cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Democratic Deficit: The Conceptual Framework

Ideas such as ‘political trust,’ ‘democratic values,’ ‘political disaffection,’ and ‘systems support’ are far from simple. Their measurement is not straightforward. And the thoughtful interpretation of the underlying meaning of the evidence is even more complicated. This chapter seeks to establish and clarify the conceptual framework, an important first step before examining both longitudinal trends and cross-national evidence. This chapter first identifies the idea of levels and components of systems support, drawing upon the seminal work of David Easton. It then builds and extends these concepts further by outlining the core idea of democratic deficits, reflecting the ambivalent tensions between aspirations for democracy and judgments about its performance. The deficit arises, in essence, because many citizens today believe that it is important to live in a democratic state, yet they remain dissatisfied when evaluating how democracy works. If this attitudinal syndrome translates into actions and behavior – an issue explored in the final section of this book – then any deficit is potentially an important resource for mobilizing social movements seeking to deepen participation, accountability, and transparency within liberal democracies, as well as encouraging popular demands for reform in autocratic states. THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF SYSTEMS SUPPORT Ideas about support for the political system are too often muddied in the literature; for example, when distinguishing citizens' orientations toward government and parliaments, common language often skims over, or fails to acknowledge, important distinctions such as those concerning ideas of institutional confidence (which can be understood to represent belief in the capacity of an agency to perform effectively), trust (reflecting a rational or affective belief in the benevolent motivation and performance capacity of another party), skepticism (or suspended judgment), and cynicism (meaning jaded negativity).
A concise synthesis of β-asparaginyladenylate

Stable analogues of acyladenylate intermediates, such as N-acylphosphoramidates, are useful probes of tRNA aminoacylation and enzyme mechanism, and have potential application as enzyme inhibitors. We now report a concise, "one-pot" synthesis of beta-asparaginyladenylate using a novel coupling protocol that yields the target N-acylphosphoramidate in three reactions from readily available precursors. This simple synthetic procedure may represent a general approach for the preparation of functionalized N-acylphosphoramidates from amides that do not undergo coupling under the conditions of existing literature protocols.
Trajectory Design of Lunar South Pole -Aitken Basin Sample Return Mission

The lunar South Pole -Aitken basin is the oldest and largest impact crater observed on the Moon. Many intriguing questions by the scientific community can be answered only by detailed analysis of samples returned from the site. This paper focuses primarily on trajectory design and optimization of the proposed sample return mission. The material here will be presented from the standpoint of a generic mission. Two categories of trajectories will be explored: trans -lunar and trans -Earth. The trans -lunar trajectory focuses on sending a lander to the SPA region from an Earth parking orbit; options include direct landing, transfer to a lunar orbit, and transfer to an LL 2 Lissajous orbit. The trans -Earth trajectory focuses on returning to an Earth landing site from the SPA region; options include a direct transfer, transit via lunar libration points, and tran sit via Earth Libration points. Possible combinations of trans -lunar and trans -Earth trajectories are summarized and compared.
Mechanisms of Ionic Transport in Membranes for Batteries and Fuel Cells

Ionic transport in electrolyte membranes limits performance in both battery and fuel cell membranes. The problems have been well known for years, sometimes decades, but empirical progress in solving them has been slow. The focus here is on studies to improve understanding of transport mechanisms, which despite extensive study, remain in dispute in several important cases. For lithium transport in polymer membranes, I will review simulation work by ourselves and others, and contend that the original qualitative picture by Ratner and coworkers is confirmed in many respects by recent work. It means, however, that the fundamental difficulty is that the transport is controlled by torsion forces in the hydrocarbon backbone which are extremely difficult to manipulate experimentally. Turning to possibly promising additives, I review recent work on proton and lithium transport in ionic liquids, on which promising experimental results have been reported. The data, both from simulation and experiment, indicate nontrivial collective effects in the transport properties which need to be sorted out to control these systems. In the case of proton transport, we report results suggesting that high mobilities occur in acid-ionic mixtures with a common anion in mixtures near phase separation.
Surgical Margin in Hepatic Resections for Colorectal Metastasis: Should We Care?

Many studies seek to define the appropriate margin width necessary to confer the best survival advantage following hepatic resection for colorectal metastatic disease. The ability to achieve at least a 1-cm tumor-free margin has historically represented one of the strongest prognostic factors determining overall outcomes and has been a necessary condition for resectability. With the advent of modern chemotherapy, the importance of surgical margin width is increasingly questioned and our understanding of its impact is evolving concomitantly to the improvement and the widespread use of more effective systemic chemotherapeutic agents. Although achieving a microscopic margin-negative resection (R0) remains the goal of surgical resection, specific tumor biology factors should be consider in deciding on the appropriate margin width. In this review, we summarize the most recent evidence regarding the importance of the surgical margin in hepatic resection for colorectal metastasis in the era of modern chemotherapy.
Characterization of calcium channels of a glucose-responsive rat insulinoma

Voltage-dependent calcium channels are important in the control of calcium influx into excitable cells. With the use of cells isolated from a glucose-responsive rat insulinoma, the effect of the calcium-channel blocker nitrendipine on insulin release was examined. When 50 nM nitrendipine was added with a stimulatory glucose concentration (30 mM), first-phase insulin release was preserved, whereas the second phase was inhibited by 39.4 +/- 5.3%. When 50 nM nitrendipine was also present during basal and stimulated insulin release, the insulin release from fresh cells was significantly less during both phases compared with cells not exposed to nitrendipine (P less than 0.05). In cells cultured for 1 day in 30 mM glucose, a diminished insulin response was seen on stimulation with 30 mM glucose. Nitrendipine (50 nM) did not lead to a further decrease in insulin release. Saturable binding sites in homogenate, whole cells, and purified plasma membranes prepared from the insulinoma were characterized using [3H]nitrendipine. The Kd (in pM) for homogenate from uncultured cells was 225 +/- 34 (n = 11), whereas the Bmax (in fmol/mg protein) was 52 +/- 5. The number of apparent binding sites for [3H]nitrendipine was reduced by approximately 50% in cultured cells (Bmax = 30 +/- 5 fmol/mg protein). The reduction in insulin release from cultured cells correlated well with the reduction in nitrendipine binding. It is concluded that the decrease in the number of apparent binding sites for nitrendipine after culture represents a reduction in functional calcium channels associated with influx of calcium and insulin release.
High performance liquid chromatographic method fo pyrantel tartrate in swine feeds and supplements.

A new method for the determination of pyrantel tartrate in swine feed an supplements has been developed because the current official AOAC method is not applicable to feeds co-medicated with tylosin. The new method involves: (a) leaching of drug from feed with methanolic NaCl solution, (b) removal of interfering substances by ion pair liquid-liquid extraction and high performance liquid chromatography, and (c) quantitation of pyrantel tartrate by monitoring the ultraviolet absorption of the effluent stream at 313nm. The method of standard addition is used to compensate for the effect of the feed matrix on drug recovery. No interference is encountered from tylosin, carbadox, lincomycin, non-drug components of feeds and supplements, or potential degradation products of pyrantel tartrate, i.e., cis isomer of pyrantel tartrate and (E)-N-(3-methylaminopropyl)-2-thiopheneacrylamide. Results for the assay of 3 lots each of feeds and supplements containing 0.0106 and 0.106% pyrantel tartrate, respectively, were within +/-4% of label claim. Coefficients of variation ranged from 1.6 to 1.8% for feeds and from 1.9 to 3.9% for supplements.
CD44 Expression Level and Isoform Contributes to Pancreatic Cancer Cell Plasticity, Invasiveness, and Response to Therapy.

Purpose: A subpopulation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells is thought to be inherently resistant to chemotherapy or to give rise to tumor cells that become resistant during treatment. Here we determined the role of CD44 expression and its isoforms as a marker and potential target for tumor cells that give rise to invasive and gemcitabine-resistant tumors. Experimental Design: RT-PCR, Western blotting, and DNA sequencing was used to determine CD44 isoform and expression levels. Flow cytometry was used to sort cells on the basis of their CD44 expression level. CD44 expression was knocked down using shRNA. Tumorigenic properties were determined by clonogenic and Matrigel assays, IHC, tumor growth in vivo using luciferase imaging and by tumor weight. Results: We identified an invasive cell population that gives rise to gemcitabine-resistant tumors. These cancer cells express a high level of CD44 standard isoform and have an EMT phenotype (CD44s/EMT). In vivo, CD44s/EMT engraft and expand rapidly and give rise to tumors that express high levels of CD44 isoforms that contain multiple exon variants. CD44low-expressing cells show continued sensitivity to gemcitabine in vivo and knockdown of CD44 in CD44s/EMT cells increases sensitivity to gemcitabine and decreases invasiveness. Conclusions: PDAC cells expressing high levels of CD44s with a mesenchymal-like phenotype were highly invasive and developed gemcitabine resistance in vivo. Thus, initial targeting CD44 or reversing the CD44high phenotype may improve therapeutic response. Clin Cancer Res; 22(22); 5592–604. ©2016 AACR.
Robust solid 129 Xe longitudinal relaxation times

We find that if solid xenon is formed from liquid xenon, denoted ``ice,'' there is a 10% increase in $^{129}\mathrm{Xe}$ longitudinal relaxation ${T}_{1}$ time (taken at 77 K and 2 T) over a trickle-freeze formation, denoted ``snow.'' Forming xenon ice also gives an unprecedented reproducibility of $^{129}\mathrm{Xe}$ ${T}_{1}$ measurements across a range of 77--150 K. This temperature dependence roughly follows the theory of spin rotation mediated by Raman scattering of harmonic phonons, though it results in a smaller-than-predicted spin-rotation coupling strength ${c}_{K0}/h$. Enriched ice $^{129}\mathrm{Xe}$ ${T}_{1}$ experiments show no isotopic dependence of bulk relaxation mechanisms at 77 K and at kilogauss fields.
Cancer: Endothelial-cell killing promotes metastasis.

To migrate into the lungs, cancer cells in the bloodstream must cross the lung's endothelial-cell barrier. A study shows that cancer cells can achieve this feat by signalling to induce endothelial-cell death. See Letter p.215 A critical step in the metastatic spread of cancer is the escape of a circulating tumour cell from the blood stream across the endothelial barrier. This report identifies a novel mechanism that facilitates tumour cell extravasation. Tumour cells expressing amyloid precursor protein are shown to induce endothelial programmed necrosis (necroptosis) via DR6 signalling. Inhibition of necroptosis regulators reduces metastatic colonization in mouse models, suggesting that this is a relevant step for the systemic dissemination of cancers.
Higher Excited States and Vibrationally Hot Excited States: How Important are they in Organic Photochemistry in Dense Media?

In photochemical reactions of organic molecules in fluid or rigid solutions, and even in the gas phase at moderate to high pressures, it is usually assumed without question that internal conversion to the lowest excited electronic state and thermal equilibration of vibrational motion occur much more rapidly than any chemical transformations, so that direct irradiation first produces cool S1, or possibly directly cool T1 if special structural features greatly enhance the rate of intersystem crossing relative to thermalization (e.g., heavy atoms), and sensitization produces cool T1, before any chemical reactions occur. The reacting species is therefore assumed to be thermalized S1 or T1, except perhaps if S2 (or T2 is so close in energy as to be thermally accessible, and kinetic schemes are set up accordingly. These assumptions represent an analogy to Kasha’s rule which states that thermalized S1 and T1 states are the only ones from which significant light emission is observed in dense media.
The Quantum Extension of the Drude—Zener Theory in Polar Semiconductors

Publisher Summary The Drude model for the complex dielectric constant of a semiconductor can be used to extract the mobility and the free-carrier density from an analysis of the reflectivity and transmittance data in the far infrared. The dielectric constant ɛ is the square of the complex refractive index, which determines the optical properties of a given material. It is noted that the quantum theory of free-carrier absorption is treated by various investigators. The problem is of theoretical and practical interest, because it is related to the question of the limits of validity of the quasi-classical Boltzmann transport equation, which describes many transport phenomena in solids. Free-carrier absorption in semiconductors refers to the process of optical absorption in which the electron makes a transition from an initial state to a final state in the same band. The absorption or emission of a photon is then accompanied by scattering by optical or acoustical-mode phononsor by charged impurities. The scattering mechanism is necessary for the conservation of crystal momentum, because the interaction with the photon provides energy but negligible momentum transfer.
Large grid simulations of surface combatant flow at straight-ahead and static drift conditions

Large grid simulations are performed for surface combatant 5415 at straight-ahead and static drift conditions using unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes URANS and detached eddy simulation DES, and the results are validated using recently procured experimental data. Both URANS and DES predictions compared within 4% of the experimental data for forces, moment and wave elevation. Grids consisting of 50M to 100M cells are found to be sufficient to obtain the best URANS results, but even on such large grids, URANS is overly dissipative. On similar size grids, DES provides plausible description of the vortical structures for the straight-ahead case, and resolves more than 95% turbulence and performs better than URANS for the static drift case. However, DES shows turbulence trigger and modelled stress depletion issues. Overall, the study identifies that turbulence modelling is a major roadblock for an accurate prediction of vortical structures for ship flows.
Imaging Features of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension in Children

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signs of elevated intracranial pressure and idiopathic intracranial hypertension have been well characterized in adults but not in children. The MRIs of 50 children with idiopathic intracranial hypertension and 46 adults with idiopathic intracranial hypertension were reviewed for optic nerve head protrusion, optic nerve head enhancement, posterior scleral flattening, increased perioptic cerebrospinal fluid, optic nerve tortuosity, empty or partially empty sella, tonsillar herniation, enlargement of Meckel's cave meningoceles, and transverse venous sinus stenosis(TSS). Compared to adolescents (11-17 years, n = 40) and adults (>17 years, n = 46), prepubescent children (<11 years, n = 10) had lower frequencies of scleral flattening (50% vs 89% and 85%, P = .02), increased perioptic cerebrospinal fluid (60% vs 84% and 89%, P = .08), optic nerve tortuosity (20% vs 46% and 59%, P = .07), empty or partially empty sella (56% vs 78% and 93%, P = .007), and TSS (67% vs 93% and 96%, P = .04). Children with idiopathic intracranial hypertension have similar MRI findings as adults, but they are less frequent in prepubescent children.
Emergence and mechanism in the fractional quantum Hall effect

Abstract For some authors, an adequate notion of emergence must include an account of a mechanism by means of which emergent behavior is realized. This appeal to mechanism is problematic in the case of the fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE). There is a consensus among physicists that the FQHE exhibits emergent phenomena, but there are at least four alternative explanations of the latter that, arguably, appeal to ontologically distinct mechanisms, both at the microphysics level and at the level of general organizing principles. In light of this underdetermination of mechanism, one is faced with the following options: (I) deny that emergence is present in the FQHE; (II) argue for the priority of one mechanistic explanation over the others; or (III) temper the desire for a mechanism-centric account of emergence. I will argue that there are good reasons to reject (I) and (II) and accept (III). In particular, I will suggest that a law-centric account of emergence does just fine in explaining the emergent phenomena associated with the FQHE.
ANS 490-A: Ewe Lamb’sTemperament and Effects on Maze Entry, Exit Order and Coping Styles When Exposed to Novel Stimulus

The objectives of this experiment were (1) to determine if experienceaffects maze entrance and exit order and (2) how temperament affects ewe lamb coping response to a predictable novel stimulus. A total of nine, ~4-month-old blackface Hampshire-cross ewe lambs, BW~18 to 27 kg were used.Ewe lamb temperament was identified and three groups of ewe lambs were created. Each group hada BOLD, MODERATEand SHYewe lamb.All ewe lambs were introduced and habituated to themaze for four consecutive days (days -3 to day 0),respectively.On trial day 1, Group 1 (EXPERIENCED)passed through the maze. On trial day 2, Groups 1 and 2 (MIDDLE) passed through the maze. On trial day 3, Groups 1, 2 and 3 (NAIVE) passed through the maze. Over these trial days, ewe lambs were exposed to a red ball and a red flag (novel stimuli). Behavioral measures(order to enter and exit the maze and coping style [active vs passive]) werecollected over four habituation days (-3, -2, -1 and0), and over three trialdays (1, 2 and 3),respectively.The data will be presented descriptively. Ewe lamb 1936 had the highest number of cone touches, with 1943 having the leastover the 1-h observation period. For the BOLDgroup the cone touches ranged from 7 to 10, MODERATEranged from 5 to 6 and SHYranged from 0 to 4 respectively. Over all entry days a BOLDewe lamb entered and exited the maze first, but it was not always the same BOLDewe lamb. There was no consistent ewe lamb order for entering or exiting the maze for MODERATEor SHYtemperament classification. Ewe lambs for both stimuli engaged in a passive coping style (77.8%). In conclusion, ewe lambs, regardless of temperament, did not react negatively to a novel stimuli. Furthermore, experience to the maze did not affect entrance and exit order and all ewe lambs navigated the maze in less than 15-seconds over all trial days. We predict that this behavioral reactivity would enable producers to handle ewe lambs effectively in a handling system for necessary husbandry practices without undue animal welfare issues.
High efficiency, scalable peak power tracker architecture

The Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) Peak Power Tracker (PPT) solution is the enabling technology for power constrained Small Satellite missions. The SwRI PPT solution combines 35 years of experience developing electronics for space flight on NASA Discovery, MIDEX, and SMEX missions with internal research and development. SwRI has delivered 8 flight model PPT modules for the NASA CYGNSS mission. Additional PPT modules have been delivered for a DOD mission and SwRI has begun development of a PPT for the NASA CuSP CubeSat mission. SwRI's PPT is ideal for small spacecraft delivering conversion efficiencies of > 94% and supports loads up to 500 Watts. The architecture of the PPT was designed to deliver maximum efficiencies while providing a high reliability, low EMI solution. The PPT architecture is predicated on providing scalable power throughput to fit needs of CubeSats through MicroSats and provides on orbit configurability to adapt to any mission need. The PPT architecture was designed using a power conversion technique requiring a low number of parts thereby improving reliability while maintaining extremely high efficiency and providing excellent load regulation capability. The integrated FPGA allows complex control of the system and allows for a wide range of programmability on orbit.
Paleontological Notes: A Tertiary Proboscidian from Louisiana

Terrestrial Tertiary vertebrate remains are very scarce in the lower Gulf Coastal Plain, except in Florida. This report of a Miocene (?) gomphotherid is but the second such report from Louisiana; the only other is the unique recovery of a Paleocene condylarth in an oil well core from Caddo Parish at a depth of 2460 feet (Simpson, 1932).
Characterizing Microscopical Invasion Patterns in Canine Mast Cell Tumours and Soft Tissue Sarcomas.

Summary Stromal invasion is identified commonly in cutaneous malignancies; however, invasive patterns are defined inconsistently and their clinical relevance is uncertain. This study aimed to define objective, quantifiable histomorphological invasive patterns in low-grade canine mast cell tumours (MCTs) and grade I/II soft tissue sarcomas (STSs), and correlate invasive patterns with overall excisional status. Haematoxylin and eosin-stained glass slides prepared for routine histopathology of surgically-excised tumours from client-owned dogs were evaluated for invasion beyond their subgross edge, asymmetrical invasion, satellite lesions, lymphovascular invasion, perineurovascular growth, growth along fascial planes, intramuscular invasion and multicompartmental involvement. Digital histological tumour-free margins
Some Results Involving Euler-Type Integrals and Dilogarithm Values

The claim that \( \text {Li}_2\Big (- \displaystyle \frac{\sqrt{5}+1}{2}\Big ) = -\displaystyle \frac{\,\, \pi ^2}{10} + \displaystyle \frac{1}{2} \log ^2 \Big ( \frac{\sqrt{5}+1}{2}\Big ),\) circulating in the dilogarithm literature since at least 1958, is wrong. We derive the correct value \(\,\text {Li}_2\bigg ( -\displaystyle \frac{\sqrt{5}+1}{2}\bigg ) = -\displaystyle \frac{\,\, \pi ^2}{10} - \log ^2 \bigg ( \displaystyle \frac{\sqrt{5}+1}{2} \bigg )\,\) and use it to obtain several formulas for \(\pi ^2\) in terms of dilogarithm values at the “golden relatives” \(\, \displaystyle \frac{1}{\phi ^2}, \, \displaystyle \frac{1}{\phi }, \, -\,\displaystyle \frac{1}{\phi }, -\,\phi \ \) of \(\,\phi \,= \,\displaystyle \frac{\sqrt{5}+1}{2}.\) We also sum the series \(\,\displaystyle \sum _{n=0}^\infty \displaystyle \frac{G_N(n)}{(2n+1)^3} \,\) and \(\,\displaystyle \sum _{n=1}^\infty \frac{H_N(n)}{n^3} \,\) in terms of Euler-type integrals \(\,\displaystyle \int _0^{\frac{\pi }{2}} x^{M} \log (\sin x)\, \mathrm{d}x, \,\) where \(\,G_N(n)\,\) and \(\,H_N(n)\,\) are the quantities appearing in the Borwein-Chamberland expansions of \( \,\arcsin ^{2N+1}(z) \,\) and \(\, \arcsin ^{2N}(z), \,\) respectively. As special cases we obtain very simple proofs of Euler’s equation $$\,\zeta (3) = \frac{2\pi ^2 }{7} \log 2 + \frac{16}{7} \int _0^{\frac{\pi }{2}} x \log (\sin x) {\text {d}} x \,$$ and of the similar formula $$\,\zeta (3) = \frac{2\pi ^2 }{9} \log 2 + \frac{16}{3\pi } \int _0^{\frac{\pi }{2}} x^2 \log (\sin x) {\text {d}}x.$$
The Government as a Partner in Co-Management

During the last decade, the approaches for management and governance of fisheries resources have undergone a significant transition. There has been a shift from traditional production and stock- and species-based management toward conservation and ecosystem-based management. Rights-based management, community-based management and co-management are in some cases replacing open-access and centralized government management systems. It is increasingly recognized that resources can be better managed when fishers and other stakeholders are directly involved in management of the resources and use rights are allocated — either individually or collectively (Berkes et al., 2001). Co-management systems have emerged as a partnership arrangement using the capacities and interests of the local fishers and community, complemented by the ability of the government to provide legislation, policy, enforcement and other functions and assistance. These new approaches will require the establishment of an appropriate government administrative structure, clarification of fishery management functions, and an enabling legal and policy environment in order to promote and sustain existing local-level fisheries management systems and/or to develop new co-management systems.
1,2,4-Oxadiazines and 1,2,4-Thiadiazines

1-Oxa-2,4-diazines occur mainly as the 5,6-dihydro- and tetrahydro derivatives, which are formed most often through intramolecular cyclization processes. Benzo-1-oxa-2,4-diazines are known in both the 2H- and 4H-tautomeric forms with the heterocyclic ring being generated from reaction of o-aminophenols with hydroximoyl chlorides. 1-Thia-2,4-diazines, in which sulfur forms only two covalent bonds, are rare but may be formed by rearrangement of other heterocyclic rings. The benzologs are more common and may be formed by reduction of the related benzo-1λ4-thia-2,4-diazine system. Interest in 1-thia-2,4-diazine 1,1-dioxides centers mainly on the compounds Taurultam and Taurolidine and their derivatives, which have useful antibiotic properties. The benzo-1-thia-2,4-diazine 1,1-dioxides are very common and comprise a family of important diuretic compounds as well as exhibiting other useful biological activities and industrial properties. Synthesis of the heterocyclic ring in these compounds is achieved mainly by condensation of o-aminosulfonamide derivatives with one-carbon units. The 1λ4-thia-2,4-diazine and benzo-1λ4-thia-2,4-diazine systems are useful precursors to the divalent sulfur-containing analogs and may be formed by cyclization processes, for example, between substituted ureas and sulfur trifluoride derivatives.
Human FcR Polymorphism and Disease

Fc receptors play a central role in maintaining the homeostatic balance in the immune system. Our knowledge of the structure and function of these receptors and their naturally occurring polymorphisms, including single nucleotide polymorphisms and/or copy number variations, continues to expand. Through studies of their impact on human biology and clinical phenotype, the contributions of these variants to the pathogenesis, progression, and/or treatment outcome of many diseases that involve immunoglobulin have become evident. They affect susceptibility to bacterial and viral pathogens, constitute as risk factors for IgG or IgE mediated inflammatory diseases, and impact the development of many autoimmune conditions. In this chapter, we will provide an overview of these genetic variations in classical FcγRs, FcRLs, and other Fc receptors, as well as challenges in achieving an accurate and comprehensive understanding of the FcR polymorphisms and genomic architecture.
Evaluation of simulation debriefing methods with interprofessional learning

Interprofessional education (IPE) using simulations provides a rich environment for mastery learning and deliberate practice. The debriefing phase is identified as the most valuable by learners, yet investigation into the most effective format for debriefing interprofessional (IP) groups has largely gone unexplored. To determine the best practices in IP simulation debriefing, we compared perceived effectiveness of in-person versus teledebriefing, and single versus IP co-debriefer models according to 404 Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare Student-Version (DASH-SV) scores from students in medicine, nursing, and respiratory therapy (n = 135) following three critical care simulations. All calculated total mean scores were in the acceptable range (above 4.0), indicating a positive experience for all methods. We found statistically significantly higher scores for in-person (M = 5.79) compared to teledebriefing (M = 4.96, p < .001). Single debriefer (M = 6.09) compared to IP co-debriefer DASH scores (M = 5.93) for all scenarios were not significantly different (p = .059). Our results suggest that teledebriefing may provide a solution for simulation programs with off-site or rural learners, and that a single in-person debriefing can be equally effective as co-debriefing for IP students.
Automated quality control assessment of clinical chest images

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether a proposed suite of objective image quality metrics for digital chest radiographs is useful for monitoring image quality in a clinical setting unique from the one where the metrics were developed. Methods Seventeen gridless AP chest radiographs from a GE Optima portable digital radiography (DR) unit ("sub-standard" images; Group 2) and 17 digital PA chest radiographs ("standard-of-care" images; Group 1) and 15 gridless (non-routine) PA chest radiographs (images with a gross technical error; Group 3) from a Discovery DR unit were chosen for analysis. Group 2 images were acquired with a lower kVp (100 vs 125) and shorter source-to-image distance (127 cm vs 183 cm) and were expected to have lower quality than Group 1 images. Group 3 images were expected to have degraded contrast vs Group 1 images. Images were anonymized and securely transferred to the Duke University Clinical Imaging Physics Group for analysis using software described and validated previously. Individual image quality was reported in terms of lung gray level, lung detail, lung noise, rib-lung contrast, rib sharpness, mediastinum detail, mediastinum noise, mediastinum alignment, subdiaphragm-lung contrast, and subdiaphragm area. Metrics were compared across groups. To improve precision of means and confidence intervals for routine exams, an additional 66 PA images were acquired, processed, and pooled with Group 1. Three observer studies were conducted to assess whether humans were able to identify images classified by the algorithm as abnormal. Results Metrics agreed with published Quality Consistency Ranges with three exceptions: higher lung gray level, lower rib-lung contrast, and lower subdiaphragm-lung contrast. Higher (stored) bit depth (14 vs 12) accounted for higher lung gray level values in our images. Values were most internally consistent for Group 1. The most sensitive metric for distinguishing between groups was mediastinum noise, followed closely by lung noise. The least sensitive metrics were mediastinum detail and rib-lung contrast. The algorithm was more sensitive than human observers at detecting suboptimal diagnostic quality images. Conclusions The software appears promising for objectively and automatically identifying suboptimal images in a clinical imaging operation. The results can be used to establish local quality consistency ranges and action limits per facility preferences.
Dynamics of Solitons in High-Order Nonlinear Schrödinger Equations in Fiber Optics

In optical fibers, the higher order nonlinear Schrodinger equation (NLSE) with cubic-quintic nonlinearity describes the propagation of extremely short pulses. We construct kink, bright and dark solitons of a generalized higher order NLSE in a cubic-quintic non-Kerr medium by applying proposed modified extended mapping method. These obtained solutions have key applications in physical science and engineering. Moreover, we also present the formation conditions on solitary wave parameters in which kink, dark and bright solitons can exist for this media. We graphically illustrate the collision of the constructed soliton solutions that help realize the physical phenomena of NLSE. We also outline descriptions of various issues on integrability. We discuss the stability of the model in normal dispersion and anomalous regime by using the modulation instability analysis. Many other types of such models arising in applied sciences can also be solved by these reliable, powerful and effective methods.
Revealing Exciton Dissociation and Inhomogeneity in Metal Halide Perovskite Thin Films

We present multidimensional spectra of excitons in formamidinium-methylammonium lead triiodide perovskite films at low temperature. The spectra show inhomogeneous broadening and two distinct states, which we assign to free and defect-bound excitonic states.
An Initial Assessment of the Significance of Task Pacing on Self-Report and Physiological Measures of Workload While Driving

In block A of a simulator study, a sample of 38 drivers showed a stepwise increase in heart rate and skin conductance level (SCL) from single task driving and across 3 levels of an auditory presentation – verbal response dual task (n-back), replicating findings from on-road research. Subjective ratings showed a similar stepwise increase, establishing concurrent validity of the physiological indices as measures of workload. In block B, varying the inter-stimulus interval in the intermediate 1-back level of the task resulted in a pattern across self-report workload ratings, heart rate, and SCL suggesting that task pacing may influence effective workload. Further consideration of the impact of task pacing in auditoryverbal in-vehicle applications is indicated.
High Throughput Cell Mechanophenotyping via Microfluidic Constrictions with Multiplexed Electrical Sensors

The work presented herein shows a microfluidic cytometry platform that uses constrictive channels monitored with a multiplexed electrical sensing network to measure cell mechanical properties. The parallel microfluidic architecture combined with code division multiplexed electrical sensing of cells enable throughput levels that are otherwise not possible in constriction transit time measurement-based devices.
Single Word–Based Acoustic Vowel Space in Individuals With Dysarthria Secondary to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Purpose The current study investigated the potential of a single word–based acoustic vowel space to characterize speech in individuals with dysarthria secondary to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (AL...
Challenges and Solutions in Evaluation Technical Assistance During Design and Early Implementation.

This case study discusses two federal grant initiatives and the evaluation technical assistance (ETA) provided to the grantees. One program is a multiphase program funded by the Children’s Bureau (...
Cutaneous Manifestations of Chronic Liver Disease

Given the visibility of cutaneous findings, skin manifestations are often a presenting symptom of underlying systemic disease, including chronic liver disease. Many cutaneous signs and symptoms that correlate with chronic liver disease are common physical examination findings in patients with no history of liver disease. It is nonetheless important to be aware that these cutaneous findings may be an indication of underlying liver disease and often occur in the setting of such hepatic dysfunction. This article covers general cutaneous signs that may correlate with various liver diseases and describes specific cutaneous signs as they relate to more specific liver diseases.
Venous Procedures to Treat Venous Leg Ulcers

The purpose of this review is to describe the standard procedures used to treat venous leg ulcers (VLUs), including endovenous laser ablation (EVLA), sclerotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, or other surgical modalities, and discuss the associated literature. Results of relevant studies, including clinical trials, prospective studies, and retrospective chart reviews, will be critically analyzed and integrated with the authors’ clinical experience. We aim to compare the different methods to help guiding clinical decision-making. It is important to consider each patient’s medical comorbidities, age, and preference in considering a surgical intervention. Studies show that EVLA and ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS) enable ulcers to heal faster and lower the rates of recurrence. Minimally invasive procedures have replaced open surgical techniques as a means of treating VLUs. EVLA and UGFS appear to be safe and effective treatment options for most patients.
3D Printing Architecture

This paper will focus on the research and collective work of Emerging Objects, a MAKE tank, that is transforming materials into sustainable buildings for the future using additive manufacturing. Humble and traditional building materials, such as salt and soil, can be transformed into sophisticated building materials through additive manufacturing. Waste materials such as sawdust and chardonnay grape skins and seeds are converted for use in 3D printing and turned into bricks, blocks, and tiles for construction assemblies. The use of additive manufacturing technologies and radical, alternative materials, will allow architects and engineers to impact the way buildings and cities will be constructed in the future.
Integrated computer-aided engineering and design for DNA assemblies

Recently, DNA has been used to make nanodevices for a myriad of applications across fields including medicine, nanomanufacturing, synthetic biology, biosensing and biophysics. However, current DNA nanodevices rely primarily on geometric design, and it remains challenging to rationally design functional properties such as force-response or actuation behaviour. Here we report an iterative design pipeline for DNA assemblies that integrates computer-aided engineering based on coarse-grained molecular dynamics with a versatile computer-aided design approach that combines top-down automation with bottom-up control over geometry. This intuitive framework allows for rapid construction of large, multicomponent assemblies from three-dimensional models with finer control over the geometrical, mechanical and dynamical properties of the DNA structures in an automated manner. This approach expands the scope of structural complexity and enhances mechanical and dynamic design of DNA assemblies. An approach integrating molecular dynamics-based computer-aided engineering with computer-aided design allows for the rapid construction of large three-dimensional DNA assemblies and control over their geometry, mechanics and dynamics.
How narratives of racial progress create barriers to diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations.

Abstract Despite statements in support of racial justice, many organizations fail to make good on their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In this review, we describe the role of the narrative of racial progress—which conceives of society as rapidly and automatically ascending toward racial equity—in these failures. Specifically, the narrative (1) envisions organizations as race neutral, (2) creates barriers to complex cross-race discussions about equity, (3) creates momentum for less effective policy change, and (4) reduces urgency around DEI goals. Thus, an effective DEI strategy will involve organizational leaders overcoming this narrative by acknowledging past DEI failures and, most critically, implementing immediate and evidence-based structural changes that are essential for creating a more just and equitable workplace.
A Reinforcement Learning based Decision-making System with Aggressive Driving Behavior Consideration for Autonomous Vehicles

With the fast development of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology and possible popularity of AVs in the near future, a mixed-vehicle type driving environment where both AVs and their surrounding human-driving vehicles drive on the same road will exist and last for a long time. An AV measures its driving environments in real time and make control decisions to ensure driving safety. However, surrounding human-driving vehicles may conduct aggressive driving behaviors (e.g., sudden deceleration, sudden acceleration, sudden left or right lane change) in practice, which requires an AV to make correct control decisions to eliminate the effect of aggressive driving behaviors on its driving safety. In this paper, we propose a reinforcement learning based decision-making system (ReDS) which considers aggressive driving behaviors of surrounding human-driving vehicles during the decision making process. In ReDS, we firstly build a mixture density network based aggressive driving behavior detection method to detect possible aggressive driving behaviors among surrounding vehicles of an AV. We then build a reward function based on aggressive driving behavior detection results and incorporate the reward function into a reinforcement learning model to make optimal control decisions considering aggressive driving behaviors. We use a real-world traffic dataset from the United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration to evaluate optimal control decision determination performance of ReDS in comparison with the state-of-the-art methods. The comparison results show that ReDS can improve optimal control decision success rate by 43% compared with existing methods, which demonstrates that ReDS has good optimal control decision determination performance.
Nickel–metal hydride and nickel–zinc batteries for hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles

Nickel–metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries are the chemistry of choice for hybrid electric vehicle. They provide excellent performance (high energy and power, an excellent range of operating temperatures), reliability, and cost. In addition, NiMH batteries have demonstrated excellent safety, abuse resistance, and cycle life, which have translated into superior field reliability for advanced vehicular applications with over 6 million vehicles sold. Nickel–zinc batteries are being actively developed for start/stop applications.
Understanding of Meniscus Injury and Expectations of Meniscus Surgery in Patients Presenting for Orthopaedic Care.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess orthopaedic patient knowledge and perceptions about the meniscus, meniscal injury, and treatment to identify gaps in orthopaedic patients' understanding and to assess the outcomes most important to these patients. Methods A 41-question survey was designed to measure knowledge and perception of meniscal tears regarding anatomy, function, surgical indications, operative techniques, risks, overall benefits of repair or removal, and recovery times. Study participants aged between 18 and 60 years were recruited from an academic orthopaedic sports medicine clinic regardless of their present complaint. Patients aged younger than 18 years were excluded. Results We surveyed 253 individuals (132 men and 121 women), with a mean age of 38 years. Most respondents (62%) rated their knowledge about the meniscus as little or no knowledge. Participants answered between 49% and 50% of questions regardless of how they self-rated their knowledge base. There was no correlation between perceived knowledge and percent answered correctly or between level of knee injury/surgery exposure and percent answered correctly. Only 28% of respondents knew that partial meniscectomy is the most common type of surgical treatment for meniscal tears. The risk of osteoarthritis developing and the risk of further surgery were the major concerns regarding meniscus surgery. Those who had undergone a previous meniscus surgery performed better on factual questions regarding meniscus structure ( P = .0006), function ( P = .0001), mechanism of injury ( P = .0001), and the need for surgery ( P = .0001) than those who had not undergone previous meniscus surgery. Conclusions Patients having undergone prior meniscus surgery have better knowledge of meniscus injury and treatment than those who have not had previous meniscus injury. Meniscus repair is believed to be the most common treatment rather than meniscectomy. The risk of needing additional surgery and the risk of arthritis developing after meniscus surgery are the main concerns among respondents.
The Fluid Crustal Layer and Its Implications for Continental Dynamics

Extensional tectonism exposes relatively intact cross-sections of the pre-tectonic crust. The paleodepth of deep portions of the exposed crustal sections in strongly extended structural domains in the Basin and Range province constrains the amount of upper crustal thinning accommodated along extensional structures, which in many cases is in excess of 10 km. Regionally averaged topography in the province is generally lower in the strongly extended domains than in adjacent stable blocks in which the upper crust is not appreciably thinned. The difference in elevation between extended and unextended areas suggests that the differential thinning of the upper crust is probably not accommodated by inflow or outflow of asthenosphere, mantle lithosphere or mafic lower crust. Simple isostatic calculations suggest that the density of the compensating medium is probably within 100–200 kg/m3 of the density of average upper continental crust, indicating that it lies within the crust and may be in large part quartzose. This conclusion is independently supported by laboratory experiments on the strengths of rocks, which suggest that quartzose rocks are substantially weaker than mafic and ultramafic rocks over a broad range of temperatures likely to exist in the deep crust, and with reflection seismograms in deformed regions which suggest that the Moho is subhorizontal beneath areas with large gradients in upper crustal vertical strain. It is suggested that the upper crust floats on a quartzose layer in the mid-crust, which under orogenic conditions appears to behave as a relatively inviscid fluid at geologic timescales (>10,000 a) and subcontinental lengthscales (100–1000 km). A fourfold division of the orogenic lithosphere is therefore proposed: (1) The upper crust, which at geologic timescales has the properties of a solid and is able to support shear stresses of 10’s to 100’s of MPa; (2) a fluid crustal layer (fluid in the sense of the asthenosphere), which flows so as to eliminate horizontal gradients in vertical stress on geologic timescales; (3) a solid lower crust, generally mafic, that may be substantially stronger than the overlying fluid layer; and (4) the mantle part of the lithosphere, which is much stronger than the fluid layer. The thickness of the fluid layer may range from 0 to over 30 km, but is generally in the 15–25 km range.
Improved Comprehensibility and Reliability of Explanations via Restricted Halfspace Discretization

A number of two-class classification methods first discretize each attribute of two given training sets and then construct a propositional DNF formula that evaluates to True for one of the two discretized training sets and to False for the other one. The formula is not just a classification tool but constitutes a useful explanation for the differences between the two underlying populations if it can be comprehended by humans and is reliable. This paper shows that comprehensibility as well as reliability of the formulas can sometimes be improved using a discretization scheme where linear combinations of a small number of attributes are discretized.