cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Numerical study on mitigating tsunami force on bridges by an SPH model

This study applies the numerical model of GPUSPH, an implementation of the weakly compressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics method on graphics processing units, to investigate tsunami forces on bridge superstructures and tsunami mitigation on bridges by using a service road bridge and an offshore breakwater. The capability of GPUSPH to predict tsunami forces on bridges is first validated by simulating a laboratory experiment on tsunami impacting a bridge with different configurations of superstructures. To address the uncertainty of tsunami generation with the gate falling method used in the laboratory, this study proposes a new tsunami wave generation method that makes use of the laboratory free-surface measurements to replicate the wave. Furthermore, the tsunami force, in particular, the first impact force, on bridges is reasonably predicted by GPUSPH. Next additional numerical experiments built upon the laboratory work are carried out to examine the efficiency of tsunami mitigation by an upwave service road bridge and an offshore breakwater. It is found that a two-girder service road bridge is effective in reducing tsunami forces on the main bridge. Furthermore, a breakwater can also reduce tsunami forces on a bridge, and there is an optimal distance between the breakwater and the bridge to achieve the best reduction effect. However, the tsunami mitigation structures experience a strong tsunami force, which may lead to the failure of these structures.
Epidemiology of Injury-Related Emergency Department Visits in the US Among Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Several reports suggest children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to be seen for injury-related ED visits; however, no nationally representative study has examined this question. Using data from the 2008 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, over a quarter of all visits among those with ASD were related to injury. In the multivariate analyses, the odds of an injury-related visit was 54 % greater among those with ASD compared to youth with intellectual disability (ID), but 48 % less compared to youth without ID or ASD. Compared to all other pediatric injury-visits in the US, visits among children with ASD were more likely to be due to self-inflicted injury and poisoning and were more likely to result in hospitalization (all p < 0.001).
Quantifying Sphingosine-1-Phosphate-Dependent Activation of the RhoGTPases

The GPCR-coupled sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptors regulate a number of important cell -functions, including proliferation, migration, and adhesion. Since these processes require dynamic regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, the ability to monitor S1P-dependent activation of the Rho family GTPases is critical for our understanding of S1P signaling. Herein, we provide methods for the GST pull-down-based assay used to measure Rho, Rac, and Cdc42 activity in cultured cells treated with S1P.
Single Olivocochlear Neurons in the Guinea Pig. II. Response Plasticity Due to Noise Conditioning

Brown, M. C, S. G. Kujawa, and M. C. Liberman. Single olivocochlear neurons in the guinea pig. II. Response plasticity due to noise conditioning. J. Neurophysiol. 79: 3088–3097, 1998. Previous stud...
Audio Media: Radio, Tapes, and CDs

This chapter examines young people's use of audio media – radio, tapes, and CDs. It considers how much time kids are exposed to audio media, as well as what they listen to. For the most part, U.S. youth conceive of audio media as music media. There is, of course, some exposure to such radio formats as news and talk, and there is some use of tapes or CDs to listen to stories or for instructional purposes. But typically, when children and especially adolescents talk about listening to the radio or some kind of recording, they are talking about listening to music. For young people in the U.S. today, audio media are, fundamentally, music media. It is difficult to obtain accurate estimates of time spent listening to radio or recordings. One of audio media's most important distinguishing characteristics is that they so conveniently operate in the background – as a secondary or even tertiary activity. Consider, for example, that young children often play in the family room or living room to the sound of a parent's favorite album or a sibling's portable radio. Or imagine teenagers driving to a football game arguing animatedly about what to do after the game, while a local “alternative” rock station booms from the car radio. Meanwhile, the football team is in the gym, changing from street clothes to football pads to the reverberations of a rapper emanating at maximum volume from the locker room boom-box. And, of course, it is a rare adolescent who does not do homework with some kind of music in the background. Indeed, we suspect that many readers of this paragraph do so accompanied by music. In short, more often than not, people are exposed to audio media while they do something else – drive, work, read, chat with friends, surf the web, and so on. It is precisely because audio media function so well as a background activity that the time young people spend with radio and recordings is difficult to measure.
Kurdistan from the 1946 Republic to the 1979 Revolution and the Islamic Republic

In this chapter, I shall examine the political and organizational features of the Kurdish movement in the 1970s and 1980s, a decade or two after the implementation of the Land Reform program in Kurdistan. The state of the movement and its political expressions will be discussed for the period before, during and after the Revolution of 1979 in Iran to illustrate the further transformation of the Kurdish movement from its previous stages: the first stage, Simko’s uprising, a totally tribal-dominated movement, the second stage, the movement in Mahabad in 1946, which, despite its urban intellectual leadership, was strongly influenced by tribal elements. Through this illustration, I shall argue that the present Kurdish movement is a mature nationalist movement led by Kurdish intellectuals with its own popular militia force, whose loyalty, foremost, lies with the Kurdish nation.
Ibuprofen impairs capsulolabral healing in a rat model of anterior glenohumeral instability.

Background Failure of glenoid labrum and capsular healing after glenohumeral dislocation can lead to persistent shoulder instability. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on the healing glenoid labrum and capsule after glenohumeral dislocation in a rat model. Methods Sixty-six rats had surgically induced anterior-inferior labral tears and anterior glenohumeral dislocation. Postoperatively, the animals were assigned to either normal (n = 32) or ibuprofen drinking water (n = 31). Animals were euthanized at 2 and 4 weeks postoperatively for biomechanical testing and histologic analysis. Results The maximum load increased from 2 to 4 weeks after injury in the NSAID groups but not in the control groups. At 2 weeks, the maximum load was lower in the NSAID group compared with the control group. In a matched comparison between injured and uninjured limbs, the maximum load was significantly decreased in the injured limb of the 2-week NSAID group. At 4 weeks, the NSAID group had decreased stiffness compared with the 4-week control group. Conclusions In a new rat model of glenohumeral instability, the postinjury administration of ibuprofen resulted in decreased capsulolabral healing. A matched pair analysis of injured to uninjured limbs supported the findings of impaired healing in the NSAID-treated animals. These findings demonstrate that the use of NSAIDs after glenohumeral dislocation may impair capsulolabral healing and should be limited or avoided to optimize glenohumeral stability.
Mediated Justice: Lawyers and Social Workers in the Chilean Legal Aid Service, 1932-1960s

This article deals with the history of the Chilean Legal Aid Service from its creation in 1932 until the 1960s, the institution that served as the main legal intermediary between the lower classes and the justice system. By focusing on how the Legal Aid Service’s professional staff — lawyers and social workers — used this institution to define their professional identity, and on how they conceived of their role as mediators, I argue that this institution promoted a system of legal intermediation that privileged conciliation over contentious litigation, and that it worked as a multiple-layered screen between popular demands and the justice system. This reveals why, in comparison to the progressive inclusion of the poor in new welfare state agencies in mid-twentieth century Chile, the judicial system appeared as a conservative and exclusionary force: legal aid had precisely for purpose that the most radical demands could not reach the courts.
Evidence and modeling of anomalous low concentration arsenic inactivation

Experimental results are discussed that indicate that implanted arsenic is sometimes transported by large populations of a mobile species that is neutral at room temperature, causing inactivation throughout the profile and unexpectedly high sheet resistances. This transport path occurs in strictly low concentration diffusion and in the early stages of high concentration diffusion, prior to precipitation. Novel models are presented that fit low concentration chemical profiles, anomalous electrical data, and early high concentration data. One of the models successfully predicts sheet resistances in high concentration profiles that have not yet shown evidence of precipitation, suggesting that interstitial arsenic is the precursor to normal high concentration inactivation. >
Barriers to Human Milk Feeding at Discharge of Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants: Maternal Goal Setting as a Key Social Factor.

Abstract Background: While black mothers initiate human milk (HM) provision at lower rates than non-black mothers in the United States, some neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) report similar ini...
Associations of maternal BMI and insulin resistance with the maternal metabolome and newborn outcomes.

Aims/hypothesis Maternal obesity increases the risk for large-for-gestational-age birth and excess newborn adiposity, which are associated with adverse long-term metabolic outcomes in offspring, probably due to effects mediated through the intrauterine environment. We aimed to characterise the maternal metabolic milieu associated with maternal BMI and its relationship to newborn birthweight and adiposity.
Tonic 4-1BB signaling from chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) impairs expansion of T cells due to Fas-mediated apoptosis

High expression of CARs in T cells or the presence of CAR ligands in cell culture results in tonic CAR signaling that enhances differentiation and exhaustion of T cells and compromises anti-tumor activity. A recent study demonstrated tonic signaling negatively affected T cells expressing a CD28.zeta GD2-specific CAR, indicating 4-1BB costimulation may improve their function. However, whether 4-1BB is a uniformly optimal costimulatory signal for CAR-transduced T cells is unclear. We found that retroviral expression of several 2 nd generation CARs with a 4-1BB domain (4-1BB.zeta) unexpectedly impaired T cell expansion. High expression of 4-1BB.zeta CD19 and kappa CARs led to upregulation of Fas and FasL and enhanced caspase 8-dependent apoptosis. Decreasing CAR expression in retro- or lentiviral systems normalized Fas levels and restored T cell expansion. However, a similar approach did not rescue expansion of 4-1BB.zeta CD5 CAR T cells, likely because the presence of the target antigen CD5 on T cells sustains high tonic signaling. 4-1BB.zeta CD5 CAR T cells recruit Fas and FasL to form stable fratricidal immunologic synapses. Disrupting TRAF2 binding site in the 4-1BB domain prevented Fas upregulation and restored T cell function but compromised costimulation. Therefore, we developed a regulated retroviral expression system that uses a small molecule to reversibly inhibit CAR expression, preventing tonic signaling and the resulting fratricide and differentiation. Withdrawing the inhibitor restores CAR expression and the anti-tumor function of T cells. Hence, we have described a mechanism by which chronic 4-1BB signaling may undermine CAR T cell function and provide a solution that curtails detrimental tonic CAR signaling.
Evaluating the Dimensionality of Pornography

Pornography may be a construct with a single trait or one with many traits. Research in the past was inconsistent in this regard with most researchers assuming that pornography was unidimensional (with one single trait of pornography). However, the considerable amounts of residual variation found in these studies beyond that explained by the single trait hints at what might be a multidimensional construct (with multiple traits such as sensitization and differentiation). Consequently, in this study, we intended to address the question of whether pornography consisted of a single trait or if it was multidimensional. Using MTurk, 2173 participants from the United States and the Commonwealth of Nations (in which pornography is not strictly illegal) were recruited and asked to rate how pornographic they thought a list of different depictions were. The data were analyzed utilizing the cross-validation procedure in which two subsamples were created from the main sample and one was used to establish the model building and the other to validate the model. Various models, including first-order and higher-order exploratory and confirmatory factor models, were tested. Results indicated that a bi-factor (multidimensional) model generated the best model fit, and that it was most appropriate to consider pornography multidimensional. The final model contained two dimensions ("Sensitization" and "Differentiation"). While sensitization revealed the participants' general tendency to rate all items to be more or less pornographic, differentiation revealed the participants' tendency to differentiate highly pornographic items from less pornographic items. Based on the findings of this study, we suggest that future research on the usage and effects of pornography be conducted while taking into consideration the multidimensional nature of pornography.
Peripheral Findings and Retinal Vascular Leakage on Ultra-Widefield Fluorescein Angiography in Patients with Uveitis.

Purpose To compare ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography (UWFFA) with simulated conventional fluorescein angiography (FA) to evaluate peripheral pathology and leakage and correlate with clinical activity in patients with uveitis. Design Retrospective chart review. Participants All uveitis patients initially evaluated with UWFFA (Optos 200Tx) between May 2012 and December 2013 were included in this study, including follow-up visits through August 2014. Methods Uveitis status was deemed as having active or inactive inflammation based on clinical examination. Changes to therapy, influence on management, and clinical diagnosis were also noted. UWFFA images were compared with simulated 50-degree FA images to evaluate for peripheral lesions, and leakage location was also graded. Imaging characteristics were then correlated with clinical information. Main Outcome Measures Correlation of leakage on UWFFA with clinical inflammation. Results An initial set of 243 uveitis patients and a total of 1008 eye images were reviewed. When UWFFA was compared with a simulated 50-degree FA image, UWFFA added additional information regarding the presence of peripheral vascular leakage in 25%, peripheral nonperfusion in 14%, peripheral lesions in 6.6%, and peripheral neovascularization in 3.9% of patients. A total of 600 eye images exhibited fluorescein leakage, of which 21% displayed central leakage only, 11% had central and peripheral leakage, 31% had peripheral leakage only, and 37% had diffuse vascular leakage. Based on peripheral findings on widefield angiography, the treatment was changed in 69 patients (28%). Corresponding eye examinations were reviewed for each imaging session, and of 600 eye images with vascular leakage, 567 eye images were also clinically active, which was 95% sensitive as a surrogate indicator of clinical inflammation. Anterior chamber cell and vitreous haze also significantly correlated with leakage on widefield angiography. Conclusions Retinal vascular leakage on UWFFA reveals increased pathology and leakage compared with conventional angiography, which can influence management, and accurately identifies and correlates with active inflammation in patients with uveitis. A more objective measure of inflammation in the form of leakage exhibited on UWFFA may help standardize treatment and care of patients with uveitis.
cis-Hydroxyproline inhibits proliferation, collagen synthesis, attachment, and migration of cultured bovine retinal pigment epithelial cells.

PURPOSE Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is characterized by the proliferation and migration of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) and other cells into the vitreous cavity. The PVR membrane formation also is associated with collagen production by RPE. The authors examined the effect of a proline analog, cis-hydroxyproline (CHP), on proliferation, collagen synthesis, attachment, and migration of bovine RPE in vitro. METHODS The effect of CHP on cell proliferation was determined as a function of dosage and days in culture by counting the cell numbers on days 3, 6, and 9. Collagen synthesis was determined by trichloroacetic acid precipitation of the radiolabeled samples before and after bacterial collagenase digestion. The attachment assay involved type I collagen or fibronectin substrates or both (2.5 micrograms/well). For migration experiments, RPE cells were removed from a defined area of a confluent culture, and migration was quantitated by counting the number of cells migrating into the denuded area over 30 hours. RESULTS The addition of CHP inhibited RPE proliferation in both a dose- and a time-dependent manner; collagen synthesis, attachment, and migration also were inhibited by CHP in a dose-dependent manner. When the culture plates were coated with collagen, < 100 micrograms/ml of CHP had no effect on cell attachment. Higher doses of CHP resulted in mild inhibition of attachment on collagen-coated plates. Simultaneous addition of L-proline to the cultures resulted in blockade of these inhibitory effects on proliferation, collagen synthesis, attachment, and migration. CONCLUSIONS The results show that RPE functions critical to the development of PVR are inhibited by CHP, suggesting the possibility that this drug may have potential clinical application.
Genomic Rearrangement Signatures and Clinical Outcomes in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

Background To identify clinically relevant genomic rearrangement signatures in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), we conducted a retrospective analysis of sequenced HGSOC whole-tumor genomes. Methods Clinical data and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) reads were obtained for primary HGSOC tumors sequenced by the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study (AOCS; n = 80). Genomic rearrangements were identified, and non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) was used to extract rearrangement signatures. The cohort was then dichotomized around the median signature contribution, and overall survival (OS) was analyzed. An independent cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) ovarian cancer study (n = 490) was also examined. The TCGA cohort was dichotomized around the median similarity between tumor copy number profile and a prognostic rearrangement signature, and OS was analyzed. Outcomes were assessed using Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox regression methods. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results We identified five genomic rearrangement signatures (Ov.RS1-5) in HGSOC. Ov.RS3 exhibited 10 kilobase to 10 megabase deletions and tandem duplications, and patients whose tumors exhibited a high contribution from Ov.RS3 had poor OS. The median OS was 22.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI] = 20.2 to 39.0 months) in the Ov.RS3-high group vs 38.2 months (95% CI = 22.7 to 69.1 months) in the Ov.RS3-low group (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.12 to 3.09, P = .02). For the independent TCGA cohort, median OS rates were 38.0 months (95% CI = 35.3 to 41.4 months) in the Ov.RS3 high-similarity group vs 48.9 months (95% CI = 44.1 to 57.1 months) in the Ov.RS3 low-similarity group (HR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.21 to 1.97, P < .001). Conclusion A novel genomic rearrangement signature is associated with poor prognosis in HGSOC.
Cancian, Francesca M. (1987). Love in America: Gender and self-development

(1995). Cancian, Francesca M. (1987). Love in America: Gender and self-development. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 125-127.
Severe childhood sexual abuse and nonverbal learning disability.

Treating clients with a history of severe childhood abuse and neurocognitive vulnerabilities poses many challenges for the practicing clinician. At the heart of the challenge is understanding how c...
Impact of Aortic Annulus Size on Valve Hemodynamics and Clinical Outcomes After Transcatheter and Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement Insights From the PARTNER Trial

Background—The objective was to evaluate the effects of aortic annulus size on valve hemodynamics and clinical outcomes in those patients included in the Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves (PARTNER) randomized controlled trial cohort A and the nonrandomized continued access cohort. Methods and Results—Patients included the randomized controlled trial (n=574) and nonrandomized continued access (n=1358) cohorts were divided in tertiles according to aortic annulus diameter (small aortic annulus tertile, medium aortic annulus tertile, and large aortic annulus tertile [LAA], respectively) as measured by transthoracic echocardiography. Severe prosthesis–patient mismatch was defined as an effective aortic orifice area of <0.65 cm2/m2. In the randomized controlled trial cohort, patients in the small aortic annulus tertile who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement had a lower incidence of severe prosthesis–patient mismatch (19.7% versus 37.5%; P=0.03) and only a trend toward a higher incidence of ...
A Feasibility Pump and Local Search Based Heuristic for Bi-Objective Pure Integer Linear Programming

We present a new heuristic algorithm to approximately generate the nondominated frontier of bi-objective pure integer linear programs. The proposed algorithm employs a customized version of several...
The effects of intrinsic dynamical ghost modes in discrete-time Langevin simulations

Abstract Using the GJF-2GJ Langevin thermostat, which can produce time-step-independent statistical measures even for large time steps, we analyze and discuss the causes for abrupt deviations in statistical data as the time step is increased for some simulations of nonlinear oscillators. Exemplified by the pendulum, we identify a couple of discrete-time dynamical modes in the purely damped pendulum equation as the cause of the observed discrepancies in statistics. The existence, stability and kinetics of the modes are consistent with the acquired velocity distribution functions from Langevin simulations, and we conclude that the simulation deviations from physical expectations are not due to normal, systematic algorithmic time-step errors, but instead due to the inherent properties of discrete time in nonlinear dynamics.
Malignant cystic nephroma.

Aim To describe a malignant cystic nephroma in an asymptomatic man. Methods Case report and review of the literature. Results A 60 year old white male presented with an incidentally discovered right perirenal mass. An MRI demonstrated a large perinephric encapsulated mass with diffuse heterogeneity. Patient underwent a radical nephrectomy and retroperitoneal node dissection. Histopathological analyses of the resected specimen revealed malignant cystic nephroma. Conclusion This represents the first published report of this rare tumor in an adult patient.
Abstract commensurators of surface groups

Let Γ be the fundamental group of a surface of finite type and Comm(Γ) be its abstract commensurator. Then Comm(Γ) contains the solvable Baumslag–Solitar groups 〈a,b : aba−1 = bn〉 for any n > 1. Mo...
Technical Note: Assessment of scatter originating from the x-ray tube collimator assembly of modern angiography systems.

PURPOSE While scatter from the patient is assumed to be the primary source of occupational radiation dose associated with fluoroscopically guided interventional procedures, the potential contribution of scatter from the x-ray collimator assembly is unknown. The purpose of this work was to survey clinical x-ray angiography systems to assess the potential contribution of collimator assembly scatter on occupational radiation dose. METHODS Experimental methods were designed to measure the relative contributions of scatter originating from within the collimator assembly of the x-ray tube to total scatter, which included scatter from a patient-simulating phantom. Measurements were acquired as a function of lateral distance from the x-ray beam center using a posterior anterior (PA) projection and at a fixed location for variable right anterior oblique to left anterior oblique projections in the range -90o to 90o. For one system, the collimator assembly was partially disassembled to assess the scatter contribution of individual components. For two systems, 0.5 mm Pb was added to the inner surface of the collimator assembly cover and tested for efficacy to block collimator assembly scatter. RESULTS Considering all x-ray systems and only the PA projection, collimator assembly scatter contributed 20-50% to total scatter. For x-ray projection angles of -90o to 90o, the relative contribution of collimator assembly to total scatter was dependent on projection angle and ranged from 5% to 56%. X-ray systems with kerma-area product meters demonstrated higher collimator assembly scatter than those without. Considering all projection angles, the addition of 0.5 mm Pb to the inside of the collimator assembly cover reduced collimator assembly scatter from 28% to 16% of total scatter for both systems. CONCLUSION Findings from this work suggest that contemporary radiation safety practices and guidelines should be revised to account for scatter originating from the collimator assembly of angiographic x-ray tubes.
Factors Associated with Condom Use among African American and Hispanic/ Latino Youth

Introduction: Research has shown that African American and Hispanic/Latino youth are at an increased risk of contracting STIs/STDs and HIV/AIDS. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with condom use among African American and Hispanic/Latino youths. Results: Among African American youth, condom use was more likely among males (2.09; 95% CI:1.45-3.02) compared to females and less likely among gays/lesbians compared to heterosexuals (0.33; 95% CI: 0.12-0.90), adjusted for cofounders. Among Hispanic/Latino youth, condom use was more likely among males (1.70; 95% CI: 1.25-2.31) compared to females and less likely among gays/lesbians (0.16; 95% CI: 0.57-0.44) and those who used alcohol/drugs during last sex (0.54; 95% CI: 0.37-0.78), adjusted for cofounders. Conclusion: For both racial groups’, females and those identifying as gay or lesbian were more at risk of not using condoms. For Hispanic/Latino youth who used alcohol/drugs during last sex they were more at risk of not using a condom. This study can be used to identify culturally appropriate interventions that must be implemented to encourage greater condom use amongst African American and Hispanic/Latino youth.
Virtual reality versus face-to-face practice: a study into situational apprehension and performance

This exploratory study examines the role virtual reality can play in student speech practice for oral communication courses. The study focuses on situational communication apprehension of the virtu...
Trends in Utilization, Spending, and Prices of Smoking-Cessation Medications in Medicaid Programs: 25 Years Empirical Data Analysis, 1991-2015.

Background Smoking remains the single largest preventable cause of death and disease. Smoking-cessation medications provide patients a multitude of benefits and can prevent certain diseases, including some cancers. Because of the limited amount of studies on smoking-cessation medications, we wanted to find general trends about the use of these medications. Objective To examine trends in the utilization, pharmacy reimbursement, and prices of smoking-cessation medications and nicotine replacement therapy in the US Medicaid-covered population. Methods Using national summary files for outpatient drug utilization and expenditure, we extracted data on smoking-cessation medications from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in the 25 years from January 1991 through June 2015. We conducted a retrospective drug utilization study to examine the annual (or quarterly) trends of the number of prescriptions, reimbursement expenditures, and the prices of smoking-cessation medications. The study drugs included varenicline (Chantix), bupropion (Zyban), and nicotine. We calculated per-prescription pharmacy reimbursement, which was used as a proxy for drug price, as the total quarterly expenditure for the drug, divided by the total number of prescriptions. All expenditures were inflated to 2015 US dollars using the medical services component of the Consumer Price Index. Results The total number of prescriptions for smoking-cessation medications increased rapidly from 46,396 in 1991 to 942,562 in 2014, an increase of more than 1931%. During the same period, the total pharmacy reimbursement for smoking-cessation medications in Medicaid increased by 3562%, from approximately $2.8 million in 1991 to approximately $101 million in 2014. The use of the nonnicotine prescription drugs varenicline and bupropion also increased rapidly, with a high cost expenditure. The price per nonnicotine prescription drug increased over time, ranging from approximately $169 for bupropion to approximately $251 for varenicline in 2015. Conclusions The substantial increase in nonnicotine prescription drugs and nicotine replacement therapy between 2007 and 2015 may be attributed to smoking-cessation participants nationwide. Cost-containment policies might have inadvertently prevented Medicaid-covered smokers from obtaining appropriate pharmacotherapy.
AI & Intellectual Property: Towards an Articulated Public Domain

This article seeks to clarify the relation between AI and IP in the information society. It aims to critically examine our intellectual property framework at the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution. In that context, it contends that human authorship & inventorship remains the normative organ point of intellectual property law. Additionally, it argues that extending copyrights hinders innovation, cultural diversity and even fundamental freedoms. Adding extra layers to the existing rainbow of IP rights is not a good solution to balance the societal impact of technological progress. Legislative gaps can be remedied by contracts and generous application of fair use and the three-step-test. Finally, parts of the Roman multi-layered property paradigm can be relevant for AI. Building upon this framework, section VIII of the article includes a proposal for a new public domain model for AI Creations and Inventions that crossed the autonomy threshold: Res Publicae ex Machina (Public Property from the Machine). The introduction of the legal concept of Public Property from the Machine is a Pareto improvement; many actors benefit from it while nobody -at least no legal person- will suffer from it. For illustrative purposes, the article includes a human-machine collaboration example. The examined AI Assisted Creation (a sound recording of a musical work, which can be streamed online) does not qualify as Public Property from the Machine. The article also describes a pure AI Invention that does qualify as Public Property from the Machine and thus could be awarded with official PD mark status: a flu vaccine autonomously brewed by an AI called SAM. This article describes the current legal framework regarding authorship and ownership of AI Creations, legal personhood, patents on AI Inventions, types of IP rights on the various components of the AI system itself (including Digital Twin technology), clearance of training data and data ownership. It examines whether the rationales and justifications of IP are applicable to AI from the perspective of the function of copyright. Besides that, the article presents ideas and policy suggestions on how the law ought to be understood or designed with regard to AI input and output. Laws that would facilitate an innovation optimum. The main goal of this research is to contribute to the body of doctrinal knowledge by offering a relatively compact AI & IP overview analysis and in doing so, to provide some food for thought to interdisciplinary thinkers in the IP, tech, privacy and freedom of information field. Because AI and the internet are without borders, the article makes these recommendations through the eyes of a global acquis of intellectual property, as being a set of universal principles that form the normative backbone of the IP system.
Accounting for data variability in multi-institutional distributed deep learning for medical imaging.

Objectives Sharing patient data across institutions to train generalizable deep learning models is challenging due to regulatory and technical hurdles. Distributed learning, where model weights are shared instead of patient data, presents an attractive alternative. Cyclical weight transfer (CWT) has recently been demonstrated as an effective distributed learning method for medical imaging with homogeneous data across institutions. In this study, we optimize CWT to overcome performance losses from variability in training sample sizes and label distributions across institutions. Materials and methods Optimizations included proportional local training iterations, cyclical learning rate, locally weighted minibatch sampling, and cyclically weighted loss. We evaluated our optimizations on simulated distributed diabetic retinopathy detection and chest radiograph classification. Results Proportional local training iteration mitigated performance losses from sample size variability, achieving 98.6% of the accuracy attained by centrally hosting in the diabetic retinopathy dataset split with highest sample size variance across institutions. Locally weighted minibatch sampling and cyclically weighted loss both mitigated performance losses from label distribution variability, achieving 98.6% and 99.1%, respectively, of the accuracy attained by centrally hosting in the diabetic retinopathy dataset split with highest label distribution variability across institutions. Discussion Our optimizations to CWT improve its capability of handling data variability across institutions. Compared to CWT without optimizations, CWT with optimizations achieved performance significantly closer to performance from centrally hosting. Conclusion Our work is the first to identify and address challenges of sample size and label distribution variability in simulated distributed deep learning for medical imaging. Future work is needed to address other sources of real-world data variability.
Estimating actual crop evapotranspiration using deep stochastic configuration networks model and UAV-based crop coefficients in a pomegranate orchard

Evapotranspiration (ET) estimation is important agricultural research in many regions because of the water scarcity, growing population, and climate change. ET can be analyzed as the sum of evaporation from the soil and transpiration from the crops to the atmosphere. The accurate estimation and mapping of ET are necessary for crop water management. One traditional method is to use the crop coefficient (Kc) and reference ET (ETo) to estimate actual ET. With the advent of satellite technology, remote sensing images can provide spatially distributed measurements. Satellite images are used to calculate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The relation between NDVI and Kc is used to generate a new Kc. The spatial resolution of multispectral satellite images, however, is in the range of meters, which is often not enough for crops with clumped canopy structures, such as trees and vines. Moreover, the frequency of satellite overpasses is not high enough to meet the research or water management needs. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can help mitigate these spatial and temporal challenges. Compared with satellite imagery, the spatial resolution of UAV images can be as high as centimeter-level. In this study, a regression model was developed using the Deep Stochastic Configuration Networks (DeepSCNs). Actual evapotranspiration was estimated and compared with lysimeter data in an experimental pomegranate orchard. The UAV imagery provided a spatial and tree-by-tree view of ET distribution.
Laparoscopic Resection of a De-Novo Retroperitoneal Endometrioma Involving the Left Ureter

Study Objective This video is a demonstration of the resection of a de-novo retro-peritoneal non-ovarian endometrioma involving the left ureter in a patient with no prior history of surgical disruption of the peritoneum,and no evidence of peritoneal endometriosis. Design Video demonstration of an unusual pathologic finding, as well as the surgical technique for management. Setting Laparoscopy in the hospital OR. Patients or Participants Patient is a female with chronic pelvic pain located focused on the left. A left sided pelvic mass was noted during a diagnostic laparoscopy, and pt was subsequently referred to our MIGS department for evaluation and resection. Interventions Laparoscopic resection of the patients left-sided retro-peritoneal non-ovarian endometrioma. Measurements and Main Results The successful resection resulted in a significant improvement in the patient's pelvic pain. This was also a demonstration of retro-peritoneal endometriosis in a patient without prior disruption of the peritoneum, suggesting a hematogenous or metaplastic etiology. Conclusion Laparoscopy resulting in the safe resection of de-novo retro-peritoneal endometriosis.
Multiethnic Uprisings in Urban America and their Implications for Progress

In this article, the authors make a distinction between urban uprisings of earlier eras and the upheaval that has unfolded in the streets of America since the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd by police officers in Louisville, Kentucky and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The authors wonder whether or not there is a correlation between these multiethnic/racial uprisings and non-Black residents' commitment to eradicating racism, especially when it comes to tackling problems that disproportionately impact African Americans.
Bandyworks (B): Tom Bandy—Growing, Letting Go

Bandy was no stranger to entrepreneurship and the problems brought about by success. Having honed his programming skills in the 1980s, he had already founded a database company that had seen great success—and then had been squeezed out by investors. He spent a few years after that working for a computing firm in Richmond until a chance remark by his young son spurred him to become an entrepreneur again. In 2005, he founded BandyWorks, a computing services consulting firm. Excerpt UVA-ENT-0182 Feb. 10, 2012 Bandyworks (B): Tom Bandy—Growing, Letting Go Tom Bandy, founder and CEO of the Virginia software firm BandyWorks, closed his Skype window and lowered his head to his desk. He tapped his forehead twice on the mouse pad. As he did so, he said to himself, “That was a head-banger of a meeting.” One of his office windows faced south in the 160-year-old farmhouse he had purchased in 2008 to house his business efforts. It was 8:00 a.m. in Petersburg, Virginia, and the sun was streaming in. Staff members were beginning to arrive. He could smell the coffee someone had started brewing downstairs. Bandy did not feel the refreshed sense of a new dawn; he was tired. He already had been on a video conference for an hour with Balavikram Balavenkataraman (Vikram), his head of product development in Bangalore, India. There was a big problem that needed a solution yesterday. Instead, Bandy was being told to wait. “Success should not be this hard,” he thought. BandyWorks, Second Time Around . . .
Early career perceptions of the review process: Survey evidence and directions for future research

We explore the early career experience in a survey of practicing tax professionals, highlighting important issues related to engagement roles, staff development, and the firm environment from a “bottom up” perspective. Results indicate reviewers are perceived as primarily responsible for both completion of an engagement, on-the-job training, and quality control, despite the relative scarcity of reported reviewer training. We also highlight characteristics of “good” reviewers, suggestions for reviewer training topics, and challenging and surprising elements of the early career experience. Our findings inform researchers and practitioners about the experiences and preferences of a generation of professionals who may be less tolerant of high-pressure environments than previous generations, which can help inform firm efforts to (1) improve on-the-job learning and/or (2) identify traits to encourage in reviewers. Implications for future research related to the tax practice environment, early career roles and experiences, and review process are also discussed.
A four-dimensional primitive equation model for coupled coastal-deep ocean studies

A prototype four dimensional continental shelf/deep ocean model is described. In its present form, the model incorporates the effects of finite amplitude topography, advective nonlinearities, and variable stratification and rotation. The model can be forced either directly by imposed atmospheric windstress and surface pressure distributions, and energetic mean currents imposed by the exterior oceanic circulation; or indirectly by initial distributions of shoreward propagation mesoscale waves and eddies. To avoid concerns over the appropriate specification of 'open' boundary conditions on the cross-shelf and seaward model boundaries, a periodic channel geometry (oriented along-coast) is used. The model employs a traditional finite difference expansion in the cross-shelf direction, and a Fourier (periodic) representation in the long-shelf coordinate.
Organic Adsorption at Electrodes

The types of information required for a discussion of adsorption of gases at metal surfaces have been enumerated by Bond [1]. With minor variations, similar information is desired from the measurements of adsorption of organic compounds on solid metal electrodes. This includes: 1. The conditions of adsorption; i.e., under what conditions of temperature, pressure, or concentration, etc. and on which metals does the compound in question chemisorb ? 2. The stoichiometry of the adsorption process; is chemisorption associative or dissociative, how many sites are involved for the adsorption of one molecule, is the adsorbed species mobile on the surface, what is the nature of bonding ? 3. The energetics of adsorption; the equilibrium constant and its temperature variation, free energy, heat and entropy of adsorption, their variation with coverage, the activation energy for adsorption and desorption, the strengths of the bonds involved in the adsorption process. 4. The adsorption isotherm; the variation of coverage with pressure or concentration, temperature, potential, solvent, and pH. 5. The kinetics of adsorption; the rates of adsorption and desorption. With the only recently developed interest in adsorption at solid metal electrodes, it should be obvious that very little of this information has been obtained for even one system. As a matter of fact, the desired information is far from complete for even a single system in gas phase adsorption [1, 2]. Therefore, any discussion of organic adsorption at solid electrodes must necessarily be incomplete with respect to experimental evidence and information. In this chapter we shall present much of the available data on the electrosorption of organic compounds, although no attempt is made at completeness. Information from adsorption on mercury, recently reviewed by Frumkin and Damaskin [3] and gas phase adsorption are presented where comparison seems justified.
Multiscale modeling of failure in composites under model parameter uncertainty

This manuscript presents a multiscale stochastic failure modeling approach for fiber reinforced composites. A homogenization based reduced-order multiscale computational model is employed to predict the progressive damage accumulation and failure in the composite. Uncertainty in the composite response is modeled at the scale of the microstructure by considering the constituent material (i.e., matrix and fiber) parameters governing the evolution of damage as random variables. Through the use of the multiscale model, randomness at the constituent scale is propagated to the scale of the composite laminate. The probability distributions of the underlying material parameters are calibrated from unidirectional composite experiments using a Bayesian statistical approach. The calibrated multiscale model is exercised to predict the ultimate tensile strength of quasi-isotropic open-hole composite specimens at various loading rates. The effect of random spatial distribution of constituent material properties on the composite response is investigated.
Biaxial Flexure of Columns by Analog Computers

The solution, by means of an electrical analog computer, of the differential equations governing the deformational response of columns loaded within the elastic range is explored. Specific examples are given for biaxial loaded, thin-walled columns of open cross section. Scaling technique and accuracy of results are examined. Based on the analog computer solutions, the actual stress distributions within a given member subjected to a prescribed biaxial loading can be directly determined.
Transfer factor: forgotten, but not gone (MUC2P.934)

It has been over 70 years since the discovery of cellular immunity. Further investigation revealed that the even if immune cells are lysed and the molecular size limited to 8kDa, such injections retain some of the immunity-transferring properties. The term “transfer factor” (TF) was coined to denote the undiscovered substance responsibly for this phenomenon. Yet despite early interest, TF was all but abandoned in the 1990’s; in part due to unsubstantiated and fraudulent claims as well as the discovery of HIV, which suspended consideration of deriving therapy from blood. However, while TF was shelved as poorly elucidated, no clear explanation was provided for the observation of a small molecule harboring antigen-specific properties and therapeutic potential. Reopening this chapter, we discovered transfer factor is produced by memory T-cells and acts directly upon dendritic cells in an antigen-specific manner; ultimately activating mucosal immunity via Tc17 pathways. Antigen-targeted TF enhanced inflammatory response in models against Candida as well as S. aureus . Mass spec data suggests TF is hybrid compound, predicted to containing elements of peptides and nitrogenous bases. Finally, we provide ex vivo human data to demonstrate the therapeutic potential of TF and even attempt to address some of the past’s more fanciful claim. This report represents transfer factors’ resurrection and provides a modern scientific investigation into this once forgotten area of immunology.