cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of elevated vacuum on in-socket residual limb fluid volume: Case study results using bioimpedance analysis

Bioimpedance analysis was used to measure the residual limb fluid volume of seven transtibial amputee subjects using elevated vacuum sockets and nonelevated vacuum sockets. Fluid volume changes were assessed during sessions with the subjects sitting, standing, and walking. In general, fluid volume losses during 3 or 5 min walks and losses over the course of the 30 min test session were less for elevated vacuum than for suction. Numerous variables, including the time of day that data were collected, soft tissue consistency, socket-to-limb size and shape differences, and subject health, may have affected the results and had an equivalent or greater effect on limb fluid volume compared with elevated vacuum. Researchers should well consider these variables in the study design of future investigations on the effects of elevated vacuum on residual limb volume.
Emotional Labor in Academia: The Case of Professors:

Most professors divide their time between teaching, research, service, and, for some, administration. As in the nonacademic labor market, there is a gendered reward structure in academia. Teaching and service are most closely aligned with characteristics and behaviors culturally defined as feminine, and, in the aggregate, women spend more time in these activities than men. Teaching and service clearly involve substantial amounts of emotional labor, but this labor is generally not seen as involving valued skills and is conse quently poorly rewarded. In contrast, research and administration are associated with traits culturally defined as masculine, and, on average, men spend more time in these activities. Although research and administration also involve emotional labor, their emotional aspects are largely ignored, while intellectual, technical, or leadership skills are emphasized and highly compensated. Aside from differences in the propensity of women and men to engage in different activities and the gen...
Coordinated control of multiple prefetchers in multi-core systems

Aggressive prefetching is very beneficial for memory latency tolerance of many applications. However, it faces significant challenges in multi-core systems. Prefetchers of different cores on a chip multiprocessor (CMP) can cause significant interference with prefetch and demand accesses of other cores. Because existing prefetcher throttling techniques do not address this prefetcher-caused inter-core interference, aggressive prefetching in multi-core systems can lead to significant performance degradation and wasted bandwidth consumption. To make prefetching effective in CMPs, this paper proposes a low-cost mechanism to control prefetcher-caused inter-core interference by dynamically adjusting the aggressiveness of multiple cores' prefetchers in a coordinated fashion. Our solution consists of a hierarchy of prefetcher aggressiveness control structures that combine per-core (local) and prefetcher-caused inter-core (global) interference feedback to maximize the benefits of prefetching on each core while optimizing overall system performance. These structures improve system performance by 23% while reducing bus traffic by 17% compared to employing aggressive prefetching and improve system performance by 14% compared to a state-of-the-art prefetcher aggressiveness control technique on an eight-core system.
Juvenile Recruitment of Oak Toads (Anaxyrus quercicus) Varies with Time-Since-Fire in Seasonal Ponds

Abstract The direct and indirect effects of fire on different life stages of amphibians are poorly understood and difficult to predict given interspecific variation in physiology and life history. We investigated how time-since-fire (TSF) of seasonal ponds embedded within Florida scrub habitat affected growth, development, and survival of larval Oak Toads (Anaxyrus quercicus). We selected 12 ponds at Archbold Biological Station on the southern Lake Wales Ridge, Florida: four burned within the last 4 mo, four burned 3–4 yr ago, and four burned 11 yr ago. We hatched and reared three clutches of Oak Toads in the laboratory for 2 wk and then sorted larvae into groups of 24 having equal representation from each clutch. We randomly assigned groups of larvae to 0.22-m3 mesh field enclosures in each pond (n = 2–3 enclosures per pond) and measured environmental variables that might contribute to observed amphibian responses including pH, temperature, and periphyton growth. After 15 d, when larvae began metamorphos...
Relationship between supersymmetry and solvable potentials.

We investigate whether a general class of solvable potentials, the Natanzon potentials (those potentials whose solutions are hypergeometric functions), and their supersymmetric partner potentials are related by a discrete reparametrization invariance called ``shape invariance'' discovered by Genden- shtein. We present evidence that this is not the case in general. Instead we find that the Natanzon class of potentials is not the most general class of solvable potentials but instead belongs to a wider class of potentials generated by supersymmetry and factorization whose eigenfunctions are sums of hypergeometric functions. The series of Hamiltonians, together with the corresponding supersymmetric charges form the graded Lie algebra sl(1/1)\ensuremath{\bigotimes}SU(2). We also present a strategy for solving, in a limited domain, the discrete reparametrization invariance equations connected with ``shape invariance.''
An Algorithm for the Construction and Evaluation of Feasible Schedules

An algorithm for the generation of feasible schedules and the computation of the completion times of the job operations of feasible schedule is presented. Using this algorithm, the distribution of schedule times over the set of feasible schedule---or a subset of feasible schedules---was determined for technological orderings that could occur in a general machine shop. These distributions are found to be approximately normal. Biasing techniques corresponding to “first come first serve,” random choice of jobs ready at each machine and combinations of these two extremes were used to compute distributions of schedule times. In all the experiments “first come first serve” appears the best in the sense that convergence to the minimum is fastest and the smallest. The work presented in this paper is supported by the AEC Computing and Applied Mathematics Center, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, under Contract AT30-l-1480 with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.
Basic considerations for geriatric footwear

Proper and appropriate shoes that fit well can help keep elderly patients walking. Footwear is needed for protection and should permit the patient to function as normally as possible. The shoe must function as a unit with the patient and be compatible with and supportive to the patient's functional requirements and ambulatory needs. Though selecting shoes for older patients should always place comfort and function above style, patients also need to function in society, making intelligent compromise a consideration for the patient's overall welfare.
Factors Associated with Sexual Orientation and Gender Disparities in Chronic Pain Among U.S. Adolescents and Young Adults.

This research investigated factors associated with sexual orientation disparities in chronic pain frequency among youth. Data were analyzed from 4534 female and 3785 male youth from Waves I–IV (1995–2009) of the U.S. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Gender-stratified weighted logistic regression models controlled for sociodemographic characteristics and included sexual orientation (primary predictor) and frequency of three types of chronic pain (outcomes). Models with sexual orientation only were compared to models with factors hypothesized to increase or decrease risk of pain. Significant odds ratios (OR) for chronic pain frequency (daily/weekly vs. rarely) with confidence intervals (CI) and associated factors are reported. Compared to same-gender heterosexual females, mostly heterosexuals were more likely to report headaches (OR = 1.40, CI = 1.09, 1.79) and mostly heterosexuals and bisexuals were more likely to report muscle/joint pain (mostly heterosexual OR = 1.69, CI = 1.29, 2.20; bisexual OR = 1.87, CI = 1.03, 3.38). Compared to same-gender heterosexual males, gay males were more likely to report headaches (OR = 2.00, CI = 1.06, 3.82), but less likely to report muscle/joint pain (OR = 0.28, CI = 0.11, 0.74). Significant disparities were attenuated by up to 16% when associated factors were added to the model. Sexual orientation disparities in chronic pain were partially explained by associated factors, but more research is needed to develop intervention and prevention strategies.
Seasonal Variation in Soil Bulk Density, Organic Nitrogen, Available Phosphorus, and pH

Scientists are being called on to measure and predict the effects of soil management and climate change on organic matter and other soil properties. The estimates and predictions generated from current conditions and short-term experiments will only be accurate if our measurement techniques produce data that represent actual soil properties during the period of prediction. Perhaps the least studied aspect of soil sampling is the possibility that the timing of samples might introduce large non-random errors. This study sampled replicated plots every month for 39 mo. Even after removing the measurement variation caused by surface soil bulk density fluctuations, variations in organic N, available P, and pH were always >10% of the mean. Much of the variation appeared to be temporally correlated in a seasonal cycle. In this experiment, with a 1-yr crop rotation, averaging 12 monthly samples allowed differences among soil treatments to be detected that were within 2 to 4% of the mean. When highly accurate estimates are desired, researchers need to consider combining multiple sample timings to overcome temporal variability.
MOTIVATING SALES ENTREPRENEURS TO CHANGE: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF FACTORS LEADING TO SUCCESSFUL CHANGE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES IN SALES ORGANIZATIONS

Competitive intensity in the marketplace in concert with the behavioral, technological and managerial dynamics have impacted the entrepreneurial role of the salesperson (Anderson 1996). Such changes in the competitive environment can place so many demands on the sales force that it can render a sales force obsolete (cf. Colletti and Chonko 1997). Given the entrepreneurial nature of salespeople, the problem of initiating change in an organization is particularly acute. The authors address the need for more research on the determinants of successful sales force change management and their impact on important sales outcomes by presenting a conceptual framework and research propositions concerning salespeople as entrepreneurs in learning organizations.
Maximum Wind Gusts Associated with Human-Reported Nonconvective Wind Events and a Comparison to Current Warning Issuance Criteria

AbstractNonconvective high winds are a deceptively hazardous meteorological phenomenon. Though the National Weather Service (NWS) possesses an array of products designed to alert the public to nonconvective wind potential, documentation justifying the choice of issuance thresholds is scarce. Measured wind speeds from the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN)-Daily dataset associated with human-reported nonconvective wind events from Storm Data are examined in order to assess the suitability of the current gust criteria for the NWS wind advisory and high wind warning. Nearly 92% (45%) of the nonconvective wind events considered from Storm Data were accompanied by peak gusts beneath the high wind warning (wind advisory) threshold of 58 mi h−1 (25.9 m s−1) [46 mi h−1 (20.6 m s−1)], and greater than 74% (28%) of all fatal and injury-causing events were associated with peak gusts below these same product gust criteria. NWS wind products were disproportionately issued in areas of complex terrain where wi...
Use of a Tandem Prins/Friedel–Crafts Reaction in the Construction of the Indeno-Tetrahydropyridine Core of the Haouamine Alkaloids: Formal Synthesis of (−)-Haouamine A

A tandem Prins/Friedel–Crafts reaction useful for the construction of the indeno-tetrahydropyridine core of the haouamine alkaloids and a formal synthesis of (−)-haouamine A are described.
Effects of chronic food restriction in swine.

atherosclerosis when cholesterol feeding and undernutrition were combined. In a careful study of the role of undernutrition upon cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis in rabbits, McMillan et al. ('54) observed that food restriction favored hypercholesterolemia but did not change the incidence of aortic atherosclerosis. The experiment reported here was per formed to determine the effects of under feeding a human diet on common param eters of lipid metabolism and vascular pathology of swine. This species was selected because obesity develops early in life; vascular lesions occur spontaneously (Gottlieb and Lalich, '54); and blood lipo-
Genetic Programming Forecasting of Real Estate Prices of Residential Single-Family Homes in Southern California

Use of an artificial intelligence technique, genetic programming (GP), is introduced here to predict real estate residential single-family home prices. GP is a computerized random search technique that can deliver regression-like models. Spatiotemporal model specifications of periodic average neighborhood prices are implemented to predict individual property prices. Average price variations are explained in terms of changes in home attributes, spatial attributes, and temporal economic variables. Quarterly data (2000-2005) from two cities in Southern California are utilized to obtain GP and standard statistical models. The results suggest that forecasts from city neighborhood average price GP equations may have an advantage over forecasts from GLS equations and over forecasts from models estimated using city aggregated data.
Colliding Without Relaxing: The Suppression of Collisional Dephasing with Strong Optical Fields

Recently, considerable interest has arisen in the effect of relaxation on systems which are being strongly driven by a resonant electromagnetic field [1–6]. While this problem was originally encountered in studies of nuclear magnetic resonance, recent interest was sparked by experiments conducted in solid-state materials [5,6] which indicated that strong driving fields can act to suppress optical relaxation. We have experimentally studied the relaxation of optical coherences (off-diagonal density matrix elements) introduced by gas-phase atomic collisions,and find that it can also be suppressed (at least in part) by a strong driving field [7]. Superficially at least, our results are surprising, because the “strong” driving field employed in our experiment was far too weak to influence the dynamics of the picosecond duration collisions and the phase-randomization they produce. It turns out that our driving field suppresses the relaxation normally introduced by collisionally-induced Doppler shifts (velocity changes) whose effect accrues over the relatively long intervals between collisions. As described elsewhere [8],velocity changes occur in distant,weakly-phase-perturbing collisions.
Quality of Life in Pediatric Moyamoya Disease

Abstract Background Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a progressive intracranial arteriopathy with high risk of stroke. Its impact on quality of life is unstudied. We surveyed children with moyamoya disease and compared their quality of life to chronically ill children and children with stroke to better understand the impact of this diagnosis. Methods Children with moyamoya disease aged seven to 17 years from Stanford's Moyamoya Clinic between June 2014 and March 2015 were included. Children with syndromic neurodevelopmental diagnoses were excluded. Patients were surveyed using the Pediatric Quality of Life 4.0, in addition to the Pediatric Stroke Outcome Measure or Recovery Recurrence Questionnaire. Mean scores were compared to normative data sets. Linear regression models compared total quality of life scores in patients with and without stroke, after adjusting for confounders. Results This cross-sectional study included 30 children with moyamoya disease; ten were male, and the median age was 13.5 years (range, 7 to 17 years). Twenty children (67%) had a stroke, and 14 of these had good neurological outcome (70%). Mean parent-proxy Pediatric Quality of Life scores were lower in all domains compared to healthy controls ( P Conclusions Even in the absence of stroke, children with moyamoya disease have lower quality of life than healthy controls and a similar quality of life to chronically ill children and those with non–moyamoya disease stroke. Children with moyamoya disease would benefit from mental health support beyond what a mild physical presentation may indicate.
Improving Effectiveness of Teaching Large Introductory Physics Courses with Modern Information Technology

Abstract We facilitated active involvement in learning of all students addressing also their individual backgrounds by carrying out diagnostic tests, offering a variety of web based resources and class activities. Elements of the flipped class and multimedia means were introduced by providing video recording of lectures and getting feedback through question-answer sessions and by administering mini quizzes. The significant cultural, educational and ethnical diversity of the class required also to address individual qualities and preferences of the students by providing a wide range of educational materials. In the future, it is important to develop quantitative statistical characteristics which can serve as metrics for the efficiency of different course components. The roles of different course components were analyzed, in particular the final grade and the completion success of homework assignments and answers on clicker questions were correlated. The emphasis was placed on comprehension of the basic mathematics concepts needed for the course that was assessed at the beginning, and the problem solving skills were tested at the intermediate exams.
Numerical Studies in Laser Propagation

A detailed study of coherent laser propagation, with a single resonant dipole transition, is presented. Five distinct regions of propagation are studied. These are distinguished according to the intensities and relaxation times involved. The regions are:
Testing the Limits of the Single Particle Model in 16O(E,E’P)

This paper describes measurements of electron scattering proton knockout from Oxygen, 16O(E,E’P), performed at Jefferson Lab. The first experiment measured the energy and momentum distributions of protons in oxygen (within a sophisticated model) and determined that a relativistic description of the proton was required. A follow-up experiment at more extreme kinematics is testing the limits of validity of single proton knockout models.
Fair resource allocation for hybrid FSO/RF network

Various wireless networks have emerged to meet the growing demand for broadband wireless services. However, wireless services are fundamentally limited in bandwidth because of the scarcity of RF spectral resources. One alternative resource is the optical spectrum that can provide Gbps connectivity for little cost and no interference. This paper addresses the design of joint free space optical (FSO) system and RF system in hybrid FSO/RF networks. In such networks, existing resources of the RF network can be reallocated due to the added resources available from the FSO network. We formulate and solve this resource allocation problem subject to fairness constraints. The results show that adding optical transceivers to nodes in RF mesh networks can significantly enhance the total network capacity.
Design and Analysis of a High Bandwidth Rectifying Regulator With PWM and PFM Modes

We propose a novel rectifying regulator to wirelessly power a neural stimulator in 65 nm CMOS process. The regulating rectifier operates at 13.56 MHz and has two operating modes. In the high power pulse width modulation (PWM) mode, it regulates the output voltage by controlling the conduction time during every cycle of the incoming HF signal. The PWM mode is designed with a high bandwidth feedback loop to satisfy the transient time requirements of the stimulator. The rectifier also incorporates a pulse frequency modulation (PFM) mode to power the stimulator in sleep mode wherein it controls the frequency at which the rectifier conducts to efficiently deliver low output power. We present the theory and develop an analytical model for the rectifying regulator and validate the model for both PWM and PFM operating modes.
Student support in accelerated nursing programs: Gender-based perspectives and impact on academic outcomes.

Abstract Background Factors that contribute to student success in accelerated degree nursing programs are poorly understood and may vary by gender. Purpose Examine associations between satisfaction with peer and mentor support, gender, and academic outcomes among students in accelerated degree nursing programs. Methods We used data (demographic variables, satisfaction with peer and mentor support, graduation, and attempts of National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's New Career in Nursing Program. Multivariable mixed effects regression models were used to examine associations among gender, satisfaction with support, and academic outcomes. Findings Males had an increased probability of reporting high satisfaction with peer support. Both males and females who were very dissatisfied with peer support were less likely to graduate than students who were very satisfied with peer support. Gender did not moderate the relationships between satisfaction with peer and mentor support and academic outcomes. Conclusion Peer support is an important aspect of graduation among students in accelerated degree nursing programs. Continuous quality improvement strategies to improve student peer support may be warranted.
Stimulating Research and Innovation in Residents

The integration of research into residency training benefits the resident, institution and community. Residents develop a better understanding of research methodology, evidence based medicine, practical approaches to generating research questions, and successful publication; all of which lead to better job prospects. Establishment of research requires apportioning of time, provision of training, support staff, funds and mentors. A dedicated research team can go a long way in establishing research in a departmental training program. Assessment of residents’ progress can be made in departmental presentations which lead to international presentations.
Clinical Effectiveness of Incentive Spirometry for the Prevention of Postoperative Pulmonary Complications

Incentive spirometry (IS) is commonly prescribed to reduce pulmonary complications, despite limited evidence to support its benefits and a lack of consensus on optimal protocols for its use. Although numerous studies and meta-analyses have examined the effects of IS on patient outcomes, there is no clear evidence establishing its benefit to prevent postoperative pulmonary complications. Clinical practice guidelines advise against the routine use of IS in postoperative care. Until evidence of benefit from well-designed clinical trials becomes available, the routine use of IS in postoperative care is not supported by high levels of evidence.
The social meaning of Spanish in Miami: Dialect perceptions and implications for socioeconomic class, income, and employment

In this study, we investigate the ways in which three national-origin varieties of Spanish commonly heard in metropolitan Miami—Cuban, Colombian, and Peninsular—are conceptualized by young adult residents of Miami-Dade County in terms of implicit perception. Further, we test whether or not perceptions about Spanish can predict social outcomes in the domains of labor, employment, and income. Three male residents of Miami were asked to read a text in their home variety of Spanish. All men were college educated in their respective countries of origin (Cuba, Colombia, and Spain) and are professionally employed in Miami. For each voice heard, participants were given background information about the speaker, including the parents’ country of origin. In some cases, the parents’ national-origin label matched the country of origin of the speaker (Speaker: Cuba, Origin-label: Cuba), but in other cases, the background information and voices were mismatched (Speaker: Cuba, Origin-label: Spain). This manipulation allows us to separate the perceptions based on the elements of the speech signal from the provided social information. Participants were asked to rate the voice/background permutations on five-point Likert-scales for a range of personal characteristics. Data were analyzed for significance using a three (dialect) X four (label) within-subjects ANOVA with a series of specific statistical contrasts. Our analyses of these judgments showed three kinds of significant effects: (1) main effects of language variety, (2) main effects of the background label, and (3) interaction effects. Overall, we find that adolescent Latin@s in Miami-Dade exhibit divergent perceptions of national-origin varieties of Spanish and that they use sociolinguistic differences to make predictive judgments about nonlinguistic, social attributes related to socioeconomic class, including family wealth, personal income, and profession.
Resistance to Enediyne Antitumor Antibiotics by Sequestration.

Summary The enediynes, microbial natural products with extraordinary cytotoxicities, have been translated into clinical drugs. Two self-resistance mechanisms are known in the enediyne producers—apoproteins for the nine-membered enediynes and self-sacrifice proteins for the ten-membered enediyne calicheamicin. Here we show that: (1) tnmS1, tnmS2, and tnmS3 encode tiancimycin (TNM) resistance in its producer Streptomyces sp. CB03234, (2) tnmS1, tnmS2, and tnmS3 homologs are found in all anthraquinone-fused enediyne producers, (3) TnmS1, TnmS2, and TnmS3 share a similar β barrel-like structure, bind TNMs with nanomolar KD values, and confer resistance by sequestration, and (4) TnmS1, TnmS2, and TnmS3 homologs are widespread in nature, including in the human microbiome. These findings unveil an unprecedented resistance mechanism for the enediynes. Mechanisms of self-resistance in producers serve as models to predict and combat future drug resistance in clinical settings. Enediyne-based chemotherapies should now consider the fact that the human microbiome harbors genes encoding enediyne resistance.
Fluid reasoning and reading difficulties among children with ADHD.

Background: Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) commonly experience difficulties in reading and in fluid reasoning (Gf). According to Cattell’s Investment Theory (1987), G...
A Synthesis: The Development and Function of Sexual Attractions

From the preceding chapters it should be evident that single-factor models of human sexual orientation do not adequately account for persistent variability in sexual attraction. Many single-factor models such as the androgen under- and overexposure theories are overly simplistic and conceptually flawed. Furthermore, most of these models address only same- sex male attraction. Although multi-dimensional models of general sexual attraction are clearly necessary, interactionist models that are in current use often just extend or combine single-factor models, retaining the same conceptual flaws. In addition, most interactionist models describe only proximate causes of sexual attraction and say nothing about ultimate causation. However, a good practical theory of human sexual attraction should account for the origin and persistence of varied sexual attractions, as well as explain the neurohormonal-social experiential interaction that facilitates the form and expression of sexual attraction. This chapter attempts to present such a comprehensive theory.
Backward Seasons, Droughts and Other Bioclimatic Indicators of Variability

Phenoclimatic fluctuations, biorhythms and agricultural patterns are intricately linked to the local meteorological conditions, and over time to the climate of a region. Many of these patterns were captured in the daily journal entries of diarists in the New England states of Vermont and New Hampshire in the pre-digital era. This chapter focuses on the data available from these states in the 1680–1900 time period. It presents an analysis of backward season characteristics and the concomitant influences on frost occurrences, sugar maple production and the onset of drought. The results demonstrate a unique application of historical data to reveal long-term spatial and topographic patterns. An indicator-based drought index also reveals spatio-temporal comparisons across the region, including some persistent severe droughts in the 1700s not apparent in the last century.
Transferring Electrophoretically Separated DNA from Agarose Gels to a Membrane by Southern Blotting

To detect or probe for DNA containing complementary sequences to other DNA or RNA sequences, the DNA separated on the gel must first be transferred and immobilized on a solid support such as nitrocellulose or nylon membranes. The Southern blotting procedure, originally demonstrated by Southern in 1975, accomplishes this. In this procedure, the double-stranded DNA duplexes are depurinated with acid, then denatured by treatment with an alkali solution while still within the gel. Alkali treatment produces single-stranded DNA, which binds to the membrane while double-stranded DNA does not. The gel is neutralized and placed on top of a layer of filter paper (wick) soaked in a high-salt buffer. A membrane is then placed on the gel followed by a thin layer of filter paper on the membrane. This is followed by a stack of paper towels on top of which a weight is placed. This arrangement creates a moisture gradient and draws the high-salt buffer solution upwards by capillary action, through the filter paper, gel, and paper towels. This flow of buffer by capillary action transfers the DNA to the membrane, but large fragments and supercoiled plasmid DNA do not transfer efficiently. However, efficient transfer is achieved after the DNA is depurinated with acid and the depurinated sites cleaved by alkali treatment. On completing the transfer, the membrane is baked to bind (immobilize) the DNA, almost permanently, on the membrane. In this form, the immobilized DNA can be probed for specific DNA sequences of interest. In this experiment, supercoiled plasmid DNA or restriction endonuclease digested genomic DNA fragments separated by agarose electrophoresis are transferred onto nitrocellulose or nylon membranes by Southern blotting.
Biomedical Physics Education for the Healthcare Profession: Quality and Safety as the Starting Points

At the question about the physics contribution in education of the medical and healthcare professionals and the general public, we limit this question to the basic medical education and specialization training for qualified medical workers in our hospitals in the Netherlands, as a consequence of the organization and legislation of the education and training in our country. It is argued that the rationale of the physics contribution has to be based on quality assurance and safety of medical equipment, as device itself as well as part of chain of activities in the patient treatment process. Several conditions which might be helpful to achieve a general aim are mentioned. Physics in the basic medical education and specialization training is required for medical workers to use medical equipment in a correct and safe way during individual patient healthcare.
Parallel Algorithms Through Approximation: B-Edge Cover

We describe a paradigm for designing parallel algorithms via approximation, and illustrate it on the b-Edge Cover problem. A b-Edge Cover of minimum weight in a graph is a subset C of its edges such that at least a specified number b(v) of edges in C is incident on each vertex v, and the sum of the edge weights in C is minimum. The Greedy algorithm and a variant, the LSE algorithm, provide 3/2-approximation guarantees in the worst-case for this problem, but these algorithms have limited parallelism. Hence we design two new 2-approximation algorithms with greater concurrency. The MCE algorithm reduces the computation of a b-Edge Cover to that of finding a b'-Matching, by exploiting the relationship between these subgraphs in an approximation context. The LSENW is derived from the LSE algorithm using static edge weights rather than dynamically computing effective edge weights. This relaxation gives S-LSE a worse approximation guarantee but makes it more amenable to parallelization. We prove that both the MCE and S-LSE algorithms compute the same b-EDGE COVER with at most twice the weight of the minimum weight edge cover. In practice, the 2-approximation and 3/2-approximation algorithms compute edge covers of weight within 10% the optimal. We implement three of the approximation algorithms, MCE, LSE, and S-LSE, on shared memory multi-core machines, including an Intel Xeon and an IBM Power8 machine with 8 TB memory. The MCE algorithm is the fastest of these by an order of magnitude or more. It computes an edge cover in a graph with billions of edges in 20 seconds using two hundred threads on the IBM Power8. We also show that the parallel depth and work can be bounded for the Suitor and b-Suitor algorithms when edge weights are random.
Anatomically Defined and Functionally Distinct Dorsal Raphe Serotonin Sub-systems

The dorsal raphe (DR) constitutes a major serotonergic input to the forebrain and modulates diverse functions and brain states, including mood, anxiety, and sensory and motor functions. Most functional studies to date have treated DR serotonin neurons as a single population. Using viral-genetic methods, we found that subcortical- and cortical-projecting serotonin neurons have distinct cell-body distributions within the DR and differentially co-express a vesicular glutamate transporter. Further, amygdala- and frontal-cortex-projecting DR serotonin neurons have largely complementary whole-brain collateralization patterns, receive biased inputs from presynaptic partners, and exhibit opposite responses to aversive stimuli. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments suggest that amygdala-projecting DR serotonin neurons promote anxiety-like behavior, whereas frontal-cortex-projecting neurons promote active coping in the face of challenge. These results provide compelling evidence that the DR serotonin system contains parallel sub-systems that differ in input and output connectivity, physiological response properties, and behavioral functions.
Medical Cannabis Users’ Comparisons between Medical Cannabis and Mainstream Medicine

ABSTRACTAn evidence-based approach is needed to shape policies and practices regarding medical cannabis, thereby reducing harm and maximizing benefits to individuals and society. This project assesses attitudes towards and utilization of medical cannabis and the mainstream healthcare system among medical cannabis users. The research team administered brief hard copy surveys to 450 adults attending an annual public event advocating for cannabis law reform. Among usable responses (N = 392), the majority (78%) reported using cannabis to help treat a medical or health condition. Medical cannabis users reported a greater degree of use of medical cannabis and a greater degree of trust in medical cannabis compared to mainstream healthcare. In comparison to pharmaceutical drugs, medical cannabis users rated cannabis better on effectiveness, side effects, safety, addictiveness, availability, and cost. Due to the medical use of cannabis, 42% stopped taking a pharmaceutical drug and 38% used less of a pharmaceutical...
There's a frog in my salad! A review of online media coverage for wild vertebrates found in prepackaged produce in the United States

Abstract Prepackaged leafy green vegetables represent one of the fastest growing segments of the fresh-produce industry in the United States. Several steps in the production process have been mechanized to meet the downstream demand for prebagged lettuces. The growth in this market, however, has come with drawbacks, and chief among them are consumers finding wild animals in prepackaged crops. These incidents may signal an overburdened produce supply chain, but we currently lack the information needed to determine if this is a food-safety problem or food-quality concern. Here, we address this gap by reviewing online media coverage of wild vertebrates found in prepackaged produce items by customers in the United States. We discovered 40 independent incidents since 2003 with 95% having occurred during 2008–2018, suggesting that the frequency of incidents may have increased during the last decade. The minority of incidents included wild animals found in organic produce (27.5%), whereas the majority involved conventionally grown crops (72.5%). Most incidents involved amphibians (52.5%) and reptiles (22.5%), while fewer contained mammals (17.5%) and birds (7.5%). Frogs and toads made up all of the amphibian-related incidents, with more than 60% comprising small-bodied treefrogs found in various types of fresh leafy greens. At least seven incidents involved Pacific Treefrogs (Hyliola regilla) and three comprised Green Anoles (Anolis carolinensis). One lizard and nine frogs were found alive, and at least two frogs were released into non-native areas. This is the first review quantifying incidents of vertebrates found by customers in prepackaged produce, yet it remains unclear whether these occurrences indicate a food-safety crisis or a complaint against food quality. Nevertheless, wild animals can spread diseases to humans via contaminated produce, therefore we contend that industry professionals can reduce the potential health risk to their consumers and negative economic consequences to themselves through increased attention to this matter.
Quantifying the Impacts of Technology Evolution on B2B Buyer’s Contract Length Decision in Technology Service Market

Both the buyer’s contractual decision and the service-related technology evolution play important roles in the Business-to-Business technology service market. However, no empirical research has been done to quantify the relationship between the technology evolution and the buyer’s choices of service contract length. We leverage both the service manager’s practical consideration and the B2B buyer’s service transaction data to understand the effects of technology evolution on the buyer’s contractual length decision. We empirically prove that the technology evolution exhibits multi-dimensional effects on the buyer’s contractual decision. The service providers should strategically manage the technology evolution to optimize the buyer’s service contract length.
Agent-Based Dynamic Traffic Assignment with Information Mixing.

Abstract This study develops an approach for network assignment convergence using individualized agent-based routing and agent-specific link cost information as well as historical travel times. Each traveler is routed individually from their starting and ending network link at a specific departure time. The approach is gap-based in two ways. First, as in previous approaches, the re-assignment decision during the convergence process is based on the gap between the routed and experienced travel time from the previous iteration. Secondly, the historical time-dependent and prevailing traffic conditions are averaged into a single expected value for each agent using a weight calculated by a modified two-parameter Weibull survival function. This weight is individualized based on the relative gap of the traveler from the previous iteration, as well as the iteration number; a novel aspect of this work. The methodology is tested on a medium-scale network of Bloomington, IL. The algorithm converges after only two iterations, which is promising as computational time of a single iteration can be high for large-scale networks.
Characterization of the rhyolite of Bodie Hills and 40Ar/39Ar intercalibration with Ar mineral standards

Abstract The rhyolite of Bodie Hills (California) is characterized compositionally and the geochronology of selected phases is studied. Sanidine (BHs) from the rhyolite is well suited as a 40Ar/39Ar reference material with high K/Ca and radiogenic yield. Intercalibration with GA1550 biotite from the Dromedary igneous complex (New South Wales, Australia) yields an age of 9.7946 ± 0.0031 Ma for BHs relative to an age of 98.79 ± 0.54 Ma for GA1550 and a calibration factor (RBHs/GA1550) of 0.096719 ± 0.000032. BHs is also intercalibrated with sanidines of the Taylor Creek Rhyolite (TCs; RTCs/BHs of 2.90874 ± 0.00067), Fish Canyon Tuff (FCs; RFCs/BHs of 2.88339 ± 0.00088), and rhyolite of Alder Creek (ACs; RACs/BHs of 0.12028 ± 0.00024). These calibration factors yield ages of 28.344 ± 0.011 Ma, 28.099 ± 0.013 Ma, and 1.1809 ± 0.0024 Ma for TCs, FCs, and ACs, respectively, relative to GA1550. Full propagation of errors increases these uncertainties and that of BHs to ±0.9% of their ages. Calibration of BHs using the astronomically tuned age of FCs determined by Kuiper et al. (2008) yields an age of 9.8295 ± 0.0036 Ma. Stepwise heating of BHs reveals the same small, progressive increase in age across the age spectrum reported for FCs, ACs, and other potassium feldspars (e.g., Foland and Xu, 1990; Phillips et al., 2017). This increase is consistent with mass fractionation of argon during step heating and favors use of single-step fusion ages of all sanidines for monitor and calibration purposes. Zircons from the rhyolite of Bodie Hills are strongly zoned in U and Th, and U/Pb geochronologic analyses suggest multiple generations of zircon growth. The youngest ages indicate a crystallization age of 9.97 ± 0.08 Ma (2σ); arguably similar to the 40Ar/39Ar results when residence time is considered, but previous episodes of zircon growth began at least 400 ka prior to eruption. Precise (U - Th)/He thermochronology of these zircons is difficult because crystal-to-crystal variations in the magnitude and complexity of their U + Th zoning complicates accurate alpha ejection calculations. Replicate conventional (single-crystal) (U - Th)/He ages are more widely dispersed than predicted by analytical uncertainties, but laser ablation (U - Th)/He ages are more reproducible, with an inverse variance-weighted mean of 9.71 ± 0.58 Ma.
An Electro-Optical Simulation Methodology for the Analysis of Single-Event Radiation Effects in Photonic Devices

A multiphysics simulation methodology is presented for the analysis of transient radiation effects in photonic integrated devices and circuits. Electrical and optical simulators are coupled by computing steady-state optical solutions at various time intervals during transient charge transport simulations. This approach allows for the simulation of transient effects, enabling new studies of radiation effects in photonic integrated circuits (PICs), currently limited to analysis of single optical devices. This methodology will also allow for the development of compact models for lumped parameter simulation of radiation effects at the circuit and system levels, which will aid the design and analysis of PICs for operation in space or other harsh radiation environments.
A single crystal plasticity finite element formulation with embedded deformation twins

Abstract Deformation twinning is an important plastic deformation mechanism in some polycrystalline metals such as titanium and magnesium. In this paper, we present a novel crystal plasticity finite element framework that accounts for deformation twinning explicitly, in addition to crystallographic slip. Within this computational framework, deformation twins are treated as weak discontinuities embedded within individual finite elements, such that a jump in the velocity gradient field is introduced (via the discretized gradient operator) between the twinned and untwinned crystalline regions, taking into account compatibility and traction continuity conditions at the interface between these two regions. The deformation gradient is multiplicatively split into elastic and plastic parts in the untwinned region, as is customary in finite-deformation crystal plasticity formulations. A different multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient into elastic, plastic (slip), and twinning parts is adopted in the twinned region, allowing deformation twinning to be accounted for as an additional mode of plastic deformation. A stochastic model is used to predict twin nucleation at grain boundaries, and the evolution of the length and thickness of the twinned region under subsequent deformation is taken into account. The linearization of the single-crystal plasticity model, required in order to enforce traction continuity at the interface between the twinned and untwinned regions using a Newton iterative scheme, is described in detail. Simulations of the initiation and propagation of { 10 1 ¯ 2 } tensile twins in hexagonal close packed (HCP) titanium are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed computational framework.
Why Sally and Joey can't debug: next generation tools and the perils they pose

This paper explores the results of a survey administered to upper division undergraduate students in the Department of Computer Science & Information Systems. It examines some of the issues surrounding why today's programming students seem to have a much more difficult time in debugging applications than those students from a decade or two ago. The authors examine what impact modern programming environments may have on this problem and offer suggestions on best practices.
Mitigating COVID-19 outbreak via high testing capacity and strong transmission-intervention in the United States

Most models of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States do not consider geographic variation, and their relevance to public policies is not straightforward. We developed a mathematical model that characterizes infections by state and incorporates inflows and outflows of interstate travelers. Modeling reveals that curbing interstate travel when the disease is already widespread will make little difference. Meanwhile, increased testing capacity (facilitating early identification of infected people and quick isolation) and strict social-distancing and self-quarantine rules are effective in abating the outbreak. The modeling has also produced state-specific information. For example, for New York and Michigan, isolation of persons exposed to the virus needs to be imposed within 2 days to prevent a broad outbreak, whereas for other states this period can be 3.6 days. This model could be used to determine resources needed before safely lifting state policies on social distancing.