cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The wildland fire emission inventory: western United States emission estimates and an evaluation of uncertainty

Abstract. Biomass burning emission inventories serve as critical input for atmospheric chemical transport models that are used to understand the role of biomass fires in the chemical composition of the atmosphere, air quality, and the climate system. Significant progress has been achieved in the development of regional and global biomass burning emission inventories over the past decade using satellite remote sensing technology for fire detection and burned area mapping. However, agreement among biomass burning emission inventories is frequently poor. Furthermore, the uncertainties of the emission estimates are typically not well characterized, particularly at the spatio-temporal scales pertinent to regional air quality modeling. We present the Wildland Fire Emission Inventory (WFEI), a high resolution model for non-agricultural open biomass burning (hereafter referred to as wildland fires, WF) in the contiguous United States (CONUS). The model combines observations from the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on the Terra and Aqua satellites, meteorological analyses, fuel loading maps, an emission factor database, and fuel condition and fuel consumption models to estimate emissions from WF. WFEI was used to estimate emissions of CO (ECO) and PM2.5 (EPM2.5) for the western United States from 2003–2008. The uncertainties in the inventory estimates of ECO and EPM2.5 (uECO and uEPM2.5, respectively) have been explored across spatial and temporal scales relevant to regional and global modeling applications. In order to evaluate the uncertainty in our emission estimates across multiple scales we used a figure of merit, the half mass uncertainty, ũEX (where X = CO or PM2.5), defined such that for a given aggregation level 50% of total emissions occurred from elements with uEX ũEX. The sensitivity of the WFEI estimates of ECO and EPM2.5 to uncertainties in mapped fuel loading, fuel consumption, burned area and emission factors have also been examined. The estimated annual, domain wide ECO ranged from 436 Gg yr−1 in 2004 to 3107 Gg yr−1 in 2007. The extremes in estimated annual, domain wide EPM2.5 were 65 Gg yr−1 in 2004 and 454 Gg yr−1 in 2007. Annual WF emissions were a significant share of total emissions from non-WF sources (agriculture, dust, non-WF fire, fuel combustion, industrial processes, transportation, solvent, and miscellaneous) in the western United States as estimated in a national emission inventory. In the peak fire year of 2007, WF emissions were ~20% of total (WF + non-WF) CO emissions and ~39% of total PM2.5 emissions. During the months with the greatest fire activity, WF accounted for the majority of total CO and PM2.5 emitted across the study region. Uncertainties in annual, domain wide emissions was 28% to 51% for CO and 40% to 65% for PM2.5. Sensitivity of ũECO and ũEPM2.5 to the emission model components depended on scale. At scales relevant to regional modeling applications (Δx = 10 km, Δt = 1 day) WFEI estimates 50% of total ECO with an uncertainty
Performance and reliability verification of C6201/C6701 digital signal processors

Dominance of interconnect parasitics in impacting functionality, performance and reliability in deep sub-micron (DSM) designs is a well known topic. Reduced metal pitches, process variations, new materials for metallization/dielectrics emphasizes an increased need for an accurate and yet practical methodology for full-chip performance and reliability verification. This paper describes salient features of the methodology used for timing verification, interconnect modeling, coupling compensation, signal electromigration, power network analysis on power distribution networks. Results from the application of this methodology on TMS320C6201 and TMS320C6701 designed in 0.18 u technology are discussed.
The impact of including passive benefits in cost-effectiveness analysis: the case of automated external defibrillators on commercial aircraft.

Abstract Objective Traditional cost–utility analysis assumes that all benefits from health-related interventions are captured by the quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained by the few individuals whose outcome is improved by the intervention. However, it is possible that many individuals who do not directly benefit from an intervention receive utility, and therefore QALYs, because of the passive benefit (aka sense of security) provided by the existence of the intervention. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact that varying quantities of passive benefit have on the cost-effectiveness of airline defibrillator programs. Methods A decision analytic model with Markov processes was constructed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of defibrillator deployment on domestic commercial passenger aircraft over 1 year. Airline passengers were assigned small incremental utility gains (.001–.01) during an estimated 3-hour flight to evaluate the impact of passive benefit on overall cost-effectiveness. Results In the base case analysis with no allowance for passive benefit, the cost-effectiveness of airline automated external defibrillator deployment was $34,000 per QALY gained. If 1% of all passengers received utility gain of .01, the cost-effectiveness declined to $30,000. Cost-effectiveness was enhanced when the quantity of passive benefit was raised or the percentage of individuals receiving passive benefit increased. Conclusions Automated external defibrillator deployment on passenger aircraft is likely to be cost-effective. If a small percentage of airline passengers receive incremental utility gains from passive benefit of automated external defibrillator availability, the impact on overall cost-effectiveness may be substantial. Further research should attempt to clarify the magnitude and percentage of patients who receive passive benefit.
DEVELOPMENT OF LOW‐TEMPERATURE ENAMELS ON A FLUORIDE EUTECTIC BASIS1

Three fluoride eutectics were substituted for cryolite and fluorspar in three standard enamels: sheet-steel ground coat, sheet-steel cover coat, and cast-iron single coat, with a view to lowering their maturing temperature. Substitution in ground coats produced inferior enamels, but no apparent change was evident in cast-iron enamels. In the case of sheet-steel cover coats satisfactory enamels were obtained with a maturing temperature 150°F lower than the original enamel which matured at 1450°F.
Sexually transmitted infections and HIV control efforts

Dermatology has had a long and close relationship with sexually transmitted infections with the majority having dermatological manifestations. This article reviews the epidemiology of common and significant sexually transmitted infections and is then followed by a weighing up of the many pros and cons of syndromic disease therapy, widely used in developing countries. Sexually transmitted infection control and sex education efforts, in both the USA and worldwide, highlight the continuing significance of these diseases on our lives and society, with the failures as meaningful as the successes.
Performance Analysis of p-Persistent Aloha for Multi-hop Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

Media Access Control (MAC) must be carefully considered in multi-hop Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks (UASNs) due to limited bandwidth and large propagation delay. In particular, variable propagation delays in UASNs cause inaccurate time synchronization and therefore make reservation-based protocols less favorable. Large propagation delays limit the performance of carrier sense in predicting the status of the intended recipients, and therefore CSMA protocols show bad performance in UASNs too. Therefore, simple protocols, such as Aloha, show promise for UASNs. In this paper we consider the performance of a multi-hop p-persistent ALOHA protocol.
Characterization of IMP‐E3, A gene active during imaginal disc morphogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster

The steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-HE) induces imaginal discs to form adult appendages in Drosophila. We have isolated a set of six ecdysone-responsive genes that apparently encode disc cell-surface or secreted proteins. Transcripts from one of these genes, IMP-E3, accumulate rapidly within 1-2 h in response to hormone. Developmentally, IMP-E3 transcripts reach maximum levels during the first stages of metamorphosis (white prepupae, WPP) and are primarily limited to imaginal tissues. Transcripts are also present during embryogenesis (0-3 h and 12-18 h). Two different-sized transcripts (1.2 and 1.4 kb) result from differential polyadenylation, with the larger transcript predominating in WPP. The conceptual IMP-E3 protein contains a signal peptide, an RGD sequence, and a potential glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. We speculate that the protein provides a transient cue important for imaginal disc morphogenesis.
Slow photoelectron velocity-map imaging spectroscopy of cold thiozonide (S3(-)).

We report high-resolution anion photoelectron spectra of thiozonide (S3–) acquired by slow electron velocity-map imaging (SEVI). The ions were cryogenically cooled within an ion trap before photodetachment. We measure an electron affinity of 2.3630(9) eV, resolving discrepancies in previously reported photoelectron spectra that resulted from the presence of vibrational hot bands. The SEVI spectrum shows well-resolved, extended vibrational progressions in the symmetric stretch and bending modes of S3, yielding accurate frequencies for both.
Long-term dynamics of bird use of clearcuts in post-fledging period

ABSTRACT We focus on bird use of clearcuts resulting from even-aged management as part of the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP). The long-term nature of MOFEP allows us to present a 15-year monitoring of bird use of MOFEP clearcuts in July using constant effort mist-netting. This provides insight into the dynamics of forest bird use of clearcuts during the post-fledging period for both early succession and mature forest breeding birds. We operated nets ∼10,080 hrs and captured 4,711 individuals, with 2,718 individuals considered mature forest breeding birds, and 1,993 individuals considered early succession species. There were few birds occupying clearcuts in year 1, immediately after cutting. Mean captures of all species as a group showed a significant curvilinear trend over time with an early peak in year 3 to 4 followed by decline. Mean captures of early succession species showed a significant trend of an early peak in year 3 followed by steady decline. Mature forest breeding species capt...
Modeling liquid crystal elastomers: actuators, pumps, and robots

We model the dynamics of shape evolution of liquid crystal elastomers (LCE) in three dimensions using finite element elastodynamics. The model predicts the macroscopic mechanical response induced by changes in nematic order, e.g. by heating or cooling through the isotropic/nematic transition or, in azo-doped materials, by exposure to light. We model the performance of LCE actuator devices including multicomponent actuators, peristaltic pumps and self-propelled robots. The goal of this work is to build a bridge between basic soft matter theory and practical materials engineering/device design. Supported by NSF-DMR-0605889.
The thigh as a model for free style free flaps

Following a set of principles, free style free flaps may be harvested from any region of the body where a Doppler signal is heard. By using a retrograde dissection technique, the skin vessel is traced through its subfascial course (intramuscular or septocutaneous), until adequate length or vessel size is achieved. If a "free style free flap" is not originally planned, this approach can be usedwhen anatomic variations or unexpected events are encountered. The thigh, a region that is familiar to the surgical team at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, was chosen as the site to begin exploring this style of flap harvest. Nine flaps were harvested as free style free flaps from the thigh and were used successfully for the reconstruction of complex defects.
Layout-aware analog system synthesis based on symbolic layout description and combined block parameter exploration, placement and global routing

This paper presents a new methodology for layout-aware synthesis of analog systems. The methodology combines block parameter exploration, block placement and global interconnect routing while maintaining an accurate perspective on the layout parasitics. An original system representation (called Layout Constraint Graphs - LCG) was developed for synthesis. The paper discusses how block parameter exploration, placement and global routing are expressed in terms of the LCG graph. AC and transient performances of each explored solution are obtained using SPICE simulations. Experiments show the generality of the synthesis methodology by providing results for several applications including filters and converters.
Comparative effects of low-carbohydrate high-protein versus low-fat diets on the kidney

Summary Background and objectives Concerns exist about deleterious renal effects of low-carbohydrate high-protein weight loss diets. This issue was addressed in a secondary analysis of a parallel randomized, controlled long-term trial. Design, setting, participants, and measurements Between 2003 and 2007, 307 obese adults without serious medical illnesses at three United States academic centers were randomly assigned to a low-carbohydrate high-protein or a low-fat weight-loss diet for 24 months. Main outcomes included renal filtration (GFR) indices (serum creatinine, cystatin C, creatinine clearance); 24-hour urinary volume; albumin; calcium excretion; and serum solutes at 3, 12, and 24 months. Results Compared with the low-fat diet, low-carbohydrate high-protein consumption was associated with minor reductions in serum creatinine (relative difference, −4.2%) and cystatin C (−8.4%) at 3 months and relative increases in creatinine clearance at 3 (15.8 ml/min) and 12 (20.8 ml/min) months; serum urea at 3 (14.4%), 12 (9.0%), and 24 (8.2%) months; and 24-hour urinary volume at 12 (438 ml) and 24 (268 ml) months. Urinary calcium excretion increased at 3 (36.1%) and 12 (35.7%) months without changes in bone density or clinical presentations of new kidney stones. Conclusions In healthy obese individuals, a low-carbohydrate high-protein weight-loss diet over 2 years was not associated with noticeably harmful effects on GFR, albuminuria, or fluid and electrolyte balance compared with a low-fat diet. Further follow-up is needed to determine even longer-term effects on kidney function.
The Weapon Systems Management Concept and Electronic Data Processing

This paper is concerned with the lack of significant progress in the application of electronic computers for expanding the scope of systems of information flow. The weapon systems management concept, and more particularly its civilian counterpart the product mission concept, is presented as a possible frame of reference for top management and systems analysts to use in long-range planning. The functions necessary for successful product mission accomplishment are outlined and the role of systems analysts in the performance of these functions is emphasized. The feasibility of long-range planning for systems of information flow without reference to existing applications or hardware is also discussed.
Contraception for Women with Gastrointestinal Disorders

Women with gastrointestinal (GI) disease processes are living longer into their reproductive years and their quality of life is improving. Many of the GI disorders can mimic problems in pregnancy and can be associated with poor perinatal outcomes. Women are encouraged to optimize their GI conditions prior to conception for best perinatal outcome. Planned pregnancy after health optimization and maintenance of appropriate therapies is best for both the mother and her intended family. Unplanned pregnancy during an active disease flare, use of teratogenic medications, or need for multiple procedures for untreated disease can exacerbate problems in pregnancy. Contraception is encouraged while undergoing active treatments to allow for return of safer conditions for family building. Most methods of contraception are safe, effective, and acceptable in GI disease with relatively few potential complications. In addition most treatments for GI disease are compatible with pregnancy.
THE INFLUENCE OF PRESSURE ON BOILING WATER REACTOR DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

Boiling water reactor dynamic behavior is most sensitive to pressure variations at atmospheric pressure due to the strong dependence of saturation temperature on pressure. The two important pressur...
Leadership Intentions of Young Women The Direct and Indirect Effects of Social Potency

The underrepresentation of women in leadership positions is a nagging problem in American society. Young women’s leadership intentions drive them to assume leadership opportunities despite barriers. The role of one particular personality trait most identified with leadership, namely, social potency, was examined in directly and indirectly predicting leadership intentions. 124 female college students were sampled. As hypothesized, social potency directly predicted leadership self-efficacy, leadership interest, and one of the two indicators of leadership intentions. Moreover, social potency indirectly predicted leadership intentions through leadership self-efficacy. A bootstrap procedure yielded significant indirect effects of social potency on leadership self-efficacy, leadership interest, and leadership intentions.
Multimodal cancer care in poor prognosis cancers: Resection drives long-term outcomes.

Background and Objectives Hospitals with high complex oncologic surgical volume have improved short-term outcomes. However, for long-term outcomes, the influence of other therapies must be considered. We compared effects of resection with other therapies on long-term outcomes across U.S. hospitals. Methods We examined claims in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare dataset for patients with esophageal (EC) and pancreatic (PC) cancers between 2005–2009, with follow-up through 2011, performing multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses. We stratified hospitals by volume and compared rates of treatments in the context of survival. Results We studied 905 EC and 3,293 PC patients at 138 and 375 hospitals, respectively. For EC, resection rates were significantly higher (32.9% vs. 9.5%, P < 0.001) in the highest versus lowest volume hospitals. Adjusted survival was also statistically significantly better (48.5% vs. 43.1%, P < 0.001). For PC, resection rates were also statistically significantly higher (30.1% vs. 12.0%, P < 0.001) with higher adjusted survival (21.5% vs. 19.9%, P = 0.01). We did not find variation in rates of other cancer treatments across hospitals. Conclusions A significant association exists between long-term survival and rates of cancer-directed surgery across hospitals, without variation in rates of other therapies. Access to resection appears to be key to reducing variation in long-term survival. J. Surg. Oncol. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Current trends in immunosuppressive therapies for renal transplant recipients

Purpose Current trends in immunosuppressive therapies for renal transplant recipients are reviewed. Summary The common premise for immunosuppressive therapies in renal transplantation is to use multiple agents to work on different immunologic targets. The use of a multidrug regimen allows for pharmacologic activity at several key steps in the T-cell replication process and lower dosages of each individual agent, thereby producing fewer drug-related toxicities. In general, there are three stages of clinical immunosuppression: induction therapy, maintenance therapy, and treatment of an established acute rejection episode. Only immunosuppressive therapies used for maintenance therapy are discussed in detail in this review. The most common maintenance immunosuppressive agents can be divided into five classes: (1) the calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) (cyclosporine and tacrolimus), (2) costimulation blockers (belatacept), (3) mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (sirolimus and everolimus), (4) antiproliferatives (azathioprine and mycophenolic acid derivatives), and (5) corticosteroids. Immunosuppressive regimens vary among transplantation centers but most often include a CNI and an adjuvant agent, with or without corticosteroids. Selection of appropriate immunosuppressive regimens should be patient specific, taking into account the medications9 pharmacologic properties, adverse-event profile, and potential drug–drug interactions, as well as the patient9s preexisting diseases, risk of rejection, and medication regimen. Conclusion Advancements in transplant immunosuppression have resulted in a significant reduction in acute cellular rejection and a modest increase in long-term patient and graft survival. Because the optimal immunosuppression regimen is still unknown, immunosuppressant use should be influenced by institutional preference and tailored to the immunologic risk of the patient and adverse-effect profile of the drug.
Leveraging Commercial Satellite Constellation Production to Reduce Mission Cost: Advantages and Challenges

As space budget pressures increase, a clear option to reducing mission cost is to evaluate the utility of commercial spacecraft designs and production lines to produce satellites for functions other than their primary purpose. Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) is currently producing eighteen (18) 150-kg class spacecraft for the second generation ORBCOMM (OG2) constellation with launch dates in 2013 and 2014. Since this contract was initiated, we have evaluated the utility of the bus and production line for a variety of alternate missions defense, civil, commercial, and international and were selected to build three spacecraft for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) F6 mission to evaluate the use of fractionated space architectures. Use of production spacecraft also has potential to support disaggregated approaches to ‘big space’ missions. Clear advantages of using an on-going production capability include retirement of non-recurring design and test costs, economies of scale in vendor purchases, reuse of existing production process and procedures, and highly efficient labor utilization. Challenges include minimizing the impact of missionunique requirements on the production design and flow; such changes inevitably require updated test plans, procedures, success criteria, and unique data review, and may interrupt production schedules, all of which drive additional cost.
Clinical research on cefprozil combined with Yupingfeng San in treatment of acute bacterial sinusitis

OBJECTIVE To study the curative effect of Yupinfeng San combined with cefprozil on treatment of acute bacterial sinusitis and observe the improvement of symptoms and physical signs so as to evaluate its clinical effectiveness. METHODS A total of 200cases of patients who met the diagnostic criteria from Jan 2010to Jan 2013were enrolled in the study and randomly divided into the treatment group and the control group,with 100cases in each,then the observation group was given the oral medication of Yupingfeng San combined with cefprozil;the control group was only given cefprozil.Both groups were withdrawn 7days after the treatment,the clinical symptoms,improvement of typical signs,and starting time of improvement were recorded,the cure rate and the effective rate were statistically analyzed with the use of SPSS16.0software,the t-test was performed for the measurement data,and the chisquare test was carried out for the count data.RESULTS The improvement of nasal congestion(χ2=3.18,P= 0.01),runny nose(χ2=3.23,P= 0.01),sticky secretions on the nasal passages(χ2=3.23,P=3.23),and swelling of the nasal mucosa hypertrophy(χ2=3.05,P=0.02)of the observation group were better than those of the control group;the time cost for improvement of nasal obstruction(t= 1.78,P=0.03),runny nose(t= 1.26,P=1.26),headache(t=1.68,P=1.68),cough(t=1.84,P=0.02),and other symptoms of the observation group were shorter than those of the control group;the cure rate was 75.0%in the observation group,53.0%in the control group,the total effective rate was 98.0%in the observation group,83.0%in the control group,both the cure rate and the total effective rate were significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group(χ2=8.67,P0.01;χ2=7.34,P0.01).CONCLUSIONThe Yupingfeng San combined with cefprozilis is superior to single cefprozil in the improvement of symptotic signs and time,Yupingfeng San combined with cefprozilis may achieve better curative effect on treatment of acute bacterial sinusitis,it is worthy to be promoted.
Arthroscopic Suprapectoral and Open Subpectoral Biceps Tenodesis: Radiographic Characteristics.

Purpose To provide a detailed account of the location of the long head of the biceps (LHB) tenodesis tunnels using an all-arthroscopic suprapectoral technique in a prospective group of patients. These patients were then compared with a retrospective group of open subpectoral tenodesis patients of similar characteristics. Methods Postoperative radiographs from a prospective group of all-arthroscopic suprapectoral LHB tenodeses were compared with a retrospective group of open subpectoral tenodeses. Digital anteroposterior images were used to measure distances from clinically pertinent radiographic landmarks to tenodesis tunnel sites. Results Forty patients (20 all-arthroscopic, 20 open) met the inclusion criteria. The inferior border of the bicipital groove was located a mean distance of 33.7 ± 6.9 mm from the top of the humeral head. The mean distance measured in the open group was approximately 28 mm ( P P Conclusions The location of biceps tenodesis significantly differs between all-arthroscopic suprapectoral and open subpectoral techniques, and the open subpectoral method achieves fixation in a significantly narrower region of the humerus. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Duration of oral tetracycline-class antibiotic therapy and use of topical retinoids for the treatment of acne among general practitioners (GP): A retrospective cohort study

Background Guidelines recommend limiting the duration of oral antibiotic therapy in acne to 3 to 6 months and prescribing concomitant topical retinoids for all patients. Objective We sought to evaluate the duration of therapy with oral tetracyclines and the use of topical retinoids among patients with acne treated primarily by general practitioners in the United Kingdom. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Health Improvement Network database. Results The mean duration of therapy was 175.1 days. Of antibiotic courses, 62% were not associated with a topical retinoid; 29% exceeded 6 months in duration. If all regions were to achieve uses similar to the region with the shortest mean duration of therapy, approximately 3.3 million antibiotic days per year could be avoided in the United Kingdom. Limitations The Health Improvement Network does not include information on acne severity and clinical outcomes. Conclusions Prescribing behavior for oral antibiotics in the treatment of acne among general practitioners is not aligned with current guideline recommendations. Increasing the use of topical retinoids and considering alternative agents to oral antibiotics when appropriate represent opportunities to reduce antibiotic exposure and associated complications such as antibiotic resistance and to improve outcomes in patients treated for acne.
Crystal Morphology and Growth in Annealed Rubrene Thin Films

While controlled crystallization of organic thin films holds great potential for enhancing the performance of electronic devices, quantitative understanding of the processes involved is limited. Here, we characterize the thin film crystal growth of the organic semiconductor rubrene during annealing using polarized optical microscopy with a heated stage for in situ measurements, followed by atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction. During annealing, the film undergoes transitions from predominant growth of a polycrystalline triclinic crystal structure to single crystal orthorhombic, followed by polycrystalline growth of the orthorhombic polymorph. Observation of crystal morphology with time allows determination of the crystal orientation, which is used in conjunction with crystal size measurements to determine the crystallization activation energies for the observed growth phases and crystal planes.
Alternative Approaches for Transient-Flow Laboratory-Scale Permeametry

Although pressure-pulse-decay permeametry has been in wide use for the past 50 years, its standard configuration and design have remained largely intact. To date, almost all implementations of this approach involve the analysis of a pressure response, in either an upstream or downstream reservoir or both, to a disturbance applied to one of the planar faces of a cylindrical sample, which induces a unidirectional flow along its axial coordinate. For characterizing ultra-low permeability materials like shales or caprocks, where this methodology often becomes problematic, many have turned to unsteady-state analyses on crushed particles. A paucity of models exists in the public literature for the latter scenario, most of which are analytical approximations of very simple cases. This study addresses both issues by proposing analytical flow models for alternative experimental schemes. First, new unidimensional flow scenarios are considered as substitutes for the classical pulse-decay techniques for core plugs. These models involve flow along the axial and radial directions of cylindrical core samples, which are shown to decrease testing times by a factor of 7.5 and 17.5, respectively, as compared to conventional pressure-pulse-decay strategies. Monte Carlo analyses are performed on these approaches, which demonstrate comparable accuracy and reliability to the conventional unidirectional strategy under realistic experimental conditions. Second, a model is presented that relaxes a key simplifying assumption inherent to publicly available models for crushed media, namely that the entire collection of particles is of uniform size. Rather, an analytical model for a discrete distribution of sizes is presented that more accurately represents the broad range of particle sizes that are typically seen in crushed materials.
Meaningful Use in Chronic Care Improved Diabetes Outcomes Using a Primary Care Extension Center Model

Background The effect of practice facilitation that provides onsite quality improvement (QI) and electronic health record (EHR) coaching on chronic care outcomes is unclear. This study evaluates the effectiveness of such a program-similar to an agricultural extension center model-that provides these services. Methods Through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers program became the Regional Extension Center for Health Information Technology (REC) for North Carolina. The REC program provides onsite technical assistance to help small primary care practices achieve meaningful use of certified EHRs. While pursuing meaningful use functionality, practices were also offered complementary onsite advice regarding QI issues. We followed the first 50 primary care practices that utilized both EHR and QI advice targeting diabetes care. Results The achievement of meaningful use of certified EHRs and performance of QI with onsite practice facilitation showed an absolute improvement of 19% in the proportion of patients who achieved excellent diabetes control (hemoglobin A1c 9%) fell steeply in these practices. Limitations No control group was available for comparison. Conclusion Practice facilitation that provided EHR and QI coaching support showed important improvements in diabetes outcomes in practices that achieved meaningful use of their EHR systems. This approach holds promise as a way to help small primary care practices achieve excellent patient outcomes.
"Why Would Such a Person Dream about Heaven?" Family, Faith, and Happiness in Arranged Marriages in India

This study explores the why and how of high rates of marital satisfaction among arranged marriage spouses of Hindu faith in Jaipur, India. The construct family and religious involvement is proposed...
NGO interpretation of participatory communication for rural Cambodia: what is lost in ‘translation’?

Although the participatory communication is widely embraced by development agencies, few published studies critically examine how local NGOs interpret and implement the approach at the village leve...
Structure of thin epitaxial oxide films and their surfaces

Metal oxides possess many properties that make them unique and potentially important for a range of technologies. No other class of materials exhibits such a wide range of behavior: band gaps spanning the visible and UV; electronic properties ranging from superconducting to metallic to semiconducting to insulating; magnetic properties ranging from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic; and dielectric properties ranging from low-k to ferroelectric and piezoelectric. The next century will require new materials systems encompassing these properties, often in artificially-structured combinations, and fabricated with a high degree of control. For example, it is clear that UV-based optoelectronics, magnetic tunnel junction and ferroelectric nonvolatile memory, spin quantum devices, and highly effective photocatalytic materials will be of great importance in information, medical, and environmental applications. Metal oxides and their associated surfaces will play important roles in many of these functions. The rich chemical, electronic, optical, and magnetic behavior of metal oxides, along with superior thermal stability, uniquely suit these materials for a number of applications. The richness in properties of metal oxides is derived from the inherent chemical and physical complexities of these materials. These complexities include multiple valences, complex phase diagrams, and vastly different properties among isostructural oxides.
Cytosolic sensing of immuno-stimulatory DNA, the enemy within.

In the cytoplasm, DNA is sensed as a universal danger signal by the innate immune system. Cyclic GMP–AMP synthase (cGAS) is a cytosolic DNA sensor/enzyme that catalyzes formation of 2′–5′-cGAMP, an atypical cyclic di-nucleotide second messenger that binds and activates the Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING), resulting in recruitment of Tank Binding Kinase 1 (TBK1), activation of the transcription factor Interferon Regulatory Factor 3 (IRF3), and trans-activation of innate immune response genes, including type I Interferon cytokines (IFN-I). Activation of the pro-inflammatory cGAS–STING–IRF3 response is triggered by direct recognition of the DNA genomes of bacteria and viruses, but also during RNA virus infection, neoplastic transformation, tumor immunotherapy and systemic auto-inflammatory diseases. In these circumstances, the source of immuno-stimulatory DNA has often represented a fundamental yet poorly understood aspect of the response. This review focuses on recent findings related to cGAS activation by an array of self-derived DNA substrates, including endogenous retroviral elements, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and micronuclei generated as a result of genotoxic stress and DNA damage. These findings emphasize the role of the cGAS axis as a cell-intrinsic innate immune response to a wide variety of genomic insults.
Consensus on a sphere for a 3-dimensional speeding up and slowing down strategy

We extend the Speeding Up and Slowing Down (SUSD) strategy for distributed source seeking from a three agent group to a swarm of any number of agents without communicating frame coordinates or gradient estimates among agents. We integrate a nonlinear time varying consensus-on-a-sphere control law with the SUSD strategy in a leader-follower frame-work, which is inspired by source seeking behavior of certain fish species. We provide Lyapunov-based convergence analysis for the leader-follower SUSD strategy integrated with the consensus law. We demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method through simulated source seeking behavior in three dimensional scalar fields.
From Opt Out to Blocked Out: The Challenges for Labor Market Re-entry after Family-Related Employment Lapses:

In today’s labor market, the majority of individuals experience a lapse in employment at some point in their careers, most commonly due to unemployment from job loss or leaving work to care for fam...
Step count accuracy of StepWatch and FitBit One™ among individuals with a unilateral transtibial amputation.

Background:Step counts, obtained via activity monitors, provide insight into activity level in the free-living environment. Accuracy assessments of activity monitors are limited among individuals with lower-limb amputations.Objectives:(1) To evaluate the step count accuracy of both monitors during forward-linear and complex walking and (2) compare monitor step counts in the free-living environment.Study design:Cross-sectional study.Methods:Adult prosthetic users with a unilateral transtibial amputation were equipped with StepWatch and FitBit One™. Participants completed an in-clinic evaluation to evaluate each monitor’s step count accuracy during forward linear and complex walking followed by a 7-day step count evaluation in the free-living environment.Results:Both monitors showed excellent accuracy during forward, linear walking (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.97–0.99, 95% confidence interval = 0.93–0.99; percentage error = 4.3%–6.2%). During complex walking, percentage errors were higher (13.0%...
Establishing the Administrative Structure and Support for a Healthcare Transition Program

The goal of this chapter is to demonstrate key steps in the establishment of administrative structure and support to successfully develop a healthcare transition program across the variety of possible models. The intent is not to create a one-size-fits-all program but rather to consider the methodology of program development in a systematic way. The chapter will discuss a systematic approach to the development and support of a transition program utilizing an implementation science and logic model framework. Specific components of the six stages of implementation science (exploration and adoption, installation, initial implementation, full operation, innovation, and sustainability) are described as they relate to establishing structure and support for a transition program. Key inputs, resources, activities, output, outcomes, or impact/aims to consider at each stage of implementation are presented. Several examples of logic models are provided to explain application of the logic model framework in development of an administrative structure and support for a transition program.
Audit workplace simulations as a methodology to increase undergraduates’ awareness of competences

This paper describes an audit workplace simulation and investigates its effects on students’ perceptions of competences, required as important in the auditing industry. Within the competence-based ...
CHAPTER VII – ADVANCED APPROACHES

This chapter considers the effects upon the solar cell operation of changes in junction temperature and the use of concentrated sunlight. The power density in natural sunlight is very low and hence, any sizeable energy requirement implies a large area of solar cells. By utilizing relatively inexpensive mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight upon expensive solar cells, the cost can be reduced significantly. It is, generally, less expensive to fabricate mirrors and/or lenses, which can then be used to collect sunlight over a large area and to focus this light on a relatively small area of semiconducting solar cells. The large amounts of expensive solar cells can be replaced with inexpensive lenses (or mirrors), but the intense, focused sunlight which illuminates the solar cells tends to saturate a number of solar cell loss mechanisms and hence, improve overall solar cell efficiency. Another reason for the use of concentrated sunlight arises from the availability of thermal as well electrical energy from the solar power system. Though the efficiency of the solar cells increases, a significant fraction of the solar energy is still converted to heat in the semiconductor. This undesirable because increased solar cell temperature results in reduced efficiency in converting solar energy to electrical energy. Therefore, this heat must be removed from the solar cells and if the energy density is sufficient, then the thermal energy removed from the solar cells while cooling them can be used to heat water, or living spaces, or for some industrial purpose. The chapter also examines the limits imposed on optical concentration levels by the solar cells and shows that improved solar cell performance is possible using the six example single crystal semiconductors.
Substrate priming enhances phosphorylation by the budding yeast kinases Kin1 and Kin2

Multisite phosphorylation of proteins is a common mechanism for signal integration and amplification in eukaryotic signaling networks. Proteins are commonly phosphorylated at multiple sites in an ordered manner, whereby phosphorylation by one kinase primes the substrate by generating a recognition motif for a second kinase. Here we show that substrate priming promotes phosphorylation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae Kin1 and Kin2, kinases that regulate cell polarity, exocytosis, and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response. Kin1/Kin2 phosphorylated substrates within the context of a sequence motif distinct from those of their most closely related kinases. In particular, the rate of phosphorylation of a peptide substrate by Kin1/Kin2 increased >30-fold with incorporation of a phosphoserine residue two residues downstream of the phosphorylation site. Recognition of phosphorylated substrates by Kin1/Kin2 was mediated by a patch of basic residues located in the region of the kinase αC helix. We identified a set of candidate Kin1/Kin2 substrates reported to be dually phosphorylated at sites conforming to the Kin1/Kin2 consensus sequence. One of these proteins, the t-SNARE protein Sec9, was confirmed to be a Kin1/Kin2 substrate both in vitro and in vivo. Sec9 phosphorylation by Kin1 in vitro was enhanced by prior phosphorylation at the +2 position. Recognition of primed substrates was not required for the ability of Kin2 to suppress the growth defect of secretory pathway mutants but was necessary for optimal growth under conditions of ER stress. These results suggest that at least some endogenous protein substrates of Kin1/Kin2 are phosphorylated in a priming-dependent manner.
A METAPHORICAL THEORY OF MEANING

Languages combine form and meaning in order to express an infinite number of ideas. Modern linguistics has developed sophisticated methods to probe the formal structure of languages from phonetics to syntax, but the study of meaning remains relatively unexplored. The lack of sophisticated methods to document the semantic structure of languages remains a significant problem for work with endangered languages. Research in semantics is limited by semantic theories that can be traced back to Plato and Aristotle. These theories assume that languages use a universal set of semantic elements to construct meaning. The classical theories cannot account for semantic change and an explanation of metaphor is completely beyond the scope of such theories. In this paper I propose a theory of semantics that puts metaphor at the center of semantics. Rather than create an artificial dichotomy between figurative and non-figurative language, the metaphorical approach to semantics assumes that all languages are figurative. This approach assumes that a basic sentence as “The cat is on the mat” combines figurative language with pragmatic information to communicate a basic proposition. This approach differs from that of Lakoff (1993) in that its focus is on metaphoric mapping within cognitive domains rather than between domains. The trick in metaphorical semantics is to learn how to detect the metaphors used in basic linguistic expressions and to construct a theory of semantics based on metaphor.
The Peaceful Coexistence of Ethics and Quantitative Research

This essay concerns the extent to which quantitative research (QR) in management and organizational studies is divorced from ethics, as alleged in a recent JBE editorial by Zyphur and Pierides (2017). After carefully examining the criticisms set forth by Zyphur and Pierides and the merits of the alternative they propose, I conclude that the problems with QR and the researchers who conduct it are arguably much less extreme that Zyphur and Pierides claim. This conclusion is informed by a sampling of QR studies recently published in management journals, which could be further corroborated by a more thorough review and evaluation of QR studies using principles drawn from the ethics literature. I believe this assessment would indicate that, despite room for improvement, QR and ethics can and do peacefully coexist, and quantitative researchers are largely aware of the problems and opportunities associated with integrating their work with ethics.
Automatic Inference of Road and Pedestrian Networks From Spatial-Temporal Trajectories

Mining GPS traces is proposed, as an alternative to surveying and satellite image processing, for constructing road and pedestrian networks, trading out the constructed network’s perfectness for substantially reduced cost and time. To construct a road or pedestrian network, the proposed algorithm requires only GPS traces, which can be collected with low or no cost using crowd-sourced repositories such as open street map. Network construction algorithms in the literature, mostly do not provide enough details about different steps of constructing a network. Besides, their evaluations are mostly visual, qualitative, and limited to one dataset. This paper not only describes all the steps involved in constructing a network but also quantitatively evaluates the algorithm (via three metrics: precision, completeness, and topology correctness) using numerous datasets from different sources and discusses its time complexity. The proposed algorithm’s distinguishing strengths can be summarized as: 1) fixing the constructed network’s topological errors while many existing algorithms overlook the constructed network’s topological integrity; 2) imposing no restrictions on the shape of GPS traces while many existing algorithms include such implicit or explicit constraints, e.g. GPS traces cannot include U turns; 3) being fully automatic and involving no subjective judgments or human interventions for filtering GPS points unlike many existing algorithms; and 4) achieving high accuracies in practice. The proposed algorithm includes six hyperparameters, all related to GPS traces’ geometrical traits and optimized during evaluation.
How structural brain network topologies associate with cognitive abilities in a value-based decision-making task

Value-based decision-making relies on effective communication across disparate brain networks. Given the scale of the networks involved in adaptive decision-making, variability in how they communicate should impact behavior; however, precisely how the topological pattern of structural connectivity of individual brain networks influences individual differences in value-based decision-making remains unclear. Using diffusion MRI, we measured structural connectivity networks in a sample of community dwelling adults (N=124). We used standard graph theoretic measures to characterize the topology of the networks in each individual and correlated individual differences in these topology measures with differences in the Iowa Gambling Task. A principal components regression approach revealed that individual differences in brain network topology associate with differences in optimal decision-making, as well as associate with differences in each participant9s sensitivity to high frequency rewards. These findings show that aspects of structural brain network organization can constrain how information is used in value-based decision-making.