cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulation of Microstructural Evolution in Polycrystalline Films

This paper will review the topic of computer simulation of the evolution of grain structure in polycrystalline thin films, with particular attention to the modelling of the grain growth process. If the grain size is small compared to the film thickness, then the grain structure is three-dimensional. As the grains grow to become larger than the film thickness, so that most grains traverse the entire thickness of the film, the microstructure may approach the conditions for a two-dimensional grain structure. Both two- and three-dimensional grain growth have been simulated by various authors. When the grains become large enough for the microstructure to be two-dimensional, the surface energy associated with the two free surfaces of the film becomes comparable to the surface energy of the grain boundaries. In this condition, the free surface may profoundly effect the grain growth. One effect is that grooves may develop along the lines where the grain boundaries meet the free surfaces. This grooving may pin the boundaries against further migration and lead to grain-growth stagnation. Another possible effect is that differences in the free surface energy for grains with different crystallographic orientation may provide a driving force for the migration of the boundaries which is additional to that provided by grain boundary capillarity. Grains with favorable orientations will grow at the expense of grains with unfavorable orientations. The coupling of grain-growth stagnation with an additional driving force can produce abnormal or secondary grain growth in which a few grains grow very large by consuming the normal grains.
Money for Nothing? The Problem of the Board-Exam Coaching Industry

Standardized tests such as the Medical College Admission Test and the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam have spawned a massive industry in exam-preparation assistance. Coaching firms capitalize on student anxiety, subvert the learning process, and don't deliver higher scores.
An Additional Record of Reithrodontomys in Illinois

On March 22 and 23, 1956, small mammal trapping in Whiteside County, 1 mile west of Denrock in northwestern Illinois, resulted in the capture of Reithrodontomys . The selected trapping sites included a railroad right-of-way and an adjacent bluegrass pasture which contained a dry marsh. The pasture contained numerous clumps of bluegrass and an occasional bull thistle. The dry marsh had a band of sedges and cattails around the perimeter with infrequent large clumps of marsh smartweed toward the center. The railroad right-of-way, which is burned each year during late March and early …
Wetting and spreading of nanofluids on solid surfaces driven by the structural disjoining pressure: statics analysis and experiments.

The wetting and spreading of nanofluids composed of liquid suspensions of nanoparticles have significant technological applications. Recent studies have revealed that, compared to the spreading of base liquids without nanoparticles, the spreading of wetting nanofluids on solid surfaces is enhanced by the structural disjoining pressure. Here, we present our experimental observations and the results of the statics analysis based on the augmented Laplace equation (which takes into account the contribution of the structural disjoining pressure) on the effects of the nanoparticle concentration, nanoparticle size, contact angle, and drop size (i.e., the capillary and hydrostatic pressure); we examined the effects on the displacement of the drop-meniscus profile and spontaneous spreading of a nanofluid as a film on a solid surface. Our analyses indicate that a suitable combination of the nanoparticle concentration, nanoparticle size, contact angle, and capillary pressure can result not only in the displacement of the three-phase contact line but also in the spontaneous spreading of the nanofluid as a film on a solid surface. We show here, for the first time, that the complete wetting and spontaneous spreading of the nanofluid as a film driven by the structural disjoining pressure gradient (arising due to the nanoparticle ordering in the confined wedge film) is possible by decreasing the nanoparticle size and the interfacial tension, even at a nonzero equilibrium contact angle. Experiments were conducted on the spreading of a nanofluid composed of 5, 10, 12.5, and 20 vol % silica suspensions of 20 nm (geometric diameter) particles. A drop of canola oil was placed underneath the glass surface surrounded by the nanofluid, and the spreading of the nanofluid was monitored using an advanced optical technique. The effect of an electrolyte, such as sodium chloride, on the nanofluid spreading phenomena was also explored. On the basis of the experimental results, we can conclude that a nanofluid with an effective particle size (including the electrical double layer) of about 40 nm, a low equilibrium contact angle ( 30 vol %) is desirable for the dynamic spreading of a nanofluid system with an interfacial tension of 0.5 mN/m. Our experimental observations also validate the major predications of our theoretical analysis.
A miniaturized ultrasonically powered programmable optogenetic implant stimulator system

A fully programmable, wirelessly powered optogenetic stimulator system is demonstrated. Implantable devices, with integrated optical stimulators, are powered and controlled using a programmable external ultrasonic transmitter. A methodical analysis is performed to investigate obtainable optical available powers using a highly efficient ultrasonic link. Optical intensities and stimulation patterns practical for optogenetic applications are easily achieved with safe levels of ultrasound. To our knowledge, this is the first ultrasonically powered optogenetic stimulator. The active area of the implantable device measures just 15 mm2.
Resistance of mosquitoes to insecticide

Objective To investigate the situation of the resistance of Culex pipiens pallens and Anopheles sinensis to insecticides in some areas of Liaoning province,and to use the insecticides properly.Methods Using immersion method to test the LC50 of larvae of Culex pipiens pallens and Anopheles sinensis. Results The sensitivity of mosquitoes to 3 kinds of insecticides were different.To deltamethrin,mosquitoes from Panjin area were more sensitive,and those from Chaoyang and Fuxin had some resistance,those from Yingkou had real resistance,and those from Dandong had strong resistance.To DDVP,those from Panjing had some resistance,while Culex pipiens pallens from Fuxin,Yingkou and Chaoyang,and Anopheles sinensis form Dandong had high level resistance.To beta-cypermethrin,mosquitoes from Dandong had stronger resistance.There were 10.6 times between the resistance of mosquitoes from Dandong city and the lowest resistance from other areas.Conclusion The resistance of mosquitoes was related to the methods for using insecticides.The insecticides should be used with different methods in different regions to avoid generating resistance.
A Necessary Condition for Enterprise Managers—Moral Quality and Capacity Ability

In depth development of the market economy today,the success or failure of an enterprise have a direct relationship with the quality of business managers.Wanting enterprises to gain the initiative in the fierce international competition and domestic market and make it will never be invincible,as one qualified business manager,not only has aggressive,creative,coordination and so on capabilities,but also masters the skills of dealing with technical issues,dealing with human relations skills,and concept formation.
Effect of lumbar support on human-head movement and discomfort in whole-body vibration

BACKGROUND: It is well known that prolonged sitting can elicit low back pain as a result of the abnormal shape of the spine. This problem becomes worse in whole-body vibration environments where a rocking motion of the pelvis can occur and may amplify the vibration motion transmitted to the lumbar spine. OBJECTIVE: Although the use of lumbar supports is common in static environments, little is known about how the use of such supports changes the biodynamic response and discomfort of the person in whole-body vibration environments. METHODS: The motion at the head and the discomfort of ten participants were recorded under five back-support conditions, including three commercially available lumbar supports. RESULTS:The results indicated significantly lower head motion and discomfort ( p< 0.05) with the use of the lumbar supports than with a simple flat backrest. CONCLUSIONS: All lumbar supports used in this study combined the advantages of reduced head motion and reduced discomfort during whole-body vibration.
Outpatient Emergencies: Anaphylaxis

Anaphylactic fatalities are rare; however, mild reactions can rapidly progress to cardiovascular and respiratory arrest. The clinical course of anaphylaxis can be unpredictable. Prompt and early use of epinephrine should be considered. Most anaphylaxis episodes have an immunologic mechanism involving immunoglobulin E (IgE). Foods are the most common cause in children; medications and insect stings are more common in adults. When the cause is not completely avoidable or cannot be determined, a patient should be supplied with autoinjectable epinephrine and be instructed its use. They should keep the device with them at all times and taught the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis.
Robust Depth-Keeping by Means of Simultaneous Stabilization

Abstract A submarine operating under seaway is affected by hydrodynamic forces from the waves that produce a very large instantaneous downward force on the ship and a very low frequency upward suction force. These forces can adversely affect the submarine's depth-holding capabilities by driving the ship downward out of the critical depth bands or by drawing the ship upward until it broaches. Simultaneous stabilization methods can be used to design control algorithms which stabilize the ship in the presence of these hydrodynamic forces and provide greater stability robustness under these types of perturbations than approaches based on linear quadratic regulator methodologies.
Condensation heat transfer in a sessile droplet at varying Biot number and contact angle

Abstract Dropwise condensation has been identified as a promising heat transfer mechanism because it can yield heat fluxes up to an order of magnitude higher than typically found in filmwise condensation. Models for dropwise condensation generally assume a statistical distribution of droplet sizes and integrate heat transfer over the droplet size spectrum, considering droplet curvature effects on saturation temperature, conduction thermal resistance, and interfacial resistance. Most earlier studies have assumed a constant heat transfer factor ( f = O (1)) to account for the conduction contribution to total thermal resistance. However, f varies with droplet Biot number (Bi) and contact angle ( θ ). Formulations for f with broad ranges of applicability are not currently available. In this study, finite element simulations are performed to determine f and corresponding numerical uncertainties for 0.0001 ⩽ Bi ⩽ 1000 and 10° ⩽ θ ⩽ 170°. This spans the active droplet size range considered in most droplet condensation studies ( e.g. , for water condensing at P atm on a surface 10 K below the ambient temperature, active droplets have 0.0005 f and is validated with published results. The proposed correlation can facilitate modeling and analysis of dropwise condensation.
Perioperative Antibiotic Choice in Labored versus Unlabored Cesareans and Risk of Postcesarean Infectious Morbidity.

Objective This study aims to estimate postcesarean infectious morbidity in women receiving perioperative β-lactam versus non-β-lactam antibiotics. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit Cesarean Registry. The exposure was β-lactam perioperative antibiotics versus non-β-lactam regimens at cesarean delivery (CD). We stratified by labored versus unlabored CD. The primary composite outcome included wound infection, seroma, hematoma, endometritis, readmission due to wound complication, or debridement. Multivariable logistic regression estimated odds of wound complication by antibiotic regimen after adjusting for relevant confounders. Results Our analysis included 43,735 women who delivered via CD, 48% following labor. In both groups, 95% of women received β-lactam antibiotics. In the labored CD group (n = 20,860), there was no significant difference in primary outcome by β-lactam versus non-β-lactam antibiotics (10.5 vs. 9.9%, p = 0.53). In the unlabored CD group (n = 22,875), women receiving non-β-lactam antibiotics were more likely to experience a wound complication compared with those in the β-lactam group (6.2 vs. 4.7%, p = 0.02, adjusted odds ratio: 1.39, 95% confidence interval: 1.08–1.80) after adjustment for clinical confounders. Conclusion In unlabored CD, non-β-lactam antibiotics have a higher risk of wound complications compared with β-lactam regimens. Further study to optimize antibiotic prophylaxis for β-lactam allergic women undergoing unlabored CD is warranted.
Patient-Centered Care and Uterine Fibroids.

Uterine leiomyomas are the most prevalent tumors in reproductive-aged women and are a major public health concern in the United States. Commonly known as fibroids, these benign tumors continue to be the leading cause of hysterectomy and are responsible for as much as $34 million in costs annually in the United States. Despite the increasing numbers of gains that are being made in understanding the pathophysiology of these tumors, relatively little work has been done to advance understanding of care delivery with regard to these tumors, specifically the patient perspective. Herein, we provide an overview of patient-centered care, a review of the available literature on the fibroid patient's perspective, and a discussion of opportunities to re-envision patient care with regard to fibroids.
Singing Robots: How Embodiment Affects Emotional Responses to Non-Linguistic Utterances

Robots are often envisaged as embodied agents that might be able to intelligently and expressively communicate with humans. This could be due to their physical embodiment, their animated nature, or to other factors, such as cultural associations. In this study, we investigated emotional responses of humans to affective non-linguistic utterances produced by an embodied agent, with special attention to the way that these responses depended on the nature of the embodiment and the extent to which the robot actively moved in proximity to the human. To this end, we developed a new singing robot platform, ROVER, that could interact with humans in its surroundings. We used affective sound design methods to endow ROVER with the ability to communicate through song, via musical, non-linguistic utterances that could, as we demonstrate, evoke emotional responses in humans. We indeed found that the embodiment of the computational agent had an affect on emotional responses. However, contrary to our expectations, we found singing computers to be more emotionally arousing than singing robots. Whether the robot moved or not did not affect arousal. The results may have implications for the design of affective non-speech audio displays for human-computer or human-robot interaction.
A Technique to Improve the Confidence of Color Duplex Ultrasound assessment of Aortic Endografts: The use of Contrast Agents:

IntroductionColor duplex ultrasound (CDU) is routinely used in the evaluation of aortic endografts in many centers. CDU compliments computed tomography (CT) and selective angiography in the identif...
Consumer Awareness and Consumer Protection in Hungary

The consumer asserts that his decisions are consistent and rational. He likes to believe this about himself. Based on previous surveys it can be stated that our confidence persists until the assessment of the actual level of our knowledge on consumer protection takes place, e.g. in the form of a test containing 13 substantial questions to measure the actual level of knowledge. This test was filled out by 2182 persons over 18 years of age. In overall, we can say that no matter how much we love to think about ourselves as being conscious customers, this statement is generally not true. The level of consumer protection knowledge is generally insufficient in Hungary. Only 13% of consumers have the right to say that they are knowledgeable of consumer protection at average level, while the good level was achieved only by 2.1% of the respondents.
2017 Presidential Address: Staying Ahead of the Curve.

Abstract The practice of the radiological sciences has always been dynamic. From economics and payment policy to imaging appropriateness, the ACR has led the way in keeping our specialty ahead of the curve. However, being ahead of the curve is a fragile place, and constant diligence is needed to remain there. There will always be major changes on our horizon, and the ACR will be there to empower us to adapt to change.
The influence of titanium adhesion layer oxygen stoichiometry on thermal boundary conductance at gold contacts

We experimentally demonstrate the role of oxygen stoichiometry on the thermal boundary conductance across Au/TiOx/substrate interfaces. By evaporating two different sets of Au/TiOx/substrate samples under both high vacuum and ultrahigh vacuum conditions, we vary the oxygen composition in the TiOx layer from 0 ≤ x ≤ 2.85. We measure the thermal boundary conductance across the Au/TiOx/substrate interfaces with time-domain thermoreflectance and characterize the interfacial chemistry with x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Under high vacuum conditions, we speculate that the environment provides a sufficient flux of oxidizing species to the sample surface such that one essentially co-deposits Ti and these oxidizing species. We show that slower deposition rates correspond to a higher oxygen content in the TiOx layer, which results in a lower thermal boundary conductance across the Au/TiOx/substrate interfacial region. Under the ultrahigh vacuum evaporation conditions, pure metallic Ti is deposited on the substrate surface. In the case of quartz substrates, the metallic Ti reacts with the substrate and getters oxygen, leading to a TiOx layer. Our results suggest that Ti layers with relatively low oxygen compositions are best suited to maximize the thermal boundary conductance.
Fundamentals of Drain Management

This chapter will review the types of surgical drains and tubes available to the modern general and thoracic surgeon, with a brief mention of those available to the interventional radiologist. Proper drain care and management are also discussed with a focus on individual drain types and indications for use. Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is also reviewed. These modern drainage tools for managing wounds, fluid collections, abscesses, and enteric fistulae have significantly reduced the need for both initial and re-operative surgeries. This has led to decreased morbidity and mortality in the surgical population and has reduced the need for emergent interventions, thereby reducing the associated debilitating inflammatory response, unanticipated “collateral damage,” and stress to both the patient and operating surgeon.
Modeling and Forecasting of Hurricanes

Both global and mesoscale models have provided useful information about the structure, motion and life cycle of hurricanes. The global models have horizontal resolution of roughly 80 km in the tropics, with some 25 vertical levels. The mesoscale models currently have horizontal resolution of much less than 10 km, with upwards of 50 vertical levels. These models have built in a full array of physical parameterizations, such as surface and planetary boundary layer physics (for transfer processes), cumulus parameterization, large scale condensation, radiative transfer with effect of clouds, water vapor, carbon dioxide and ozone, surface energy balance, air-sea interactions, inclusion of topography and sub-grid scale diffusive processes.
Entropy of Reduced Density Matrices

The entropy of a positive trace class operator, P, is defined as S(P) = -Tr P log P. We will review known inequalities relating the entropy of the density matrix representing the state of an N-particle system to the entropy of the corresponding reduced density matrices. One important inequality of this type is $$ s\left( {{\rho _N}} \right)s\left( {{\rho _1}} \right) \pm s\left( {I \mp {\rho _1}} \right) $$ where ρ1 is the 1-particle density matrix of the system. The density matrices are normalized so that TrρN = 1 and Trρ1 = N; the upper sign refers to fermions, the lower to bosons, and I denotes the identity operator. We will discuss a conjectured generalization of this inequality to the case of two-particle density matrices. We also conjecture that S(ρ2) ≥ 0 in the case of fermions when the two-particle density matrix, ρ2, is normalized so that \(Tr{\rho _2} = \left( {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} N \\ 2 \end{array}} \right)\). Evidence for the validity of both conjectures will be presented.
Endocytosis of Liposomes and Intracellular Fate of Encapsulated Molecules: Strategies for Enhanced Cytoplasmic Delivery

Liposomes have evoked considerable interest as carriers of macromolecules, based on their ability to encapsulate a wide variety of biologically active materials and deliver them, functionally intact, to particular in-vivo or in-vitro compartments. Liposomes are adaptable to the requirements of a wide range of experimental conditions, since it is possible to alter such parameters as liposome size, surface charge, bilayer fluidity, and stability. Recently, several groups have shown that it is possible to couple covalently to the liposome surface a variety of ligands, such as immunoglobulins, to promote specificity of lipo-some-cell interaction and to increase the number of liposomes bound to or internalized by cells (Heath et al., 1980; Leserman et al., 1980; Heath et al., 1983).
Medication adherence is associated with an increased risk of cancer in kidney transplant recipients: a cohort study.

Background Nonadherence to posttransplant immunosuppressive medication is associated with increased rates of rejection and graft loss, yet it is unknown to what degree ideal adherence is associated with the sequelae of overimmunosuppression. Specifically, we questioned whether excellent adherence increased the posttransplant cancer risk. Methods Between August 1998 and August 2006, 195 consenting kidney transplant recipients had electronic monitoring of theirimmunosuppressive medication adherence. Results Based on their average quantitative adherence to a single immunosuppressant drug over the first 6 months posttransplant, recipients were grouped into adherence tertiles (highest, >97.9% adherence; middle, 91-97.8%; lowest, <91%). The cumulative incidence of cancer was calculated for patients in each tertile, treating death as a competing risk. The association between adherence and cancer rate was calculated after adjusting for recipient risk factors, using a competing risk proportional hazards model. The median duration of follow-up was 10.1 years. The 10-year estimated cumulative cancer incidence was 59.4% in the most adherent, 36.1% in the middle group and 38.1% in the least adherent group (P = 0.006). Excluding nonmelanocytic skin cancers, cancer incidence remained significantly higher in the highest adherence group (P = 0.002). Conclusions These data provide additional support for the need to individualize immunosuppression to minimize both rejection and immunosuppressive drug-related complications including cancer.
Toward Multi-Input Control: A Dual-Feedback Loop Model of the Mammalian Circadian Clock

Abstract Many mathematical models have been used to describe the mammalian circadian clock, ranging from phase-only models to complex systems of differential equations. Here, we develop a 14 state model of the molecular clock, which provides sufficient detail to consider multi-input control. Assuming mass action and Michaelis-Menten kinetics, we derive a model of the transcription-translation feedback loops in the mammalian clock. Using a genetic algorithm, we fit the parameters of the model to capture the appropriate peak to trough ratios, relative abundances, and phase differences of the model species. We show that this in silico model captures much of the behavior that is observed in vitro under knockout conditions of different molecular species, validating our model. Thus, this model gives a simple but valid model of both feedback loops in the mammalian clock, providing the opportunity for enhanced control of both the phase and amplitude of the clock through multi-input control in a combination of small molecules which act on the species in both the positive and negative feedback loops.
Genetic risk for Alzheimer's dementia predicts motor deficits through multi-omic systems in older adults.

Alzheimer’s disease manifests with both cognitive and motor deficits. However, the degree to which genetic risk of Alzheimer’s dementia contributes to late-life motor impairment, and the specific molecular systems underlying these associations, are uncertain. Here, we adopted an integrative multi-omic approach to assess genetic influence on motor impairment in older adults and identified key molecular pathways that may mediate this risk. We built a polygenic risk score for clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia (AD-PRS) and examined its relationship to several motor phenotypes in 1885 older individuals from two longitudinal aging cohorts. We found that AD-PRS was associated with a previously validated composite motor scores and their components. The major genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer’s dementia, the APOE/TOMM40 locus, was not a major driver of these associations. To identify specific molecular features that potentially medicate the genetic risk into motor dysfunction, we examined brain multi-omics, including transcriptome, DNA methylation, histone acetylation (H3K9AC), and targeted proteomics, as well as diverse neuropathologies. We found that a small number of factors account for the majority of the influence of AD-PRS on motor function, which comprises paired helical filament tau-tangle density, H3K9AC in specific chromosomal regions encoding genes involved in neuromuscular process. These multi-omic factors have the potential to elucidate key molecular mechanisms developing motor impairment in the context of Alzheimer’s dementia.
A Prophylactic Protocol for the Prevention of Inhibitor Formation in Gene Therapy for Hemophilia B by Shifting the Balance from An Effector to a Regulatory T Cell Response

Abstract Gene and protein treatments for severe hemophilia have been limited by immune responses to the therapeutic protein. Prophylactic protocols for the prevention of immune responses may be key to successful therapy. Our previous work has demonstrated the importance of regulatory T cells (Treg) in immune tolerance to therapeutic gene products. We attempted to induce antigen-specific tolerance to F.IX in AAV1-mediated muscle gene transfer with a novel protocol utilizing a combination of the immune suppressive drug Rapamycin (rapa), IL-10 cytokine, and an antigen specific CD4+ T cell epitope. Treg deficient (DO.11.10-tg Rag2−/−) BALB/c mice transgenic for ovalbumin -specific T cell receptor were used to determine the mechanism of tolerance. Groups of mice (n=4) were injected (IP) with rapa/IL-10/ova or Rapa/IL-10/irrelavent peptide (control) 3 times per week for 1, 3, or 4 weeks. Rapa/IL-10/ova treatment resulted in significant deletion of CD4+ cells from >30% of total splenic lymphocytes to 6% by 4 weeks. Apoptosis increased from 6% to 18% of CD4+ T cells over the duration of treatment. Apoptotic cells expressed FasL, showed an increase in activation marker CD69 and a decrease in CD62L, indicating Activation Induced Cell Death. Concomitant with the deletion of effector T cells, an increase in CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ ova-specific T cells was observed. Comparative studies after 3 weeks of treatment showed that the percentage of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ ova-specific T cells in the peripheral blood, spleen, lymph nodes, and thymus averaged 28%, 19%, 22% and 2.4% in the rapa/IL-10/ova treated animals as opposed to 0.9%, 0.4%, 0% and 0.02% in the Rapa/IL-10/irrelavent peptide controls, respectively. In vitro suppression assay depicted absence of proliferation of effector T cells in presence of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ isolated after 3 weeks of treatment. Flow cytometric analyses showed that the rate of apoptosis was higher in Teff compared to Treg, indicating a greater resistance of Treg to inhibition by rapamycin. Next, we tested this protocol for prevention of inhibitor formation in hemophilia B. Factor IX knockout mice (C3H/HeJ F9−/−) were injected IM with a dose of 1×10^11 vg AAV1-CMV-hFIX during the third week of treatment with rap/IL-10/hF.IX-specific peptide or Rap/IL-10/irrelavent peptide (control) in a 4-week treatment protocol. Substantial reduction in the inhibitor titers was observed after 2 months ( 5 months. In these immune competent animals, rapamycin administration caused a transient decline in T and B lymphocyte numbers and neutrophilia, which resolved between 5 and 7 months. In summary, our results demonstrate that the proposed prophylactic protocol can be successful in preventing immune responses to F.IX and may also be applicable to treatment of other inherited protein deficiencies.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Residual and Recurrent Nonfunctioning Pituitary Adenomas: A Contemporary Case Series of GammaKnife and CyberKnife Radiosurgery.

Abstract Background In patients with residual or recurrent non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs) following transsphenoidal resection, both GammaKnife (GKRS) and CyberKnife (CKRS) stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) are viable treatment options. Objectives We report a retrospective single center series comparing assessing the effectiveness and complications from of these two commonly used SRS techniques. Methods 53 patients with prior surgical resection and residual or recurrent NFPAs who underwent GKRS or CKRS and minimum 3 months follow-up between January 2002 and February 2017 at a single center were identified. Results 34 patients underwent GKRS and 19 received CKRS. CKRS patients had larger maximal tumor diameter (p=0.005) and tumor volume treated (p=0.001). Differences between GKRS and CKRS treatment parameters included target volume, target volume treated, prescribed dose, maximum dose, prescription isodose line and conformity index (p 0.99). There were no differences in worsened vision or rates of hypopituitarism. Conclusions For patients undergoing single fraction GKRS versus fractionated CKRS for NFPAs, both modalities had similar rates of tumor control, new hypopituitarism and visual morbidity despite varying indications. This study validates the versatile use of these two SRS modalities for patients meeting their relative criteria, especially based on proximity to the optic apparatus and normal pituitary gland.
Considering Inclusive Education through the Independent Living Movement: Lessons for Improvement?.

In this article, we focus on the life and accomplishments of Ed Roberts, leader of the Independent Living Movement for people with severe disabilities, to consider ways he envisioned and enacted a ...
Evaluating the Reproducibility of Physiological Stress Detection Models

Recent advances in wearable sensor technologies have led to a variety of approaches for detecting physiological stress. Even with over a decade of research in the domain, there still exist many significant challenges, including a near-total lack of reproducibility across studies. Researchers often use some physiological sensors (custom-made or off-the-shelf), conduct a study to collect data, and build machine-learning models to detect stress. There is little effort to test the applicability of the model with similar physiological data collected from different devices, or the efficacy of the model on data collected from different studies, populations, or demographics. This paper takes the first step towards testing reproducibility and validity of methods and machine-learning models for stress detection. To this end, we analyzed data from 90 participants, from four independent controlled studies, using two different types of sensors, with different study protocols and research goals. We started by evaluating the performance of models built using data from one study and tested on data from other studies. Next, we evaluated new methods to improve the performance of stress-detection models and found that our methods led to a consistent increase in performance across all studies, irrespective of the device type, sensor type, or the type of stressor. Finally, we developed and evaluated a clustering approach to determine the stressed/not-stressed classification when applying models on data from different studies, and found that our approach performed better than selecting a threshold based on training data. This paper's thorough exploration of reproducibility in a controlled environment provides a critical foundation for deeper study of such methods, and is a prerequisite for tackling reproducibility in free-living conditions.
Experimental investigation of proppant clustering in intersected fractures

This paper investigates the dynamics of proppant agglomerations during flow and transport within fractures intersected at the angles typical for the joint of pre-existing and newly formed fractures. The study considers variations and coupling of fluid flow rates, proppant volumetric concentrations, fluid dynamic viscosities and fracture intersection angles. Proppants are widely used during hydraulic fracturing to keep fractures open and enhance reservoir permeability. This study uses plexiglas experimental slots and visual analysis for identifying particle displacements. Geo-Particle Image Velocimetry–Reliability-Guided (GeoPIV-RG) method tracks particle movements among images by comparing the reference and subsequent snapshots at the point and time of interest. Results of this study show that the proppant volumetric concentration and the fluid flow rate are closely correlated with each other for affecting proppant flow, transport, and agglomeration formation. Increasing the proppant volumetric concentration generally promotes particle agglomeration, with different extent when coupled with the fluid flow rate. Proppant volumetric concentration affects the size, shape, and distribution of particle clusters. Increasing the fluid flow rate increases the occurrence of particle agglomerates at low proppant volumetric concentration; however, this trend is absent under high proppant volumetric concentrations. Sizes and shapes of proppant agglomerates change as the fluid flow rate changes. Changes of fracture intersection angle minimally affect shape, size and distance between proppant agglomerates and clusters. Furthermore, increasing the fluid dynamic viscosity strongly promotes proppant agglomeration. Although fluid dynamic viscosity changes do not affect the shape and size of particle clusters, the distance between adjacent clusters decreases at higher fluid dynamic viscosity.
Neuroscience: What, where, and how wonderful?

Summary Hippocampal place cells represent spatial locations, but it is unclear how they incorporate associations between locations and specific outcomes. A recent study illuminates this issue by showing that place cells in intermediate hippocampus remap their fields following changes in reward.
Noncoding RNAs endogenously rule the cancerous regulatory realm while proteins govern the normal

All cancers share a commonality in genome activation regulated by a systems endogenous network distinct from normal tissue, but such a network remains elusive. Here, we unearth a systems regulatory network endogenous for all types of cancers and normal human respectively from massive data, including all RNAseq data available from SRA and TCGA, and reveal distinctive systems realm for cancer and normal. In the cancerous realm, noncoding RNAs, especially pseudogenes, dominate endogenous network modules and centrality, and they work as the strongest systems inducers that cis-regulate their targets. However in the normal realm proteins dominate the entire endogenous network centrally controlled by ribosomal proteins and they trans-regulate their targets. Our finding establishes a systems picture of an endogenous mechanism overlooking the cancerous and normal realm, in which noncoding RNAs rule the overall cancer realm while proteins govern the normal one. This fundamentally refreshes the conventional concept of cancerous mechanism.
Teaching Human Anatomy: A Comparison of In-Person and Online Learning Programs

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges in providing anatomy instruction to allied health professions. Human anatomy laboratory classes often rely on human cadavers as instructional material. At some institutions, the anatomical instructional method shifted to online resources. It was essential to compare online methods to those used in the traditional cadaver-based curriculum to determine efficacy. A technique was devised to compare these two approaches. The working hypothesis was that virtual human anatomy models are equally effective to traditional methods in providing anatomy instruction to allied health students. Methods: Students enrolled in this study participated in a human anatomy course delivered either in-person or virtually via Aclan’s Anatomy, NetAnatomy, and Anatomy TV. The instructional design was the same except that the in-person learning group participated in a real-time cadaver anatomy lab, while the virtual learning group utilized online models and simulations. Students were assessed using the same three written tests and three laboratory examinations. Results: Student demographics and evaluation outcomes were presented, and no significant differences concerning sex or educational program between the two student cohorts were identified. Post hoc testing revealed no statistically significant differences between student cohort and test-type. The three-way interaction between test type, test number, and cohort was not significant. Conclusions: The findings confirmed the hypothesis. There were no statistically significant differences between the test performance of human anatomy students who received online training versus those who participated in in-person classroom instruction. These results suggest that human anatomy can be taught effectively using an online format.
Longitudinal, Quantitative, Multimodal MRI Evaluation of Patients With Intracerebral Hemorrhage Over the First Year

In most patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), the hematoma and perihematomal area decrease over the subsequent months but patients continue to exhibit neurological impairments. In this serial imaging study, we characterized microstructural and neurophysiological changes in the ICH-affected brain tissues and collected the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Score (mRS), two clinical stroke scale scores. Twelve ICH patients were serially imaged on a 3T MRI at 1, 3, and 12 months (M) after injury. The hematoma and perihematomal volume masks were created and segmented using FLAIR imaging at one month which were applied to compute the susceptibilities (ꭓ), fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the same tissues over time and in the matching contralesional tissues. At 3M, there was a significant (p<0.001) reduction in hematoma and perihematomal volumes. At 1M, the ꭓ, FA, and CBF were decreased in the perihematomal tissues as compared to the contralateral side, whereas MD increased. In the hematomal tissues, the ꭓ increased whereas FA, MD, and CBF decreased as compared to the contralesional area at 1M. Temporally, CBF in the hematoma and perihematomal tissues remained significantly (p<0.05) lower compared with the contralesional areas whereas MD in the hematoma and ꭓ in the perihematomal area increased. The NIHSS and mRS significantly correlated with hematoma and perihematomal volume but not with microstructural integrity. Our serial imaging studies provide new information on the long-term changes within the brain after ICH and our findings may have clinical significance that warrants future studies.
The Effect of Technological Change on the Task Structure of Jobs and the Capital-Labor Trade-Off in US Production

This paper calibrates the Cobb-Douglas (CD) model of US aggregate production with empirically derived values of the relative shares of capital and labor. A conceptual framework is developed to show how technological progress can affect the relative importance of these shares in US production. To identify and track the transmission of technical change to the macro-economy, the CD model is transformed into the Solow growth model. Specific examples of different types of technical change are developed to illustrate their effect on the task structure of jobs, the capital/labor ratio, total factor productivity (TFP), and US aggregate output. These examples are supported with graphical and flowchart analyses providing intuition concerning the implications of technical change on the production process and the relative importance of the input shares of capital and labor. Some broader aspects of technical change are discussed including the task structure of future jobs and the importance of aligning the skills workers acquire with task requirements of US industry.
Prolactin as an Autocrine/Paracrine Factor in Breast Tissue

The neuroendocrine hormone prolactin (PRL)3 stimulates breast growth and differentiation during puberty, pregnancy, and lactation. Despite extensive and convincing data indicating that PRL significantly contributes to the pathogenesis and progression of rodent mammary carcinoma, parallel observations for human breast cancer have not been concordant. In particular, the therapeutic alteration of somatolactogenic hormone levels has not consistently altered the course of human breast cancer. Recent data, however, suggest that extra-pituitary tissues are capable of elaborating PRL; indeed, the observation of sustained serum levels of PRL in post-hypophysectomy patients supports this hypothesis. Proof of an autocrine/paracrine loop for PRL within normal and malignant human breast tissues requires that the following three criteria be met: (1) PRL must be synthesized and secreted within mammary tissues; (2) the receptor for PRL (PRLR) must be present within these tissues; and, (3) proliferative responses to autocrine/paracrine PRL must be demonstrated. These criteria have now been fulfilled in several laboratories. With the demonstration of a PRL autocrine/paracrine loop in mammary glands, the basis for the ineffective treatment of human breast cancer by prior endocrine-based anti-somatolactogenic therapies is evident. These findings provide the precedent for novel therapeutic strategies aimed at interrupting the stimulation of breast cancer growth by PRL at both endocrine and autocrine/paracrine levels.
Generalized geologic evaluation of side-looking radar imagery of the Teton Range and Jackson Hole, northwestern Wyoming

A generalized geologic evaluation of lines, localities, and features of various types that are visible on a series of radar image strips covering the Teton Range and Jackson Hole in northwestern Wyoming, is given. No attempt was made to collate a complete geologic map with the radar image at each locality. Formation names, problems of geologic interpretation, and details of stratigraphy and structure that are not directly pertinent to a study of the imagery are omitted, but reference is made to publications that contain this type of supplementary information.
Mixed mode cracking in layered materials

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the mixed mode cracking in layered materials. There is ample experimental evidence that cracks in brittle, isotropic, homogeneous materials propagate such that pure mode I conditions are maintained at the crack tip. An unloaded crack subsequently subject to a combination of modes I and II will initiate growth by kinking in such a direction that the advancing tip is in mode I. The chapter also elaborates some of the basic results on the characterization of crack tip fields and on the specification of interface toughness. The competition between crack advance within the interface and kinking out of the interface depends on the relative toughness of the interface to that of the adjoining material. The interface stress intensity factors play precisely the same role as their counterparts in elastic fracture mechanics for homogeneous, isotropic solids. When an interface between a bimaterial system is actually a very thin layer of a third phase, the details of the cracking morphology in the thin interface layer can also play a role in determining the mixed mode toughness. The elasticity solutions for cracks in multilayers are also elaborated.
Activator region analysis of the human D1A dopamine receptor gene.

The human D1A dopamine receptor gene is transcribed from a TATA-less promoter, and its main activator is between nucleotides -1342 and -1102 relative to the first ATG (Minowa, M. T., Minowa, T., Monsma, F. J., Jr., Sibley, D. R., and Mouradian, M. M. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 3045-3049). In the present study, additional serial deletion mutants fused with a reporter gene and used in transient transfections of the D1A-expressing cell line NS20Y further localized this activator to two regions: -1154 to -1137, which increases promoter activity 4-fold, and -1197 to -1154, which confers an additional 2-fold increase in transcriptional activity. Cell specificity of the D1A gene expression is contributed by both the -1197/-1154 region and the core promoter located downstream to -1102. DNase I footprinting and gel shift assays suggested that DNA-protein interactions occur primarily between -1197 and -1116. Competitive cotransfections using different portions of this segment, D1A-Act-1 (-1197 to -1152) and D1A-Act-2 (-1154 to -1116), confirmed the in vivo functional significance of these sequences in activating the D1A promoter. D1A-Act-1 has no consensus sequences for known transcription factors but binds to several proteins as a complex. Although D1A-Act-2 has AP2 consensus sequences and binds to recombinant AP2, the nuclear factors in NS20Y cells interacting with this region are distinct from AP2 itself. Despite the inability of Sp1 to directly bind to its consensus sequences in D1A-Act-2, Sp1 or another protein antigenically related to Sp1, as well as a novel nuclear factor, is included in the complex that binds to this activator.
LIMIT ANALYSIS OF PLANE PROBLEMS IN SOIL MECHANICS

A computer method is developed for failure analysis of plane problems in soil mechanics. It is assumed that the soil obeys the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion and that all stresses vary linearly within each element of a triangular mesh which spans the zone under investigation. An optimal statically admissible stress field corresponding to a lower bound solution is isolated by the method of linear programming. The method has been applied to several bearing capacity and earth pressure problems.
Scattering theory for twisted automorphic functions

The purpose of this paper is to develop a scattering theory for twisted automorphic functions on the hyperbolic plane, defined by a cofinite (but not cocompact) discrete group r with an irreducible unitary representation p and satisfying u(yz) = p(Qy)u(z). The Lax-Phillips approach is used with the wave equation playing a central role. Incoming and outgoing subspaces are employed to obtain corresponding unitary translation representations, R_ and R+, for the solution operator. The scattering operator, which maps R f into R+f, is unitary and commutes with translation. The spectral representation of the scattering operator is a multiplicative operator, which can be expressed in terms of the constant term of the Eisenstein series. When the dimension of p is one, the elements of the scattering operator cannot vanish. However when dim(p) > 1 this is no longer the case.