cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deteriorating trends in male reproduction: idiopathic or environmental?

Abstract Recent reports portend deterioration in male reproductive health in several human populations. Similar trends might exist in domestic animals, but data are not available because of the inherent nature of animal husbandry practices — culling of the reproductively inefficient food- and fiber-producing animals at an early age. Although the causes for this deterioration are unknown, a variety of endocrine-mimicking environmental pollutants have been implicated. Data for relevant laboratory animal models exposed to several classes of suspect chemicals indicate that a variety of chemicals ubiquitously present in the environment can disrupt normal reproductive phenomena in the male at exposure rates encountered in nature. Data are presented for occurrence of cryptorchidism, carcinoma in situ of the testis, acrosomal malformations, and impaired sexual function following in utero and/or postnatal exposures to pesticides (e.g., DDT and vinclozolin), high-volume industrial chemicals (e.g., alkylphenols and phthalates), and commonly occurring organic and inorganic chemical contaminants in drinking water (e.g., chemical mixtures and water disinfection byproducts). These observations are discussed in the context of similar, so-called idiopathic conditions encountered in stallions.
A Sampler for Measuring Deposited Fine Sediments in Streams1

Turner, Andy W., Jeff J. Hillis, and Charles F. Rabeni, 2012. A Sampler for Measuring Deposited Fine Sediments in Streams. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(2): 366-378. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00618.x Abstract: Improvements and standardization of methodologies to quickly and accurately quantify deposited sediment in streams will allow advances in our understanding of biological effects of sedimentation. Most methods used to evaluate streambed conditions as part of biological monitoring or assessment programs are selected for ease of use, but can be subjective, inappropriate, and often of unknown accuracy. We developed a portable, light-weight device to quantify deposited unconsolidated sediment (particles <2 mm) in wadeable streams. This deposited sediment sampler is a hand-held unit that circumscribes an area of the streambed and through suction creates a force that suspends unconsolidated materials into a collector. Laboratory evaluations determined the efficiency (percent of available deposited sediment recovered) of the sampler to collect different sizes and concentrations of deposited sediment under differing streambed conditions, which allowed appropriate correction factors to be applied to each of four categories of streambed particle size. Field trials comparing our sampler to other methods commonly used by many state and federal agencies showed high comparability. The sampler can be constructed in just a few hours from inexpensive, easily obtained materials.
Mechanism of the defect in gap-junctional communication by expression of a connexin 26 mutant associated with dominant deafness

Gap-junctional channels (connexin oligomers) are large-diameter aqueous pores formed by head-to-head association of two gap-junctional hemichannels, one from each of the adjacent cells. Profound hearing loss of genetic origin is common, and mutations of connexin 26 (Cx26) are the most frequent cause of this disorder. The Cx26 R75W mutant has been associated with disruption of cell-to-cell communication and profound hearing loss, but the mechanism of the gap-junctional defect is unknown. Here, we show that Cx26 R75W forms gap-junctional hemichannels that display altered voltage dependency and reduced permeability, and which cannot form functional gap-junctional channels between neighboring cells. The R75W phenotype is dominant at the gap-junction channel but not at the hemichannel level. Therefore, the absence of gap-junctional communication caused by R75W expression is due to defective gap-junction formation by functional hemichannels.
Intestinal Ganglioneuromatosis: Unusual Presentation of Cowden Syndrome Resulting in Delayed Diagnosis

We report on a 25-year-old woman who presented as a teenager with macrocephaly and multiple gastrointestinal lesions including ganglioneuromas, hamartomas, lipomas, juvenile, and hyperplastic polyps in association with extra-intestinal tumors including a retroperitoneal lipoma, storiform collagenoma, and a fibrolipomatous hamartoma. PTEN mutation analysis identified a deletion in exon 2, confirming the diagnosis of Cowden syndrome. While intestinal polyps are common among Cowden patients who undergo endoscopy, and intestinal ganglioneuromas are occasionally reported, they are not usual presenting manifestations. Intestinal ganglioneuromatosis is divided into three subgroups: (1) polypoid ganglioneuromatosis (usually few isolated ganglioneuromas), (2) generalized ganglioneuromatosis (usually associated with NF1 or MEN), and (3) ganglioneuromatous polyposis without known systemic disease, although there are several reported patients with multiple lipomas. This individual with Cowden syndrome closely resembles the latter group, thus we suggest that patients with ganglioneuromatous polyposis, especially in association with lipomas, should be evaluated for possible Cowden syndrome.
Immunization of rabbits with hog pepsinogen. I. Autoantibodies to pepsinogen and elevated serum pepsinogen levels.

Summary Following a single immunization with a preparation containing two hog pepsinogens, rabbits produced precipitating antibodies to the hog pepsinogens which also cross-reacted with two of their own pepsinogens. In parallel with the immune response, the concentration of serum pepsinogen in these rabbits increased from 3 to 5 times over control values. None of these findings was observed in rabbits immunized with hog serum. The data suggest that the elevation of serum pepsinogen in the rabbits immunized with hog pepsinogen was due to the formation of circulating complexes consisting of rabbit pepsinogen and anti-rabbit pepsinogen autoantibody.
Characteristic 0 Theory

This chapter constitutes a brief digression into the case when char K = 0. None of the results proved here will be essential elsewhere in the text.
A Reference Architecture for Social Head Gaze Generation in Social Robotics

This article outlines a reference architecture for social head gaze generation in social robots. The architecture discussed here is grounded in human communication, based on behavioral robotics theory, and captures the commonalities, essence, and experience of 32 previous social robotics implementations of social head gaze. No such architecture currently exists, but such an architecture is needed to: (1) serve as a template for creating or re-engineering systems, (2) provide analyses and understanding of different systems, and (3) provide a common lexicon and taxonomy that facilitates communication across various communities. A constructed reference architecture and the Software Architecture Analysis Method (SAAM) are used to evaluate, improve, and re-engineer two existing head gaze system architectures (Human–Robot Collaboration architecture and Robot Behavior Toolkit architecture). SAAM shows that no existing architecture incorporated the summation of functionalities found in the 32 studies. SAAM suggests several architectural improvements so that the two existing architectures can better support adaptation to a new environment and extension of capability. The resulting reference architecture guides the implementation of social head gaze in a rescue robot for the purpose of victim management in urban search and rescue (US&R). Using the proposed reference architecture will benefit social robotics because it will simplify the principled implementations of head gaze generation and allow for comparisons between such implementations.
A new approach for extracting base width modulation parameters in bipolar transistors

A new dc measurement technique that allows a direct observation of the Early effects and the base push-out effect in vertical bipolar transistors is described. The technique uses a special test structure and may be used to accurately determine the forward and reverse Early voltages used in the Gummel Poon model. The improvements provided by this method over conventionally used parameter extraction techniques are demonstrated through measurements on silicon and through two-dimensional device simulations.
Abstract 16468: Upcoding of Complication May Account for Declining Failure to Rescue Rates Following Major Cardiac Surgery

Introduction: To guide public reporting and payment reform initiatives, payers are increasingly tying reimbursement to hospital performance on administratively-derived quality measures. This has created tension with the existing fee-for-service model where “upcoding” of post-operative complications may increase hospital revenue. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that current complication measures may inaccurately reflect hospital quality, due to increased upcoding. Methods: We used Medicare data (2000-8) for patients undergoing cardiac surgery. We compared rates of post-operative pulmonary complications and pulmonary-specific failure to rescue (FTR, ie mortality after a pulmonary complication) under one of two definitions: (1) allowing diagnostic codes solely for pulmonary failure to define a complication (unconditioned definition, UCD), or (2) conditioning the identification of a complication on having a treatment code for mechanical ventilation or intubation (procedure-conditioned definition, PCD). We conside...
VIBRATION TESTING AND CONTROL OF AN INFLATABLE TORUS USING MULTIPLE SENSORS/ACTUATORS

Inflated space-based devices have become popular over the past three decades due to their minimal launch-mass and volume. Once inflated, these space structures are subject to vibrations induced mechanically by guidance systems and space debris as well as thermally induced vibrations from variable amounts of direct sunlight. Controlling the vibration and shape of space-based structures is critical to ensuring their optimal performance. Inflated materials, however, pose special problems when testing and trying to control their vibrations because of their extremely lightweight, flexible, and highdamping properties. This paper presents the results from vibration tests performed on a scaled free-free torus using Macro Fiber Composite (MFC), which were recently developed at the NASA Langley Center. Our experimental results clearly show that additional sensors and actuators allow for global control of the inflated torus. While adding additional sensors/actuators increases the authority over the structure, when using positive position feedback control techniques, control is limited to the location of sensors/actua tors and the mode intended to be controlled. This can be attributed to the phase differences in the mode being measured incurred by the relative location of the sensors and actuators to one another. These results led to the integration of self sensing actuators, cutting the number of MFC applied to the torus in half and showing significant advantages over separate sensors and actuators. Our results clearly show the advantages of multiple sensors/actuators for use in control of inflatable structures.
Cellulose Hydrolysis in Acidified LiBr Molten Salt Hydrate Media

We screened nine acidified molten salt hydrates (solutions with water to salt molar ratio equal or less than the coordination number of the cation) as reaction media for cellulose hydrolysis, and we found that cellulose can be efficiently hydrolyzed in LiBr acidified MSH under mild conditions (>90% yield to water-soluble products in 0.05 M H2SO4 at 85 °C for 30 min). The effect of various factors (temperature as well as acid and initial cellulose concentrations) on the kinetics of hydrolysis reaction was also investigated. At the lowest temperatures examined (70 and 85 °C) low amounts of degradation products have been observed, and glucose appears to be in equilibrium with its dimers and possibly other oligomers. Higher temperatures (100–115 °C) enhanced the formation of degradation products (organic acids and humins). Analysis of the kinetic data indicate that hydrolysis rates are first order in cellulose and in H2SO4 concentration, and the initial hydrolysis rates have an apparent activation energy ∼123...
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in the setting of perioperative bridging for podiatric surgery: a case report.

Heparin is an anticoagulant commonly used to treat and prevent deep venous thrombosis. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and possible thrombosis are serious complications associated with its use. This can occasionally complicate treatment of patients undergoing podiatric surgery. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is often not immediately recognized and is underreported in podiatric medicine literature. The goal of this case report is to highlight the multiple risk factors associated with the development of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and to aid with early recognition, understanding of pathogenesis, and treatment options. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 103(1): 67–72, 2013)
Azobenzene-Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes As High-Energy Density Solar Thermal Fuels

Solar thermal fuels, which reversibly store solar energy in molecular bonds, are a tantalizing prospect for clean, renewable, and transportable energy conversion/storage. However, large-scale adoption requires enhanced energy storage capacity and thermal stability. Here we present a novel solar thermal fuel, composed of azobenzene-functionalized carbon nanotubes, with the volumetric energy density of Li-ion batteries. Our work also demonstrates that the inclusion of nanoscale templates is an effective strategy for design of highly cyclable, thermally stable, and energy-dense solar thermal fuels.
Rheumatic fever in children.

Early treatment following an assured diagnosis offers the best prognosis in rheumatic fever. The laboratory can aid the clinician but the disease is still one to be diagnosed with the eyes and ears. Details of treatment are presented including eradication of streptococci, suppression of inflammation, control of chorea, digitalization and diuresis, and general care. Prognosis and differential diagnosis are also considered.
Testing Statistical Moderation in Research on Home–School Partnerships: Establishing the Boundary Conditions

In this chapter, we provide a tutorial on how to test for moderated effects of home–school relationships using different statistical approaches. We first provide a brief review of current research on moderated effects of home–school relationships to illustrate the theoretical and practical value of statistical testing of moderated effects. Next, with a detailed multilevel data example, we demonstrate different statistical methods, including: moderation models with composite scores, latent factors, and the reliability-adjusted composite scores as well as the use of the latent moderated structural equations (LMS) to test the moderating effect of a child characteristic (i.e., ADHD symptoms) on home–school relationship. We have used both SPSS Mixed and Mplus to analyze the models and included the corresponding annotated syntax of both programs in this chapter. We also discuss some related issues on testing moderation effects such as centering variables and handling missing data to provide guidance to researchers.
43 COMPARISON OF BEHAVIORAL PHENOTYPES OF XXY VERSUS XXYY SYNDROME.

Purpose of Study XXY syndrome (Klinefelter9s syndrome) is the most common form of sex chromosome aneuploidy in males. Due to a similar physical phenotype, XXYY syndrome has traditionally been classified as a variant of Klinefelter9s syndrome. A study directly comparing the cognitive and behavioral features of these two syndromes has not been completed. The purpose of this study is to compare the cognitive and behavioral features of males with XXY syndrome to males with XXYY syndrome. Methods Patients were recruited from national organizations for patients with sex chromosome aneuploidy. All participants were males between the ages of 2.5 and 20 and had either XXY or XXYY karyotype. All families underwent a clinical interview and parents completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC). Cognitive testing was obtained using the WASI. Results The patient groups consisted of XXY males (n = 15) and XXYY males (n = 20). There were no significant differences in age between groups (mean age XXY = 9, XXYY = 12). Cognitive measures were compared between groups using t-tests, with statistically significant differences (p Conclusions XXYY males have Verbal and Full-Scale IQ9s significantly lower than males with XXY; however, their performance IQ does not significantly differ. XXYY males are more likely than XXY males to have problems with hyperactivity, aggression, conduct, atypicality, and depression. XXYY males also have significantly lower adaptive functioning than males with XXY syndrome. XXY males with lower IQs are more likely to have externalizing behavior, while IQ does not correlate with externalizing behaviors in XXYY syndrome. Although XXYY syndrome shares some physical features with XXY syndrome, XXYY syndrome appears to have a unique cognitive and behavioral profile and should be distinguished as its own behavioral phenotype.
Molecular genetics of the human chondrodysplasias-1995.

A number of gene loci have recently been shown to harbor mutations that cause human chondrodysplasias. They encode proteins that occupy cartilage matrix, such as types II, IX, X and XI collagens and COMP, that transduce signals in the growth plate, i.e., FGFR3 and PTHrP receptor, that influence the transport and metabolism of sulfate ions in relevant cells, e.g., DTDST and arylsulfatase E, and that regulate transcription of other genes, such as SOX9. Mutations at two loci, COL2A1 and FGFR3, account for most patients with chondrodysplasias--those with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia and the achondroplasia classes of disorders, respectively. Mutations in the former tend to be dispersed throughout the gene and in other functionally related genes, whereas mutations in the latter are restricted to a few codons that seem to be very mutable.
Patient-reported outcomes questionnaire compliance in Cancer Cooperative Group Trials (Alliance N0992):

Background/Aims:The use of patient-reported outcomes in clinical trials is a focal point for research and policy. Non-compliance with planned questionnaires and missing data can threaten both internal validity and generalizability. This retrospective analysis was conducted to determine the extent of, and characteristics associated with, missing patient-reported outcomes.Methods:Study characteristics, patient characteristics and adverse events, and reasons for non-compliance were compiled from 14 closed Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, or Mayo Clinic Cancer Research Consortium clinical trials. Compliance rates were calculated for each patient using the number of booklets completed while the patient was on trial divided by the number of booklets the patient was expected to complete. Frequency counts and summary statistics were compiled. Logistic regression techniques were employed.Results:The 1640 included patients had a median age of 58 years and were mostly White (90.8%...
Reflectance characterization of tape-based plasma mirrors

Specular reflections of relativistic laser pulses from an overdense plasma mirror (PM) were studied experimentally. The pointing stability of the PM and reflectance of the input laser were characterized. The solid material used for the PM was a VHS tape. This study was done for the magnetic and plastic sides of the VHS tape, and for input light of both s and p-polarizations. The laser pulse fluence was varied by changing the focus position relative to the tape surface, which changed the spot size at the tape. The pointing fluctuations of the reflected pulses caused by the PM were ≃1 mrad. A peak reflectance of 82% was obtained from the plastic surface of the VHS tape when focusing s-polarized light 4 mm from the tape surface (the wavefront quality was confirmed to be conserved). An analytic model was developed to understand the physics of the interaction for each tape material and polarization. Fitting of our model parameters to the experimental results allowed an estimate of the key plasma parameters suc...
Trichomycete fungi living in the guts of Costa Rican phytotelm larvae and other lentic dipterans

Species of Harpellales (Trichomycetes: Zygomycotina) were found living in the guts of Chironomidae. Culicidae and Ceratopogonidae larvae inhabiting reservoirs of water retained by the leaves of epiphytic bromeliads and a few other plants, including pineapple and banana, as well as from a swamp. Periodic collections in Costa Rica between 1984 and 1991 inc1uded a low wet forest (La Selva Biological Station), a c10ud forest (Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve), and a zone of premontane rain forest (Las Cruces Biological Station). A new trichomycete, Smittium phytOlelmalum, that inhabits bloodworms (Chironomidae) was found primarily but not exclusively in bromeliads, and several axenic cultures of the fungus were obtained. A second, rarer, new species from a bromeliad bloodworm, S. fascicuJatum, is also described. as is the new species Stachylina paludosa from swamp bl00dworms. Two possibly new but unnamed speeies of Smittium are deseribed from lentie dipteran iarvae. Mosquito, midge and ceratopogonid larvae were liosts to a geographieally widespread Harpellales, Smittium culisetlU!. Bracts of Heliconia inflorescences, though often populated by mosquito larvae and other inseets, contained no larvae with gut fungi. Water in Heliconia braets averaged 2.36 pH units above that in bromeliads (average pH 5.02). It was dernonstrated in the laboratory that Heliconia-inhabiting mosquito larvae maintained in their native water could be artificially infested with axenic cultures of S. culisetae. The apparent lack of natural fungal infestation of mosquito larvae in heliconias may be due 10 the ephemeral nature of the plants' water-holding braets and extrinsic factors such as recruitment of fungal inoculum.
Ideology and Myth: Soviet Nationalities Policy

Given our model of the Soviet communications system as set forth in Chapter 1, we can assume that if an issue is more or less openly debated in official channels over an extended period, then the central Party leadership either considers the matter unimportant, or the leadership is itself divided on the issue, since under these conditions both sides of the debate are “legitimate” until an official consensus is proclaimed. As we have adequate reason to believe that the nationalities question is not unimportant to the Soviet leadership, the existence of clearly drawn - and only thinly veiled - debate indicates that the leadership is divided over the substance of nationalities policy and the theories that underlie it.
Variable vital rates and the risk of population declines in Adélie penguins from the Antarctic Peninsula region

Predicting population responses in changing environments is an important task for ecologists. In polar regions, climate warming, loss of sea ice, and more frequent anomalous events suggest that further reductions in ice-dependent animal populations are likely. We assess the risk of near-term (30-year) depletion of an Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) population with a stochastic matrix model parameterized with 30 yr (1982–2011) of data from the Copacabana colony on King George Island, Antarctica. The model was fitted to nest census data by estimating correction factors for survival rates estimated from a multi-state mark–recapture model. We modeled future survival and fecundity scenarios during the projection period (2012–2041) based on a two-state Markov chain that randomly assigned survival rates and reproductive success from their respective historical distributions to represent “good” and “poor” years. Monte Carlo simulation was used to estimate population trajectories across a range of progressively worse survival conditions. The results suggest that, given historical distributions of survival and reproductive success, a limited scope for recovery of the population is present, commensurate with recent stabilization in population size at the study site. However, our projections mainly suggest that the Adelie penguin population will decline if the frequency of years with poor survival remains at, or increases above, its 30-year mean. The risk of local depletion within 30 yr, defined according to International Union for Conservation of Nature categories for endangered and critically endangered species, was 33% for >90% declines, but near 100% for 50% declines given status-quo conditions. As survival conditions worsen, the risk of substantive depletions rose rapidly. Given expectations of further environmental and ecosystem changes in the northern Antarctic Peninsula region, continued declines in Adelie penguin population size at the northern extent of their range should be expected.
Clinical Reasoning: A 54-year-old woman with dementia, myoclonus, and ataxia.

A 54-year-old woman was referred for a second opinion regarding a 3-month history of subacute onset progressive cognitive decline. She complained of memory difficulties particularly with short term recall. Decision-making and organizational skills were increasingly difficult. She also developed sudden brief jerking movements of her body and progressive gait imbalance and incoordination leading to falls. Three months after onset, she could not work, drive, cook, or perform activities of daily living. She had not had episodes suggestive of seizures. Her medical history was remarkable for celiac disease diagnosed 9 years previously, which resolved with a gluten-free diet, collagenous colitis, Raynaud syndrome, osteopenia, anxiety, and prior episodes of hyponatremia related to polydipsia. Current medications included amitriptyline, venlafaxine, and Pepto-Bismol. She worked as a financial analyst, had never consumed tobacco products, and drank 3–4 alcoholic beverages per week. Her father had myasthenia gravis but there was no family history of dementia. General examination revealed a restless woman with pseudobulbar affect who was unable to provide a meaningful history. Neurologic examination revealed multiple abnormalities. Mental status testing revealed a mild to moderate degree of encephalopathy including abnormalities in attention, frontal lobe function, and comprehension. Kokmen short test of mental status score was 23 out of 38 (29/38 or less consistent with dementia). There was multifocal myoclonus and postural tremor. Cerebellar examination revealed appendicular and gait ataxia. Muscle strength and reflexes were normal. Sensory examination was unreliable due to dementia.
Signal Analysis for Quantitative AE Testing

Quantitative acoustic emission (AE) techniques can be used to monitor crack growth and to deduce microfracture mechanisms in quasi-brittle materials. Multichannel data acquisition systems are used to record the AE waveforms. The results of a quantitative AE analysis are quite sensitive to the interpretation of the recorded waveforms. Several techniques are presented here which facilitate AE data interpretation. Included are noise reduction and signal enhancement methods, and time domain deconvolution methods which are used to recover microcrack fracture parameters.
What is the Political Theology Canon

In last year's Editorial, we sketched a way of understanding the field of political theology — and so of understanding the remit of this journal. We appreciate the contribution of specific, discipl...
Age-associated defects impair the optimal development of a protective immune response to Clostridium difficile in the context of infection in a novel aged murine model

Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) is a major source of mortality in the US, especially among the elderly. Protection against CDI is mediated by anti-toxin host antibodies (Ab). Although it is known that elderly mount an impaired anti-toxin response, it is yet to be determined whether their lower Ab levels are due to defective germinal center (GC) priming during acute CDI that leads to defective B cell proliferation and maturation. To test our hypothesis, we developed an antibiotic mucosal spore challenge CDI model and infected young (4mo.) and aged (>18mo.) mice with UK1 hypervirulent C. diff spores. By day 4 post-infection 100% of the aged had succumbed to infection compared to only 10% of young mice. Following a sublethal spore challenge a significant decrease of total PD1 + CXCR5 + Tfh cells was detected in aged compared to young at Day 12 and 21 PI ( p p + PNA + CXCR5 + B cells in our aged cohort ( p p = 0.02). The frequency of toxin-specific IgG, IgM and IgA ASC, and serum and mucosal toxin-specific Ab were markedly reduced in the aged. Our data suggests aged mice are more susceptible to CDI due to a defect in early GC formation, leading to an impaired antigen-specific Ab response. Overcoming this could prevent age-associated recurrence and severe CDI.
The Philosophy of Afrocentricity

Afrocentricity refers to the intellectual work of a group of African philosophers, historians, and sociologists during the late twentieth century with varying degrees of attachment to the central idea that the key crisis in the African world is the profoundly disturbing decentering of African people from a subject position within their own narrative. In Afrocentricity, the opening consciousness is assumed to be an awareness of the off-centeredness of Africans as a result of Arab and European and military, cultural, and social intrusions that have dislocated African people. In this chapter, Asante argues that this consciousness is characterized by an appreciation of “the Afrocentric posture,” or a sense of “Afrocentric narratology” in the face of loss-ness and lost-ness leading to disorientation. Some Afrocentrists have regarded Western philosophies as contrary and often antagonistic to the proper understanding of African narratives; they are mainly distant and simply concerned with non-African realities.
Industrial Robot Trajectory Accuracy Evaluation Maps for Hybrid Manufacturing Process based on Joint Angle Error Analysis

Industrial robots have been widely used in various fields. The joint angle error is the main factor that affects the accuracy performance of the robot. It is important to notice that these kinematic parameters error cannot be eliminated from the robot system completely. Even after calibration, these errors still exist and will be fluctuated during the robot system running. This paper proposed a new method of finding the best position and orientation to perform a specific working path based on the current accuracy capacity of the robot system. By analyzing the robot forward/inverse kinematic and the angle error sensitivity of different joint in the serial manipulator system, a new evaluation formulation is established for mapping the trajectory accuracy within the robot’s working volume. The influence of different position and orientation on the movement accuracy of the end effector has been verified by experiments and discussed thoroughly. Finally, a visualized evaluation map can be obtained to describe the accuracy difference of a robotic laser deposition working path at different positions and orientations. This method is helpful for making the maximum usage of the robot’s current accuracy ability rather than blindly pursuing the higher accuracy of the robot system.
Vertical Velocity and Buoyancy Characteristics of Coherent Echo Plumes in the Convective Boundary Layer, Detected by a Profiling Airborne Radar

Abstract Aircraft and airborne millimeter-wave radar observations are used to interpret the dynamics of radar echoes and radar-inferred updrafts within the well-developed, weakly sheared continental convective boundary layer. Vertically pointing radar reflectivity and Doppler velocity data collected above and below the aircraft, flying along fixed tracks in the central Great Plains during the International H2O Project (IHOP_2002), are used to define echo plumes and updraft plumes, respectively. Updraft plumes are generally narrower than echo plumes, but both types of plumes have the dynamical properties of buoyant eddies, especially at low levels. This buoyancy is driven both by temperature excess and water vapor excess over the ambient air. Plumes that are better defined in terms of reflectivity or updraft strength tend to be more buoyant.
Criminal Law at the Crossroads: Turn to Accuracy

Given the pressing societal need to punish criminal behavior and the solemn nature of depriving people of their liberty and even life, one would expect that the accuracy of these fateful determinations would be the paramount goal of the criminal justice process. This article critically examines the system’s low prioritization of the accuracy of the verdicts it produces, and focuses on four key factors that hinder the attainment of accuracy: problems with the reliability of the evidence produced by police investigations, the opacity of criminal investigations, the intensity of the adversarial process, and the muddled understanding of the system’s goals. Special attention is paid to the fourth factor which can be deemed responsible for the relegation of accuracy in favor of competing interests and constraints that are borne primarily by bureaucratic considerations and system defensiveness. In this vein, the Article borrows from Organizational Science literature, which offers unique insights into the operation of large systems. This literature illuminates the complex relationship between an organization’s overall goals and the local goals that drive the behavior of its many agents. In particular, the construct of “goal displacement” can help explain how legal actors come to hold role conceptions that are far removed from the goal of achieving accurate verdicts. The article offers a set of recommendations to combat the four factors that hinder the attainment of accuracy. Special attention is paid to systemic reforms that could bring the criminal justice system’s performance closer to its avowed goals.
Fundamentals of Multivariate Analysis: Part I. Inference about Means

The ideas of multivariate analysis are introduced by first associating them with corresponding concepts of univariate analysis, and then illustrating them with simple numerical examples. A tutorial appendix is included which deals with the properties an..
Tillage-Induced CO2 Emissions and Carbon Sequestration: Effect of Secondary Tillage and Compaction

Long-term data shows the effect of intensive tillage on soil carbon loss and suggests the need for alternative management strategies. Conservation agriculture with improved tillage methods can aid in carbon sequestration. This work demonstrated that secondary tillage methods decreased the CO2 loss immediately following the moldboard plow. Both the disk harrow and the field cultivator reduced the CO2 flux immediately following the moldboard plow operation by 40 to 50 %. Major soil reconsolidation with one pass of a road packer caused an abrupt decrease in the CO2 flux after primary tillage by moldboard plow, chisel plow, subsoiler, and paraplow. Further small decreases in CO2 fluxes were noted with four passes of the packer. The abrupt decreases in gas exchange were related to increases in soil bulk density following the compaction. These results demonstrate the importance of soil physical properties before and after tillage controlling gas fluxes and soil carbon loss.
Direct Modulation Beyond X-Band by Operation at High Optical Power Density

According to 2.1, the modulation bandwidth of a laser diode is proportional to the square root of the internal photon density, which is proportional to the output optical power density. For GaAs lasers commonly used in short-distance data communication links, increasing the optical power density can bring about undue degradation or even catastrophic failure of the laser unless the structure of the laser is suitably designed. One common approach to raising the ceiling of reliable operating power of semiconductor lasers is by means of a large optical cavity [29].
Radiosurgical Management of Patients With Persistent or Recurrent Cushing Disease After Prior Transsphenoidal Surgery: A Management Algorithm Based on a 25-Year Experience.

BACKGROUND Patients with persistent or recurrent Cushing disease (CD) after prior transsphenoidal surgery require further treatment to reduce the disease's metabolic consequences. OBJECTIVE To assess patient outcomes after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for persistent or recurrent CD from adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary adenomas and propose a management algorithm. METHODS Retrospective review of 38 patients without prior radiation treatment having SRS for ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas from 1990 to 2015. Favorable outcome was defined as biochemical remission and tumor growth control. Patients were evaluated separately if they underwent bilateral adrenalectomy (Adx). RESULTS Twenty patients (53%) were treated with Adx and SRS (median margin dose, 25 Gy) and 18 patients (47%) received SRS alone (median margin dose, 22.5 Gy). Median follow-up after SRS was 76 mo. Of patients undergoing Adx, 18/20 (90%) had a favorable outcome. Two patients (10%) had tumor growth requiring additional treatment. A favorable outcome was achieved in 13/18 patients (72%) having SRS alone (median, 14 mo; interquartile range, 8-23). Five patients (28%) required additional treatment due to persistent hypercortisolemia (n = 4) or hypercortisolemia and tumor growth (n = 1). Favorable outcomes were more frequent in the Adx and SRS group at 1 yr (100% vs 33%; P < .001) and 3 yr (100% vs 62%; P < .01), but no different at 5 yr (88% vs 77%; P = .63). CONCLUSION SRS was effective for patients with persistent or recurrent CD. Patients with mild to moderate CD can be safely managed with SRS alone; patients with severe CD should be considered for Adx with either concurrent SRS or SRS performed at a later date if tumor growth occurs.
A preliminary trial of an online dissonance-based eating disorder intervention.

Abstract Objective We conducted a controlled randomized preliminary trial of an expanded online version of the Body Project (n = 46) compared to an assessment-only control condition (n = 36) via a longitudinal design (baseline, postintervention, 2-month follow-up) in a community sample of women (N = 82) with clinical (n = 53) and subclinical (n = 29) eating disorder symptoms. Method The traditional content of the Body Project was modified to include verbal, written, and behavioral exercises designed to dissuade objectification and maladaptive social comparison and adapted to an online format. Body dissatisfaction, self-esteem, self-objectification, thin-ideal internalization, maladaptive social comparison, trait anxiety, positive affect, negative affect, and eating disorder symptomatology were evaluated in the control and the online expanded Body Project condition at baseline, postintervention, and 2-month follow-up. Results A 2 (condition: online expanded Body Project, control) × 3 (time: baseline, postintervention, 2-month follow-up) mixed factorial multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to examine statistically significant group differences. As predicted, results indicated a statistically significant condition × time interaction. Conclusions Participants in the expanded online Body Project condition showed significant reductions in eating disorder symptoms and several associated psychological risk correlates from baseline to postintervention and follow-up; contrary to predictions, eating disorder symptoms and risk correlates were not significantly lower in the online expanded Body Project condition compared to the waitlist control condition at postintervention or 2-month follow-up.
Harris Peyton Mosher, MD: The Educator, Artist, and Pioneer behind the Mosher Award.

Harris P. Mosher, MD, was a pioneer in the development of modern-day otolaryngology. The prestigious Mosher Award was named after him and is awarded annually for recognition of excellence in otolar...
Simulation Anxiety across the Curriculum

Abstract Background Undergraduate nursing students experience anxiety during simulation. Excessive anxiety can impair learning and performance. Method Nursing students (N = 96) from first and final semesters of a program participated in an exploratory, sequential, mixed-methods study to identify and rank anxiety sources from simulation components occurring in preparation, prebrief, implementation, and debriefing. Results Participants experienced high normal levels of anxiety that did not change across the curriculum. Having the title or role of primary nurse caused the highest level of anxiety, followed by concern about making a mistake. Conclusion Results provide understanding of sources of anxiety during simulation and support use of the INACSL Standards of Best Practice: SimulationSM (2016). Recommendations to mitigate anxiety are identified, which may lead to enhanced learning in this setting.
Neutron capture resonances of /sup 152/Gd and /sup 154/Gd

Neutron resonance parameters were found for /sup 152/Gd up to 2700 eV. An average s-wave spacing D/sub o/ = (17.4 +- 1.0) eV and radiation width (58.6 +- 3.0) meV were found. The resonance contribution to the capture integral was found as (397 +- 32) n, exclusive of a 1/v term. Resonance parameters for /sup 154/Gd were extended from 490 to 2760 eV.
The Possibility of Religious Freedom: Early Natural Law and the Abrahamic Faiths

Religious freedom is one of the most debated and controversial human rights in contemporary public discourse. At once a universally held human right and a flash point in the political sphere, religious freedom has resisted scholarly efforts to define its parameters. Taliaferro explores a different way of examining the tensions between the aims of religion and the needs of political communities, arguing that religious freedom is a uniquely difficult human right to uphold because it rests on two competing conceptions, human and divine. Drawing on classical natural law, Taliaferro expounds a new, practical theory of religious freedom for the modern world. By examining conceptions of law such as Sophocles' Antigone, Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed, Ibn Rushd's Middle Commentary on Aristotle's Rhetoric, and Tertullian's writings, The Possibility of Religious Freedom explains how expanding our notion of law to incorporate such theories can mediate conflicts of human and divine law and provide a solid foundation for religious liberty in modernity's pluralism.
On Fractional Levy Processes: Tempering, Sample Path Properties and Stochastic Integration

We define two new classes of stochastic processes, called tempered fractional Levy process of the first and second kinds (TFLP and TFLP II, respectively). TFLP and TFLP II make up very broad finite-variance, generally non-Gaussian families of transient anomalous diffusion models that are constructed by exponentially tempering the power law kernel in the moving average representation of a fractional Levy process. Accordingly, the increment processes of TFLP and TFLP II display semi-long range dependence. We establish the sample path properties of TFLP and TFLP II. We further use a flexible framework of tempered fractional derivatives and integrals to develop the theory of stochastic integration with respect to TFLP and TFLP II, which may not be semimartingales depending on the value of the memory parameter and choice of marginal distribution.
Personalized models of psychopathology as contextualized dynamic processes: An example from individuals with borderline personality disorder.

Objective Psychopathology research has relied on discrete diagnoses, which neglects the unique manifestations of each individual's pathology. Borderline personality disorder combines interpersonal, affective, and behavioral regulation impairments making it particularly ill-suited to a "one size fits all" diagnosis. Clinical assessment and case formulation involve understanding and developing a personalized model for each patient's contextualized dynamic processes, and research would benefit from a similar focus on the individual. Method We use group iterative multiple model estimation, which estimates a model for each individual and identifies general or shared features across individuals, in both a mixed-diagnosis sample (N = 78) and a subsample with a single diagnosis (n = 24). Results We found that individuals vary widely in their dynamic processes in affective and interpersonal domains both within and across diagnoses. However, there was some evidence that dynamic patterns relate to transdiagnostic baseline measures. We conclude with descriptions of 2 person-specific models as an example of the heterogeneity of dynamic processes. Conclusions The idiographic models presented here join a growing literature showing that the individuals differ dramatically in the total patterning of these processes, even as key processes are shared across individuals. We argue that these processes are best estimated in the context of person-specific models, and that so doing may advance our understanding of the contextualized dynamic processes that could identify maintenance mechanisms and treatment targets. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Examination of Transition Readiness, Medication Adherence, and Resilience in Pediatric Chronic Illness Populations: A Pilot Study.

The present study assessed the relationship between resilience, adherence, and transition readiness in adolescents/young adults with chronic illness. Participants included 50 patients (Mean age, Mage = 17.3 ± 2.1 years) diagnosed with an oncology disorder (n = 7; 12.1%), hematology disorder (n = 5; 8.6%), nephrology disorder (n = 31; 53.4%), or rheumatology disorder (n = 7; 12.1%). Patients were administered questionnaires assessing resilience (Conner–Davidson Resilience Scale 25-item questionnaire, CD-RISC-25), transition readiness (Self-Management and Transition to Adulthood with Rx=Treatment, STARx), and self-reported medication adherence (Medication Adherence Module, MAM). Medical chart reviews were conducted to determine objective medication adherence rates based on pharmacy refill history (medication adherence ratios). A multivariate correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between resilience, transition readiness, and adherence. There was a moderate relationship (r = 0.34, p ≤ 0.05) between resilience (M = 74.67 ± 13.95) and transition readiness (M = 67.55 ± 8.20), such that more resilient patients reported increased readiness to transition to adult care. There also was a strong relationship (r = 0.80, p ≤ 0.01) between self-reported medication adherence (M = 86.27% ± 15.98) and pharmacy refill history (Mean Medication Adherence Ratio, MMAR = 0.75 ± 0.27), which indicated that self-reported adherence was consistent with prescription refill history across pediatric illness cohorts. Our findings underscore the importance of assessing resilience, transition readiness, and adherence years before transitioning pediatric patients to adult providers to ensure an easier transition to adult care.
A multidisciplinary immune-related toxicity (IR-Tox) program for immune-related adverse events: A two-year experience.

e15074Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that may require multidisciplinary input. We developed an IR-Tox program consisting of an electroni...