cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Life in the last few million years

The excellent fossil record of the past few million years, combined with the overwhelming similarity of the biota to extant species, provides an outstanding opportunity for understanding paleoecological and macroevolutionary patterns and processes within a rigorous biological framework. Unfortunately, this potential has not been fully exploited because of lack of well-sampled time series and adequate statistical analysis. Nevertheless, four basic patterns appear to be of general significance. First, a major pulse of extinction occurred 1–2 m.y. ago in many ocean basins, more or less coincident with the intensification of glaciation in the Northern Hemisphere. Rates of origination also increased greatly but were more variable in magnitude and timing. The fine-scale correlation of these evolutionary events with changes in climate is poorly understood. Similar events probably occurred on land but have not been tested adequately. Second, rates of origination and extinction in the oceans waned after the pulse of extinction, especially during the past 1 m.y. Thus, most marine species originated long before the Pleistocene under very different environmental circumstances, suggesting that they are “exapted” rather than adapted to their present ecological circumstances. The same may be true for many terrestrial groups, but not for the mammals or fresh-water fishes that have continued to undergo speciation throughout the Pleistocene. Third, community membership of late Pleistocene coral reef communities was more stable than expected by chance. These are the only paleoecological data adequate to test hypotheses of community stability, so that we do not know whether community structure involving other taxa or environments typically reflects more than the collective behavior of individual species distributions. Regardless, the strong evidence for nearly universal exaptation of ecological characteristics argues strongly against ideas of coevolution of species in communities. Finally, ecological communities were profoundly altered by human activities long before modern ecological studies began. Holocene paleontological, archeological, and historical data constitute the only ecological baseline for “pristine” ecological communities before significant human disturbance. Holocene records should be much more extensively used as a baseline for Recent ecological studies and for conservation and management.
Highly reactive free radicals in electronic cigarette aerosols.

Electronic cigarette (EC) usage has increased exponentially, but limited data are available on its potential harmful effects. We tested for the presence of reactive, short-lived free radicals in EC aerosols by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) using the spin-trap phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN). Radicals were detected in aerosols from all ECs and eliquids tested (2.5 × 1013 to 10.3 × 1013 radicals per puff at 3.3 V) and from eliquid solvents propylene glycol and glycerol and from “dry puffing”. These results demonstrate, for the first time, the production of highly oxidizing free radicals from ECs which may present a potential toxicological risk to EC users.
Nicotine-Induced Modulation of T Cell Function

Tobacco smoking may predispose humans to respiratory disease, and may be a compounding risk factor in HIV infection and progression to AIDS. We have demonstrated that chronic exposure of mice and rats to cigarette smoke or nicotine inhibits T cell responsiveness, which may account for the decreased antibody response to T-dependent antigens seen in these animals. This inhibition may result from aberrant antigen-mediated signaling and depletion of IP3-sensitive Ca2+ stores in nicotine-treated animals. Moreover, nicotine appears to moderate the inflammation associated with turpentine-induced sterile abscess and influenza infection. These anti-inflammatory properties of nicotine may account for longer survival of nicotine-treated than control mice lethally infected with influenza virus. However, because inflammation is required for clearance of many pathogens, nicotine-treated mice exhibit significantly higher titers of influenza virus following infection. These results offer an explanation for the higher susceptibility to some infectious diseases, but greater resistance to some inflammatory diseases among human smokers.
Citizenship in an Unequal World: A Discussion of the Birthright Lottery: Citizenship and Global Inequality by Ayelet Shachar

Essay in Review Symposium, Citizenship in an Unequal World: A Discussion on The Birthright Lottery: Citizenship and Global Inequality, in Perspectives On Politics Ayelet Shachar has written an original and ambitious book — one that makes a distinctive contribution to the fields of citizenship theory and global justice studies. The analogy she develops between citizenship and property in The Birthright Lottery is powerful, and while not convincing in every respect, it productively serves to highlight the drastically determinative role played by geopolitical birth circumstances in shaping people’s life chances globally. The book is complex and opens many avenues for discussion. In this setting, I want to briefly address three issues: the first two are conceptual in nature, and the third regards a normative and strategic dilemma that I believe Shachar’s argument raises.
Effect of dihydrocholesterol and soy bean sterols on elevated tissue cholesterol.

Summary1. Feeding a diet containing dihydrocholesterol to mice with elevated liver cholesterol did not result in an increased rate of liver cholesterol mobilization. 2. Rabbits with elevated blood cholesterol levels were treated with dietary soy bean sterols. The rate of fall of plasma cholesterol was not increased above that observed in a control group.
Seasonal abundance and degree-day prediction of sod webworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) adult emergence in Virginia

Sod webworm larvae are pests of commercial and ornamental turfgrasses. Sixteen sod webworm species occurred from May to October in Virginia; some were multivoltine and others were univoltine. Number of generations and flight peaks differed among species. Calendar date was a better flight peak predictor than degree-days (DD) for most species. However, DD models generated from pooled data were the best flight peak predictors for three species. Pediasia trisecta (Walker) adults first appeared at 271 ± 25.5 DD (C) (488 ± 45.5 DD [F)) and 211 ±23.0 DD (C) (380 ± 42.5 DD [F)) in 1981 and 1982, respectively (10°C base temperature). P. trisecta took 541 DD (C) (975 DD [F)) and 610 DD (C) (1,906 DD [F)) from the beginning of the first generation to the second and 746 DD (C) (1,343 DD [F)) and 730 DD (C) (1,315 DD [F)) from the second to the third generation during 1981 and 1982, respectively. Pooled models were more reliable for predicting adult flight peaks to identify optimal times to apply insecticidal sprays for some species, while calendar dates were best for others.
Phylogeny and ontogeny in plant sociology

1. Phylogeny and Ontogeny of Associations, confused in some ecological systems, should be sharply distinguished. 2. Phylogenies are outlined for the Ammophileta, Cakileta, Salicornieta and Spartineta of the North Atlantic Coast.
Management of sternal wounds by limited debridement and partial bilateral pectoralis major myocutaneous advancement flaps in 25 patients: a less invasive approach

PurposeBecause sternal wound complications after sternotomy can be life threatening and often occur in very sick patients, optimal management of these complications remains an important topic. To decrease postoperative morbidity and shorten the recovery period, the senior author (J.A.A.) sought a le
Comment on “A Major Price-Perceived Quality Study Reexamined”

There is no escaping the fact that a computational error is present in a simple contingency table in my 1966-67 dissertation research. No researcher interested in the advancement of knowledge wishes conclusions to be drawn that the data may not justify; yet such conclusions are precisely what I may have occasioned, in at least some measure, about price/ quality. Riesz is to be commended for detecting an error that has been in the public eye for well over a decade-and has gone undetected all these years. It is disappointing, however, that interest has been insufficiently strong to generate any really new research, other than a couple of minor studies involving pencil and paper tests. Riesz cites one of these studies, by Peacock and Davis (1970). The other (McConnell 1970), which fails to support his position, Riesz ignores-an instance of selective reviewing, at best. Enough time has elapsed since 1966 for replication of the research and for the testing of the same hypotheses by alternate procedures. Why this research has not been done is difficult to understand. Replication is common practice in most fields of research, yet the writer is unaware of any great amount of replication being reported in the marketing literature. It is even more difficult to understand the lack of replication once analysis has revealed the possibility of an anomaly in a relationship. Any behavioral research study is likely to raise as many questions as it answers, and this would be true even if human needs, values, and knowledge remained constant and if we all came from the same culture. However, we know that needs and values do change and this changing state makes current research even more desirable. Riesz also critiques the study design; therefore, some comments are in order.
Turning toward the Other: the face of humans, the face of things and the face of language in the documentaries of Sylvain George

AbstractIn Sylvain George’s documentaries on migrants in Calais, aesthetics, ethics and politics figure together in such a way that revises the understanding of ethics currently held within scholarship on Emmanuel Levinas and documentary cinema. George’s films – L’Impossible (2009) and Qu’ils reposent en revolte (2010) are examined here in particular – move documentary ethics away from moral concerns of how not to offend the alterity of the filmed subject, to the very modes of visuality vis-a-vis the faces of others. The montage of faces in George’s films and the equivocal place of faces in Levinas’s ethics suggest how the immediate expression of the face comes into play through the very forms of mediation and representation, such as metaphors, language and technique. These are the forms through which the cinematic alters visual-sensible dispositions toward others, which is an ethics. The particularity of documentary ethics, then, transpires not as pre-given but only insofar as cinema’s alteration of sens...
Integrating Behavioral Health in Primary Care Using Lean Workflow Analysis: A Case Study

Background: Primary care offices are integrating behavioral health (BH) clinicians into their practices. Implementing such a change is complex, difficult, and time consuming. Lean workflow analysis may be an efficient, effective, and acceptable method for use during integration. The objectives of this study were to observe BH integration into primary care and to measure its impact. Methods: This was a prospective, mixed-methods case study in a primary care practice that served 8,426 patients over a 17-month period, with 652 patients referred to BH services. Secondary measures included primary care visits resulting in BH referrals, referrals resulting in scheduled appointments, time from referral to the scheduled appointment, and time from the referral to the first visit. Providers and staff were surveyed on the Lean method. Results: Referrals increased from 23 to 37 per 1000 visits (P Conclusions: This pilot integration of BH showed significant improvements in treatment initiation and other measures. Strengths of Lean analysis included workflow improvement, system perspective, and project success. Further evaluation is indicated.
Kaposi's sarcoma of the penis in a patient with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

AbstractWe report a case of secondary Kaposi’s sarcoma of the penis and the acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Recognition of the penile lesion as being secondary Kaposi’s sarcoma is paramount, since the clinical course appears to be dependent upon systemic disease. Local therapy is reserved for palliation upon disease recurrence.
Laterally Stabilised Total Knee Arthroplasty With Eight-Year Clinical Results

A unique, laterally stabilized design concept (3D Knee-DJO Surgical, Inc) for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) without traditional post and cam construct was developed to allow surgeons to resurface the arthritic knee while choosing to maintain or sacrifice the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Reported complications with current ‘post and cam’ designs of PCL-substituting TKRs include higher polyethylene wear associated with cam-post impingement, increased bone interface shear stresses, and more distal femoral bone resection making revisions more complex and problematic. The effectiveness of this laterally stabilized TKA design has been extensively studied biomechanically using both in-vitro and in-vivo methods. It was hypothesized that for this total knee arthroplasty design; the mid-term clinical, radiographic and functional results would be the same for patients having two different surgical techniques in which the posterior cruciate ligament was either completely retained or completely resected. This study reports on eight year clinical results as well as in-vivo fluoroscopic results and retrieval data. Reported are 159 patients with 116 knees done by a surgeon who preserved the PCL with a bone block technique and 43 knees by a second surgeon who completely resected the PCL. Clinical results did not statistically differ between the two groups and found Knee Society Scores of 96 for Pain and 91 for Function. Average ROM was measured at 124 degrees. Comparative fluoroscopic imaging analysis of in-vivo dynamic flexion activities of thirty-three (20 PCL-preserved and 13 PCL resected) knees was performed demonstrating stable performance and only small (non-significant) mechanical differences. Analysis of two unrelated groups of tibial polyethylene inserts, the first retrieved from patients after 1–4 years in-vivo function (n = 14) and the second after in-vitro knee wear simulation (n = 4) showed low wear rates with no delamination. There was only one failure for mechanical loosening in the cruciate resected group and radiolucent lines of greater than 2 mm were only seen in 4% with none being progressive. Kaplan-Meier Survivorship, using mechanical loosening as the end point, was 99.2% at an average of 8.8 years. In summary, this laterally stabilized TKR design offers a very good alternative to standard ‘post and cam’ PCL sacrificing TKRs while still giving surgeons the ability to maintain the PCL if desired.
Roles of hippocampal subfields in verbal and visual episodic memory.

Abstract Introduction Selective hippocampal (HC) subfield atrophy has been reported in older adults with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. The goal of this study was to investigate the associations between the volume of hippocampal subfields and visual and verbal episodic memory in cognitively normal older adults. Methods This study was conducted on a subset of 133 participants from the Einstein Aging Study (EAS), a community-based study of non-demented older adults systematically recruited from the Bronx, N.Y. All participants completed comprehensive EAS neuropsychological assessment. Visual episodic memory was assessed using the Complex Figure Delayed Recall subtest from the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Verbal episodic memory was assessed using Delayed Recall from the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT). All participants underwent 3T MRI brain scanning with subsequent automatic measurement of the hemispheric hippocampal subfield volumes (CA1, CA2-CA3, CA4-dente gyrus, presubiculum, and subiculum). We used linear regressions to model the association between hippocampal subfield volumes and visual and verbal episodic memory tests while adjusting for age, sex, education, and total intracranial volume. Results Participants had a mean age of 78.9 (SD = 5.1) and 60.2% were female. Total hippocampal volume was associated with Complex Figure Delayed Recall (β = 0.31, p = 0.001) and FCSRT Delayed Recall (β = 0.27, p = 0.007); subiculum volume was associated with Complex Figure Delayed Recall (β = 0.27, p = 0.002) and FCSRT Delayed Recall (β = 0.24, p = 0.010); CA1 was associated with Complex Figure Delayed Recall (β = 0.26, p p = 0.025). Conclusions Our findings confirm previous research on the specific roles of CA1 and subiculum in episodic memory. Our results suggest that hippocampal subfields have sensitive roles in the process of visual and verbal episodic memory.
Designing the New American University - Book Review

Crow and Dabars describe a new model for American universities that will take institutions beyond rankings based on selectivity to values based on inclusiveness. The authors also argue that universities can and should play a larger role in local community and economic development by partnering with industry and government. The case is compelling and will be a useful guide for university administrators in the years ahead.
Writing a Goal-centered Syllabus

BRIEF SESSION DESCRIPTION:Syllabi don't always align well with stated course goals. It is important for students and faculty both to have a clear idea of the bigger picture purpose of a course and be able to see what students will do to accomplish learning in line with these goals.AÂ Developing a goal centered syllabus is critical for those teaching core courses, courses with a large number of sections, or distance courses that may be A¢â¬Ahanded offA¢â¬Â to other instructors. Particularly in survey courses it is easy to let content drive the instruction and lose sight of broader course goals. AÂ This session will showcase different versions of a science course syllabus as an example to explore strategies for creating effective syllabi for a class in any discipline that centers around specified learning outcomes. AÂ Participants will have time to work on and receive feedback on their learning outcomes and syllabi.________________________________________________________________FULL ABSTRACT: Syllabi don't always align well with stated course goals. It is important for students and faculty both to have a clear idea of the bigger picture purpose of a course and be able to see what students will do to accomplish learning in line with these goals.AÂ Developing a goal centered syllabus is critical for those teaching core courses, courses with a large number of sections, or distance courses that may be A¢â¬Ahanded offA¢â¬Â to other instructors. Particularly in survey courses it is easy to let content drive the instruction and lose sight of broader course goals. I will present two versions of a current syllabus for a science course to show discontinuities regarding goasl in the original document and how these were reduced or eliminated in the re-write. I will explain how learning goals can be integrated into a syllabus in a way that will help instructors, as well as students, get a clear picture of what the course should be about. Research on learning goals and their value in structuring student thinking as they approach course material will give depth and broaden the value of the exercise. While based on a specific example, I plan to generalize the approach so that it could be used by instructors at multiple levels in a variety of disciplines. Because the syllabus is often the first encounter a student has with a course beyond a title and a sentence long description, I will encourage making the syllabus somewhat more enjoyable to read, and clear in its vision of what the student be able to do as a result of the course. I plan to include a handout that faculty can use to read more abut designing goal-oriented syllabi and research that supports the concept. I would hope that faculty from any discipline will benefit from stepping back to take a look a their own syllabi after the presentation with the idea of seeing how goals are woven into the whole document rather than merely stated. AÂ Participants will have time to work on and receive feedback on their syllabi.More more resources about writing a syllabus:AÂ https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/teaching/designing-your-syllabus
Postoperative Management of Patients Following Transsphenoidal Surgery

Endonasal transsphenoidal surgery offers access to the anterior, middle, and posterior cranial fossa and is particularly efficacious for sellar lesions, even those with suprasellar extension, cavernous sinus invasion, and sellar and clival infiltration. With the widespread adoption of these techniques, largely obviating the need for sublabial and transcranial approaches, postoperative care is becoming increasingly standardized and simplified. The nature of a patient's pathology largely determines the course of their postoperative care, as does the adjacent neurovascular anatomy and sinonasal anatomy accessed during endonasal, transsphenoidal approaches. In this context, the practitioner should be aware of the following management considerations in both the immediate postoperative inpatient setting and during outpatient follow-up. The protocols used in our center are influenced by the discharge of the majority of our patients on the first postoperative day.
Reasoning with alternative explanations in physics: The cognitive accessibility rule

Introductory physics students consider alternative explanations less frequently when an explanation with high cognitive accessibility is offered.
The Role of Nitric Oxide Donors in Treating Cerebral Vasospasm After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Reduced intra- and perivascular availability of nitric oxide (NO) significantly contributes to the multifactorial pathophysiology of cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The short half-life of NO demands its therapeutic substitution via NO donors. Classic NO donors such as sodium nitroprusside and nitroglycerin cannot be used as routine therapeutics because of serious side effects. Thus, a new generation of NO donors has been the subject of experimental investigations to avoid the drawbacks of the classic drugs. The purpose of this paper is to review the characteristics of different NO donors with regard to their promise and potential consequences in treating cerebral vasospasm. Additional novel concepts to increase NO concentrations, such as the activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), are discussed.
4.6 Tubulin and Microtubule Structure: Mechanistic Insights into Dynamic Instability and Its Biological Relevance

Microtubules are essential eukaryotic polymers assembled from αβ-tubulin subunits in a GTP-dependent manner. Polymerization-coupled hydrolysis leads to a metastable assembly and the property of dynamic instability. Tubulin's nucleotide binding domain is distinct from classical GTPases, and it is followed by an α–β intermediate and an all-helical C-terminal domain. The first two domains are shared with FtsZ and related bacterial proteins. Most tubulin isotype differences and post-translational modifications are located in the unstructured and highly acidic tubulin C-terminal tails, which are essential for interaction with MAPs. Assembly and disassembly of microtubules occur via structural intermediates that likely play important biological roles.
Introduction to Telerehabilitation

Telerehabilitation (TR) is an important subdiscipline of telemedicine. Although its history is relatively brief compared to other areas of telemedicine, it has quickly emerged as an area of practice where communication and information technology can have a large positive impact on the health and well-being of those capitalizing on its advantages. Comparison of TR with traditional, in-person rehabilitation service reveals that costs may be reduced and the effectiveness may be improved with use of TR. The potential for improvements and cost reductions are particularly high for rehabilitation services that involve prolonged interventions, as is the case for people with permanent disabilities and chronic conditions, or who are context or environmentally sensitive, such as in vocational and educational applications. This chapter summarizes the development of TR as a discipline, describes its current scope and its position relative to other telemedicine disciplines.
Disrupted interactions among the hippocampal, dorsal attention, and central-executive networks in amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Neuroimaging investigations consistently demonstrate that the neural processes involve complex interactions between the large-scale networks. Among those networks, the dorsal attention network (DAN) and the central-executive network (CEN) have been previously shown to exhibit anti-correlated activity with the default-mode network (DMN) in cognitively normal people. In amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease, the hippocampal network (HCN)-a key memory processing system-and its interactions with other networks have gathered central interest. The current study aims to evaluate the patterns of functional architectures of the HCN with the three networks-DAN, CEN, and DMN-in amnestic MCI and normal controls (NC) to test the hypothesis that the interactions of HCN with other networks alter in MCI. We recorded the resting state functional MRI, assessed patterns of functional architectures between the four networks using dynamical causal modeling, and compared between NC and MCI. Our analysis showed that the DAN modulates the activity between the HCN and the DMN in both MCI and NC. We further uncovered that the DAN modulates the activity between the HCN and the CEN in NC, but such modulation is impaired in MCI. We found an association between impaired modulation and Montreal cognitive assessment (R = 0.349). Overall, our findings provide important insight in understanding the neuroimaging signature of amnestic MCI and/or Alzheimer's disease.
Heterogeneous Nonlinear Integrated Photonics

Integrated photonics has been pursued on a large variety of materials and platforms over more than half a century. In recent decades, silicon has emerged as the preferred optical and substrate material. However, since many optical functionalities cannot be, inherently or conveniently, implemented on silicon-based devices, heterogeneous integration of other materials has been an inevitable constituent of silicon photonics from its inception. This paper reviews recent progress in the heterogeneous integration of dielectrics and compound semiconductors as the core optical material for ultracompact nonlinear integrated photonics, preferably on silicon substrates. Occasionally, important devices on native substrates of the core nonlinear material are also reviewed. The focus is on ultracompact photonic devices and circuits formed on submicron films of lithium niobate (LiNbO3), and the aluminium-gallium-arsenide (AlGaAs) and aluminium-gallium-nitride (AlGaN) families for second-order nonlinear processes, such as second-harmonic generation, and techniques to address phase-matching in them. Integration of second- and third-order nonlinear devices on the same chip appears to be a future trend, thus the related preliminary results are reviewed. A broader introduction to heterogeneously integrated photonics, shortcomings of conventional silicon photonics for application in nonlinear optics, as well as an overview of modeling second-order nonlinear integrated-waveguide devices are also provided for completeness.
A review of food craving measures

Abstract Objective Summarize and evaluate self-report measures of food craving, provide suggestions on future directions for the field of food craving measurement, and deliver guidance on how to select a food craving measure. Methods Online bibliographical databases (PsycINFO and PubMed) were searched for peer-reviewed literature on self-report measures of food craving. Results There is a wide selection of food craving measures that researchers and clinicians can use to assess state, past, and trait food cravings. Most questionnaires were tested on homogenous samples and their psychometric properties in older, male, and socioeconomically, racially, and ethnically diverse samples is largely unknown. Few questionnaires were tested in samples with overweight/obesity or eating disorders. Relatively few questionnaires adequately evaluate contextual factors that can trigger craving. There appears to be limited data on the predictive validity of food craving measures in regards to response to eating disorder treatment. A decision tree was provided to help researchers and clinicians select a food craving measure that is best suited to a particular clinical or research purpose. Conclusions It is recommended that researchers adequately assess the contextual factors that may trigger craving and the multi-sensory nature of craving for food. It would be beneficial for researchers to evaluate the psychometrics of food craving measures in more diverse samples (in terms of sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, weight status, and eating disorder psychopathology). More longitudinal studies should be conducted to provide information on the predictive validity of food craving measures regarding response to eating disorder treatment. Furthermore, it is suggested that researchers assess which tactics people use to reduce the frequency and strength of food cravings and restrain their consumption of craved foods.
Caring Schools and Educators a Solution to Disparities in Academic Performance: Learners of Colors Speak:

Disparities in academic performance based on race in the United States are a persistent problem. As a result, a plethora of remedies such as using student-centered instructional strategies, de-trac...
Mordell-Lang plus Bogomolov II: the division group

In "Mordell-Lang plus Bogomolov", we formulated a conjecture combining the Mordell-Lang conjecture (now proven) and the Bogomolov conjecture, and proved the Mordellic part when A is almost split (i.e., isogenous to the product of an abelian variety and a torus). Here we prove that the full conjecture would follow from the Bogomolov conjecture and an equidistribution result for general semiabelian varieties. These assumptions have been proved when A is almost split, so the conjecture is completely proven in that case.
Decentralized Finance: Blockchain Technology and the Quest for an Open Financial System

Blockchain technology can reduce transaction costs, facilitate decentralized platforms, and produce distributed trust, creating a foundation for new business models. In the financial industry, blockchain technology allows for the rise of decentralized financial services that may be more decentralized, innovative, interoperable, borderless, and transparent. Decentralized financial services have the potential to reduce transaction costs, broaden financial inclusion, facilitate open access, encourage permissionless innovation, and create new opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovators. In this article, we assess the benefits of decentralized finance, identify existing business models, and evaluate potential challenges and limits. As a new area of financial technology, decentralized finance may reshape the structure of modern finance and create a new landscape for entrepreneurship and innovation, showcasing the potential of decentralization as a foundation for new business models.
Design of circadian white light-emitting diodes with tunable color temperature and nearly perfect color rendition

The design of white light-emitting diodes is carried out to achieve highly efficient white light emission with superior color quality, good vision performance, and healthy effect on human circadian rhythms. Here, the white light is obtained by combing five different emissions (blue, cyan, green, yellow, and red) from organolead halide perovskites [MAPb(BrxI1-x)3, MA-CH3NH3]. The color characteristics are evaluated by calculating the CIE coordinates, the correlated-color temperature (CCT), the color-rendering indices (CRI: Ra, R9-R15), and the Duv. Vision performance is evaluated by calculating the luminous efficacy of radiation. The effect of white light on human circadian rhythms is evaluated by calculating the circadian action factor (CAF). The results show that the white lights with a tunable CCT from 2851 K to 8315 K, extremely high CRI (up to 98.7), and small Duv (0.0002 – 0.0055) have been obtained by engineering the spectral power distributions. In addition, excellent vision performance and highly tunable CAF are demonstrated. These findings demonstrate that these types of materials are promising candidates to achieve highly efficient white light emission with excellent color quality and vision performance.
The Effectiveness of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) on Diet Quality as Measured by the Healthy Eating Index

The objective of the study was to assess the relationship between participation in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and food-related behavior change, as measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2005, using a single-state, case study approach. Pre-EFNEP and post-EFNEP participation HEI scores as well as demographic, geographic, socioeconomic, and program participation characteristics from fiscal years 2013-2016 were analyzed using summary statistics and Ordinary Least Squares regressions. HEI scores were adjusted for age, sex, race, rural/urban residence, county, highest grade achieved, income, number of children, public assistance programs, and number of hours in EFNEP in the analysis. The total HEI score and several HEI subscores improved from pre-EFNEP to post-EFNEP at the 5% significance level or better. Sodium and total grains scores decreased post-EFNEP: P = .003 and P = .05, respectively. Participation in Women, Infants, and Children or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program had no effect on HEI scores or changes in scores post-EFNEP. Spending less than 7 hours in the program was associated with a smaller improvement in total HEI score (P = .05) and an increased intake of sodium (P = .03), compared with spending 7 to 16 hours in the program. Overall, EFNEP participation was associated with improvements in diet quality.
Google Versus PubMed: Comparison of Google and PubMed's Search Tools for Answering Clinical Questions in the Emergency Department

Study objective We assess which search tool returns the highest-quality, most relevant citations for standardized clinical questions arising at the point of care in the emergency department (ED). Methods Search terms related to 3 clinical questions commonly encountered in the ED were entered into 5 search tools. The following search engines and tools were assessed: Google Web, Google Scholar, PubMed, PubMed Clinical Queries set to narrow search, and PubMed Clinical Queries set to broad search. The first 60 hits, in the order of most recent first, were reviewed and assessed for quality of evidence, relevance versus irrelevance, and number of high-quality hits, and each search instrument was graded for overall readability with a visual analog scale. Quality relevance ratio, defined as the ratio of high-quality relevant hits to low-quality irrelevant hits, was calculated for each tool according to these searches. Results Overall, PubMed Clinical Queries narrow search had the highest quality relevance ratio, averaging 0.85. PubMed Clinical Queries narrow search also returned high-quality relevant hits without the need to filter out as many low-quality irrelevant hits. Google Scholar retrieved the highest number of systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials, and returned the most complete search results, finding relevant citations other search engines did not. Google Web consistently had the lowest quality relevance ratio and contained many duplicate hits. Conclusion For the common clinical questions assessed in this study, PubMed Clinical Queries narrow search had the highest-quality, most relevant, and most readable hits. Google Scholar performed well, in some cases retrieving citations that other search engines did not. PubMed and Google Web were not as efficient.
Prediction of mechanical hemolysis in medical devices via a Lagrangian strain‐based multiscale model

This work introduces a new Lagrangian strain-based model to predict the shear-induced hemolysis in biomedical devices. Current computational models for device-induced hemolysis usually utilize empirical fitting of the released free hemoglobin (Hb) in plasma from damaged red blood cells (RBCs). These empirical correlations contain parameters that depend on specific device and operating conditions, thus cannot be used to predict hemolysis in a general device. The proposed algorithm does not have any empirical parameters, thus can presumably be used for hemolysis prediction in various blood-wetting medical devices. In contrast to empirical correlations in which the Hb release is related to the shear stress and exposure time without considering the physical processes, the proposed model links flow-induced deformation of the RBC membrane to membrane permeabilization and Hb release. In this approach, once the steady-state numerical solution of blood flow in the device is obtained under a prescribed operating condition, sample path lines are traced from the inlet of the device to the outlet to calculate the history of the shear stress tensor. In solving the fluid flow, it is assumed that RBCs do not have any influence on the flow pattern. Along each path line, shear stress tensor will be input into a coarse-grained (CG) RBC model to calculate the RBC deformation. Then the correlations obtained from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are applied to relate the local areal RBC deformation to the perforated area on the RBC membrane. Finally, Hb released out of transient pores is calculated over each path line via a diffusion equation considering the effects of the steric hindrance and increased hydrodynamic drag due to the size of the Hb molecule. The total index of hemolysis (IH) is calculated by integration of released Hb over all the path lines in the computational domain. Hemolysis generated in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nozzle and two blood pumps, that is, a CentriMag blood pump (a centrifugal pump) and HeartMate II (an axial pump), for different flow regimes including the laminar and turbulent flows are calculated via the proposed algorithm. In all the simulations, the numerical predicted IH is close to the range of experimental data. The results promisingly indicate that this multiscale approach can be used as a tool for predicting hemolysis and optimizing the hematologic design of other types of blood-wetting devices.
Comparison of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among African Immigrants and African Americans: An Analysis of the 2010 to 2016 National Health Interview Surveys.

Background Racial/ethnic minorities, especially non‐Hispanic blacks, in the United States are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. However, less is known about the prevalence of car...
Effects of patient-level noise abatement orders on sound levels experienced by critically ill subarachnoid hemorrhage patients: an observational study.

Patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) may be at risk for complications related to excessive environmental noise. Our ICU utilizes a variety of universal interventions to minimize ...
A First Course in the Calculus of Variations

Introduction The first variation Cases and examples Basic generalizations Constraints The second variation Review and preview The homogeneous problem Variable-endpoint conditions Broken extremals Strong variations Sufficient conditions Bibliography Index
Novel mapping techniques for rotor core detection using simulated intracardiac electrograms.

Background Catheter ablation is associated with limited success rates in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Currently, existing mapping systems fail to identify critical target sites for ablation. Recently, we proposed and validated several techniques (multiscale frequency [MSF], Shannon entropy [SE], kurtosis [Kt], and multiscale entropy [MSE]) to identify pivot point of rotors using ex-vivo optical mapping animal experiments. However, the performance of these techniques is unclear for the clinically recorded intracardiac electrograms (EGMs), due to the different nature of the signals. Objective This study aims to evaluate the performance of MSF, MSE, SE, and Kt techniques to identify the pivot point of the rotor using unipolar and bipolar EGMs obtained from numerical simulations. Methods Stationary and meandering rotors were simulated in a 2D human atria. The performances of new approaches were quantified by comparing the "true" core of the rotor with the core identified by the techniques. Also, the performances of all techniques were evaluated in the presence of noise, scar, and for the case of the multielectrode multispline and grid catheters. Results Our results demonstrate that all the approaches are able to accurately identify the pivot point of both stationary and meandering rotors from both unipolar and bipolar EGMs. The presence of noise and scar tissue did not significantly affect the performance of the techniques. Finally, the core of the rotors was correctly identified for the case of multielectrode multispline and grid catheter simulations. Conclusion The core of rotors can be successfully identified from EGMs using novel techniques; thus, providing motivation for future clinical implementations.
Staging and Classification of Primary Musculoskeletal Bone and Soft-Tissue Tumors According to the 2020 WHO Update, From the AJR Special Series on Cancer Staging

Staging of primary musculoskeletal bone and soft-tissue tumors is most commonly performed using the AJCC and the Enneking or Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) staging systems. Radiologic imaging...
Association of Pathologic Nodal Metastasis Count With Oncologic Outcomes in Head and Neck Cancer: A Secondary Analysis of RTOG 9501, RTOG 0234, and EORTC 22931.

Purpose/Objective(s) Current pathologic lymph node (LN) staging for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) is based on LN size, laterality, and presence of extracapsular extension. However, some retrospective registry and single institution studies have suggested that the number of positive (+) LNs is the dominant nodal factor driving survival in HNSCC. Given the limitations of these datasets, it is unclear whether number of +LNs increases mortality through increased locoregional recurrence (LRR), distant metastases (DM), or both. In this study, we evaluate the prognostic value of number of +LNs in HNSCC using an international cohort of patients enrolled on three prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Materials/Methods Secondary analysis was performed of RTOG 9501, RTOG 0234, and EORTC 22931, 3 prospective RCTs of patients undergoing surgery followed by post-operative radiation (RT) with or without systemic therapy. Univariate and multivariable models with restricted cubic splines were constructed to evaluate the association between number of +LNs and overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), LRR, and DM. Competing risks analysis was used for LRR and DM. Non-linear restricted cubic splines were used to model the relationship between +LN number and outcomes. Results Overall, 947 patients were included in this secondary analysis. OS independently decreased with increasing number of +LNs without plateau, which was most pronounced up to a change point of 5 +LNs (hazard ratio [HR], 1.19 per LN; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10–1.29; P 5 +LNs, respectively. Conclusion Number of +LNs was validated as an independent factor associated with worse OS and DFS without plateau in a secondary analysis of 3 RCTs of patients with HNSCC undergoing surgery and post-operative RT. For patients with ≤5 +LNs, increased mortality was driven by both increased LRR and DM risk. However, beyond 5 +LNs, additional mortality increases were driven entirely by increasing DM. These changing patterns of recurrence as a function of quantitative nodal burden can help inform future clinical trials attempted to improve outcomes through treatment intensification.
Lactococcus and Lactobacillus

This scope of this chapter is limited to discussions of Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Streptococcus thermophilus, and summarizes and abstracts the major areas of research of lactic acid bacteria. The historical association of the lactic acid bacteria with milk fermentation has encouraged a substantial amount of research on the biochemistry and genetics of lactose and milk protein catabolism. The genus Pediococcus contains a number of divergent species. The lac genes of S. thermophilus and Lactobacillus spp. are organized differently than those of E. coli. Extracellular protease production in Lactococcus lactis is an unstable and variable trait. The proteinases of lactic acid bacteria produce a complicated mixture of polypeptides that the bacteria must break down into individual amino acids. The finding that some lactic acid bacteria require peptides for growth correlates well with the intracellular location determined for the peptidases. To date, the nucleotide sequences of more than 50 genes isolated from lactic acid bacteria, primarily the lactococci and lactobacilli, are published and available in nucleic acid data banks. Many of these genes are discussed in the chapter. The authors hope that the chapter dissuades the reader from the commonly held belief that little is known about the biology, biochemistry, and genetics of lactic acid bacteria.
The Poisson transform on a compact real analytic Riemannian manifold

We study the transform mapping an \(L^{2}\) function f on a compact, real analytic Riemannian manifold X to the analytic continuation of \(\exp (-t \sqrt{\Delta })f\) to the interior of a Grauert tube tube \(M_{t}\) about X. We show that after precomposing with an elliptic pseudodifferential operator this becomes a unitary map from \(L^{2}(X)\) onto the holomorphic \(L^{2}\) functions on \(M_{t}\). If a compact Lie group of isometries acts transitively on X then the inverse of this unitarized map can be constructed by the restrict ion principle.
Opportunity costs of reward delays and the discounting of hypothetical money and cigarettes.

Humans are reported to discount delayed rewards at lower rates than nonhumans. However, nonhumans are studied in tasks that restrict reinforcement during delays, whereas humans are typically studied in tasks that do not restrict reinforcement during delays. In nonhuman tasks, the opportunity cost of restricted reinforcement during delays may increase delay discounting rates. The present within-subjects study used online crowdsourcing (Amazon Mechanical Turk, or MTurk) to assess the discounting of hypothetical delayed money (and cigarettes in smokers) under four hypothetical framing conditions differing in the availability of reinforcement during delays. At one extreme, participants were free to leave their computer without returning, and engage in any behavior during reward delays (modeling typical human tasks). At the opposite extreme, participants were required to stay at their computer and engage in little other behavior during reward delays (modeling typical nonhuman tasks). Discounting rates increased as an orderly function of opportunity cost. Results also indicated predominantly hyperbolic discounting, the “magnitude effect,” steeper discounting of cigarettes than money, and positive correlations between discounting rates of these commodities. This is the first study to test the effects of opportunity costs on discounting, and suggests that procedural differences may partially account for observed species differences in discounting.