cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The explained effects of computer mediated conferencing on student learning outcomes and engagement

There has been an increasing growth in the use of technology resources in traditional classroom styled higher education courses. This growth has received with both optimism and criticism. One of the issues critics have posed is that the use of technology resources does little, if anything, to improve student learning. As a result, this research examined if the use of technology contributes to student learning outcomes and student engagement activities, above and beyond student demographic variables. Specifically, this study investigated if the use of computer mediated conferencing (CMC) tools (i.e., email and electronic discussion boards) and computer aided instructional (CAI) resources (i.e., use of the computer and the Internet) contribute to student learning. Included in the sample were 2000 college students, which were randomly drawn from the 2003 College Student Experience Questionnaire database. The survey included 53 Likert scale items with reliability ranges from .78 to .88 on each of the composite scales. For the data analysis, eight multiple regressions were conducted on student learning outcomes and student learning engagement. Student learning outcomes included four composite scales, measuring students' personal and social development, general education gains, intellectual development, science and technology gains, and vocational preparation. The student engagement scale was comprised of three composite scales, which included faculty interactions, social, political and scientific discussions, and diversity and social interactions. The findings revealed that the use of technology resources does contribute to student learning, above and beyond student's background variables. The model inclusive of technology variables explained 4% to 7% of the gains in student learning, while student background variables contributed .03% to 2% of the gains. The findings suggest incorporating the use of technology can aid students in the learning process, though the effect size was fairly modest in most cases. The use of computer mediated conferencing and computer assisted learning tools should be used in combination with traditional classroom instructions to have the best effects.
Soil respiration contributes substantially to urban carbon fluxes in the greater Boston area.

Urban areas are the dominant source of U.S. fossil fuel carbon dioxide (FFCO2) emissions. In the absence of binding international treaties or decisive U.S. federal policy for greenhouse gas regulation, cities have also become leaders in greenhouse gas reduction efforts through climate action plans. These plans focus on anthropogenic carbon flows only, however, ignoring a potentially substantial contribution to atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations from biological respiration. Our aim was to measure the contribution of CO2 efflux from soil respiration to atmospheric CO2 fluxes using an automated CO2 efflux system and to use these measurements to model urban soil CO2 efflux across an urban area. We find that growing season soil respiration is dramatically enhanced in urban areas and represents levels of CO2 efflux of up to 72% of FFCO2 within greater Boston's residential areas, and that soils in urban forests, lawns, and landscaped cover types emit 2.62 ± 0.15, 4.49 ± 0.14, and 6.73 ± 0.26 μmolCO2 m(-2) s(-1), respectively, during the growing season. These rates represent up to 2.2 times greater soil respiration than rates found in nearby rural ecosystems in central Massachusetts (MA), a potential consequence of imported carbon amendments, such as mulch, within a general regime of landowner management. As the scientific community moves rapidly towards monitoring, reporting, and verification of CO2 emissions using ground based approaches and remotely-sensed observations to measure CO2 concentrations, our results show that measurement and modeling of biogenic urban CO2 fluxes will be a critical component for verification of urban climate action plans.
Evolution of photonic metasurfaces: from static to dynamic

The realization of commercial photonic devices based on three-dimensional optical metamaterials is challenged by large absorptive losses as well as complex and costly fabrication. Metasurfaces—two-dimensional metamaterials—have been introduced to overcome these major challenges. They provide simple, compact, and power efficient solutions to problems of immense importance in photonics design. In addition to the strong potential of metasurfaces to enable next generation optical devices, their reduced dimensionality also allows for new physical effects which do not have volumetric counterparts. Furthermore, various technologies are presently emerging to provide modulation of metasurface response using mechanical, electrical, or optical control. Although the general purpose of these approaches is to obtain tunable versions of static metasurfaces, recent studies have uncovered that the impact of dynamic metasurfaces far exceeds tunability alone and comprises new physical effects such as Lorentz nonreciprocity. Here we start with reviewing recent developments of static metasurface devices and their applications. Then we discuss the burgeoning area of dynamic metasurfaces and demonstrate current evolving technologies to achieve time-varying properties and their conceivable applications.
Solution processed highly conductive transparent electrodes

We have successfully demonstrated highly transparent and conductive, antimony doped tin oxide (ATO) films based on a fabrication process using the sol-gel method. Three distinctive advancements have been accomplished: (1) solution-processed ATO films for low-cost, wide range applications; (2) highly transparent films of more than 95% transmittance in the visible light spectrum; and (3) high conductivity of over 20,000S/m. As such, this process opens up a new class of micro/nano fabrication process for making transparent and conductive electrodes in various systems, such as transparent electronics and displays.
A Truncation Error-Based Approach to Understanding and Improving Mesh Quality in CFD

Truncation error expressions for 1D and 2D Burgers’ equations are derived in generalized coordinates. Examination of these truncation error expressions provides insight into the effects of mesh quality (mesh stretching in 1D and mesh stretching, skewness, aspect ratio and curvature in 2D) on the discretization error. For a 1D model function, mesh adaption based upon function equidistribution is explored with different relocation techniques. For 1D and 2D Burgers’ equation, mesh adaption is performed with different adaption monitors based upon truncation error and solution features. The results for two different Reynolds number are presented and discussed.
Information Deprivation Trauma: Definition, Assessment, and Interventions

ABSTRACTInformation deprivation trauma (IDT; Schild & Dalenberg, 2012b) is a concept that has not been adequately addressed in the trauma literature. IDT is a concept requiring a negative emotional response (e.g., fear, helplessness, horror) consequent to (a) a lack of understanding of the extent, magnitude, consequences, and probability of a current or impending meaningful event; and (b) an inability to access information about this event that would reasonably allow a person to prepare, appropriately respond, or self-protect. Arguments are presented that information deprivation itself might constitute a trauma, in addition to and apart from the possibility that information deprivation might enhance vulnerability to traumatization. Clinical examples are provided, and the Information Deprivation Trauma Interview (IDTI) is introduced for use in clinical and research settings.
Pleistocene benthic foraminifers in the Arctic Ocean: Implications for sea-ice and circulation history

Abstract Three sediment cores from the Northwind, Mendeleev, and Lomonosov Ridges distributed across the western Arctic Ocean were investigated for foraminiferal composition with a focus on benthic assemblages. This investigation provides insights into middle to late Pleistocene history of paleoceanographic and sea-ice conditions on multi-millennial time scales. Calcareous foraminiferal abundances and assemblage composition show stratigraphically consistent development, including glacial–interglacial variability and long-term evolution of foraminiferal assemblages. Major long-term changes occurred at the end of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (estimated ca. 0.7–0.8 Ma) and later near the bottom of Marine Isotope Stage 7 (ca. 0.25 Ma) and near the top of MIS 5 (ca. 0.1 Ma). These changes include notably a diminishing role of phytodetritus-related species, such as Epistominella exigua , at the expense of oligotrophic species adapted to live under persistent sea ice, presumably indicating an overall expansion of year-round ice cover in the Arctic during the Pleistocene. The pronounced MPT shift from mostly seasonal to perennial sea ice was coeval, and possibly related to a growth of North American ice sheets and the beginning of glacially-controlled sedimentation in the western Arctic Ocean. The ca. 0.25 Ma transition, interpreted as another step in sea-ice expansion, also co-occurs with signs of ice-sheet expansion in both North America and, especially, Eurasia. The apparent synchronicity of major steps in sea-ice and glaciation histories necessitates a more in-depth investigation of feedbacks involved and broader linkages beyond the Arctic region. The ca. 0.1 Ma change in foraminiferal assemblages marks a consistent stratigraphic event, expressed notably in a proliferation of the cosmopolitan species Oridorsalis tener , although its paleoenvironmental significance is not yet fully understood.
Comparison of results of lactose multiple tube fermentation method and enzyme substrate method in detection of Escherichia coli

Objective To select an accurate、fast and convenient method for detection of Escherichia coli in drinkingwater. Methods Escherichia coli in drinking water was detected using lactose multiple tube fermentation method andenzyme substrate method introduced in the standard methods for inspection of drinking water(GB5750- 2006), theapplicability, sensitivity and the difference of the two methods were compared. Results Escherichia coli could be detectedboth by the lactose multiple tube fermentation method and the enzyme substrate method and without differences in terms ofapplicability. The sensitivity of lactose multiple tube fermentation method and substrate enzyme method were 10cfu/100 m L and1cfu/100 m L. In detection of 40 water samples the positive rate of lactose multiple tube fermentation method 82.5%(30/40) for aduration of seventy-two hours, while the positive rate of enzyme substrate method was 90.0%(36/40)for a duration of twentyfour hours, without significant difference(χ2=0.9486,P=0.3301). Escherichia coli was detected in thirty-three water sampleswith both methods with the coincidence rate of 91.67%(33/36). No Escherichia coli was detected in five samples with bothmethods with the negative coincidence rate of 100%(4/4), therefore, there is no significant difference in the effect and results ofdetection of Escherichia coli between two methods(χ2=1.3333,P=0.2482)and(t =0.5295,P=0.5994).Conclusion Lactosemultiple tube fermentation method and the enzyme substrate method can both used for detection of Escherichia coli in thedrinking water, but the sensitivity of enzyme substrate method is higher than the lactose multiple tube fermentation method asthe duration of detection time of the latter 48 hours less than the former, thus it allows rapid detection and accurate reporting ofthe results.
Analysis on the prognosis of cervical cancer with its pathological findings in years 2002-2005

[Objective] To study the prognosis of cervical cancer with its pathologital findings in years 2000—2005 Shanghai.[Methods] Both descriptive and multiple logistical analysis were used to estimate the relation of pathology findings with the prognosis of 1,865 patients in Shanghai.[Results] Among the 1865 cases,most of the cervieal cancers were squamous carcinoma,about 58.61 percent.The average fatality rate was 18.55 percent in 2002-2005.The later stage patients had the higher fatality rate.The mean of Karnofsky scoring was determined in accordance with their in situ neoplasm,stage and grade.[Conclusion] To increase the early detecting of cervical cancer was a useful method to improve the survival.
Study on determination method of the residues of Tirofiban Hydrochloride on cleaning validation

Objective Using a HPLC method to set up a method for determination of the content of Tirofiban Hydrochlolike on clening validation to assure the cleaning effect. Methods The mobile phase was 0.01 mol/L monobasic potassium phosphate buffer acetonitrile(73∶27),the detection wavelength at 227 nm,flow rate was 1.0 ml/min. Results When the residues content Tirofiban were between 0.075 μg/ml and 0.75 μg/ml,the peak area and content was linear(r=0.999 7),the average rate of recovery was 92.45%. Conclusion That the analytical method can be used for validation of Tirofiban Hydrochloride clean residue detection.
Sodium regulation: Sensory aspects.

The sensory pleasure associated with the taste of salt in certain foods is a powerful force for high consumption of those foods. However, the question of why we like the taste of salt cannot now be answered.
Photovoltaic inverter dispatch for voltage regulation in power distribution systems: A comparative evaluation

Increases in penetration of small-scale, consumer-owned photovoltaic (PV) systems in the distribution grid has given rise to increased problems with voltage regulation, particularly in the cases of mid-day operation, where low load coincides with high PV production, and partially cloudy conditions, where PV production can vary rapidly. Much research has been conducted into solving the voltage regulation problem by setting the PV inverters to produce variable amounts of active and reactive power. This paper presents a comparative evaluation of methods for choosing the PV inverter set-points, comparing local decentralized methods to a variety of optimal power flow-based algorithms. Utility concerns, namely voltage regulation and line losses, are balanced against the customer concerns of maximum profit from owned PV systems.
Model assessment of individual tumor control rate and adverse effects in comparing locally advanced cervical cancer treatment using intracavitary with and without interstitial brachytherapy.

Purpose This study assessed the modeled probability of tumor control and organ at risk toxicities in locally advanced cervical cancer in patients treated by external beam radiation plus brachytherapy using intracavitary combined with interstitial brachytherapy (IC/IS) vs. intracavitary brachytherapy (IC) alone. Material and methods Twenty cervical cancer patients with a mean HR-CTV volume of 47.4 cm3 and a mean width of 54 mm were planned with both IC/IS and IC brachytherapy alone. A probit model was utilized to model 3-year (3-yr) local control rate (LC), 3-yr cancer specific survival rate (CSS), and the adverse effect (AE) of the organ at risk by using a modeled data set from multiple institutions. Modeling results were used to estimate the LC, CSS, and AE of the treatments in this study. Results Using the IC/IS technique, an EQD2 increase of 12.3 Gy to D90 (from 76.1 Gy to 88.3 Gy) of HR-CTV is expected to increase 3-yr LC and 3-yr CSS by 12.5%, and 11.0%, respectively. Comparing IC/IS to IC alone, the expected G2+ AE were 7.7% vs. 7.9% for the bladder, and 5.9% vs. 6.8% for the rectum. Conclusions The IC/IS technique improved dose coverage to the HR-CTV without significantly increasing dose to 2 cm3 of the organ at risk (OAR) surrounding it. With different regimens of EBRT combined with BT, IC/IS can be used to increase the probability of LC and CSS, or decrease the risk of AE.
A quantitative performance analysis of FinFET based multiplier circuits

In this paper, we investigate and compare the performance of four different FinFET based multiplier topologies in terms of their leakage power, dynamic power, delay and power delay product at the transistor level. The multiplier topologies analyzed are Ripple Carry Array multiplier, Carry Save Array multiplier, Wallace Tree multiplier and Baugh-Wooley multiplier. The circuit simulations were performed in HSPICE using 20nm, and 14nm low-power FinFET models. 16×16 and 32×32 bit multiplier architectures were implemented for each topology. The results show that the Baugh-Wooley multiplier has the best power performance among all the multipliers investigated. The Wallace tree multiplier is the fastest among the all the multipliers for the 16×16 multiplier architecture. As the number of input bits increased, the Baugh-Wooley multiplier exhibited better power delay product. The results of this research is expected to provide a starting point for the design and analysis of more complex FinFET based circuits at transistor level.
Integrin αvβ3 Signaling in Tumor-Induced Bone Disease

Tumor-induced bone disease is common among patients with advanced solid cancers, especially those with breast, prostate, and lung malignancies. The tendency of these cancers to metastasize to bone and induce bone destruction is, in part, due to alterations in integrin expression and signaling. Substantial evidence from preclinical studies shows that increased expression of integrin αvβ3 in tumor cells promotes the metastatic and bone-invasive phenotype. Integrin αvβ3 mediates cell adhesion to several extracellular matrix proteins in the bone microenvironment which is necessary for tumor cell colonization as well as the transmission of mechanical signals for tumor progression. This review will discuss the αvβ3 integrin receptor in the context of tumor-induced bone disease. Specifically, the focus will be the role of αvβ3 in modulating cancer metastasis to bone and tumor cell response to the bone microenvironment, including downstream signaling pathways that contribute to tumor-induced osteolysis. A better understanding of integrin dysregulation in cancer is critical to developing new therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of bone metastases.
Multi-wavelength Characterization of Multi-Order Diffractive Lenslet Arrays

Multi-order diffractive (MOD) lenslet arrays were characterized for Strehl ratio, focal ratio, and efficiency at multiple wavelengths. The focal ratios as a function of wavelength were deduced from analysis of images of illuminated lenslets.
Characterization of Alpha1 Adrenergic Receptors in Human Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

AbstractBladder outlet obstruction in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia is decreased following administration of prazosin, a selective alpha1 adrenergic antagonist. Prazosin presumably binds and antagonizes alpha1 adrenergic receptors on the smooth muscle cells of the prostatic adenoma. This study represents the first identification and characterization of alpha1 adrenergic receptors in the prostate using radioligand receptor binding methods.The binding of [3H] prazosin in homogenates obtained from human prostatic adenomas was saturable and a single high affinity prazosin binding site was identified (Kd = 0.29 ± 0.09nM). The alpha1 adrenergic receptor concentration in these homogenates ranged between 0.28 to 2.05fmol./mg. wet wt. prostate. The equilibrium dissociation constant and density of prazosin binding sites were similar in different regions of an enucleated prostate suggesting homogeneity of receptor density and receptor binding sites within an adenoma. The receptor density was not directly pro...
Preventing falls: Choosing compatible Fall Protection Supplementary Devices (FPSD) for bridge maintenance work using virtual prototyping

Abstract Apart from struck-by safety incidents, fall-related injuries are a major concern in bridge maintenance work. To protect against falls from bridge decks, maintenance workers largely rely on existing bridge guardrails. However, a large number of bridge guardrails do not comply with the regulatory height requirement of 42 ± 3 in. for sufficient fall protection – although appropriate for vehicular traffic. To address this fall protection issue, a few departments of transportation (DOTs) have adopted Fall Protection Supplementary Devices (FPSDs). These devices are temporarily installed on existing bridge guardrails to sufficiently increase the barrier height while work is performed on bridge decks. However, not all FPSDs are compatible with every bridge guardrail. Therefore, to provide sufficient protection, DOT decision makers are tasked with identifying FPSDs that are compatible for each guardrail application. This generally has involved physically installing FPSDs and assessing compatibility on a trial-and-error basis. The use of such inefficient techniques have resulted in significant errors, wasted resources, productivity losses, and an increased likelihood of struck-by safety incidents. To address this issue, the objective of this study is to propose an efficient, cost-effective, and safe approach to assessing compatibility using virtual prototyping methods. In addition, to illustrate the use of the proposed method, a case example of the compatibility testing between two bridge guardrails in North Carolina and three separate FPSDs is presented. It is expected that the proposed method will provide a useful mechanism for DOTs to select suitable FPSDs to protect their workforce.
Breeding for Biomass Yield in Switchgrass Using Surrogate Measures of Yield

Development of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) as a dedicated biomass crop for conversion to energy requires substantial increases in biomass yield. Most efforts to breed for increased biomass yield are based on some form of indirect selection. The objective of this paper is to evaluate and compare the expected efficiency of several indirect measures of breeding value for improving sward-plot biomass yield of switchgrass. Sward-plot biomass yield, row-plot biomass, and spaced-plant biomass were measured on 144 half-sib families or their maternal parents from the WS4U-C2 breeding population of upland switchgrass. Heading date was also scored on row plots and anthesis date was scored on spaced plants. Use of any of these indirect selection criteria was expected to be less efficient than direct selection for biomass yield measured on sward plots, when expressed as genetic gain per year. Combining any of these indirect selection criteria with half-sib family selection for biomass yield resulted in increases in efficiency of 14 to 36%, but this could only be achieved at a very large cost of measuring phenotype on literally thousands of plants that would eventually have no chance of being selected because they were derived from inferior families. Genomic prediction methods offered the best solution to increase breeding efficiency by reducing average cycle time, increasing selection intensity, and placing selection pressure on all additive genetic variance within the population. Use of genomic selection methods is expected to double or triple genetic gains over field-based half-sib family selection.
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) genetic susceptibility is mediated by synergistic interactions between EoE-specific and general atopic disease loci

Background Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an esophageal inflammatory disease associated with atopic diseases. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and calpain 14 (CAPN14) genetic variations contribute to EoE, but how this relates to atopy is unclear. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between EoE, atopy, and genetic risk. Methods EoE-atopy enrichment was tested by using 700 patients with EoE and 801 community control subjects. Probing 372 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 63 atopy genes, we evaluated EoE associations using 412 nonatopic and 868 atopic disease control subjects. Interaction and stratified analyses of EoE-specific and atopy-related SNPs were performed. Results Atopic disease was enriched in patients with EoE ( P IL4 / KIF3A) ( P = 2.8 × 10 −6 ; odds ratio [OR], 1.87), moderately with TSLP ( P = 1.5 × 10 −4 ; OR, 1.43), and nominally with CAPN14 ( P = .029; OR, 1.35). Comparing patients with EoE with atopic disease control subjects, EoE associated strongly with ST2 ( P = 3.5 × 10 −6 ; OR, 1.77) and nominally with IL4/KIF3A ( P = .019; OR, 1.25); TSLP 's association persisted ( P = 4.7 × 10 −5 ; OR, 1.37), and CAPN14' s association strengthened ( P = .0001; OR, 1.71). Notably, there was gene-gene interaction between TSLP and IL4 SNPs ( P = .0074). Children with risk alleles for both genes were at higher risk for EoE ( P = 2.0 × 10 −10 ; OR, 3.67). Conclusions EoE genetic susceptibility is mediated by EoE-specific and general atopic disease loci, which can have synergistic effects. These results might aid in identifying potential therapeutics and predicting EoE susceptibility.
Deciding wisely: A case for an effective use of myocardial perfusion imaging

There is a vast body of literature supporting the use of stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease. When applied in the appropriate clinical setting, MPI can aid, not only in diagnosis and risk stratification, but also in decision-making. In a case of a 58-year-old man with suspected coronary artery disease, we highlight how the appropriate use of stress MPI can leverage the diagnostic and prognostic utility of MPI in an effective, evidence-based decision-making aimed to achieve the best patient outcome.
Properties of aluminum powders and of extrusions produced from them

The tensile strength and yield strength of aluminum powder extrusions are functions of the powder particle size or flake powder thickness. Oxide content, except as it depends upon flake thickness, has only a minor effect upon these properties. The degree of dispersion of the oxide, therefore, appears to be the controlling factor in the strengthening mechanism of these extrusions.
Non-endoscopic biopsy techniques: a review

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Diseases of the stomach and small intestine account for approximately 20% of all gastrointestinal (GI)-related mortality. Biopsy of the stomach and small intestine remains a key diagnostic tool for most of the major diseases that affect the GI tract. While endoscopic means for obtaining biopsy is generally the standard of care, it has several limitations that make it less ideal for pediatric patients and in low resource areas of the world. Therefore, non-endoscopic means for obtaining biopsy samples is of interest in these settings.Areas covered: We review non-endoscopic biopsy techniques reported thus far, and critically examine their merits and demerits regarding their suitability for obtaining biopsy samples in non-sedated subjects.Expert commentary: Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is the current standard for acquiring biopsy from the GI tract, however, its limitations include subject sedation, expensive endoscopy infrastructure, expert personnel, and a small but significant risk...
Worth a Try? Describing the Experiences of Families during the Course of Care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit When the Prognosis is Poor.

Objective To determine how parents of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit with a poor or uncertain prognosis view their experience, and whether they view their choices as “worth it,” regardless of outcome. Study design Parents of eligible neonates at 2 institutions underwent audiotaped, semistructured interviews while their infants were still in the hospital and then again 6 months to 1 year after discharge or death. Interviews were transcribed and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Two authors independently reviewed and coded each interview and discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Results Twenty-six families were interviewed in the initial group and 17 families were interviewed in the follow-up group. The most common themes identified included realism about death (24 families), appreciation for the infant's care team (23 families), and optimism and hope (22 families). Overall themes were very similar across both centers, and among parents of infants who died and those who survived. Themes of regret, futility, distrust of care team, and infant pain were brought up infrequently or not at all. Conclusions No family believed that the care being provided to their infant was futile; rather, parents were grateful for the care provided to their infant, regardless of outcome. Even in the case of a poor prognosis or the death of an infant, families in our study viewed their infant's stay in the neonatal intensive care unit favorably.
Using Storm Transposition to Investigate the Relationships between Hydrologic Responses and Spatial Moments of Catchment Rainfall

AbstractThe dependence between spatiotemporally varied rainfall and watershed hydrology has long been recognized and studied using either synthetic or real storms/watersheds. To examine the relatio...
Impact Of Medicaid Expansion On Coverage And Treatment Of Low-Income Adults With Substance Use Disorders.

Extensive undertreatment of substance use disorders has focused attention on whether the expansion of eligibility for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has promoted increased coverage an...
Low-dimensional representations and anisotropy of model rotor versus porous disk wind turbine arrays

We experimentally compare wakes within three-bladed rotor and porous disk wind turbine arrays using PIV measurements and proper orthogonal decomposition. Disparities between rotors and disks with important implications for wind turbine simulations is found.
Role of Jakob number in Leidenfrost phenomena unveiled by theoretical modeling

The Leidenfrost phenomenon in its most common form is encountered when a droplet is levitated and driven by its own vapor. The recently discovered “cold Leidenfrost phenomenon” expands this phenomenon into low-temperature regimes. Although various theoretical models have been proposed, analytical exploration on generalized dimensionless laws is still absent. In this work, we elucidated the role of the dimensionless Jakob number in the Leidenfrost phenomenon through theoretical modeling. The model was verified by examining the cold Leidenfrost phenomenon of both a dry ice nub on the surface of water and a liquid nitrogen droplet on a smooth silicon surface. Regardless of the specific configuration, the dimensionless temperature distribution in the vapor film only depends on the Jakob number of the vapor and presents linear dependence when the Jakob number is below 0.25. This theoretical model would facilitate the exploration of physics for Leidenfrost events and, therefore, guide prediction as well as the design of applications in the future.
The spectrum of orbital dermoid cysts and their surgical management

The purpose of this study is to describe a spectrum of surgical approaches to orbital dermoid cysts, influenced by the anatomic location of the expanded cyst wall and other factors. In this retrosp...
Guided ion beam studies of the reactions of Crn+ (n=1–18) with CO2: Chromium cluster oxide bond energies

The kinetic energy dependence of the reactions of Crn+ (n=1–18) with CO2 are studied in a guided ion beam mass spectrometer. The primary product ions are CrnO+, which then decompose by sequential loss of chromium atoms as the kinetic energy is increased. Simple collision-induced dissociation to form the Crn−1+ product ions is also observed. Large cluster ions, n⩾9, form the CrnCO2+ adduct at low kinetic energies. For many cluster sizes, the cross section for the primary reaction, Crn++CO2→CrnO++CO, exhibits an interesting bimodal energy behavior that is discussed in some detail. Crn+–O bond energies are measured and found to compare well with measurements obtained from guided ion beam studies of the Crn++O2 systems. The trends in this thermochemistry are discussed and compared to bulk phase oxidation values.
Equidistribution of families of expanding horospheres on moduli spaces of hyperbolic surfaces

Given a simple closed curve $$\gamma $$ on a connected, oriented, closed surface S of negative Euler characteristic, Mirzakhani showed that the set of points in the moduli space of hyperbolic structures on S having a simple closed geodesic of length L of the same topological type as $$\gamma $$ equidistributes with respect to a natural probability measure as $$L \rightarrow \infty $$ . We prove several generalizations of Mirzakhani’s result and discuss some of the technical aspects ommited in her original work. The dynamics of the earthquake flow play a fundamental role in the arguments in this paper.
The Potential Value of Performing Preoperative Urinalysis Prior to Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Although the practice of checking a urinalysis prior to elective total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is relatively common, very little has been reported on the association between a preoperative urinary tract infection (UTI) and adverse events in primary TKA. The goal of this study is to investigate the risk of postoperative complication following TKA as it relates to preoperative UTI. Methods Patients undergoing TKA were queried in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Morbid events were classified as minor (transfusion, pneumonia, wound dehiscence, UTI, and renal insufficiency) and serious (wound infection, thromboembolic event, renal failure, myocardial infarction, prolonged ventilation, unplanned intubation, sepsis, and death). Risk factors for adverse events were analyzed in both univariate and multivariate fashion. Results A total of 203,851 patients undergoing TKA met inclusion criteria and 507 patients had a UTI present at time of surgery (UTI PATOS). A propensity matched analysis controlling for age, gender, body mass index, operative year, and American Society of Anesthesiologists score identified 507 patients without a UTI PATOS to serve as the control group. Following adjustment for baseline characteristics, operative year, and American Society of Anesthesiologists score, UTI PATOS was associated with increased risk for serious adverse events (odds ratio [OR] 2.746, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.546-4.878, P = .0006), occurrence of any morbid event (OR 1.894, 95% CI 1.299-2.761, P = .0009), and reoperation (OR 4, 95% CI 2.592-6.169, P Conclusion This study suggests that a UTI present at time of TKA increases the risk of multiple postoperative complications and reoperation.
Caregiver-child reminiscing and recounting across contexts

Abstract Caregiver-child dyads discuss unshared experiences on a daily basis. Yet, most research explores how dyads discuss shared experiences, with limited examination of how caregivers elicit information when discussing unshared experiences. The present study examined how caregivers modify their narrative style across the two conversation types, while also considering conversation goal and child recall. Eighty-six dyads discussed a shared past experience and unshared play activity experienced by the child. Caregivers were randomly assigned to discuss the play activity with the goal of gathering facts or having fun. Caregivers varied their conversation style when discussing the unshared event relative to the shared event and modified their conversation style somewhat depending on the assigned conversation goal. Caregivers’ conversation styles and child individual characteristics predicted children’s provision of correct information about the activity. Results preliminarily suggest caregivers use a unique approach to talk about unshared relative to shared events.
An Analysis of Adherence to Vaccination Recommendations in a Thoracic Organ Transplant Cohort.

(1) Background: Vaccination of solid organ transplant (SOT) candidates and recipients is vital to decrease infection-related morbidity and mortality. Here we describe our heart and lung transplant programs’ rates of completion of hepatitis B and pneumococcal vaccinations and identify potential opportunities for improvement. (2) Methods: This is a single-center retrospective study that included all heart and lung transplant recipients between 1 July 2013 and 31 July 2018. We assessed demographics, causes of organ failure, pretransplant hepatitis B immune status, and completion rates for hepatitis B vaccine series, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23). (3) Results: A total of 41 patients were included in the heart transplant cohort. Twelve (29.3%) had baseline hepatitis B immunity. Only 8/29 (27.6%) completed the entire 3-dose hepatitis B vaccination series pretransplant. Pretransplant PCV13 and PPSV23 vaccination rates were 58.5% (24/41) and 48.8% (20/41), respectively; no additional patients received PCV13 or PPSV23 post-transplant. In the heart transplant cohort, a majority (82.9%) of patients were evaluated by the Transplant Infectious Diseases consultative service (TxID) pretransplant, and this had a statistically significant association with increased pneumococcal vaccination rates (p = 0.0017, PCV13 and p = 0.0103, PPSV23). In total, 55 patients were included in the lung transplant cohort. Five (9.1%) had baseline hepatitis B immunity; 33/50 (66.0%) completed the hepatitis B vaccine series in the pretransplant setting. Pretransplant PCV13 and PPSV23 vaccination rate was 40.0% (22/55) and 69.1% (38/55), respectively. There was only a 47.3% and 72.3% completion rate overall in the post-transplant setting. (4) Conclusions: There continues to be a need for a comprehensive and coordinated effort to increase vaccine adherence for all SOT candidates in the pretransplant setting.
Racism’s Back Door: A Mixed-Methods Content Analysis of Transformative Sketch Comedy in the US from 1960-2000

Comedy that challenges race ideology is transformative, widely available, and has the potential to affect processes of identity formation and weaken hegemonic continuity and dominance. Outside of the rules and constraints of serious discourse and cultural production, these comedic corrections thrive on discursive and semiotic ambiguity and temporality. Comedic corrections offer alternate interpretations overlooked or silenced by hegemonic structures and operating modes of cultural common sense. The view that their effects are ephemeral and insignificant is an incomplete and misguided evaluation. Since this paper adopts Hegel’s understanding of comedy as the spirit (Geist) made material, its very constitution, and thus its power, resides in exposing the internal thought processes often left unexamined, bringing them into the foreground, dissecting them, and exposing them for ridicule and transformation. In essence, the work of comedy is to consider all points of human processing and related structuration as fair game. The phenomenological nature of comedy calls for a micro-level examination. Select examples from The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1968), The Richard Pryor Show (1977), Saturday Night Live (1990), and Chappelle’s Show (2003) will demonstrate representative ways that comedy attacks and transforms racial hegemony.
Spatio-temporal analysis of oil lake and oil-polluted surfaces from remote sensing data in one of the Libyan oil fields.

The study area, which is part of the Sirt sedimentary basin in the north-central part of Libya, is characterized by natural resources of important environmental value that need special attention as they are threatened by many human activities. The focus of this study was mainly on the production of high-resolution maps of oil-contaminated surfaces, and the series time maps of events resulting from oil pollution using multi temporal satellite data and validation of the results. Digital image processing techniques were used on satellite-based sensing, whether optical or radar data, which proved to be a cost-effective way to collect information on the volume of lake water, and to assess the depth and concentration of pollution in the study area rich in lakes taken from different periods (1972 to 2006). The area of the oil-contaminated lake, called produced water, was calculated from the 1972 Landsat MSS digital satellite imagery data and was about 1.8 km2 and then increased to 10.7 km2, during 2006 from Landsat digital image TM data. The size change in this area was due to the increase of the quantities of water production that continued to increase as the oil and gas fields reached maturity. The 2019 Landsat satellite imagery reveals a drastic shrinkage in the area of the lake attributed to the suspension of the produced water pumping as well as the cycle of evaporation that resulted to the water led to a limited volume of water remaining in the lake.
INTRODUCTION: Ludics—Play as Humanistic Inquiry

“Play taunts us with its inaccessibility. We feel that something is behind it all, but we do not know, or have forgotten how to see it,” Robert Fagan claims. Play is an integral part of being human. It is how we learn, explore, how we imagine, and experience joy. But then we grow up. And the mystery of play ceases to matter. In most cultures, excluding competitive sports and gambling, play is largely detached from the “serious” matters of adulthood. It is an escape hatch, a safety valve, a mere retreat from the official structures of modern adult life.
Totalitarianism: Tyranny Taken to a Terrifying Level Totalitarianism as a New Political Phenomenon

Totalitarianism takes tyranny beyond repression and violence and to demands for enthusiastic participation in the grand projects of the regime. Totalitarianism, though it is a modern phenomenon, was prefigured by the Divine Kingships. In Egypt, Mesopotamia and Ancient China, the God-Kings and the priests organized vast building projects of tombs and temples and walls and roads and water systems. Grand religious festivals were organized, and the people were ordered to come out and celebrate the glory of the Kings and the gods. In the modern world, Nazi Germany took totalitarianism to a new level, and, today in the twenty-first-century Xi’s China and Kim’s North Korea are rivaling Nazi Germany in their totalitarian reach. But, South Korea with capitalism and democracy, stands as an alternative model to totalitarianism. It is hoped that modern educated citizens will choose the South Korean model.
Quantum Semi-Supervised Learning with Quantum Supremacy

Quantum machine learning promises to efficiently solve important problems. There are two persistent challenges in classical machine learning: the lack of labeled data, and the limit of computational power. We propose a novel framework that resolves both issues: quantum semi-supervised learning. Moreover, we provide a protocol in systematically designing quantum machine learning algorithms with quantum supremacy, which can be extended beyond quantum semi-supervised learning. We showcase two concrete quantum semi-supervised learning algorithms: a quantum self-training algorithm named the propagating nearest-neighbor classifier, and the quantum semi-supervised K-means clustering algorithm. By doing time complexity analysis, we conclude that they indeed possess quantum supremacy.
Quantitative Longitudinal Imaging Reveals that Inhibiting Hedgehog Activity Alleviates the Hypoxic Tumor Landscape.

Metastases account for the majority of mortalities related to breast cancer. The onset and sustained presence of hypoxia strongly correlates with increased incidence of metastasis and unfavorable prognosis in breast cancer patients. The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is dysregulated in breast cancer, and its abnormal activity enables tumor progression and metastasis. In addition to programming tumor cell behavior, Hh activity enables tumor cells to craft a metastasis-conducive microenvironment. Hypoxia is a prominent feature of growing tumors that impacts multiple signaling circuits that converge upon malignant progression. We investigated the role of Hh activity in crafting a hypoxic environment of breast cancer. We used radioactive tracer [18F]-fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) positron emission tomography (PET) to image tumor hypoxia. We show that tumors competent for Hh activity are able to establish a hypoxic milieu; pharmacological inhibition of Hh signaling in a syngeneic mammary tumor model mitigates tumor hypoxia. Furthermore, in hypoxia, Hh activity is robustly activated in tumor cells and institutes increased HIF signaling in a VHL-dependent manner. The findings establish a novel perspective on Hh activity in crafting a hypoxic tumor landscape and molecularly navigating the tumor cells to adapt to hypoxic conditions. Importantly, we present a translational strategy of utilizing longitudinal hypoxia imaging to measure the efficacy of Vismodegib in a preclinical model of triple-negative breast cancer. Implications: Using clinically relevant FMISO-PET imaging can be effectively utilized to monitor response to Vismodegib therapy.
Transportation Routing Map Abstraction Approach: Algorithm and Numerical Analysis

The transportation navigation map is increasingly used in various transportation network modeling applications such as navigation or traffic assignment. A typical navigation map contains all detailed facility layers and may not be as computationally efficient for path finding as a lower resolution map. A lower resolution transportation routing map retains only roadway layers related to route-finding roadway layers and is efficient for path finding, but this map may result in only suboptimal routes. With the goal of balancing the quality and computation requirements of a transportation navigation map, the systematic abstraction of the lower resolution transportation routing map from the navigation map is an important and nontrivial task. The challenge is in how the abstracted routing map balances path-finding effectiveness and efficiency. To deal with this challenge, this study proposes an innovative map abstraction method or connectivity enhancement algorithm. The algorithm starts from a low-resolution ne...
Biosynthesis and Structures of Porphyrins and Hemes

Anoxygenic phototrophs are capable of synthesizing all three major types of tetrapyrroles: hemes, chlorophylls, and corrins. These molecules are derived from a common, branched biosynthetic pathway. Facultative aerobes in the α-proteobacterial group (purple nonsulfur bacteria), which includes the genera Rhodobacter, Rhodopseudomonas, and Rhodospirillum, have been used extensively as model systems for studying tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, and much is known about the biosynthetic pathway and the physical and regulatory properties of the enzymes in these organisms. Strictly anaerobic phototrophic species have been less thoroughly studied, but they are known to derive their tetrapyrroles from metabolic precursors that differ from those used by the facultative aerobes. This chapter describes the structures and biosynthesis of tetrapyrrole precursors, hemes, and related molecules.
Structuring Data With Turbo Pascal: A Practical Introduction to Abstract Data Types

Covers the program design process - specification, top-down design, program coding and testing. It provides an introduction to computer problem solving, using structured programming methodologies in Pascal. Sample programs and case studies illustrate the points made.
Linkage in Island Models

Island models (IMs) have multiple sub-populations which periodically exchange a fraction of individuals. This complex setup results in distinct dynamics of evolution and therefore, IMs are characterized by several interesting properties of IMs with regard to gene linkage, which are presented in this chapter. Traditional single-population evolutionary algorithms (EAs) suffer from a relatively quick and often random gene fixation, due to evolutionary selection, drift and physical linkage of recombination operators. In IMs, additional, slower inter-island level of evolution together with a recurring local evolution inside islands make searching for optimal allele configurations more systematic. In this chapter, it is shown that IM dynamics may counteract hitch-hiking. Further, multiple building blocks may be better identified and combined in IMs, consequently supporting compositional evolution, which is studied on the H-IFF function. Finally, a discussion follows on how the repeated fixation of genes in islands might be treated as a linkage learning process.