cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How can the taxi industry survive the tide of ridesourcing? Evidence from Shenzhen, China

Abstract This paper aims to examine the impact of ridesourcing on the taxi industry and explore where, when and how taxis can compete more effectively. To this end a large taxi GPS trajectory data set collected in Shenzhen, China is mined and more than 2,700 taxis (or about 18% of all registered in the city) are tracked in a period of three years, from January 2013 to November 2015, when both e-hailing and ridesourcing were rapidly spreading in the city. The long sequence of GPS data points is first broken into separate “trips”, each corresponding to a unique passenger state, an origin/destination zone, and a starting/ending time. By examining the trip statistics, we found that: (1) the taxi industry in Shenzhen has experienced a significant loss in its ridership that can be indisputably credited to the competition from ridesourcing. Yet, the evidence is also strong that the shock was relatively short and that the loss of the taxi industry had begun to stabilize since the second half of 2015; (2) taxis are found to compete more effectively with ridesourcing in peak period (6–10 AM, 5–8 PM) and in areas with high population density. (3) e-hailing helps lift the capacity utilization rate of taxis. Yet, the gains are generally modest except for the off-peak period, and excessive competition can lead to severely under-utilized capacities; and (4) ridesourcing worsens congestion for taxis in the city, but the impact was relatively mild. We conclude that a dedicated service fleet with exclusive street-hailing access will continue to co-exist with ridesourcing and that regulations are needed to ensure this market operate properly.
Flowering time evolution is independent of serpentine tolerance in the California flora

Comparative phylogenetic tests have been only recently applied to the many hypotheses about the role ultramafic (serpentine) soils play in the evolution and ecology of regional floras. An association between serpentine tolerance and early flowering has been observed at microevolutionary scales but not yet tested broadly across angiosperms. I used both hypothesis testing (phylogenetically independent contrasts) and model-selection approaches to compare published data of serpentine tolerance with flowering time using phylogenetic trees representing 24 clades of plants representing 27 genera and 17 families. A total of 126 independent contrasts revealed no significant difference in flowering times across all clades or within any one clade except for the Thelypodieae, in which flowering time of serpentine-tolerant lineages was later. Similarly, an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model with one optimal flowering time was preferred over a model with separate optima depending on serpentine tolerance in nearly all genera. A phylogenetically un-corrected ANOVA found that serpentine-tolerant species have an earlier distribution of flowering times compared to both endemic and non-tolerant species, and median flowering times of non-tolerant species show a bimodal distribution. Therefore, I conclude that the long-term evolutionary responses of flowering time in a lineage that becomes tolerant of serpentine are variable across genera, with no significant overall bias toward earlier or later flowering. However, given that close relatives of serpentine-tolerant lineages tend to also flower relatively early, early flowering time may serve as an exaptation for serpentine tolerance. In combination with previously published ecotype studies, these results illustrate the eco-evolutionary scale dependence of flowering time.
The Life and Death of ACT UP/LA: Anti-AIDS Activism in Los Angeles from the 1980s to the 2000s

The Life and Death of ACT UP/LA explores the history of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, Los Angeles, part of the militant anti-AIDS movement of the 1980s and 1990s. ACT UP/LA battled government, medical, and institutional neglect of the AIDS epidemic, engaging in multi-targeted protest in Los Angeles and nationally. The book shows how appealing the direct action anti-AIDS activism was for people across the United States; as well as arguing the need to understand how the politics of place affect organizing, and how the particular features of the Los Angeles cityscape shaped possibilities for activists. A feminist lens is used, seeing social inequalities as mutually reinforcing and interdependent, to examine the interaction of activists and the outcomes of their actions. Their struggle against AIDS and homophobia, and to have a voice in their healthcare, presaged the progressive, multi-issue, anti-corporate, confrontational organizing of the late twentieth century, and deserves to be part of that history.
X-ray coherent scattering tomography of textured material (Conference Presentation)

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measures the signature of angular-dependent coherently scattered X-rays, which contains richer information in material composition and structure compared to conventional absorption-based computed tomography. SAXS image reconstruction method of a 2 or 3 dimensional object based on computed tomography, termed as coherent scattering computed tomography (CSCT), enables the detection of spatially-resolved, material-specific isotropic scattering signature inside an extended object, and provides improved contrast for medical diagnosis, security screening, and material characterization applications. However, traditional CSCT methods assumes materials are fine powders or amorphous, and possess isotropic scattering profiles, which is not generally true for all materials. Anisotropic scatters cannot be captured using conventional CSCT method and result in reconstruction errors. To obtain correct information from the sample, we designed new imaging strategy which incorporates extra degree of detector motion into X-ray scattering tomography for the detection of anisotropic scattered photons from a series of two-dimensional intensity measurements. Using a table-top, narrow-band X-ray source and a panel detector, we demonstrate the anisotropic scattering profile captured from an extended object and the reconstruction of a three-dimensional object. For materials possessing a well-organized crystalline structure with certain symmetry, the scatter texture is more predictable. We will also discuss the compressive schemes and implementation of data acquisition to improve the collection efficiency and accelerate the imaging process.
Rates and predictors of psychotherapy utilization after psychosocial evaluation for stem cell transplant.

Objective Although standard of care prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) includes a psychosocial evaluation, little is known about the rate and predictors of psychotherapy utilization among patients presenting for pre-HSCT evaluations. This study aimed to examine the proportion of patients undergoing pre-HSCT evaluations who subsequently utilize psychotherapy services and to explore predictive factors, including distress, anxiety, depression and quality of life (QoL). Methods Participants were a cross-sectional sample of 351 HSCT candidates at a NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. Questionnaires assessing distress, anxiety, depression and quality of life (QoL) were administered using validated instruments. Results A subset of patients, representing 14% of the sample, utilized psychotherapy services. Relative to patients who did not utilize psychological services, patients who followed-up with psychotherapy reported significantly more depressive and anxious symptoms (ps < .001), and endorsed worse QoL on the FACT-G. (p = .04). Of note, a subset of patients who utilized psychotherapy services reported low levels of distress (67%), depression (13%), or anxiety (13%); on the other hand, a subset of patients reported moderate-to-high levels of distress (25%), depression (71%), or anxiety (60%) but did not utilize services. Conclusions Results indicate that only a small subset of patients presenting for pre-HSCT psychosocial evaluation subsequently utilized psychotherapy services. Most patients who reported psychosocial concerns and who could potentially benefit from intervention did not use psychotherapy services. Further research is necessary to help clarify barriers to psychotherapy service utilization among HSCT patients and to help improve uptake among high-need patients.
Gloucester's inwardness and maternal anxiety in King Lear

ABSTRACT This essay aims at discussing the issues of inwardness and maternal anxieties in Shakespeare’s play King Lear. It also approaches the signifier, based on Lacan’s assumptions. It first presents Lacan’s assumptions on the signifier and the constitution of subjetivity. After that, it discusses maternal anxieties based on Janet Adelman’s work (1992). Adelman studies maternal fantasies based on Freud’s psychoanalytic framework, but she never mentions Lacan’s assumptions. She does not reveal the deeper devices in Lear’s inwardness are denied and repressed, whose driving and inward projections suggest dark dimensions and dispositions of Lear’s inner self; she only discusses maternal fantasies re-imagined with his daughters. In order to overcome this gap, I discuss and analyse the psychic constellations which are revealed in the silences, non-said, and non-sequiturs of his speeches, which point out a set of metaphors projected beyond the pre-oedipal phase, experienced by Gloucester. Such experience will not be directed only to his son Edgar image, but he projects his anger to other characters in the play, such as Edmond and his maternal figures. The experience of self individuation could be associated to a chain of imagetic, paranoid elements, which point out the loss of referenciality, wholeness and centrality of the psyche of the self, and consequently confuses him and makes him re-direct the locus of his inward projections. According to Lacan, the unconscious is something purely logic, in other words, it is something originated from the signifier.
The Micro Lasertron

An extension of W. Willis’ “Switched Power Linac” is studied. Pulsed laser light falls on a photocathode wire, or wires, within a simple resonant structure. The resulting pulsed electron current between the wire and the structure wall drives the resonant field, and rf energy is extracted in the mm to cm wavelength range. Various geometries are presented, including one consisting of a simple array of parallel wires over a plane conductor. Results from a one dimensional simulation are presented.
Editorial by the President of World Confederation for Physical Therapy

Two thousand physiotherapists from over 100 countries of the world came together in Cape Town for the WCPT Congress in July 2017. It was our first time in the WCPT Africa Region. The conference lan...
Tea Party Health Narratives and Belief Polarization: the Journey to Killing Grandma

In the past decade the U.S. public has expressed varying degrees of skepticism about certain factual claims, and of “expertise” more broadly. Ideological and partisan belief polarization seems to have elevated public anxiety about topics ranging from climate change and vaccines to immigration and healthcare policy. Furthermore, polarized narratives about scientific, medical, and political topics have encouraged “directionally motivated cognition”, leading to a decline in institutional trust among some fractions of the U.S. political spectrum. Our case study of the Tea Party Patriots (TPP) (i.e. a political organization that promotes the Tea Party goals) uses data from 45 interviews, 80 hours of participant observation, and content analysis of movement literature, to examine the nature and nuance of health narratives employed by the Tea Party. Specifically, we explain a central narrative in TPP organizing that features “a villainous Left covertly seeking to harm U.S. citizens” as the root of three key TPP health care narratives: (1) Democratic health initiatives enslaving youth; (2) the political left profiting from covertly making Americans dependent on state’s health care programs; and (3) the left clandestinely seeking to violate the constitution as represented by their efforts to “kill grandma”. These narratives reflect the increased polarization of attitudes towards healthcare, as well as a broader distrust of the political left who, activists believe, are advancing a political agenda of social control. Ultimately, we argue that culturally driven healthcare narratives of the Tea Party have had a significant impact on right-wing public opinion and Republican politics regarding U.S. healthcare policy. Many Tea Party concerns are reflected in the Republican policy positions, including those related to the Affordable Care Act of 2010.
Humbling Yourself before God: Humility as a Reliable Predictor of Lower Divine Struggle:

Personality factors such as low agreeableness and psychological entitlement are often highly predictive of spiritual struggle. Our aim was to examine trait humility as a potential predictor of lowe...
Let It Go: Lingering Negative Affect in Response to Daily Stressors Is Associated With Physical Health Years Later:

The way we respond to life’s daily stressors has strong implications for our physical health. Researchers have documented the detrimental effects of initial emotional reactivity to daily stressors on future physical health outcomes but have yet to examine the effects of emotions that linger after a stressor occurs. The current study investigated how negative affect that lingers the day after a minor stressor occurs is associated with health-related outcomes. Participants (N = 1,155) in a community-based, nationwide study answered questions about daily stressors and affect across 8 consecutive days and about their physical health almost 10 years later. Multilevel models indicated that people experience heightened levels of negative affect the day after a stressor occurs. Furthermore, higher levels of lingering negative affect are associated with greater numbers of chronic conditions and worse functional limitations 10 years later. Findings suggest that affective recovery from daily stressors has unique imp...
CARDIAC AMYLOIDOSIS MASQUERADING AS HYPERTROPHIC OBSTRUCTIVE CARDIOMYOPATHY

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) has been suggested to regulate lymphocyte entry into lymph nodes because autotaxin (ATX), the enzyme that generates LPA, is constitutively expressed by lymph node high endothelial venules. However very little is known about the effects of LPA on T cell migration and homing. We studied the effects of LPA (16:0 and 18:1, 1-10 µM) on naive mouse CD4+ T cells. Using chemotaxis assays, we found that LPA induces CD4+ T cell chemorepulsion (1.5±0.5 fold migration away from 1 µM LPA, n=26, p
Water Supply and Drainage Systems

Most tunnels will require systems to provide water to the tunnel and remove wastewater from the tunnel. A water supply system is required primarily for fire protection and possibly for wall-washing operations. A drainage system is necessary to collect, treat, and discharge the wastewater resulting from fire-fighting operations, washing operations, and leakage.
Geomorphic trajectory and landform analysis using graph theory: A panel data approach to quantitative geomorphology

Comparing successive datasets of GIS polygons derived from remote-sensing data is a common approach to quantify morphological change. GIS-derived datasets capture instantaneous observations or “sna...
New prognostic classification and managements in infants with esophageal atresia.

The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for in hospital mortality in infants with esophageal atresia (EA) without critical chromosome abnormality disorders and develop a new prognostic classification to assess the influence of external risk factors on the prognosis of EA, which could provide more effective treatment strategies in clinical practice. A retrospective chart review of all consecutive patients between January 1994 and December 2017, which included 65 EA infants who were admitted to Shizuoka Children’s Hospital, was conducted. Based on multivariate analysis data and ROC analysis, the discrimination of the new prognostic classification was quantified and compared with that of the Spitz classification using the area under the ROC curve (AUC). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that birth weight of < 1606 g (adjusted OR, 13.16; 95% CI, 1.16–352.75), and complex cardiac anomalies (adjusted OR 22.39; 95% CI 2.45–569.14) were significant risk factors for death. We have created a new classification close to Spitz classification using the presence of complex cardiac anomalies and birth weight. The mortality rates were 0% for class I (n = 0/40), 7.1% for class II (n = 1/14), 33.3% for class III (n = 3/9), and 100% for class IV (n = 2/2). The AUC of the new classification was better than that of the Spitz classification (0.939 vs 0.812, respectively; p = 0.04). New prognostic classification can improve the stratification of EA patients and be a useful predictor of survival.
Clinical and regulatory considerations for novel electrophysiology mapping systems: Lessons from FIRM

Atrial fibrillation (AF) presents a growing clinical and public health burden for which better rhythm control therapies are needed. Focal impulse and rotor mapping (FIRM), currently marketed as a part of the Topera Rotor Mapping system (Abbott Laboratories, Austin, TX, USA), represents a potentially transformational approach to guide the invasive treatment of AF. However, many years after its initial marketing clearance, the clinical utility of this technology remains uncertain. In this article, we review the scientific rationale for this novel approach to AF ablation, evaluate the current clinical evidence for FIRM-guided ablation, and characterize its premarket regulatory assessment. Lessons for clinicians considering adoption of newly marketed mapping systems are presented.
At the Table But Can’t Break Through the Glass Ceiling: Board Leadership Positions Elude Diverse Directors

Minority and female directors earn significantly lower compensation than their peers serving within the same board despite having superior qualifications and receiving higher vote totals in director elections. This lower compensation is partially a function of board responsibilities. Although diverse directors are more likely to serve on certain committees (except the compensation committee), they are less likely to serve in key leadership positions associated with greater pay. Moreover, they earn less income beyond the formulaic components of director compensation. Female and minority representation on the director compensation committee and the existence of a board diversity policy attenuates this effect.
Mouse models to study cancer stem cells in osteosarcoma.

10543 Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignant bone tumor in children and young adults. Many patients suffer disease recurrence and eventually die from metastatic disease that has...
Atlas stratification

The process of constructing an atlas typically involves selecting one individual from a sample on which to base or root the atlas. If the individual selected is far from the population mean, then the resulting atlas is biased towards this individual. This, in turn, can bias any inferences made with the atlas. Unbiased atlas construction addresses this issue by either basing the atlas on the individual which is the median of the sample or by an iterative technique whereby the atlas converges to the unknown population mean. In this paper, we explore the question of whether a single atlas is appropriate for a given sample or whether there is sufficient image based evidence from which we can infer multiple atlases, each constructed from a subset of the data. We refer to this process as atlas stratification. Essentially, we determine whether the sample, and hence the population, is multi-modal and is best represented by an atlas per mode. We use the mean shift algorithm to identify the modes of the sample and multidimensional scaling to visualize the clustering process.
Chapter 5 – Software Comprehension

Publisher Summary This chapter describes existing models of comprehension, a model of comprehension that is an integration, and synthesis of the previous models. It discusses the measures used to measure comprehension and the problems with these measures. The chapter presents the research on factors influencing comprehensibility and implications of that research for software development. Software comprehension involves reconstructing the logic, structure, and goals used to write a computer program. While the person doing this reconstruction can be the person who originally wrote the program, more often it is someone else. Curtis, Soloway, Brooks, Black, Ehrlich, and Ramsey have argued that a program is a form of text in that it is a conceptually connected group of statements that can be understood and executed by a computer, while also being understood by other programmers who might want to modify it.
Constitutive models for anisotropic dielectric elastomer composites: Finite deformation response and instabilities

Abstract This paper is concerned with the generation of homogenization estimates for electroelastic composites consisting of initially aligned, rigid dielectric fibers that are distributed with random positions in a dielectric elastomeric matrix. For this purpose, use is made of a certain “partial decoupling strategy” resulting in the splitting of the macroscopic energy of the composite into a purely mechanical and a purely electrostatic component—coupled only by the average rotation of the fibers. In addition to the macroscopic electro-mechanical constitutive response for the composite, the procedure delivers estimates for the average fiber rotation as a consequence of the combined action of the mechanical stresses and electrical torques under general in-plane loading conditions. It is found that when large compressive stresses are applied along the long axes of the fibers, the composite may undergo a “macroscopic” (i.e., material) instability that is captured by loss of ellipticity of the overall incremental response and corresponds to spontaneous rotation of the fibers to relieve the large stresses. Moreover, when the electric field is aligned with the long axes of the fibers, it tends to stabilize the response, while when it is transverse to them, it tends to destabilize the response. Earlier estimates obtained by means of a simplifying “partial decoupling approximation” are compared with the new, more robust estimates and found to become less accurate with increasing electric field magnitudes.
Fellows as Medical Educators: Implementation and Evaluation of a Curriculum to Improve Pediatric Fellow Teaching Skills.

What's New Fellows as Medical Educators (FAME) is the first department-wide curriculum for pediatric subspecialty fellows that includes experiential learning activities, faculty and peer coaching and self-reflection through journaling. Fellows who participated in the pilot curriculum demonstrated an improvement in objective teaching skills and self-efficacy.
Molecular dynamics simulation of the interaction of HLL peptide and 2D materials with individual residue resolution

Abstract Two dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials, such as MoS2, show high sensitivity as transducers in bioelectronic molecular sensors. Functionalization for the detection of specific molecules in mixtures of many is, however, still a challenge. Peptides are effective for the functionalization of transducers for molecular sensing and to increase materials’ biocompatibility. In addition, peptides can be utilized as biomolecular scaffolding between molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and potential substrate materials to enable a new and novel large-area printing technique as demonstrated in an earlier work and studied here. In this study, classical molecular dynamics is used to characterize the binding of a model peptide sequence (HLLQPTQNPFRN), referred to hereafter as HLL, to 2D surfaces. Particularly, the experimental observation of model peptides acting as bridging moieties between two surfaces (MoS2 and silicon oxide in the case of HLL) is confirmed and explained by the selective binding of individual residues to each surface. The HLL strand was simulated in an aqueous environment in the vicinity of MoS2, graphene, and amorphous silica and determined to selectively bind to the MoS2 surface. This preferential binding to MoS2 was quantified by computing the enthalpy of HLL binding to the three surfaces, which resulted in a larger value for MoS2 relative to the other surfaces. The energy of interaction of individual amino-acid residues with each surface was evaluated by summing up the electrostatic interaction energy of each atom in the residue and the surface. This key study shows that some of the residues that strongly bind to graphene or MoS2 are found within the bulk water, away from the silica surface. Conversely, some residues that were found to bind to silica do not show equal affinity to graphene and/or MoS2. A set of calculations featuring MoS2/HLL/silica were also conducted to demonstrate the dual binding feature of this peptide. The ability to characterize the relative strength of individual residues, rather than just entire peptide chains, will reduce trial and error when designing peptides to interact with particular surfaces as residues can be selected one by one based on their binding strength to the surface. The simulations reported here are validated by comparing with recent experiments, for which this work is able to provide additional insights. Thus the approach utilized here can be adopted to identify and characterize the interaction strength of each residue in order to design peptide sequences for optimal binding.
Abstract 108: Sex Differences in Stroke-induced Lymphocyte Responses in the Gut Epithelia

Introduction: Stroke is a sexually dimorphic disease. Notably, emerging evidence suggests that stroke leads to gut dysbiosis and pathological shifts in the gut microbiota. However, little is known ...
The Prisoner Who Cried Wolf, and Then Swallowed a Sprinkler Head.

Author(s): Hysell, Matthew; Finch, Jennifer; McClendon, David E. | Abstract: Case Presentation: A 37-year-old man presented from jail reporting foreign body ingestion of a sprinkler head. While initial radiography did not reveal the foreign body, subsequent imaging with computed tomography demonstrated the sprinkler head. When confronted with this discrepancy the patient admitted to having the sprinkler head in his possession and choosing to swallow it after his initial radiography.Discussion: This case demonstrates the importance of maintaining a high threshold for real illness in situations where there is suspected malingering, a situation not infrequently encountered in the emergency department.
The Role of COVID-19 in Transitioning to a Better Pediatric Payment Model.

* Abbreviations: COVID-19 — : coronavirus disease 2019 PMPM — : per member per month The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has quickly impacted health care systems and especially primary care pediatricians. Although fortunately cases of severe COVID-19 and the associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children have been rare, the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed the financial vulnerability of independent pediatric practices that rely primarily on fee-for-service revenue. Social distancing and stay-at-home advisories have led to the cancellation of routine well-child and follow-up visits for many children and young adults nationwide, as evidenced by the steep drop in childhood vaccines since March.1 Furthermore, social distancing has led to a significant reduction in the incidence of common infections and playground and sports injuries, further diminishing the need for office visits.2 And, even when children do become ill or injured, parents fear exposing their children to infection by bringing them for care during the pandemic. Yet although children have been relatively spared from the brunt of direct health effects of COVID-19, social isolation and lack of school attendance have placed them at increased risk for mental health disorders, missed screenings for lead poisoning, poor nutrition and/or exercise habits, and undetected child abuse, which are situations that call for a strengthening of the primary care infrastructure to assure children’s health needs are met. In our own affiliated primary care network, in-person visits initially fell by ∼75% after statewide … Address correspondence to Michael A. Lee, MD, MBA, Department of Accountable Care and Clinical Integration, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Mailstop 3196, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: michael.lee2{at}childrens.harvard.edu
Aluminum Oxide Layers as Possible Components for Layered Tunnel Barriers

We have studied transport properties of Nb/Al/AlOx/Nb tunnel junctions with ultrathin aluminum oxide layers formed by (i) thermal oxidation and (ii) plasma oxidation, before and after rapid thermal post-annealing of the completed structures at temperatures up to 550 deg C. Post-annealing at temperatures above 300 deg C results in a significant decrease of the tunneling conductance of thermally-grown barriers, while plasma-grown barriers start to change only at annealing temperatures above 450 deg C. Fitting the experimental I-V curves of the junctions using the results of the microscopic theory of direct tunneling shows that the annealing of thermally-grown oxides at temperatures above 300 deg C results in a substantial increase of their average tunnel barriers height, from ~1.8 eV to ~2.45 eV, versus the practically unchanged height of ~2.0 eV for plasma-grown layers. This difference, together with high endurance of annealed barriers under electric stress (breakdown field above 10 MV/cm) may enable all-AlOx and SiO2/AlOx layered "crested" barriers for advanced floating-gate memory applications.
Quinoidal conjugated polymers with open-shell character

π-Conjugated polymers composed of quinoidal or proquinoidal building blocks represent an intriguing class of macromolecules in terms of both fundamental research and practical applications. They have received increasing research interest in recent years on account of their distinct structural features and unique properties including open-shell electronic configurations and delocalization of polarons. Investigations of the influences of the quinoidal character on optical, electronic, and magnetic properties demonstrated a great prospect of these polymers in diverse application fields. This review summarizes the recent development of quinoidal conjugated polymers with regard to design, synthesis, fundamental properties, and representative applications, with emphasis on their open-shell character and high-spin materials properties. The challenges and outlook associated with this research field are also discussed.
Starshade exoplanet data challenge

Starshade in formation flight with a space telescope is a rapidly maturing technology that would enable imaging and spectral characterization of small planets orbiting nearby stars in the not-too-distant future. While performance models of starshade-assisted exoplanet imaging have been developed and used to design future missions, their results have not been verified from the analyses of synthetic images. Following a rich history of using community data challenges to evaluate image-processing capabilities in astronomy and exoplanet fields, the Starshade Technology Development to TRL5 (S5), a focused technology development activity managed by the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program, is organizing and implementing a starshade exoplanet data challenge. The purpose of the data challenge is to validate the flow down of requirements from science to key instrument performance parameters and to quantify the required accuracy of noisy background calibration with synthetic images. This data challenge distinguishes itself from past efforts in the exoplanet field in that (1) it focuses on the detection and spectral characterization of small planets in the habitable zones of nearby stars, and (2) it develops synthetic images that simultaneously include multiple background noise terms—some observations specific to starshade—including residual starlight, solar glint, exozodiacal light, detector noise, as well as variability resulting from starshade’s motion and telescope jitter. We provide an overview of the design and rationale of the data challenge. Working with data challenge participants, we expect to achieve improved understanding of the noise budget and background calibration in starshade-assisted exoplanet observations in the context of both starshade rendezvous with Roman and Habitable Exoplanet Observatory. This activity will thus help NASA prioritize further technology developments and prepare the science community for analyzing starshade exoplanet observations.
Opioid Use Predicts Self-Reported Mobility in Older Adults with Chronic Lower Back Pain

Chronic low back pain (cLBP) prevalence increases with advancing age and is a leading contributor to mobility disability among older adults. Opioids are commonly prescribed treatments to reduce pain related symptoms. The rise in opioid use and misuse can enhance a variety of issues in the adult population; such as, lack of mobility and decrease in overall health and wellbeing. Few studies have examined the impact of opioid use on mobility in older adults with cLBP. Therefore, we sought to examine the relationship between self-reported opioid use and self-reported mobility. cLBP participants (n = 140) completed a series of questionnaires regarding pain intensity, interference, and disability including demographics, clinical pain assessment, and the Brief Pain Inventory-Short form. Pearson's chi-square tests, and regression-based analyses were conducted using SPSS version 26.0. Among cLBP participants, those who self-reported opioid use were more likely to have greater self-reported difficulty climbing stairs (χ2 = 16.6, p
The Impact of Civic Service on Disability Identity Outcomes in United States Veterans Who Served in Iraq and Afghanistan

For many veterans, reintegrating into civilian life is complicated by an acquired or exacerbated physical disability. Veteran-directed services that are inclusive of and impactful for disabled vete...
Total phenolic content of Asian elm leaves and host plant suitability for gypsy moth.

Abstract The total phenolic content of foliage from 11 elm species and 2 cultivars was measured, and the relationship to gypsy moth developmental studies was determined. The 13 elms, Ulmus wilsonia...
One Degree, Many Job Opportunities

The objective of the PhD is to empower the recipient to generate new knowledge, NOT to train for a specific job. PhD training increases one's ability to: think critically about science and scientif...
Breast MR imaging

Introduction The move to higher magnetic field strength holds promise for advancing magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the breast. Potential benefits include higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast, and spectral resolution, which could translate into higher spatial and temporal resolution than previously possible. However, technical, physical, and safety considerations present challenges for fully realizing these benefits for breast MR imaging. Background on clinical utility of breast MR imaging MR imaging has proven to be a valuable imaging tool in detecting, characterizing, and assessing the extent of breast cancer. However, due to the relatively higher costs ofMR imaging when compared to mammography and ultrasound, judicious use for specific clinically proven applications is essential. Current evidence-based clinical applications of breast MR imaging include screening high-risk patients (including patients with a known geneticmutation such as BRCA or with a greater than 20% lifetime risk based on family history), evaluating patients with a new diagnosis of breast cancer, monitoring response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, evaluation of patients with metastatic axillary adenocarcinoma of unknown primary, and evaluation of silicone implants suspected of rupture.
Building the Bridge Between Home and School: One Rural School’s Steps to Interrogate and Celebrate Multiple Literacies

This paper examines one rural school’s efforts to recognize and celebrate the multiple literacies of its students, by hosting a LINK Up family night that highlights the varied funds of knowledge of school, community and home. In dialogue with excerpts from Sherman Alexie’s novel, The Absolute True Diaries of a Part Time Indian , the paper discusses the importance of the home-school connection in building students’ literacies and details one schools particular process in creating a night to bridge the gap that too often divides parents, students and teachers.
Optimizing Sensor Node Distribution with Genetic Algorithm in Wireless Sensor Network

Wireless sensor networks have recently emerged as a premier research topic. They have great longterm economic potential, ability to transform our lives, and pose many new system-building challenges. One of the fundamental problems in sensor networks is the calculation of the coverage. In this paper, an optimal distribution based on Genetic Algorithm is proposed in the initial planning of sensor network. Moreover, a new optimizing algorithm of sensor node distribution is designed by utilizing node topology in sensor network, which provides a sound effective means for the topology management of sensor network. Simulation shows that this efficient algorithm optimally solved the best-coverage problem raised in [1].
Using Matrix Algebra Functions in Spreadsheet Modifications

As firms are involved in mergers and acquisitions, it can often have an impact on the employees in the respective accounting departments. This case presents a situation where an employee in an acquired firm needs to adjust their processes to meet the requirements of the new, larger, acquiring firm. The employee must revise an existing spreadsheet to handle the more complex reciprocal accounting requirements of the acquiring firm. Learning objectives include: emphasizing the need to understand how spreadsheets work and why they might need to be altered; exposing students to matrix algebra which is not typically part of an undergraduate accounting student's studies; using matrix algebra to allocate the support department costs with the reciprocal method; and understand the importance of documenting spreadsheet calculations. Target students: upper division accounting and finance majors.
Stereotyping users and tasks with associative memories

This paper presents a user modeling mechanism which is based on associative memory. In the context of associative user modeling, all task-related attributes or assumptions, termed as concepts, are organized into associative memory. Which is considered as a universal stereotype toward all potential users. The modeling process extracts the concepts and their weighted connections from the associative memory to form a unique profile that fits a particular user or task. This process is conducted by propagating the activation level throughout the network. We suggest that this approach can be expected to overcome some inherent problems of the conventional stereotyping approaches in terms of providing noise tolerance, pattern completion and learning capabilities. It can also avoid the complexity of truth maintenance in default reasoning which exists in previously known stereotyping systems. >
Posterior distributions of a statistic of propagation loss inferred from radar sea clutter

[1] The generation of a posteriori distribution of a statistic of propagation loss conditioned on observed radar sea clutter is described. The statistic u is the 20th percentile level of the two-way propagation loss at a 5-m height over the 10–60 km range interval. A discrete implementation of the Bayesian paradigm is employed. The forward mapping from the space of environmental parameters into the space of radar clutter incorporates a random process model such that many realizations of modeled clutter are generated for each environmental refractivity parameter combination. The algorithm is adjusted such that over a series of simulated inversion runs, it is seen that for intervals between percentile levels (e.g., between the 20th and 80th percentile levels), a posteriori distributions of u contain the ground truth values of u the correct percentage of the time (60% for the used interval). For real data cases, it is observed that the a posteriori distributions are too narrow. The inversion algorithm is used to examine the behavior of the a posteriori distribution as the noise floor is raised. An abrupt reduction in the information obtained from the clutter (indicated by a widening of the a posteriori distribution) occurs when peak clutter levels over the ranges of 25–50 km drop below about 15 dB for both simulated and real data cases.
Finding the Oscar

In 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to be awarded an Oscar. The controversial role that garnered the honor was that of a slave "Mammy" in the 1939 film adaptation of Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer Prize Winning novel, "Gone with the Wind." In 1951, McDaniel willed her Oscar to Howard University, but today no one knows where it is. Theories include that Howard students took it during the 1960s Civil Rights protests. that a Howard professor took it, or that it was simply put away for safekeeping but no one knows where. Howard's archives could find no records of having actually received it. Considering probate papers, archival materials, and interviews, the article traces the path of the Oscar from McDaniel's death to its arrival at Howard and offers a theory as to the Oscar's ultimate fate. It also ties the Oscar to the story of how historical racism suppressed the ability of African Americans, and particularly the descendants of slaves, to protect wealth and to transfer it intergenerationally.
The Rise of Neoliberal Rhetoric and the Intersection of Modern Day Medicaid Priority: A Population Study of Young People in Nursing Homes

This exploratory study aims to examine the present state of young people (<65 years of age) who reside in nursing homes due to traumatic and permanent injury. Due to the gap in the literature, this population is underrepresented in professional development training as well as service provision. This lack of appropriate and affordable care has severe consequences for nursing home residents on all domains: biological, psychological, social and spiritual. This population is expected to grow dramatically over the coming years and there is little to no advocacy for those residents. Furthermore, this paper discusses the effect of neoliberalism economic ideology in the United States and its effect on Medicaid spending priority, service allocation and overall quality of life for young people in nursing homes. Every level of society must act to reform healthcare priorities and advocate for this hidden and very vulnerable population. Keywords: Nursing homes, young people, Medicaid
GO2TR: a gene ontology-based workflow to generate target regions for target enrichment experiments

Although new sequencing technology has enabled biologists to examine genome-wide variation in their taxa of interest, new experimental design, analysis, and cost hurdles impede many researchers from using the benefits of next-generation sequencing. Here we present a workflow to help researchers identify genomic intervals associated with a desired gene function by using gene ontology terms to filter an annotated genome. Resulting intervals comprise a target region that can then be used to design complementary sequences or baits for capturing desired targets in a target enrichment experiment. We show that target regions produced by our workflow and Ensembl Genebuild share intervals but nonetheless differ, and then demonstrate our workflow’s utility for target enrichment experiments involving non-model organisms. Using available turtle genomes and bait sequences designed to capture a workflow-generated target region, in silico analysis predicts between 48 and 86 % of baits will bind to complementary sequences in genomes across the Order Testudines (turtles and tortoises). We then use these bait sequences in an actual target enrichment experiment and show that bait performance falls within the range predicted by in silico analysis. We show that by selecting a reference genome related as closely as possible to taxa of interest and focusing on important and likely conserved gene functions, users can acquire valuable genomic data from non-model organisms.
Non-Universality and Post-GUT Physics in Supergravity Unification

The non-universal boundary conditions at the GUT scale are discussed and their effects at low energy analysed. It is shown that the non-universality effects that couple with the top quark sector are strongly influenced by the Landau pole effects in the top quark Yukawa coupling. The possibility of analysing post-GUT physics in the scenario where non-universalities at the GUT scale of the soft susy breaking parameters arise only from the renormalization group running of the parameters is pointed out. Some illustrative examples are considered. The possibility of analysing post-GUT scenarios at the LHC and at the NLC are discussed.
Magnesium for seizure prophylaxis in patients with mild preeclampsia.

Objective To estimate whether magnesium therapy is the optimal management for women with mild preeclampsia. Methods A decision analytic model was designed for women with mild preeclampsia to estimate whether empiric magnesium therapy or no magnesium therapy is the optimal management strategy. The model considered relevant clinical events: seizure, placental abruption, and magnesium toxicity. Modeled outcomes were maternal mortality, neonatal mortality, and neurologic neonatal compromise. The two strategies were compared based on the probability of clinical events and outcomes and the utilities or values assigned to the outcomes by prior research. Probabilities and utilities were derived from the literature. Results The base-case analysis showed that although the no-magnesium strategy results in a 15% reduction in neonatal mortality and avoids most maternal drug toxicity, it produces a twofold increase in maternal death and more neurologically compromised neonates compared with empiric magnesium. The two strategies are essentially equivalent with regard to aggregate maternal and neonatal outcomes (0.9792 compared with 0.9781 utilities). Multivariable sensitivity analysis using Monte Carlo simulation confirmed the decision to be a "toss-up," yielding a similar mean utility for no-magnesium and magnesium strategies (0.9789+/-0.1374 compared with 0.9784+/-0.1390, respectively). Conclusion Our decision model indicates that either strategy, using or not using empiric magnesium sulfate therapy, is acceptable. The clinical decision of whether to use magnesium in patients with mild preeclampsia for seizure prophylaxis should be determined by the physician or institution, considering patient values or preferences and the unique risk-benefit trade-off of each strategy.
Modafinil: Preclinical, Clinical, and Post-Marketing Surveillance—A Review of Abuse Liability Issues

Modafinil is an agent that is frequently used in the treatment of narcolepsy. More recently it has been used in the treatment of a variety of psychiatric, neurological, and medical illnesses. Due to its ability to improve wakefulness, modafinil has been viewed as a stimulant. Based on the potential for modafinil to become widely used in a variety of syndromes and settings, evidence from preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies, human laboratory studies, and post-marketing experiences examining the potential abuse liability of modafinil were reviewed. Initial evidence suggests that modafinil has limited potential for large-scale abuse.