cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epistemic Priority and Coherence

There are two related topics considered in this paper. The first topic concerns the status of basic beliefs and the thesis of epistemic priority, and the second concerns the justification of observational and introspective beliefs within a coherentist approach to justification. These issues are related since the proponents of coherence theories typically deny the thesis of epistemic priority and the existence of basic beliefs, and since those sympathetic to the thesis typically maintain that our introspective beliefs are among the clearest examples of basic beliefs. In the first section I shall consider an argument by Laurence Bonjour against the existence of basic beliefs and the thesis of epistemic priority. Though I believe that the argument is unsuccessful, it provides an important challenge to foundationalist views of justification. Still, this argument presupposes a certain view of what is required for justification, and in the second section I argue that this view of justification presents problems for BonJour’s positive account of the warrant of observational and introspective beliefs. In addition to BonJour’s views, I shall also consider a brief proposal by Roderick Firth in response to the objection that coherence theories cut off justification from the world.
Tests of possible antagonism of gold for histamine toxicity and certain allergic reactions.

Conclusions(1) Gold sodium thiosulfate failed to protect guinea pigs against lethal doses of histamine and anaphylactic shock, and did not demonstrably alter the magnitude of the Arthus phenomenon in rabbits. (2) These negative results suggest that the gold ion mediates its beneficial effects in rheumatoid arthritis in ways other than by amelioration of objective allergic manifestations.
Nomograms for the prediction of changes in patient chemistries during hemodialysis.

Prediction of changes in patient chemistries as a result of a hemodialysis has been difficult due to 1) the different physical characteristics of the many types of hemodialyzers, 2) intra-patient and interpatient variations of blood flow through the devices, 3) differing body weights among the patient population, 4) variability of the predialysis body chemical composition of the patients, 5) unknown mass transfer characteristics of chemical substances between the blood and other body fluid compartments in the patients, and 6) variations in the duration of dialysis. One or more of these factors has hindered attempts by Blackmore and Elder [1], Wolf et al [2] and others to accurately predict the results of dialysis in vivo . Recently Wolf, Watson, and Barbour [3] have shown that one can use mathematical models to predict the chemical changes of urea and creatinine in the body fluids of the uremic patient during dialysis with a Kiil type dialyzer. All that needs to be specified is the weight of the patient, the duration (hours) of dialysis, and the average rate of blood flow into the device. This paper uses the computer results of Wolf to construct nomograms for the prediction of changes in plasma urea and creatinine concentrations during hemodialysis with a Kiil dialyzer.
Redescription of Clavellisa dorosomatis YAMAGUTI, 1939, a Lernaeopodid Copepod Parasitic on Gizzard Shad, Konosirus punctatus (TEMMINCK & SCHLEGEL) (Pisces: Dorosomatidae) in Japan

Clavellisa dorosomatis YAMAGUTI, 1939 is redescribed based on the adult females recovered from the gill rakers of Konosirus(Clupanodon)punctatus(TEMMINCK & SCHLEGEL)collected in Kojima Bay, Japan.
The prevention of acute renal failure in the rat by long-term saline loading: a possible role of the renin-angiotensin axis.

SummarySubstitution of 1% saline for drinking water largely prevents the development of established acute renal failure in rats given glycerol intramuscularly. Control experiments indicate that this protection from acute renal failure is not due to the blood volume expansion, polyuria, polydypsia, lower urine osmolality, or other parameters studied. It is suggested that the depletion of renin, associated with chronic saline-loading, may have played a protective role, and that the renin-angiotensin axis may be a potent factor in the development of glycerol-induced acute renal failure in the rat.
Vacancies in Si Can Improve the Concentration-Dependent Lithiation Rate: Molecular Dynamics Studies of Lithiation Dynamics of Si Electrodes

The study of lithiation dynamics is important because it affects both stress generation and rate performance of electrodes for Li-ion batteries. This topic becomes more crucial for Si anodes because its high capacity is accompanied by dramatic volume and structural changes, which lead to mechanical fracture, capacity loss, and limited cycle life. To provide fundamental insights into the lithiation dynamics, determine the rate-limiting process of lithiation, and investigate the effect of concentration on Li diffusivity, molecular dynamics along with reactive force field was used to simulate the lithiation process of both amorphous and crystalline Si electrodes. The local Li concentration evolution shows that lithiation dynamics can be characterized as occurring in two stages: an initial mixing stage followed by a subsequent random walk diffusion stage. The Li diffusion is demonstrated to be concentration-dependent as Li diffuses faster with higher Li concentration, opposite to many intercalation compounds....
Study of the Manpower of Rural CDC Emergency Service in Zhongshan City

Objective To investigate the manpower of rural CDC emergency service in order to evaluate and improve the emergency ability of rural CDC. Method Questionnaire and telephone survey were performed. Result ① The ratio of emergency person to residential population is 0.91/10000, to whole population is 0.45/10000. ② Mainly man of elder than 40, 80.77%. ③ 58.46% with undergraduate educational background is 58.46%, in which 71.54% is major in public health, and 63.08% is in elementary rank. ④ Persons able to use Word, Excel, Powerpoint and other statistical software are 89.23%, 86.15%, 84.61% and 63.08%, respectively; using internet is 92.31%. ⑤ Persons participated in field survey, ≥ 3d train, writing plan, writing summarize, writing counterplan, answering media, academic conference, publishing paper and academic research are 79.23%, 72.31%, 61.54%, 61.54%, 47.69%, 35.38%, 30.77%, 16.15% and 13.85%, respectively. ⑥ The main route of acquiring professional knowledge is through practice, professional magazine, internet and book. They are poor in English. They most want to advance the professional knowledge and skill through a ≤7 d training. Conclusion The emergency ability of rural CDC of Zhongshan city is good, but some ability needs to be improve.
Kx: its relationship to chronic granulomatous disease and genetic linkage with Xg

The relationship between neutrophil function and the neutrophil antigen, Kx, as well as the linkage of the gene, Xk, with Xg was examined in a kindred with X-linked chronic granulomatous disease. Four of the eight male siblings had chronic granulomatous disease by clinical history and tests of neutrophil function, and all four had Kx-negative neutrophils. The remaining four were in good health and had normal nitroblue tetrazolium reduction tests. However, one of these latter four had Kx-negative neutrophils that functioned normally. These data suggest that closely linked but distinct genes on the X chromosome code for chronic granulomatous disease and Kx. In addition, close linkage was demonstrated between Xk and Xg, a gene coding for an erythrocyte surface antigen.
Distinct Roles for Matrix Metalloproteinases 2 and 9 in Embryonic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Emergence, Migration, and Niche Colonization

Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) are formed during ontogeny from hemogenic endothelium in the ventral wall of the dorsal aorta (VDA). Critically, the cellular mechanism(s) allowing HSPC egress and migration to secondary niches are incompletely understood. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are inflammation-responsive proteins that regulate extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, cellular interactions, and signaling. Here, inhibition of vascular-associated Mmp2 function caused accumulation of fibronectin-rich ECM, retention of runx1/cmyb+ HSPCs in the VDA, and delayed caudal hematopoietic tissue (CHT) colonization; these defects were absent in fibronectin mutants, indicating that Mmp2 facilitates endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition via ECM remodeling. In contrast, Mmp9 was dispensable for HSPC budding, being instead required for proper colonization of secondary niches. Significantly, these migration defects were mimicked by overexpression and blocked by knockdown of C-X-C motif chemokine-12 (cxcl12), suggesting that Mmp9 controls CHT homeostasis through chemokine regulation. Our findings indicate Mmp2 and Mmp9 play distinct but complementary roles in developmental HSPC production and migration.
Shear modulus imaging by Spatially Modulated Ultrasound Radiation Force

Spatially Modulated Ultrasound Radiation Force (SMURF) uses impulsive acoustic radiation force to generate a shear wave of known spatial frequency in a medium of unknown shear modulus. The velocity of the induced shear wave, and hence the shear modulus of the medium, is determined from the period of the induced shear wave. Here we present the first experimentally obtained images of shear modulus using the SMURF method. Images of spherical (shown below), conical, and step edge phantoms are presented. Agreement within 8% is found between SMURF and unconfined compression measurements of uniform phantoms. Image resolution on the order of the push beam spacing is observed. A key advantage of this method is that tracking is performed along a single a-line, avoiding correlated noise bias errors encountered in multiple-track location methods. We describe the source of this noise. Modulus estimates are obtained without extensive spatial averaging, allowing high resolution to be obtained.
Deep Learning for Tattoo Recognition

Soft biometrics are physiological and behavioral characteristics that provide some identifying information about an individual. Color of eye, gender, ethnicity, skin color, height, weight, hair color, scar, birthmarks, and tattoos are examples of soft biometrics. Several techniques have been proposed to identify or verify an individual based on soft biometrics in the literature. In particular, person identification and retrieval systems based on tattoos have gained a lot of interest in recent years. Tattoos, in some extent, indicate ones personal beliefs and characteristics. Hence, the analysis of tattoos can lead to a better understanding of ones background and membership to gang and hate groups. They have been used to assist law enforcement in investigations leading to the identification of criminals. In this chapter, we will provide an overview of recent advances in tattoo recognition and detection based on deep learning. In particular, we will present deep convolutional neural network-based methods for automatic matching of tattoo images based on the AlexNet and Siamese networks. Furthermore, we will show that rather than using a simple contrastive loss function, triplet loss function can significantly improve the performance of a tattoo matching system. Various experimental results on a recently introduced Tatt-C dataset will be presented.
Investigation into SrO/SrCO3 for high temperature thermochemical energy storage

Abstract Global energy needs are continuously increasing while fossil fuels remain an uncertain resource. With a growing population and increasing demand for energy, alternative energy is being pursued to power the future. Concentrated solar power (CSP) is a promising method of converting solar energy into electricity and works in conjunction with thermal energy storage (TES) to allow for power generation beyond on-sun hours. One method of TES is thermochemical energy storage (TCES), which is based on storing chemical energy via reversible reactions. An SrO/SrCO3 carbonation cycle offers high temperature heat (ca. 1200 °C), leading to higher efficiencies. The carbonation reaction was further investigated to determine the effects of particle size, temperature, partial pressure of CO2, and heat treatment temperature. Unfortunately, high temperatures cause materials to sinter, resulting in a decrease in reactivity over multiple cycles. The use of an inert diluent may help to inhibit sintering by acting as a physical barrier between the particles. Stored energy density of SrO/SrCO3 systems supported by CaSO4 and Sr3(PO4)2 was investigated for multiple cycles of 1150 °C exothermic carbonation followed by 1235 °C decomposition. At 25 and 50 wt%, Sr3(PO4), stable energy densities of roughly 500 ± 0.05 kJ/kg are achieved. In addition, it was found that the initial moisture content of the material affects performance of the material over several cycles due to a change in particle size. This behavior was thoroughly investigated and is useful for future work in TCES involving carbonation cycles.
The Visual Damage Survey: A Study to Evaluate the Eastern Forest Condition

Concern about the impact of “acid rain” on forests became focused in the 1980s fter West Germany conducted forest damage surveys and publicized the results. These surveys, while providing no proof that atmospheric pollutants were causing damage to trees, have continued to show that the crowns of a majority of the coniferous trees sampled do not exhibit the foliage density or color deemed appropriate to healthy trees. Even before the U.S. Forest Response Program and the National Vegetation Survey Cooperative began, there were strong suggestions that a forest condition survey was needed in the United States.
Error and Uncertainty in Physical Measurements

‘Error’ and ‘uncertainty’ are two complementary, but distinct, aspects of the characterization of measurements. ‘Error’ is the difference between a measurement result and the value of the measurand while ‘uncertainty’ describes the reliability of the assertion that the stated measurement result represents the value of the measurand. The analysis of error considers the variability of the results when the measurement process is repeated. The evaluation of uncertainty considers the observed data to be given quantities from which the estimates of certain parameters (the measurement results) are to be deduced. The failure to distinguish between these two concepts has led to inconsistency, and a lack of uniformity in the way uncertainties have been expressed. The 1993 ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurements is the first international attempt to establish this uniformity and makes no distinction in the treatment of contributions to the total uncertainty in a measurement result between those arising from “random errors” and those arising from “systematic errors.”
Modeling Real Reasoning

In this article we set out to develop a mathematical model of real-life human reasoning. The most successful attempt to do this, classical formal logic, achieved its success by restricting attention on formal reasoning within pure mathematics; more precisely, the process of proving theorems in axiomatic systems. Within the framework of mathematical logic, a logical proof consists of a finite sequence *** 1 , *** 2 , ..., *** n of statements, such that for each i = 1,..., n , *** i is either an assumption for the argument (possibly an axiom), or else follows from one or more of *** 1 , ..., *** i *** 1 by a rule of logic.
Regulatory Aspects of Biospecimen Collection

When working with biospecimens, it is easy to forget that the samples belonged to a person; the need to have characteristics and/or clinical information connected to those samples means that some people would consider such samples private. Other people, especially individuals with a rare genetic disorder, may want to make as much of their information available to scientists to move the field forward. Regardless of individual perspective, there are numerous ethical, legal, and policy considerations in relation to how biospecimens can be collected, stored, and used. Many of these considerations depend on the specific details of the research protocol.
A worst case identification method using time series data

In this paper we formulate and solve a control-oriented system identification problem for single-input, single-output, linear, shift-invariant, distributed parameter plants. In this problem the available a priori information is minimal, consisting only of worst-case/deterministic, time dependent, upper and lower bounds on the plant impulse response and the additive output noise. The available a posteriori information consists of a corrupt finite output time series obtained in response to a known, non-zero but otherwise arbitrary, applied input. A novel system identification method is presented for this problem. This method yields an “uncertain model” of the plant, which is comprised of a nominal plant model, a bounded additive output noise, and a bounded additive model uncertainty measured in both the l1 and H∞ system norms. Both the identification method and the resulting uncertain model are computationally simple and possess certain desirable properties.
A preliminary examination of the relation between neural sensitivity to reward and history of alcohol use disorder among adults with internalizing psychopathologies

Abstract Decreased reward responsiveness, as demonstrated utilizing the event-related potential (ERP) component the reward positivity (RewP), is an established correlate of internalizing psychopathologies (IPs), such as depressive and anxiety disorders. Although IPs are highly comorbid with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and despite evidence that AUDs are also characterized by aberrant reward processing styles, no studies have examined how AUD history impacts the RewP among adults with IPs. The current preliminary study sought to examine this question in a sample of 65 adults with 1) current IPs (i.e., depression, social anxiety, and/or generalized anxiety, 2) current IPs with a history of an AUD (IP + Past AUD), and 3) no history of a DSM-IV disorder. Participants completed a guessing reward task while electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded. Results indicated that participants in the IP group exhibited a more attenuated RewP relative to IP + Past AUD and healthy control individuals. Findings from this study highlight the importance of examining diagnostic subgroups among adults with anxiety and depressive disorders, and suggest that a history of AUD may enhance reward reactivity at the neural level in individuals with IPs.
Where Are We Going with Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping in Gynecologic Cancers

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping is a standard of care for lymphatic assessment of many early-stage gynecologic malignancies. We review the current data, emphasizing the utility of SLN mapping in the management of gynecologic cancers. Endometrial cancer: recent studies have focused on confirming the safety and efficacy of SLN mapping for high-risk patients. Cervical cancer: the LACC Trial demonstrated reduced survival with minimally invasive surgery, calling into question the validity of prior studies evaluating SLN mapping with a minimally invasive approach. Vulvar cancer: the ongoing GROINS-V-II trial is investigating whether patients with SLN metastasis < 2 mm in diameter can safely undergo adjuvant radiation ± chemotherapy without completion inguinal lymphadenectomy. NCCN guidelines have incorporated SLN mapping as a lymphatic assessment strategy for endometrial, cervical, and vulvar malignancies. SLN mapping appears to reduce morbidity while still maintaining an appropriate detection rate of lymphatic metastasis. Additional clinical trials will further our knowledge of these procedures.
Promoting Innovation and Entrepreneurship as part of an Engineering Curriculum

This Research to Practice, Work in Progress, paper explores the relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation, and systems thinking, through examining the published work in these areas, and how innovation can be incorporated as part of an engineering curriculum. We identify key common requirements between innovation and systems thinking and propose the idea of teaching systems thinking as a way to promote and enhance innovation, and teaching design process as a practical way to introduce and inspire systems thinking in an engineering curriculum.
The Respiratory Apparatus

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the respiratory system of the body. The respiratory system consists of a reciprocating elastic bellows pump driven by muscles of the chest wall. These muscles pull air in, and the air is then expelled as the elastic recoil returns the system to its resting volume. In the lungs, the air is brought into contact with the blood being pumped through the lungs by a pulsatile pump, which is the right ventricle. Blood leaving the lungs is pumped to the body by another pulsatile pump, which is the left ventricle. The air exchange system is a form of the bellows pump. The outer ridged wall of this pump, the chest cage, has the respiratory muscles attached to it. The lung is closely applied to the inner surface of the chest cage. To move this bellows, a force must be applied by the muscles. The chapter illustrates the volume–pressure analog of the respiratory system and discusses the coordination of ventilation and perfusion. It also describes diffusion of gases and the concept of the artificial lung.
A conserved Bcd1 interaction essential for box C/D snoRNP biogenesis.

Precise modification and processing of rRNAs are required for the production of ribosomes and accurate translation of proteins. Small nucleolar ribonucleoproteins (snoRNPs) guide the folding, modification, and processing of rRNAs and are thus critical for all eukaryotic cells. Bcd1, an essential zinc finger HIT protein functionally conserved in eukaryotes, has been implicated as an early regulator for biogenesis of box C/D snoRNPs and controls steady-state levels of box C/D snoRNAs through an unknown mechanism. Using a combination of genetic and biochemical approaches, here we found a conserved N-terminal motif in Bcd1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae that is required for interactions with box C/D snoRNAs and the core snoRNP protein, Snu13. We show that both the Bcd1–snoRNA and Bcd1–Snu13 interactions are critical for snoRNP assembly and ribosome biogenesis. Our results provide mechanistic insight into Bcd1 interactions that likely control the early steps of snoRNP maturation and contribute to the essential role of this protein in maintaining the steady-state levels of snoRNAs in the cell.
Connecting Theory to Life: Learning Greener Electrochemistry by Taking Apart a Common Battery

Electrochemistry is omnipresent in our lives, but students often do not recognize that the electrochemistry they learn in general chemistry happens in the batteries on which we depend. Students als...
T.E.A.M.S.Work: Leveraging Technicians to Enhance ABM Med Sync in Community Pharmacies.

The expansion of pharmacy technicians’ roles in community pharmacies allows pharmacists the opportunity to focus on providing clinical services to patients. This study explores the tasks pharmacy technicians’ perform to support Med Sync programs in community pharmacies. Pharmacy staff members at North Carolina pharmacies with more than fifty percent of their prescription volume being dispensed as part of a Med Sync program were recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Inductive coding and summary analysis were used to analyze the interview data. Study participants described pharmacy technicians’ roles in identifying patients for marketing and enrollment, reviewing patients’ medications list, choosing alignment dates based on patient preference, contacting patients in preparation for dispensing and, lastly, engaging in pickup or delivery of medications. This study highlights technicians’ vital role in completing tasks that support Med Sync programs in community pharmacies.
Developing Tomorrow’s Nursing Leaders: How the Future of Nursing—Campaign for Action Promotes Leadership

This chapter describes the importance of nursing leadership and how The Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, a nationwide initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AARP, and the AARP Foundation, promotes nursing leadership. The Campaign’s nursing leadership initiatives include the Nurses on Boards Coalition, leadership development programs, and mentoring programs. Three emerging nursing leaders describe how they have benefited from the Campaign’s leadership programs.
4 – Source Molecules

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights that during the initial ten- to fifteen-years of development period for organometallic vapor-phase epitaxy (OMVPE), the choice of source molecules was simple—only compounds manufactured for other purposes were available. These generally included the molecules MRn, where M represents the group II, III, IV, V, and VI element of interest for OMVPE, and R was limited to methyl and ethyl radicals. More recently, researchers have understood the restrictions imposed on the OMVPE process by this limited choice of precursor molecules. This chapter reviews the basic chemistry of the group II, III, V, and VI precursor molecules, by explaining the bonding and configurations of the molecules. It also provides an understanding of pyrolysis kinetics. Furthermore, basic properties such as boiling point, melting point, and vapor pressure for many of the precursors are summarized in the chapter. Finally, the chapter discusses the danger associated with OMVPE growth that is dependent on the precursors chosen. As a consequence, the demand for novel organ metallic sources has increased to the point that in recent years manufacturers have been listening to our requests. This has led to the development of a significant number of new source molecules.
Emergency Clinical Procedure Detection With Deep Learning

Information about a patient’s state is critical for hospitals to provide timely care and treatment. Prior work on improving the information flow from emergency medical services (EMS) to hospitals demonstrated the potential of using automated algorithms to detect clinical procedures. However, prior work has not made effective use of video sources that might be available during patient care. In this paper we explore the use convolutional neural networks (CNNs) on raw video data to determine how well video data alone can automatically identify clinical procedures. We apply multiple deep learning models to this problem, with significant variation in results. Our findings indicate performance improvements compared to prior work, but also indicate a need for more training data to reach clinically deployable levels of success.
Accuracy of Ultrasound in Diagnosing Gallbladder Polyps at a Community Hospital.

Background and objectives Polyps are reported on 1-10% of routine transabdominal ultrasound studies of the gallbladder. Prior studies have reported poor sensitivity and specificity for this diagnostic modality at determining malignant potential of polyps. The aim of this study is to determine the incidence of gallbladder polyps documented on ultrasound at a community hospital, evaluate the congruency of ultrasound with final histopathology, and explore factors which may improve ultrasound accuracy at diagnosing true adenomatous polyps. Methods We conducted a 5-year retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing cholecystectomy at Danbury Hospital between 2014 and 2019, identifying those with a pre-operative ultrasound mention of a "polyp" or "mass." We assessed the congruency of ultrasound findings with pathology reports. Results Of the 2,549 cholecystectomies performed, 1,944 (76%) had pre-operative ultrasounds. Of those, 98 (5.0%) reported a polyp, measuring an average of 8.1 mm (SD 7.1 mm). Three (3.1%) specimens were identified as adenomas on final histopathology; the majority were benign pathologies including cholesterol polyp (18), cholesterolosis (20), adenomyoma (4), adenomyomatosis (7), and chronic or acute cholecystitis (44). Interestingly, only 1 of the 3 adenomas measured > 10 mm on ultrasound, the accepted indication for surgical resection. Conclusions The accuracy of transabdominal ultrasound in diagnosing true polyps is poor, with only 3% of polyps identified as adenomas based on pathology. Surgeons should use caution when making clinical decisions based on polyps identified on ultrasound, and more stringent diagnostic criteria are needed in order to decrease the false positive rate for diagnosis and screening.
Subchannel codes: CTF and VIPRE-01

Abstract In this chapter, two state-of-the-art and well-used subchannel codes are presented: CTF and VIPRE-01. As part of the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors, CTF is being used for single- and two-phase flow analysis under light-water reactor normal and anticipated transient operating conditions. Accurate determination of flow distribution, pressure drop, and void content is crucial for predicting margins to thermal crisis and ensuring more efficient nuclear power plant performance. In preparation for the intended applications, CTF is extensively validated against data from experimental facilities. Meanwhile, the licensed commercial code VIPRE-01 is used to generate a baseline set of simulations for the targeted tests and the solution parameters are compared to CTF results. The closure models in CTF that are in the greatest need of improvement are highlighted and discussed.
Evaluation of socioeconomic and healthcare disparities on same admission cholecystectomy after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography among patients with acute gallstone pancreatitis.

Despite literature and guidelines recommending same admission cholecystectomy (CCY) after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for patients with acute gallstone pancreatitis, clinical practice remains variable. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of clinical and socio-demographic factors in the management of acute gallstone pancreatitis. Patients with acute gallstone pancreatitis who underwent ERCP during hospitalization were reviewed from the U.S. Nationwide Inpatient Sample database between 2008 and 2014. Patients were classified by treatment strategy: ERCP + same admission CCY (ERCP + CCY) versus ERCP alone. Measured variables including age, race/ethnicity, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), hospital type/region, insurance payer, household income, length of hospital stay (LOS), hospitalization cost, and in-hospital mortality were compared between cohorts using χ2 and ANOVA. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify specific predictors of same admission CCY. A total of 205,012 patients (ERCP + CCY: n = 118,318 versus ERCP alone: n = 86,694) were analyzed. A majority (53.4%) of patients that did not receive same admission CCY were at urban-teaching hospitals. LOS was longer with higher associated costs for patients with same admission CCY [(6.8 ± 5.6 versus 6.4 ± 6.5 days; P < 0.001) and ($69,135 ± 65,913 versus $52,739 ± 66,681; P < 0.001)]. Mortality was decreased significantly for patients who underwent ERCP + CCY versus ERCP alone (0.4% vs 1.1%; P < 0.001). Multivariable regression demonstrated female gender, Black race, higher CCI, Medicare payer status, urban-teaching hospital location, and household income decreased the odds of undergoing same admission CCY + ERCP (all P < 0.001). Based upon this analysis, multiple socioeconomic and healthcare-related disparities influenced the surgical management of acute gallstone pancreatitis. Further studies to investigate these disparities are indicated.
Non-Linear Discharge of Human Motor Units During Linear Time-Varying Contractions Across Motor Pools

Increasing muscular force occurs when motor units, comprised of the spinal motor neuron and innervating muscle fibers, increase firing rates, or when the number of motor units recruited within that muscle increases[1] [2]. It is known that the recruitment limb of increasing linear force generation can elicit nonlinear firing rate patterns, and that the firing rate at the point of recruitment of motor units is higher than the firing rate at de-recruitment.[3] To the best of our knowledge, the de-recruitment limb firing rates during decreasing torque generation have yet to be characterized. We sought to test whether over the course of a linearly increasing and decreasing torque generation, we would observe similar and linear behavior of firing rates. High density surface EMG (HD-EMG) recordings of a human subject were decomposed into motor units during contractions using blind source separation. 13 subjects were analyzed over 10s triangular torque contractions. Slopes of firing rates vs time over the course of isometric triangular torque generation were generated using a bilinear fit for both the recruitment and de-recruitment limbs. Residuals of raw firing rates for the lines of best fit before and after the breakpoint were calculated. Linear increases and decreases in torque are accompanied by nonlinear increases and decreases in firing rates. These results suggest important characteristic intrinsic mechanisms to the sustained and released firing activity of motor neurons.
A Robust Multiscale and Multiphasic Structure-Based Modeling Framework for the Intervertebral Disc

A comprehensive understanding of multiscale and multiphasic intervertebral disc mechanics is crucial for designing advanced tissue engineered structures aiming to recapitulate native tissue behavior. The bovine caudal disc is a commonly used human disc analog due to its availability, large disc height and area, and similarities in biochemical and mechanical properties to the human disc. Because of challenges in directly measuring subtissue-level mechanics, such as in situ fiber mechanics, finite element models have been widely employed in spinal biomechanics research. However, many previous models use homogenization theory and describe each model element as a homogenized combination of fibers and the extrafibrillar matrix while ignoring the role of water content or osmotic behavior. Thus, these models are limited in their ability in investigating subtissue-level mechanics and stress-bearing mechanisms through fluid pressure. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a structure-based bovine caudal disc model, and to evaluate multiscale and multiphasic intervertebral disc mechanics under different loading conditions and with degeneration. The structure-based model was developed based on native disc structure, where fibers and matrix in the annulus fibrosus were described as distinct materials occupying separate volumes. Model parameters were directly obtained from experimental studies without calibration. Under the multiscale validation framework, the model was validated across the joint-, tissue-, and subtissue-levels. Our model accurately predicted multiscale disc responses for 15 of 16 cases, emphasizing the accuracy of the model, as well as the effectiveness and robustness of the multiscale structure-based modeling-validation framework. The model also demonstrated the rim as a weak link for disc failure, highlighting the importance of keeping the cartilage endplate intact when evaluating disc failure mechanisms in vitro. Importantly, results from this study elucidated important fluid-based load-bearing mechanisms and fiber-matrix interactions that are important for understanding disease progression and regeneration in intervertebral discs. In conclusion, the methods presented in this study can be used in conjunction with experimental work to simultaneously investigate disc joint-, tissue-, and subtissue-level mechanics with degeneration, disease, and injury.
PROMIS Scales for Assessment of Persistent Post-COVID Symptoms: A Cross Sectional Study.

ObjectivePersistent post-COVID symptoms are estimated to occur in up to 10% of patients who have had COVID-19. These lingering symptoms may persist for weeks to months after resolution of the acute...
An Evaluation of Ballast Tank Corrosion in Hypoxic Seawater

Abstract : Investigations were undertaken to evaluate the impact of hypoxia on corrosion within ballast tanks. Carbon steel coupons were exposed to seawater in alternating fill/drain conditions encountered in operational ballast tanks. The following alternating exposure conditions between fill/drain conditions were examined: 1) oxygenated seawater/air, 2) hypoxic seawater (0.2 mg/L O2)/hypoxic gas. The effect of oxygen on corrosion in a hypoxic environment was evaluated by introducing oxygenated air into the hypoxic chamber at the midpoint of the experiment. Differences in corrosion rate and morphology before and after the introduction of oxygen were quantified.
Introduction to the Personal Software Process

This newest book from Watts Humphrey is a hands-on introduction to basic disciplines of software engineering. Designed as a workbook companion to any introductory programming or software-engineering text, Humphrey provides here the practical means to integrate his highly regarded Personal Software Process (PSP) into college and university curricula. The book may also be adapted for use in industrial training or for self-improvement by practicing software engineers.Applying the book's exercises to their course assignments, students learn both to manage their time effectively and to monitor the quality of their work, good practices they will need to be successful in their future careers. The book is supported by its own electronic supplement, which includes spreadsheets for data entry and analysis. A complete instructor's package is also available.By mastering PSP techniques early in their studies, students can avoid--or overcome--the popular "hacker" ethic that leads to so many bad habits. Employers will appreciate new hires prepared to do competent professional work without, as now is common, expensive retraining and years of experience.
Edouard Vuillard: A Painter and His Muses, 1890-1940

Every museum exhibition attempts—among multiple goals—to place artists before the public eye, to invigorate or reinvigorate both the attention of viewers and the reputations of artists. In the case...
The Flammability of Polyester-Cotton Mixtures

Polyester-cotton blended fabrics have the reputation of being “difficult to flame retard.” Treatments developed for flame retarding 100% polyester or 100% cotton fabrics do not seem to have the same effect when the two fibers are combined. Quantitative data are presented which pinpoint how the flammability behavior of polyester-cotton blends differs from that of the components. Physical and chemical aspects of pre-ignition and post-ignition phenomena are discussed for mixtures in which one or both of the polymers has been flame retarded, as well as for untreated combinations.
Computer security when data = life

Security technologies were born of and initially implemented in a business, social and technical structure based on fundamental assumptions which no longer hold in health care. Thus, while computer security has much to offer health care, utilizing the full potential of computer security technologies with respect to patient information requires reevaluating priorities in computer security. Such a reevaluation requires defining the traditional goals of computer security. There are a number of tradeoffs inherent in the goals of computer security, for example information which is highly available is less confidential. Security is a multidimensional problem which must be solved with respect to the specific problem, not a generic technical add-on which can be added to any system. This paper presents two contrasting cases where distinctly different approaches to risk and security in patient information systems are taken.
Allocating Marketing Resources

Companies spend billions of dollars every year on marketing because it is essential to organic growth. Given these large investments, marketing managers have the responsibility to optimally allocate resources and to demonstrate that their investments generate appropriate returns for the firm. In this chapter, we highlight a two-stage process for marketing resource allocation. In stage one, a model of demand is estimated. This model empirically assesses the impact of marketing actions on consumer demand for a company's product. In stage two, estimates from the demand model are used as input in an optimization model that attempts to maximize profits. This stage takes into account costs as well as firm's objectives and constraints (e.g., minimum market share requirement). Over the last several decades, marketing researchers and practitioners have adopted various methods and approaches that explicitly or implicitly follow these two stages. We have categorized these approaches into a 3x3 matrix, which suggests three different approaches for stage-one demand estimation (decision calculus, experiments and econometric methods), and three different methods for stage-two economic impact analysis (descriptive, what-if and formal optimization approach). We discuss pros and cons of these approaches and illustrate them through applications and case studies.
Regression with Gaussian-Type Responses

For regression with Gaussian responses, \(L(f) + (\lambda /2)J(f)\) reduces to the familiar penalized least squares functional. Among topics of primary interest are the selection of smoothing parameters, the computation of the estimates, the asymptotic convergence of the estimates, and various data analytical tools.
Gravitational Waves and the Death-Spiral of Compact Binaries

The completion of a network of advanced laser-interferometric gravitational-wave observatories will make possible the study of the inspirai and coalescence of binary systems of compact objects (neutron stars and black holes), using gravitational radiation. To extract useful information from the waves, theoretical general relativistic gravitational waveform templates of extremely high accuracy will be needed for filtering the data, probably as accurate as O[(υ/c)6] beyond the predictions of the quadrupole formula. We review theoretical methods for calculating accurate waveforms, and focus on one known as Direct Integration of the Relaxed Einstein Equations (DIRE). The new method is free of divergences or undefined integrals, correctly predicts all gravitational wave “tail” effects caused by backscatter of the outgoing radiation off the background curved spacetime, and yields radiation that propagates asymptotically along true null cones of the curved spacetime. The method also yields equations of motion through O[(υ/c)4 ], radiation-reaction terms at O[(υ/c)5 ] and O[(υ/c)7 ], and gravitational waveforms and energy flux through O[(υ/c)4 ], in agreement with other approaches. We report on progress in evaluating the O[(υ/c)6 ] contributions.
Chiasma interference as a function of genetic distance.

For many organisms, meiotic double crossing over is less frequent than expected on the assumption that exchanges occur at random with respect to each other. This "interference," which can be almost total for nearby intervals, diminishes as the intervals in which the double crossovers are scored are moved farther apart. Most models for interference have assumed, at least implicitly, that the intensity of interference depends inversely on the physical distance separating the intervals. However, several observations suggest that interference depends on genetic distance (Morgans) rather than physical distance (base pairs or micrometers). Accordingly, we devise a model in which interference is related directly to genetic distance. Its central feature is that recombinational intermediates (C9s) have two fates--they can be resolved with crossing over (Cx) or without (Co). We suppose that C9s are distributed at random with respect to each other (no interference); interference results from constraints on the resolution of C9s. The basic constraint is that each pair of neighboring Cx9s must have between them a certain number of Co9s. The required number of intervening Co9s for a given organism or chromosome is estimated from the fraction of gene conversions that are unaccompanied by crossover of flanking markers. The predictions of the model are compared with data from Drosophila and Neurospora.
Model specification tests for balanced representation state space models

Balanced representation state space models of the form developed by Aoki (1990) have several inherent advantages relative to ARMA models in the specification of multivariate time series. These include an orderly specification search over a small number of dimensions and, as demonstrated below, a choice of coordinate systems for the states that makes sequential model order tests uncorrelated, thus preserving their confidence levels. Using two representative data sets as the basis for a Monte Carlo experiment, four model specification procedures are evaluated, The results show promise for two of the methods which are based on asymptotic likelihood ratio tests.
Evolution of mitral valve replacement in children: a 40-year experience

Background This report reviews our 40-year experience with pediatric mitral valve replacement (MVR) with respect to mortality, valve-related morbidity, and reoperation risk factors. Methods From 1970 to 2010, 97 patients have undergone a total of 136 MVRs. Median age was 8 years (2 weeks to 18 years), 41 patients (42%) were less than 5 years, and 16 were infants (17%). Etiology was congenital in 65 patients (67%), rheumatic in 27 (28%), and endocarditis in 5 (5%). Regurgitation was the predominant lesion in 67 patients (69%), stenosis in 23 (24%), and mixed in 7 (7%) patients. Mechanical valves (ball, n=11; or bileaflet disc, n=66) and xenografts (porcine, n=14; bovine, n=2) were used in 93 initial MVR patients. Since 2002, 5 children have undergone Ross MVR with a pulmonary autograft in 3 and an aortic homograft in 2. Results Hospital mortality was 6% (6 of 97). There were 23 late deaths and 5 patients have required cardiac transplantation. Thirty-five year actuarial survival was 71%. Age less than 2 years, MVR prior to 1980, atrioventricular septal defect, univentricular heart, and additional left side obstructions were significant predictors of death. Mean follow-up was 12.8 ± 10.1 years (range, 2 months to 38 years). Seventeen patients with mechanical valves experienced systemic emboli in 9 (10%), valve thrombosis in 5 (6%), and bleeding requiring transfusion in 3 (3%) patients. Thirty-two patients required reoperations (35%) from 3 months to 14 years (mean, 6.5 ± 4.4 years) after initial MVR. Actuarial freedom from reoperation at 35 years was 63%. Variables associated with mitral re-replacement were younger age, small weight, valve diameter less than 23 mm, MVR prior to 1980, and type of implanted valves (xenograft, single-leaflet disk, ball-caged, or human valves). Conclusions Pediatric MVR can be performed with low initial mortality but should be reserved for medical and reconstruction failure because reoperation, valve-related complications, and late mortality are high. Bileaflet prostheses larger than 23 mm have the lowest reoperation risk. Ross MVR may offer select patients a durable tissue valve without lifelong anticoagulation and its associated complications.