cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Micromachining for improvement of integrated ultrasonic transducer sensitivity

A micromachined diaphragm structure for integrated ultrasonic transducers is discussed. The micromachining significantly reduces a large parasitic capacitance, resulting in improved sensitivity compared with identical transducers on solid substrates. For the particular geometry tested, sensitivity improved 8.9 dB; this result matches a prediction of 10.9 dB, based on a simple model, reasonably well. This level of improvement is considered significant for the applications under consideration (medical imaging and nondestructive evaluation). >
Treatment of Panic

The present review summarizes empirical developments in the psychosocial treatment of panic and panic disorder by focusing on four key themes that have been emphasized in this literature: (a) treatment efficacy, effectiveness, and innovation; (b) modulating and process variables in treatment; (c) effective dissemination of treatment; and (d) prevention of panic. Cognitive behavioral treatments (CBTs) for panic are very good, even in the context of comorbidity, but the level of efficacy does not appear to be increasing over time. Unfortunately, there have been relatively few substantive innovations in CBT protocols since the 1980s, and despite progress in the use of computer technology, dissemination of these treatments is lagging. The prevention of panic-spectrum psychopathology is a promising area linked with advances in the identification of panic-relevant risk factors that appear to modulate CBT outcomes.
A fast algorithm for backprojection with linear interpolation

In the filtered backprojection procedure for image reconstruction from projections, backprojection dominates the computation time. A simple algorithm that reduces the number of multiplications in linear interpolation and backprojection stage by 50%, with a small increase in the number of additions, is proposed. The algorithm performs the interpolation and backprojection of four views together. Examples of implementation are given and extension to interpolation of more than four views is discussed. >
Relationship between alcohol-related expectancies and anterior brain functioning in young men at risk for developing alcoholism.

This experiment examined the relationship between anterior brain functioning and alcohol-related expectancies. Ninety-one young men at risk for developing alcoholism were assessed on the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (AEQ) and administered neuropsychological and EEG tests. Three of the scales on the AEQ, including the "Enhanced Sexual Functioning" scale, the "Increased Social Assertiveness" scale, and items from the "Global/Positive Change scale," were used, because each of these scales has been found to discriminate alcohol-based expectancies adequately by at least two separate sets of investigators. Regression analysis found that anterior neuropsychological tests (including the Wisconsin Card Sorting test, the Porteus Maze test, the Controlled Oral Word Fluency test, and the Luria-Nebraska motor functioning tests) were predictive of the AEQ scale scores on regression analysis. One of the AEQ scales, "Enhanced Sexual Functioning," was also predicted by WAIS-R-Verbal scales, whereas the "Global/Positive" AEQ scale was predicted by the WAIS-R Performance scales. Regression analysis using EEG power as predictors found that left versus right hemisphere "difference" scores obtained from frontal EEG leads were predictive of the three AEQ scales. Conversely, parietal EEG power did not significantly predict any of the expectancy scales. It is concluded that anterior brain any of the expectancy scales. It is concluded that anterior brain functioning is associated with alcohol-related expectancies. These findings suggest that alcohol-related expectancy may be, in part, biologically determined by frontal/prefrontal systems, and that dysfunctioning in these systems may serve as a risk factor for the development of alcohol-related behaviors. Language: en
Retinoids regulate TGFβ signaling at the level of Smad2 phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation

Indirect regulation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta signaling by retinoids occurs on a long-term timescale, secondary to transcriptional events. Studies by our group show loss of retinoid X receptor (RXR) alpha results in increased TGFbeta2 in the midgestational heart, which may play a role in the cardiac defects seen in this model [S.W. Kubalak, D.R. Hutson, K.K. Scott and R.A. Shannon, Elevated transforming growth factor beta2 enhances apoptosis and contributes to abnormal outflow tract and aortic sac development in retinoic X receptor alpha knockout embryos, Development 129 (2002) 733-746.]. Acute and direct interactions between retinoid and TGFbeta signaling, however, are not clearly understood. Treatment of dispersed hearts and NIH3T3 cells for 1 h with TGFbeta and retinoids (dual treatment) resulted in increased phosphorylated Smad2 and Smad3 when compared to treatment with TGFbeta alone. Of all dual treatments, those with the RXR agonist Bexarotene, resulted in the highest level of phosphorylated Smad2, a 7-fold increase over TGFbeta2 alone. Additionally, during dual treatment phosphorylation of Smad2 occurs via the TGFbeta type I receptor but not by increased activation of the receptor. As loss of RXRalpha results in increased levels of Smad2 phosphorylation in response to TGFbeta treatment and since nuclear accumulation of phosphorylated Smad2 is decreased during dual treatment, we propose that RXRalpha directly regulates the activities of Smad2. These data show retinoid signaling influences the TGFbeta pathway in an acute and direct manner that has been unappreciated until now.
Reliable Aggregation of Boolean Crowdsourced Tasks

We propose novel algorithms for the problem of crowdsourcing binary labels. Such binary labeling tasks are very common in crowdsourcing platforms, for instance, to judge the appropriateness of web content or to flag vandalism. We propose two unsupervised algorithms: one simple to implement albeit derived heuristically, and one based on iterated bayesian parameter estimation of user reputation models. We provide mathematical insight into the benefits of the proposed algorithms over existing approaches, and we confirm these insights by showing that both algorithms offer improved performance on many occasions across both synthetic and real-world datasets obtained via Amazon Mechanical Turk.
Some Statistical Properties of Total Forage Consumption by Grazing Animals on a Rangeland

Owing to a variety of factors, the total forage consumed by grazing animals on a rangeland is a random variable. Although this fact has been recognized in the extant literature, to the best of our knowledge, there are no studies that have analyzed the statistical properties of this random variable. Therefore, we begin by constructing a stochastic model of forage consumption by grazing animals on a rangeland and then we shed light on two specific questions. First, we compute the mean and the variance of the total forage consumed by the grazing animals in a random time tau. Next, we show how the probability distribution function of the total forage consumed can be calculated recursively using a particular equation and an initial value condition.
SALIENT: stochastic, adaptive latency improvement for event notification trees

A challenge in massively multiplayer online games is the need for game event information to be quickly disseminated to all participants. Because of the cost and scalability limitations of centralized servers, peer-to-peer technologies have been adopted in which peers serve both to reconcile conflicting actions and to relay the events to other peers. This manuscript introduces Stochastic, Adaptive Latency Improvement for Event Notification Trees (SALIENT), which provides a method for constructing and maintaining a peer-to-peer event notification tree. SALIENT is a distributed algorithm that uses a number of independent mechanisms that work over time to incrementally make improvements to the event notification tree. In random networks of various sizes, SALIENT was found to greatly reduce experienced latency, typically as much as 40-60% reduction in event delays. In addition, SALIENT has bandwidth management strategies that help avoid situations of bandwidth overload, allowing many more participants to participate despite limited participant bandwidth.
A COMPARATIVE APPROACH TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONCEPT MAPS IN PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS BETWEEN AUSTRALIAN AND USA STUDENTS

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of concept maps as a teaching and learning tool in Principles of Microeconomics lectures and tutorials in two different countries, Australia and USA. While Australian students found concept mapping as a tool for understanding concepts in economics, they did not extend the effectiveness of this tool in exam preparation and in other subjects. USA students valued concept maps relatively less than Australian students. We provide two explanations. First, there may be differences in prior training between Australian and USA students. Second, there were significant differences in class structure as the link between collaborative study-groups and the construction of concept maps was not maintained in the case of USA students.
Comments on “Paternalism and Health Care”

Professor Graber urges us to keep paternalism to an absolute minimum in all areas of life. It would be easier to assess this injuction if he had explained more clearly what paternalism is.
Reply to Kelder et al.: Does the dorsal mesenchymal protrusion act as a temporary pacemaker during heart development?

This is a response to a letter by Kelder et al. (1). We thank Kelder et al. (1) for sharing their valuable insights into the development of atrioventricular (AV) junction. In response to their comments, our replies are as follows. The anatomical identity of the derivatives of dorsal mesenchymal protrusion (DMP) in our studies is in agreement with that described previously (2,–5), which can be mapped by Mef2c-AHF-Cre (3, 5), and was also shown to be overlapped with Shox2 expression (2). We also found that Shox2 is co-expressed with Hcn4, Nkx2–5, and cTnT in the DMP derivatives at E11.0 (Fig. 1). The origin of cells that contribute to the compact AV node (AVN) is still controversial. In the letter by Kelder et al. (1), the authors argued that the CTNI+/HCN4+/ISL1+ domain shown in the accompanying figure represents the putative AVN region. However, fate mapping by Isl1-Cre identified only a small subset of AVN cells that are derived from Isl1-expressing cells (6). Thus, whether the CTNI+/HCN4+/ISL1+ domain described by the authors is the primordial AVN warrants further validation. FIGURE 1. Shox2 expression overlaps with Nkx2–5, Hcn4, and cTnT in the atrioventricular junction at E11.5. A and B, adjacent sections show co-staining of Shox2 (α-HA), Nkx2–5, Hcn4, and cTnT in the DMP of an E11.5 Shox2HA/+ embryo that carries ... In addition, in our studies, we showed that Shox2-expressing cells do not contribute to the AVN by fate mapping using Shox2Cre allele (2). Importantly, in our recent studies, we do not observe AV block or a severe change of P-R intervals in the episodes of normal P wave configuration, signs of normal AVN function, in Shox2Nkx2–5Cre mice in which Shox2 is ablated in Nkx2–5-expressing domains including the AVN (Ye, W. and Chen, Y., submitted for publication). Based on these pieces of evidence, we stand on our original conclusion that Shox2 regulates DMP development.
Erythropoiesis in preleukemia.

Bone marrow cells from seven patients with preleukemia and two with erythroleukemia were cultured in vitro to characterize erythropoiesis and erythropoietin responsiveness in these disorders. The methylcellulose plate technique was used to clone erythroid progenitors, and the results were compared to data obtained from studies on five healthy volunteers. Erythroid colonies formed in cultures from all patients and controls, and a clear erythropoietin dose-response effect was observable in each case. The erythroid cloning efficiency of bone marrow cells from the preleukemia patients varied considerably and in some cases was greater than normal. The erythropoietin dose-response relationships were linear on a log-log plot over the erythropoietin concentrations tested (0.05-2.0 U/ml), and linear regression equations generated for each patient and patient group had excellent fits. The mean slopes of the regression lines for preleukemia, polycythemia vera, and normal were not statistically different, suggesting that erythroid precursors in these disorders have similar erythropoietin responsiveness in vitro. Increased cloning was observed with the addition of dexamethasone (10-9 M) to cultures, indicating that glucocorticoid sensitivity was retained by erythroid colony-forming cells in these disorders. These studies show that red cell precursors in preleukemia and erythroleukemia are capable of colony formation in vitro and show erythropoietin responsiveness. The findings also suggest that the marrow pool of erythroid colony-forming cells may be expanded in some cases of preleukemia and that erythroid colony formation in vitro is not correlated with effective erythropoiesis in vivo.
Unacquainted callers can predict which citizens will vote over and above citizens’ stated self-predictions

People are regularly asked to report on their likelihoods of carrying out consequential future behaviors, including complying with medical advice, completing educational assignments, and voting in upcoming elections. Despite these stated self-predictions being notoriously unreliable, they are used to inform many strategic decisions. We report two studies examining stated self-prediction about whether citizens will vote. We find that most self-predicted voters do not actually vote despite saying they will, and that campaign callers can discern which self-predicted voters will not actually vote. In study 1 (n = 4,463), self-predicted voters rated by callers as “100% likely to vote” were 2 times more likely to actually vote than those rated unlikely to vote. Study 2 (n = 3,064) replicated this finding and further demonstrated that callers’ prediction accuracy was mediated by citizens’ nonverbal signals of uncertainty and deception. Strangers can use nonverbal signals to improve predictions of follow through on self-reported intentions—an insight of potential value for politics, medicine, and education.
Instrument Identification Informed Multi-Track Mixing.

Although digital music production technology has become more accessible over the years, the tools are complex and often difficult to navigate, resulting in a large learning curve for new users. This paper approaches the task of automated multi-track mixing from the perspective of applying common practices based on the instrument types present in a mixture. We apply basic principles to each track automatically, varying the parameters of gain, stereo panning, and coarse equalization. Assuming all instruments are known, a small listening evaluation is completed on the mixed tracks to validate the assumptions of the mixing model. This work represents an exploratory analysis into the efficacy of a hierarchical approach to multi-track mixing using instrument class as a guide to processing techniques.
How may quality of life for rheumatoid arthritis patients be enhanced by current and future treatments

Health-related quality of life is best thought of simply as 'health'. Life quality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is affected, for good or ill, by treatment effects. Health status now is readily and validly measurable, using the Health Assessment Questionnaire or other instruments. Disability and pain are reduced by disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) much more than by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Toxicity considerations vary among individual drugs but are roughly comparable between NSAIDs and DMARDs, mandating DMARD-based treatment strategies. Future therapies must accentuate the positives (reduction in pain and disability) while reducing the negatives (unwanted effects) if the health of RA patients is to be improved.
Astrocyte Reactivity Following Blast Exposure Involves Aberrant Histone Acetylation

Blast induced neurotrauma (BINT) is a prevalent injury within military and civilian populations. The injury is characterized by persistent inflammation at the cellular level which manifests as a multitude of cognitive and functional impairments. Epigenetic regulation of transcription offers an important control mechanism for gene expression and cellular function which may underlie chronic inflammation and result in neurodegeneration. We hypothesize that altered histone acetylation patterns may be involved in blast induced inflammation and the chronic activation of glial cells. This study aimed to elucidate changes to histone acetylation occurring following injury and the roles these changes may have within the pathology. Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to either a 10 or 17 psi blast overpressure within an Advanced Blast Simulator. Sham animals underwent the same procedures without blast exposure. Memory impairments were measured using the Novel Object Recognition (NOR) test at two and seven days post-injury. Tissues were collected at seven days for Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis. Sham animals showed in-tact memory at each time point. The novel object discrimination decreased significantly between two and seven days for each injury group (p<0.05). This is indicative of the onset of memory impairment. Western blot analysis showed glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a known marker of activated astrocytes, was elevated in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) following blast exposure for both injury groups. Analysis of histone protein extract showed no changes in the level of any total histone proteins within the PFC. However, acetylation levels of histone H2b, H3, and H4 were decreased in both groups (p<0.05). Co-localization immunofluorescence was used to further investigate any potential correlation between decreased histone acetylation and astrocyte activation. These experiments showed a similar decrease in H3 acetylation in astrocytes exposed to a 17 psi blast but not a 10 psi blast. Further investigation of gene expression by PCR array, showed dysregulation of several cytokine and cytokine receptors that are involved in neuroinflammatory processes. We have shown aberrant histone acetylation patterns involved in blast induced astrogliosis and cognitive impairments. Further understanding of their role in the injury progression may lead to novel therapeutic targets.
The J-Dependence of the Vector Analyzing Power of % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaagCart1ev2aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaaiikaiqads% gagaWcaiaacYcacaWGUbGaaiykaaaa!39EB!$$(\vec d,n)$$ Reactions on 58Ni and 60Ni

It has been shown1) that the vector analyzing power for \((\vec d,p)\) stripping reactions on f-p shell nuclei is a reliable indicator of the total angular momentum of the transferred neutron, jn. For a given value of ln, iT11 for jn =ln+1/2 and jn = ln-1/2 is opposite in sign. This j-dependence has been used to make spin assignments for nuclear levels populated by the \((\vec d,p)\) reaction. In this paper we report measurements of angular distributions of cross section and vector analyzing power iT11 for the reactions 58Ni\((\vec d,n)\) 59Cu and 6oNi\((\vec d,n)\) 61Cu. The purpose of these measurements was to investigate the j-dependence of iT11 for transitions with lp = 1 and 3.
The SAV1322 gene from Staphylococcus aureus : genomic and proteomic approaches to identification and characterization of gene function

Bacterial two-component regulatory systems (TCRS) are associated with the expression of virulence factors and antibiotic susceptibility. In Staphylococcus aureus, 16 TCRS types have been identified. The histidine kinase/response regulator SAV1321/SAV1322 in the S. aureus shares considerable homology with the TCRS DesKR in Bacillus subtilis. However, a function for the SAV1322 locus has not yet been assigned. Deletion of the SAV1322 locus in S. aureus results in reduced growth when cultured under low (25 °C) and high (46 °C) temperature conditions. The sav1322 deletion mutant is more tolerant to oxidative stress in vitro and is less pathogenic in a murine infection model when compared with wild-type parent strain Mu50. Furthermore, the sav1322 mutant exhibits lower MICs for gentimicin, tetracyclines and glycopeptides, increased autolysis, and a thinner cell wall when compared with the wild-type strain. Microarray and proteomic analyses show that the expression of cell-wall-associated genes glmS and murZ are lower, and the expression of heat shock and stress-related genes (hrcA, ctsR, dnaK, dnaJ, grpE, clpB, and clpC) are higher in the sav1322 mutant when compared with the wild-type strain. In addition, the sav1322 mutant displays altered expression of proteins involved in carbohydrate/energy metabolism, cell wall metabolism, and stress or heat shock response, as well as other metabolic processes including lipid metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, purine or pyrimidine metabolism, transcription, and protein biosynthesis. The S. aureus SAV1322 locus plays a pronounced role in temperature adaptation, antibiotic resistance, and virulence by regulating a wide range of genes and proteins involved in metabolism and stress tolerance.
The Boltzmann Equation

The phase coordinate of a particle is its position and momentum: \((\vec{r},\vec{p}\:)\). It is a six-dimensional variable, \(\left (x,y,z,p_{x},p_{y},p_{z}\right )\), a point in a six-dimensional phase space. In this book, instead of momentum \(\vec{p}\) we will mostly use two variables: particle energy E and a unit vector: \(\vec{\Omega } =\vec{ p}/\vert \vec{p}\:\vert\), that defines the direction of particle travel. This increases the number of variables to seven: \(\left (x,y,z,\Omega _{x},\Omega _{y},\Omega _{z},E\right )\). However, the dimensionality remains six, that is, only six variables are independent because \(\vec{\Omega }\) is a unit vector:
Fresh Produce Treated by Power Ultrasound

Consumption of fruits and vegetables is a practical and important way to reduce disease risk and maximize good health. However, fresh produce is also recognized as the cause of most foodborne illnesses in the United States. Foodborne illness outbreaks bring about significant losses to the produce growers and the economy. In addition, recurring produce-related outbreaks erode consumer confidence in fresh produce and negatively impact the long-term development of the produce industry. Over the years, many strategies have been developed to reduce the risk of microbial contamination of produce. The preventive controls that have been developed and tested to reduce microbial risk include chemical sanitizers and physical intervention technologies, such as UV light, cold plasma, and power ultrasound. Ultrasound is mechanical waves having a frequency above the threshold of human hearing. Ultrasound-assisted washing of fresh produce has shown enhanced sanitation efficacy mainly due to the physical effects of acoustic cavitation. In this chapter, the principles of ultrasound-enhanced sanitation, its efficacy, the instruments used in ultrasound-assisted sanitation research and test, and the effects of ultrasound treatment on the quality of fresh produce will be discussed.
Increasing the robustness of islanded CERTS microgrids with PV microsources and gensets during dynamic overload conditions

Islanded mixed-source CERTS microgrids that include photovoltaic (PV) microsources and natural gas gensets are vulnerable to the collapse of the dc bus voltage in the CERTS-compatible PV microsources designed with voltage-source characteristics during dynamic overload conditions. Control techniques tailored to prevent the bus voltage collapse are explored. Simulation and experimental verification using an islanded CERTS microgrid exhibit well-behaved transient responses to load steps, while the PV array is controlled to harvest the maximum available energy before and after the steps. The importance of both physical and control parameters including the shaft inertia, the genset speed governor, and the dc bus minimum voltage controller gains are demonstrated using both simulation and experimental results. Additional insights into the effects of these parameters on system stability are provided using small-signal analysis.
Tracing the Threads of the Web: The Epidemiology of Interconnections Among Forms of Violence and Victimization

Interconnections among types of violence are embodied in such well-known concepts as the “intergenerational transmission of violence” and “criminal careers”. Some specific linkages have been the focus of considerable attention. For example, in psychology, the “spillover” of aggression from interparental to parent–child relationships has been well documented, and in criminology, there long has been interest in identifying criminal “specialists” versus criminal “generalists” who commit multiple types of crimes.
A Bayesian approach to assessing expected utility in the simulation decision

The study of the complex relationship between simulation and reality is a defining characteristic that differentiates simulation science from science that uses simulation. Significant progress has been made toward a robust understanding of accuracy in this relationship. Although broadly accepted by the community as an important consideration, how a simulation is, or is to be, used has received less rigorous attention. Decision theory provides a mathematical structure to define use that is suitable to inform decision-making using models and simulations. Posed in this way, use is essentially formulated in the style of a decision problem within the context of theoretical computer science. While decision theory is useful to frame the decision problem, quantifying error remains as a key challenge that must be resolved before a meaningful evaluation of expected value or expected utility can be calculated. In this paper we demonstrate the use of Bayes Rule to update the probability estimates for the various outcomes framed in the decision problem, given a known simulation response, as additional evidence becomes available.
Johnny Foy: Wordsworth's Imaginative Hero

In the advertisement to the 1798 edition of Lyrical Ballads, William Wordsworth requests that we “consent to be pleased in spite of that most dreadful enemy to our pleasures, our own pre-established codes of decision.”1 And yet many readers decline—even stubbornly refuse—to be pleased by several of the poems. In particular, “The Idiot Boy” has frustrated, confused, or offended readers since its first appearance in print. John Wilson, a devoted fan, wrote to the poet in 1802, “[A]mong all the people ever I knew to have read this poem, I never met one who did not rise rather displeased from the perusal of it.”2 Byron satirized the poem, implicitly comparing Wordsworth to his intellectually disabled hero: “[A]ll who view the ‘idiot in his glory’, / Conceive the Bard the hero of the story.”3 Contemporary scholars like Geoffrey Hartman continue to echo Byron’s comparison: “[T]he poet’s obvious pleasure while narrating . . . draws too much attention to Wordsworth’s own ‘burring.’”4 Indeed, Wordsworth’s pleasure shows in every bouncy line; in 1843 he famously recalled that, “[I]n truth, I never wrote anything with so much glee.”5 But to attribute Johnny’s disability to Wordsworth, however glibly, oversimplifies the poet’s complex appropriation of intellectual disability as an image of the poetic imagination and forecloses the possibility of enjoying the poem beyond dismissive laughter at the poet’s expense. For readers willing to distinguish Wordsworth from Johnny and from the narrator, “The Idiot Boy” offers a double pleasure, both satirical and sublime. As Brooke Hopkins points out, the poem’s pleasure comes from Wordsworth’s fulfillment of his objective in Lyrical Ballads to “purify the hearts of [his] readers by awakening them to the wonder that was, literally, right in front of their eyes” (Hopkins’s italics).6 As Samuel Taylor Coleridge writes, Wordsworth seeks to “give the charm of novelty to things of every day . . . by awakening the mind’s attention from the lethargy of custom.”7 “The Idiot Boy” accomplishes this by surprising us with sublimity where we expect only silliness and imagination where we expect only idiocy. Whereas Byron and Hartman compare Wordsworth and Johnny to the former’s detriment, contemporary scholars have been increasingly
EFFECTS OF PROTECTIVE CLOTHING ON THE SKIN PENETRATION OF XENOBIOTICS

Systemic absorption following dermal exposure to chemicals is potentially hazardous. The ability of several glove materials to reduce skin permeation of a variety of compounds (including agrochemical and cosmetic materials) has been determined using excised human skin in vitro. In addition to monitoring permeation through glove materials, skin and glove/skin combinations, the uptake of chemicals into glove materials was evaluated. The results demonstrated that realistic performance evaluation procedures for protective materials must take into account many factors. There are numerous questions to be considered other than straightforward permeation of chemicals through glove materials and the availability of additional information pertaining to such actual and potential hazards would aid selection of appropriate materials and increase safety margins.
Trajectory Optimization: A Survey

A survey of numerical methods for trajectory optimization. The goal of this survey is to describe typical methods that have been developed over the years for optimal trajectory generation. In addition, this survey describes modern software tools that have been developed for solving trajectory optimization problems. Finally, a discussion is given on how to choose a method.
Models of Regulation

The functioning of living systems depends on proper regulation of the multiplicity of pathways in the cell and between cells. Whether it be determination of the right time for DNA replication and cell division, transcription of DNA into RNA to produce the proteins needed for various life-cycle stages and for reaction to environmental cues, response to external and internal signals, or development from unicellular to multicellular stages of an organism, proper regulation of a myriad of chemical reactions and noncovalent interactions is essential to life. Much of modern molecular and cellular biology has been devoted to understanding regulation.
Fungal infections in pediatric neurosurgery

Invasive mycosis of the central nervous system represent a diverse group of diseases that have gradually emerged as not only opportunistic infections in patients with immune susceptibility due to congenital and acquired deficiency, immunomodulation, solid organ and stem cell transplantation, hematological malignancies, and chronic steroid use but also in selected risk populations such as low weight preterm infants, patients with shunted hydrocephalus and external ventricular drainages, skull base surgery, and head injury. The purpose of this review is to familiarize the pediatric neurosurgeon with the most common mycosis and their clinical scenarios which can be encountered in the clinical practice, with special emphasis on clinical, radiological, and laboratory diagnosis beyond classical microorganism cultures as well as options in medical and surgical treatment given the high incidence of morbidity and mortality associated with these challenging entities. We conducted an online database review (Ovid, PubMed) gathering relevant English language literature published in the last 20 years with special emphasis on recent breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of invasive mycosis of the CNS as well as reported cases within the pediatric neurosurgical literature and their surgical management. Fungal agents capable of invading the CNS can behave as aggressive entities with rapid progression manifesting as overwhelming meningoencephalitis with vascular compromise or can lead to space-occupying lesions with abscess formation which require prompt diagnosis by either laboratory identification of the components of these biological agents and their host response or by obtaining tissue specimens for microbiological identification which may not be straightforward due to prolonged culture time. Following a high degree of suspicion with prompt initiation of antifungal agents and reversal of potential immunosuppressant therapies along with neurosurgical evacuation of intracranial collections or removal of infected hardware (CSF shunts) can lead to more optimistic outcomes of these complex clinical scenarios.
Seismic airgun sound propagation in Arctic Ocean waveguides

Abstract Underwater recordings of seismic airgun surveys in the deep-water Beaufort Sea and on the shallow-water Chukchi Sea shelf were made from sites on the continental slope and shelf break north-northwest of Point Barrow, Alaska. Airgun pulses from the deep-water survey were recorded more than 500 km away, and from the shallow-water survey up to ~100 km. In the deep-water, received sound pressure levels show spherical spreading propagation; whereas, sound exposure levels exhibit cylindrical spreading propagation. Over the shallow-water shelf, transmission losses were much greater than spherical spreading, due to energy loss in the seafloor. Understanding how sound propagates across large spatial scales in the Arctic Ocean is important for better management and mitigation of anthropogenic noise pollution in marine soundscapes, especially as diminished ice in the Arctic Ocean allows for longer range sound propagation.
TST: An Effective Approach to Extract Trend Feature in Stock Time Series

Trend representation of stock time series in linear fashion is a fundamental task for the neural network to learn the trend features from stock price fluctuations. Since the threshold error as initial parameters of Piecewise Linear Approximation is designated based on experience, in order to effectively extract the trend information from the subsequence of time series of stock price which is suitable for training, we have proposed a systematic approach combining Trend Manual Selection, Segmentation Algorithm and Training Error Feedback as a series of techniques (TST). Firstly, the ideal turning points in stock time series are manually selected by expert knowledge and experience, then the trend feature representation is generated via segmentation algorithm utilizing PLA and then using RNN to extract the trend information from prepared representation. The results show that this approach will assist segmentation algorithms to find a reasonable value of threshold error with ideal trend features. Through applying TST, it can be targeted to improve effectiveness of the piecewise linear representation of segmentation algorithms on stock time series, as well as to improve the overall ability of neural networks to identify the trend feature from selected time series of stock prices. Furthermore, the threshold error of PLA can be reevaluated by determining the minimum training error so as to obtain proper piecewise linear segmentation of trend representation in stock time series more suitable for learning.
The POLST Paradox: Opportunities and Challenges in Honoring Patient End-of-Life Wishes in the Emergency Department

Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment forms convert patient wishes into physician orders to direct care patients receive near the end of life. Recent evidence of the challenges and opportunities for honoring patient end-of-life wishes in the emergency department (ED) is presented. The forms can be very helpful in directing whether cardiopulmonary resuscitation and intubation are desired in the first few minutes of a patient's presentation. After initial stabilization, understanding the intent of end-of-life orders and the scope of further interventions requires discussion with the patient or a surrogate. The emergency medicine provider must be committed both to honoring initial resuscitation orders and to the conversations required to narrow the gap between ED care and patient wishes so that people receive care best aligned with their wishes.
Procedures for Construction of Scales for Rating Counselor Outcomes.

The development of rating scales to measure counseling process and outcome is reported in three studies.
Investigations of the reaction mechanisms of 1,2-indanediones with amino acids.

The reaction mechanisms of amino acids with a new class of fluorogenic reagents were investigated. The structures of colored and fluorescent species formed in these reactions were partially confirmed by experimental evidence. Reaction intermediates, C−N−C 1,3-dipoles derived from imines, were trapped with dipolarophiles in 3 + 2 cycloadditions to form spiropyrrolidines.
Twelve Years a Servant: Race and the Student Evaluation of Teaching

AbstractThe end of year student course evaluations (SETs), the dreaded final act of a semester of teaching and learning that serves the “supposed” purpose of evaluating a course and its instructor....
Perineal Laceration and Episiotomy Repair Using a Beef Tongue Model.

Introduction Declining rates of operative vaginal deliveries and routine episiotomy in obstetric practice, along with rising cesarean section rates, have decreased OB/GYN resident experience with e...
State Laws and Regulations Addressing Nurse-Initiated Protocols and Use of Nurse-Initiated Protocols in Emergency Departments: A Mixed-methods Cross-sectional Survey Study

Abstract Introduction State regulations may impede the use of nurse-initiated protocols to begin life-saving treatments when patients arrive to the emergency department. In crowding and small-scale disaster events, this could translate to life and death practice differences. Nevertheless, research demonstrates nurses do utilize nurse-initiated protocols despite legal prohibitions. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of the state regulatory environment as expressed in nurse practice acts and interpretive statements prohibiting the use of nurse-initiated protocols with hospital use of nurse-initiated protocols in emergency departments. Methods A mixed-methods approach was used with a cross-sectional nationwide survey. The independent variable categorized the location of the hospital in states that have a protocol prohibition. Outcomes included protocols for blood laboratory tests, x-rays, over the counter medication, and electrocardiograms. A second analysis was completed with New York State alone because this state has the strongest language prohibiting nurse-initiated protocols. Results 350 surveys from 48 states and the District of Columbia were received. A hospital was more likely to have policies supporting nurse-initiated protocols if they were not in a state with scope of practice prohibitions. Four qualitative categories emerged: advantages, approval, prohibition, and conditions under which protocols can be used. Prohibitive language was associated with less protocol use for emergency care. Conclusion State scope of practice inconsistencies create misalignment with emergency nurse education and training, which may impede timely care and contribute to inequalities and inefficiencies in emergency care. In addition, prohibitive language places practicing nurses responding to emergencies in crowded work environments at risk.
Chapter 16 – Cognitive Biases in Social Anxiety Disorder

Psychopathologists have been greatly influenced by information-processing models of emotional disorders that suggest preferential processing of threat-relevant information underlie these disorders. Meta-analyses now show that information-processing biases do characterize anxious individuals. More specifically, anxious individuals preferentially attend to threat-relevant information as well as interpreting ambiguous information as threatening. There is also some evidence that there is preferential memory for social information in socially anxious individuals. By far the majority of this research has examined the correlational nature of these cognitive biases and anxiety. However, since the second edition of this book, accumulating evidence suggests that such biases may play a causal role in the development and maintenance of social anxiety disorders. In previous editions, we introduced the concept of experimental approaches to modifying information-processing biases and presented preliminary evidence suggesting the utility of these interventions. Since the last edition of this chapter, the field has witnessed a surge of interest in the modification of cognitive biases in social anxiety. This research has largely focused on attentional bias modification, although research is beginning to accumulate examining the efficacy of interpretation bias modification in reducing social anxiety symptoms. Together these studies suggest that information-processing biases may be causally implicated in social anxiety. Relative to attention and interpretation, research on memory biases in social anxiety lags behind. In this chapter, we summarize the evidence for information-processing biases that may characterize socially anxious individuals. For each domain, we provide a review of the literature and suggest areas of future research.
Treatment of Male Sexual Partners of Women With Bacterial Vaginosis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Background We aimed to determine if treatment of male sexual partners of women with recurrent bacterial vaginosis (BV) with oral metronidazole 2×/day for 7 days (ie, multidose metronidazole) significantly decreased BV recurrence rates in the female. Methods This was a multicenter, 2-arm, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Women with recurrent BV and current diagnosis of BV by Amsel and Nugent were enrolled. Multidose metronidazole for 7 days was dispensed to women. Male partners were randomized to placebo versus multidose metronidazole for 7 days and asked to refrain from unprotected sex for 14 days. Female follow-up visits were conducted at day 21 and 8 and 16 weeks. Male follow-up visits occurred at days 14-21. BV cure was defined as 0-2 Amsel criteria and Nugent score 0-6 in the female partner with the primary endpoint at 16 weeks. Results 214 couples were enrolled. In the intent-to-treat population, there was no significant difference between treatment arms for the primary outcome. BV treatment failure occurred in 81% and 80% of women in the metronidazole and placebo arms through the third follow-up visit, respectively (P > .999). However, women whose male partners adhered to study medication were less likely to fail treatment (adjusted relative risk, .85; 95% CI, .73-.99; P = .035). This finding persisted in post hoc comparisons in the metronidazole arm. Conclusions Overall, this study did not find that male partner treatment with multidose metronidazole significantly reduces BV recurrence in female partners, although women whose partners adhered to multidose metronidazole were less likely to fail treatment. Clinical trials registration (NCT02209519).
“Thanks for hearing me out”: Voices of social work students during COVID-19

AbstractAs social work educators and students, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted our teaching and learning in challenging ways. We embarked on a qualitative research study to better understand the way...
To nap or not to nap: excessive daytime napping is associated with elevated evening cortisol in nursing home residents with dementia.

Background:Alterations in the sleep–wake cycle, including daytime napping, are consistently reported in persons with dementia (PWD). A dysregulation in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis...
Modeling Retest Effects in Developmental Processes Using Latent Change Score Models

Studying development processes, as they unfold over time, involves collecting repeated measures from individuals and modeling the changes over time. One methodological challenge in this type of lon...
The Scourge of Demons: Possession, Lust, and Witchcraft in a Seventeenth-Century Italian Convent

In 1636, residents at the convent of Santa Chiara in Carpi in northern Italy were struck by an extraordinary illness that provoked bizarre behavior. Eventually numbering fourteen, the afflicted nuns were subject to screaming fits, throwing themselves on the floor, and falling abruptly into a deep sleep. When medical experts' cures proved ineffective, exorcists ministered to the women and concluded that they were possessed by demons and the victims of witchcraft. Catering to women from elite families, the nunnery suffered much turmoil for three years and, remarkably, three of the victims died from their ills. A maverick nun and a former confessor were widely suspected to be responsible, through witchcraft, for these woes. Based primarily on the exhaustive investigation by the Inquisition of Modena, The Scourge of Demons examines this fascinating case in its historical context. The travails of Santa Chiara occurred at a time when Europe witnessed peaks in both witch-hunting and in the numbers of people reputedly possessed by demons. Female religious figures appeared particularly prone to demonic attacks, and Counter-Reformation Church authorities were especially interested in imposing stricter discipline on convents. Watt carefully considers how the nuns of Santa Chiara understood and experienced alleged possession and witchcraft, concluding that Santa Chiara's diabolical troubles and their denouement -- involving the actions of nuns, confessors, inquisitorial authorities, and exorcists -- were profoundly shaped by the unique confluence of religious, cultural, judicial, and intellectual trends that flourished in the 1630s.
The Subject Matters: Classroom Activity in Math and Social Studies

To achieve quality education in American schools, we need a better understanding of the way classroom instruction works. Susan S. Stodolsky addresses this need with her pioneering analysis of the interrelations between forms of instruction, levels of student involvement, and subject matter. Her intensive observation of fifth-grade math and social studies classes reveals that subject matter, a variable overlooked in recent research, has a profound effect on instructional practice. Stodolsky presents a challenge to educational research. She shows that classroom activities are coherent actions shaped by the instructional context especially what is taught. Stodolsky contradicts the received view of both teaching and learning as uniform and consistent. Individual teachers arrange instruction very differently, depending on what they are teaching, and students respond to instruction very differently, depending on the structure and demands of the lesson. The instructional forms used in math classes, a "basic" subject, and social studies classes, an "enrichment" subject, differ even when the same teacher conducts both classes. Social studies classes show more diversity in activities, while math classes are very similar to one another. Greater variety is found in social studies within a given teacher's class and when different teachers' classes are compared. Nevertheless, in the classrooms Stodolsky studied, the range of instructional arrangements is very constricted. Challenging the "back to basics" movement, Stodolsky's study indicates that, regardless of subject matter, students are more responsive to instruction that requires a higher degree of intellectual complexity and performance, to learning situations that involve them in interaction with their peers, and to active modes of learning. Stodolsky also argues that students develop ideas about how to learn a school subject, such as math, by participating in particular activities tied to instruction in the subject. These conceptions about learning are unplanned but enduring and significant consequences of schooling. "The Subject Matters" has important implications for instructional practice and the training, education, and supervision of teachers. Here is a new way of understanding the dynamics of teaching and learning that will transform how we think about schools and how we study them. "