cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Informed evaluation of pathology residency programs.

Abstract Objectives.—To identify resources and summarize important issues in anatomic and clinical pathology training and to assist the pathology resident candidate in evaluating potential training programs. Data Sources.—Published guides for medical residency applicants, recent literature discussing pathology education, and World Wide Web sites. Study Selection.—Resources perceived by the author as valuable for the pathology resident candidate. Data Extraction.—Key issues in pathology education are identified. Data Synthesis.—Issues are discussed from the perspective of a pathology resident candidate, and resources for further information are provided. Conclusions.—The pathology residency candidate faces unique challenges in the residency search process because of the breadth of pathology training and the limited exposure to the practice of pathology in medical school. General guides for residency applicants include little discussion of pathology-specific issues. Recent literature discussing pathology ed...
Trends in Solute Segregation Behavior During Silicon Solidification

At the high growth rates accessible during pulsed-laser induced melting and solidification and explosive crystallization, crystal growth kinetics are dominated not by equilibrium thermodynamics, but by the atomistic mechanisms by which crystallization proceeds. These mechanisms can be probed by testing the predictions of solute trapping models based on various crystal/melt interface structures against measurements. We have measured the dependence of solute trapping of several group III, IV, and V elements in silicon on both interface orientation and crystallization speed. The Aperiodic Stepwise Growth Model of Goldman and Aziz accurately fits both the velocity and orientation dependence of the solute trapping observed in these systems. The success of the model implies a ledge structure for the crystal/melt interface and a step-flow mechanism for crystal growth. In addition, we have observed an empirical inverse correlation between the two free parameters (“diffusive speeds”) in this model and the equilibrium solute partition coefficient of a system. This correlation may be used to estimate values of the diffusive speeds for other systems in which solute trapping has not been or cannot be measured.
Analysis on the efficient situation of 125 MW generating unit of Gezhouba Power Plant

Based on the field tests on the relative efficiency of the 125MW generating units in Gezhouba Power Plant for these years, it is found that the efficiency of the generating units when they have operated for more then ten years has big differences in comparison with their initial operation stage. The analysis showed that the main factors of affecting the unit's efficiency are as follows. The increasing gaps caused by sediment abrasion and increasing water leakage caused by the blade type change can result in the drop of unit's efficiency. The incorrect coupled relationship caused by many factors can affect the efficiency and stability of generating unit. The opening of bottom holes for discharging sediment also can affect the unit's efficiency. Therefore, further developing deeply the test on the relative efficiency of generating unit, exploring its efficiency change laws, and determining the corresponding coupled relationship are the important measures for realizing the economic operation of power plant and developing the situation check of equipment.
Drinking water samples exceeded the standard cause Analysis in BOAI County

Objective In order to provide a reference in the elimination of rural drinking water safety hazards.Methods Using stratified random sampling method,extracted 10 monitoring points(village),in the wet and dry seasons,respectively,sampling and monitoring.Results Rural drinking water overall failure rate was 44.38 %(x2=10.14,P 0.05) for five years,in the Boai County.Conclusions There are security risks in the Boai County rural drinking water,the main water samples exceeded the total hardness and bacteriological indicators,suggesting the presence of human and animal fecal contamination.
Absence of gliosis in a teleost model of spinal cord regeneration

Among the cellular processes that follow injury to the central nervous system, glial scar formation is thought to be one of the major factors that prevent regeneration. In regeneration-competent organisms, glial scar formation has been a matter of controversy. We addressed this issue by examining the glial population after spinal cord injury in a model of regeneration competency, the knifefish Apteronotus leptorhynchus. Analysis of spinal cord sections immunostained against the glial markers glial fibrillary acidic protein, vimentin, or chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan failed to produce any evidence for the formation of a glial scar in the area of the lesion at post-injury survival times ranging from 5 to 185 days. This result was independent of the lesion paradigm applied—amputation of the caudal part of the spinal cord or hemisection lesioning—and similar after examination of transverse and longitudinal sections. We hypothesize that the well-developed network of radial glia in both the intact and the injured spinal cord provides a support system for regeneration of tissue lost to injury. This glial network is likely also involved in the generation of new cells, as indicated by the large subset of glial fibrillary acidic protein-labeled glia that express the stem cell marker Sox2.
Total systems intervention

This paper is based on the use of Critical Systems Thinking in a large public sector service organisation, namely West Yorkshire Police (WYP). Both authors were involved in a project which commenced with the expressed need of WYP to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Occupational Health Unit (OHU) situated at the Force Headquarters in Wakefield. This need was initially expressed by WYP senior management (who were identified as the problem owners) although it was confirmed by the medical managers of the OHU. More specifically, Total Systems Intervention (TSI) was used to derive a design for the future development and operation of the OHU within WYP. Throughout the application of TSI discussed in this paper, it was necessary to continually be aware of the difficulties associated with achieving sustainable improvement in a problem situation exhibiting a high degree of complexity due to the large number of elements and resulting inter-relationships existing within the system. Although the observed relationships were pluralist (Jackson, 1991) the cultural differences between WYP management and the OHU added to the complexity of the problem situation. Therefore this paper will go on to provide critical reflections on the contribution of TSI to achieving sustainability which may assist with the development of the methodology.
A clinician's review of the WHI-related literature.

When the monitoring board of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) canceled the estrogen-progestin arm of the study in July 2002, the effect was immediate and dramatic, as several million postmenopausal women with the full agreement of their physicians ceased taking combined hormone therapy. Soon thereafter the manufacturers of conjugated equine estrogens felt compelled to publicize a drastic restriction of the indications for their product. Little notice, except in the medical literature, was given to the continuation of the other treatment arms of the WHI, nor did the rather small (however significant) increases in risk of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer resulting from combined therapy receive widespread serious analysis. In this article, especial attention is given to the population sampling involved in setting up the WHI, arm by arm, with full discussion of how these samplings compare with those in other studies-HERS, ERA, WEST, etc. All studies are scrutinized in terms of treatment regimens, follow-up, confounding factors, particularly statins and aspirin, and high drop-out rates in order to discover possible reasons for the results in the WHI for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in the combined-therapy arm and slightly disappointing results for breast cancer. Each of the two main sections of the article, Cardiovascular Disease and Breast Cancer, concludes with a detailed summation of points derived from the often contrasting results of the various studies, which can be used in counseling patients.
Clinical and Business Intelligence: Why It's Important to Your Pharmacy

According to the Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society, "Clinical & Business Intelligence (C&BI) is the use and analysis of data captured in the healthcare setting to directly inform decision-making" (http://www.himss.org/library/clinical-business-intelligence). Some say that it is the right information given to the right person at the right time in the right way. No matter how you define it, the fact remains that timely access, synthesis, and visualization of clinical data have become key to how health professionals make patient care decisions and improve care delivery.
S13-2 Identifying chemical agents that cause neurodegeneration in humans: insights gained from studying gene-environment interactions in parkinson’s disease

Epidemiologic, animal and cell based studies showed that pesticide exposures –occupational and non-occupational - increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD). Yet, human studies have mostly relied on recall of chemical agents and exposures and were unable to investigate specific agents or mechanisms of action of toxicants. Human genetic variations that increase vulnerability to the neurotoxic effects of environmental agents can help us identify vulnerable populations and biologic mechanisms of neurodegeneration. Here, we will summarise lessons learned from more than a decade of research in California where we conducted the largest case-controls study of long-term human pesticide exposures in PD to date. We will present results for specific exposures derived from a unique geographic information system that incorporates land use maps and agricultural pesticide application records for California to assess pesticide exposures. We employed this tool to assess ambient exposures at residential and work place addresses in addition to creating a job exposure matrix for occupational pesticide use. We present results for specific pesticides as well as interactions between pesticides and genetic variants in metabolism genes and pathways that influence neurotoxic action and increase susceptibility or resilience to such environmental toxins. Specifically, we estimated increased risks for PD with exposures to combinations of paraquat and maneb, for ziram, organophosphate and dithiocarbamate pesticides and aldehydedehydrogenase inhibiting pesticides that interact with biologic pathways involved in the disease. This approach allowed us to identify important mechanism through which environmental toxicants contribute to neurodegeneration – even at long-term but low dose exposures – and to identify genetically vulnerable individuals. Funding This work was funded in part by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (grants P01ES016732, R01ES010544, 5R21ES16446-2, U54ES012078, T32ES015457), the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke (grant NS038367), the Veterans Administration Healthcare System (SW PADRECC), the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the Levine Foundation, and the Parkinson Alliance. COI (yes/no) declaration: None
Sigma1 Pharmacology in the Context of Cancer

Sigma1 (also known as sigma-1 receptor, Sig1R, σ1 receptor) is a unique pharmacologically regulated integral membrane chaperone or scaffolding protein. The majority of publications on the subject have focused on the neuropharmacology of Sigma1. However, a number of publications have also suggested a role for Sigma1 in cancer. Although there is currently no clinically used anti-cancer drug that targets Sigma1, a growing body of evidence supports the potential of Sigma1 ligands as therapeutic agents to treat cancer. In preclinical models, compounds with affinity for Sigma1 have been reported to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and survival, cell adhesion and migration, tumor growth, to alleviate cancer-associated pain, and to have immunomodulatory properties. This review will highlight that although the literature supports a role for Sigma1 in cancer, several fundamental questions regarding drug mechanism of action and the physiological relevance of aberrant SIGMAR1 transcript and Sigma1 protein expression in certain cancers remain unanswered or only partially answered. However, emerging lines of evidence suggest that Sigma1 is a component of the cancer cell support machinery, that it facilitates protein interaction networks, that it allosterically modulates the activity of its associated proteins, and that Sigma1 is a selectively multifunctional drug target.
Exploring the "Obesity Paradox" as a Correlate of Cognitive and Physical Function in Community-dwelling Black and White Older Adults.

Objective: The obesity paradox has been documented in aged populations, yet it remains unclear if this paradox persists for physical and cognitive outcomes in community- dwelling older adult populations. Our study examines associations between body mass index (BMI) classification, cognitive function, and physical function. We also investigate whether these associations are modified by race or age. Design: Cross-sectional study. Settings: Senior residential sites and community centers in Saint Louis, Missouri. Participants: Study participants included 331 adults, aged >55 years. Age was stratified into young-old (aged 55-74 years) and older (aged ≥75 years). Outcome Measures: Physical function was measured using the mini-Physical Performance Test (mini-PPT) and grip strength. Cognitive function was assessed with the Short Blessed Test (SBT) and the Trail Making Tests (TMT-A and TMT-B) performance. Results: Older adults who were obese had significantly better cognitive flexibility (TMTB) performance than normal weight older adults (P=.02), and this association was not influenced by age or race. Adiposity was not associated with psychomotor speed (TMTA), general cognition (SBT), or measures of physical function (Ps>.05). Conclusion: In a diverse sample of community-dwelling older adults, we found partial support for the controversial obesity paradox. Our results suggest excess adiposity may be protective for executive function processes. Future research is needed to examine the underlying physiological processes linking adiposity to executive function in older adults. Ethn Dis. 2017;27(4):387-394; doi:10.18865/ed.27.4.387.
University Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Sources of Information About Zika Virus.

Colleges and universities are valuable partners for community health education outreach targeted to young adults. After the outbreak of Zika virus infection in the Americas was declared to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on February 1, 2016, postsecondary institutions played an important role in educating at-risk communities about health promotion and disease prevention strategies. In April 2016, we recruited 613 undergraduate students from a large public university to complete a survey about their Zika-related knowledge, attitudes, and information seeking behaviors. We standardized the results so that the participants’ reports would be representative of the age, sex, major (course of study), and other characteristics of the university’s student population. Most students knew that Zika virus is spread by mosquitoes (88.1%), but only about half knew that the virus could be transmitted through sexual intercourse (56.8%). Students perceived Zika to be a health risk for pregnant women in Zika-affected countries (83.0%), but did not personally feel at risk (12.1%). Many students (43.8%) reported not knowing where to get accurate information about Zika. Identifying gaps in scientific knowledge, misperceptions about personal susceptibility, and opportunities for behavioral risk reduction is an important foundation for designing community-based health interventions when future emerging infectious disease events occur.
Pediatric Eating Behaviors as the Intersection of Biology and Parenting: Lessons from the Birds and the Bees.

Current feeding advice to prevent pediatric obesity focuses on caregiver feeding behaviors. This review integrates newer data showing that child appetitive traits also have a genetic component. Caregiver feeding behaviors robustly correlate with child eating behaviors; however, there is also a strong heritable component. The satiety cascade delineates the biological drive underlying hunger, satiation, and satiety. Innate individual differences exist for the components of the satiety cascade, which may explain the heritability of child eating behaviors. However, given the correlation of caregiver feeding behaviors with child eating behaviors, any etiological model should include both genetic/biological components and environmental. Integrating the biological etiology of child eating behaviors into the current environmental model has implications for tailoring feeding advice which needs to move from a “one size fits all” approach to one that is tailored to individual differences in children’s biological drives to appetite.
Tool Blocking in Flexible Manufacturing Systems

An analytical procedure to evaluate the performance of a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) with a separate tool transportation system is presented. Of particular interest is the tool blocking time, which is defined as the time a machine is idle because it has to wait for the required tools. In order to evaluate this time, both systems of the FMS, the parts transportation system and the tool transportation system, are modelled as two interacting closed queueing networks.
Current Status of Sputtered Ion Emission Models

Significant progress appears to have been made in recent years in understanding the sputtered ion emission process. Theoretical efforts have followed two diverse paths. One approach assumes a highly simplified model of a metal surface; the ionization probability of a moving atom near the surface can now be calculated analytically. Given this capability, one then attempts to extend the model to real surfaces without losing the attractive simplicity of the analytical treatment. The second approach attempts to deal directly with the complexities of real surfaces, in particular those of complex materials. Here, the possibility of analytical solution appears remote, but the goal of the work is to construct appropriate potential energy diagrams, and thereby to indicate in a general way the form that an analytical approach would have to take. In parallel with these theoretical developments there have been advances in experimental technique. Studies on clean metal surfaces have reached the point where direct, and successful, comparisons with theoretical predictions can be made. On complex, oxyqenated surfaces, techniques are now available which allow quantification of the surface oxygen content, and correlation with ionization probability of the sputtered species. From such studies an idea of the form of the potential energy diagram appropriate for sputtered ion emission is beginning to emerge, and it is apparent that simple one-dimensional potential energy diagrams will not be adequate.
Socialist senses: film, feeling, and the Soviet subject, 1917–1940

Soviet movies from 1917 to 1940, Emma Widdis argues in this wide-ranging, outstanding work, took part in the attempt to create new subjects by directing attention to surfaces, objects, and feeling....
Corynebacterium discitis following lumbar puncture (P1.324)

Objective: To describe a case of Corynebacterium discitis following a lumbar puncture (LP) in a 52-year-old patient with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Background: Though an uncommon complication, discitis has been described following LP. Presenting symptoms include low-back pain, tenderness, spasm, fever, and malaise, typically several weeks to months post-procedure. Laboratory studies may show elevated inflammatory markers. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the diagnostic modality of choice. Design/Methods: Case report Results: A 52-year-old man with well-controlled HIV underwent an elective LP which was complicated by multiple failed attempts prior to successfully obtaining cerebrospinal fluid which was noted to be grossly bloody. He reported low back pain the following day that resolved within 24 hours. However, two weeks later, he again developed significant low back pain for which he saw his primary care doctor (PMD). Laboratory studies were normal, and he was prescribed analgesics. The pain persisted, and he had multiple visits to his PMD in which further conservative management was recommended. Eventually the pain became so severe that he presented to the emergency room two months after undergoing the LP. On presentation he had a leukocytosis (white blood count 20.7) and mildly elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (37). Neurological examination was non-focal. MRI was concerning for discitis. Discectomy of the L2–L3 disc was performed. Pathology revealed foci of necrosis and bacterial cultures grew Corynebacterium. Symptoms resolved after the patient was treated with intravenous antibiotics for 6 weeks. Conclusions: While back pain is a common symptom following LP, physicians should also be aware of discitis as a rare, but potential, complication in patients with persistent pain even in the absence of focal neurological deficits and laboratory abnormalities. Our case also supports the hypothesis that multiple attempts during an LP may be a risk factor for post-LP discitis. Disclosure: Dr. Doherty has nothing to disclose. Dr. Saylor has nothing to disclose.
Valve-sparing aortic root replacement in children: Outcomes from 100 consecutive cases

Abstract Objective Valve-sparing root replacement is an attractive alternative to composite mechanical or biologic prostheses for aortic root aneurysms in children. Data on outcomes in pediatric patients are limited. We present our institutional experience with 100 consecutive pediatric valve-sparing aortic root procedures. Methods All children who underwent valve-sparing root replacement at our institution from May 1997 to August 2017 were identified, and echocardiographic and clinical data were reviewed. The primary end point was mortality, and secondary end points included complications, further interventions, and subsequent valvular dysfunction. Results Median age at operation was 13.6 years (interquartile range, 9.42-15.9); 51 patients (51%) had Marfan syndrome, and 39 patients (39%) had Loeys–Dietz syndrome. Mean preoperative maximum sinus diameter was 4.4 ± 0.71 cm (z score 7.3 [5.7-9.3]). Most patients (n = 80, 80%) underwent reimplantation procedures with a Valsalva graft. Four patients (4%) underwent David I reimplantation with a straight-tube graft, 13 patients (13%) underwent a Yacoub remodeling procedure, and 3 patients (3%) underwent a Florida sleeve procedure. Perioperative valve-sparing root replacement mortality was 2% (n = 2). Six patients required late reintervention for development of pseudoaneurysms. Eight patients underwent additional aortic surgery. Average time to reoperation was 7.23 ± 4.56 years. Of the 84 patients undergoing a reimplantation procedure, 5 (5.9%) underwent late valve replacement versus 5 (33.3%) of the 15 patients who received a remodeling procedure (P = .001). Conclusions Valve-sparing root replacement is a safe and effective option for children with aortic root aneurysms in children. The reimplantation procedure is preferred. Late aortic insufficiency and pseudoaneurysm formation remain late concerns.
Clinical Strategies for Controlling Costs and Improving Quality in the Primary Care of Low Back Pain

Back pain is a pervasive problem which ranks only behind cold symptoms as a reason for all physician visits. Among persons with back pain lasting at least two weeks, 85% will seek the care of a health professional. These patients obtain care from primary care physicians (Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Osteopathic physicians), but also see a variety of specialists, including physiatrists, rheumatologists, orthopedic surgeons, and neurosurgeons. Since any of these specialties may evaluate patients early in their course, it is important to adopt a systematic and rational early approach to back pain. This discussion emphasizes recent data suggesting that such an approach would include a parsimonious diagnostic evaluation, careful attention to patients' concerns, and careful choice of proven effective treatments. Specifically, we propose five strategies that may help to reduce costs of care while maintaining quality:1. Avoid premature or unnecessary diagnostic tests.2. Avoid patient deactivation.3. Avoid ineffective or unproven remedies.4. Prescribe effective therapy in a cost-conscious manner, and5. Emphasize lifestyle changes and patient self-efficacy.
Near-surface self propulsion of a generic submarine in calm water and waves

Abstract We present a study of the response of the generic Joubert BB2 geometry self-propelled near the free surface, using a dynamic overset methodology with discretized propeller and control surfaces. A grid study was performed for sail top depth 0.702 m . Even keel simulations at depths ranging from − 6.9 m to 40 m were conducted in calm water and regular waves representative of sea state 2 to 7. An autopilot acting on sail and tail planes, ballast and trim tanks was used to simulate controlled self-propulsion at several depths in calm water and waves. The even keel study shows that near surface operation causes considerable vertical forces and pitching moments, and an increase in required propeller thrust to achieve self-propulsion, decreasing efficiency. The boat responds to waves mainly through the added mass forces produced by the wave-induced velocity field, causing an exponential decay of the wave influence with depth and with decreasing wave amplitude. In controlled free running simulations very near the surface the boat responds to the forces observed in even keel, requiring compensation through the trim tanks to prevent high bow down pitch. Hull/free surface interaction causes fluctuations in the wake, resulting in a broadband response of propeller thrust.
Cerebrovascular responses to graded exercise in young healthy males and females.

Although systemic sex-specific differences in cardiovascular responses to exercise are well established, the comparison of sex-specific cerebrovascular responses to exercise has gone under-investigated especially, during high intensity exercise. Therefore, our purpose was to compare cerebrovascular responses in males and females throughout a graded exercise test (GXT). Twenty-six participants (13 Females and 13 Males, 24 ± 4 yrs.) completed a GXT on a recumbent cycle ergometer consisting of 3-min stages. Each sex completed 50W, 75W, 100W stages. Thereafter, power output increased 30W/stage for females and 40W/stage for males until participants were unable to maintain 60-80 RPM. The final stage completed by the participant was considered maximum workload(Wmax ). Respiratory gases (End-tidal CO2 , EtCO2 ), middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAv), heart rate (HR), non-invasive mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO), and stroke volume (SV) were continuously recorded on a breath-by-breath or beat-by-beat basis. Cerebral perfusion pressure, CPP = MAP (0. 7,355 distance from heart-level to doppler probe) and cerebral vascular conductance index, CVCi = MCAv/CPP 100mmHg were calculated. The change from baseline (Δ) in MCAv was similar between the sexes during the GXT (p = .091, ωp 2 = 0.05). However, ΔCPP (p < .001, ωp 2 = 0.25) was greater in males at intensities ≥ 80% Wmax and ΔCVCi (p = .005, ωp 2 = 0.15) was greater in females at 100% Wmax . Δ End-tidal CO2 (ΔEtCO2 ) was not different between the sexes during exercise (p = .606, ωp 2 = -0.03). These data suggest there are sex-specific differences in cerebrovascular control, and these differences may only be identifiable at high and severe intensity exercise.
Power Analysis Provides Bounds for Genetic Architecture and Insights to Challenges for Rare Variant Association Studies

Genome-wide association studies are now shifting focus from analysis of common to uncommon and rare variants with an anticipation to explain additional heritability of complex traits. As power for association testing for individual rare variants may often be low, various aggregate level association tests have been proposed to detect genetic loci that may contain clusters of susceptibility variants. Typically, power calculations for such tests require specification of large number of parameters, including effect sizes and allele frequencies of individual variants, making them difficult to use in practice. In this report, we approximate power to varying degree of accuracy using a smaller number of key parameters, including the total genetic variance explained by multiple variants within a locus. We perform extensive simulation studies to assess the accuracy of the proposed approximations in realistic settings. Using the simplified power calculation methods, we then develop an analytic framework to obtain bounds on genetic architecture of an underlying trait given results from a genome-wide study and observe important implications for the completely lack of or limited number of findings in many currently reported studies. Finally, we provide insights into the required quality of annotation/functional information for identification of likely causal variants to make meaningful improvement in power of subsequent association tests. A shiny application, Power Analysis for GEnetic AssociatioN Tests (PAGEANT), in R implementing the methods is made publicly available.
The influence of concurrent cognitive tasks on motor performance in people with traumatic brain injury: a pilot study.

Background: Performing dual-tasks is often required for completing activities of daily living. Limited research investigated the effects of dual-tasking on gait in people with Traumatic Brain Injur...
Sentido y alcances prácticos de la Educación Física Escolar como un Derecho Humano.Análisis en las Bases Curriculares chilenas de Educación Básica

RESUMEN Resumen Se analiza la Educacion Fisica Escolar como un Derecho Humano en las Bases Curriculares de Educacion Basica en Chile. Se utiliza una metodologia hermeneutica/dialectica en 2 corpus -Bases Curriculares Nacionales de Educacion Fisica y Salud y marco juridico de Derechos Humanos- mediante una estrategia documental y un analisis de contenido inductivo. Se concluye que la Educacion Fisica Escolar podria constituir un Derecho Humano, por su defensa de la dignidad, no discriminacion, respeto a la diversidad, entre otros. Sin embargo, en el proceso de diseno curricular los Derechos Humanos pierden la presencia que poseen en las Bases Curriculares Nacionales, debido a la circunstancia politica de su enunciacion y a la carencia de un Enfoque Basado en Derechos Humanos (EBDH).
Palliative Care Services in the NeuroICU: Opportunities and Persisting Barriers.

Background:End-of-life (EOL) supportive care, including palliative and hospice services, is an area of increasing importance in critical care. Neurointensivists face unique challenges in providing ...
Lattice stability and point defect energetics of TiSi2 and TiGe2 allotropes from first-principles calculations

This work determines the phase stabilities and point defect energetics of TiSi2 and TiGe2 allotropes using density functional theory. The primary focus is on the C49 and C54 allotropes, which compete during TiSi2 phase formation. It is found that the ground state structure for TiGe2 is the C54 allotrope, desirable for its low sheet resistance, while the less desirable, higher resistance C49 allotrope forms the ground state structure of TiSi2. A first attempt to understand the Ge atom's role in lowering the enthalpy of formation for the C54 structure is made from the perspective of the extended Born model. Charge density differences, the density of states, and Bader charge analysis show that these systems are predominantly ionically bonded, with the Ge atoms introducing additional covalent bond stability for the C54 allotrope. It is known that higher temperatures favor C54 formation in TiSi2. Helmholtz free energy calculations for TiSi2 suggest that the vibrational free energy does not drive the system to the C54 phase. The formation energies of certain point defects within the C49 structure of TiSi2 are less than 1 eV, which is consistent with experiments that show high defect concentrations. Thus, the driving force for C54 formation at higher temperatures may be related to the high defect concentration in the C49 allotrope.
Distrust, False Cues, and Below-Chance Deception Detection Accuracy: Commentary on Stel et al. (2020) and Further Reflections on (Un)Conscious Lie Detection From the Perspective of Truth-Default Theory.

This essay has two distinct aims: commentary on Stel et al. (2020) and addressing (Un)Conscious Lie Detection from the Perspective of Truth-Default Theory. Stel et al. (2020) advance the counter-intuitive claim that distrust inhibits truth detection by prompting more deliberate reliance on false beliefs about deception cues. Their proposed mechanism lacks plausibility because cues are generally non- rather than anti-diagnostic. Truth-default theory offers different predictions that may explain the inconsistent findings observed across the previous literature. When in the truth-default state, accuracy is a function of message veracity. People correctly believe honest messages and are duped by lies. In prompted demeanor-based lie detection tasks, accuracy is a function of sender demeanor-veracity matching and sender sampling. In lie detection tasks where message content is diagnostic, deliberative processing improves accuracy.
“Not Anybody can be a Dad”: The Intergenerational Transmission of Masculinity Among Incarcerated Men:

Despite an important and burgeoning literature correcting oversimplified portrayals of incarcerated men as “hypermasculine” and aggressive, research on men’s prison masculinities has not yet been s...
Interactions Between Viral Movement Proteins and the Cytoskeleton

The cytoskeleton is involved in many diverse processes, from cell structure to signal transduction and transport. In recent years, the study of plant virus movement has suggested a role for the plant cytoskeleton in virus transport. Much of this research focuses on the association of the tobacco mosaic virus movement protein with plant cytoskeletal elements. Future studies will determine the role of this association in intracellular and intercellular or plasmodesmal transport of plant viruses. Furthermore, as viruses tend to exploit host cellular processes, interactions between viral components and the cytoskeleton may play vital roles during all stages of virus infection in plant cells.
Predicting Behavior Functioning of Adolescents in Residential Treatment with Profiles from the MMPI-A, CBCL/4–18, and CBCL/TRF

ABSTRACT The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent version (MMPI-A), the Child Behavior Checklist/4–18 (CBCL/4–18), and the Child Behavior Checklist/Teacher's Report Form (TRF) were collected from 52 adolescents in residential treatment. The average age was 15 years, 4 months, and the average IQ was 90. The average length of stay was seven and a half months. Residents' level of behavior functioning was measured by determining the average percentage of points earned in the behavioral management system during treatment. Residents were divided into three groups based on point earnings: high behavior functioning, average behavior functioning, and low behavior functioning. Results showed interactions between level of functioning and two scales: the F-Scale on the MMPI-A and the Aggressive Behavior Scale on the TRF. Logistic regression analysis showed that when both scales were entered, the Aggressive Behavior Scale solely discriminated between low functioning and average functioning residents....
Frequency Domain Representations

The reader is undoubtedly familiar with the well known frequency domain methods such as the Nyquist and Bode diagrams, the Nichols chart, and the root locus for analyzing the dynamical behavior of scalar systems. These methods are dependent only on the external (input/output) frequency response characteristics of a system, or equivalently, on the “transfer function” T(s) of a system which is usually expressible as the ratio of two polynomials r(s) and p(s) in the Laplace operator s with real coefficients; i.e. in the scalar case, the transfer function can usually be expressed as: $$ {\text{T}}\left( {\text{s}} \right) = \frac{{{\text{r}}\left( {\text{s}} \right)}}{{{\text{p}}\left( {\text{s}} \right)}} $$ (4.1.1) where the zeros of r(s) and p(s) represent, respectively, the zeros and poles of the system. Frequency domain methods are so named because an evaluation of T(s) at s = jω for any positive real value of ω, yields a complex number T(jω) = α(ω) + j β (ω), the magnitude of which \( \sqrt {{{\alpha ^{2}}\left( w \right) + {\beta ^{2}}\left( w \right)}} \) represents the ratio of the output to the input amplitude response in steady-state due to a sinusoidal input signal of frequency ω, while \( \theta \; = \;{\text{ta}}{{\text{n}}^{{ - 1}}}\;\frac{{\beta (\omega )}}{{\alpha (\omega )}} \) represents the difference in phase between the two waveforms.
An Empirical-Distribution-Based Option Pricing Model: A Solution to the Volatility Smile Puzzle

The volatility smile that is generated by the Black-Scholes model has been traditionally attributed to an inappropriately assumed return distribution. Previous studies use alternative specifications such as stochastic volatility and jump diffusion models. However, these specifications do not eliminate the smile. Moreover, as documented by Das and Sundaram (1999), the return distributions that are generated by stochastic volatility and jump diffusion models do not match important characteristics of realized returns. We construct an alternative valuation procedure to price S&P 500 call options, using a histogram from past S&P 500 index daily returns. We find that the implied volatilities that are generated by our model do not exhibit substantial relationship to moneyness levels. Consistent with the absence of the smile, payoffs to holding options are also not related to moneyness levels. We also find that these payoffs are more closely related to our implied volatility measures than to the Black Scholes implied volatility measures. These findings indicate that our model is more appropriate than the Black-Scholes model to value S&P 500 call options.
Shunt active power filtering for smart appliances

Due to the increasing trend towards energy saving white goods appliances and the commercial viability of power electronic components, there has been an expansion in the use of solid state electronics and variable frequency drive motors in these applications. However, a major drawback of using such energy efficient loads is the introduction of current harmonics onto the local distribution grid. Furthermore, the proliferation of such devices elevates the supply harmonic content and can potentially impact residential distribution networks. This paper investigates the harmonic content generated by some household appliances and suggests a solution to minimize harmonics by means of active filtering. An active filter circuit was simulated to compare filter performance when used as an active front versus a feeder input compensator.
Software failure rate and reliability incorporating repair policies

Reliability of a software application, its failure rate and the residual number of faults in an application are the three most important metrics that provide a quantitative assessment of the failure characteristics of an application. Typically, one of many stochastic models known as software reliability growth models (SRGMs) is used to describe the failure behavior of an application in its testing phase, and obtain an estimate of the above metrics. In order to ensure analytical tractability, SRGMs are based on an assumption of instantaneous repair and thus the estimates of the metrics obtained using SRGMs tend to be optimistic. In practice, fault repair activity consumes a nonnegligible amount of time and resources. Also, repair may be conducted according to many policies which are reflective of the schedule and budget constraints of a project. A few research efforts that have sought to incorporate repair into SRGMs are restrictive, since they consider only one of the several SRGMs, model the repair process using a constant rate, and provide an estimate of only the residual number of faults. These techniques do not address the issue of estimating application failure rate and reliability in the presence of repair. In this paper we present a generic framework which relies on the rate-based simulation technique in order to provide the capability to incorporate various repair policies into the finite failure nonhomogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) class of software reliability growth models. We also present a technique to compute the failure rate and the reliability of an application in the presence of repair. The potential of the framework to obtain quantitative estimates of the above three metrics taking into consideration different repair policies is illustrated using several scenarios.
Near IR fluorescence: instrumentation, application and pitfalls

Abstract In this paper, we describe the advantages of utilizing NIR fluors as probe molecules for assays in biological matrices. We describe the development of a sensitive fluorometer capable of sensitive measurements of these molecules and demonstrate the gains in sensitivity achieved as the system develops. A time resolution system is also described and the benefits of controlling this parameter to separate fluorescent signal from scattered signal is shown.
Tidal Models in a New Era of Satellite Gravimetry

The high precision gravity measurements to be made by recently launched (and recently approved) satellites place new demands on models of Earth, atmospheric, and oceanic tides. The latter is the most problematic. The ocean tides induce variations in the Earth's geoid by amounts that far exceed the new satellite sensitivities, and tidal models must be used to correct for this. Two methods are used here to determine the standard errors in current ocean tide models. At long wavelengths these errors exceed the sensitivity of the GRACE mission. Tidal errors will not prevent the new satellite missions from improving our knowledge of the geopotential by orders of magnitude, but the errors may well contaminate GRACE estimates of temporal variations in gravity. Solar tides are especially problematic because of their long alias periods. The satellite data may be used to improve tidal models once a sufficiently long time series is obtained. Improvements in the long-wavelength components of lunar tides are especially promising.
High-efficiency GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cells for space and terrestrial applications

GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cells are proving to be a highly adaptable, high efficiency photovoltaic technology. GaInP/GaAs tandem cells have now exceeded all confirmed two-terminal efficiencies for cells of any material combination at one-sun air-mass 1.5 global (AM1.5G) with an efficiency /spl eta/=29.5%, at 160-suns AM1.5 direct (AM 1.5D) with /spl eta/=30.2%, at one-sun AMO with /spl eta/=25.7%, and at AMO with /spl eta/=19.6% after 1-MeV, 10/sup 15/-cm/sup -2/ electron irradiation. These high efficiencies reduce the balance-of-system costs for a photovoltaic power system relative to a system using less efficient cells. This balance-of-system leverage has made this technology competitive in the near term for space and concentrator terrestrial applications even through the GaInP/GaAs cells are relatively expensive. A starting point for these high efficiencies is the high quality of the single-crystal epitaxial material. Recent advances are attributed to improvements in interface passivation layers and cell designs.
Creating a new tipping point in intensive care.

Hospital work is unique. It is altruistic in nature, intellectually challenging, and important. The people drawn to it want to make a difference in the lives of patients who are increasingly vulnerable and frail. But there are few nurses or physicians who don’t find themselves quickening their pace when they walk into the hospital to begin a work shift. Increasingly, hospitals have become difficult places to work. As institutions, hospitals are traditional, bureaucratic, and hierarchical. The regulatory burden has grown exponentially, and few hospitals have figured out how to use information technology to reduce that burden. The “reengineering” (a code word for layoffs) of the 1990s, combined with current shortages in the healthcare workforce, has left many nurses and physicians—as well as other members of the team—with impossible workloads and a residual suspicion of hospital administration. Many healthcare professionals working in the hospital feel frustrated by the lack of interdisciplinary teamwork, stymied by the disciplinary silos and rigid roles, and exhausted by the daily workload. Regulation around the work hours of medical residents and clinical nurses, though welcomed by many as safer for patients and more humane for staff, has led to increasing fragmentation. Reduced hospital lengths of stay (with the national average being 4 days 1 ) means that, for nurses working outside the intensive care unit (ICU), 25% of patients are discharged every day and replaced by new patients—a turnover rate that may be only 25%, but one that feels like 50%. For nurses working in the ICU, the turnover may be even greater depending on the nature of the ICU. A culture of low expectations has evolved in many hospitals: everyone on the team comes to expect and accept impossible workloads, poor interdisciplinary collaboration, ineffective communication, and treatment errors.
Disrupted [Ca2+]i Homeostasis Contributes to the Toxicity of Nitric Oxide in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons

Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to be an important mediator in several forms of neurotoxicity. We previously reported that NO alters intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) homeostasis in cultured hippocampal neurons during 20-min exposures. In this study, we examine the relationship between late alterations of [Ca2+]i homeostasis and the delayed toxicity produced by NO. The NO-releasing agent S-nitrosocysteine (SNOC; 300 microM) reduced survival by about one half 1 day after 20-min exposures, as did other NO-releasing agents. SNOC also was found to produce prolonged elevations of [Ca2+]i, persisting at 2 and 6 h. Hemoglobin, a scavenger of NO, blocked both the late [Ca2+]i elevation and the delayed toxicity of SNOC. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ during the 20-min SNOC treatment failed to prevent the late [Ca2+]i elevations and did not prevent the delayed toxicity, but removal of extracellular Ca2+ for the 6 h after exposure as well blocked most of the toxicity. Western blots showed that SNOC exposure resulted in an increased proteolytic breakdown of the structural protein spectrin, generating a fragment with immunoreactivity suggesting activity of the Ca2+-activated protease calpain. The spectrin breakdown and the toxicity of SNOC were inhibited by treatment with calpain antagonists. We conclude that exposures to toxic levels of NO cause prolonged disruption of [Ca2+]i homeostatic mechanisms, and that the resulting persistent [Ca2+]i elevations contribute to the delayed neurotoxicity of NO.