cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prosthetic Coxofemoral Joint Replacement in the Goose (Anser Sp.): II. Histologic and Mechanical Interface Evaluations

The interfacial tissue-implant healing reactions have been investigated in the goose to evaluate its suitability as an animal model for joint replacement implant studies. After various implantation periods, geese with one coxofemoral replacement hemiarthroplasty were evaluated for their gait performance and then sacrificed. The implantation sites and femora with implants were subjected to histologic studies, and the interfacial shear strength between the bone and implant was measured. The results were compared with findings reported in the literature on dog and man. Direct bone apposition was found in two geese with a firmly fixed implant. A connective tissue capsule surrounded those seven implant stems that were found to sit loosely in the femoral canal. Whereas the histologic findings were comparable to findings in dog and man, the interfacial shear stress was somewhat lower in the goose. Because of the histopathologically comparable findings of interfacial healing, the goose appears to present a suitable model to study bone implant tissue reactions. Further studies are necessary to determine seasonal-, age-, and sex-related bone tissue differences in the goose.
Septicemic salmonellosis in two cats fed a raw-meat diet

Salmonella gastroenteritis and septicemia were diagnosed in two cats presented for necropsy. Both cats resided in the same household and were fed a home-prepared, raw meat-based diet. Salmonella was isolated from multiple organs in both cats and from samples of raw beef incorporated into the diet fed to one of the cats. Subtyping of the bacterial isolates yielded Salmonella newport from one cat and from the diet it had been fed. This report provides evidence that the practice of feeding raw meat-based diets to domestic cats may result in clinical salmonellosis.
Laser History and Theory

Historically, the development of the laser concept should be considered as the natural progression of the research studies conducted in the early 1950’s involving microwave amplifiers. That the lasers derive their basis from maser theory is reflected by the fact that they were for sometime commonly referred to as “optical masers.” The word “laser” is an acronym for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation,” and describes the emission process by which this intense beam of electromagnetic radiation is generated.
Stable individual immune response gene expression signatures in peripheral human CD4 cells foreshadow response to stimulation (HUM7P.324)

The complexity of molecular networks regulating the immune response presents challenges to measuring immune response potential in human populations. We measured gene expression in CD4+ peripheral blood cells from healthy subjects using RNAseq. RNA expression was assessed twice, one month apart to identify the subset of genes expressed stably within individuals over time yet discriminating individuals in a cohort. This immune response signature gene set then was used to identify and successfully order the immune response phenotypes of independent, unrelated subjects. Following a brief 4 hr stimulation of freshly isolated cells with anti-CD3/C28 antibody-coated beads, changes in gene expression were measured using a similar approach, defining individual response profiles and clustering response patterns. Examination of the RNA expression signatures of unstimulated CD4 cells revealed a gene subset which when analyzed for gene expression levels correctly aligned independent test subjects into the defined response-phenotype clusters following stimulation. Therefore, there exists a subset of genes stably expressed over time in circulating CD4+ cells which discriminate among individuals in a manner associated with immune response potential. Thus a systems approach can be used to describe the complex immune phenotypes of individuals in ways that might be useful in determining how individuals will respond to complex stimuli or in disease and treatment settings.
Parliamentary System, Trade Openness, and Exchange Rate Volatility (1975 ~ 2004)

Despite the intuition from the traditional literature on political institution, the relationship between forms of government and exchange rate volatility has been left out as a relatively unexplored terrain in political economy literature. Given this lacuna, this paper proposes an empirical model where forms of government exert a significant influence on exchange rate volatility. Specifically, I suggest that exchange rates of parliamentary systems differ significantly from those of other forms of government when the conditional effect of the salience of exchange rate policy (measured by trade openness) is taken into account. Due to the distributional effect of exchange rate policies, parliamentary systems outperform other forms of government in maintaining stable exchange rate when the size of trade sector is significantly large. On the contrary, forms of government do not make any significant difference when the export sector is substantially small. Using two distinctly different dependent variables, namely, continuous measure of exchange rate volatility and categorical measure of the types of exchange rate regime, on the panel data of 54 countries from 1975 to 2004, I find this hypothesis is robustly supported.
Multi-agent control with multi-resolution sensing over networks: a semidefinite programming approach

This semi-plenary is about the systematic design of networked multi-agent systems at fast time scales, and finds its basis in mathematically grounded questions about collaboration and control in such dynamical systems. It is inspired from a practical perspective by recent advances in sensing, computing and networking hardware that make reconfigurable multi-agent systems both technologically and economically feasible on a widespread scale. Examples of such systems include satellite formations, consumer robotics, and more generally networked subsystems of mobile sensors and actuators that cooperate to achieve some aggregate functionality. There are many shared design challenges associated with these types of systems, and the talk will focus on three specific connected issues: distributed control over graphs; tools for switched hybrid dynamics; and network latency and multiresolution sensing for control. The technical setting for the talk is the framework of convex optimization, and the results presented lead directly to implementable analysis and design algorithms via semidefinite programs (SDPs). A portion of the presentation will involve describing the experimental multi-vehicle testbed, HoTDeC, which consists of wirelessly linked miniature hovercraft and wheeled robots capable of onboard multi-modal sensing, and interaction with the Internet and a vision-based sensor network.
Bio-based Polyurethane Foam Made from Compatible Blends of Vegetable-Oil-based Polyol and Petroleum-based Polyol

The Hansen solubility parameters of a soy-castor oil-based polyol and a petroleum-based polyol are investigated to evaluate their miscibility for polyurethane blends. The two polyols were found to be miscible at different ratios over a temperature range from 25 to 90 °C. Blends with different ratios of these two polyols were used to prepare polyurethane foams. With increasing levels of bio-based polyol content, the density of the open cell foams increased. The thermal stability of the polyurethane foams improved, and their thermal conductivity increased, with increasing bio-content, while the foam’s compression strength decreased. This study provides a method to evaluate polyol blends for the preparation of polymeric materials that balances economic and environmental considerations.
Direct continuous measurement of draining vein pressure during Onyx embolization in a swine arteriovenous malformation model.

Objective Periprocedural intracranial hemorrhage secondary to intranidal flow redirection may develop after arteriovenous malformation (AVM) embolization. We hypothesized that continuous draining vein pressure monitoring may identify clinically relevant hemodynamic changes during devascularization. Our goal was to characterize the draining vein pressures in a swine rete mirabile AVM model during embolization with Onyx. Methods An acute swine AVM model was constructed in six animals. Baseline, transoperative and final AVM area measurements were used to determine the degree of AVM embolization. Continuous video recordings were captured at 10 s intervals of active embolization. Draining vein pressure, arterial feeder pressure and heart rate were continuously monitored. Results The baseline and post-embolization mean draining vein pressures were 49.8±17.2 and 33.0±11.7 mm Hg (p=0.01), mean arterial pressures were 79.8±19.4 and 79.6±25.2 mm Hg (p=0.94), mean transnidal pressures were 35.8±19.7 and 45.4±33.7 mm Hg (p=0.37) and mean heart rates were 81.1±11.9 and 83.1±12.8 bpm (p=0.38), respectively. The draining vein pressure was averaged according to the degree of AVM embolization and represented as a relative change compared with the baseline draining vein pressure, and the slopes were found to decrease in all cases (p=0.02). In half of the animals the draining vein pressure decreased progressively as the AVM was embolized. In the remaining animals the venous pressure only started to decline after the AVM had been devascularized by > 50%. Conclusions The draining vein pressure response during Onyx embolization in the swine AVM model is heterogeneous. Continuous draining vein pressure monitoring is feasible and may potentially identify clinically relevant hemodynamic changes during AVM embolization.
Electronic Polarization Effects upon Charge Injection in Oligoacene Molecular Crystals: Description via a Polarizable Force Field

Understanding the nature and magnitude of the electronic polarization due to the presence of a charge carrier in organic molecular solids is of fundamental importance in the description of charge-carrier transport. We present an approach to study these effects based on a polarizable force field that accounts for charge, dipole, quadrupole, and induced-dipole interactions. To demonstrate its general applicability, the method is applied to the oligoacene crystal series (naphthalene through pentacene) and perfluorinated derivatives of naphthalene and pentacene. Very good qualitative agreement with experimental results is achieved in terms of both the magnitude and asymmetry of the polarization as a function of the sign of the injected charge, with improved quantitative agreement versus previous theoretical assessments.
Old Kaspar: Pictorial Pacifism in the Napoleonic Period

William Mulready (1786–1863) established his reputation in early nineteenth-century England with charming scenes of everyday life. One of the earliest of these, Old Kaspar, R.A. 1807, has only recently reappeared. A close investigation of the subject discloses that this apparently simple family scene is anything but simple. In fact, Old Kaspar presented a sophisticated antiwar theme to the English public in the midst of the Napoleonic wars. Calling upon Robert Southey's poetry, William Godwin's radical libertarian philosophy, recent British history, and the contemporary antiwar political sensibility of the Whigs, Mulready conveyed a poignant pacifist message through this small genre painting.
Zinc Content of Human Platelets

SummaryThe zinc, content of serum was consistently higher than the zinc concentration in plasma by an average of 16%. Because platelets are largely disintegrated in the clotting process, zinc was determined in platelets concentrated from 10 individuals and was present in a significant amount. It was demonstrated that 39% of the increased concentration of zinc in serum can be attributed to a slightly greater dilution in plasma, 44% being derived from platelets and 4.0% from hemolysis. This is the first known report demonstrating zinc in platelets.
A review of Theatre for Youth Third Space: Performance, Democracy, and Community Cultural Development, by Stephani Etheridge Woodson

If Theatre for Youth third space is a new building, Stephani Etheridge Woodson has built the foundation and provided the blueprints for this field connecting Theatre for Youth and Community Cultura...
It Is Cold. And Lonely.

The next generation of software-intensive systems will be taught instead of programmed. This poses considerable pragmatic challenges in how we develop, deliver, and evolve them. The Web extra at https://youtu.be/_tAxyi5Cma0 is an audio podcast of author Grady Booch reading his column.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma : A key regulator of adipogenesis and systemic insulin sensitivity

The adipose cell is now known to play a complex role in energy homeostasis, storing energy and signaling to other tissues concerning the state of energy balance. The past several years have seen an explosive increase in our knowledge of the transcriptional basis of adipocyte differentiation. This review describes the role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma in this process, and describes how other transcription factors may affect adipogenesis by modulating PPARgamma amount or activity. Furthermore, PPARgamma and other adipogenic transcription factors provide a focus for beginning to understand how various hormones and metabolites influence the development of this tissue in vivo.
Methods for Studying Irrationality in Organizations, Institutions, and Social Movements: Overview and a Case Study: Urban Design

In this chapter I will explain some research methods that I believe will be helpful to readers who wish to do research on irrational elements in organizations, institutions, and social movements. These methods include elite and specialized interviewing; use of informants; field work; participation in the social role; participant observation; field experimentation; analysis of the logical sequence; stratified sampling; content analysis; legal research; and in-milieu studies.
Single thyroid tumour showing multiple differentiated morphological patterns and intramorphological molecular genetic heterogeneity

Aims A 49-year-old man presented with a single thyroid tumour that showed a combination of conventional papillary carcinoma, follicular variant of papillary carcinoma, clear cell papillary carcinoma, columnar cell carcinoma and poorly differentiated carcinoma. As all of the morphologies have been associated with papillary carcinoma in the literature, we wished to determine if they contained identical or different molecular abnormalities. Methods Targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) of each morphological component and metastases was performed. Results NGS revealed a BRAF p.K601E mutation in both the clear cell papillary carcinoma and poorly differentiated carcinoma and a KRAS p.G12R mutation in the papillary carcinoma, follicular variant. Two different areas of columnar cell variant were tested, with one showing a KRAS p.G12D mutation but no mutation in the other area . A KRAS p.G12R mutation was seen in the metastatic clear cell variant. Two different lymph nodes had metastatic columnar cell carcinoma, one negative for mutations but the other with a compound KRAS p.G12R and KRAS p.G12V mutation on different alleles. No mutations including BRAF and KRAS were seen in the conventional papillary carcinoma. Conclusions Although all of the morphological patterns in this tumour have been reported as having aetiological or other association with one another, there was only partial concordance with their molecular signatures. There was significant molecular discordance, however, even with identical morphologies.
Spatiotemporal Bundle Adjustment for Dynamic 3D Reconstruction

Bundle adjustment jointly optimizes camera intrinsics and extrinsics and 3D point triangulation to reconstruct a static scene. The triangulation constraint however is invalid for moving points captured in multiple unsynchronized videos and bundle adjustment is not purposed to estimate the temporal alignment between cameras. In this paper, we present a spatiotemporal bundle adjustment approach that jointly optimizes four coupled sub-problems: estimating camera intrinsics and extrinsics, triangulating 3D static points, as well as subframe temporal alignment between cameras and estimating 3D trajectories of dynamic points. Key to our joint optimization is the careful integration of physics-based motion priors within the reconstruction pipeline, validated on a large motion capture corpus. We present an end-to-end pipeline that takes multiple uncalibrated and unsynchronized video streams and produces a dynamic reconstruction of the event. Because the videos are aligned with sub-frame precision, we reconstruct 3D trajectories of unconstrained outdoor activities at much higher temporal resolution than the input videos.
After the Split: Partition, Successor States, and the Dynamics of War in the Horn of Africa

ABSTRACTWhy do partitioned successor states engage one another in armed conflict? We explore the drivers of war between successor states by comparing two border crises that followed the partitions of Ethiopia (1993) and Sudan (2011). We argue that the politico-military struggles that give way to partition create important historical memories that shape what successor states think about the utility of military force. While the partition of Ethiopia yielded successor states led by regimes that were victors of the preceding war of partition, the war of partition in Sudan produced successor states that emerged out of military stalemate. This distinction explains why Ethiopia and Eritrea waged a costly border war that Sudan and South Sudan were able to avoid.
Carbon Sinks and Sources

Developing realistic options for reducing CO 2 in the atmosphere requires an understanding of the Earth's carbon cycle (Figure 19.1). The carbon cycle is composed of natural sinks and sources of carbon, which can be manipulated to favor removal of CO 2 from the atmosphere, or may be perturbed by human greenhouse gas emissions or attempts to sequester carbon to reduce atmospheric CO 2 .
Reversion of Cold-Adapted Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine into a Pathogenic Virus

ABSTRACT The only licensed live attenuated influenza A virus vaccines (LAIVs) in the United States (FluMist) are created using internal protein-coding gene segments from the cold-adapted temperature-sensitive master donor virus A/Ann Arbor/6/1960 and HA/NA gene segments from circulating viruses. During serial passage of A/Ann Arbor/6/1960 at low temperatures to select the desired attenuating phenotypes, multiple cold-adaptive mutations and temperature-sensitive mutations arose. A substantial amount of scientific and clinical evidence has proven that FluMist is safe and effective. Nevertheless, no study has been conducted specifically to determine if the attenuating temperature-sensitive phenotype can revert and, if so, the types of substitutions that will emerge (i.e., compensatory substitutions versus reversion of existing attenuating mutations). Serial passage of the monovalent FluMist 2009 H1N1 pandemic vaccine at increasing temperatures in vitro generated a variant that replicated efficiently at higher temperatures. Sequencing of the variant identified seven nonsynonymous mutations, PB1-E51K, PB1-I171V, PA-N350K, PA-L366I, NP-N125Y, NP-V186I, and NS2-G63E. None occurred at positions previously reported to affect the temperature sensitivity of influenza A viruses. Synthetic genomics technology was used to synthesize the whole genome of the virus, and the roles of individual mutations were characterized by assessing their effects on RNA polymerase activity and virus replication kinetics at various temperatures. The revertant also regained virulence and caused significant disease in mice, with severity comparable to that caused by a wild-type 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus. IMPORTANCE The live attenuated influenza vaccine FluMist has been proven safe and effective and is widely used in the United States. The phenotype and genotype of the vaccine virus are believed to be very stable, and mutants that cause disease in animals or humans have never been reported. By propagating the virus under well-controlled laboratory conditions, we found that the FluMist vaccine backbone could regain virulence to cause severe disease in mice. The identification of the responsible substitutions and elucidation of the underlying mechanisms provide unique insights into the attenuation of influenza virus, which is important to basic research on vaccines, attenuation reversion, and replication. In addition, this study suggests that the safety of LAIVs should be closely monitored after mass vaccination and that novel strategies to continue to improve LAIV vaccine safety should be investigated.
A guinea pig model of Zika virus infection

Animal models are critical to understand disease and to develop countermeasures for the ongoing epidemic of Zika virus (ZIKV). Here we report that immunocompetent guinea pigs are susceptible to infection by a contemporary American strain of ZIKV. Dunkin-Hartley guinea pigs were inoculated with 106 plaque-forming units of ZIKV via subcutaneous route and clinical signs were observed. Viremia, viral load in the tissues, anti-ZIKV neutralizing antibody titer, and protein levels of multiple cytokine and chemokines were analyzed using qRT-PCR, plaque assay, plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) and multiplex immunoassay. Upon subcutaneous inoculation with PRVABC59 strain of ZIKV, guinea pigs demonstrated clinical signs of infection characterized by fever, lethargy, hunched back, ruffled fur, and decrease in mobility. ZIKV was detected in the whole blood and serum using qRT-PCR and plaque assay. Anti-ZIKV neutralizing antibody was detected in the infected animals using PRNT. ZIKV infection resulted in a dramatic increase in protein levels of multiple cytokines, chemokines and growth factors in the serum. ZIKV replication was observed in spleen and brain, with the highest viral load in the brain. This data demonstrate that after subcutaneous inoculation, the contemporary ZIKV strain is neurotropic in guinea pigs. The guinea pig model described here recapitulates various clinical features and viral kinetics observed in ZIKV-infected patients, and therefore may serve as a model to study ZIKV pathogenesis, including pregnancy outcomes and for evaluation of vaccines and therapeutics.
A history of penile implants

Erectile dysfunction (ED) has long been described by physicians and patients, with treatments for ED proposed starting in the 8th century BC. In the last 50 years, however, there have been many advances in medical and surgical management of ED, notably the introduction of the inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) in 1973 and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is) in 1998. Here we review the evolution of the IPP from 1973 through the current day. The 3-piece device was first described in 1973 by Dr. F. Brantley Scott, who helped found American Medical Systems (AMS) to market and sell the device. In 1983, Mentor (now Coloplast) started marketing a competing device. AMS and Mentor have made multiple modifications to the device over the years, which have increased rigidity, durability and patient satisfaction, and have decreased surgical variability, post-operative infection and spontaneous inflation. Today, the IPP is a safe and effective option for many men who have failed medical therapies, with high satisfaction from both patients and partners.
Accidental or intentional exposure to ionizing radiation: Biodosimetry and treatment options

The potential risk of accidental and especially intentional radiation exposure in the form of a terrorist attack is growing. The dangers are potentially devastating. There is an urgent need for building a greater infrastructure for teaching and research in this area. Medical contingency planning and preparedness is also essential. Such planning should include an examination of our current resources, projected medical needs, management guidelines, and personnel training. Exposure to whole-body irradiation can induce acute radiation syndrome, with the resultant damage to hematopoiesis and immune suppression. In addition, acute toxicity to the skin, gut, and central nervous system are also prevalent. Complex injuries such as burns, multi-organ injury, and trauma will increase the morbidity and mortality from acute radiation syndrome. Our ability to understand and rapidly obtain data on the absorbed dose and have access to radiation mitigators are of critical importance if we are to have a beneficial impact in the exposed population.
Structured Data Meets the Web: A Few Observations

The World Wide Web is witnessing an increase in the amount of structured content – vast heterogeneous collections of structured data are on the rise due to the Deep Web, annotation schemes like Flickr, and sites like Google Base. While this phenomenon is creating an opportunity for structured data management, dealing with heterogeneity on the web-scale presents many new challenges. In this paper we articulate challenges based on our experience with addressing them at Google, and offer some principles for addressing them in a general fashion.
Narrowband switched-capacitor filter design using the interpolated finite impulse response approach

Describes a method to design narrowband switched-capacitor filters using the interpolated finite impulse response (IFIR) approach. Errors introduced by capacitance mismatching and finite gain-bandwidth product of the operational amplifiers are investigated. Experimental results are also included.
Tribocorrosion performance of laser additively processed high-entropy alloy coatings on aluminum

Al–Co–Cr–Fe high-entropy alloy coatings were laser additively produced on aluminum substrate under different laser fluences (17.0–21.2 J/mm2). The resultant coatings consisted of a mixture of high-entropy and intermetallic phases, which resulted in marked improvement in hardness (~ 275–500 HV) as compared to the aluminum substrate (~ 30 HV). Coating corresponding to higher laser fluences showed lower corrosion currents (Icorr ~ 3.6 × 10−4 mA/cm2) and higher linear polarization resistance (LPR) of ~ 14–16 kΩ/cm2 as compared to the aluminum substrate (Icorr ~ 7×10−4 mA/cm2) and ~ 11 kΩ/cm2 in 0.6 M NaCl solution. The behavior of surface properties was analyzed in relation to the variation in fraction of HEA and intermetallic phases within the coatings resulting due to increased content of Al from the Al substrate with an increase in the laser fluence. The coating consisting of optimal amount of HEA and intermetallic phases showed a tenfold decrease wear volume loss (0.01 mm3) as compared to Al substrate showing 0.11 mm3.
The Primary Gait Screen in Parkinson's disease: Comparison to standardized measures.

Abstract Background Persons with Parkinson’s disease exhibit gait deficits during comfortable-pace overground walking and data from pressure sensitive mats have been used to quantify gait performance. The Primary Gait Screen is a new assessment which includes gait initiation, overground walking, turning, and gait termination. Although overground assessments are useful, the Primary Gait Screen offers a more complex evaluation than traditional gait assessments. Research question Is the overground walking portion of the Primary Gait Screen comparable to traditional gait assessments? Methods Persons with Parkinson’s disease (N = 175; 47 F, 128 M; 67 ± 9 yrs) prospectively completed 4 passes at a self-selected speed and two trials of the Primary Gait Screen on an 8 m long pressure-sensing mat. Spatiotemporal gait variables were computed and a repeated-measures MANOVA with a Bonferroni correction compared the spatiotemporal variables from the Primary Gait Screen to the self-selected trials: gait velocity, cadence, step length, step time, and stride length. Results The analyses failed to detect differences between the Primary Gait Screen and self-selected trials for gait velocity, step length, or stride length (p > .01). Post-hoc tests revealed decreased cadence and increased step time were the only differences between the Primary Gait Screen trials and the self-selected trial (p Significance Differences seen in cadence and step time during the Primary Gait Screen may be attributed to patients’ strategy, but are likely not clinically meaningful. The Primary Gait Screen appears to be a comparable assessment of overground walking in persons with Parkinson’s disease, and may be a useful and accurate clinical assessment of walking.
The search for meaningful work: A network analysis of personality and the job characteristics model

Abstract Meaningful work has increasingly been identified as a source of personal fulfillment, a protective factor against daily stress and adversity, and a key mediator linking job characteristics to important organizational outcomes. However, to date, positive organizational scholarship has neglected the role of individual differences in understanding how organizational work becomes more fulfilling. More broadly, there is limited consensus with respect to which traits, actions, or job features sustain meaning, and whether specific pathways may account for these associations. To address such limitations, we applied a regularized partial correlation network and directed acyclic graph to estimate the functional relations among multidimensional measures of these phenomena in a national dataset of workers (n = 570). Results highlight numerous situational and personality effects on work meaning and possible causal pathways linking various traits to experienced meaningfulness at work. Cumulatively, our findings suggest that interventions to encourage long-term changes in work meaning (e.g., job redesign, career coaching, job crafting) may require individuals to undergo changes in how their personality is structured (e.g., adjustment to the work environment and integrations with other aspects of the personality system). However, future experimental and longitudinal research is needed to test our propositions.
Thermomechanical Analysis of Composite Plates Curing Process Using ANSYS Composite Cure Simulation

Abstract Process-induced dimensional changes in composite parts has been of great interest for many researchers. The induced residual stresses during curing process while the laminate is in contact with the process tool often lead to shape deformation. This paper focuses on predicting these dimensional changes using software simulation of curing process. Various factors including resin shrinkage, degree of cure, different directional coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the composite laminate are simultaneously taken into the consideration. A cure kinetic model has been employed by the software which illustrates the matrix behavior during cure. The results obtained by ANSYS Composite Cure Simulation (ACCS) were then compared with the previous experimental values of spring-in. The accuracy of ACCS package also was validated in this study. With the support of this validated simulation, users are able to reduce the error of spring-in prediction from 15% of analytical calculation to almost 4% of numerical computation in respect to actual manufacturing.
Preparing Nurse Practitioner Students for Virtual Visits: An Innovative Computer-Based Text-Messaging Simulation

Abstract Background Educators must prepare nurse practitioner graduates to deliver safe and effective patient care using virtual visits. Experience with this form of health care delivery may be limited during clinical practicum. Sample Graduate nurse practitioner students in the Pediatric and Family Nurse Practitioner tracks. Methods The percentage of correct answers assessed the accuracy of diagnosis and management, and a 5-point Likert scale presurvey and postsurvey measured students' self-reported competence with virtual health care. Results Results for the group of students (N = 17) were 91% overall in diagnostic accuracy and management. The pediatric nurse practitioner students (n = 5) had a diagnostic accuracy of 100% compared to the family nurse practitioner students (n = 12) who scored 88% (p Conclusions This intervention was unique in that it used a text-message format to simulate a virtual visit. Students showed high diagnostic accuracy, and self-reported competence was significantly improved with this educational intervention.
Work and Family Through Time and Space: Revisiting Old Themes and Charting New Directions

As we began work on this chapter we were acutely aware of the current state of the economy in the United States as the backdrop for our review. With the highest unemployment rates since the early 1990s, record numbers of families facing foreclosures on their homes, and the demise of some of the countries’ most stable industries, citizens of the United States are facing economic challenges never before seen in our lifetimes. According to the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington think tank that monitors economic issues, “This recession has become the longest and deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression” (Mishel & Shierholz, 2009). We begin our chapter describing this economic and social context because it highlights a primary theme of our comments, a theme highlighted long ago by Urie Bronfenbrenner in his Ecological Model, namely that the social contexts from the broadest level, a national recession, to the most proximal level, one’s parent losing their job, shape the path of human development (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006). As we consider how economic and work factors influence workers and their families we must also remain cognizant of a second premise of the ecological model, individuals can also shape their environments. It is with these two key notions in mind, that contexts can shape individual development and individuals can shape contexts, that we tackle the work and family literature from the 1960s through the first decade of the twenty-first century.
A machine learning model that classifies breast cancer pathologic complete response on MRI post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy

For breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), pathologic complete response (pCR; no invasive or in situ) cannot be assessed non-invasively so all patients undergo surgery. The aim of our study was to develop and validate a radiomics classifier that classifies breast cancer pCR post-NAC on MRI prior to surgery. This retrospective study included women treated with NAC for breast cancer from 2014 to 2016 with (1) pre- and post-NAC breast MRI and (2) post-NAC surgical pathology report assessing response. Automated radiomics analysis of pre- and post-NAC breast MRI involved image segmentation, radiomics feature extraction, feature pre-filtering, and classifier building through recursive feature elimination random forest (RFE-RF) machine learning. The RFE-RF classifier was trained with nested five-fold cross-validation using (a) radiomics only (model 1) and (b) radiomics and molecular subtype (model 2). Class imbalance was addressed using the synthetic minority oversampling technique. Two hundred seventy-three women with 278 invasive breast cancers were included; the training set consisted of 222 cancers (61 pCR, 161 no-pCR; mean age 51.8 years, SD 11.8), and the independent test set consisted of 56 cancers (13 pCR, 43 no-pCR; mean age 51.3 years, SD 11.8). There was no significant difference in pCR or molecular subtype between the training and test sets. Model 1 achieved a cross-validation AUROC of 0.72 (95% CI 0.64, 0.79) and a similarly accurate (P = 0.1) AUROC of 0.83 (95% CI 0.71, 0.94) in both the training and test sets. Model 2 achieved a cross-validation AUROC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.72, 0.87) and a similar (P = 0.9) AUROC of 0.78 (95% CI 0.62, 0.94) in both the training and test sets. This study validated a radiomics classifier combining radiomics with molecular subtypes that accurately classifies pCR on MRI post-NAC.
Fabrication and characterization of FAST sintered micro/nano boron carbide composites with enhanced fracture toughness

Abstract Toughening of boron carbide (B4C) without hardness degradation, was achieved by hierarchical structures consisting of B4C micro-grains, titanium diboride (TiB2) grains, and graphitic phases along B4C grain boundaries. Such hierarchical structures were uniquely achieved by co-sintering of B4C micro-powder and carbon-rich B4C nano-powder, in situ formation of TiB2, and by utilizing the short sintering time of field-assisted sintering technology. Toughening mechanisms observed after micro-indentation include crack deflection and delamination of graphite platelets, micro-crack toughening and crack deflection/bridging by TiB2 grains. Fracture toughness enhancement was achieved while maintaining hardness: 4.65 ± 0.49 MPa m1/2 fracture toughness and 31.88 ± 1.85 GPa hardness for a micro/nano B4C-TiB2 composite (15 vol% TiB2 and 15 vol% B4C nano-powders) vs. 2.98 ± 0.24 MPa m1/2 and 32.46 ± 1.67 GPa for a reference micro B4C sample. In future, macro-scale mechanical testing will be conducted to further evaluate how these micro-scale hierarchical structures can be translated to macro-scale mechanical properties.
Potentials of Continuous Markov Process and Random Perturbations

With a scalar potential and a bivector potential, the vector field associated with the drift of a diffusion is decomposed into a generalized gradient field, a field perpendicular to the gradient, and a divergence-free field. We give such decomposition a probabilistic interpretation by introducing cycle velocity from a bivectorial formalism of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. New understandings on the mean rates of thermodynamic quantities are presented. Deterministic dynamical system is further proven to admit a generalized gradient form with the emerged potential as the Lyapunov function by the method of random perturbations.
Does liver biopsy accurately measure fibrosis in Fontan associated liver disease? A comparison of liver biopsy pre‐combined heart and liver transplant and liver explant post‐transplant.

The accuracy of liver biopsy to stage fibrosis due to Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD) remains unclear. We compared the results of biopsy pre-combined heart and liver transplantation (CHLT) to the results of whole liver explant. Liver biopsy and explants from 15 Fontan patients (ages 16-49, median 28 years) were retrospectively reviewed. Staging was as follows: stage 0: no fibrosis, stage 1: pericellular fibrosis, stage 2: bridging fibrosis, and stage 3: regenerative nodules. There is no stage 4. Clinical characteristics including Model of End-stage Liver Disease eXcluding INR and Varices, Ascites, Splenomegaly, and Thrombocytopenia (VAST) scores were collected, and descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze the data. All patients had biopsies with at least bridging fibrosis, and all had nodularity on explant; transjugular biopsy never overestimated fibrosis. Explant showed higher-grade fibrosis (stage 3) than pre-CHLT biopsy (stage 2) in 6 of 15 patients and equal grade of fibrosis (stage 3) in 9 of 15 patients. Though clinical characteristics varied significantly, VAST score was ≥2 in all but two patients. Transjugular liver biopsy does not overestimate and can underestimate fibrosis in Fontan patients undergoing CHLT, likely due to the patchy nature of fibrosis in FALD.
A Tissue Digestion Protocol for Measuring Sarcoptes scabiei (Astigmata: Sarcoptidae) Density in Skin Biopsies

Sarcoptic mange is a parasitic skin disease caused by the burrowing mite Sarcoptes scabiei that affects a diversity of mammals, including humans, worldwide. In North America, the most commonly affected wildlife includes wild canids, such as coyotes and red foxes, and more recently American black bears in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast United States. Currently, surveillance for sarcoptic mange in wildlife is syndromic, relying on detection of clinical signs and lesions, such as alopecia and crusting of skin. When possible, skin scrapes are used to identify the causative mite. While skin scrapes are a valuable diagnostic tool to identify mites, this approach has significant limitations when used for quantification of mite burden. To further investigate mite burden in cases of sarcoptic mange, 6-mm punch biopsies were collected from affected skin of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus [Carnivora: Canidae]), a species historically affected by sarcoptic mange, frequently with high mite burdens and severe skin disease, and validated on skin tissue from mange-affected American black bears (Ursus americanus Pallas [Carnivora: Ursidae]) and coyotes (Canis latrans Say [Carnivora: Canidae]). Biopsies were digested by incubating the tissue in potassium hydroxide (KOH) at 55°C. The greatest tissue clearance and lowest mite degradation resulted after 12 h of tissue digestion. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe a methodology for host tissue digestion and mite quantification in cases of sarcoptic mange. This method will provide a valuable surveillance and research tool to better understand sarcoptic mange in wild and domestic animals, with applications to a diversity of other ectoparasitic diseases.
Meta-analysis of EEG findings in patients with COVID-19.

Abstract Objective To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize and quantitatively evaluate the electroencephalogram (EEG) findings in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods The MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.Gov databases were comprehensively assessed and searched for observational studies with EEG findings in patients with COVID-19. Pooled proportions of EEG findings with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were assessed using a random effects model. The quality of assessment for each study, heterogeneity between the studies, and publication bias were also evaluated. Results In total, 12 studies with 308 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Abnormal background activity and generalized slowing in the pooled proportions were common findings among the patients with COVID-19 (96.1% [95% CI: 89.4–99.9]; I2 = 60%; p Conclusion The proportion of abnormal background activity in patients with COVID-19 was high (96.1%). Epileptiform discharges were present in 20.3% of the cases and the proportion varied between people who had a history of epilepsy/seizure and those who did not. However, the proportion of seizures and status epilepticus on EEG was low (2.05% and 0. 80%, respectively).
Review of North American Dascillidae (Coleoptera: Dascilloidea), with Descriptions of Dramatic Female Wing Reduction

The species of Dascillidae are reviewed for North America. Anorus arizonicusBlaisdell, 1934 is proposed as a new synonym of Anorus parvicollisHorn, 1894; Dascillus plumbeusHorn, 1880 is proposed as a new synonym of Dascillus davidsoni LeConte, 1859. The termitiform, flightless female of A. parvicollis, with extremely reduced elytra, is described and illustrated for the first time. A key is provided for adults of all three valid species of North American Dascillidae, which includes newly described and illustrated characters for all species. Adult females of all three species are described and compared. All have hind wings at least somewhat reduced compared to their fully winged male counterparts and display a grade of elytral development from complete (D. davidsoni) to tiny and scalelike (A. parvicollis). A distributional checklist of New World Dascillidae is provided. Pleolobus fuscescensPhilippi and Philippi, 1864 is designated as the type species for the Chilean genus PleolobusPhilippi and Philippi, 1864. We also provide distribution maps for all North American species and discuss some higher classification issues within Dascillidae.
An Examination of Asymmetry in Adult Tympanometric Measures

Background During audiologic evaluations, an examination of interaural asymmetry is commonly evaluated. To date, however, interaural differences for tympanometric indices have not been reported for adults. Without documented tympanometric right-left differences, one cannot determine if asymmetries are normal or are indicative of significant clinical asymmetries. Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate interaural asymmetries in peak compensated static acoustic admittance (Ytm), equivalent ear canal volume (Vea), tympanometric peak pressure (TPP), and tympanometric width (TW) in normal adults. Research Design Descriptive, correlational, and inferential measures designs were employed. Study Sample Participants were 188 otologically normal Caucasian young adults (i.e., 77 females and 111 males; M = 23.0 years, standard deviation [SD] = 2.7, range = 18–30 years). Data Collection and Analyses Ytm, Vea, TPP, and TW measures were obtained bilaterally from an admittance tympanogram using a 226 Hz probe tone. Separate two-factor mixed measures analysis of variance examined the effect of ear and sex for each tympanometric index. Correlation analyses examined the association between right and left ear indices. Interaural differences in tympanometric indices were examined with independent t-tests. Critical differences, for deciding if two tympanometric indices are different between ears, were computed from the standard deviations of the right–left ear difference for statistical confidence levels of 85, 90, 95, and 99%. Results The effect of ear was not statistically significant (p > 0.05) on any tympanometric index. Females had significantly lower Ytm and smaller Vea measures than males (p 0.05). Critical differences, for confidence levels for 85% to 99% confidence ranged from ± 0.20–0.36 mmhos for Ytm, ± 0.23–0.41 cm3 for Vea, ± 11.1–19.8 daPa for TPP, and ± 27.2–48.7 daPa for TW. Conclusion A clinician can use these critical differences to determine if tympanometric index interaural differences in ears of young normal Caucasian adults are statistically significant.
Intracerebral Venous System: Monitoring by Transcranial Color-Coded Duplex Sonography (TCCS)

Transcranial Doppler and transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCS) have been less utilized for the assessment of the intracerebral venous system although they are widely used imaging modalities for examinations of the cerebral arterial system. This is partially due to early technical limitations of ultrasound systems as well as a low prevalence of clinical cerebral venous disease to evaluate the reliability of these ultrasound technologies. Although venous TCCS is not currently used in routine clinical practice, it has a great potential to be a quick and complementary bedside diagnostic and monitoring modality for the patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, arteriovenous malformations, malignant ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and instability of intracranial pressure. In this chapter, we review cerebral venous anatomy, venous TCCS investigation technique, and clinical applications of TCCS in the intracerebral venous system.
Engineering technology and behavior analysis for interdisciplinary environmental protection.

Engineering strategies for saving environmental resources have been widespread. However, many of those engineering advances have not been widely accepted nor generally applied by large segments of the general population. This paper considers the need to examine behavioral/environmental variables in the application of engineering technology, with particular reference to specific behavioral strategies for encouraging the use of engineering technology from an interdisciplinary perspective. A model for the study of factors contributing to the solution of ecological/environmental problems is presented and examples of interdisciplinary research are described. The model implies a need for the examination of the effects of antecedent and consequent manipulation of a variety of variables including: behavioral, physiological, environmental, technical and legal conditions. It is concluded that while interdisciplinary research efforts between engineering technologists and behavioral analysts are necessary, they have not received sufficient attention in the literature nor have they focused on the comprehensive study of antecedents and consequences as they relate to ecological/environmental problems. Thus, an extended “family” of research efforts is important for the success of these efforts.