cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Handover Prediction Based on Geometry Method in mmWave Communications - A Sensing Approach

Although mmWave communication offers many desirable properties for 5G, it faces unique challenges imposed by the special characteristics of a mmWave channel. In particular, frequent handover and the resultant high switching latency is an intrinsic problem faced by small and densified mmWave cellular networks. This issue is further exacerbated by the fact that a mmWave channel is vulnerable to the line-of-sight (LOS) blockage, which leads to a sudden drop or outage of the signal. Because a terminal's movement could frequently render the communication LOS be blocked by obstacles, a mmWave link has to handover even more frequently, causing higher handover time. To address this issue, in this paper we propose a LOS-blockage prediction mechanism for small and densified mmWave cellular networks, which can eliminate unnecessary handover and make necessary handover more smooth/seamless by exploiting accurate prediction on when the LOS component in a mmWave channel will be blocked and how long the blockage will last. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed mechanism are validated based on experiments in a real mmWave communication testbed.
Age- and Bodyweight-dependent Allometric Exponent Model for Scaling Clearance and Maintenance Dose of Theophylline From Neonates to Adults.

BACKGROUND In population pharmacokinetic modeling, bodyweight is often incorporated as an important covariate using fixed (0.75) or single-exponent model. In recent years, several variations of allometric models have been suggested for the prediction of drug clearance across a wide age range. The objective of this study is to develop and evaluate single-exponent, bodyweight-dependent allometric exponent (BDE), age-dependent exponent (ADE), and segmented regression models for predicting clearance and maintenance dose of theophylline. METHODS The BDE model was described by the following equation: (Equation is included in full-text article.), where L × BW defines the BDE for clearance. The coefficient and the exponents L and M were estimated. The ADE model consisted of several empirical exponents based on age and ranged from 0.75 (children >5 years and adults) to 1.2 (premature neonates). Data for model development and validation were based on 52 subjects each. RESULTS All structural and statistical parameters were estimated with acceptable precision for single-exponent and BDE models (<30%); however, the BDE model was superior in describing theophylline clearance across a wide age range for the training data. The segmented regression model on log-transformed data also adequately described theophylline clearance. When models were evaluated with validation data, a single-exponent model overpredicted clearance and dosing rate in premature neonates and adults with a mean prediction error of ≥50%. For premature neonates and adults, mean clearance and dosing rate were predicted within a 30% prediction error using the BDE, ADE, and segmented models. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that the BDE, ADE, and segmented models performed better than a single-exponent model for predicting clearance and dose of theophylline across a wide age range.
A parallel workflow implementation for PEST version 13.6 in high-performance computing for WRF-Hydro version 5.0: a case study over the midwestern United States

Abstract. The Weather Research and Forecasting Hydrological (WRF-Hydro) system is a state-of-the-art numerical model that models the entire hydrological cycle based on physical principles. As with other hydrological models, WRF-Hydro parameterizes many physical processes. Hence, WRF-Hydro needs to be calibrated to optimize its output with respect to observations for the application region. When applied to a relatively large domain, both WRF-Hydro simulations and calibrations require intensive computing resources and are best performed on multimode, multicore high-performance computing (HPC) systems. Typically, each physics-based model requires a calibration process that works specifically with that model and is not transferrable to a different process or model. The parameter estimation tool (PEST) is a flexible and generic calibration tool that can be used in principle to calibrate any of these models. In its existing configuration, however, PEST is not designed to work on the current generation of massively parallel HPC clusters. To address this issue, we ported the parallel PEST to HPCs and adapted it to work with WRF-Hydro. The porting involved writing scripts to modify the workflow for different workload managers and job schedulers, as well as to connect the parallel PEST to WRF-Hydro. To test the operational feasibility and the computational benefits of this first-of-its-kind HPC-enabled parallel PEST, we developed a case study using a flood in the midwestern United States in 2013. Results on a problem involving the calibration of 22 parameters show that on the same computing resources used for parallel WRF-Hydro, the HPC-enabled parallel PEST can speed up the calibration process by a factor of up to 15 compared with commonly used PEST in sequential mode. The speedup factor is expected to be greater with a larger calibration problem (e.g., more parameters to be calibrated or a larger size of study area).
Genetic classification of grade 3 and grade 4 astrocytoma with DNA microarrays

1673 We used a DNA microarray to map DNA copy number aberrations at high resolution in >50 grade 3 and >100 grade 4 primary human astrocytomas. The BAC array detects DNA copy number changes at ∼1.4Mb average resolution. We analyzed the data with unsupervised clustering to visualize possible genetic subgroups and supervised clustering methods (Significance Analysis of Microarrays (SAM), shrunken centroid analysis (PAM), linear discriminant analysis) to distinguish between histological tumor grades and between different genetic groups within a tumor grade. Along with previously known amplifications and homozygous deletions, the arrays identified candidate amplifications on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, and 17; candidate homozygous deletions on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22. Unsupervised cluster analysis of the cases suggests there are at least two groups of grade 3 and three groups of grade 4 astrocytomas; one group of grade 4 astrocytomas clusters better with grade 3 than with grade 4 tumors. Supervised cluster analyses suggest that grade 3 and grade 4 astrocytomas can be genetically distinguished. PAM analysis suggests that 30 BAC clones located on chromosomes 7 and 10 correctly classify over 80% of tumors into histological grade 3 and grade 4 astrocytoma. Linear discriminant analysis using the top ranked 25 of these clones improved correct classification to 92%. In a random subset of grade 4 astrocytomas, gain of chromosome 7 and loss on chromosome 10 are associated with average/short term grade 4 survivors. We are studying these regions in further detail and validating our results in a second set of tumors.This work was supported by NIH (NS42927 and CA85799) and the National Brain Tumor Foundation
Adsorption of microcystin-LR onto kaolinite, illite and montmorillonite

Abstract In this study, microcystin-LR (MCLR) interactions with three representative silicate clays were studied using equilibrium batch experiments in order to provide insight into the role of clays on determining MCLR fate. The three tested clay minerals (kaolinite, montmorillonite and illite), saturated with sodium or calcium ions, were equilibrated with MCLR across a range of toxin concentrations at pH 5, 7 or 9. The results were fit to Freundlich and linear isotherm models, with the linear isotherm fits deemed most appropriate. In general, adsorption of MCLR was greater in the systems with Ca than in those with Na, however, regardless of the cation present, montmorillonite had the highest adsorption affinity for MCLR. Furthermore, except for Ca-montmorillonite, MCLR adsorption decreased with increasing pH. The pH-dependence of adsorption suggests the polar groups of MCLR, carboxylate associated with the glutamic acid and methylaspartic acid groups and amine associated with the arginine group, were more important in determining MCLR interactions with clays than the nonpolar ADDA group. Increased adsorption in systems enriched with calcium suggests Ca modified the clay interfacial properties and the availability of MCLR groups in a manner that increased MCLR affinity. Overall, the results suggest clays are capable of adsorbing MCLR from the aqueous phase, particularly at low pH and when saturated with Ca2+.
Coda: Home(less)ness

With this coda, the editors summarize key findings among the chapters and invite more scholarship specifically with regard to cultural performances of home beyond North America and with consideration for a global crisis increasingly defined by homelessness.
Scaling Up Housing Services Within the Child Welfare System: Policy Insights From Simulation Modeling.

Objectives:Housing insecurity and homelessness contribute to risk of maltreatment among one in five of the nearly 3.5 million children annually investigated for maltreatment in the United States. T...
Differential associations between everyday versus institution-specific racial discrimination, self-reported health, and allostatic load among black women: implications for clinical assessment and epidemiologic studies.

Abstract Purpose Black women have the highest estimated allostatic load (AL). AL and self-perceived health are strong health predictors and have been linked to racial discrimination. Research suggests that everyday and institution-specific racial discrimination may predict different AL and self-reported health (SRH) outcomes. Furthermore, discrepancies between AL and self-perceived health could widen disparities. We estimated associations between everyday versus institution-specific racial discrimination with AL and SRH. Methods Data are from a San Francisco Bay Area community sample of 208 black women aged 30–50 years. Participation involved a questionnaire, self-interview, blood draw, and anthropometric measurements. Adjusted generalized linear regression models estimated associations of racial discrimination with AL and SRH. Results After adjusting for age, socioeconomic position, and medication use, institution-specific discrimination was negatively associated with AL (i.e., better health), whereas everyday experiences showed no association. Those reporting very-high (vs. moderate) institution-specific discrimination had lower AL (β = −1.31 [95% CI: −2.41, −0.20]; AL range: 0–15). No racial discrimination—SRH association was found. Conclusions For black women, (1) institution-specific racial discrimination may be differentially embodied compared with everyday experiences and (2) institutional racism may contribute to physiologic stress-regulation regardless of self-perceived health status. Potential factors that may contribute to an inverse racial discrimination—AL association, and future research, are discussed.
On the Results of an Experiment with a Megajoule Class Helical Flux Compression Generator Operating at Above Nominal Levels of Current and Voltage Stress

An experiment conducted with a megajoule class helical flux compression generator (HFCG), operating into a primarily inductive load, is described. The motivation behind the experiment was to benchmark the performance of the generator at higher currents and voltages than were tested in prior experiments. The intention was to push operation into a regime where flux loss was likely to become nonlinear, thereby gaining some insight into performance limitations of the design. Another goal was the desire to benchmark the suite of computational tools used to predict the performance of the design, especially in regimes of nonlinear flux loss. In the experiment, the HFCG was seeded with 105 kA (1.05 Wb), and produced 8.6 MA (0.28 Wb) into the load. This result differed significantly from computational models of the experiment, which predicted greater than 10 MA into the load. While more than one source of flux loss was observed in the waveforms, the dominant source of loss appears to be associated with joule heating and magnetic diffusion, which were found to have the most impact during the latter stages of HFCG operation. Details of the experiment design, setup and execution will be given. Analysis of the captured data, along with comparison of these data with model predictions and past experimental data, will be shown.
Gender differences in outcomes following specialized intensive PTSD treatment in the Veterans Health Administration.

OBJECTIVES Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among female veterans is a problem of growing importance. Comparison of treatment outcomes and measures of program participation between female and male veterans receiving treatment in specialized intensive Veterans Health Administration (VHA) programs may identify potential gaps in service. METHOD National program evaluation data were collected at program entry and 4 months after discharge. The study sample consists of N = 3,370 veterans who were successfully followed up. With adjustment for differences in baseline characteristics outcomes of women and men were compared on changes in PTSD symptoms, substance use, and other outcomes using Cohen's d to evaluate effect sizes. Further analyses examined gender differences in program participation and their effect on differences in outcomes by gender. RESULTS Compared to males, females showed greater improvement (i.e., greater reduction) in total PTSD symptom scores (p < .001, Cohen's d = -.29) and in several subscales including Numbness (p < .001, d = -.34), Arousal (p = .01, d = -.22), Reexperiencing Past Traumas (p < .01, d = -.23), and Irritability (p = .01, d = -.18), with small to medium effect size differences. These gender-based differences were partially explained by differences in program participation such as greater length of stay among women. CONCLUSIONS In spite of the predominantly male environment of these VHA PTSD programs, women experienced greater improvement than men in PTSD symptoms and subscales. The differences were partially explained by positive indicators of program participation. Further studies are needed to better understand these differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
CSI2: Cloud Server Idleness Identification by Advanced Machine Learning in Theories and Practice

Studies show that virtual machines (VMs) in cloud are easily forgotten with non-productive status. This incurs unnecessary cost for cloud tenants and resource waste for cloud providers. As a solution to this problem, we present our Cloud Server Idleness Identification (CSI2) system. The CSI2 system collects data from the servers in cloud, performs analytics against the dataset to identify the idle servers, then provides suggestions to the owners of the idle servers. Once the confirmation from the owners are received, the idle servers are deleted or archived. We not only design and implement the CSI2 system, but also bring it alive into production environment.
Reconciling $\lambda$-Returns with Experience Replay

Modern deep reinforcement learning methods have departed from the incremental learning required for eligibility traces, rendering the implementation of the $\lambda$-return difficult in this context. In particular, off-policy methods that utilize experience replay remain problematic because their random sampling of minibatches is not conducive to the efficient calculation of $\lambda$-returns. Yet replay-based methods are often the most sample efficient, and incorporating $\lambda$-returns into them is a viable way to achieve new state-of-the-art performance. Towards this, we propose the first method to enable practical use of $\lambda$-returns in arbitrary replay-based methods without relying on other forms of decorrelation such as asynchronous gradient updates. By promoting short sequences of past transitions into a small cache within the replay memory, adjacent $\lambda$-returns can be efficiently precomputed by sharing Q-values. Computation is not wasted on experiences that are never sampled, and stored $\lambda$-returns behave as stable temporal-difference (TD) targets that replace the target network. Additionally, our method grants the unique ability to observe TD errors prior to sampling; for the first time, transitions can be prioritized by their true significance rather than by a proxy to it. Furthermore, we propose the novel use of the TD error to dynamically select $\lambda$-values that facilitate faster learning. We show that these innovations can enhance the performance of DQN when playing Atari 2600 games, even under partial observability. While our work specifically focuses on $\lambda$-returns, these ideas are applicable to any multi-step return estimator.
Joy distinguished: Teleological perspectives on joy as a virtue

ABSTRACTThe most specific psychological literature associates joy with goodness; however, psychological science has no clear means to distinguish one good thing from another or to decipher the degr...
Are Visual Explanations Useful? A Case Study in Model-in-the-Loop Prediction.

We present a randomized controlled trial for a model-in-the-loop regression task, with the goal of measuring the extent to which (1) good explanations of model predictions increase human accuracy, and (2) faulty explanations decrease human trust in the model. We study explanations based on visual saliency in an image-based age prediction task for which humans and learned models are individually capable but not highly proficient and frequently disagree. Our experimental design separates model quality from explanation quality, and makes it possible to compare treatments involving a variety of explanations of varying levels of quality. We find that presenting model predictions improves human accuracy. However, visual explanations of various kinds fail to significantly alter human accuracy or trust in the model - regardless of whether explanations characterize an accurate model, an inaccurate one, or are generated randomly and independently of the input image. These findings suggest the need for greater evaluation of explanations in downstream decision making tasks, better design-based tools for presenting explanations to users, and better approaches for generating explanations.
Reimagining the Past: Towards a Theory of Routine Encounters with Organizational History

Scholars have explained how organizational history might be sought out, revised and used for strategic purposes, but have yet to examine the more routine ways through which organization members enc...
Comparison of Human Antral Follicles of Xenograft versus Ovarian Origin Reveals Disparate Molecular Signatures

Summary The activation, growth, and maturation of oocytes to an ovulatory phase, termed folliculogenesis, is governed by the orchestrated activity of multiple specialized cell types within the ovary; yet, the mechanisms governing diversification and behavior of discrete cellular sub-populations within follicles are poorly understood. We use bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing to distinguish the transcriptional signature of prospectively isolated granulosa and theca/stroma cell subsets within human antral follicles derived from xenografts or ovaries. The analysis deconstructs phenotypic diversification within small (
Variations in health behaviors among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract Purpose To examine changes in lifestyle behaviors early in the COVID-19 pandemic among pregnant women. Materials and methods A cross-sectional internet-based survey was completed by 706 pregnant women (mean age 29.6 years ± 3.2) residing in the United States in May 2020 to assess self-reported changes in diet, physical activity, and sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regression analyses examined whether sociodemographic, clinical, and pandemic-related characteristics were associated with health behavior changes. Results Approximately 17% of women reported their diets worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, 42% reported improvements, and 41% reported no change. For physical activity, 22% reported they stopped being active, 2% reported they became active, and 76% reported no change. Nearly one-third of participants reported getting less sleep. The factors consistently associated with adverse lifestyle changes (worse diet, stopped being active, and reduced sleep) were experiences of pregnancy complications, loss of income due to COVID-19, and changes in social connections due to COVID-19. Conclusions A substantial proportion of pregnant women reported adverse lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions during the pandemic to optimize health behaviors in pregnant women, especially among those with pregnancy complications, should address economic disadvantages and social support.
Use of Apixaban in Heart Transplant Patients Receiving Biopsies: A Case Series

Purpose The need for routine biopsies poses a challenge in the management of heart transplant recipients with an indication for anticoagulation. Per local institutional protocol, all patients receive at least 7 endomyocardial biopsies within 90 days of transplant to assess for rejection. Apixaban is a direct acting anticoagulant with a short half-life allowing for minimal time off anticoagulation to accommodate a biopsy. To our knowledge, apixaban has never been evaluated in the setting of routine biopsies. The objective of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of apixaban in heart transplant patients undergoing biopsies. Methods This retrospective case series evaluated patients who received a heart transplant and were treated with apixaban within 90 days post-transplant. This research was approved by the Eastern Virginia Medical School IRB. Per institutional protocol, apixaban was held for 1-2 doses prior to routine biopsy and restarted the night following biopsy. The primary outcome was the occurrence of a bleeding or thrombotic event. Results A total of 13 patients received apixaban within 90 days following heart transplant. The median age was 54 years (IQR 37-59) with a median weight of 96 kg (IQR 72-101). None of the patients had either a bleeding or thromboembolic event while on apixaban. During therapy, patients underwent an average of 8 biopsies. The median time from transplant to initiation of apixaban was 39.5 ± 26.1 days (range 9-77). The number of patients on apixaban for their biopsies during post-op weeks 3-6 are as such: 3, 6, 6, 7. No patients required reversal therapy at any point and patients remained on therapy for a median of 276 (IQR 45-245) days. Indication for apixaban was stroke prevention with atrial fibrillation (15%), acute DVT (70%), and both (15%). Of the DVTs 30% were femoral while 70% were upper extremity. Compliance with the apixaban dosing protocol was excellent. Dosing was adjusted according to indication and renal function. Conclusion Based on the data from this case series, apixaban is safe to use for anticoagulation of heart transplant recipients undergoing routine biopsies in the setting of an established institutional protocol. Using apixaban allows for a short duration off anticoagulation to accommodate a biopsy without any increased risk of bleeding.
Facilitating Timely Institutional Review Board Review: Common Issues and Recommendations.

Review of clinical research by institutional review boards (IRBs) is integral to the protection of human subjects and necessary for the conduct of legal and ethical research. Because such review is...
Multifunctional Performance of Coastal Structures Based on South Florida Coastal Environs

Sealey, K.S.; Andiroglu, E.; Lamere, J.; Sobczak, J., and Suraneni, P., 2021. Multifunctional performance of coastal structures based on South Florida coastal environs. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(3), 656–669. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Coastal communities around the globe are facing the related challenges of sea-level rise, more frequent and extreme storm events, and deteriorating coastal water quality. A multidisciplinary research team with expertise in architecture, ecology, economics, engineering, design, and public art surveyed existing coastal structures to elucidate criteria for a multifunctional performance assessment of these structures in South Florida. Eight coastal survey sites were evaluated to understand their function. Two key variables that affect the coastal structure function are the spatial extent of the structure and the age of the structure. The functional performance was ranked as poor, fair, or good based on (1) ecological functionality (rugosity, minimization of pollution, and coastal plant diversity), (2) engineering functionality (storm, wave, and flood resilience and affordability), and (3) stakeholder functionality (waterfront access, views, and wildlife views). These aspects of functionality were equally weighted to evaluate the impact of each component on the coastal environs. Generally, coastal structure design considers primarily engineering functionality, and these designs consequently have poor ecological functionality. Multifunctionality improved with the horizontal extent of the structure, the occurrence of coastal plants in a buffer zone, and increased public access and use.
Freud and Religion: Advancing the Dialogue

We live in an era that often described as 'therapeutic.' Our culture is suffused with unconscious fantasies and psychoanalytic ways of thinking about self, other, and society. Aspects of the Freudian cultural universe have also had an impact on how we think about religion. In this volume, William Parsons explores the relationship between religion and psychoanalysis through multiple, linked investigations. Why did Freud write about religion and what did he say? What were the multiple critiques levelled at his work? What were the post-Freudian psychoanalytic advances? How can we still apply psychoanalytic ideas going forward? In answering these and related questions, Parsons distinguishes between classic-reductive, adaptive, and transformational psychoanalytic models. He also argues that the psychoanalytic theory of religion needs to integrate reflexive, dialogical, and inclusive elements as part of its toolkit. Offering illustrations and applications of such revisions, Parsons creates new capacities for thinking psychologically and critically about religion.
Reconciling Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Cenozoic Shortening, Exhumation, and Subsidence in the Southern Bolivian Andes

The Bolivian Andes are an archetypal convergent margin orogen with a paired fold-thrust belt and foreland basin. Existing chronostratigraphic constraints highlight a discrepancy between unroofing of the Eastern Cordillera and Interandean Zone fold-thrust systems since 40 Ma and the onset of rapid sediment accumulation in the Subandean Chaco foreland after 11 Ma, previously attributed to Miocene climate shifts. New results from magnetostratigraphic, backstripping, erosional volumetric calculations, and flexural modeling efforts are integrated with existing structural and thermochronologic datasets to investigate the linkages between shortening, exhumation, and subsidence. Magnetostratigraphic and backstripping results determine tectonic subsidence in the Chaco foreland basin, which informs flexural models that evaluate topographic load and lithospheric parameters. These models show that Chaco foreland subsidence is consistent with a range of loading scenarios. Eroded volumes from the fold-thrust belt were sufficient to fill the Chaco foreland basin, further supporting the linkage between sediment source and sink. Erosional beveling of the Eastern Cordillera, local intermontane sediment accumulation after 30–25 Ma, and regional development of the high-elevation San Juan del Oro geomorphic surface from 25 to 10 Ma suggest that the western Eastern Cordillera did not store the large sediment volume expected from erosion of the fold-thrust belt, which arrived in the Subandean Zone after 11 Ma. Eocene to middle Miocene foreland basin accumulation was likely focused between the Eastern Cordillera and Interandean Zone, and has been almost completely recycled into the modern Subandean foreland basin. The delay between initial fold-thrust belt exhumation (early Cenozoic) and rapid Subandean subsidence (late Cenozoic) highlights the interplay between protracted shortening, underthrusting, and foreland basin recycling. Only with sufficient crustal shortening, accommodated by eastward advance of the fold-thrust belt and attendant underthrusting of Brazilian Shield lithosphere beneath the Subandes, did the Subandean zone enter proximal foreland basin deposystems after ca. 11 Ma. Prior to the late Miocene, the precursor flexural basin was situated westward and not wide enough to incorporate the distal Subandean Zone. These results highlight the interplay between a range of crustal and surface processes linked to tectonics and Miocene climate shifts on the evolution of the southern Bolivian Andes.
The impact of solar activity on ambient ultrafine particle concentrations: An analysis based on 19-year measurements in Boston, USA.

Abstract Solar radiation plays a major role in atmospheric photochemistry, contributing to the formation and growth of ultrafine particles (PN). PN affect global Earth's radiation balance, climate system, and human health. However, the impact of solar activity on ambient PN remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the associations between daily ambient PN concentrations [particle number (PN)/cm3] and solar radio flux [solar activity index (F10.7 in sfu)] as a solar activity parameter, shortwave solar radiation (SWR), daylight time (DL), cosmic ray-induced ionization (CRII), and air pollution [PM2.5, black carbon (BC) and SO2] over a 19-year period in Boston, MA. We used generalized additive models adjusted for local environmental conditions. We found that F10.7 was the strongest predictor for daily PN concentrations over all time lags (0–28 days of lags) and seasons. The effects were higher in winter and fall. In winter, an interquartile (IQR) of 60 sfu F10.7 corresponded to an increase of 5770 PN/cm3 in the day of PN collection. In fall, an IQR of 75.5 sfu F10.7 was associated with an increase of 5429 PN/cm3. The effects of F10.7 on PN concentrations were slightly greater when the models were adjusted for air pollution. In summer, ambient PN concentrations were statistically significantly associated with F10.7, SWR, and BC, with the strongest association found for PN and BC in the day of PN collection. Unlike the effects of F10.7, SWR and local pollutants on PN concentrations, DL and CRII were negatively associated with ambient PN in the analyses. These findings suggest that solar activity may have a significant impact on daily ambient PN concentrations that affect the Earth's climate system and human health.
Skeletal Related Events are Rare After Radiation Treatment for Metastatic Disease of the Femur.

Background Pain is a common presenting symptom in patients with metastatic disease to the femur (MDF), and it is often difficult to differentiate pain from the tumor itself versus pain from an impending pathologic fracture. Radiation therapy (RT) is commonly used in the management of pain secondary to MDF but is not adequate in isolation when the underlying bone is structurally compromised. Questions/ purposes The purposes of this study were to determine 1) the incidence of skeletal related events (SREs) following RT to the femur, 2) the frequency and implications of orthopedic evaluation prior to RT, and 3) the frequency of patients presenting with a pathologic fracture. Methods A retrospective, single-institution review of 86 patients with MDF treated with RT from 2005 to 2018 was performed. Patient demographics, primary cancer type, pathologic fracture, orthopedic interventions, and RT details were assessed. Patients were followed to evaluate the occurrence of skeletal related events of the femur until death or time of last recorded clinical follow-up. Results In our cohort of 86 patients, the mean RT dose was 22.3 Gy (8-55.8 Gy) delivered over 6.5 fractions (1-31 fractions). Fifteen patients (17%) received RT less than one month, 30 (35%) less than three months, and 49 (57%) less than six months prior to death. Prior to RT, 42 patients (48.9%) had an orthopedic evaluation, 16 of which (38.1% of those evaluated) received prophylactic stabilization with an intramedullary nail (IMN). Ten patients (11.6%) presented with a pathologic fracture. Following RT, five patients (5.8%) had at least one SRE. Three patients sustained a pathologic fracture, three required repeat RT, and three required further surgical intervention. Conclusion Metastatic disease of bone is a common condition that affects many cancer patients. In our institution's series of MDF treated with RT, we only found one patient who sustained a pathologic fracture after RT treatment with an unrecognized impending fracture. As only half of the patients were referred for an orthopedic evaluation prior to RT, continued education of medical and radiation oncologists regarding the signs and symptoms of impending pathologic fracture is warranted.Level of Evidence: IV.
Screening by the prostate-specific antigen test: what do the patients know?

Abstract Background. Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in men, and prostate cancer screening is recommended for all men over the age of 50. The use of the prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) test for cancer screening is controversial. Methods. At two different Veterans Administration facilities, outpatients completed a 15‐item questionnaire about their knowledge of the PSA test two weeks after receiving a screening test. Results. Demographic characteristics of the patients are described and examined in relation to the results of the PSA‐test‐knowledge questions. Over 50% of men had not heard of the PSA test and were unaware of receiving the test. Higher education level was the only predictor of PSA‐test knowledge. Conclusions. Either patients forget information about the PSA test or providers do not tell patients they are being screened for cancer. Further research and interventions are needed to improve patient knowledge and understanding about this prostate cancer screening test.
Organization of the Society

When first founded, the management of the Society rested in the hands of a Council of 5 members elected by the Society and serving one-year terms. The 5 men so elected in turn chose one of their number to serve as President and one to serve as Secretary-Treasurer. Each year only 4 members of the Council could be reelected, thus providing for some turnover. There was, however, no limit to the number of times any one member could be reelected if the Society so desired. There was also no limit to the terms of the President and Secretary-Treasurer, both of whom could be reelected annually for an indefinite period. In 1904, this was changed so that the election of the officers was in the hands of the Society itself. Dr. W. H. Howell was the first officer so elected. At this time also a separate Treasurer, Dr. Walter B. Cannon, was elected for the first time. Howell served for 6 years and Cannon for 8 years. The longest presidential term was served by Chittenden who held that office for 9 years from 1896 to 1904. Erlanger and Forbes each served terms of 11 years duration as Treasurer. As Secretary, F. S. Lee and C. W. Greene each served 9 years while W. J. Meek served 6 years, and both Ivy and Fenn served 4 years.
Total unilateral anomalous pulmonary venous connection with intact atrial septum. Diagnostic features and a method of surgical correction.

Abstract The clinical and hemodynamic findings in a patient with total right anomalous pulmonary venous drainage and an intact atrial septum are presented. This diagnosis was suspected when a large left-to-right shunt entering the right atrium was demonstrated by Kr 85 inhalation tests, but the atrial septum could not be traversed by the catheter. It was confirmed by indicator dilution curves which characterized the abnormal drainage pathways of the right pulmonary veins. In addition, the phono-cardiogram revealed greater respiratory variation in the interval between the two components of the second heart sound than that ordinarily found in patients with atrial septal defects. The diagnostic features of the malformation are discussed in detail and the method of surgical correction which was successfully employed, repositioning of the atrial septum, is illustrated.
The essential role of tropomyosin in cooperative regulation of smooth muscle thin filament activity by caldesmon.

We compared the mechanisms by which caldesmon inhibits actin and actin-tropomyosin activation of myosin subfragment 1 (S1) MgATPase activity. Caldesmon always inhibited actin activation by displacing S1.ADP.Pi from actin and inhibition required at least 0.7 caldesmon molecules bond per actin for 90% inhibition. Caldesmon inhibited actin-tropomyosin without any displacement of S1.ADP.Pi; thus it inhibits a rate-limiting step. Inhibition is highly cooperative, requiring no more than one caldesmon bound per 10 actins for 90% inhibition of activation by actin and smooth muscle tropomyosin. The degree of cooperativity is defined by the tropomyosin since inhibition by skeletal tropomyosin requires up to one caldesmon bound per 4 actins for 90% inhibition under identical conditions. Both noncooperative inhibition of actin and cooperative, tropomyosin-dependent, inhibition are manifested by a fragment of caldesmon containing only the C-terminal 99 amino acids (658C), although this fragment does not itself bind to tropomyosin. The functional properties of 658C are very similar to striated muscle troponin I, consequently we propose a similar mechanism for tropomyosin-dependent regulation by caldesmon. Caldesmon binding switches actin-tropomyosin to the "off" or "weak" state and Ca2+/calmodulin binding to caldesmon blocks this switch and thus reactivates the actin filament.
Errors/Biases in Clinical Decision Making

Clinicians are subject to the same errors in thinking that affect virtually all people. In particular, practitioners must be wary of (a) the misuse of certain heuristics (e.g., availability, representativeness) and (b) cognitive biases (e.g., confirmation bias, hindsight bias) in their everyday work. Fortunately, research has begun to identity ways of overriding these errors and thereby enhancing the quality of clinical judgments and predictions. Keywords: practice in clinical psychology; psychology thinking; psychotherapies
Microwave bandstop filters with minimum through-line length

The theory of bandstop filters with minimum through-line length is developed in this paper. In contrast to conventional similar-resonator bandstop filters that employ odd multiples of 90-degree impedance inverters between resonators, the proposed design technique enables filters with through-line length restricted to only that which is required to obtain a desired coupling coefficient magnitude between a resonator and the through-line. Both even- and odd-order designs are shown to verify the concept. A 4th-order microstrip prototype with 45 degrees of through-line length per resonator was fabricated, measured, and compared to two conventional designs. It has half the through-line length of conventional designs.
Concept analysis: confidence/self-confidence.

BACKGROUND. Confidence and self-confidence are crucial practice elements in nursing education and practice. Nurse educators should have an understanding of the concept of confidence in order to assist in the accomplishment of nursing students and their learning of technical and nontechnical skills. With the aim of facilitating trusted care of patients in the healthcare setting, nursing professionals must exhibit confidence, and, as such, clarification and analysis of its meaning is necessary. PURPOSE. The purpose of this analysis is to provide clarity to the meaning of the concept confidence/self-confidence, while gaining a more comprehensive understanding of its attributes, antecedents, and consequences. METHOD. Walker and Avant's eight-step method of concept analysis was utilized for the framework of the analysis process with model, contrary, borderline, and related cases presented along with attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents identified. CONCLUSION. Understanding both the individualized development of confidence among prelicensure nursing students and the role of the nurse educator in the development of confident nursing practice, nurse educators can assist students in the development of confidence and competency. Future research surrounding the nature and development of confidence/self-confidence in the prelicensure nursing student experiencing human patient simulation sessions would assist to help educators further promote the development of confidence.
How Are Nonnative-English-Speaking Teachers Perceived by Young Learners?

The current study examined the effects of Korean elementary school teachers' accents on their students' listening comprehension. It also examined students' attitudes toward teachers with American-accented English (a native speaker model) and Korean-accented English (a non-native speaker model). A matched-guised technique was used. A Korean American individual recorded texts in both American-accented English and Korean-accented English. The study randomly assigned 312 Grade 6 Korean students to listen to one of these two recorded oral texts and their comprehension was examined. Next, all of the students listened to both accented-English tapes and their attitudes toward the two speakers (which were in fact the same speaker) were examined. Although the popular belief appears to assume that nonnative accented English would produce a negative effect on students' oral skills, the results failed to find any differences in student performance in terms of comprehension. However, the Korean children thought that the American-accented English guise had better pronunciation, was relatively more confident in her use of English, would focus more on fluency than on accuracy, and would use less Korean in the English class. The students also expressed a preference to have the American-accented English guise as their English teacher.
C++ for Pascal programmers

From the Publisher: In a newly revised second edition, Ira Pohl has created a seamless transition to C++ by using Pascal constructs to build a knowledge of programming in C++. He begins by introducing readers to C and then focuses on C++ as a better C. Using numerous exercises and frequent language comparisons, he teaches concepts quickly and C++ Standard, the second edition covers the latest language features including detailed discussions of templates and exception handling. Features: Compares and contrasts Turbo Pascal 7.0 and C++, making it easy to move from one language to the other. Incorporates the proposed ANSI C++ Standard, including the most current information on bool, namespaces, and run-time type identification. Includes new chapters on templates and exception handling. Offers a clear and concise text written by one of the best-known authors on C. Incorporates numerous useful exercises, dissections, and sample programs. Includes carefully tested example programs, the source code for which is available via FTP.
The champagne toast position isolates the supraspinatus better than the Jobe test: an electromyographic study of shoulder physical examination tests

Background While Jobe's test is widely used, it does not isolate supraspinatus activity. Our purpose was to examine the electromyographic (EMG) activity within the supraspinatus and deltoid with resisted abduction to determine the shoulder position that best isolates the activity of the supraspinatus. Methods We performed EMG analysis of the supraspinatus, anterior head of the deltoid, and middle head of the deltoid in 10 normal volunteers. We measured EMG activity during resisted shoulder abduction in the scapular plane to both manual resistance and a standardized load in varying degrees of abduction and rotation. To determine which position best isolates supraspinatus activity, the ratio of supraspinatus to deltoid activity (S:D) was calculated for each position. Results were analyzed with a repeated-measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction. The posterior deltoid was excluded as it serves mostly to extend and externally rotate. Results Our study confirmed Jobe's findings of maximal supraspinatus activity at 90° of abduction. However, decreasing abduction significantly increased S:D for both resisted manual testing and testing against a standardized load ( P = .002 and .001, respectively). The greatest S:D ratio (4.6 ± 3.4 for standardized load testing) was seen at the "champagne toast" position, i.e., 30° of abduction, mild external rotation, 30° of flexion, and 90° of elbow flexion. The smallest ratio (0.8 ± 0.6) was seen at Jobe's position. Conclusions Testing of abduction strength in the champagne toast position, i.e., 30° of abduction, mild external rotation, and 30° of flexion, better isolates the activity of the supraspinatus from the deltoid than Jobe's "empty can" position.
Progress in distributive homology: from q-polynomial of rooted trees to Yang-Baxter homology

This is an extended abstract of the talk given at the Oberwolfach Workshop "Algebraic Structures in Low-Dimensional Topology", 25 May -- 31 May 2014. My goal was to describe progress in distributive homology from the previous Oberwolfach Workshop June 3 - June 9, 2012, in particular my work on Yang-Baxter homology; however I concentrated my talk on my recent discovery of q-polynomial of a rooted tree; the appropriate topic as my talk was on May 30, 2014, the 30 anniversary of the Jones polynomial, and the polynomial has its roots in the Kauffman bracket approach to the Jones polynomial.
Quantification of minor phases in growth kinetics experiments with powder X-ray diffraction

Minor amounts of clay minerals precipitated from aqueous solution can be rapidly identified and quantified in a mineral mixture with powder X-ray diffraction using a rotating-anode source and a position-sensitive detector. For the case of gibbsite precipitated on a kaolinite powder substrate we demonstrate a simple method having a minimum detection limit of 0.1 wt%, using pure gibbsite as the intensity reference in mechanical mixtures of gibbsite and kaolinite. The amount of gibbsite precipitated onto kaolinite at 80 C, pH 3 is higher when determined from solution chemistry than from the X-ray method, and the difference in amounts increases with increasing Al concentration in solution. This discrepancy can be explained by assuming that a fraction of the precipitated material is effectively invisible to the X-ray diffraction technique, either due to a small diffracting domain size along the gibbsite [001] direction or formation of an Al-phase that is amorphous to X-rays. This method should be generally useful for a range of mineral mixtures where at least one intense reflection for the phase of interest is not obscured. The ability to identify, characterize, and quantify trace phases by X-ray diffraction, especially when combined with surface analysis by electron or atomic force imaging,more » is an important complement to the conventional approach of monitoring solution composition in growth kinetics experiments.« less
Extending the Bash Prompt

Terminal and xterm prompts can be created incorporating standard escape sequences to give user name, current working directory, time and more