumination and the role of trait mindfulness.

Rumination is associated with exacerbated angry mood. Angry moods may also trigger rumination. However, research has not empirically tested the bidirectional associations of state rumination and anger, as experience sampling methodology can do. We predicted that state anger and rumination would be bi-directionally associated, both concurrently and over time, even controlling for trait anger and rumination. In addition, because mindfulness is associated with rumination and anger at the bivariate level, we examined the effect of trait mindfulness on the bidirectional association between state rumination and anger. We examined two hypotheses: (i) state rumination mediates the effect of trait mindfulness on state anger; and (ii) trait mindfulness weakens, or moderates, the bidirectional associations between state rumination and anger. In an experience-sampling study, 200 college students reported their current ruminative thinking and angry mood several times a day for 7 days. Mixed model analyses indicated that state anger and rumination predicted each other concurrently. In cross-lagged analyses, previous anger did not uniquely predict current rumination; previous rumination predicted current anger, although the effect was small. In support of our hypothesis, state rumination mediated the association between trait mindfulness and state anger. Additionally, trait mindfulness moderated the concurrent and cross-lagged associations between state rumination and anger, although the results were complex. This study contributes new information about the complex interplay of rumination and anger. Findings also add support to the theory that mindfulness decreases emotional reactivity. Aggr. Behav. 9999:1–10, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Emergency Physician Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior Regarding ACEP's Choosing Wisely Recommendations: A Survey Study

Objective In 2013, the American College of Emergency Physicians joined the Choosing Wisely campaign; however, its impact on emergency physician behavior is unknown. We assessed knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported behaviors regarding the Choosing Wisely recommendations. Methods We performed a cross-sectional survey of emergency physicians at a national meeting. We approached 819 physicians; 765 (93.4%) completed the survey. Results As a result of the Choosing Wisely campaign, most respondents (64.5%) felt more comfortable discussing low-value services with patients, 54.5% reported reducing utilization, and 52.5% were aware of local efforts to promote the campaign. A majority (62.97%) of respondents were able to identify at least four of five recommendations. The most prevalent low-value practices were computed tomography (CT) brain for minor head injury (29.9%) and antibiotics for acute sinusitis (26.9%). Few respondents reported performing lumbar radiograph for nontraumatic low back pain (7.8%) and Foley catheter for patients who can void (5.6%). Respondents reported patient/family expectations as the most important reason for ordering antibiotics for sinusitis (68%) and imaging for low back pain (56.8%). However, concern for serious diagnosis was the most important reason for performing CT chest for patients with normal D-dimer (49.7%) and CT abdomen for recurrent uncomplicated renal colic (42.5%). A minority (3.8% to 26.7%) of respondents identified malpractice risk as the primary reason for performing low-value services. Conclusions Despite familiarity with Choosing Wisely, many emergency physicians report performing low-value services. Primary reasons for low-value services differ: antibiotic prescribing was driven by patient/family expectations, while concern for serious diagnosis influenced advanced diagnostic imaging. Greater efforts are needed to promote effective dissemination and implementation; such efforts may be targeted based on differing reasons for low-value services.
Validation of Ultrasonography for Assessment of Gastric Emptying Time in Healthy Cats by Radionuclide Scintigraphy.

Background The prevalence of gastric emptying (GE) disorders in cats is unknown due to lack of clinically applicable diagnostic tests. Objectives The principal aim of this study was to assess correlation between scintigraphic and ultrasonographic measurements of GE time (GET) in healthy cats. Additionally, variability of ultrasonographic GET, and correlation between scintigraphy and ultrasonographic parameters of gastric motility were evaluated. Animals Eight healthy domestic shorthair cats. Methods Prospective study. Scintigraphic GET was determined using a solid test meal containing 4 mCi 99mTc-mebrofenin. Each cat had 3 separate ultrasonographic assessments of GE, performed independent of scintigraphic assessment, after solid test meal consumption. The motility index (MI) of antral contractions was plotted against time and time for each fraction of the area under the MI curve determined. Ultrasonographic GET and MI were correlated to scintigraphic GET. Results Scintigraphic GET (mean ± SD) for 25, 50, and 75% GE was 103 ± 32 minutes, 196 ± 45 minutes, and 288 ± 62 minutes, whereas sonographic GET for 25, 50, and 75% GE was 106 ± 13 minutes, 203 ± 19 minutes, and 305 ± 27 minutes. There was good correlation between scintigraphic and sonographic GET (r = 0.72–0.82) at 45–90% fractional GE and between scintigraphic GET and time of corresponding MI curve fraction (r = 0.78–0.86) at 40–90% fraction of the MI curve. There was moderate intraindividual variability for sonographic GET and MI curve fraction times as well as significant variation among individuals. Conclusions and clinical importance Ultrasonography is a valid alternative to scintigraphy for assessment of solid-phase GE and allows assessment of postprandial gastric motility in healthy cats.
Yanks in the RAF: The Story of Maverick Pilots and American Volunteers Who Joined Britain's Fight in World War II. By David Alan Johnson. (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2015. Pp. xvi, 281. $25.00.)

When the British Royal Air Force advertised for help in 1940, several hundred Americans braved possible fines, imprisonment, and loss of US citizenship to join up. David Alan Johnson lists the name...
Malware classification with LSTM and GRU language models and a character-level CNN

Malicious software, or malware, continues to be a problem for computer users, corporations, and governments. Previous research [1] has explored training file-based, malware classifiers using a two-stage approach. In the first stage, a malware language model is used to learn the feature representation which is then input to a second stage malware classifier. In Pascanu et al. [1], the language model is either a standard recurrent neural network (RNN) or an echo state network (ESN). In this work, we propose several new malware classification architectures which include a long short-term memory (LSTM) language model and a gated recurrent unit (GRU) language model. We also propose using an attention mechanism similar to [12] from the machine translation literature, in addition to temporal max pooling used in [1], as an alternative way to construct the file representation from neural features. Finally, we propose a new single-stage malware classifier based on a character-level convolutional neural network (CNN). Results show that the LSTM with temporal max pooling and logistic regression offers a 31.3% improvement in the true positive rate compared to the best system in [1] at a false positive rate of 1%.
Life history comparisons of Daphnia obtusa from temporary ponds, cultured with a low-quality food

Temporary pond Daphnia flourish on relatively poor-quality food, suggesting adaptation to stringent temporary pond conditions. We conducted laboratory life history experiments on populations of Daphnia obtusa from a shaded woodland temporary pond (short hydroperiod, dystrophic) and an open farmland temporary pond (long hydroperiod, eutrophic), and compared a suite of physical/chemical conditions in the ponds to evaluate habitat conditions. We hypothesized that the shaded woodland pond population would be more fit in terms of life history variables for individuals (age and size at first reproduction, mean brood size, mean number of neonates) and populations (generation time, net reproductive rate R 0, and intrinsic reproductive rate r) given a standard, low-quality food (trout chow and yeast). Life history traits of woodland pond animals were mixed, relative to farm pond animals, and consistent with bet-hedging for an unpredictable habitat. Values of life history traits rivaled or exceeded those of other studies using phytoplankton as food, and were influenced by the pond water used for our study. Life histories clearly differ among local and regional temporary pond Daphnia obtusa populations, and should be valuable for examining the relative influences of local selection and metapopulation dynamics on population structure.
Mast cell activation disorder masquerading as a nervous breakdown

While mast cells have been implicated in human disease since the early 1900s, mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) was only recently discovered and recognized as a disorder caused by aberrant release of mast cell mediator enzymes. These mediators trigger a wide variety of symptoms ranging from headache, pruritis and gastrointestinal discomfort to life-threatening anaphylaxis. MCAS is frequently unrecognized and misdiagnosed because symptoms associated with MCAS are often present in other medical conditions and are highly variable among patients. We describe a case of a 62-year-old male who presented to the emergency department (ED) with three days of recurrent flushing, diarrhea, mild edema of his hands bilaterally, and severe emotional lability with recurrent crying. In the ED, he was misdiagnosed with severe anxiety and directly sent to a mental health clinic for assistance. However, he was previously seen in allergy clinic for suspected MCAS. Fortuitously standing labs including plasma histamine, tryptase, and urine studies that were ordered in allergy clinic were drawn concurrently with the initial ED workup. He was found to have elevated histamine level during his ED episode and treatment for MCAS was initiated. In subsequent visits, his symptoms, except for episodes of “brain fog” and emotional lability, improved significantly on a combination of antihistamines, oral cromolyn sodium, and montelukast. Additionally every other day prednisone has substantially cleared the neurocognitive symptoms. This case highlights the difficulty of MCAS diagnosis and the importance of assessing for MCAS, especially in patients who have multisystem complaints.
Sociocultural Models of Nuclear Deterrence

Through the development of a computational sociocultural model, we demonstrate the potential utility of a rapid-modeling approach for exploring the dynamics of nuclear deterrence. We review the past literature, showing how our model is influenced by both the domestic politics and constructivist paradigm models of nuclear deterrence. Our model development process incorporates expert elicitation into a model featuring cognitively limited, perception error-prone, belief holding, and knowledge diffusing actors. Results from both an intellective and specific scenario were generated through running the model across various strategies and courses of action (CoAs). Third-party experts validated the model’s short- and long-term results and contribution to stakeholders exploring alternative CoAs. Work remains in validating this paper against empirical data sets and in automating the model construction process.
Trust and distrust in society and public perception of CSR: a cross-cultural study

The purpose of this study is to investigate cross-cultural perspectives of corporate social responsibility (CSR) based on Carroll’s (1979, 1991) hierarchical CSR model. The present study examines the role of government and business trust in shaping publics’ expectations of business responsibility.,The primary data were derived from a cross-sectional survey in the USA, UAE and South Korea (N = 1,121). This paper compares publics’ prioritizations of business responsibilities across countries and examines how public trust in the government and business is related to CSR perceptions.,The paper presents evidence that publics’ perception of CSR differs significantly across the countries. Moreover, in a trusting society like the UAE, publics tend to put more emphasis on economic and philanthropic duties for business, whereas in a distrusting society like South Korea, publics consider legal and ethical responsibility to be important.,This study adds to the current understanding of diverse publics’ perception of CSR across culture and societies by highlighting the role of public trust in government in defining CSR.
Effects of Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) on Hydrophobic and Charged Interactions

Effects of trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) on hydrophobic and charge–charge interactions are investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. Recently, these interactions in model peptides and in the Trp-Cage miniprotein have been reported to be strongly affected by TMAO. Neopentane dimers and Na+Cl– are used, here, as models for hydrophobic and charge–charge interactions, respectively. Distance-dependent interactions, i.e., potential of mean force, are computed using an umbrella sampling protocol at different temperatures which allows us to determine enthalpy and entropic energies. We find that the large favorable entropic energy and the unfavorable enthalpy, which are characteristic of hydrophobic interactions, become smaller when TMAO is added to water. These changes account for a negligible effect and a stabilizing effect on the strength of hydrophobic interactions for simulations performed with Kast and Netz models of TMAO, respectively. Effects of TMAO on the enthalpy are mainly due to changes in te...
Defective Catastrophe Clauses in Wills: Paths to Reform

This Article explores the problem of construing what I term “defective catastrophe clauses” in wills. Defective catastrophe clauses provide for the contingency that a beneficiary will die simultaneously, or in a common calamity, with the testator but neglect to allow for the possibility that the beneficiary will predecease the testator. The Article explores the extensive case law addressing this problem, spotlighting the most recent and ballyhooed case on point, Estate of Duke. The Article observes that this body of decisions reflects a tension between applying existing law, which fails to respond adequately to the problem, and employing one or another legal fiction to circumvent existing law. The Article argues that lawmakers should confront the problem head on by establishing a new default rule, ideally in the form of a statute, construing catastrophe clauses by implication to cover the possibility that the beneficiary will predecease the testator.
Hepatitis B virus screening and reactivation in a national VA cohort of patients with inflammatory bowel disease treated with tumor necrosis factor antagonists.

Practice guidelines recommend screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection prior to initiating treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy. However, the adherence to these screening guidelines and the clinical outcomes of HBV reactivation following anti-TNF use are not well known. This is a retrospective cohort study using the Veterans Health Administration datasets for IBD patients with filled prescriptions for anti-TNFs from 2003 to 2011. Laboratory testing was used to define HBV screening status in the 12 months preceding anti-TNF initiation. Logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of HBV screening. Cases of potential HBV reactivation were identified using ICD-9 codes for HBV infection or acute liver failure or by medications used for HBV infection treatment, and manually reviewed for verification. We identified 3357 IBD patients with filled prescriptions for anti-TNF medications. The HBV testing prior to anti-TNF initiation was 8.1% in 2003 and increased to 43.2% by 2011, with an overall rate of 23.7%. In multivariate analysis, African-American race, facilities with a higher volume of IBD patients, and facilities with an academic affiliation were associated with a higher probability of HBV screening. We did not identify a single case of confirmed clinically relevant HBV reactivation after anti-TNF initiation during 7210 patient-years of medication use. HBV screening rates prior to anti-TNF initiation are low among IBD patients, but have increased over time. Despite low rates of screening, clinically significant HBV reactivation after anti-TNF initiation in this US cohort was nonexistent.
Self Electron Transfer Reactions of Hydrazines

Self electron transfer (ET) is used here to mean electron exchange between the neutral form (n) and the cation radical (c) of the same compound. Organic compounds with multi-atom pi systems such as tetramethyl-p-phenylene-diamine show second order rate constants for self ET (ket) above 108 M−1s−1 in acetonitrile solution. In constrast, most tetraalkylhydrazines, which have two electron pi systems, show much slower self-ET, with rate constants below about 103 M−1s−1 [1]. Because self ET has ΔG° = 0 and is always at equilibrium under ordinary conditions, magnetic resonance line broadening is used to measure ket, and virtually no broadening can be observed for most tetraalkylhydrazines. Their slow ET results from the unusually large geometry change which occurs upon removal of an electron, resulting in large relaxation enthalpies, which are quantitatively the difference between vertical and adiabatic ionization potentials: ΔHr = vIP − aIP. It has proven possible to measure ΔHr for several examples using High Pressure Mass Spectrometry [2], and the influence of alkyl group size and shape on tetraalkylhydrazine ΔHr is rather well understood. Because ΔHr is close to half the Marcus “inner shell” reorganization energy, tetraalkylhydrazines should be the first class of organic compounds studied for which the major part of the observed barrier is caused by internal reorganization.
Coxa saltans misdiagnosed as functional gait disorder: Two cases.

Two unrelated young girls were evaluated for a gait suspected to be functional (video). Hip movements during ambulation were excessive despite normal tone, strength, sensation, and muscle stretch reflexes. Ascertainment of joint hypermobility led to the diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in both. Coxa saltans, also known as “dancer's hip” or “snapping hip,” may develop among young athletes with clicking joints due to connective tissue disorders.1 The gluteus maximum tendon, iliotibial band, or tensor fascia lata slide back and forth across the greater trochanter during flexion–extension movements in external coxa saltans (figure). Case 1 required bilateral iliotibial band lengthening surgery.2
Classification of provenance triples for scientific reproducibility: A comparative evaluation of deep learning models in the provcare project

Scientific reproducibility is key to the advancement of science as researchers can build on sound and validated results to design new research studies. However, recent studies in biomedical research have highlighted key challenges in scientific reproducibility as more than 70% of researchers in a survey of more than 1500 participants were not able to reproduce results from other groups and 50% of researchers were not able to reproduce their own experiments. Provenance metadata is a key component of scientific reproducibility and as part of the Provenance for Clinical and Health Research (ProvCaRe) project, we have: (1) identified and modeled important provenance terms associated with a biomedical research study in the S3 model (formalized in the ProvCaRe ontology); (2) developed a new natural language processing (NLP) workflow to identify and extract provenance metadata from published articles describing biomedical research studies; and (3) developed the ProvCaRe knowledge repository to enable users to query and explore provenance of research studies using the S3 model. However, a key challenge in this project is the automated classification of provenance metadata extracted by the NLP workflow according to the S3 model and its subsequent querying in the ProvCaRe knowledge repository. In this paper, we describe the development and comparative evaluation of deep learning techniques for multi-class classification of structured provenance metadata extracted from biomedical literature using 12 different categories of provenance terms represented in the S3 model. We describe the application of the Long Term Short Memory (LSTM) network, which has the highest classification accuracy of 86% in our evaluation, to classify more than 48 million provenance triples in the ProvCaRe knowledge repository (available at: https://provcare.case.edu/).
Believe it or not: Designing a Human-AI Partnership for Mixed-Initiative Fact-Checking

Fact-checking, the task of assessing the veracity of claims, is an important, timely, and challenging problem. While many automated fact-checking systems have been recently proposed, the human side of the partnership has been largely neglected: how might people understand, interact with, and establish trust with an AI fact-checking system? Does such a system actually help people better assess the factuality of claims? In this paper, we present the design and evaluation of a mixed-initiative approach to fact-checking, blending human knowledge and experience with the efficiency and scalability of automated information retrieval and ML. In a user study in which participants used our system to aid their own assessment of claims, our results suggest that individuals tend to trust the system: participant accuracy assessing claims improved when exposed to correct model predictions. However, this trust perhaps goes too far: when the model was wrong, exposure to its predictions often degraded human accuracy. Participants given the option to interact with these incorrect predictions were often able improve their own performance. This suggests that transparent models are key to facilitating effective human interaction with fallible AI models.
Changes in prevalence and correlates of alcohol-use disorders in Finland in an 11-year follow-up.

Aims: This study aimed to examine changes in prevalence and correlates of alcohol-use disorders (AUD) between 2000 and 2011. We also explored the impact of using multiple imputation on prevalence e...
Comparison and study of the composition, richness, abundance, diversity and dominance of the communities of the order Orthoptera ( Insecta)

The present work has as main objective to analyze and compare the diversity, richness and abundance of Orthoptera in different places, which was held in the center for research, postgraduate education and conservation of the Amazon (CIPCA), located in the Canton Arosemena Tola in the province of Napo. Where traps were placed in fall (pitfall) in different types of plots in a place under and high risk, respectively, in order to identify the families of Orthopteros who fall into these traps, to later compare the abundance in these plots in the months of April, July and September, taking into account the stations of these months. The results obtained are the total number of individuals corresponding to 897 by the two plots of high and low, with greater abundance who stand out are of the family Acrididae in April with a total of 537 individuals, followed by the month of September with 67 individuals of the family Gryllidae, at the same time in July with 21 individuals of the family Gryllidae.The richness of Orthopteros is confirmed with the rainy month(April) increases the amount of individuals, followed by the dry month(September) and finally the wet month (July) with a smaller number of individuals.
Therapy of acute lymphoid leukemia in children.

The cure rate of childhood acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) has improved in the past 20 years due to improved treatment of T cell ALL, better infection control and availability of blood components, and more experience. Several theses are proposed as treatment guidelines
Low-Avidity Autoantibodies against Bactericidal/Permeability-Increasing Protein Occur in Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Bacteremia.

ABSTRACT Antibody autoreactivity against bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) is strongly associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis (CF), non-CF bronchiectasis (BE), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We examined the pathogen-specific nature of this autoreactivity by examining antibodies to BPI in bacteremia patients. Antibodies to BPI and bacterial antigens were measured in sera by ELISA from five patient cohorts (n = 214). Antibody avidity was investigated. Bacteremic patient sera (n = 32) exhibited IgG antibody autoreactivity against BPI in 64.7% and 46.7% of patients with positive blood cultures for P. aeruginosa and Escherichia coli, respectively. Autoantibody titers correlated with IgG responses to bacterial extracts and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A prospective cohort of bacteremic patient sera exhibited anti-BPI IgG responses in 23/154 (14.9%) patients with autoreactivity present at the time of positive blood cultures in patients with Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including 8/60 (13.3%) patients with Staphylococcus aureus. Chronic tissue infection with S. aureus was associated with BPI antibody autoreactivity in 2/15 patients (13.3%). Previously, we demonstrated that BPI autoreactivity in CF patient sera exhibits high avidity. Here, a similar pattern was seen in BE patient sera. In contrast, sera from patients with bacteremia exhibited low avidity. These data indicate that low-avidity IgG responses to BPI can arise acutely in response to bacteremia and that this association is not limited to P. aeruginosa. This is to be contrasted with chronic respiratory infection with P. aeruginosa, suggesting that either the chronicity or the site of infection selects for the generation of high-avidity responses, with biologic consequences for airway immunity.
Assessing climate-change-induced flood risk in the Conasauga River watershed: an application of ensemble hydrodynamic inundation modeling

Abstract. This study evaluates the impact of potential future climate change on flood regimes, floodplain protection, and electricity infrastructures across the Conasauga River watershed in the southeastern United States through ensemble hydrodynamic inundation modeling. The ensemble streamflow scenarios were simulated by the Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM) driven by (1) 1981–2012 Daymet meteorological observations and (2) 11 sets of downscaled global climate models (GCMs) during the 1966–2005 historical and 2011–2050 future periods. Surface inundation was simulated using a GPU-accelerated Two-dimensional Runoff Inundation Toolkit for Operational Needs (TRITON) hydrodynamic model. A total of 9 out of the 11 GCMs exhibit an increase in the mean ensemble flood inundation areas. Moreover, at the 1 % annual exceedance probability level, the flood inundation frequency curves indicate a ∼ 16 km 2 increase in floodplain area. The assessment also shows that even after flood-proofing, four of the substations could still be affected in the projected future period. The increase in floodplain area and substation vulnerability highlights the need to account for climate change in floodplain management. Overall, this study provides a proof-of-concept demonstration of how the computationally intensive hydrodynamic inundation modeling can be used to enhance flood frequency maps and vulnerability assessment under the changing climatic conditions.
The O(N) model at nonzero temperature: renormalization of the gap equations in Hartree and large-N approximations

The temperature dependence of the sigma meson and pion masses is studied in the framework of the O(N ) model. The Cornwall-Jackiw-Tomboulis formalism is applied to derive gap equations for the masses in the Hartree and large-N approximations. Renormalization of the gap equations is carried out within the cut-off and counter-term renormalization schemes. A consistent renormalization of the gap equations within the cut-off scheme is found to be possible only in the large-N approximation and for a finite value of the cut-off. On the other hand, the counter-term scheme allows for a consistent renormalization of both the large-N and Hartree approximations. In these approximations, the meson masses at a given nonzero temperature depend in general on the choice of the cut-off or renormalization scale. As an application, we also discuss the in-medium on-shell decay widths for sigma mesons and pions at rest.
Status Epilepticus: Work-Up and Management in Adults

Status epilepticus is one of the most common neurological emergencies and is likely to have increasing prevalence in coming years given an aging "baby boomer" population in the United States. Because status epilepticus is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, identification and treatment are paramount. Care should be taken to exclude nonorganic mimics and infectious and metabolic causes. Status epilepticus can be classified into stages with associated recommendations for escalation in therapy, increasing from push-dose benzodiazepines to continuous anesthetic infusions and other nontraditional therapies. Concurrent electroencephalogram monitoring helps to identify, localize, and assess resolution of ictal patterns alongside antiseizure drug administration. A protocol is proposed for the management of status epilepticus in a step-wise fashion.
Fast three-dimensional focused x-ray luminescence computed tomography

X-ray luminescence computed tomography (XLCT) imaging is a hybrid molecular imaging modality combining the merits of both conventional x-ray imaging (high spatial resolution) and optical imaging (high measurement sensitivity). The narrow x-ray beam based XLCT imaging has been shown to be promising. However due to the selective excitation scheme, the imaging speed is slow thus limiting its practical applications for in vivo imaging. In this work, we have introduced a continuous scanning scheme to acquire data for each angular projection in one motion, eliminating the previous stepping scheme and reducing the data acquisition time, which makes it feasible for multiple transverse scans for three-dimensional (3D) imaging. We have introduced a high accuracy vertical stage to our focused x-ray beam based XLCT imaging system to perform high-resolution and 3D XLCT imaging. We have also included a scintillator crystal coupled to a PMT to act as a single-pixel detector for boundary detection purposes to replace our previous flat panel x-ray detector. We have verified the feasibility of our proposed scanning scheme and imaging system by performing phantom experimental studies. A phantom was embedded with a set of cylindrical targets with 200 μm edge-to-edge distance and was scanned in our imaging system with the proposed method. To test the feasibility for 3D scanning, we took measurements from 4 transverse slices with a vertical step size of 1 mm. The results of the experiments verified the feasibility of our proposed method to perform 3D XLCT imaging using a narrow x-ray beam in a reasonable time.
A Nationwide Survey of COVID-19 Testing in LGBTQ+ Populations in the United States.

ObjectivesLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) people and populations face myriad health disparities that are likely to be evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Th...
Understanding Typical and Atypical Neurodevelopment in Children and Adults

Having an understanding that brain development precedes and is necessary for behaviors to occur is paramount to the understanding of brain-behavior associations. This is most evident when neurodevelopment is considered from a longitudinal perspective beginning at conception. Neurodevelopment is sequential, with functions of increasing complexity. Research indicates extraordinary changes to brain structure and function throughout development that parallels the capacity and typical development of behaviors whether sensory, motor, cognitive, academic, or social emotional. Neurodevelopment begins at gestation with indicators of typical or delayed development evident prior to birth. Risk factors have been identified for prenatal development. Similarly, factors in childhood and adolescence either promote or impede neurodevelopment as well. Understanding the developmental trajectory for typical development provides the basis for understanding and potentially intervening when the behavior and skill acquisition observed is not as expected. This chapter highlights what is known about typical and atypical development across the life span, with consideration of neural development as a foundation that interacts with environmental stressors, trauma or disease, or intervention. Although most neurodevelopment focuses on children and adolescents, neurodevelopment and associated changes in functional abilities continue into adulthood. A developmental perspective is particularly important in understanding behavioral manifestation across the life span and can inform professional practice for clinical, counseling, and school psychologists.
The EU Company Law Package: How it Should be Improved to Strengthen Workers' Rights and Avoid Abuse Through Cross-Border Company Mobility

The proposed EU company law package, which was published in April 2018 by the European Commission, seeks to encourage cross-border company mobility while at the same time protecting stakeholder interests. The ETUI’s GOODCORP network of company law experts has identified three areas where the package needs to be revised in the interests of protecting workers’ rights and discouraging corporate abuse and makes thirteen specific recommendations for amendment. These areas include: improving worker involvement rights; strengthening procedures for discouraging abusive behaviour such as tax evasion; and reducing the potential for fraud through online company foundations.
Schaum's Outline of Fundamentals of Computing with C++

From the Publisher: This powerful study tool is the best tutor you can have if you want top grades and thorough understanding of the fundamentals of computing with C++,the computing language taught at 83% of all colleges. This student-friendly study guide leads you step-by-step through the entire computer science course,giving you 420 problems with fully worked solutions and easy-to-follow examples for every new topic. You get complete explanations of data abstraction,recursion,Standard C++ container classes,searching,sorting algorithms,and other complex concepts,simplified and illustrated so they're easy to grasp. You also get additional practice problems to solve on your own,working at your own speed. This superb study guide covers the entire course,from logic to libraries. If you're taking introduction to computer science,this book will be your best friend. It's perfect for independent study,too! Master the fundamentals of computing with C++ with Schaum's­­the high-performance study guide. It will help you cut study time,hone problem-solving skills,and achieve your personal best on exams and projects! Students love Schaum's Outlines because they produce results. Each year,hundreds of thousands of students improve their test scores and final grades with these indispensable study guides. Get the edge on your classmates. Use Schaum's! If you don't have a lot of time but want to excel in class,this book helps you: Use detailed examples to solve problems Brush up before tests Find answers fast Study quickly and more effectively Get the big picture without spending hours poring over lengthy textbooks Schaum's Outlines give you the informationyour teachers expect you to know in a handy and succinct format­­without overwhelming you with unnecessary jargon. You get a complete overview of the subject. Plus,you get plenty of practice exercises to test your skill. Compatible with any classroom text,Schaum's let you study at your own pace and remind you of all the important facts you need to remember­­fast! And Schaum's are so complete,they're perfect for preparing for graduate or professional exams. Inside,you will find: Full coverage of Computer Science I-II,using the computing language taught by 83% of all colleges Simplified explanations of recursion,logic,polymorphism,algorithms,and more 455 solved problems in computer science,including step-by-step annotations Examples and worked problems that help you master programming with C++ If you want top grades and a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of computing with C++,this powerful study tool is the best tutor you can have! Chapters include: Introduction to Computing C++ Fundamentals Control Structures Functions Arrays Strings and Files Abstract Data Types Pointers Lists Standard Container Classes Recursion Trees Sorting Searching Appendixes: Algorithms,References
Cortical Shape Analysis in the Laplace-Beltrami Feature Space

For the automated analysis of cortical morphometry, it is critical to develop robust descriptions of the position of anatomical structures on the convoluted cortex. Using the eigenfunction of the Laplace-Beltrami operator, we propose in this paper a novel feature space to characterize the cortical geometry. Derived from intrinsic geometry, this feature space is invariant to scale and pose variations, anatomically meaningful, and robust across population. A learning-based sulci detection algorithm is developed in this feature space to demonstrate its application in cortical shape analysis. Automated sulci detection results with 10 training and 15 testing surfaces are presented.
Singular Finite Element Methods

The key property of elliptic systems is that their solution tends to be as smooth as the data and other factors permit. This condition strikingly constrasts with hyperbolic systems, in which singular behavior (e.g., shocks) can arise even if all inputs are smooth.
Lectures in Nonlinear Algebraic Transformations

Our subject will be the study of certain special transformations, defined in the euclidean space, and the actual results will pertain mostly to the case of one, two and three dimensions. During the first few talks, I will present some elementary facts concerning transformations, in general, and Paul Stein will continue with more specific problems. In the main our studies concern properties of iterates of our transformations; that is to say, the behavior of sequences of points: \(P,T(P),T^2 (P) = T(T(P)), \ldots ,T^n (P), \ldots\).
FRET-trackable biodegradable HPMA copolymer-epirubicin conjugates for ovarian carcinoma therapy

To develop a biodegradable polymeric drug delivery system for the treatment of ovarian cancer with the capacity for non-invasive fate monitoring, we designed and synthesized N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer-epirubicin (EPI) conjugates. The polymer backbone was labeled with acceptor fluorophore Cy5, while donor fluorophores (Cy3 or EPI) were attached to HPMA copolymer side chains via an enzyme-cleavable GFLG linker. This design allows elucidating separately the fate of the drug and of the polymer backbone using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The degradable diblock conjugate (2P-EPI) was synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization using a bifunctional chain transfer agent (Peptide2CTA). The pharmacokinetics (PK) and therapeutic effect of 2P-EPI (Mw ~100 kDa) were determined in mice bearing human ovarian carcinoma A2780 xenografts. Compared to 1st generation conjugate (P-EPI, Mw <50 kDa), 2P-EPI demonstrated remarkably improved PK such as fourfold terminal half-life (33.22 ± 3.18 h for 2P-EPI vs. 7.55 ± 3.18 h for P-EPI), which is primarily attributed to the increased molecular weight of the polymer carrier. Notably, complete tumor remission and long-term inhibition of tumorigenesis (100 days) were achieved in mice (n=5) treated with 2P-EPI. Moreover, in vitro cell uptake and intracellular drug release were determined via FRET intensity changes. The results establish a solid foundation for future in vivo tracking of drug delivery and chain scission of polymeric conjugates by FRET imaging.
Likelihood ratio tests for comparing several gamma distributions

Likelihood ratio tests (LRTs) for comparing several independent gamma distributions with respect to shape parameters, scale parameters, and means are derived. The LRT for testing homogeneity of several gamma distributions is also derived. Extensive simulation studies indicate that the null distributions of the LRT statistics for all four problems depend on the parameters only weakly, and for practical purposes, they are independent of the parameters. Furthermore, our simulation studies suggest that the null distribution of the LRT statistic for testing the equality of shape parameters and that of the LRT statistic for testing the equality of scale parameters are essentially the same. Numerical algorithms to compute the maximum likelihood estimates and p-values are given. Percentiles of the null distributions are tabulated for some selected sample sizes to compare three and five gamma distributions. The methods are illustrated using two practical examples. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Smoking, heavy drinking, and depression among U.S. middle-aged and older adults.

Abstract Objective To examine the relationship between smoking, heavy drinking and depression among U.S. middle-aged and older adults. Method Individual-level data came from 1992–2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Smoking was ascertained from self-reported cigarette smoking status at the time of interview. Heavy drinking was defined as one or more drinks per day on average or four or more drinks on any occasion in the past three months for women, and two or more drinks per day on average or four or more drinks on any occasion in the past three months for men. Depression was defined as scoring three and above on the eight-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Cox proportional hazards regressions were performed to examine the relationship between smoking, heavy drinking and depression. Results Compared to non-smokers, smokers free from depression and heavy drinking at baseline were 20% (95% confidence interval: 12–28%) and 34% (20–50%) more likely to develop depression and engage in heavy drinking during follow-up period, respectively. Compared to non-depressed participants, participants with depression who were nonsmokers and non-heavy drinkers at baseline were 41% (14–74%) and 18% (6–31%) more likely to smoke and engage in heavy drinking during follow-up, respectively. Compared to non-heavy drinkers, heavy drinkers who were nonsmokers at baseline were 60% (26–104%) more likely to smoke during follow-up. Conclusion Health promotion programs in midlife and older age should be mindful of the associations between smoking, heavy drinking and depression in order to improve intervention effectiveness.
Radiation-induced solute segregation and precipitation in alloys

Solute segregation and precipitation in dilute alloys during irradiation have been studied by means of the Johnson-Lam kinetic model. The model is based on a combination of chemical reaction rates and diffusion equations for free defects, solutes, and bound defect-solute complexes. The enrichment of solute at sink surfaces and solute depletion in the matrix have been calculated as functions of temperature, damage rate, defect-solute bind-ing energy, and initial solute concentration. Using parameters appropriate for Be in Ni, significant solute segregation is found in the temperature range from 0.2 to 0.7 Υm. The temperature for maximum segregation is higher for the high displacement rates typically used in charged-particle bombardment experiments than for the low displacement rates used in fast-reactor irradiations. The solute concentration at the sink surface builds up at high temperatures, without surpassing the solubility limit, until a steady state is at-tained. However, at lower temperatures solute enrichment at sinks becomes larger and the solubility, in general, becomes lower. Precipitation will occur when the local solute concentration reaches that of the phase boundary. The solute concentration at the precipi-tate-matrix interface is determined by the solubility limit, and precipitation continues until the matrix is sufficiently solute-depleted to achieve a steep concentration gradient that will balance the defect-induced solute flow by back-diffusion. Hence, the steady-state matrix composition is determined by radiation conditions and is independent of the initial alloy composition when precipitation occurs. The solute depletion at steady state is more severe at low displacement rates than at high rates. The calculations are quali-tatively compared with recent experimental observations of the temperature and com-positional dependence of solute precipitation in the Ni-Be system.
Stimulation of the synthesis of the H1 and H3 histone fractions of mouse epidermis by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.

Summary Histones from mouse epidermis were fractionated chemically by the method of Johns, and the 5 resulting fractions were subjected to acrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 3.2 using 15% gels. Their migration sequence was observed to be the same as that reported for calf thymus histones. Total epidermal histone from mice treated with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and a pulse of [3H]lysine was also subjected to acrylamide gel electrophoresis and 5 separate bands were detected. Large increases in the incorporation of [3H]-lysine into the H1 and H3 histones were observed when compared to histone bands from control mice, with smaller but significant increases of incorporation occurring into the H2B, H2A, and H4 fractions.
Biofeedback regulation of temporal EEG alpha asymmetries.

Integrated EEG alpha was recorded from T 3 and T 4 . Larger Rα/Lα ratios were defined as right asymmetry, relatively smaller ratios as left asymmetry. In different phases of the study, participants attempted to identify the presence of the EEG asymmetries and to produce the EEG asymmetries during auditory biofeedback, and were tested on hemisphere-specialized cognitive tasks while attempting to produce the EEG asymmetries. Experiential descriptions of the EEG asymmetries were obtained throughout using a set of bipolar scales. Some participants were able to identify the presence of the EEG asymmetries (p<.05). As a group there was numerically small but significant (p<.05) biofeedback control of the EEG asymmetries, but no improvement across sessions of training. There were marked individual differences in the ability to control the EEG asymmetries and in Lα and Rα during control. During baselines Lα and Rα were strongly positively correlated across time. Experiential descriptions were not consistent across participants. Effects of EEG asymmetries on performance of hemisphere-specialized tasks were demonstrated for one participant.
An assessment of predictors of student peer evaluations of team work in the capstone campaigns course

Abstract The role of peer evaluations of team work in the capstone, campaigns class is investigated. An assessment of the scores on a 16-item, quantitative assessment of student contributions to their team in a campaigns class indicated that students are extremely positive when evaluating their team members. Means for the 16 evaluation items ranged from 1.44 to 2.19 on a 1–7 scale. The evaluation items were regressed with two overall evaluation measures in the form of the “pay” students would receive from other individuals or the group mean payment. The statistically significant predictors for both dependent variables are identified.