cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Boron Segregation and Electrical Properties in Polycrystalline SiGeC

Previously, it has been reported that PMOS capacitors with heavily boron-doped polycrystalline SiGeC gates are less susceptible to boron penetration than those with poly Si gates [1]. Boron appears to accumulate in the poly SiGeC layers during anneals, reducing boron outdiffusion from the gate despite high boron levels in the poly SiGeC at the gate/oxide interface. In this abstract, we report clear evidence of strong boron segregation to polycrystalline SiGeC layers from poly Si, with boron concentration in poly SiGeC (Ge=25%, C=1.5%) increasing to four times that of adjacent poly Si layers. A separate experiment confirms that this result is not due to any SIMS artifacts. Electrical measurements of heavily in-situ doped single layer samples show that the conductivity of poly SiGeC is similar to poly Si and remains roughly constant with annealing at 800°C. However, in a two-layer sample where the poly SiGeC is initially lightly doped and subsequently heavily doped by diffusion by from an adjacent poly Si layer, conductivity appears lower than in poly Si.
Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Is a Target of Cyclooxygenase-1-Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-δ Signaling in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

The underlying causes of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) are unclear, and treatment options for patients with advanced disease are limited. There is evidence that the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is associated with decreased risk of developing EOC. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2, which catalyze prostaglandin biosynthesis. We previously showed that mouse and human EOCs have increased levels of COX-1, but not COX-2, and a COX-1–selective inhibitor, SC-560, attenuates prostaglandin production and tumor growth. However, the downstream targets of COX-1 signaling in EOC are not yet known. To address this question, we evaluated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ) expression and function in EOC. We found that EOC cells express high levels of PPARδ, and neutralizing PPARδ function reduces tumor growth in vivo . More interestingly, aspirin, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that preferentially inhibits COX-1, compromises PPARδ function and cell growth by inhibiting extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2, members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family. Our study, for the first time, shows that whereas PPARδ can be a target of COX-1, extracellular signal-regulated kinase is a potential target of PPARδ. The ability of aspirin to inhibit EOC growth in vivo is an exciting finding because of its low cost, lack of cardiovascular side effects, and availability. [Cancer Res 2007;67(11):5285–92]
Nonlinear high-gain observer design for operation of SPM machine under saturation using back EMF method

This paper presents modeling, characterization and control of SPMSM under loaded conditions e.g. saturation. Determining the rotor flux position of PMAC machines under no-load is simpler since it flux and rotor position coincide. However under load condition, and in the presence of saturation in particular, the flux is comprised of two components: one due to the rotor magnets and the other due to the stator current. This fact causes the magnetic axis to shift from the rotor position, which in turn causes an error in a control algorithm that uses a conventional rotor position estimation. This paper characterizes this error through a non-linear model of the machine, as well as the Finite Element analysis. Design and analysis of a general position observer algorithm for PMAC machines, which accounts for saturation is presented, along with its implementation for a control method using back EMF. Simulation and experimental results validating the non-linear model of the machine, existence of the saturation induced error, and performance of the proposed observer are also given.
Theoretical and computational models of biological ion channels

The goal of this review is to establish a broad and rigorous theoretical framework to describe ion permeation through biological channels. This framework is developed in the context of atomic models on the basis of the statistical mechanical projection-operator formalism of Mori and Zwanzig. The review is divided into two main parts. The first part introduces the fundamental concepts needed to construct a hierarchy of dynamical models at different level of approximation. In particular, the potential of mean force (PMF) as a configuration-dependent free energy is introduced, and its significance concerning equilibrium and non-equilibrium phenomena is discussed. In addition, fundamental aspects of membrane electrostatics, with a particular emphasis on the influence of the transmembrane potential, as well as important computational techniques for extracting essential information from all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are described and discussed. The first part of the review provides a theoretical formalism to 'translate' the information from the atomic structure into the familiar language of phenomenological models of ion permeation. The second part is aimed at reviewing and contrasting results obtained in recent computational studies of three very different channels: the gramicidin A (gA) channel, which is a narrow one-ion pore (at moderate concentration), the KcsA channel from Streptomyces lividans, which is a narrow multi-ion pore, and the outer membrane matrix porin F (OmpF) from Escherichia coli, which is a trimer of three beta-barrel subunits each forming wide aqueous multi-ion pores. Comparison with experiments demonstrates that current computational models are approaching semi-quantitative accuracy and are able to provide significant insight into the microscopic mechanisms of ion conduction and selectivity. We conclude that all-atom MD with explicit water molecules can represent important structural features of complex biological channels accurately, including such features as the location of ion-binding sites along the permeation pathway. We finally discuss the broader issue of the validity of ion permeation models and an outlook to the future.
Overlap of cargo binding sites on myosin V coordinates the inheritance of diverse cargoes

During cell division, organelles are distributed to distinct locations at specific times. For the yeast vacuole, the myosin V motor, Myo2, and its vacuole-specific cargo adaptor, Vac17, regulate where the vacuole is deposited and the timing of vacuole movement. In this paper, we show that Mmr1 functions as a mitochondria-specific cargo adaptor early in the cell cycle and that Mmr1 binds Myo2 at the site that binds Vac17. We demonstrate that Vac17 and Mmr1 compete for binding at this site. Unexpectedly, this competition regulates the volume of vacuoles and mitochondria inherited by the daughter cell. Furthermore, eight of the nine known Myo2 cargo adaptors overlap at one of two sites. Vac17 and Mmr1 overlap at one site, whereas Ypt11 and Kar9 bind subsets of residues that also bind Ypt31/Ypt32, Sec4, and Inp2. These observations predict that competition for access to Myo2 may be a common mechanism to coordinate the inheritance of diverse cargoes.
Predictors of Statin Compliance after Switching from Branded to Generic Agents among Managed-Care Beneficiaries

OBJECTIVES To identify patient demographics and characteristics associated with compliance to statin therapy after switching from branded to generic agents
Age differences in perception and awareness of emotion

We investigated the effects of age and gender on emotional perception and physiology using electrodermal skin conductance response (SCR) and examined whether SCR is related to subjective perceptions of emotional pictures. Older adults found pictures to be more positive and arousing than younger participants. Older women rated pictures more extremely at both ends of the valence continuum: they rated positive pictures more positively and negative pictures more negatively. Elders were less likely to show measurable SCRs. However, magnitude of SCRs when a response occurred did not differ between young and old. Subjective ratings of emotion correlated with physiological responses in younger participants, but they were unrelated in older participants. Thus, in older adults the perception of emotional events was disconnected from the physiological state induced by emotion.
Cervicofacial and mediastinal emphysema as the result of a dental procedure

Cases of cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema occurring during dental treatment often result from the use of air-water cooled dental drills during tooth extraction. A case is presented in which a compressed air syringe, used to dry the field, caused diffuse cervicofacial emphysema with retropharyngeal and mediastinal extension. The point of entry appeared to be a 4 mm superficial laceration of the buccal mucosa. Despite the size of the wound, a significant amount of air was able to enter the tissues and spread quite distantly. Though many cases of subcutaneous emphysema go unnoticed, diffuse extension, especially with involvement of deep neck structures and with thoracic extension, must be recognized as they can be potentially life-threatening.
Cost of wheeling methodologies

The cost of wheeling and the methodology by which it is computed is a high priority problem throughout the power industry due to the growth in transmission facilities, the cost differentials between utility companies, and the dramatic growth in nonutility generation capacity. This paper contains descriptions and summaries of computational procedures and data requirements of four embedded cost methodologies, two long-run incremental cost methods and the short run marginal cost method. Four methodologies are also presented for allocating the wheeling costs among a number of wheels when simultaneously present on a company's system as required for the standard long-run incremental cost method. >
On the Classical Meaning of Philanthrôpía

The academic study of philanthropy presupposes a comprehensive definition that guides inquiry into what, exactly, philanthropy is and why it matters. At present, though, no such well-thought-out definition exists. Scholars tend to explore various facets of philanthropy, according to their particular academic interests, but without a comprehensive understanding of its full meaning. This article attempts to correct this lack of synoptic understanding by surveying prominent instances of usage and definitions of philanthropia in the classical Greek era and synthesizing them into a overall framework for understanding its full classical meaning. In so doing, philanthropia is revealed to be a signal word, the meaning of which significantly evolved to reflect historically dominant philosophical and cultural trends in classical Greek society. This article concludes the exploration of this subject begun in an article published in the previous issue of NVSQ, titled “On the Modern Meaning of Philanthropy.”
Multispinor Basis of Fermi-bose Transformations

Abstract The multispinor description of particle fields and sources provides a unification of all spins and statistics. As such, it makes quite transparent the existence of transformations that alter the particle spin by 1 2 , with the accompanying F(ermi)-B(ose) transformation of statistics. After an initial discussion for noninteracting particles, both massive and massless, that is restricted to the exterior of sources (on-mass shell particles), the latter restriction is removed for special examples, including spinors of the second and third ranks. Some attention is given to the spinor description of the photon. The F-B spinor transformations are then presented in more familiar representations, for particular examples. The alternative constructions of integer spins using tensors and of integer +1 2 spins by means of tensor-spinors suggest transformations that change the spin by unity and retain the statistics. This is illustrated with a number of examples, including the photon and graviton. There is some additional discussion of the vector-spinor representation of spin 3 2 , including the massless limit and its transformations with the graviton. The starting point in this development is the existence of easily recognizable invariance or partial invariance transformations. Such transformations form a group, but the structure of that group has not been stated a priori. It is now investigated in various situations, among which are those for which the commutator transformation is a displacement, outside the sources. As is known from prior studies, the basic multiplets here are a pair of massless particles and a quartet of massive particles. For unit spin transformations, the multiplets are those of three-dimensional angular momentum for massless particles, and of four-dimensional angular momentum for massive particles. The latter is well known in the context of the degenerate hydrogen atom levels. A coda contains a brief discussion of interacting systems, using the example of spinor electrodynamics. It is found that exact invariance of the action can be achieved, with no mass restriction, by loosening the relations between field variations and source variations. These F-B transformations maintain their form under gauge transformations.
Design of a linear time-varying cross-coupled Iterative Learning Controller

In many manufacturing applications contour tracking is more important than individual axis tracking. Many control techniques, including iterative learning control (ILC), target individual axis error. Because individual axis error only indirectly relates to contour error, these approaches may not be very effective for contouring applications. Cross-coupled ILC (CCILC) is a variation on traditional ILC that targets the contour tracking directly. In contour trajectories with rapid changes, high frequency control is necessary in order to meet tracking requirements. This paper presents an improved CCILC that uses a linear time-varying (LTV) filter to provide high frequency control for short durations. The improved CCILC is designed for raster-scan tracking on a Cartesian robotic test platform. Analysis and experimental results are presented.
Digestive enzyme activities and gastrointestinal fermentation in wood-eating catfishes.

To determine what capabilities wood-eating and detritivorous catfishes have for the digestion of refractory polysaccharides with the aid of an endosymbiotic microbial community, the pH, redox potentials, concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and the activity levels of 14 digestive enzymes were measured along the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of three wood-eating taxa (Panaque cf. nigrolineatus “Maranon”, Panaque nocturnus, and Hypostomus pyrineusi) and one detritivorous species (Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus) from the family Loricariidae. Negative redox potentials (−600 mV) were observed in the intestinal fluids of the fish, suggesting that fermentative digestion was possible. However, SCFA concentrations were low (<3 mM in any intestinal region), indicating that little GI fermentation occurs in the fishes’ GI tracts. Cellulase and xylanase activities were low (<0.03 U g−1), and generally decreased distally in the intestine, whereas amylolytic and laminarinase activities were five and two orders of magnitude greater, respectively, than cellulase and xylanase activities, suggesting that the fish more readily digest soluble polysaccharides. Furthermore, the Michaelis–Menten constants (Km) of the fishes’ β-glucosidase and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase enzymes were significantly lower than the Km values of microbial enzymes ingested with their food, further suggesting that the fish efficiently digest soluble components of their detrital diet rather than refractory polysaccharides. Coupled with rapid gut transit and poor cellulose digestibility, the wood-eating catfishes appear to be detritivores reliant on endogenous digestive mechanisms, as are other loricariid catfishes. This stands in contrast to truly “xylivorous” taxa (e.g., beavers, termites), which are reliant on an endosymbiotic community of microorganisms to digest refractory polysaccharides. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00360-009-0383-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Nmr and Esr Studies of the Structural Defects of Amorphous and Microcrystalline Sic Prepared by the Polymer Route

Amorphous SiC was prepared by firing the polycarbosilane to various temperatures ranging from 500°C to 1200°C. However the l3c CPMAS NMR and ESR studies show that the carbon rich SiC has two major structural defects, C=C bonds and C-dangling bonds. Both defects concentrations vary with different sample firing conditions. Hydrogen has dramatic effect on decreasing the defect concentrations when used in the sample firing.
Haemagglutinating and Trypsin Inhibitor Activities of Lupin Seed (Lupinus angustifolius)

The phosphate buffer saline (PBS) extracts of defatted lupin seed flour showed haemagglutin activity only with trypsinized rabbit erythrocytes. The lectin tested in crude extracts showed specificity towards galactose and lactose. Heat stability studies of PBS extracts on incubation for 10 min showed no reduction of haemagglutinin activity in the temperature range 40°C to 80°C while no haemagglutination was observed when incubated at 90°C for 8 min. The trypsin inhibitor activity of flour extracts was 14.4 TUI/mg protein.
Effect of oxygen partial pressure on texture development in lead zirconate titanate thin films processed from metalorganic precursors

Metalorganic liquid precursors were used to examine the effects of processing atmosphere on texture development in oriented Pb(Zr0.60Ti0.40)O3 thin films. After removal of organic ligands via pyrolysis, the films were heated at 25 °C/min in a 5% H2/Ar atmosphere until a switching temperature, after which the atmosphere was switched to pure oxygen. The films were heated to a maximum temperature of 650 °C with switching temperatures ranging from 450 to 600 °C. The degree of (111) orientation in the lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films increased with increasing switching temperature, resulting in highly textured (111) PZT films. These results suggest that atmosphere control plays a significant role in texture development during rapid thermal processing.
Foreign Banks in Bulgaria, 1875-2002

We use the analogy of ecological succession as our conceptual framework. We apply this analogy to the history of foreign banks in Bulgaria and argue that the current predominance of foreign banks is unlikely to be permanent, even without government action. Foreign banks have entered Bulgaria several times - before World War I, again after that war, and after the fall of Communism in the early 1990s. The same source countries and even some of the same banks that were present before World War II or even World War I, reappear in the 1990s. Government concern with retaining control over credit limited the foreigners' role in the banking system. However, since 1997 the government has privatized almost all the major banks with the result that foreign banks now control over 80 percent of the banking system's assets.
Bias in Mean Vertical Wind Measured by VHF Radars: Significance of Radar Location Relative to Mountains

Abstract Measurements by VHF wind-profiling radars worldwide have, for many years, shown long-term downward atmospheric motion in most of the troposphere. Various explanations have been proposed, some atmospheric and some caused by the radar measurement method. At many sites, except those in the Tropics, the authors suggest a new model, in which the long-term downward vertical wind (W) is real and atmospheric, a consequence of radars being constructed on low ground near or within mountain ranges, so that they tend to view on average the same phase of mountain waves. A coincidence consisting of five factors—low-lying radar locations near mountains, the upwind slope of untrapped mountain wave phase lines with height, the inability of wind-profiling radars to measure both the lowest few kilometers of the troposphere and far into the stratosphere, decreasing tropospheric static stability with height, and increasing tropospheric wind speed with height—has led to downward W measurements in most of the troposphe...
Activity of Spinal Interneurons and Their Effects on Forearm Muscles During Voluntary Wrist Movements in the Monkey

Perlmutter, Steve I., Marc A. Maier, and Eberhard E. Fetz. Activity of spinal interneurons and their effects on forearm muscles during voluntary wrist movements in the monkey. J. Neurophysiol. 80: ...
SAPROLEGNIOSIS EN TRUCHA ARCOIRIS (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum) EN LA PISCICULTURA DE RIO BLANCO (V REGION-CHILE)

En la Piscicultura de Rio Blanco (V Region) entre Abril, 1995 y Marzo 1996, se estudiaron los agentes responsables de saprolegniosis en trucha arcoiris y sus huevos, con el objetivo de caracterizar morfo -fisiologica y patogenicamente a los hongos del complejo Saprolegnia asociados a su cultivo. Los propagulos de dispersion fungicos (zoosporas), se obtuvieron a partir de estados econutricionales: "saprotrofo ", aislados de muestras de agua de 5 sectores de la piscicultura, y "biotrofo" desde peces y huevos infectados. A las muestras de agua se les adiciono semillas de canamo como cebo, mientras que las hifas provenientes del eslado biotrofo se cultivaron directamente en agar GY. La determinacion taxonomica de los aislamientos se realizaron mediante analisis de las hifas y de los organos reproductivos, cultivados en semillas de canamo, mientras que, las caracteristicas fisiologicas se observaron en agar GY, a 10,20 y 30oC, y con tres regimenes de luz, midiendose el tamano de las colonias cada 24 hr para determinar su crecimiento diario. Desde las muestras de agua se aislaron 2 tipos de colonias que se diferenciaron por morfologia y velocidad de crecimiento. Los aislamientos se desarrollaron en las 3 temperaturas utilizadas aunque con distintas tasas de crecimiento. Mediante una incision subcutanea poco profunda en los peces, se demostro el poder patogeno de las zoosporas de las cepas estudiadas, subdividiendolas en tres grupos experimentales segun su origen: BIOR (=Biotrofos), SAPR (= Saprotrofos con colonias de crecimiento regular) y SAPI (= Saprotrofos con colonias de crecimienlo irregular). Los resultados de patogenicidad indicaron que las cepas BIOR y SAPR fueron patogenas, alcanzando un 100% de morbilidad, mientras las cepas SAPI , se comportaron como saprotrofas (morbilidad entre 0-1%). Como caracter concluyente en la identificacion final de los hongos, se utilizo su capacidad de crecer a 30°C. Todas las cepas aisladas se clasificaron como Saprolegnia parasitica Coker .
A FRACTIONAL ORDER APPROACH TO LOUDSPEAKER IDENTIFICATION

With smartphones and tablets, loudspeakers play an ever important role in our everyday lives. Sound quality is paramount for clear communication and listening pleasure. In order to proper control the acoustic output of the loudspeaker a precise modeling and identification of the electromechanical part (’motor’) is necessary. In this paper we show that the electrical impedance of the motor can be properly modeled and identified as a fractional order system. This is the main contribution of this paper. After showing the empirical evidence of fractional order behavior in actual loudspeaker measurement, we explain the related mathematical theory. We then describe a frequency domain subspace identification method adapted to fractional order systems. Finally by applying this identification method on the actual measured data, we show that the fractional order approach results in a better fit and a lower model complexity than the traditional integer order approach.
Influence of Governor Parameters on Regulation Quality under Isolated Grid

Considering the joint action of hydraulic,mechanical,electrical system under isolated grid,the influence of governor parameters on regulation quality is analyzed by adopting the mixed programming of Visual Basic 6.0 and Fortran Language.The results show that the regulation quality will be better when damping time constant,proportional gain and integral gain increase appropriately,but it is not enough to change the generator speed;on the contrary,regulation quality is obvious influenced by the change of differential gain.
Ecological Validity of the Testing Effect: The Use of Daily Quizzes in Introductory Psychology

The testing effect is the enhanced retention of learned information by individuals who have studied and completed a test over the material relative to individuals who have only studied the material. Although numerous laboratory studies and simulated classroom studies have provided evidence of the testing effect, data from a natural class setting with motivated students are scant. The present two-class quasi-experiment explored the external validity of the testing effect in the Introductory Psychology classroom. The control class studied assigned chapters from the textbook whereas the quiz class studied chapters and completed daily quizzes on those readings. Subsequently, both classes completed exams over this textbook information. The quiz class scored significantly higher than the control class on these test questions about the textbook information; these differences were significant both when the test questions were the same as the quiz questions and when they were new, related questions from the textbo...
A Modeling Framework for Network Processor Systems

Network processors essentially provide flexible support for communications workloads at high-performance levels. Designing a network processor involve the design and optimization of many component devices and subsystems. It is observed that system modeling can be an economical means of evaluating design alternatives. An effective system models provide a fast and sufficiently accurate description of system performance. This chapter introduces modeling framework for a network processor systems. The framework is composed of independent application, system, and traffic models that describe router functionality, system resources, and packet traffic respectively. The chapter presents several modeling examples of uniprocessor and multiprocessor systems executing internet protocol (IPv4) routing and IP security (IPSec) virtual private network (VPN) encryption or decryption. The framework emphasizes ease of use and utility, and permits users to begin full system analysis of existing or novel applications and systems very quickly. Framework users can also include writing router software, router system architects, or network processor architects.
Unseen Activity Recognitions: A Hierarchical Active Transfer Learning Approach

Human activity recognition (AR) is an essential element for user-centric and context-aware applications. While previous studies showed promising results using various machine learning algorithms, most of them can only recognize the activities that were previously seen in the training data. We investigate the challenges of improving the recognition of unseen daily activities in smart home environment, by better exploiting the hierarchical taxonomy of complex daily activities. We first (a) design a hierarchical representation of complex activity taxonomy in terms of human-readable semantic attributes, and (b) develop a hierarchy of classifiers which incorporates a cluster tree built on the domain knowledge from training samples. Though this model is rich in recognizing complex activities that are previously seen in training data, it is not well versed to recognize unseen complex activities without new training samples. To tackle this challenge, we extend Hierarchical Active Transfer Learning (HATL) approach that exploits semantic attribute cluster structure of complex activities shared between seen (source) and unseen (target) activity domains. Our approach employs transfer and active learning to help label target domain unlabeled data by spawning the most effective queries. We evaluated our approach with two real-time smart home systems (IRB #HP-00064387) which corroborates radical improvements in recognizing unseen complex activities.
Childhood Maltreatment and Motherhood: Implications for Maternal Well-Being and Mothering

This chapter explores how maternal history of maltreatment during childhood (childhood maltreatment; CM) affects a mother’s well-being, her adjustment to motherhood, and her mothering, both in regards to her beliefs or attitudes, and her parenting behaviors. Throughout the chapter, we review the currently available literature on CM and motherhood and pay particular attention to the methodology of these diverse studies including those with null results, which may, in part, explain the great variability of results across the literature. We aim to provide a comprehensive review to allow the reader to understand which findings are subjective (through the eyes of the mother) vs. objective (through the eyes of an outside observer). We explore the role of resilience in the aftermath of CM and end the chapter with a discussion of implications for screening and targeted interventions.
Place-Based Reform in the Context of Neighborhood Change: A Case Study of the Mission Promise Neighborhood:

Nationwide, place-based initiatives aiming to improve school and community outcomes are in the midst of neighborhood demographic change. We explore this issue through a case study of the Mission Pr...
Is GAISE Evident? College Students' Perceptions of Statistics Classes as "Almost Not Math".

The connection between mathematics and statistics is an important aspect in understanding college students’ learning of statistics because studies have shown relationships among mathematics attitudes and performance and statistics attitudes. Statistics attitudes, in turn, are related to performance in statistics courses. Little research has been done on college students’ perceptions of their mathematics and statistics experiences. To fill this gap, a phenomenographical study of 12 college students with self-identified negative attitudes about statistics was conducted to understand their perceptions of their previous mathematics and statistics classes. An integrated approach to data analysis was conducted in two phases. First, themes emerged from an inductive analysis. Second, the six recommendations from the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) College Report (2005) were used as a priori categories as an organizing framework for coding the data. Themes that emerged from the researchers’ analysis of the data were changing attitudes about statistics, defining the nature of statistics, seeking help, and blaming the teacher. The GAISE recommendations did not appear to be realized in the statistics classes taken by these students in various programs of study. Implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations for further research are suggested. In understanding students’ experiences from their perspectives, statistics educators can improve pedagogy and student learning. First published May 2017 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives
Associations between cancer patients' advance care and financial planning and surviving spouses' financial well-being.

6567Background: The “financial toxicity” associated with cancer treatment, including high out-of-pocket expenses and lost earnings, may have lasting financial effects for surviving spouses. Although advance care planning (ACP) is used as a cancer quality metric, the value of financial planning is unknown. Methods: We examined associations between cancer patients’ written ACP and financial planning (will) and surviving spouses’ financial well-being using prospective, nationally representative data from the 2004-2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. We assessed change in household, non-housing (financial) wealth, including debt, among 962 surviving spouses of cancer decedents. Because wealth varies widely in the US, we fit multivariable quantile regression models at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles to examine associations between cancer decedents’ ACP, financial planning, and wealth, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Among cancer decedents, 33% completed both ACP and a wi...
Heatwaves and Novel Host Consumption Increase Overwinter Mortality of an Imperiled Wetland Butterfly

Disruptive effects of climate change include range shifts, phenological mismatches among consumers and producers, and population declines. While these biological alterations have been widely documented, studies identifying specific mechanisms linking climate change to population declines are scarce. Extreme events, such as heatwaves can have devastating effects on living organisms and are increasing in frequency as Earth warms. Hence, understanding the effects of heatwaves on insects is necessary to inform conservation efforts and to develop predictions of population dynamics under future climate scenarios. Here, we experimentally evaluated the effects of heatwaves on the survival and phenology of the Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton phaeton), a wetland butterfly with imperiled populations that has incorporated a novel host. We performed laboratory manipulations (implementing realistic temperature regimes) to assess the effect of heatwaves during summer and winter on the survival and phenology of E. p. phaeton. In addition, we analyzed historical temperature records to quantify the incidence of heatwaves within E. p. phaeton’s range to assess their potential role in the decline of southeastern populations. We found that winter heatwaves with maximum temperatures of 20°C can have more devastating effects on survival than summer heatwaves (up to 41°C). Eggs endured acute heat stress during summer with no significant effects on phenology and survival; similarly, pre-overwintering larvae were robust to heatwave exposure, as only the most intense heatwave treatment reduced their survival (37% reduction compared to control conditions). By contrast, dormant larvae were the most vulnerable stage, as they lost from 2 to 6% of their body mass after a three-day summer heatwave. Furthermore, their exposure to winter heatwaves resulted in 75% to 100% mortality. Feeding on the native host provided higher resilience under thermal stress than feeding on the invasive, recently acquired host. Finally, both heatwave incidence and severity have increased in the southern range of E. p. phaeton in the period from 1894 to 2011. We show that warm winter days induced severe mortality, providing a mechanistic explanation of how climate change can trigger population declines in E. p. phaeton and other insects.
Cathepsin D of Rat Thoracic Duct Lymphocytes: Unusual Intracellular Localization and Biochemical Properties

Our studies have dealt with cathepsin D in rat thoracic duct lymphocytes, in which it displays an intracellular localization different from the other lysosomal acid hydrolases. Further studies on this enzyme have led to the finding that it has interesting biochemical properties different from the cathepsin D of many other rat tissues and other species.
Short time solution to the master equation of a first order mean field game

Abstract The goal of this paper is to show existence of short-time classical solutions to the so called Master Equation of first order Mean Field Games, which can be thought of as the limit of the corresponding master equation of a stochastic mean field game as the individual noises approach zero. Despite being the equation of an idealistic model, its study is justified as a way of understanding mean field games in which the individual players' randomness is negligible; in this sense it can be compared to the study of ideal fluids. We restrict ourselves to mean field games with smooth coefficients but do not impose any monotonicity conditions on the running and initial costs, and we do not require convexity of the Hamiltonian, thus extending the result of Gangbo and Swiech to a considerably broader class of Hamiltonians.
Generator Model Validation and Calibration using Synchrophasor Data

Model validation and calibration of generating units are critical for using the most updated models in planning and operation of power grid. Typically, validation and calibration is done manually in couple of years at substations, which are not effective due to the test expenses and the requirement to take generator out of service for several days. However, high resolution data from Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU)s possible through automation in ongoing smart grid activities can help in validation and calibration process. Variations of signal-playback form the power grid dynamic simulator and comparing the results with PMU measurements for different events is one of the possible approach for model validation. Calibration requires optimizing generator parameters to fit with response obtained by field PMU measurements. This is a challenging problem to solve given multiple parameters to tune in generators and given limited PMU measurements. This paper automates the process of model validation and parameter calibration by using a commercial dynamic simulator, PSS/E and developing all the interfacing with Ensemble of Kalman Filter tool. Additionally, the advantage, and limitations of existing optimization methods for calibration, specially Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) are discussed. A sensitivity test is devised to diminish the subset of to-be-calibrated parameters and our framework in PSS/E is proposed with simulation results. Advantage and limitations of the approach are discussed and guidelines for future works are presented.
Project REACH: A multi-level, interdisciplinary approach to enhance student retention and success.

Abstract Background An escalating nursing shortage brought attention to nursing student retention and success including graduation and licensure. Purpose The purpose of this Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) project, Realizing Educational Attainment and Careers in Healthcare (REACH), was to increase nursing progression and graduation rates for undergraduate nursing students from diverse and/or under-resourced backgrounds. Methods REACH goals focused on four levels: 1) Individual: Neutralize the impact of economic-environmental factors that are barriers for diverse and under-resourced populations to pursue a BSN, 2) Group: Bridge gaps within a social determinants framework to achieve progression and graduation, 3) Institutional: Broaden the cultural competence of faculty on campus and 4) Community: Expand the knowledge and skills of the social determinants of health and cultural competence for nurses within the largest nursing employer in the community. Results 92% (35/38) of participants graduated with a BSN and 91% (32/35) of these graduates are employed as registered nurses. Sixty percent (n = 35) of participants are employed in HRSA designated Health Professional Shortage Areas or in Medically Underserved Areas/Populations as compared to 24% (n = 79) of College of Nursing students. Conclusion An interdisciplinary approach to addressing social determinant needs allowed this project to successfully diversify the nursing workforce.
An Improved Alternative to Heat Map Risk Matrices for Project Risk Prioritization

In a previous article we discussed the weaknesses of the popular heat map style risk matrix for project risk prioritization, and we proposed an alternative called the risk adjusted loss (RAL) method. Although the RAL method demonstrated significant improvement, there were mechanical as well as interpretive issues associated with it. This paper describes improvements to the RAL method and experimentally demonstrates its superiority over the heat map style risk matrix for prioritizing project risks.
Mechanical Support of the Failing Right Heart

Predominant right heart failure (RHF) is found in 5% of patients with myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock. The mortality rates of cardiogenic shock from RHF and left heart failure (LHF) are similar. The initial management of acute RHF should focus on the treatment of the underlying etiology, the correction of metabolic derangements, the maintenance of atrioventricular synchrony, and appropriate systemic perfusion and oxygenation. The hemodynamic parameters suggestive of RHF include elevated right atrial pressure (RAP), RAP: pulmonary capillary wedge pressure ratio (RAP/ PCWP) >0.86, and pulmonary artery pulsatility index (PAPi) <1. Percutaneous mechanical support options for acute RHF include Impella RP, TandemHeart Protek Duo, and Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VA-ECMO). The implantation of a contemporary durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) in a right ventricle has been reported. The CentriMag right ventricular assist system can also be used as a bridge to recovery or transplant.
Considerations and Cautions for Three-Dimensional-Printed Personal Protective Equipment in the COVID-19 Crisis

The recent decline in available personal protective equipment (PPE) due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has given rise to a host of three-dimensional (3D) printed prototypes for facema...
SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Rates of Children in Louisiana During the State Stay at Home Order

Children (less than 19 years) account for 20% of the US population but currently represent less than 2% of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. Because infected children often have few or no symptoms and may not be tested, the extent of infection in children is poorly understood. METHODS During the March 18th-May 15th 2020 Louisiana Stay At Home Order, 1690 blood samples from 812 individuals from a Childrens Hospital were tested for antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein. Demographics, COVID-19 testing, and clinical presentation abstracted from medical records were compared with local COVID-19 cases. RESULTS In total, 62 subjects (7.6%) were found to be seropositive. The median age was 11 years with 50.4% female. The presenting complaint of seropositive patients was chronic illness (43.5%). Only 18.2% had a previous positive COVID-19 PCR or antibody test. Seropositivity was significantly associated with parish (counties), race, and residence in a low-income area. Importantly, seropositivity was linearly correlated with cumulative COVID-19 case number for all ages by parish. CONCLUSION In a large retrospective study, the seropositivity prevalence for SARS-CoV-2 in children in Louisiana during the mandated Stay At Home Order was 7.6%. Residence location, race, and lower socioeconomic factors were linked to more frequent seropositivity in children and correlated to regional COVID-19 case rates. Thus, a significant number of children in Louisiana had SARS-CoV-2 infections that went undetected and unreported and may have contributed to virus transmission.
Wireless Power Transfer: Types of Reflected Impedances and Maximum Power Transfer Theorem

In this letter, different types of resonant reflected impedances (real, imaginary, and negative) and conditions for their existence are introduced using power flow paths. The condition necessary to achieve maxima of power delivery at a high (>0.5) system efficiency is derived while maintaining a power factor of 0.85 or above. A 4-coil wireless power transfer system operating at 4.7 MHz is implemented, to demonstrate that by controlling the different types of reflected impedances it is possible to overcome MPT induced constraints. The implemented example utilizes four nonoverlapping coils of 35 mm radius; a maxima in power delivery is experimentally obtained while maintaining the efficiency and power factor above 0.5 and 0.85, respectively.
Impact of insurance and neighborhood socioeconomic status on clinical outcomes in therapeutic clinical trials for breast cancer

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of insurance and neighborhood SES (nSES) on chemotherapy completion and overall mortality among participants in breast cancer clinical trials. The data sources for this study were two adjuvant breast cancer trials (ECOG E1199 and E5103) collectively including 9790 women. Insurance status at trial registration was categorized into private, government (Medicaid, Medicare, and other government type insurance), and self-pay. An Agency for Healthcare Research Quality (AHRQ) nSES index was calculated using residential zip codes linked to county level data on occupation, income, poverty, wealth, education, and crowding. Logistic regression and Cox Proportional Hazard models estimated odds ratios (OR) for chemotherapy treatment completion and hazard ratios (HR) for mortality, respectively, for insurance status and nSES. The models adjusted for: race, age, tumor size, nodal status, hormone receptor status, and primary surgery. The majority of patients had private insurance at trial registration: E1199: 85.6% (4154/4854) and E5103: 82.4% (3987/4836); median SES index was 53.8 (range: 41.8-66.8) and 54.1 (range: 44.5-66.1), respectively. Patients with government insurance were less likely to complete chemotherapy treatment (E1199 OR (95%CI): 0.73 (0.57-0.94); E5103 0.76 (0.64-0.91)) and had an increased risk of death (E1199 HR (95%CI): 1.44 (1.22-1.70); E5103 1.29 (1.06-1.58)) compared to the privately insured patients. There was no association between nSES and chemotherapy completion or overall mortality. Patients with government insurance at trial registration appeared to face barriers in chemotherapy completion and had a higher overall mortality compared to their privately insured counterparts.
Time and Collective Biology: Relationships Between Individual and Societal Life Course Ideologies in Mexican Men’s Sexual Health Treatment

People may seek to embody cultural ideals of the life course through their use or rejection of medical interventions, including but not limited to anti-aging treatments. Here, I analyze this phenomenon via interviews with men engaging with two different forms of sexual health medicine in urban Mexico: erectile-dysfunction treatment and testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). I argue that, in contrast to the biomedical understanding of patients as individuals who change during their lives, my interlocutors understood themselves as components in broader “collective biologies” that change on a longer timeline. These are culturally-defined groups that people understand to be comprised of interrelated members whose behaviors concretely affect the group’s physical and social well-being over time. In both medical arenas discussed here, men used or rejected sexual health interventions in response to local narratives about the nature of the Mexican population as a collective biology, including ideas about how it should change over time away from its roots in the colonial past. They characterized predispositions to machismo and disinterest in preventative health care as embodied inheritances that the Mexican population should reject in order to achieve health-promoting modernity in the future. My analysis describes how these interlocutors sought to live out desirably modern forms of race and gender through their medical decisions in a way that they hoped would contribute to positive, embodied change in the Mexican social body over time. These findings show that, despite the assumptions of individualism generally naturalized in anti-aging treatment and biomedicine, people may make medical decisions in an effort to aid collective change over population-level timescales.