cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A model for deriving the direct normal and diffuse horizontal irradiance from the global tilted irradiance

Abstract A separation model was developed for deriving the direct normal irradiance (DNI) and the diffuse horizontal irradiance (DHI) from the global tilted irradiance (GTI). The model is based on the DIRINT model, but substitutes the use of the GTI in place of the global horizontal irradiance (GHI) for determining the global clearness index ( K t ). Additionally, an iterative method is used to adjust K t to improve the derived values of the DNI and the DHI. The model is referred to as the GTI-DIRINT model. When using for model input the GTI measured with a pyranometer tilted at a small angle from the horizontal (10°), the deviations between the measured DNI and DHI and the GTI-DIRINT-modeled DNI and DHI were essentially the same as those for the DIRINT model when using the GHI for model input. Increasing the tilt angle from horizontal (as great as 44° for Eugene, Oregon) increased the deviations between the modeled and measured DNI and DHI, but the results were still reasonable. The GTI-DIRINT model provides reasonable values of DNI and DHI from the GTI, and if they are subsequently used with the Perez tilted surface model to model the GTI for orientations within 30° of the azimuth and tilt of the GTI used for model input, the result is as good or better than may be obtained when using a measured DNI and DHI, and without their significant instrumentation cost.
Contemplating yoga: A sound mind requires a healthy body

Background: There is a widespread notion that yoga contributes to a person's mental state and the question becomes does yoga have the power to heal the body. Aim: The mind and body can influence each other leading to healing from chronic illness using yoga techniques. Materials and Methods: Using an analysis of prior studies the connection or link is established between physical and mental processes. Results: Chronically ill patients benefit from holistic approaches to care that include stimulating multiple systems causing the patient's disease. Conclusion: Early intervention using yoga therapeutic techniques can aid chronically ill patients in way that traditional medicine may not.
Sensitivity Analysis of Domain Considerations for Numerical Simulations of Film Cooling

The majority of computational fluid dynamics studies for turbine film cooling have employed the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations with various turbulence modeling techniques to achieve closure, most notably the various two equation (k-e or k-ω) models. For computational simulation of film cooling, modeling the entire testing domain with a row of multiple holes while sustaining a sufficiently fine mesh would demand a large number of grid cells and a hefty computational expense. A significant reduction in the computational domain can be and has been achieved without much harm to the overall accuracy of the film cooling prediction. The current study aimed to investigate the necessary domain parameters for reducing the grid cell count without significantly affecting the accuracy of the solution. The Box-Behnken design for response surface methodology was employed to determine the relative influence of each parameter on the cooling effectiveness prediction. The experimental design matrix was executed for multiple blowing ratios (0.5, 1.0, 2.0) to include the effects of the blowing ratio on the computational domain. The work was carried out using a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics finite volume method with the RANS equations and k-e turbulence model. A cylindrical film cooling hole with a pitch-to-diameter ratio of 3.0, a length-to-diameter ratio of 7.5, and an inclination angle of 35° was studied. The results are compared against existing data in the literature as well as in-house experimental data. The data from each case is compared in terms of spatially-averaged effectiveness. The modeled entrance length was found to be the most important parameter, with the mainflow height a distant second. The size of the modeled plenum was not found to exert any significant influence on the effectiveness results. Explanations are offered for notable trends in the data and conclusions are drawn concerning the grid optimization process.© 2010 ASME
An Elementary Proof of the Square Summability of the Discrete Hilbert Transform

(1994). An Elementary Proof of the Square Summability of the Discrete Hilbert Transform. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 101, No. 5, pp. 456-458.
The Emergence of Max Scheler: Understanding Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik's Philosophical Anthropology

An idea's genealogy is not the idea itself, and still less does an idea's historical context exhaust its potentialities for meaning. The excavation of sources and influences is then for the historian of ideas not an end in itself; it is more properly the inauguration, not the consummation, of efforts in intellectual history. But genealogical investigation does matter, because its vertical depth can illuminate the contours requisite for horizontal discernment, and because exploring its temporal register can free an idea from artificially inert stasis back into the stream of living reflective activity.
The mechanism of a splash on a dry solid surface

From rain storms to ink jet printing, it is ubiquitous that a high-speed liquid droplet creates a splash when it impacts on a dry solid surface. Yet, the fluid mechanical mechanism causing this splash is unknown. About fifty years ago it was discovered that corona splashes are preceded by the ejection of a thin fluid sheet very near the vicinity of the contact point. Here we present a first-principles description of the mechanism for sheet formation, the initial stages of which occur before the droplet physically contacts the surface. We predict precisely when sheet formation occurs on a smooth surface as a function of experimental parameters, along with conditions on the roughness and other parameters for the validity of the predictions. The process of sheet formation provides a semi-quantitative framework for studying the subsequent events and the influence of liquid viscosity, gas pressure and surface roughness. The conclusions derived from this framework are in quantitative agreement with previous measurements of the splash threshold as a function of impact parameters (the size and velocity of the droplet) and in qualitative agreement with the dependence on physical properties (liquid viscosity, surface tension, ambient gas pressure, etc.) Our analysis predicts an as yet unobserved series of events within micrometres of the impact point and microseconds of the splash.
Investigation and analysis of lead in 6 kinds of health foods in Zibo

Objective:To investigate the lead contamination in the 6 kinds of health foods in Zibo,Shandong province.Methods:A method for determination of lead in samples by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry(GFAAS) was established.Results:The results showed that the detection rate of Pb was 85.4%,and the total qualified rate of lead level in samples was 98.8%.Conclusion:In order to protect health of consumers,it is necessary to further strengthen the monitoring of lead in food contamination.
Introduction: Reoperation Following Prosthetic Replacement

The recent era has been an exciting one in the field of limb-salvage surgery. A decade or more ago, successful adjuvant chemotherapy, coupled with improved reconstructive techniques, stimulated widespread interest in limb-salvage surgery for high-grade malignant lesions. During that time, improvements in clinical and pathologic staging became important prerequisites for the success of such treatment. It soon became apparent that limbs could be saved without undue compromise to the patient’s life. However, reconstruction of large musculoskeletal defects proved to be a challenging problem to the musculoskeletal oncological surgeon.
Situational Linguistic Acculturation and Effect on Attitude Toward Ad Language Among Hispanic Consumers of Mexican Descent

ABSTRACTThe growth of the U.S. Hispanic population and its purchasing power over the past 25 years has prompted marketers to look for better and more efficient methods of effectively targeting messages to this important consumer segment. This survey study focused on the historically dominant mass-reach medium of television and explored whether situational linguistic acculturation explains attitude toward television ad language among Hispanic consumers of Mexican descent. Emerging discussions on acculturation research have begun to examine the situationality of the acculturation process. Through an empirical questionnaire survey, we examined the relationship between situational linguistic acculturation and the attitudes of Hispanics of Mexican descent toward ad language in television commercials. Linear regression results confirmed that, although situational linguistic acculturation as a clustering variable is a strong and positive predictor of the surveyed consumers' attitude toward Spanish language in te...
The Investors' Belief in Stock Returns and Volatilities

Motivated by the asset pricing implications of the regime-switching equilibrium models in the literature, this paper investigates empirically the effects of regime switches in aggregate stock returns and volatilities. The investors' belief, defined as the posterior probability of the bear regime, is estimated based on a regime-switching model where the regime of the economy follows a two-state hidden Markov process. Veronesi (1999) shows that both the expected excess return and the volatility of the returns are the concave, bell-shaped functions of the investors' belief if risk aversion is a constant.The empirical findings in this paper suggest that the expected excess return and the volatility are monotonically increasing functions of the investors' belief. Therefore, a reasonable explanation for the empirical finding is that risk aversion is time-varying and the representative agent is more risk averse in the bear regime so that a higher expected excess return and higher volatility in the bad regime are generated. A second empirical finding is that the stock return predictors, such as the term spread, the in flation rate, and the T-bill rate, have significant business cycle patterns in the predictive regressions. For example, the term spread is positively related to the stock market returns in the boom regime, but is negatively related to the stock market returns in the bear regime. This suggests that the increasing term spread is good news in the bear regime because it indicates that the economy is improving and will recover soon, thus the investors require a lower equity premium. In addition, the equity premium is more sensitive to the predictors in the bear regime because the bear regime is short lived. Similar results are also found in the predictive regressions for the variance of the stock market returns.
Do You Need a Financial Planner

Often, the first question in the personal financial-planning process is, “Do I need help (that is, should I engage the services of a personal financial planner)?” or, alternatively, “Can I complete the process myself?” The answer to this latter question is sometimes “Yes,” simply because of the desire to avoid the anticipated expense involved in securing the help of a professional planner. But is this the best decision? This chapter describes the types of financial planners, and questions to ask them when deciding to seek assistance, as well as factors to be considered should you choose the do-it-yourself option.
Distinguishing epidemiological features of the 2013-2016 West Africa Ebola virus disease outbreak.

ABSTRACTThe 2013–2016 West Africa Ebola virus disease epidemic was notable for its scope, scale, and complexity. This briefing presents a series of distinguishing epidemiological features that set this outbreak apart.Compared to one concurrent and 23 previous outbreaks of the disease over 40 years, this was the only occurrence of Ebola virus disease involving multiple nations and qualifying as a pandemic. Across multiple measures of magnitude, the 2013–2016 outbreak was accurately described using superlatives: largest and deadliest in terms of numbers of cases and fatalities; longest in duration; and most widely dispersed geographically, with outbreak-associated cases occurring in 10 nations.In contrast, the case-fatality rate was much lower for the 2013–2016 outbreak compared to the other 24 outbreaks. A population of particular interest for ongoing monitoring and public health surveillance is comprised of more than 17,000 “survivors,” Ebola patients who successfully recovered from their illness.The daun...
New Field Testing Procedure to Measure Surface Stresses in Plain Concrete Pavements and Structures

Plain concrete pavements are subject to premature cracking due to the formation of residual stresses, structural confinement, and loss of subgrade support. These factors diminish the loading capacity of pavements and can result in cracking when combined with stresses attributable to curling and wheel loads. It is, thus, advantageous to quantify the unloaded stress state of pavements in order to modify its rated capacity and prevent premature cracking that, in some cases, necessitates costly repair or replacement. A research program was developed to craft a new field testing procedure capable of measuring the stress state in cantilevered concrete beams and in-situ slabs. The experimental results of this testing procedure showed that the stress state at the concrete surface could be fully quantified. Finite element modelling of the concrete beams and in-situ slabs further corroborates that the surface stresses in pavements can be viably measured.
Drafting for Dispute Resolution

This is a brief guide to drafting dispute-resolution provisions. Such provisions have gained widespread attention in recent years, following a series of defendant-friendly U.S. Supreme Court decisions, critical coverage in the popular press, and efforts by federal agencies to stymie the private sector's increasingly widespread use of contractual dispute-resolution provisions. In light of the growing importance of dispute-resolution provisions, this guide seeks to concisely identify and explore, from a transactional perspective, the relevant questions, considerations, and law relating to these powerful tools. It also provides illustrative examples, often drawn from real-world legal instruments, of well-drafted provisions. The target audience includes practitioners, teachers, scholars, businesspersons, and other analysts seeking to learn and apply best practices when planning and drafting for dispute resolution.
Stress Response Pathways

Physiological stress occurs when conditions perturb homeostasis. There are a multitude of stressors commonly encountered by organisms, including environmental factors such as temperature, pathogens, toxins, and food or oxygen availability, or internal disturbances caused by genetic defects or damage accumulated over the course of ageing. In this chapter, we discuss the fundamental relationships between stress and homeostasis. We then focus on various stress response strategies and highlight established molecular genetic stress response pathways. Many experiments, particularly those in C. elegans, have highlighted the intimate relationship between stress resistance and longevity. As such, a deeper understanding of the fundamental nature of stress and homeostatic stress responses is essential to fully appreciate the causes and consequences of ageing in animals.
ESAS (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System) as An Effective Outpatient Serial-Longitudinal Symptom Assessment Tool In Patients with Sickle Cell Disease.

Abstract 3798 Purpose: Our goal is to implement an ongoing symptom assessment strategy using a validated palliative care tool in the outpatient management of adult patients with sickle cell disease at a comprehensive sickle cell center. Methods: Sickle cell disease is a chronic lifetime illness with intermittent acute exacerbations to daily symptoms. The extension of palliative care symptom management strategies to patients with sickle cell disease has been proposed. Symptom assessment tools such as the ESAS (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System), validated in the palliative care population, may have a role in sickle cell disease management. Ten symptoms are assessed, with the average 24 hour symptom score reported on a 0 to 10 numerical scale, 10 being the worst possible. In our study, 75 adult patients with sickle cell disease presenting for their outpatient visit at a comprehensive sickle cell center were enrolled; they were asked to complete the ESAS and a survey regarding their opinion of the ESAS at each clinic visit. Results: Study patients were 100% African American, 56% (42/75) female, ages 19–67, with disease types 71% (53/75) HgbSS, 19% (14/75) HgbSC, and 11% (8/75) HgbS/beta thal. At least 49% (37/75) of patients had one follow up visit after enrollment, for a total of 112 clinic visits. On the initial visit, 92% (65/71) agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “the ESAS is easy to complete”; 97% (71/73) reported instructions as clear; 96% (72/75) reported no words were difficult to understand; 83% (59/71) were satisfied or very satisfied with the ESAS as a way to report symptoms; 93% (68/73) would recommend the ESAS to other patients. 62% (45/73) of patients reported the ESAS helped them remember symptoms they were experiencing; 34% (25/73) were encouraged to discuss medical issues more openly with their health care provider. In a comparison of visit 1 (V1) and 2 (V2) in the 37 patient subset with a single follow up visit, 94% (33/35) on V1 and 94% (33/35) on V2 recommended the ESAS to other patients; 78% (28/36) on V1 and 86% (31/36) on V2 were satisfied or very satisfied with the ESAS. Including all 75 patients on their initial visit, the most intense symptoms (≥ 4 on ESAS scale) recorded were pain 4.6 (± 3.1) and sleep 4.1 (±3). In the 37 patient subset with follow up, V1 pain 4.7 (± 2.7) and V1 sleep 3.5 (± 2.5); V2 pain 4.4 (± 3.2) and V2 sleep 4.3 (± 2.6). Conclusion: The ESAS is an acceptable, brief, easy to understand symptom assessment tool which can be integrated into an outpatient sickle cell clinic as part of a serial-longitudinal symptom management strategy. Future studies should include measuring the impact of symptom-directed interventions on self-reported symptoms. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
The investigation of CP violation through the decay of polarized tau leptons

Under the assumption that CP violation is caused by exchange of a new boson, the author proposes to measure the magnitudes and CP-violating phases of the coupling constants of this boson to five different vertices in tau decay. This can be accomplished by studying the decays of polarized tau leptons produced at an e{sup +} e{sup {minus}} collider whose beams are polarized. He points out that CP violation in the tau decay tests most directly the assumption in the standard theory that the imaginary numbers in the mass matrix is the sole cause of CP violation.
Revealing cancer subtypes with higher-order correlations applied to imaging and omics data

Patient stratification to identify subtypes with different disease manifestations, severity, and expected survival time is a critical task in cancer diagnosis and treatment. While stratification approaches using various biomarkers (including high-throughput gene expression measurements) for patient-to-patient comparisons have been successful in elucidating previously unseen subtypes, there remains an untapped potential of incorporating various genotypic and phenotypic data to discover novel or improved groupings. Here, we present HOCUS, a unified analytical framework for patient stratification that uses a community detection technique to extract subtypes out of sparse patient measurements. HOCUS constructs a patient-to-patient network from similarities in the data and iteratively groups and reconstructs the network into higher order clusters. We investigate the merits of using higher-order correlations to cluster samples of cancer patients in terms of their associations with survival outcomes. In an initial test of the method, the approach identifies cancer subtypes in mutation data of glioblastoma, ovarian, breast, prostate, and bladder cancers. In several cases, HOCUS provides an improvement over using the molecular features directly to compare samples. Application of HOCUS to glioblastoma images reveals a size and location classification of tumors that improves over human expert-based stratification. Subtypes based on higher order features can reveal comparable or distinct groupings. The distinct solutions can provide biologically- and treatment-relevant solutions that are just as significant as solutions based on the original data.
Enframing the Womb: A Phenomenological Interpretation of Artificial Conception and Surrogacy in the Motherless Age

In this chapter I introduce the concept of reproductive enframing and show how it makes phenomenological sense of advanced in vitro fertilization (IVF) and its various applications, including gestational surrogacy. In view of the reproductive enframing, the latter is radically reformulating traditional conceptions of motherhood and ushers in a motherless age. I focus on the medical fragmentation of women’s reproductive bodies into parts that in turn sets them up for continuous medical optimization. This reproductive optimization is distinguished from the more traditional processes of objectification and instrumentalization. Reproductive enframing reveals women who undergo IVF, especially gestational surrogates, not as the autonomous agents they are purported to be nor as merely passive objects, but as available resources in the service of medical networks.
Lipid catabolism inhibition sensitizes prostate cancer cells to antiandrogen blockade

// Thomas W. Flaig 1 , Maren Salzmann-Sullivan 1 , Lih-Jen Su 1 , Zhiyong Zhang 1 , Molishree Joshi 2 , Miguel A. Gijon 2 , Jihye Kim 1 , John J. Arcaroli 1 , Adrie Van Bokhoven 3 , M. Scott Lucia 3 , Francisco G. La Rosa 3 and Isabel R. Schlaepfer 1 1 Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA 2 Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA 3 Department of Pathology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA Correspondence to: Isabel R. Schlaepfer, email: // Keywords : CPT1A, prostate cancer, enzalutamide, ranolazine, INPP5K Received : February 27, 2017 Accepted : April 10, 2017 Published : April 21, 2017 Abstract Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignancy among Western men and the second leading-cause of cancer related deaths. For men who develop metastatic castration resistant PCa (mCRPC), survival is limited, making the identification of novel therapies for mCRPC critical. We have found that deficient lipid oxidation via carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT1) results in decreased growth and invasion, underscoring the role of lipid oxidation to fuel PCa growth. Using immunohistochemistry we have found that the CPT1A isoform is abundant in PCa compared to benign tissue (n=39, p<0.001) especially in those with high-grade tumors. Since lipid oxidation is stimulated by androgens, we have evaluated the synergistic effects of combining CPT1A inhibition and anti-androgen therapy. Mechanistically, we have found that decreased CPT1A expression is associated with decreased AKT content and activation, likely driven by a breakdown of membrane phospholipids and activation of the INPP5K phosphatase. This results in increased androgen receptor (AR) action and increased sensitivity to the anti-androgen enzalutamide. To better understand the clinical implications of these findings, we have evaluated fat oxidation inhibitors (etomoxir, ranolazine and perhexiline) in combination with enzalutamide in PCa cell models. We have observed a robust growth inhibitory effect of the combinations, including in enzalutamide-resistant cells and mouse TRAMPC1 cells, a more neuroendocrine PCa model. Lastly, using a xenograft mouse model, we have observed decreased tumor growth with a systemic combination treatment of enzalutamide and ranolazine. In conclusion, our results show that improved anti-cancer efficacy can be achieved by co-targeting the AR axis and fat oxidation via CPT1A, which may have clinical implications, especially in the mCRPC setting.
Backbone-Modified Bisdiazaphospholanes for Regioselective Rhodium-Catalyzed Hydroformylation of Alkenes

A series of tetraaryl bisdiazaphospholane (BDP) ligands were prepared varying the phosphine bridge, backbone, and substituents in the 2- and 5-positions of the diazaphospholane ring. The parent acylhydrazine backbone was transformed to an alkylhydrazine via a borane reduction procedure. These reduced ligands contained an all sp3 hybridized ring mimicking the all sp3 phospholane of (R,R)-Ph-BPE, a highly selective ligand in asymmetric hydroformylation. The reduced bisdiazaphospholane (red-BDP) ligands were shown crystallographically to have an increased C–N–N–C torsion angle—this puckering resembles the structure of (R,R)-Ph-BPE and has a dramatic influence on regioselectivity in rhodium catalyzed hydroformylation. The red-BDPs demonstrated up to a 5-fold increase in selectivity for the branched aldehyde compared to the acylhydrazine parent ligands. This work demonstrates a facile procedure for increased branched selectivity from the highly active and accessible class of BDP ligands in hydroformylation.
Nontarget Herbicide Losses from Application of Granular Ronstar to Container Nurseries

Abstract With empty containers, nontarget herbicide loss was 23 percent when the containers were spaced container to container. Spacing the containers on 20 (8 in) and 30 cm (12 in) centers resulted in nontarget losses of 51 and 80 percent loss respectively. Nontarget losses were similar when a dense canopy plant (Rhododendron × ‘Trouper’) and an open canopy plant (Berberis thunbergii ‘Crimson Pygmy’) were spaced container to container or on 20 (8 in) or 30 cm (12 in) spacings.
Main Magnets and Correctors for the CBETA and eRHIC Projects, and Hadron Facilities

Abstract The CBETA (Cornell Brookhaven Experimental Test Accelerator) project described in reference C. Mayes (2015) is a prototype electron accelerator for the proposed eRHIC (electron Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider) project, described in reference E. C. Aschenauer (2014). An Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) in combination with a recirculating beam line which is based on the Fixed Field Alternating Gradient (FFAG) principle constitute the electron accelerator. The FFAG beam line of the electron accelerator is comprised of cells consisting of one focusing and one defocusing quadrupoles which are designed as Halbach type permanent magnet quadrupoles which are discussed in reference K. Halbach (1980). Window frame electromagnets surrounding the Halbach magnets will be used as normal and skew dipoles correctors and quadrupole correctors. A Halbach magnet in combination with low field electromagnets to act as dipole and/or quadrupole correctors can also be used in the proposed eRHIC project as well as other hadrons facilities like RHIC. We will discuss some of the advantages the Halbach type permanent magnets have over electromagnets and provide experimental and theoretical evidence of these advantages.
Verifying Concurrency in an Adaptive Ocean Circulation Model

We present a model checking approach for verifying the correctness of concurrency in numerical models. The forms of concurrency we address are from (1) coupled modeling where distinct components, e.g., ocean, wave, and atmospheric, exchange interface conditions during runtime, and (2) multi-instance modeling where local variations of the same numerical model are executed concurrently to minimize common (and therefore redundant) computations. We present general guidelines for representing these forms of concurrency in an abstract verification model and then apply them to an adaptive ocean circulation model that determines the geographic extent and severity of coastal floods. The ocean model employs multi-instance concurrency: a collection of engineering design and failure scenarios are concurrently simulated using patches, regions of a grid that grow and shrink based on the hydrodynamic changes induced by each scenario. We show how concurrency inherent in the simulation model can be represented in a verification model to ensure correctness and to automatically generate safe synchronization arrangements.
Radiation Hardened Latch Designs for Double and Triple Node Upsets

As the process feature size continues to scale down, the susceptibility of logic circuits to radiation induced error has increased. This trend has led to the increase in sensitivity of circuits to multi-node upsets. Previously, work has been done to harden latches against single event upsets (SEU). Currently, there has been a concerted effort to design latches that are tolerant to double node upsets (DNU) and triple node upsets (TNU). In this paper, we first propose a novel DNU tolerant latch design. The latch is designed specifically to provide additional reliability when clock gating is used. Through experimentation, it is shown that the DNU tolerant latch is 11.3 percent more power efficient than existing latch designs suited for clock gating. In addition to the DNU tolerant design, we propose the first TNU tolerant latch. The TNU tolerant latch is shown to provide superior soft error resiliency while incurring a 40 percent overhead compared to DNU tolerant designs.
Two-dimensional infrared study of the CD and CO stretching vibrations in strongly hydrogen-bonded complexes

Abstract We report a study of the C D and C O stretching modes of formyl deuterated formic acid (DCOOH) hydrogen bonded to nitrogenous bases. These modes are spectators to the hydrogen bond itself but are sensitive to the strength of that interaction. Using 2D IR spectroscopy, we show that in strongly hydrogen bonded complexes the C D stretching vibration becomes anharmonically coupled to low-order combination states leading to strong state mixing resulting in Fermi resonance transitions in the 2D IR spectra. In contrast, the C O vibrations show multiple peaks as a result of conformational heterogeneity associated with internal rotation about the hydrogen bond. For both modes, the population relaxation rates tend to be quite short, ∼1 ps or less. Having characterized the vibrational spectroscopy of these spectator vibrations, we conclude that they are quite sensitive to details of the hydrogen bonding interactions though their utility is limited by spectral complexity and short population lifetimes.
Hispanic Employment in the Public Sector

Government jobs have traditionally been viewed as “good” ones—more secure and with better fringe benefits, if not better paid, than jobs in the private sector that require similar levels of skill. Thus, they are potentially an important avenue for the economic advancement of minorities. Moreover, public-sector opportunities have been enhanced by the rapid expansion in the absolute and in the relative size of the public sector since World War II. Growth in total employment has been particularly rapid at the state and local levels. Although this growth has slowed somewhat in recent years, the shift of resources toward the public sector suggests that public employment would have been an important source of new jobs for all groups, even if hiring, promotion, and compensation patterns by race and gender were the same in the public and in the private sectors. Previous research indicates, however, that governments have been more “open” to blacks and women than have private firms. These groups have a higher percentage employed in the public sector, and a higher percentage in public-sector professional and managerial occupations, than do white men; moreover, blacks and women earn more for given human capital characteristics in the public sector than they do in the private sector (Reimers, 1985; Smith, 1977).
Data Structure Display

One of the most obvious and yet most difficult uses of program visualization is the display of user data structures. Myers’ early work with the Incense system [Myer80a] has been followed by extensions to dbx [Bask85a], new debuggers [Isod87a], smart compilers [Henr90a], and instances of data structure display in commercial systems such as Centerline’s environments and SGI’s CodeVision. These efforts all provide fairly restrictive sets of displays for relatively simple user data structures. Algorithm animation systems such as BALSA [Brow85a] and TANGO [Stas90a] allow the user to define more complex data structure displays by tying display code to the application using interesting events. Our GARDEN system [Reis87a] provided generic facilities for the definition of visual languages based on the display of the underlying syntactic structures. These facilities were designed for the general display of data structures as well as visual languages.
Megavitamins and Food Fads

Bulk quantities of vitamins for medical use first became available around 1940. Prior to this, the human species had existed for millions of years without the benefit of megavitamin therapy. As a corollary to this statement it is obvious that the ingestion of very large amounts of vitamins has played no part in the evolution of our species. However, Pauling (1974) has claimed that human beings, in the primitive state, existed in the tropics, where comparatively large amounts of ascorbic acid are available in foods, and therefore, ipso facto, the ascorbic acid requirements of human beings is much larger than the amount needed to saturate the body tissues. We shall discuss this point later.
Considerations Basic to a Theory of Emotions in Persons

Emotion! One word for a baffling variety of experiences. Our emotion-words do not begin to capture the differences in the emotive states we undergo. Of course, we face a similar poverty of terms for the differences in sensory experience, but in the sensory area we help ourselves often by finding something in our common world that enables us to signify some of the differences. For example, we stipulate one shade of “blue” as navy-blue, another as robin’s egg-blue, and so on. But our words for distinguishing “an” emotion still embrace it in a rough and ready way--as a blanket does a kitten that scrambles here and there under it. I am too aware when I say, to take a simple instance, “I am angry,” “I am getting angry,” “I am quite angry,” “I am purple with rage,” that there is a distance between my words and the qualitative state I am undergoing and trying to convey.
Toward Partial Discharge Reduction by Corner Correction in Power Module Layouts

As spacing between traces in power modules is reduced to meet increasing power density requirements, partial discharge (PD) starts becoming a threat that can cause insulation breakdown, if not checked. For high voltage applications, PD awareness is particularly important, and this paper describes how various trace shapes play a critical role in the electrical reliability of modules with regard to electrical breakdown. Sharp corners of traces must be avoided, as is generally done for mechanical stability reasons, by filleting the corners. High voltage experiments were performed to confirm the detrimental electrical effects of sharp corners. The degree of improvement by completely avoiding sharp corners was quantified for various trace gaps. Simulations were performed to predict the improvement in terms of E-field concentration with respect to the radius of fillets. Preliminary fillets were implemented in a stand-alone in-house tool called PowerSynth, which is used for electrical and thermal optimization.
In the beginning….and somewhat later

The Big Bang, which initiated the Universe more than 13.5 billion years ago, produced all the matter there is. It was almost entirely hydrogen and helium, with a tiny fraction of lithium and beryllium. There was no carbon, nitrogen or oxygen at first. Nuclear fusion, the power source of stars, resulted first in the production of more helium, but this was followed by further fusion to produce the more massive elements up to iron. Enormous explosions of dying massive stars produced even heavier elements, and importantly, blasted a complete array of heavy elements into space, where the next generation of stars was formed, but this time surrounded by clouds of solid particles, the raw material from which planets formed.
Vitamin C reverses bone loss in an osteopenic rat model of osteoporosis

Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin C with antioxidant properties which are known to influence bone quality. This study evaluated whether vitamin C (1000 mg/L) added to drinking water reverses the bone loss in ovariectomized rats. Ninety-day-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to either sham (n = 14) or ovariecotmized groups (n = 28). Sixty days after ovariectomy, the treatments were sham, ovariectomy (OVX), OVX + vitamin C (22 mg oral intake daily) for 60 days. Urine was collected for deoxypyridinoline (DPD) evaluation, rats were sacrificed, and antioxidant capacity, osteopontin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and bone specific tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) were evaluated in the plasma. Right femur and 5th lumbar were evaluated for bone density, strength, ash, Ca, and Mg concentrations. Antioxidant capacity, ALP activity, osteopontin decreased (p-value 0.1) femoral strength, ash, or Ca, and Mg concentrations, while it increased (p-value < 0.05) the 5th lumbar density, ash, and Ca and Mg concentrations. In conclusion, vitamin C increased bone quality and antioxidant capacity in ovariectomized rats.
Impact of testosterone assay standardization efforts assessed via accuracy-based proficiency testing

Abstract Background We reported observations on analytical performance in testosterone measurements of various methods/assays from the study carried out using accuracy-based proficiency testing (PT) during 2012–2013. In 2016, we re-evaluated analytical performance of testosterone assays using accuracy-based PT to assess effectiveness of CDC efforts toward standardization. Methods Five single-donor human serum samples from female and male adult donors were analyzed for testosterone by New York State Department of Health-certified clinical laboratories using 16 immunoassays and LC-MS/MS methods. Target values were determined using the CDC reference measurement procedure. Results Testosterone targets for the 5 samples were 43.5, 160, 294, 457, and 534 ng/dL. The biases of individual result of the 65 participant laboratories against the target for each sample were calculated. Of participants, 87.7% had ≥4 of the 5 results within the minimum allowable total error limits (± 25.1%), a 14.7% increase from the previous study. The improved PT scores were attributed to better analytical accuracy and precision, and laboratories' selection of more accurate assays/methods. Conclusions Improved analytical accuracy and precision for testosterone assays were demonstrated over a 3.5-year period after the first CDC-directed accuracy-based proficiency testing. Additional effort is needed to improve accuracy/precision of measurements, especially at low concentrations.
Results of Transsphenoidal Resection of Growth Hormone-Secreting Pituitary Adenomas

There is still controversy regarding which of the therapeutic modalities available for the management of growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas is safest and most effective (1–5). With a view toward resolving aspects of the question, we summarize the results of a long-term follow-up review of a large series of patients managed by transsphenoidal microsurgical resection, providing data for comparison with other surgical series and with the documented results of irradiation (6–12) and medical therapies (12–15).
Optimizing cryopreservation of hematopoietic stem cells collected for autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma

Background & Aim Cryopreservation is a necessary step in the preparation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) used to reconstitute hematopoiesis for autologous stem cell transplantation. Cells are collected by leukapheresis, cryopreserved and stored while patients undergo preparative regimen. It is critical to optimize cryopreservation techniques to ensure optimal recovery of viable progenitor cells, especially when target cells are limited. Current methods are adequate, but limitations include inconsistency in components used to formulate media between institutions, increased risk for technical error and contamination. This study sought to optimize DMSO concentration and improve efficiency and compliance by comparing three different cryoprotectant media. Methods, Results & Conclusion Methods Ten HSC products, collected after standard mobilization of multiple myeloma patients, were cryopreserved with PRIME-XV FreezIS (Irvine Scientific) and compared to products previously cryopreserved with two standard use cryoprotectants: Std10 and Std5 (Std10 and Std5 are cryoprotectant media formulated in-house to achieve a final DMSO concentration of 10% and 5% respectively). Cells were processed and cryopreserved using institutional standard procedures, with storage for up to 6 months. At time of infusion, HSC were analyzed for CD34+ recovery and viability. Adverse events (AE) and time to engraftment were also monitored. Results Average CD34+ recovery for HSC cryopreserved with Std10, Std5 and PRIME-XV FreezIS were 39%, 74.7%, and 73.6% respectively (p-value: ≤ 0.001 Std10 vs. FreezIS). Median time to neutrophil engraftment was comparable (11 days) for all 3 media, while platelet engraftment occurred at a median of 20, 19 and 17 days respectively (p-value: >0.05 Std10 vs. FreezIS). Infusion-related AEs decreased from 80% (Std10) to 10% (FreezIS) (p-value: ≤ 0.0001). Discussion PRIME-XV FreezIS is a GMP-grade, pre-constituted cryoprotectant that minimizes cell processor variability and handling. In addition, compared to cryopreservation media prepared in house containing both 5% and 10% DMSO, PRIME-XV FreezIS results in ample CD34+ recovery and similar HSC engraftment. Finally, as anticipated, infusion toxicity caused by DMSO and frequency of AEs decreased significantly in patients infused with PRIME-XV FreezIS and Std5 when compared to products cryopreserved with Std10.
Psychiatric comorbidity and co-occurring opioid misuse: Depression mediates the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid misuse in community pharmacy settings

Background: Individuals who misuse opioids frequently have comorbid psychiatric issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. However, little is known about the mechanisms...
Conservation of Human and Mouse Natural Cytotoxic(NC) Cell and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNFα)Mediated Lysis

Normal, non-transformed, mouse cells (N-cells) do not grow as tumors in either normal or immune compromised (ATXFL) mice [1,2]...
Combined iDISCO and CUBIC tissue clearing and lightsheet microscopy for in toto analysis of the adult mouse ovary

At any given time, the ovary contains a number of follicles in distinct growth stages, each with a set of identifying characteristics. Although follicle counting and staging using histological stains on paraffin-embedded ovary sections has been the gold standard in assessing ovarian health in fertility studies, the final counts rely on extrapolation factors that diverge greatly among studies. These methods also limit our ability to investigate spatial aspects of ovary organization. Recent advances in optical tissue clearing and lightsheet microscopy have permitted comprehensive analysis of intact tissues. In this study, we set out to determine the best clearing and imaging methods to generate 3D images of the complete adult mouse ovary that could be used for accurate assessments of ovarian follicles. We found that a combination of iDISCO and CUBIC was the best method to clear the immunostained ovary. Using lightsheet microscopy, we generated 3D images of the intact ovary and performed qualitative assessments of follicles at all stages of development. This study is an important step toward developing quantitative computational models that allow rapid and accurate assessments of growing and quiescent primordial follicles, and to investigate the integrity of extrinsic ovarian components including vascular and neuronal networks.
All-in-One Dual CRISPR-Cas12a (AIOD-CRISPR) Assay: A Case for Rapid, Ultrasensitive and Visual Detection of Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and HIV virus

A recent outbreak of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, has spread rapidly all over the world. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is another deadly virus and causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Rapid and early detection of these viruses will facilitate early intervention and reduce disease transmission risk. Here, we present an All-In-One Dual CRISPR-Cas12a (termed "AIOD-CRISPR") assay method for simple, rapid, ultrasensitive, one-pot, and visual detection of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and HIV virus. In our AIOD CRISPR assay, a pair of crRNAs was introduced to initiate dual CRISPR-Cas12a detection and improve detection sensitivity. The AIOD-CRISPR assay system was successfully utilized to detect nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) of SARS-CoV-2 and HIV with a sensitivity of few copies. Also, it was evaluated by detecting HIV-1 RNA extracted from human plasma samples, achieving a comparable sensitivity with real-time RT-PCR method. Thus, our method has a great potential for developing next-generation point-of-care molecular diagnostics.
Buying Power Not Protest: The Myth Prevents Unrest

The history of buying power is all but entirely neglected but reveals plenty regarding its deployment today. Buying power originated as a focal point of study precisely to assure societal peace based upon working people being able to afford the products they produced. From there buying power would be adapted by government, business, and both White and Black commercial presses and used to promote a Black economic unreality designed to attract and direct advertising revenue.
Genome-wide Profiling Identifies DNA Methylation Signatures of Aging in Rod Photoreceptors Associated with Alterations in Energy Metabolism

Aging-associated functional decline is accompanied by alterations in the epigenome. To explore DNA modifications that could influence visual function with age, we perform whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of purified mouse rod photoreceptors at four ages and identify 2,054 differentially methylated regions (DMRs). We detect many DMRs during early stages of aging and in rod regulatory regions, and some of these cluster at chromosomal hotspots, especially on chromosome 10, which includes a longevity interactome. Integration of methylome to age-related transcriptome changes, chromatin signatures, and first-order protein-protein interactions uncover an enrichment of DMRs in altered pathways that are associated with rod function, aging, and energy metabolism. In concordance, we detect reduced basal mitochondrial respiration and increased fatty acid dependency with retinal age in ex vivo assays. Our study reveals age-dependent genomic and chromatin features susceptible to DNA methylation changes in rod photoreceptors and identifies a link between DNA methylation and energy metabolism in aging.
End-of-Life Care in the Emergency Department

The role of the Emergency Provider (EP) is to appropriately diagnose and stabilize acute life-threatening injuries and illnesses. Despite good intentions and optimal medical therapies, some patients will not survive their ED course; others will die in the hospital, usually in the intensive care unit (ICU) days after admission. Medicare data show that over one-third of patients who die receive medical care in the ED and ICU during their last 6 months of life. Patients overwhelmingly prefer to die at home. Unfortunately, studies show that 38% of people die in the hospital, specifically 22% occur in the ICU, often times while receiving maximum levels of care. Since many of these patients are admitted through the ED, it is essential for an EP to be proficient with end-of-life (EOL) care.