cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DETERMINANTS OF PLASMA LEVELS OF BETA-CAROTENE AND RETINOL

The associations of retinol and beta-carotene plasma concentrations with eight personal variables and the use of seven classes of cardiovascular drugs were studied in over 1,750 patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer enrolled at four American study centers in a cancer prevention clinical trial. Dietary carotene and female sex were positively related to beta-carotene levels, while cigarette smoking and Quetelet index were negatively related. Use of vitamins, beta blockers, or other antihypertensive drugs were also related to beta-carotene levels, but were associated with much smaller changes in these levels. Age and use of other types of cardiovascular drugs were not associated with beta-carotene levels to a statistically significant extent. There was no statistically significant interaction of smoking and dietary carotene in predicting plasma beta-carotene levels. The multiple correlation coefficient between log plasma beta-carotene and the full model was R = 0.50. Retinol levels were positively related to male sex and use of vitamins, diuretics, beta blockers, other cardiovascular drugs, and menopausal estrogens, and negatively related to current cigarette smoking and use of nitrates. The multiple correlation coefficient between plasma retinol and the full model was R = 0.33. These findings confirm the importance of several previously reported predictors of plasma retinol and beta-carotene levels. They also identify several new predictors of these micronutrient levels.
Railroad Bridge Alternations, Calumet-Sag Project

Widening of Calumet-Sag Project waterway requires alteration of numerous railroad channel bridges whose expense is shared by bridge owners and Federal Government; problems from standpoint of cost apportionment, planning, and negotiation of construction agreements with bridge owners.
Vigilance in the laboratory predicts avoidance in the real world: A dimensional analysis of neural, behavioral, and ecological momentary data in anxious youth

Vigilance and avoidance of threat are observed in anxious adults during laboratory tasks, and are posited to have real-world clinical relevance, but data are mixed in anxious youth. We propose that vigilance-avoidance patterns will become evident in anxious youth through a focus on individual differences and real-world strategic avoidance. Decreased functional connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex (PFC) could play a mechanistic role in this link. 78 clinically anxious youth completed a dot-probe task to assess vigilance to threat while undergoing fMRI. Real-world avoidance was assessed using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) of self-reported suppression and distraction during negative life events. Vigilance toward threat was positively associated with EMA distraction and suppression. Functional connectivity between a right amygdala seed region and dorsomedial and right dorsolateral PFC regions was inversely related to EMA distraction. Dorsolateral PFC-amygdalar connectivity statistically mediated the relationship between attentional vigilance and real-world distraction. Findings suggest anxious youth showing attentional vigilance toward threat are more likely to use suppression and distraction to regulate negative emotions. Reduced PFC control over limbic reactivity is a possible neural substrate of this pattern. These findings lend ecological validity to laboratory vigilance assessments and suggest PFC-amygdalar connectivity is a neural mechanism bridging laboratory and naturalistic contexts.
Comment on: When Landslides Are Misinterpreted as Faults: Case Studies from the Western United States

Hart et al. (2012) provide a useful reminder that it can be difficult to distinguish between structures generated by landsliding and those generated by tectonic faulting, and that from an engineering perspective, confusing the two may have profound ramifications when evaluating a site's geologic stability and seismic hazard. As correctly noted in their introduction, “…every pattern of tectonic faulting can be produced by landsliding.” Hart et al. (2012) illustrate this fact with seven examples from the western United States, one of which, the Traverse Mountains of Utah, warrants clarification. Figure 7 of Hart et al. (2012) shows their interpretation of three landslides on the south flank of the Traverse Mountains, based in part on my 1: 24,000 scale geologic map of the Lehi quadrangle (Biek, 2005a). The focus of their summary relates to “landslide A,” and what I interpreted to be a down-to-the-northeast normal fault bounding its southwest margin. I agree that this structure is more plausibly interpreted as a right-lateral shear bounding the margin of landslide A. However, their queried landslides Qls?1 and Qls?3 are significantly larger than several composite landslides in the same locations as mapped by ⇓Biek (2005a). The inferred increased extent of these landslides compared to my mapping appears to be based largely on interpretation of aerial photographs, and thus …
A Conceptual Design Framework for Performance, Life-Cycle Cost, and Safety Evaluation of Suborbital Vehicles

Recent technological advancements along with a growing demand for space tourism is supporting the development of new manned suborbital vehicles. This market is characterized yet by a lack of both an optimized baseline and clearly-defined requirements so that a methodology that explores the entire design space is needed. In particular, this research focuses on the development of a multi-objective design framework that provides the capabilities to rapidly evaluate the flying, economic, and safety performance of all suborbital vehicles at a conceptual level. For development purposes, the modeling and simulation environment is broken down into six modules: weight/size, aerodynamics, trajectory, propulsion, economics, and safety. By leveraging empirical models, physics-based approaches, and surrogate modeling techniques, it enables the rapid and parametric assessment and optimization of a multitude of design concepts. Finally, it is the first environment of this sort to provide economic and safety assessment capabilities for all architectures of suborbital vehicles.
The IJzertoren: A Heldenhuldezerk for all of Flanders

In 1925, a site for the IJzertoren was secured and an open, juried competition was held for the design of the tower.1 The jury was composed of a sculptor, Jules Lagae who was involved with the Flemish Movement, Josef Goossenaerts, Oscar Dambre, Cyriel Verschaeve, Elisa Goedeme, the widow of Joe English, and several architects. All Flemish artists were invited to participate. A few guidelines were established. The tower must be between 18 and 20 meters high and incorporate English’s heldenhuldezerk cross design. The 39 designs submitted were displayed at the Het Bourgondisch Schild in Diksmuide on Sunday August 30, 1925, the day of the sixth IJzer Pilgrimage.2 The proposal by Robert and Frans Van Averbeke of the Van Averbeke Brothers Architectural firm from Antwerp was selected. The winner was announced on November 1, 1925 and the final design was contracted out for construction to the De Tandt firm from Nederbrakel on March 24, 1928.3 The height of the tower was altered to rise to 35 meters in order to compete with the still viable threat of the Tower of the Dead (Doodentoren). The overall design of the tower satisfied the requirements of the selection committee in that the final project was “grave, plain, severe in its lines and worthy of the sacrifices of our dead.”4 At the pilgrimage the tower was described within the framework of the myths of the martyred IJzer symbols: Already five times the pilgrims from Flanders come to the Field of the IJzer dead, where our best men bled out in days of youthful dedication and selflessness; they knelt on the many grave hills, more numerous each time, solemnly thinking about the idea these simple heroes had embodied until the end and that was imprinted in the crowns of the countless heldenhuldezerkjes, erected with piety by the comrades of the fallen for one last celebration and lasting testimonial: AVV-VVK.5
Productivity through weaning of nine breeds of cattle under varying feed availabilities: I. Initial evaluation.

The effect of varying dry matter availability on the conversion of dry matter resources to weight of calf at weaning was evaluated for nine breeds of cattle; Angus, Braunvieh, Charolais, Gelb- vieh, Hereford, Limousin, Red Poll, Pinzgauer, and Simmental were recorded for 5 yr. Within each breed, four cows were assigned to each of four feeding levels of dry matter intake: 58, 76, 93, or 111 g of DM/w~.~~. Cows remained on their assigned diet regimen throughout the study. Individual cow consumption, daily feed allowance adjusted for refusal, was recorded weekly. Production information included birth and weaning weight of the progeny, calving rate, and cow weights and condition scores. Cows were exposed to bulls of the same breed for 90 d. Reasons for cow replacement included failure to conceive in two successive years, injury, Caesarean section, chronic illness, and death. Response to dry matter intake (DMI) was curvilinear and differed among breeds ( P .20). Red Poll exhibited more effective conversion at DMI less than 4,000 kg/yr, but breeds with greater genetic potential for growth and(or) milk production (Gelb- vieh, Charolais, Braunvieh, Simmental, Pinzgauer, and Limousin) were more efficient at DMI greater than 6,000 kg/yr. Ranking for biological production efficiency (weight of calf weaned.cow exposed-l.kg DMI of cow-l) through weaning among breeds of cattle varied with dry matter intake.
Stab wound to the intramedullary spinal cord: Presurgical and surgical management options for a retained blade to optimize neurological preservation.

Background We present a rare case of an intraparenchymal nonmissile penetrating spinal injury (NMPSI) occurring at the T11 level in a patient presenting without neurological deficit. Case description The patient sustained a knife wound that penetrated the lamina without incurring bony injury and entered the spinal cord at the T11 level. During surgery, the intramedullary penetration of the cord was confirmed, and following surgical removal of the knife, the patient fully recovered without losing any neurological function. Conclusions The surgical management of NMPSI in patients who are neurologically intact is controversial. Here, we report surgical excision of a knife that penetrated the spinal cord at the T11 level, without the patient incurring further neurological deterioration.
MS-READ: Quantitative measurement of amino acid incorporation.

Abstract Ribosomal protein synthesis results in the genetically programmed incorporation of amino acids into a growing polypeptide chain. Faithful amino acid incorporation that accurately reflects the genetic code is critical to the structure and function of proteins as well as overall proteome integrity. Errors in protein synthesis are generally detrimental to cellular processes yet emerging evidence suggest that proteome diversity generated through mistranslation may be beneficial under certain conditions. Cumulative translational error rates have been determined at the organismal level, however codon specific error rates and the spectrum of misincorporation errors from system to system remain largely unexplored. In particular, until recently technical challenges have limited the ability to detect and quantify comparatively rare amino acid misincorporation events, which occur orders of magnitude less frequently than canonical amino acid incorporation events. We now describe a technique for the quantitative analysis of amino acid incorporation that provides the sensitivity necessary to detect mistranslation events during translation of a single codon at frequencies as low as 1 in 10,000 for all 20 proteinogenic amino acids, as well as non-proteinogenic and modified amino acids. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Biochemistry of Synthetic Biology - Recent Developments" Guest Editor: Dr. Ilka Heinemann and Dr. Patrick O’Donoghue.
The Development of a B.A. in Computer Science and Computational Thinking

In 2006 the computer science program at Gonzaga University was moved from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) to the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). Before the move, a significant proportion of students majoring in computer science (CS) also majored/minored in another discipline within the CAS. After the move, the proportion dramatically decreased in part because of: institutional hurdles for students double majoring across schools; a lack of CS courses within the CAS (where a greater number of students pursue double majors and minors); and additional CS, Math, and Science credits added to the B.S. degree to meet ABET Accreditation requirements. In 2009, we developed a Minor in Information Technology for CAS students that included courses in “computational thinking”, information technology, and computational courses in other CAS disciplines. In 2013, because of a perceived need for a CS degree with a stronger liberal arts background, we designed a new B.A. in Computer Science and Computational Thinking (BA CSCT). Inspired by our earlier CS degree requiring 18 credits in another discipline, the 2007 Model Curriculum for a liberal arts degree in CS, and a desire by administration to emphasize interdisciplinary coursework, the new interdisciplinary B.A. requires a concentration in a “Discipline for Computational Thinking (DCT)” in which the discipline is selected from CAS programs (including Art, Music, Sociology, etc.). The degree requires that an additional three elective CS courses be chosen to best integrate with the particular DCT chosen. What makes the BA CSCT degree unique is the integration of the computer science courses with the chosen DCT.
Dual tasking in Parkinson's disease: Cognitive consequences while walking.

Published in final edited form as: Neuropsychology. 2017 September; 31(6): 613–623. doi:10.1037/neu0000331.
ATP-Driven Contraction of Phage T3 Capsids with DNA Incompletely Packaged In Vivo

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) cleavage powers packaging of a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecule in a pre-assembled capsid of phages that include T3. Several observations constitute a challenge to the conventional view that the shell of the capsid is energetically inert during packaging. Here, we test this challenge by analyzing the in vitro effects of ATP on the shells of capsids generated by DNA packaging in vivo. These capsids retain incompletely packaged DNA (ipDNA) and are called ipDNA-capsids; the ipDNA-capsids are assumed to be products of premature genome maturation-cleavage. They were isolated via preparative Nycodenz buoyant density centrifugation. For some ipDNA-capsids, Nycodenz impermeability increases hydration and generates density so low that shell hyper-expansion must exist to accommodate associated water. Electron microscopy (EM) confirmed hyper-expansion and low permeability and revealed that 3.0 mM magnesium ATP (physiological concentration) causes contraction of hyper-expanded, lowpermeability ipDNA-capsids to less than mature size; 5.0 mM magnesium ATP (border of supraphysiological concentration) or more disrupts them. Additionally, excess sodium ADP reverses 3.0 mM magnesium ATP-induced contraction and re-generates hyper-expansion. The Nycodenz impermeability implies assembly perfection that suggests selection for function in DNA packaging. These findings support the above challenge and can be explained via the assumption that T3 DNA packaging includes a back-up cycle of ATP-driven capsid contraction and hyper-expansion.
Minimum number of possibly non-contiguous samples to distinguish two periods

Given that a sequence x(n) is periodic with period P belonging to a known integer set {P 1 , P 2 , … P L }, what is the minimum number of samples of x(n) required to find the period? For the special case where the samples of x(n) are constrained to be contiguous in time, this problem has recently been solved. More generally, when the samples are allowed to be non-contiguous, the problem is quite difficult. This paper provides the answer for the restricted situation where P ∈ {P 1 , P 2 }. With P 1 2 , the necessary and sufficient number of (possibly noncontiguous) samples for period estimation turns out to be (a) P 1 , if P 1 is not a divisor of P 2 , and (b) P 2 otherwise. While the proof is quite involved even in this restricted case, it is likely to form the basis for addressing the more general situation where P ∈ {P 1 , P 2 , … P L }.
How Should Lungs Be Allocated for Transplant

As lung transplantation became established therapy for end-stage lung disease, there were not nearly enough suitable lungs from brain-dead organ donors to meet the need, leading to a focus on how lungs are allocated for transplant. Originally lungs were allocated by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) like hearts—by waiting time, first to listed recipients in the organ procurement organization of the donor, then to potential recipients in concentric 500 nautical mile circles. This resulted in long waiting times and increasing waitlist deaths. In 1999, the Health Resources and Services Administration published a Final Rule, requesting UNOS to review organ allocation algorithms to ensure that they complied with the desire to allocate organs based on urgency, avoiding futile transplants, and minimizing the role of waiting time in organ allocation. This led to development of the lung allocation score (LAS), which allocates lungs based on urgency and transplant benefit, introduced in 2005. The U.S. LAS system was adopted by Eurotransplant to allocate unused lungs between donor countries, and by both Germany and the Netherlands for lung allocation in their countries. This article will review the history of lung allocation, discuss the impact of LAS and its shortcomings, suggest recommendations to increase the number of lungs for transplant, and improve allocation of donated lungs. Ultimately, the goal of organ transplant research is to have so many organs to transplant that allocation systems are unnecessary.
Energetics of microbial fixation of dinitrogen

I review metabolic sources of reductant and ATP used by nitrogenase for all known classes of metabolism occurring among N2-fixing organisms. The discussion centers on free-living organisms preferentially over symbionts. I quantify the amounts of substrate required and convert these to free-energy efficiencies; anaerobes are seen as efficient in this sense. I clarify some thermodynamics of intermediate reactions, especially the need for ATP and the ability of NAD(P)H to reduce nitrogenase through ferredoxin. Three more contributions to net energy costs can be quantified: capital synthesis, assimilation and maintenance (two types). Several distinct loss routes for reactants and products exist, and I quantify their impacts. From net energy costs I calculate the decreases in substrate yields and increases in generation times. I review measurements of costs via these impacts in vitro and in vivo and discuss the orgins and amounts of variations due to important environmental conditions. The need for control of fixation by combined nitrogen, oxygen, and temperature is evident, but assessing its optimality requires critical definition and experimentation. The energy-intensiveness of fixation, especially relative to other sources of fixed nitrogen, has many specific consequences for ecological competitiveness of fixers. In whole-ecosystem function, a shared failure of metabolic strategies may exist, reducing the supportable biomass. In exploitation by humans via field crops and contained culture, ultimate consequences include restriction of the economic niche for biological fixation relative to current abiological alternatives such as chemical fertilizers. Lastly, I review the status of experimental studies of varied aspects of energetics and point out many opportunities for specific studies.
Soft Decision Decoding of Block Codes

The use of soft decisions with block codes provides the engineer with another degree of freedom when designing a communication system. The additional information provided by the soft decisions in most instances can provide about 2 dB of additional coding gain and can, therefore, significantly increase the usefulness of a particular code. Soft decision decoding is particularly effective when used with moderate length block codes and provides substantial performance benefits over a broad range of signal-to-noise ratios. It is also effective in concatenation schemes (see Chapter 8) which utilize two or more levels of encoding and decoding. In this case the use of soft decisions is restricted to the innermost coder/decoder, and it is necessary for the soft decision decoding method to provide near optimum performance at word error rates in the range of 10−2 to 10−3. This is in contrast to the usual system requirement that the decoding scheme be effective at error rates less than 10−5.
THE STATUS OF THE SPIRIT IN AL-MUSTAMLĪ AL-BUḪĀRĪ’S ŠARḤ AL-TA‘ARRUF: CASE STUDY OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS OF ḤANAFITE SUFISM, SUNNĪ KALĀM AND AVICENNISM IN THE FIFTH / ELEVENTH CENTURY TRANSOXIANA

The first part of this article presents al-Mustamlī al-Buḫārī and his work, a voluminous commentary on al-Kalābāḏī’s compendium of Sufi doctrines, al-Ta‘rruf limaḏhab al-taṣawwuf. Both al-Kalābāḏī and al-Mustamlī had strong tendencies to the discussions of kalām, and of the two al-Mustamlī wrote extensively on theological issues in his commentary, Sarḥ al-Ta‘arruf. In light of the presence of topics of kalām in al-Mustamlī’s book, this article will demonstrate that despite his geographical proximity to Abū Manṣūr al-Māturīdī’s theological school, al-Mustamlī was probably a follower of Abū l-Ḥasan al-As‘arī. The second part of the article concerns al-Mustamlī’s discussion of the nature of spirit (rūḥ). It will be argued that in dealing with the nature of the spirit, al-Mustamlī goes beyond the physicalist anthropology of the kalām and presents an argument for the existence of the spirit that has some affinities with Avicenna's proof of the existence of human rational soul, as it appears in the context of his famous thought experiment, the “flying man”. In both parts, the main claim of this article is that al-Mustamlī’s book is a valuable source for understanding the intellectual history of Transoxiana, and the intricate interactions of different disciplines, kalām, falsafa, taṣawwuf with each other.
Intra-articular fibroma-like perivascular epithelioid tumor (PEComa) mimicking tenosynovial giant cell tumor, diffuse type

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas) are rare mesenchymal neoplasms composed of perivascular epithelioid cells that are immunoreactive for both melanocytic and myogenic markers. Recently, a fibroma-like PEComa associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) has been identified. We describe the first intra-articular case of a fibroma-like PEComa in a 44-year-old man who presented with a hypointense intra-articular knee mass, which was mistaken for tenosynovial giant cell tumor, diffuse type. This case report demonstrates that fibroma-like PEComa should be included in the extended differential diagnosis of intra-articular soft tissue masses. In addition, given their strong association with TSC mutations, a diagnosis of fibroma-like PEComa should trigger an evaluation for TSC.
Working Fathers and Work-Family Relationships:A Comparison of Generation X and Millennial Dads

While there has been an increased attention on researching the unique concerns of working fathers, there has been comparatively little work done to distinguish the work-family concerns of fathers of differing circumstances. In this study, we use a Multi-Group Moderation Analysis using Structural Equation Modeling to examine whether and how the relationships between work-family conflict/synergy and a set of antecedents and outcomes vary by generational cohort. Specifically, we used data from the National Study of the Changing Workforce (Tahmincioglu, 2014) to determine whether work-family dynamics differ between working fathers of Generation X and the Millennial generation. The results of our exploratory study reveal generational differences in the relationships between coworker and supervisory support on work interference with family, as well as the relationships between work interference with family and such outcomes as life satisfaction, job satisfaction, and self-rated health. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Evolution of sinkholes over Wink, Texas, observed by high-resolution optical and SAR imagery

Abstract Two caprock and cover collapse sinkholes, Wink Sinks #1 and #2, in Winkler County, Texas, collapsed in 1980 and 2002, respectively. They are located in a region underlain by the Salado Formation on the eastern edge of the Delaware Basin. The sinkhole collapses were associated with intense hydrocarbon drilling and production activities in the Hendrick oilfield. Production records and prior investigations imply the sinkholes developed after salt dissolution due to freshwater intrusion, cavity formation, roof failure, and successive upward cavity migration. High-resolution (1 m) aerial photography shows the ensuing expansion of Wink Sink #2 from 2002 through 2010 and relative stability of the ground surface after 2010. Very high-resolution (25 cm) staring spotlight mode TerraSAR-X reveals the spatiotemporal details of Wink sinkhole deformations. The vicinities around the two existing sinkholes (Wink Sinks #1, #2) deformed at a rate of 5 cm/yr in line-of-sight (LOS) direction from October 2015 to March 2016, and the deformation was possibly caused by the gradual deposit of the debris from overlying unconsolidated Alluvium and Santa Rosa sandstones infilling the cavity after the sinkhole collapse. Specifically, the largest deformation of 53 cm/yr in LOS direction was found 1 km east of Wink Sink #2. Our study suggests that severe drought in 2011 widened and created fractures as well as ground fissures in the rocks overlying and underlying the salt formation due to the increased effective stress. Fractures, ground fissures, and the abandoned unplugged boreholes or improperly completed wells opened one or more vertical pathways of freshwater from groundwater flow and precipitation toward the salt bed, finally causing the rapid salt dissolution and the opening of new cavities. To explain the onset of a rapid subsidence near the Wink sinkholes, our study considers the combined effect of natural perturbation (i.e., drought, rock fractures, ground fissures, subsurface drainage, precipitation) and anthropogenic effects (i.e., improper well control). Our method to explore high-resolution imagery can be applied to characterize the sinkhole deformation and mitigate sinkhole-related geohazards.
Retirement Distribution Strategies with Mortality Uncertainty

Retirement distribution planning helps ensure the quality of life of retirees with all types of uncertainty. Probability of successfully funding through retirement has been a widely studied topic (Bengen, 1994; Ameriks et. al, 2001; Finke et. al, 2011; Pfau, 2012). However these studies treat the whole household only as one agent (Hubener et. al, 2013). And also, these literatures usually assume a 30 year planning horizon. For financial planning industry, some of the clients are couples and some of them outlive the 30 years planning horizon. So there is a need to study retirement for married retirees and set planning horizon conditional on their real mortality risk. This paper adds to the current literature by constructing a simulation framework incorporating conditional mortality risk and evaluating the distribution of outcomes. Within this framework, all types of strategies can be evaluated with different objective functions (such as maximizing the probability of success within the specified planning horizon, maximizing annual consumption, and maximizing expected total utility during retirement), different consumption pattern (fixed versus variable). Within the context of married couples, the joint mortality risks results in totally different retirement distribution outcomes, compared with the ones suggested by the previous studies.
TURBot: A System for Robot-Assisted Transurethral Bladder Tumor Resection

Staging and treatment of nonmuscle-invasive bladder tumors using transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) is challenging due to limitations in intravesicular tool dexterity, visualization and risk of bladder wall perforation. Currently, TURBT is achieved via a rigid resectoscope. This dexterity limitation is exacerbated when tumors are located in the bladder neck region. To address these limitations, an endoscopic robotic system called TURBot was developed. The paper presents the design considerations, modeling, and control challenges that were addressed to enable the first robot-assisted in vivo TURBT. The design and control of a slave robot comprised of a multisegment continuum robot capable of deploying a micro snake-like continuum robot for control of an ablation laser, a grasper, and a fiberscope is presented. A strategy for constrained telemanipulation is presented based on the redundancy resolution with varying task dimension that is commensurate with the level of constraint experienced by the robot during transurethral deployment. In addition to evaluation in animals, TURBot resection is compared against manual resection in a mockup user study using a human bladder phantom. The contributions of this paper present key steps that pave the way toward successful clinical robot-assisted TURBT.
Elaborating Differential Impact of Media Exposure on Perceptions of Police Between Criminal Justice Majors and Non-Criminal Justice Majors

Researchers have argued that media exposure involving criminal justice can influence perceptions of police, but empirical research is decidedly mixed. Additionally, some scholars argue that media e...
A Risk Analysis Tool for Estimating the Risk of Electrical Failures Due to Human Induced Defects

Aerospace electrical systems are required to withstand and adequately operate in extremely harsh environments that include, for example, high radiation exposure, temperature extremes, intense vibrational stress and drastic temperature cycling. The nature of aerospace electronics also demands high reliability since, with very few exceptions, there is no chance for hardware servicing or repairs. Common risk mitigation techniques for this type of situation are to perform a Reliability Analysis of the system throughout the development cycle, and to use electrical components that are regarded as “high reliability” because of additional controls and requirements applied in their design, manufacturing and testing. Unfortunately, studies have shown that even though these techniques are used, many systems fail to meet mission requirements well before the predicted lifetimes. This paper presents the analysis of failures of electrical parts, experienced during various stages of system development, at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt MD, between the years 2001 and 2013. One of the results of the analysis was the realization that a surprising proportion of failures experienced during system integration and testing were caused by human error (i.e. human induced defect). Further analysis included the determination of root failure mechanisms and any influencing factors contributing to these failures. The major causes of these defects were attributed to electrostatic damage (ESD), electrical overstress (EOS), mechanical overstress (MOS), and thermal overstress (TOS). Finally, the study proposes a risk analysis tool which incorporates these major causes for component failures. This tool provides system engineers and risk analysts a quantitative tool to manage, and a visual tool to communicate the risk of electrical part failure caused by defects induced by users during system assembly, integration, and testing. The proposed methodology is demonstrated with an example.
Autonomic nervous system activity predicts increasing serum cytokines in children.

Abstract Systemic inflammation is associated with increased risk for prevalent and costly diseases, and animal models implicate the autonomic nervous system in the control of inflammatory processes. In humans, research on autonomic-immune connections has been much more limited, and has focused on single branch autonomic measures (i.e., either parasympathetic or sympathetic). The current study utilized cardiac autonomic balance (CAB), derived from dual-branch cardiac autonomic recordings, to test the relation between resting autonomic function and inflammatory reactivity to challenge in children. Methods Participants included 96 children (51 boys, 45 girls) ages 9–11 years (mean age = 9.93 years, SD = 0.57 years). CAB values were calculated from standardized measures of parasympathetic and sympathetic activity, namely resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia and pre-ejection period data, respectively. Children provided two blood samples, one before and one following exposure to an acute social stressor or control condition. Serum was assayed for four cytokines that orchestrate inflammation: interleukin-6 (IL6), interleukin-8 (IL8), interleukin-10 (IL10), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFa). Results We discovered large individual differences in inflammatory marker production across children, and no average main effect of stress condition. CAB significantly predicted these individual differences, such that children lower on CAB showed increasing serum cytokines from time 1 to time 2. In contrast, children with greater CAB tended to show declining inflammatory markers across the session. Discussion Low cardiac autonomic balance (i.e., the combination of low parasympathetic and high sympathetic activity) may be a useful marker of proinflammatory tendencies in children, suggesting novel paths for early risk detection and intervention.
The Standard Model of Finance, with an Application of the Shareholder Value Approach

An overview of the main elements of Finance theory beginning with Markowitz and applying widely accepted techniques of analysis to financial decisions in companies and investment portfolios. Intended to be accessible to non specialists.
Comparison of Contraction Coefficients for f -Divergences

Contraction coefficients are distribution dependent constants that are used to sharpen standard data processing inequalities for f-divergences (or relative f-entropies) and produce so-called “strong” data processing inequalities. For any bivariate joint distribution, i.e., any probability vector and stochastic matrix pair, it is known that contraction coefficients for f-divergences are upper bounded by unity and lower bounded by the contraction coefficient for χ2-divergence. In this paper, we elucidate that the upper bound is achieved when the joint distribution is decomposable, and the lower bound can be achieved by driving the input f-divergences of the contraction coefficients to zero. Then, we establish a linear upper bound on the contraction coefficients of joint distributions for a certain class of f-divergences using the contraction coefficient for χ2-divergence, and refine this upper bound for the salient special case of Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence. Furthermore, we present an alternative proof of the fact that the contraction coefficients for KL and χ2-divergences are equal for bivariate Gaussian distributions (where the former coefficient may impose a bounded second moment constraint). Finally, we generalize the well-known result that contraction coefficients of stochastic matrices (after extremizing over all possible probability vectors) for all nonlinear operator convex f-divergences are equal. In particular, we prove that the so-called “less noisy” preorder over stochastic matrices can be equivalently characterized by any nonlinear operator convex f-divergence. As an application of this characterization, we also derive a generalization of Samorodnitsky’s strong data processing inequality.
Are Online Reviews of Physicians Reliable Indicators of Clinical Outcomes? A Focus on Chronic Disease Management

Are Online Reviews of Physicians Reliable Indicators of Clinical Outcomes? A Focus on Chronic Disease Management
Social Predictors of Health Status Among Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Youth

TITLE: SOCIAL PREDICTORS OF HEALTH STATUS AMONG TRANSGENDER AND GENDER NON-CONFORMING YOUTH PURPOSE: Transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) individuals experience significant health disparities compared to their cisgender counterparts. TGNC youth in particular may face distinct challenges when it comes to improving and maintaining health. There is limited research regarding TGNC youth and the mediating factors that may influence health status. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between various predictors, including gender identity, substance use, bullying, and …
Online Learning and Echocardiography Boot Camp: Innovative Learning Platforms Promoting Blended Learning and Competency in Pediatric Echocardiography.

Mastering pediatric echocardiography (PE) requires a substantial knowledge base of echo theory and congenital heart disease (CHD), along with technical proficiency. Online self-directed learning has become increasingly utilized among medical trainees to promote competency within medical subspecialties. We sought to evaluate the impact of online learning combined with lecture-based and hands-on teaching on the acquisition of PE knowledge and confidence in pediatric cardiology and pediatric critical care fellows. We prospectively enrolled 124 learners from 2016 to 2019. These included 40 incoming cardiology and critical care fellows at Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) as well as 84 national and international participants recruited from our online echo education website. All participants completed online learning modules through our website ( www.pedecho.org ), which covers pediatric echo physics, Doppler, technique, normal anatomy, atrial septal defects, and ventricular septal defects. TCH cardiology and critical care fellows subsequently participated in an Echo Boot Camp (BC), a 3-day training program with hands-on workshops and didactic lectures. Knowledge was assessed using an 80-question pre and post-test multiple choice exams. The online learning group demonstrated improvement in exam scores following online learning (PRE 49.1 ± 15.3 vs. POST 67.8 ± 17%; p ≤ 0.01). Echo Boot Camp fellows were noted to have further incremental improvement in test scores following BC (PRE 48% ± 13% vs. POST MODULE 68.6% ± 15% vs. POST BC 75.7% ± 13%; p ≤ 0.01). Self-assessment regarding confidence in context areas showed a substantial gain in self perceived interpretive confidence across all groups as well as procedural confidence in BC participants. Online learning significantly promotes the acquisition of echocardiography knowledge. Additional lecture-based and hands-on teaching in the form of an Echo Boot Camp can further enhance knowledge and interpretative skills. Both of these learning platforms appear to work in concert as powerful and effective tools in fellow education.
The Roles of Supply-Chain Management on Competitive Advantage: an Empirical Study in the Bangladeshi Apparel Sector

The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of supply chain management (SCM) practices on competitive advantages among Bangladeshi apparel manufacturers. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from apparel manufacturers in Bangladesh via an online survey. The SCM practices were conceptualized as a multi-dimensional construct to include strategic supplier partnership, customer relationship, information sharing, and process integration. The competitive advantages (CA) in 4 performance areas, cost, quality, delivery, and flexibility, were assessed. A total of 117 responses were analyzed. Findings included that (a) strategic supplier partnership and process integration practices were moderately related to quality CA, (b) information sharing was significantly related to delivery CA, and (c) information sharing was also significantly related to flexibility CA. The results indicate that certain dimensions of SCM practices have positive impacts on certain competitive advantages. The results suggest that implementing targeted SCM practices could achieve differentiation in a certain performance area. Given that most Bangladeshi apparel manufacturers have focused on the low-price strategy, the results provide them an opportunity to advance their competitiveness in the global market. This study is the first quantitative study that addresses SCM practice in the apparel industry in lower-middle income country. The results not only confirmed the multi-dimensionality of the SCM practices but also found their differential impacts across the areas of CA. Keywords: SCM practices, competitive advantage, apparel industry, Bangladesh, RMG industry, exporters
Steps Towards an Alignment of Intellectual Property in South-South Exchanges: A Return to TRIPs

Some of the most instrumental players in shaping the course of intellectual property policies in the South are the so-called BRIC countries. The acronym BRIC originally encompassed Brazil, Russia, India and China. In 2011, South Africa formally joined the BRIC countries, which are now referred to either by the original acronym or by BRICS. While categorizations like BRICS attract a fair amount of criticism, with questions surrounding the criteria used to aggregate disparate economies, the concept of emerging economies in the South seeking to advance similar development agendas has become accepted currency in multiple fields, from institutional cooperation to financial analysis and investment. Since the first BRIC summit, which took place in 2009, the range of areas on which the BRICS cooperate or plan to cooperate has expanded considerably. One of the areas that gained increasing attention from BRICS policy makers is intellectual property, particularly since 2013, when these countries signed their first agreement on cooperation between intellectual property offices. The agreement, known as the Roadmap, focuses primarily on cooperation in patent matters, and has the potential to trigger an alignment of patent policies in the South – or, more accurately, in the most economically-empowered arenas of the South. As the Roadmap comes into force, this article explores options for further cooperation between BRICS – and, potentially, developing countries in general – beyond the patent field. It begins by noting that patent law, in the form of TRIPS flexibilities, has consistently been at the heart of the boldest and most controversial intellectual property measures adopted by some of the leading economies of the South. It then describes the main features of the recent Roadmap, with an emphasis on its patent-centric design. The article proceeds to propose a set of TRIPS-compatible measures outside patent law that countries seeking to advance development agendas have yet to explore. In an era in which post-TRIPS and post-WTO approaches often relegate treaty interpretation to a residual position, these measures are derived from TRIPS and have the potential to further the innovation agendas of developing countries without increasing the overall levels of domestic intellectual property protection.
Obesity-Linked Diseases (Comorbidities)

Due to healthy lifestyle changes, obesity is one of the serious health problems and has a high prevalence worldwide. In the last three decades, obesity was increased rapidly as it is linked with many comorbidities leading to escalate the risk of disability, illness and fatality, especially by non-communicable diseases. Excessive weight gain is obviously due to overconsumption of calories and these extra calories are stored as fat tissue which may lead to develop certain diseases such as cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and hypertension. Obesity has an important role and impact on cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure (HF), and atrial fibrillation. Obesity as an essential cause of hypertension and linked with diabetes mellitus, the combination of obesity with anyone of these diseases leads to develop most of the manifestations of CVD. It was reported that increasing body weight will increases the risk of type 2 diabetes at all ages as the body of overweight or obese people make more effort and inability to control blood sugar levels by using insulin and have a high chance to develop diabetes. In addition, abdominal obesity was reported to be related to 2–3 times escalate the risk of hypertension and can be declined with a reduction of waist size. It was also found that there is an association between the presence the risks of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with obesity. Moreover, obesity has a relationship with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), dyslipidemia, reproductive disorders, respiratory diseases, renal diseases, sleep disorders and many other diseases.
Persistent fluid flows defined by active matter boundaries

Biological systems achieve precise control over ambient fluids through the self-organization of active protein structures including flagella, cilia, and cytoskeletal networks. In active structures individual proteins consume chemical energy to generate force and motion at molecular length scales. Self-organization of protein components enables the control and modulation of fluid flow fields on micron scales. The physical principles underlying the organization and control of active-matter driven fluid flows are poorly understood. Here, we apply an optically-controlled active-matter system composed of microtubule filaments and light-switchable kinesin motor proteins to analyze the emergence of persistent flow fields in a model active matter system. Using light, we form contractile microtubule networks of varying shape. We analyze the fluid flow fields generated by a wide range of microtubule network geometries and explain the resulting flow fields within a unified theoretical framework. We specifically demonstrate that the geometry of microtubule flux at the boundary of contracting microtubule networks predicts the steady-state fluid flow fields across polygonal network geometries through finite-element simulations. Our work provides a foundation for programming microscopic fluid-flows with controllable active matter and could enable the engineering of versatile and dynamic microfluidic devices.
Vortex stability and breakdown - Survey and extension

Analyse theorique et experimentale des conditions de stabilite et d'eclatement de tourbillons isoles incompressibles pour des valeurs elevees du nombre de Reynolds. On rappelle des methodes d'experimentation en laboratoire qui ont ete utilisees. On decrit les deux types principaux d'eclatements de tourbillons. On discute de l'importance de la symetrie par rapport a l'axe. On donne un bref apercu de la theorie de l'onde transcritique