cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soviet-type Planning as a Development Strategy

In describing the Soviet-type economic organization, and the pattern of growth achieved in the USSR and Eastern Europe, we have already implied a kind of “strategy” of economic growth, i.e., the specification of the variables the policy makers consider important, and the kind of instruments they use to try to control them. But it is useful to consider this question of strategy explicitly. Economic development is a crucial aspect of public concern and public policy in the modern world, but it is a goal that is not achieved with ease. Economic history and the experience of the contemporary world show us that there are many obstacles to economic growth, and that nations that want to grow must find some strategy for overcoming them. It is interesting to ask how the Russians and other socialist countries dealt with these obstacles, and to consider to what extent the Soviet-type strategy, if we can identify one, may hold lessons for other countries trying to accelerate their economic growth. Trying to formulate this strategy explicitly will also provide a useful base from which to consider two other variants of the Soviet-type economy — the Chinese and the Cuban.
Randomized Trials of the Teen Outreach Program in Louisiana and Rochester, New York.

Objectives. To evaluate the Teen Outreach Program, a pregnancy prevention program, in 2 community-based settings.Methods. We evaluated the Teen Outreach Program, a 9-month positive youth development program, in 3 cohorts of youths from 2012 to 2015 in 2 states. In Louisiana, 7 agencies participated in an individualized randomized controlled trial, with youths randomly assigned to a treatment or control condition. Fourteen agencies in Rochester, New York, participated in a cluster randomized controlled trial.Results. We found no differences between the intervention and control youths on delay of sexual onset in Louisiana (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.80; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.62, 1.03) or in Rochester, New York (AOR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.45, 1.77), or for sex with no effective means of birth control (Louisiana, AOR = 1.18; 95% CI = 0.78, 1.78; Rochester, AOR = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.13, 1.27) after controlling for relevant covariates.Conclusions. We found no short-term effects for the offer of the inter...
Protein Oxidation Triggers the Unfolded Protein Response and Neuronal Injury in Chemically Induced Parkinson Disease

The recent identification of genetic mutations linked to Parkinson’s disease (PD), such as α-synuclein, parkin, and LRRK2, has highlighted the role of aberrant protein handling and degradation in this disorder. Moreover, a growing body of data suggests that environmental toxins that mimic PD also exhibit faulty protein handling, providing a mechanistic link between toxicity and the identified PD mutations. In particular, toxin-mediated cell stress and/or some PD mutations can trigger unfolded protein response, a cell-protective mechanism intended for surviving short-term cellular perturbations. If this process cannot overcome the insult, it is thought that apoptosis is rapidly activated. Although the toxicity of several parkinsonian mimetics is thought to stem from the production of reactive oxygen species, whether oxidative stress and other forms of cell stress are subsequent or parallel events is not well established. Emerging data collected using molecular, biochemical, and cellular techniques suggest that oxidative stress precedes the appearance of unfolded protein response which, in turn, precedes apoptosis. Knowledge of the signaling pathways utilized by parkinsonian mimetics as well as their temporal induction may aid in designing more effective interventions in models of PD and ultimately to treat PD in humans.
Small Regulatory RNAs of Rickettsia conorii.

Small regulatory RNAs comprise critically important modulators of gene expression in bacteria, yet very little is known about their prevalence and functions in Rickettsia species. R. conorii, the causative agent of Mediterranean spotted fever, is a tick-borne pathogen that primarily infects microvascular endothelium in humans. We have determined the transcriptional landscape of R. conorii during infection of Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HMECs) by strand-specific RNA sequencing to identify 4 riboswitches, 13 trans-acting (intergenic), and 22 cis-acting (antisense) small RNAs (termed 'Rc_sR's). Independent expression of four novel trans-acting sRNAs (Rc_sR31, Rc_sR33, Rc_sR35, and Rc_sR42) and known bacterial sRNAs (6S, RNaseP_bact_a, ffs, and α-tmRNA) was next confirmed by Northern hybridization. Comparative analysis during infection of HMECs vis-a-vis tick AAE2 cells revealed significantly higher expression of Rc_sR35 and Rc_sR42 in HMECs, whereas Rc_sR31 and Rc_sR33 were expressed at similar levels in both cell types. We further predicted a total of 502 genes involved in all important biological processes as potential targets of Rc_sRs and validated the interaction of Rc_sR42 with cydA (cytochrome d ubiquinol oxidase subunit I). Our findings constitute the first evidence of the existence of post-transcriptional riboregulatory mechanisms in R. conorii and interactions between a novel Rc_sR and its target mRNA.
The impact of creativity and community facilitation on music streaming adoption and digital piracy

Preventing unauthorized downloading and other forms of digital piracy has been a persistent challenge. Strategies based on deterrence, ethical arguments, or technical measures have been effective, but only to a limited extent. The rising popularity of music streaming systems, however, affords the owners of digital content opportunities to experiment with alternative business models and value propositions that may also discourage digital piracy. The results of this field study involving 139 subjects suggest that music streaming systems that incorporate features that facilitate individual creativity and community building contributes towards the enjoyment and usefulness of the system. This in turn leads to music streaming adoption. The results of the study also show that the usefulness of a music streaming system is associated with a reduction in pirating intention. Surprisingly, a link between the enjoyment of a music streaming system and a reduction in digital pirating intention was not supported. Display Omitted Music streaming systems that are useful and provide enjoyment lead to adoption.Systems that are useful and provide enjoyment reduce digital piracy.Usefulness and enjoyment of a system is a function of creativity facilitation.Usefulness and enjoyment of a system is a function of community facilitation.
Cost function for sound source localization with arbitrary microphone arrays

The sound source localizer is an important part of any microphone array processing block. Its major purpose is to determine the direction of arrival of the sound source and let a beamformer aim its beam towards this direction. In addition, the direction of arrival can be used for meetings diarization, pointing a camera, sound source separation. Multiple algorithms and approaches exist, targeting different settings and microphone arrays. In this paper we treat the sound source localizer as a classifier and use as features the phase differences and magnitude proportions in the microphone channels. To determine the proper mix, we propose a novel cost function to measure the localization capability. The resulting algorithm is fast and suitable for real-time implementations. It works well with different microphone array geometries with both omni-directional and unidirectional microphones.
Enhanced oxidation resistance of SiC/SiC minicomposites via slurry infiltration of oxide layers.

Abstract SiC based composite materials commonly have protective silica surface in air. Under humid environments at high temperatures, like occur in jet engines, the silica surface layer reacts with water molecules to form volatile silicon hydroxide (Si(OH)4) and the protection is reduced which cause jet engine degradation. An alternative approach to protect SiC based composites would be to infiltrate the SiC matrix via slurry with an oxide material that is resistant to the high-temperature and humid environment. As proof of concept, aqueous based mullite particle slurries were infiltrated by pressurized flow and by capillarity of the wetting slurry on the external surface of the porous SiC matrix of single-fiber-tow SiC/SiC minicomposites. Minicomposites were precracked at room temperature during tensile tests then tested in tensile creep in air at 1200 °C to study the degree of protection that the infiltrated mullite provided at high temperatures. Next, fracture surfaces were examined using SEM.
The role of residual stress states in modeling the cyclic two-way shape memory behavior of high-temperature NiTiPd alloys and actuation components

Abstract A multi-mechanism, three-dimensional, material model that captures the cyclic training and subsequent two-way shape memory behaviors of high-temperature ternary NiTiPd material is presented. To this end, available experimental test data on this alloy have been used for characterization of the model parameters and the subsequent validation of its predictions. Numerical simulations involving many thermal cycles and stress levels are used to investigate some of the key factors which influence the magnitude and stability of TWSM actuation strains. In particular, the developed model is used to provide quantitative measurements of the internal stresses induced in the NiTiPd SMA material after cyclic training, and how they predominantly affect the behavior of the material under zero-load TWSME. This is further substantiated by a detailed analysis of the global bending response of a trained beam strip, where emphasis is placed on the interplay between the two major agents responsible for the resulting TWSME actuation rotations: (1) intrinsic internal state variables, reflecting the microstructural changes occurring at the material point during thermal cycling, and (2) the extrinsic global residual state resulting from the inhomogeneous stress fields at different points over the section of the trained beam upon release of the training loads.
High-Contrast Fluorescence Detection of Metastatic Breast Cancer Including Bone and Liver Micrometastases via Size-Controlled pH-Activatable Water-Soluble Probes

Breast cancer metastasis is the major cause of cancer death in women worldwide. Early detection would save many lives, but current fluorescence imaging probes are limited in their detection ability, particularly of bone and liver micrometastases. Herein, probes that are capable of imaging tiny (<1 mm) micrometastases in the liver, lung, pancreas, kidneys, and bone, that have disseminated from the primary site, are reported. The influence of the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain length on the performance of water-soluble, pH-responsive, near-infrared 4,4'-diﬂuoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) probes is systematically investigated to demonstrate that PEG tuning can provide control over micrometastasis tracking with high tumor-to-background contrast (up to 12/1). Optimized probes can effectively visualize tumor boundaries and successfully detect micrometastases with diameters <1 mm. The bone-metastasis-targeting ability of these probes is further enhanced by covalent functionalization with bisphosphonate. This improved detection of both bone and liver micrometastases (<2 mm) with excellent tumor-to-normal contrast (5.2/1). A versatile method is thus introduced to directly synthesize modular water-soluble probes with broad potential utility. Through a single intravenous injection, these materials can image micrometastases in multiple organs with spatiotemporal resolution. They thus hold promise for metastasis diagnosis, image-guided surgery, and theranostic PEGylated drug therapies.
Conformational Transitions of the Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide Receptor, a Human Class B GPCR

The G protein-coupled pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide receptor (PAC1R) is a potential therapeutic target for endocrine, metabolic and stress-related disorders. However, many questions regarding the protein structure and dynamics of PAC1R remain largely unanswered. Using microsecond-long simulations, we examined the open and closed PAC1R conformations interconnected within an ensemble of transitional states. The open-to-closed transition can be initiated by “unzipping” the extracellular domain and the transmembrane domain, mediated by a unique segment within the β3-β4 loop. Transitions between different conformational states range between microseconds to milliseconds, which clearly implicate allosteric effects propagating from the extracellular face of the receptor to the intracellular G protein-binding site. Such allosteric dynamics provides structural and mechanistic insights for the activation and modulation of PAC1R and related class B receptors.
High SNR single measurements of trace gas phase spectra at THz frequencies

Fast detection and identification of trace gases in ambient conditions demand a high signal-to-ratio (SNR) and superior resolution from a single measurement. We performed time-domain terahertz (THz) spectroscopy on gas (or vapor) phase samples of carbon monoxide, methanol, water, and acetonitrile at concentrations less than 10 ppm and demonstrated 50–60 dB SNR on a single measurement. Using data measured at different sample concentrations and terahertz probe beam powers, we investigated the interplay between the SNR, the probe beam power, the sample concentration, and the electric dipole moment of molecules, for which we extended an absorbance theory to THz frequencies. When comparing our data with references and a theoretical model, we found some discrepancy in certain spectral line intensities, suggesting that certain rotational resonance quantum state may have higher populations or transition probabilities than our model predicts at atmospheric conditions. We could achieve the above results largely due...
The role of hydrogen and oxygen in the persistent photoconductivity of strontium titanate

Annealed strontium titanate (SrTiO3 or STO) single crystals exhibit persistent photoconductivity (PPC) at room temperature. Illumination with sub-gap light reduces the resistance by three orders of magnitude, which persists for weeks or longer. The defects responsible for this remarkable phenomenon have not been identified. In this work, we report on the importance of hydrogen and oxygen during the annealing process that is used to induce PPC. The results from IR spectroscopy and two-point resistance measurements indicate that water vapor at 1200 °C yields hydrogen and oxygen-vacancy populations that result in large PPC. Deuterium substitution experiments show evidence for a two-hydrogen center that forms after exposure to light. The results suggest that light causes substitutional hydrogen to leave the oxygen site, forming metastable O-H bonds. This process liberates electrons and causes PPC.Annealed strontium titanate (SrTiO3 or STO) single crystals exhibit persistent photoconductivity (PPC) at room temperature. Illumination with sub-gap light reduces the resistance by three orders of magnitude, which persists for weeks or longer. The defects responsible for this remarkable phenomenon have not been identified. In this work, we report on the importance of hydrogen and oxygen during the annealing process that is used to induce PPC. The results from IR spectroscopy and two-point resistance measurements indicate that water vapor at 1200 °C yields hydrogen and oxygen-vacancy populations that result in large PPC. Deuterium substitution experiments show evidence for a two-hydrogen center that forms after exposure to light. The results suggest that light causes substitutional hydrogen to leave the oxygen site, forming metastable O-H bonds. This process liberates electrons and causes PPC.
Cranial Shape in Asian Homo erectus : Geographic, Anagenetic, and Size-Related Variation

A strong focus on the morphological ­differences between African and Asian H. erectus has generally overshadowed variation among populations of Asian H. erectus. This study explored variation in Asian H. erectus using 3D geometric morphometric methods, examining the shape of the neurocranium, frontal bone, occipital bone and temporal base. Analyses focused on the elucidation of geographic, temporal and size-related patterns of cranial shape variation in a representative sample from Zhoukoudian, Sangiran, Ngandong, Sambungmacan and Ngawi. In regards to the neurocranium, geographic differences explained the greatest proportion of variation, followed by geochronological age (these two factors explained similar shape differences within the neurocranium) and size. The temporal base, frontal and occipital bones were strongly influenced by geography and size. Although the later Javanese and Zhoukoudian specimens were generally distinct, there was some overlap between Sangiran 2 and the northern Chinese specimens. This may suggest that isolation between the two regions did not occur until the Middle or Late Pleistocene or that the Sangiran hominins are morphologically close to the common ancestor of the Zhoukoudian and later Javanese H. erectus. The late Indonesian fossils did group together in the principal components analyses. Yet there were subtle shape differences between the Sambungmacan/Ngawi fossils and those from Ngandong, indicating the presence of two similar but slightly different potentially contemporaneous morphs. The Sambungmacan specimens do not appear to be morphological intermediaries between the Sangiran and Ngandong fossils in regards to overall cranial shape.
Curcumin and anthocyanin inhibit pepsin-mediated cell damage and carcinogenic changes in airway epithelial cells.

ObjectivesLaryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is associated with inflammatory and neoplastic airway diseases. Gastric pepsin internalized by airway epithelial cells during reflux contributes to oxidativ...
Time-Delayed Bottleneck Highway Networks Using a DFT Feature for Keyword Spotting

This paper presents a novel deep neural network (DNN) architecture with highway blocks (HWs) using a complex discrete Fourier transform (DFT) feature for keyword spotting. In our previous work, we showed that the feed-forward DNN with a time-delayed bottleneck layer (TDB-DNN) directly trained from the audio input outperformed the model with the log-mel filter bank energy feature (LFBE), given a large amount of training data [1]. However, the deeper structure of such an audio input DNN makes an optimization problem more difficult, which could easily fall in one of the local minimum solutions. In order to alleviate the problem, we propose a new HW network with a time-delayed bottleneck layer (TDB-HW). Our TDB-HW networks can learn a bottleneck feature representation through optimization based on the cross-entropy criterion without stage-wise training proposed in [1]. Moreover, we use the complex DFT feature as a method of pre-processing. Our experimental results on the real data show that the TDB-HW network with the complex DFT feature provides significantly lower miss rates for a range of false alarm rates over the LFBE DNN, yielding approximately 20 % relative improvement in the area under the curve (AUC) of the detection error tradeoff (DET) curves for keyword spotting. Furthermore, we investigate the effects of different pre-processing methods for the deep highway network.
Education after Art: A Review of Letting Art Teach: Art Education after Joseph Beuys

“The book’s introduction, conclusion, and seven chapters develop a line of thinking on art and education that includes reflection on problems with instrumentalism and expressivism in art education…...
DolphinNext: A graphical user interface for creating, deploying and executing Nextflow pipelines

The emergence of high throughput technologies that produce vast amounts of genomic data, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) are transforming biological research. The dramatic increase in the volume of data makes analysis the main bottleneck for scientific discovery. The processing of high throughput datasets typically involves many different computational programs, each of which performs a specific step in a pipeline. Given the wide range of applications and organizational infrastructures, there is a great need for a highly-parallel, flexible, portable, and reproducible data processing frameworks. Flexibility ensures that pipelines can support a variety of applications without requiring one-off modifications. Portability ensures that users can leverage computationally available resources and work within economic constraints. Reproducibility warrants credibility to the results and is particularly challenging in the face of the sheer volume of data and the complexity of processing pipelines that vary widely between users. Several platforms currently exist for the design and execution of complex pipelines (e.g. Galaxy, GenePattern, GeneProf). Unfortunately, these platforms lack the necessary combination of parallelism, portability, flexibility and/or reproducibility that are required by the current research environment. To address these shortcomings, Nextflow was implemented to simplify portable, scalable, and reproducible scientific pipelines using containers. We have used Nextflow capabilities as leverage and developed a user interface, DolphinNext, for creating, deploying, and executing complex Nextflow pipelines for high throughput data processing. The guiding principle of DolphinNext is to facilitate the building and deployment of complex pipelines using a modular approach implemented in a graphical interface. DolphinNext provides: 1. A drag and drop user interface that abstracts pipelines and allows users to create pipelines without familiarity in underlying programming languages. 2. A user interface to monitor pipeline execution that allows the re-initiation of pipelines at intermediate steps 3. Reproducible pipelines with version tracking and stand-alone versions that can be run independently. 4. Seamless portability to distributed computational environments such as high-performance clusters or cloud computing environments.
Fibrinolysis: a Misunderstood Natural Defense Whose Therapeutic Potential Is Unknown

Ever since tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) was approved for therapeutic fibrinolysis in 1987, it has been the fibrinolytic of choice. At the same time, it is also recognized that tPA never lived up to its clinical expectations and has more recently been replaced by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as the treatment of choice for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). For other occlusive vascular diseases and for patients in remote areas, tPA remains an essential option. In view of the continued importance of fibrinolysis, it is disappointing that fibrinolysis never evolved beyond what it was when tPA replaced streptokinase (SK) 32 years ago. The endovascular procedure replacement for AMI treatment suffers from being technically demanding, time-consuming, and costly. An untested alternative fibrinolytic paradigm is that of the endogenous, physiological system, which is initiated by tPA but then is followed by the other natural plasminogen activator, urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA). In this combination, it is uPA rather than tPA that has the dominant function. This is also evident from gene knockout studies where deletion of uPA that it has the dominant effect. The fibrinolytic properties of tPA and uPA are complementary so that their combined effect is synergistic, especially when they are administered sequentially starting with tPA. Endogenous fibrinolysis functions without bleeding side effects and is ongoing. This is evidenced by the invariable presence in blood of the fibrin degradation product, D-dimer (normal concentration 110–250 ng/ml). This activator combination, consisting of a mini bolus of tPA followed by a 90-min proUK infusion, was once used to treat 101 AMI patients. Compared with the best of the tPA mega trials, this regimen resulted in an almost a doubling of the infarct artery patency rate and reduced mortality sixfold. To date, a second trial has not yet been done.
Asymmetric Propulsion: Thrust and Maneuverability from a Single Degree of Freedom

We present ongoing work on an asymmetric propulsion system capable of simultaneously generating both forward thrust as well as a turning moment from a single degree of freedom. By a single degree of freedom, we mean a single rotating propeller powered by a single motor, absent of additional mechanisms such as fins or actuators. This is accomplished by actively controlling the instantaneous rotational velocity of a propeller whose blades are distributed asymmetrically around the axis of rotation. Due to the nonlinear relationship between velocity and thrust, the mean thrust vector produced over the course of a rotation will be shifted away from the this axis of rotation. This shift induces a turning moment whose strength and orientation can be controlled to provide lateral maneuverability in addition to forward or reverse thrust. We demonstrate how this can be used to control and maneuver an underwater robot and discuss its advantages and applications to autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) design and operation.
Case 1: Erythema and Inability to Bear Weight in a 12-year-old Girl

1. Ahmad M. Suleiman, MD* 2. Sangeeta Krishna, MD* 3. Benjamin Katholi, MD* 4. Kate Eshleman, PsychD* 1. *Pediatric Institute, Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, OH This month, many people use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to celebrate loving relationships. As seen in some of this month’s Index of Suspicion cases, though, sometimes health problems result from imperfect relationships. As pediatricians, we have the privilege of working for the best possible outcomes for children and their families. Philip R. Fischer, MD Associate Editor, Index of Suspicion A 12-year-old previously healthy girl is admitted to the hospital from an orthopedic surgeon’s office due to concern for osteomyelitis 2 weeks after an injury while playing soccer. She began having foot pain and erythema after her foot was stepped on during a soccer match. A radiograph of the foot taken on the day of injury was negative for fracture. During the 10-day period after the injury, she describes decreased ability to bear weight and progression of erythema and tenderness over her dorsomedial right foot. She and her mother also report consistent fevers at home, with the highest recorded at 103°F (39.4°C). A sports medicine physician saw her on the tenth day after her injury. The complete blood cell count and C-reactive protein level at his office were normal. She was started on clindamycin for a presumptive diagnosis of cellulitis, and she was referred to orthopedics for further evaluation. She was seen by orthopedics 2 days later and was sent for admission to the hospital due to worsening erythema and inability to bear weight. She had taken 4 doses of clindamycin by the time of admission with no apparent improvement in symptoms. Her mother has pictures showing the progression of erythema along the foot …
DOUBLE K-SHELL IONIZATION IN THE DECAY OF $sup 131$Cs AND $sup 165$Er.

Double ionization of the $K$ shell has been studied in the electron capture decays of $^{131}\mathrm{Cs}$ and $^{165}\mathrm{Er}$ by recording coincidences between $K$ x rays emitted when the double vacancies are filled. A Si(Li) x-ray detector was used in conjunction with a NaI(T1) detector for these measurements. The results obtained for ${P}_{\mathrm{KK}}$, the probability per $K$ capture that a double $K$-shell vacancy is formed, were (1.33 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.33) \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ for $^{131}\mathrm{Cs}$ and (6.7 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 3.9) \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} for $^{165}\mathrm{Er}$. Both of these values are a factor of 2 smaller than previous measurements and, within the experimental uncertainties, are in agreement with predictions based on the relativistic theory of Intemann.
The effect of school closures and reopening strategies on COVID-19 infection dynamics in the San Francisco Bay Area: a cross-sectional survey and modeling analysis

Background Large-scale school closures have been implemented worldwide to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, the impact of school closures and re-opening on epidemic dynamics remains unclear. Methods We simulated COVID-19 transmission dynamics using an individual-based stochastic model, incorporating social-contact data of school-aged children during shelter-in-place orders derived from Bay Area (California) household surveys. We simulated transmission under observed conditions and counterfactual intervention scenarios between March 17-June 1, and evaluated various fall 2020 K-12 reopening strategies. Findings Between March 17-June 1, assuming children <10 were half as susceptible to infection as older children and adults, we estimated school closures averted a similar number of infections (13,842 cases;95% CI: 6,290, 23,040) as workplace closures (15,813;95% CI: 9,963, 22,617) and social distancing measures (7,030;95% CI: 3,118, 11,676). School closure effects were driven by high school and middle school closures. Under assumptions of moderate community transmission, we estimate that fall 2020 school reopenings will increase symptomatic illness among high school teachers (an additional 40.7% expected to experience symptomatic infection, 95% CI: 1.9, 61.1), middle school teachers (37.2%, 95% CI: 4.6, 58.1), and elementary school teachers (4.1%, 95% CI: -1.7, 12.0). Results are highly dependent on uncertain parameters, notably the relative susceptibility and infectiousness of children, and extent of community transmission amid re-opening. The school-based interventions needed to reduce the risk to fewer than an additional 1% of teachers infected varies by grade level. A hybrid-learning approach with halved class sizes of 10 students may be needed in high schools, while maintaining small cohorts of 20 students may be needed for elementary schools. Interpretation Multiple in-school intervention strategies and community transmission reductions, beyond the extent achieved to date, will be necessary to avoid undue excess risk associated with school reopening. Policymakers must urgently enact policies that curb community transmission and implement within-school control measures to simultaneously address the tandem health crises posed by COVID-19 and adverse child health and development consequences of long-term school closures.
COVID-19 and Public Interest in Ophthalmic Services and Conditions.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns on public interest in ophthalmology. METHODS: Search interest data for ophthalmic services and conditions were collected from January 1, 2019 to June 21, 2020. Temporal statistical analysis was used to identify significant trends. Weekly data on ophthalmic services and conditions search interest obtained from Google Trends were analyzed with analysis of variance testing and the generalized linear model based on dates. RESULTS: Ophthalmic services searches decreased after the first COVID-19 case in the country (p<0.001); ophthalmic services and conditions search interest also declined after the first COVID-19 case and lockdown orders in each state (p<0.001). Following the first in-state COVID-19 case, search interest in ophthalmic services fell more than for ophthalmic conditions (p=0.0088). Lockdown and COVID-19 had similar effects on ophthalmic services search interest (p=0.2246), but interest in ophthalmic conditions decreased more after lockdown than after the first in-state case (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Most of the decrease in search interest in ophthalmic services was associated with COVID-19 rather than lockdown orders, suggesting that public interest in ophthalmic care may be more sensitive to changes in the COVID-19 pandemic than lockdown orders.
Enabling Security-Oriented Orchestration of Microservices

As cloud providers push multi-tenancy to new levels to meet growing scalability demands, ensuring that externally developed untrusted microservices will preserve tenant isolation has become a high priority. Developers, in turn, lack a means for expressing and automatically enforcing high-level application security requirements at deployment time. In this paper, we observe that orchestration systems are ideally situated between developers and the cloud provider to address these issues. We propose a security policy framework that enables security-oriented orchestration of microservices by capturing and auditing code properties that are incorporated into microservice code throughout the software supply chain. Orchestrators can leverage these properties to deploy microservices on a node that matches both the developer's and cloud provider's security policy and their resource requirements. We demonstrate our approach with a proof-of-concept based on the Private Data Objects [1] confidential smart contract framework, deploying code only after checking its provenance.
VIDEO SCENE DETECTION USING CLOSED CAPTION TEXT

VIDEO SCENE DETECTION USING CLOSED CAPTION TEXT By Gregory L. Smith, B.S. Computer Science A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Computer Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009 Major Director: Dr. Ju Wang Associate Professor, School of Engineering, Computer Science Department Issues in Automatic Video Biography Editing are similar to those in Video Scene Detection and Topic Detection and Tracking (TDT). The techniques of Video Scene Detection and TDT can be applied to interviews to reduce the time necessary to edit a video biography. The system has attacked the problems of extraction of video text, story segmentation, and correlation. This thesis project was divided into three parts: extraction, scene detection, and correlation. The project successfully detected scene breaks in series television episodes and displayed scenes that had similar content.
Classification of patient movement events captured with a 6-axis inertial sensor

Patient monitoring is an important part of the overall treatment plan for hospital in-patients. However, monitoring is often time consuming for hospital staff. Staff must either remain in a patient's room, check in on the patient with frequent intervals or remotely monitor the patient via video surveillance. Constant monitoring may be disruptive to the patient as he or she attempts to rest. Furthermore, all of these methods may be considered intrusive to the patient's privacy and time-consuming for hospital staff which may result in increased medical costs. To mitigate these issues, we propose an alternate method of patient monitoring wherein a high-sensitivity 6-axis accelerometer is attached to the patient's hospital bed. Using frequency-series analysis, we can extract relevant patterns for patient movement and train a classifier to identify movement patterns of the patient. Automated monitoring of the patient's movement frees up time for hospital staff. The system can be configured to immediately notify staff when certain events are detected, thereby directing resources to where they are needed most. Event identification accuracy of 90% for a 12-class problem space was achieved.
AUDIT: AUTOMATED DISK INVESTIGATION TOOLKIT

Software tools designed for disk analysis play a critical role today in forensics investigations. However, these digital forensics tools are often difficult to use, usually task specific, and generally require professionally trained users with IT backgrounds. The relevant tools are also often open source requiring additional technical knowledge and proper configuration. This makes it difficult for investigators without some computer science background to easily conduct the needed disk analysis. In this paper, we present AUDIT, a novel automated disk investigation toolkit that supports investigations conducted by non-expert (in IT and disk technology) and expert investigators. Our proof of concept design and implementation of AUDIT intelligently integrates open source tools and guides non-IT professionals while requiring minimal technical knowledge about the disk structures and file systems of the target disk image.
Peroxidase-catalyzed N-demethylation reactions. Substrate deuterium isotope effects.

Deuterium isotope effects on the kinetic parameters for the hydroperoxide-supported N-demethylation of N,N-dimethylaniline catalyzed by chloroperoxidase and horseradish peroxidase were determined using N,N-di-(trideuteromethyl)aniline. The isotope effect on the Vmax for the chloroperoxidase-catalyzed demethylation reaction supported by ethyl hydroperoxide was 1.42 +/- 0.31. The isotope effects on the Vmax for the horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed reaction supported by ethyl hydroperoxide and hydrogen peroxide were 1.99 +/- 0.39 and 4.09 +/- 0.27, respectively. Isotope effects ranging from 1.76 to 5.10 were observed on the Vmax/Km for the hydroperoxide substrate (i.e. the second order rate constant for the reaction of the hydroperoxide with the peroxidase to form compound I) in both enzyme systems when the N-methyl groups of N,N-dimethylaniline were deuterated. These results are not predicted by the simple ping-pong kinetic model for peroxidase-catalyzed N-demethylation reactions. The data are most simply explained by a mechanism involving the transfer of deuterium (or hydrogen) from N,N-dimethylaniline to the enzyme during catalysis. The deuterium must subsequently be displaced from the enzyme by the hydroperoxide, causing the observed isotope effects.
Racial differences in the prevalence of microalbuminuria in hypertension

Abstract One hundred nine patients with essential hypertension and without either diabetes mellitus or clinical proteinuria were examined to investigate possible racial differences in urinary albumin excretion rates. The black hypertensive patients were found to have significantly higher urinary albumin excretion rates compared with the white patients; in addition, a significantly greater proportion of the black patients than the white patients (32% v 14%) had microalbuminuria, defined as a urinary albumin excretion rate greater than 30 μg/min. These differences could not be explained by age, blood pressure, body mass index, glycosylated hemoglobin, serum creatinine, duration of hypertension, or type of hypertension treatment. Hypertensive renal failure occurs six to 18 times more frequently in blacks than in whites; to our knowledge, these data are the first to indicate that microalbuminuria may be more prevalent during the course of hypertension in black patients and thus may be an early marker for end-organ damage susceptibility among hypertensive patients.
Legacy effects of colonial millponds on floodplain sedimentation, bank erosion, and channel morphology, MID-Atlantic, USA

Abstract: Many rivers and streams of the Mid-Atlantic Region, United States (U.S.) have been altered by postcolonial floodplain sedimentation (legacy sediment) associated with numerous milldams. Little Conestoga Creek, Pennsylvania, a tributary to the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay, is one of these streams. Floodplain sedimentation rates, bank erosion rates, and channel morphology were measured annually during 2004-2007 at five sites along a 28-km length of Little Conestoga Creek with nine colonial era milldams (one dam was still in place in 2007). This study was part of a larger cooperative effort to quantify floodplain sedimentation, bank erosion, and channel morphology in a high sediment yielding region of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Data from the five sites were used to estimate the annual volume and mass of sediment stored on the floodplain and eroded from the banks for 14 segments along the 28-km length of creek. A bank and floodplain reach based sediment budget (sediment budget) was constructed for the 28 km by summing the net volume of sediment deposited and eroded from each segment. Mean floodplain sedimentation rates for Little Conestoga Creek were variable, with erosion at one upstream site (−5 mm/year) to deposition at the other four sites (highest = 11 mm/year) despite over a meter of floodplain aggradation from postcolonial sedimentation. Mean bank erosion rates range between 29 and 163 mm/year among the five sites. Bank height increased 1 m for every 10.6 m of channel width, from upstream to downstream (R2 = 0.79, p < 0.0001) resulting in progressively lowered hydraulic connectivity between the channel and the floodplain. Floodplain sedimentation and bank erosion rates also appear to be affected by the proximity of the segments to one existing milldam, which promotes deposition upstream and scouring downstream. The floodplain and bank along the 28-km reach produced a net mean sediment loss of 5,634 Mg/year for 2004-2007, indicating that bank erosion was exceeding floodplain sedimentation. In particular, the three segments between the existing dam and the confluence with the Conestoga River (32% of the studied reach) account for 97% of the measured net sediment budget. Future research directed at understanding channel equilibria should facilitate efforts to reduce the sediment impacts of dam removal and legacy sediment.
Improving MMDB distributed transactional concurrency

Main Memory Database Systems (MMDBs) have been studied since the 80s [3,4], when memory was quite costly ($1500 per MByte in 1984). We can now buy memory for about $10 per GByte. An advantage of MMDBs is that serial execution of a non-distributed transaction on a uniprocessor from start to finish saves the work of disk I/O, locking, latching and deadlock handling [7]. The 2013 Bulletin on Data Engineering [11] had eight articles on recent MMDBs and only three mentioned distributed transactions. Implementing fast, serializable, distributed transactions on an MMDB is difficult, since communication delays typically leave some CPUs idle and reduce total throughput. We began a project in Fall 2011 to improve distributed transactional performance of the open-source MMDB VoltDB system [14], which was based on an earlier academic prototype MMDB H-Store [1]. We developed a low-overhead concurrency method that executes consecutive Prepares with delayed Commits on each node (CPU) and takes Write locks but not Read locks to detect conflicts. We developed an Ordered Escrow Method, a variant of Escrow [14] to greatly speed up transactions with incremental updates. We named our VoltDB modification CVoltDB (C for Concurrency) and proved it supports replica consistency and serializability. Full TPC-B and TPC-C benchmarks demonstrate greatly improved performance due to new features in CVoltDB.
Transformation between orbital parameters in different coordinate systems of the general relativistic schwarzschild problem

The relationships between the osculating orbital elements for a family of solutions of the general relativistic Schwarzschild problems are developed. These relationships provide a method for evaluating orbital elements in different Schwarzschild coordinate systems without the necessity of fitting to real data every time the system of coordinates is changed. The objectivity of different coordinate systems is discussed. Considerations of orbital motions favor the standard Schwarzschild metric, but the propagation of light signals is more objective in the metric of Painleve. Because the orbital motions usually dominate the representation of data, the standard Schwarzschild coordinates are the best objective choice for most applications.
Is the Balkans the Unconscious of Europe

This essay examines Slavoj Žižek's claim that the Balkans is the unconscious of Europe. To make such a claim is to treat the entire region as a subject with a failing oedipal structure, which Žižek attributes to the absence of a Cartesian tradition and the proper symbolic authority. As a result of such absence, he claims, the Balkans has withdrawn into its pathological feminine substance and needs to be conquered by the language of the universal subject. This paper places Žižek's work in the context of other versions of colonial psychoanalysis, versions that justify oppression in the name of failed oedipalization.
Does monetary policy become more desirable as it becomes less effective

Abstract The IS-LM model is often used to evaluate the relative effectiveness of monetary and fiscal policy. The standard textbook treatment of this issue, however, fails to note that an expansionary monetary policy actually becomes more desirable as it becomes less effective.
Mechanical damping in carbon and graphite at low temperature

Abstract The mechanical damping of polycrystalline graphite, pyrolytic graphite, and glassy carbon, was investigated, using the longitudinal resonance-bar technique in the temperature range from 300 down to 20°K as an extension of the previous work.(1) The presence of the so-called Bordoni peaks in internal friction at 50 and 75°K was reconfirmed for polycrystalline graphite. In addition, a broad peak was found at around 220°K. Two weak peaks were found in internal friction for pyrolytic graphite at around 75 and 215°K, and some structure was observed in the curve for glassy carbon, but not sufficient for drawing any definite conclusion. It was also shown that the strain amplitude dependence of internal friction does not become appreciable until a pyrolytic graphite is heat treated well above 3000°C.
Implicit markets for the characteristics of outdoor recreation goods: The case of backpacks

Abstract We use hedonic techniques to estimate the implicit prices of various characteristics of backpacks. Previously, the hedonic method has been used to assess the value of individual characteristics of many goods, including computers, automobiles, and housing. Since theory does not suggest a specific functional form, we perform a Box-Cox search for the best functional form. Next, hedonic regressions are run to estimate the value of characteristics of the backpacks. Finally, an analysis of best and worst buys is conducted based on the implicit prices of characteristics from the hedonic regressions.
Technology Insight: identification of biomarkers with tissue microarray technology

High-throughput technologies have been developed in the hope of increasing the pace of biomedical research, and accelerating the rate of translation from bench to bedside. Using such technology in target discovery has resulted in the need for systematic validation of the targets in an equally rapid manner. For example, gene expression microarrays have highlighted many potential targets in cancer, and tissue microarrays have emerged as a powerful tool to validate these targets by measuring tumor-specific protein expression and linking it to clinical outcome. Automated quantitative analysis of the tissue microarray 'spots' is beginning to take the technology a step further, removing observer bias, and providing standards for quality control and the potential for high-throughput analysis. The validation required for translation of tissue biomarkers from the research lab to the clinical lab will probably rely heavily on the combination of tissue microarray technology with automated quantitative analysis. High-throughput technologies have been developed in hopes of increasing the pace of biomedical research, accelerating the rate of translation from bench to bedside. Using such technology in target discovery has necessitated validation of the targets in an equally rapid manner. This review looks at the role of tissue microarrays in validating potential tumor biomarkers, now and in the future.
Electron–optical phonon interaction in carbon nanotubes

The electron-phonon interaction is calculated for electrons states in single wall carbon nanotubes. Explicit results are presented for armchair and zig-zag tubes. The scattering by acoustical phonons confirm earlier results, while the scattering by optical phonons is new.