cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Upon the Presence of Suppuration in the Tubercles of Leprosy

Altho the majority of leprographers recognize that the cutaneous nodules in the tubercular type of leprosy may and do occasionally "break down" with the formation of a purulent or necrotic material, resulting in many cases in sinuses or ulcers, practically all observers are unanimous in stating that true pus formation or polymorphonuclear leukocytic invasion of the tubercles occurs only in the presence of a secondary bacterial invader such as the streptococcus or staphylococcus. Sticker1 remarks that there can be no suppuration without the presence of pyogenic cocci. Babes2 considers the "breaking down" to be a true necrosis, and trophoneucrotic in origin. In a similar manner by all authors except Sugai,3 the possibility of acute inflammatory processes on the leprous lesion is either neglected or denied. This last-mentioned author reported in 1909 a series of cases, in which pus was found in the nodules, in one of which no organisms other than the leprosy bacillus were found. His methods of excluding the possibility of secondary invasion were somewhat incomplete in that cultivation was not attempted. He states, however, in his conclusions that the leprosy bacilli may cause suppuration without the presence of any pyogenic coccus. That many or, perhaps, most of the abscess formations, suppurative arthritises, and other purulent processes occurring in leprous patients are due to the invasion of tissues whose resistance is lowered by one or other of the ordinary pyogenic bacteria is undoubtedly correct; that, however, such a condition is not a necessity the following case which came under the author's observation proves.
Optimization of Three-phase Induction Motor Design by the Variable Metric Method for Constrained Qptiuization

The Variable Metric Method for Constrained Optimization has been believed to be one of the most effective methods for the nonlinearly constrained optimization problem since 1980's. A successful application of this method to three-phase induction motor design is presented in this paper. Based on extensive calculations, the relations between the optimal efficiency and material cost, the power factor, the starting torque ratio and the type of steel have been studied. The purpose of this work is to develop the best approach for the optimization of three-phase induction motor besign.
Update in the Management of Intensive Care Medicine

Findings of recent new clinical trials in critically ill patients indicate that several traditional treatment strategies in critical care need to be modified. The author reviewed recent literatures of clinical trials on critically ill patients and summarized as following changes in the practice.( 1) In patients with ARDS,fluid restriction gives better outcomes than a liberal fluid policy. A pulmonary arterial catheter is no longer necessary to be a routine procedure in ARDS.( 2) Although corticosteroids may improve oxygenation,late use of corticosteroids in ARDS patients( 14 days after diagnosis) is not indicated and may increase risk of death.( 3) Daily interruption of sedation and early awakening of mechanically ventilated patients is safe and may shorten the length of ventilation.( 4) Intensive insulin therapy in shock patient is associated with hypoglycemia and can cause many complications.( 5) Corticosteroids therapy can result in faster shock reversal,but its effect on mortality remain controversial.( 6) Vasopressin can improve hemodynamic in shock patients,but its use is not associated with an improvement in mortality rates.( 7) Compared to norepinephrine,dopamine may result in a greater number of cardiac adverse events.
Influence of Reduced Graphene Oxide on Effective Absorption Bandwidth Shift of Hybrid Absorbers

The magnetic nanoparticle composite NiFe2O4 has traditionally been studied for high-frequency microwave absorption with marginal performance towards low-frequency radar bands (particularly L and S bands). Here, NiFe2O4 nanoparticles and nanohybrids using large-diameter graphene oxide (GO) sheets are prepared via solvothermal synthesis for low-frequency wide bandwidth shielding (L and S radar bands). The synthesized materials were characterized using XRD, SEM, FTIR and microwave magneto dielectric spectroscopy. The dimension of these solvothermally synthesized pristine particles and hybrids lies within 30–58 nm. Microwave magneto-dielectric spectroscopy was performed in the low-frequency region in the 1 MHz-3 GHz spectrum. The as-synthesized pristine nanoparticles and hybrids were found to be highly absorbing for microwaves throughout the L and S radar bands ( 4 GHz) with limited selective bandwidth.
Abstract 1155: Regulation of glutamine metabolism: Allosteric activation and inhibition of mitochondrial glutaminase

The hydrolysis of glutamine to glutamate plus ammonia, catalyzed in the mitochondria by the enzyme glutaminase (Gls), plays a crucial role in the metabolism of glutamine by cancer cells. Recently, we discovered a novel class of allosteric inhibitors of a splice variant of Gls, known as glutaminase C (GAC), which inhibits the growth of Rho-GTPase transformed cells without affecting their normal cellular counterparts, with the lead compound being the bromo-benzophenanthridinone 968. Here, we took advantage of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) transformed by the induced expression of an oncogenic guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) named Dbl, which hyper-activates the Rho GTPases Rac, Rho, and CDC42, together with 13C-labeled glutamine and stable-isotope tracing methods, to establish that 968 selectively blocks the enhancement in glutaminolysis. We then determined how 968 inhibits the catalytic activity of GAC using biophysical approaches on purified GAC enzyme. First, we developed a FRET assay to examine the effects of 968 on the ability of GAC to undergo the dimer-to-tetramer transition necessary for enzyme activation. We next demonstrated how the fluorescence of a reporter group attached to GAC provides a direct read-out of the binding of 968 and related compounds to the enzyme. By combining these fluorescence assays, together with novel GAC mutants trapped in either the monomeric or dimeric state, we show that 968 has the highest affinity for monomeric GAC, and that the dose-dependent binding directly matches its dose-dependent inhibition of enzyme activity and cellular transformation. We then investigated the 968 structure-activity relationship, and to this end, characterized a robust real-time direct binding and inhibition assay for testing a panel of 968 derivatives. Additionally, we have developed novel 968-derivatives with unique functional moieties, such as fluorescent and photo-cross linking groups, to further elucidate the mechanism of GAC inhibition using recombinant GAC in vitro as well as in cancer cells. Together, these findings represent recent advances in our understanding of the regulation of GAC activity both in vitro and in cells, and highlight the potential future of targeting glutamine metabolism with novel small molecule therapeutics. Citation Format: Clint Stalnecker, Scott Ulrich, Jon Erickson, Sekar Ramachandran, Ralph DeBerardinis, Rick Cerione. Regulation of glutamine metabolism: Allosteric activation and inhibition of mitochondrial glutaminase. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1155. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1155
Medicare's Bundled Payment Program and Health Care Utilization.

EnglishDr Press and colleagues1 described Medicare’s bundled payment program and acknowledged that the program may incentivize inappropriate overuse, restrict care to certain (presumably low-risk) groups, and shift care outside the episode—unintended consequences of bundled payment reimbursement strategies that have been raised before.2 But implementing bundled payments without requiring processes that “incorporate shared decision making, patient-reported outcomes, and clinical appropriateness”1 is a recipe for overuse and cost escalation. EnglishDr Weeks expresses concern that without appropriate safeguards, the new bundled payment models developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will lead to increased utilization and, therefore, costs. He asserts that although bundled payment incentivizes lower spending during the episode of care, health care organizations will compensate by increasing the number of episodes of care initiated. We agree with Weeks that patients should “get only the care that they want and need” and, as discussed in our Viewpoint, recognize the potential for unintended consequences with bundled payment models. As such, CMS incorporates a number of safeguards into the design of these models and conducts rigorous, multifaceted evaluations that examine several key areas of interest. To date, independent evaluation of the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative models 2 through 4 has not yet conclusively identified any unintended consequences. But CMS will continue to monitor carefully for any evidence of overuse, shifting, steering, or stinting in care. In addition, the design of the BPCI and the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement models allows for CMS to recoup excessive spending during the postepisode period, which could be due to shifting or delaying care.
Composition, Abundance, and Life History of Mysids (Crustacea: Mysida) in the Coastal Lagoons of MD, USA

The composition, abundance, biomass, and life history of mysid species were investigated and described for the first time in the Maryland Coastal Bays (38° N, 75° W), Mid-Western Atlantic, using data collected from 2010 to 2013. Three species of mysids were collected, with Neomysis americana being the most abundant species (maximum mean abundance 6.7 ± 6.4 numbers (nos.) m−2 in July 2013 and biomass 2.78 ± 2.76-mg dry weight (DW) m−2 in July 2012). Americamysis bahia was the second most abundant species (maximum mean abundance: 0.7 ± 0.4 nos. m−2 and biomass: 0.23 ± 0.14 mg DW m−2 in March 2012). Metamysidopsis swifti made up 0.02 to 2 % of mysids and were found in samples collected mainly from southern Chincoteague Bay close to that Bay’s inlet in the fall of 2012. The two most abundant mysid species reproduced continuously from March to July (Neomysis) and May to October (Americamysis). N. americana had larger body and brood sizes than A. bahia. Mysids were relatively low in abundance in late summer, a period of relatively high biomass of fish predators, than during other seasons, suggesting that intense predation might be controlling their abundance. The increase in mysid abundance in the fall following their disappearance in late summer without evidence of reproductive activities suggests species migration from coastal waters into the Maryland Coastal Bays. This annual mysid subsidy perhaps helps to sustain their populations within the bays.
Airway Epithelial KIF3A Regulates Th2 Responses to Aeroallergens

KIF3A, the gene encoding kinesin family member 3A, is a susceptibility gene locus associated with asthma; however, mechanisms by which KIF3A might influence the pathogenesis of the disorder are unknown. In this study, we deleted the mouse Kif3a gene in airway epithelial cells. Both homozygous and heterozygous Kif3a gene-deleted mice were highly susceptible to aeroallergens from Aspergillus fumigatus and the house dust mite, resulting in an asthma-like pathology characterized by increased goblet cell metaplasia, airway hyperresponsiveness, and Th2-mediated inflammation. Deletion of the Kif3a gene increased the severity of pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation and expression of cytokines (Il-4, Il-13, and Il-17a) and chemokine (Ccl11) RNAs following pulmonary exposure to Aspergillus extract. Inhibition of Kif3a disrupted the structure of motile cilia and impaired mucociliary clearance, barrier function, and epithelial repair, demonstrating additional mechanisms by which deficiency of KIF3A in respiratory epithelial cells contributes to pulmonary pathology. Airway epithelial KIF3A suppresses Th2 pulmonary inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness following aeroallergen exposure, implicating epithelial microtubular functions in the pathogenesis of Th2-mediated lung pathology.
Prediction of Passive Membrane Permeability and Translocation Pathways of Biologically Active Molecules

Libraries of naturally-sourced compounds that serve as structural scaffolds in the search for new drug leads are constantly growing. A significant number of natural products with relatively high molecular weights have been shown to passively penetrate through membranes. Partitioning and permeability of the molecules depend on their conformation and orientation in membranes and on their interactions with lipids. We have developed a novel thermodynamics-based computational method for fast prediction of passive permeability of structurally diverse molecules across different membranes.
The limits to tolerance : an examination of the traditional rite of passage of the Xhosa tribe in South Africa

Ideologies are inextricably linked to thoughts and behaviours. They shape the beliefs and/or the assumptions people have on specific issues. Some ideologies may become so imperative as to be destructive, blinding individuals or groups to behaviours that cause damage and unnecessary suffering. This paper analyses the traditional rite of passage of the Xhosa tribe in South Africa, its evolution into a money-making venture and the ongoing, coercive threat it poses to young Xhosa males. A rite originally intended to socialise and define individuals as adults has devolved into one that victimises and causes unnecessary suffering. Rooted in a human rights ideology, the paper argues that the limits to tolerance based on a respect for tribal customs must be clear, particularly in cases of unnecessary suffering where fundamental human rights are violated.
Bridging the political divide: Highlighting explanatory power mitigates biased evaluation of climate arguments

Abstract Climate change beliefs' strong ties to political ideology remains one of the most significant impediments to productive public discourse about climate change. Ideologically-driven motivated reasoning leads to biased evaluation of climate change arguments. The current studies offer a novel cognitive approach to mitigate biased evaluation. Republicans and Democrats were randomly assigned to either focus carefully on an argument's quality or focus on how well an argument explained how the main point leads to the proposed outcome – termed, mechanistic explanatory power . Focusing on the mechanistic explanatory power of anti-climate change scientific explanations (Study 1) and pro-environmental behavior arguments (Study 2) substantially reduced biased evaluation and bridged the political ideological divide. These results have practical implications for policy makers and climate change communicators: 1) climate change material should contain mechanistic explanation, and 2) one should highlight the presence or absence of mechanistic explanatory power in an argument.
Evidence for a low-temperature magnetic ground state in double-perovskite iridates with I r 5 + (5 d 4 ) ions

We report an unusual magnetic ground state in single-crystal, double-perovskite $\mathrm{B}{\mathrm{a}}_{2}\mathrm{YIr}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ and Sr-doped $\mathrm{B}{\mathrm{a}}_{2}\mathrm{YIr}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ with $\mathrm{I}{\mathrm{r}}^{5+}(5{d}^{4})$ ions. Long-range magnetic order below 1.7 K is confirmed by dc magnetization, ac magnetic susceptibility, and heat-capacity measurements. The observed magnetic order is extraordinarily delicate and cannot be explained in terms of either a low-spin $S=1$ state, or a singlet ${J}_{\mathrm{eff}}=0$ state imposed by the spin-orbit interactions (SOI). Alternatively, the magnetic ground state appears consistent with a SOI that competes with comparable Hund's rule coupling and inherently large electron hopping, which cannot stabilize the singlet ${J}_{\mathrm{eff}}=0$ ground state. However, this picture is controversial, and conflicting magnetic behavior for these materials is reported in both experimental and theoretical studies, which highlights the intricate interplay of interactions that determine the ground state of materials with strong SOI.
Theory of turn bodies of mountain tandem wheeled self-propelled chassis.

Abstract The theory of turning of the adaptive bodies of mountain tandem-wheeled motor vehicle chassis intended as power units in small farms, is offered. A calculating formula for radius of turning is deduced for two variants: drive of all the six driving and steered wheels and without drive of front steered wheels. By the calculating formula are considered: lateral leading away of front steered wheels; re-distribution of the load on the wheels; hook resistance; coefficient of the differential gear black system; distance between centers of jointed in pairs tandem wheels constituting a counter-balanced suspension and other geometric, kinematic and dynamic parameters. The research results can be used in determining of exploitation indices of perspective mobile power units in the stage of their design.
Carbon and energy footprints of refuse collection trucks: A hybrid life cycle evaluation

Abstract Refuse collection trucks, due to the frequent stop-and-go nature of their operation, have considerably lower fuel economy and larger amounts of tailpipe emissions. In this study environmental burdens of refuse collection vehicles, including diesel, compressed natural gas, hydraulic hybrid, and plug-in battery electric powered trucks are analyzed. A hybrid life cycle assessment consisting of an environmentally extended input–output analysis and a process-based analysis is conducted to evaluate the life cycle carbon footprints and energy consumption levels of different types of refuse collection trucks. To comprehensively reflect the real-world performance or impacts of the operation of refuse collection trucks, a Monte Carlo Simulation is used to take into account the inherent uncertainties associated with each of the key parameters in this analysis. In addition, the influence of the U.S.’s various regional electric power mixes on the upstream emissions of battery electric trucks is also considered, so as to explore whether or not each particular region is suitable for the adoption of electric trucks. The results indicate that both the all-electric and the CNG refuse trucks generate approximately 1200 tons of GHG emissions over their respective life cycles, while the GHG emissions of the diesel truck amount to slightly less than 1000 tons. The hydraulic hybrid truck demonstrates the best overall environmental performance, while the CNG truck has significant impacts in terms of energy consumption (more than 25 trillion joules). In addition, the regional analysis indicates that the electricity source(s) available in any given region are the primary deterministic factor for the performance of an all-electric truck.
Abstract 19726: Circulating Metabolites Predict Acute Kidney Injury After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs commonly after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and is associated with increased perioperative morbidity and mortality. Previously, we identified circulating metabolites associated with renal function and predictive of incident chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hypothesis: We hypothesize that these previously identified metabolites will predict AKI after TAVR. Methods: We performed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolite profiling on plasma obtained from patients prior to TAVR. AKI was defined using the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 criteria. Twelve metabolites that reflect renal function were chosen a prior for this analysis. Results: Of 304 patients (51% female, mean age 82±9 yrs), 38 (13%) developed AKI after TAVR. Patients who developed AKI had a higher baseline creatinine and prevalence of coronary disease and atrial fibrillation (P≤0.01 for all), but similar glomerular filtration rate (GFR; P=0.20). Among the 12 metabolites of interest, 11 significantly correlated with baseline GFR and were differentially detected in those with and without CKD. Before and after adjustment for GFR, age, sex, and diabetes, baseline levels of kynurenic acid, xanthosine, and trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMNO) were predictive of AKI (Table). A metabolic multimarker score based on these 3 circulating metabolites was predictive of AKI (odds ratio of 3 rd vs. 1 st tertile: 3.58, 95% CI 1.52-8.44, P=0.002). Incident AKI was 7.5%, 10.7%, and 22.5%, respectively, for increasing tertiles of the multimarker score (P=0.006). Conclusions: In elderly patients undergoing TAVR for aortic stenosis, circulating metabolites identify those at highest risk of AKI. Given the serious adverse consequences of AKI, strategies to prevent AKI may be particularly important to test and implement in this high-risk sub-group of patients.
The effects of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles embedded in a MMP-sensitive photoclickable PEG hydrogel on encapsulated MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts

This study investigated the effects of introducing hydroxyapatite nanoparticles into a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) sensitive poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel containing cell adhesion peptides of RGD for bone tissue engineering. MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts were encapsulated in the biomimetic PEG hydrogel, which was formed from the photoclick thiol-norbornene reaction system, cultured for up to 28 d in growth medium or osteogenic differentiation medium, and evaluated by cellular morphology and differentiation by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and bone-like extracellular matrix deposition for mineral and collagen. Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles were incorporated during hydrogel formation and cell encapsulation at 0%, 0.1% or 1% (w/w). Incorporation of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles did not affect the hydrogel properties as measured by compressive modulus and equilibrium swelling. In growth medium, encapsulated MC3T3-E1 cells remained largely round regardless of hydroxyapatite concentration. ALP activity increased by 25% at day 14 and total collagen content increased by 55% at day 28 with increasing hydroxyapatite concentration from 0% to 1%. In differentiation medium, cell spreading was evident regardless of hydroxyapatite indicating that the MC3T3-E1 cells were able to degrade the hydrogel. For the 1% hydroxyapatite condition, ALP activity was 27% higher at day 14 and total collagen content was 22% higher at day 28 in differentiation medium when compared to growth medium. Mineral deposits were more abundant and spatial elaboration of collagen type I was more evident in the 1% (w/w) hydroxyapatite condition with differentiation medium when compared to all other conditions. Overall, osteogenesis was observed in the hydrogels with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in growth medium but was enhanced in differentiation medium. In summary, a biomimetic hydrogel comprised of MMP-sensitive crosslinks, RGD cell adhesion peptides, and 1% (w/w) hydroxyapatite nanoparticles is promising for bone tissue engineering.
A Method for Evaluating the Economic Efficiency of HIV Behavioral Risk Reduction Interventions

To maximize the impact of public spending on HIV prevention, program managers, community planning groups, and other decision makers need accurate information on the economic efficiency (i.e., the relative balance between costs and consequences) of alternative HIV prevention strategies. This paper describes a technique for evaluating the economic efficiency of HIV behavioral risk reduction interventions within a cost–utility analytic framework. To determine the cost-effectiveness of the intervention, standardized values of the lifetime cost of treating HIV/AIDS and the number of quality-adjusted life years lost when someone becomes infected with HIV are combined with information about overall program costs and a model-based estimate of the number of infections averted by the intervention. The use of a standardized economic evaluation methodology for HIV prevention research, such as that proposed here, enhances cross-study comparability and thereby facilitates informed resource allocation decision making.
Symmetry and Variable Separation for the Helmholtz, Wave and Hamilton-Jacobi Equations

We are concerned with the relationship between the Laplace equation $${{\vartriangle }_{4}}\psi =\sum\nolimits_{i,j=1}^{4}{{{g}^{-1/2}}}{{\partial }_{i}}({{g}^{1/2}}{{g}^{ij}}{{\partial }_{j}}\psi )=0$$ (L) and the Hamilton-Jacobi equation (equation of the characteristics of (L)) $$\sum\nolimits_{i,j = 1}^4 {{g^{ij}}} {\partial _i}W{\partial _j}W = 0$$ (H-J) in a four dimensional Riemannian space, in particular with the interplay between the symmetries of these equations, the coordinate systems in which the equations admit solutions via separation of variables, and the properties of the separated solutions. Here \(d{{s}^{2}}=\sum\nolimits_{i,j=1}^{4}{{{g}_{ij}}}d{{x}^{i}}d{{x}^{j}}\)is a complex Riemannian metric, \(g\text{ = det(}{{\text{g}}_{\text{ij}}}\text{)}\ne \text{ 0, }\sum\nolimits_{j=1}^{4}{{{g}^{ij}}}{{g}_{jk}}\text{ = }{{\delta }^{\text{i}}}_{k}\) (the Kronecker delta), gij = gji and \({{\partial }_{j}}\psi \text{ = }{{\partial }_{{{x}^{j}}}}\psi \) (We allow the coefficients gij of the metric tensor and the coordi-nates to be complex since all our results can be obtained for real Laplace (or wave) equations by choosing appropriate real forms of the complex metric tensor.) If the metric corresponds to flat space then there exist coordinates {yj} such that (L) and (H-J) become $$\sum\nolimits_{j=1}^{4}{{{\partial }_{{{y}^{j}}{{y}^{j}}}}}\psi \text{ = 0, }\sum\nolimits_{j=1}^{4}{({{\partial }_{{{y}^{j}}}}}\text{W}{{\text{)}}^{\text{2}}}\text{ = 0 ,}$$ respectively.
Cardiac Catheterization, Coronary Arteriography and Intravascular Diagnostics

Cardiac catheterization is currently the gold standard diagnostic procedure for assessing cardiac function and coronary anatomy. It is also a platform for the treatment of coronary artery disease peripheral vascular disease and, increasingly, structural heart disease.
Corrosive fracture of electrodes in Li-ion batteries

Abstract Fracture in electrochemical systems is often corrosive in nature. In Li-ion batteries, Li reaction causes embrittlement of the host material and typically results in a decrease of fracture toughness of anodes when Li inserts and a reduction of fracture toughness of cathodes when Li extracts. The dynamics of crack growth depends on the chemomechanical load, kinetics of Li transport, and the Li embrittlement effect. We implement a theory of coupled diffusion, large deformation, and crack growth into finite element modeling and simulate the corrosive fracture of electrodes under concurrent mechanical and chemical load. We construct the phase diagram delineating the unstable, arrested, and delayed fracture zones. We examine in detail the competition between energy release rate and fracture resistance as crack grows during both Li insertion and extraction. The wait-and-go behavior in the delayed fracture zone relies on the chemomechanical load and the supply of Li to the crack tip. We apply the theory to model the intergranular fracture in LiNixMnyCozO2 (NMC) particles which is the major mechanical degradation of the cathode material. The structural decohesion is induced by the mismatch strain at the grain boundaries. The evolving interfacial strength at different states of charge and different cycle numbers measured by in-situ nanoindentation is implemented in the numerical simulation. We model the corrosive behavior of intergranular cracks in NMC upon Li cycles and compare the crack morphologies with experiments.
SensoRing: An Integrated Wearable System for Continuous Measurement of Physiological Biomarkers

Advancements in miniaturized electronics and smart sensors combined with a broad platform of smart phones, big data, cloud service and wireless communication have not only empowered wearable technology, they have also increased users life expectancy. This is done through a range of applications including; tracking physical activity, personalized health care, and recommendations for enhancing user experience. However, the ability to measure one's emotional state using wearable biosensors in healthcare applications has been limited due to several challenges related to a lack in comfort, accuracy, reliability and low-power consumption. In this paper, we presented a novel wearable ring sensor for the continuous measurement of four SNS activities: Electrodermal activity (EDA), heart rate, skin temperature and locomotion. Detailed information is given regarding the development of the proposed ring sensor followed by a discussion of the evaluation that was done utilizing the biosensor on volunteers to gather data. Specifically, volunteers wore the ring sensor while being simultaneously monitored with real- time telemetry and while going through different emotional states. The experiment demonstrated accurate results, and data were collected from 43 participants of diverse age, body mass, height, and race. Additionally, to evaluate the performance of the developed ring sensor, we compared the results with a state-of-the-art open source device. This research aims to improve the worn biomedical sensor market, specifically when it comes to size and accuracy of worn sensors.
Estimating capacity of managed pine forests in the southeastern U.S. to provide open pine woodland condition and gopher tortoise habitat

Abstract Pine forests managed for economic return comprise 19% of southeastern U. S. forests and can provide vegetation structure and composition necessary for many wildlife species adapted to open pine conditions. However, in the absence of frequent fire and other disturbance in southeastern pine (Pinus spp.) forests, midstory hardwoods create closed canopy conditions limiting value of pine stands for many endemic, disturbance-adapted wildlife species. Limitations of past research investigating exact mechanisms for producing and maintaining open pine conditions in managed pine systems have led to a paucity of information regarding ecoregion applications and outcomes. This study evaluated (1) to what extent managed pine stands replicate open pine structural conditions and (2) to what extent managed pine stands provide habitat for the gopher tortoise, an open pine keystone species. We used summary statistics from existing literature to identify structural metrics provided by managed loblolly pine (P. taeda) stands and compared them to disturbance-maintained open pine woodlands. We used spatially-explicit forest management simulations to determine amount and configuration of open pine woodland conditions within two large (>9000 ha), economically-feasible managed pine landscapes in the East and West Gulf Coastal Plains ecoregions. As a case study, we estimated availability and connectivity of gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) habitat, in managed pine stands of the East Gulf Coastal Plains. Pine stands planted at ≤1310 stems/ha (≤530 stems/ac) provide up to four years of “excellent” open pine condition for wildlife following commercial thinning, based on desired conditions for southern pine forests, with temporal availability depending on site quality. Mid-rotation applications of prescribed fire and selective herbicide can extend “excellent” open pine condition initiated by commercial thinning up to an additional four years. Landscape metrics indicated that, under typical management practices, open pine stands can be spatially and temporally connected to the extent necessary to facilitate among-patch movement for many open pine-adapted species of conservation concern. Our landscape analyses indicated tortoises using primarily regenerating and thinned stands potentially can have a relatively even flow of suitable habitat conditions and opportunities to move to adjacent or nearby open stands when currently-occupied stands reach canopy closure. The disturbance regimes inherent in pine plantation management create diverse landscapes that conserve plant and wildlife biodiversity while meeting economic objectives. Therefore, pine plantations may complement current conservation efforts for open pine woodland species dependent on or tolerant of large-scale disturbance and shifting habitat conditions while offering refuge for high vagility species.
Distress and psychosocial risk in families with newly diagnosed pediatric brain tumors

In BriefThe investigators administered surveys to parents whose children were hospitalized with a brain tumor. They learned that parents in this situation are highly distressed, and that families have multiple sources of stress when a child is hospitalized. The investigators used this information to improve the psychosocial supportive care provided at their hospital. In general, these findings have the potential to improve the patient's and family's experience with a new brain tumor by guiding teams to address family needs as well as the child's acute medical needs.
Visualizing and explaining deep learning predictions for pneumonia detection in pediatric chest radiographs

Pneumonia is a severe inflammatory condition of the lungs that leads to the formation of pus and other liquids in the air sacs. The disease is reported to affect approximately 450 million people across the world, resulting in 2 million pediatric deaths every year. Chest X-ray (CXR) analysis is the most frequently performed radiographic examination for diagnosing the disease. Unlike pneumonia in adults, pediatric pneumonia is poorly studied. Computer-aided diagnostic (CADx) tools aim to improve disease diagnosis and supplement decision making while simultaneously bridging the gap in effective radiological interpretations during mobile field screening. These tools make use of handcrafted and/or convolutional neural networks (CNN) extracted image features for visual recognition. However, CNNs are perceived as black boxes since their performance lack explanations and poorly understood. The lack of transparency in the learned behavior of CNNs is a serious bottleneck in medical screening/diagnosis since poorly interpreted model behavior could unfavorably impact decision-making. Visualization tools are proposed to interpret and explain model predictions. In this study, we highlight the advantages of visualizing and explaining the activations and predictions of CNNs applied to the challenge of pneumonia detection in pediatric chest radiographs. We evaluate and statistically validate the models’ performance to reduce bias, overfitting, and generalization errors.
Rut Performance of In Situ Warm Mix Asphalt Overlays with Evotherm 3G in North Dakota

As warm mix asphalt (WMA) pavements afford compaction at temperatures several dozen degrees lower than hot mix asphalt (HMA), the rate of cooling drops dramatically allowing paving to continue into colder weather. For this study, field samples from the Valley City project were collected after being in service (aged) for three years. The historical weather data during study period, 2011-2014, indicates that the temperature in Valley City dropped up to −34°C in winter. Prior studies have noted the importance of studying the performance of asphalt in different environmental conditions, and with different additives. Therefore, this study was set forward to study rutting resistant of field WMA in one of the coldest regions in the US, which used Evotherm 3G as an additive. The research aimed to compare aged WMA rutting resistance, including Evotherm 3G, to that when the specimens were newly constructed. The Asphalt Pavement Analyzer (APA) was used to compare the rutting resistances of WMA and the control HMA. The results indicated that aged samples were more rut resistant than nonaged samples under wet and dry testing conditions. Also under wet and dry testing conditions, aged WMA samples exhibited lower rutting resistance than aged HMA samples. No interaction effects of aging and Evotherm 3G were found on the rutting resistance of asphalt. Addressing the issue of binder aging and its effects on the overall rut performance of pavements gives further insight into the utility of WMA overlays in cold weather regions such as North Dakota.
Phantom Limbs, Neglect Syndromes, Repressed Memories, And Freudian Psychology

This chapter discusses two of the most fascinating syndromes in clinical medicine—phantom limbs and somatoparaphrenic delusions—and aims to bring them into the respectable arena of modern neuroscience. The syndromes illustrate certain important principles concerning the functional organization of the normal human brain. The adult brain is a dynamic biological system in which new connections are being created all the time, partly in response to novel sensory inputs and partly as a result of self-organizing principles. This implies that even the basic circuitry or hardware in the brain—such as the sensory maps—can be altered with surprising rapidity. The experiments discussed in the chapter may eventually turn out to have broader implications for understanding the biological origin of defense mechanisms. The chapter thus suggests an experimental approach to these enigmatic aspects of human nature and eventually may lead to new types of treatments for the many intractable psychological problems to which our species is notoriously prone.
Directed Differentiation: Evolution towards Human Application.

Directed differentiation is defined as the ability to program a stem cell at the most primitive level while it still has its reproductive and full proliferative potential. This is in contrast to ex-vivo expansion where the stem cells are forced into specific lineage commitments, limiting the overall therapeutic utility. We have reproducibly induced directed stem cell differentiation towards megakaryopoiesis by capitalizing on inherent changes in sensitivities to inductive cytokine signals in the context of cell cycle position. Murine experiments have been performed on highly purified quiescent G 0–1 lineage negative rhodamine low Hoescht low (LRH) marrow stem cells. When exposed to thrombopoietin, FLT3-ligand and steel factor (TFS), they synchronously pass through cell cycle. Megakaryopoiesis is focused at early to mid S-phase, returning to baseline before initial cell division. Population based differentiation cultures after 14-days produced up to 49% megakaryocytes with stem cells sub-cultured during early-mid S-phase with little to no production with colonies cultured from stem cells in G 0–1 or G 2 phase at time directed differentiation signaling. Gene expression showed over 2 fold increases in FOG, Nfe2 and Fli1. Clonal studies confirm the results. In one experiment, 33% of clonally derived colonies that grew from early-S phase cells and 10% of colonies that grew from mid-S phase cells had megakaryocytes present compared with 0% for G 0–1 and G 2 cells. We have now worked with human lineage negative double-effluxed-rhodamine low double-effluxed-Hoescht low G 0–1 stem cells. When expose to TFS cytokines, there initial cell cycle lasts more than 80 hours opposed to CD34+ cells and murine LRH cells which have divided by 44–48 hours. This human population of stem cells comprises approximately 0.01% of CD34+ cells and has tremendous promise in replicating our murine work, elucidating opportunities for human translational work targeting patients that have a block of differentiation toward megakaryopoiesis i.e. sub-sets of autologous transplant or myelodysplastic syndrome patients.
Relationship satisfaction: An overlooked marketing channel safeguard

Abstract Transaction specific investments (TSIs) are investments that a marketing channel firm makes to create value for a particular channel relationship. TSIs transform the relationship by creating barriers to exit or lock-in situations because the investing party cannot leave the relationship without incurring substantial costs. This situation may compel the investing party to engage in opportunism to recoup the value of the specific investments, particularly when they are not satisfied with the relationship. We argue, therefore, that relationship satisfaction may serve as an important safeguard when TSIs have been made. Further, we argue that monitoring ease will interact with the moderating effect of relationship satisfaction on the relationship between TSIs and opportunism. Data were collected from 296 hotel general managers and 37 hotel headquarters' field representatives in the U.S. and Canada to test these possibilities. We found that relationship satisfaction indeed serves as an important safeguard, particularly when the partner has difficulty in monitoring the firm.
Deus ex Machina? A Framework for Macro Forecasting with Machine Learning

We develop a framework to nowcast (and forecast) economic variables with machine learning techniques. We explain how machine learning methods can address common shortcomings of traditional OLS-based models and use several machine learning models to predict real output growth with lower forecast errors than traditional models. By combining multiple machine learning models into ensembles, we lower forecast errors even further. We also identify measures of variable importance to help improve the transparency of machine learning-based forecasts. Applying the framework to Turkey reduces forecast errors by at least 30 percent relative to traditional models. The framework also better predicts economic volatility, suggesting that machine learning techniques could be an important part of the macro forecasting toolkit of many countries.
The homogeneous nucleation of cesium vapor

Publisher Summary Experimental techniques for the investigation of the homogeneous nucleation of supersaturated vapors have improved significantly over the past two decades. Among the most widely used devices to study homogeneous nucleation of supersaturated vapors are the expansion piston cloud chamber and the upward diffusion cloud chamber. This chapter investigates the homogeneous nucleation of supersaturated Cesium vapor in an upward thermal diffusion cloud chamber. It measures the nucleation rates as a function of supersaturation in the temperature range between 508 K and 573 K. It then compares the results obtained to the internally consistent version of classical nucleation theory. A power law accurately fit the log–log plots of experimentally measured vs. predicted nucleation rates. The temperature dependent multiplicative corrections to theory necessary for agreement with experiments were large. However, their temperature dependence was very similar to that observed for the n-alkanes.
“On the Street, the Only Person You Gotta Bow Down to Is Yourself”: Masculinity, Homelessness, and Incarceration

Despite the well-established link between homelessness and incarceration, very little qualitative research has focused on the social processes that underlie this nexus. In this article, I draw on 1...
0079 Sport-related concussion in practice, competition, and after collision rule changes in michigan high school football

Statement of purpose Estimate rates of sport-related concussion (SRC) in high school football and evaluate a rule change over 5 seasons. Methods/Approach The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) surveillance system records total numbers of participating athletes and circumstances of each SRC occurring in athletic- sanctioned events. Across five seasons, MHSAA progressively limited time for collision practices. We estimated player-days exposed as the total number of players multiplied by the total number of possible practices (11 weeks, 4 days each) or competitions (9 weeks, 1 day each) each regular season. Rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) compared practice and competition SRC, and compared each season relative to the most recent season (2019/20). Annual SRC rates modeled by year (2015/16–2018/19, 2019/20) and event (practice, competition) using Poisson regression estimated rate difference-in-differences and 95% CI. Results The overall football SRC rate was 0.82/1,000 player-days. The greatest proportion of practice SRC occurred during the first two weeks of the season (preseason;40.6%) and competition SRC occurred between weeks 5–9 (63.5%). The competition SRC rate (3.10/1,000 player-days) was higher than practice (0.35/1,000 player-days; RR:8.87, 95%CI:8.47,9.29). For practice SRCs, risk of SRC was lower in 2019/20 than 2015/16 (RR:0.85, 95%CI:0.75,0.97) and 2016/17(RR:0.84, 95%CI:0.74,0.95). The competition rate was lower in 2019–20 than 2015–16 (RR:0.90, 95%CI:0.82,0.98). However, the difference-in-differences analysis for practice vs. competition in the 2019/20 season vs. the 2015/16- 2018/19 seasons was null (-0.015, p=.958). Conclusions SRC rates in football were higher in competition than practice. The reduction noted in practice SRC in 2019/20 compared to prior seasons was not greater than the reduction observed during competition. Significance Highlighting when SRC occur throughout an athletic season may focus preventative efforts. The strategy of progressively limiting collision practices did not alone reduce SRC in Michigan high school football.
More Accounts, Fewer Links: How Algorithmic Curation Impacts Media Exposure in Twitter Timelines

Algorithmic timeline curation is now an integral part of Twitter's platform, affecting information exposure for more than 150 million daily active users. Despite its large-scale and high-stakes impact, especially during a public health emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the exact effects of Twitter's curation algorithm generally remain unknown. In this work, we present a sock-puppet audit that aims to characterize the effects of algorithmic curation on source diversity and topic diversity in Twitter timelines. We created eight sock puppet accounts to emulate representative real-world users, selected through a large-scale network analysis. Then, for one month during early 2020, we collected the puppets' timelines twice per day. Broadly, our results show that algorithmic curation increases source diversity in terms of both Twitter accounts and external domains, even though it drastically decreases the number of external links in the timeline. In terms of topic diversity, algorithmic curation had a mixed effect, slightly amplifying a cluster of politically-focused tweets while squelching clusters of tweets focused on COVID-19 fatalities and health information. Finally, we present some evidence that the timeline algorithm may exacerbate partisan differences in exposure to different sources and topics. The paper concludes by discussing broader implications in the context of algorithmic gatekeeping.
Bridging the gap between simulated and experimental ionic conductivities in lithium superionic conductors

Abstract Lithium superionic conductors (LSCs) are of major importance as solid electrolytes for next-generation all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries. While ab initio molecular dynamics have been extensively applied to study these materials, there are often large discrepancies between predicted and experimentally measured ionic conductivities and activation energies due to the high temperatures and short time scales of such simulations. Here, we present a strategy to bridge this gap using moment tensor potentials (MTPs). We show that MTPs trained on energies and forces computed using the van der Waals optB88 functional yield much more accurate lattice parameters, which in turn leads to accurate prediction of ionic conductivities and activation energies for the Li0·33La0·56TiO3, Li3YCl6 and Li7P3S11 LSCs. NPT MD simulations using the optB88 MTPs also reveal that all three LSCs undergo a transition between two quasi-linear Arrhenius regimes at relatively low temperatures. This transition can be traced to an increase in the number and diversity of diffusion pathways, in some cases with a change in the dimensionality of diffusion. This work presents not only an approach to develop high accuracy MTPs, but also outlines the diffusion characteristics for LSCs which is otherwise inaccessible through ab initio computation.