cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Actual Temperatures Attained by Mediums in Autoclave Sterilization

considerable differences in the temperatures actually attained when medium is "autoclaved at 15 pounds' pressure for 20 minutes." The general impression prevails, and is stated or implied in many laboratory manuals, that 15 pounds' pressure on the gage means 120 C. inside the chamber. In actual practice this can almost never be the case. Saturated steam at that pressure has a temperature of 120.95 C., but the steam in an autoclave usually contains air, and the pressure reading on the gage is the sum of the pressures of the air and the steam. Unless the air outlet is at the bottom of the chamber and proper care is exercised to drive out all the air before closing the cock, some of it will be entrapped. Moreover, steam piped from a central plant or generated from a tank in the sterilizer itself is likely to contain air unless the water from which it came was air-free. The amount of air present varies from day to day, and no trustworthy idea of the temperature inside the autoclave can be obtained from the pressure-gage reading. As the rate of transfer of heat from one substance to another depends on the difference of their temperatures, it is important that the temperature inside the autoclave be considered rather than the pressure. With a constant temperature maintained inside the autoclave, the time required for attainment of the same degree of heat at the center of a vessel of medium depends on the size of the container, the original temperature and viscosity of the contents, and, more particularly, on the free access of steam to the surface of the container. In order to determine how much time should be allowed for these factors, it was necessary to take accurate measurements, while sterilization was going on, of the temperature in an autoclave and in mediums disposed in various types of containers.
Getting into the mind of a worm--a personal view.

Ever since I can remember, I liked to take things to bits to see how they work. My parents thought that this trait was not to be encouraged when applied to living animals, so diverted my attention to things mechanical and electronic. I was given the use of a shed in the garden. This became my beloved workshop where I made bombs, rockets, and radios. After one of my bombs caused a local scare, my activities were restricted to electronics. On finishing school, I worked in a factory for a time and then progressed onto a couple of other jobs in industrial development labs on the basis of my self-taught skills in electronics. Eventually, I got a job as an electronics technician in the Medical Research Council's labs in Mill Hill (MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, UK). It was here that I got my first (ethical) exposure to biology. I developed a voltage clamp apparatus for neurophysiological research, a project that piqued my curiosity about nervous systems. I also developed a computer system for displaying 3D images of molecular structures. The MRC encouraged and supported me to study for a physics degree at Brunel University. However, after I graduated in 1969, there seemed no good career path where I could pursue my developing interest in computers in the lab where I was working, so I sought and obtained a job offer from industry. However, my boss at the MRC Mill Hill lab encouraged me to check out the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge where he had heard there was a new research initiative to use computers to study the nervous system of a worm. So, mainly out of a sense of duty to the MRC for having supported me though my undergraduate studies, I donned my best (and only) suit and headed off to Cambridge.
Catalytic enantioselective desymmetrization of meso cyclic anhydrides via iridium-catalyzed hydrogenation.

A novel method to desymmetrize meso-anhydrides into lactones via asymmetric hydrogenation catalyzed by the Ir–C3*-TunePhos complex has been developed. Various chiral lactones were synthesized with full conversion and excellent enantioselectivity under high reaction temperature.
“Neutralism” in Asia *

Many Americans view “neutralism” as a new type of social disease. Its probable causes: intimacy in some form with communism; its symptoms: mental confusion and moral dereliction; its cure: unknown. This is a somber diagnosis, filled with implications of doom for the “victims.” But our warnings and protests have been to little avail. Most “neutralists” have deliberately rejected them, and the “disease”—if that be its proper designation—has approached epidemic proportions in many areas. Among the centers of infection, Asia is certainly the region where “neutralism” has shown its most consistent strength and taken its most diverse forms. And however much they may lament it, Americans must recognize the fact that Asian “neutralism” can be neither ignored nor talked out of existence. In our own interests, therefore, we should seek a more complete understanding of this highly complex force—its causes and effects, and possibly its implications for future American policy. Understanding does not necessarily mean acceptance; it does permit a more accurate calculation of alternative risks, and this is the vital element in decision making. At the outset, the problems of definition and terminology must be raised. It is not easy to define or describe “neutralism” in such manner as to obtain the largest measure of agreement from all parties concerned. Frequently, the word is intended as an epithet, with connotations similar to those suggested in our opening sentences.
THE ECOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF FEMALE PATTERN POLYMORPHISM IN THE LIZARD ANOLIS SAGREI.

Polymorphism in body color and pattern occurs in an enormous diversity of animals, from crustaceans to mammals (Mayr, 1963). Its adaptive significance is often interpreted in terms of differential resemblance, protective or otherwise, to the animal's typical background. Yet substantial field evidence for this explanation exists only for a small fraction of species [for example, butterflies (Clarke and Sheppard, 1962; Curio, 1965); snails (Cain and Sheppard, 1954; Clarke, 1968; Owen, 1969; Arnold, 1969); frogs (Nevo, 1973); salamanders (Williams et al., 1968); snakes (Camin and Ehrlich, 1958); birds (Hall et al., 1966); and mammals (Gershenson, 1945) ]. Here we report the first such evidence for lizards, this in Anolis sagrei on Great Abaco Island, Bahamas. The polymorphism occurs only in females, a restriction usual for insects (Richards, 1961) but very rare in vertebrates; in fact, to our knowledge it occurs only in a handful of other Anolis and the partridge Lyrurus tetrix (Stegmann, 1932, cited by Huxley, 1955). In some vertebrates, however, polymorphism is more clearly expressed in females than males: e.g., the lizard Uta stansburiana (Ballinger and McKinney, 1967). We discuss possible reasons for this polymorphism's rarity after presenting the data.
Assessment of the Accuracy of Online Information Regarding Trigger Finger.

Background: Review of the recent literature suggests substantial use of the Internet by patients seeking health care information despite questionable accuracy and readability of information presented on some websites. The purpose of our study was to assess the accuracy, quality, and readability of online information regarding trigger finger. Methods: Three terms (“trigger finger”, “stenosing tenosynovitis”, and “finger locking”) were used to query three Internet search engines to evaluate websites regarding information about trigger finger. Three hand surgery fellows independently assessed website accuracy and quality using standardized scoring criteria. The Fleisch-Kincaid reading grade level score was used to assess website readability. Website authorship and commercial association were also noted. Results: Sixty-nine unique websites were assessed. Internet information obtained using the search term “stenosing tenosynovitis” was written at a significantly higher reading level than information found using “finger locking” or “trigger finger”. Website quality and accuracy were both significantly better in websites authored by physicians compared to websites authored by non-physicians. However, website accuracy was significantly poorer in websites featuring commercial association. Additionally, websites presenting information written below the 8th grade reading level demonstrated poorer accuracy. Conclusions: Search term has a significant effect on the readability of online information regarding trigger finger. Despite the terminology used in searches, most websites are largely inaccurate and may not be easily understandable by the general population. This demonstrates a substantial barrier to accessing accurate health care information and may impact patient outcomes. Hand surgeons should direct patients towards websites presenting accurate information with easily readable content.
Application of tea resources in poultry feed

Tea contains polyphenols such as catechins and vitamines,and so tea resources including leaves,seeds,extracted residue leaf and etc can be used as poultry feed additive for chickens and poultry breeding. Tea in the feed will be helpful for promoting chicken growth and enhancing their immune function. The quality of poultry products such as chicken meat and eggs were improved. The use of tea in feed will extend the tea industrial chain and realize the full utilization of tea resources.
The epidemiology of neonatal death in twins.

The epidemiology of twin pregnancies was studied with the use of data on 7,001 live-born twins from the Georgia neonatal surveillance network for the period 1974-1978. A cesarean section did not appreciably reduce the risk of neonatal death for a twin with a vertex presentation. The relative risk of such a neonatal death was 1.4 after adjustment was made for birth weight. A cesarean section did improve the outcome for breech and otter presentations. Twins had a sixfold higher neonatal mortality rate than had singleon infants (p
Extended application of Nesbit ellipses in the correction of childhood penile curvature.

AbstractThe Nesbit procedure of excision of ellipses of tunica albuginea to correct distal hypospadias has been applied to more extensive penile curvature in children. The technique and a favorable experience with 8 patients so treated are described.
Thank your intelligent mother for your big brain

Inventors, artists, and scientists are the usual suspects for symbolizing and celebrating the brainy human primate. However, what if babies, mothers, and other caregivers were the real stars in the story of human intelligence? That possibility is one implication of a recent study in PNAS from Piantadosi and Kidd (1).
Failure Mechanisms of Fiber Optic Temperature Sensors in High Temperature and Vibration Environments

Fiber optic temperature sensors are used in a variety of harsh environment applications. We have explored use of such temperature sensors in commercial gas turbines to measure the temperature at various regions of interest within the turbine system. More specifically, fiber optic temperature rakes were designed and installed on a commercial gas turbine under full load conditions. This work will focus on failure mechanisms observed at multiple length scales that impact the performance of high temperature optical fiber sensors. It was found that Au-coated silica fibers, which are a standard in the industry, undergo various failure modes when subjected to combinations of high temperature and high vibration. More specifically, the Au coating became soft/ductile as the temperature is increased. We also observed that the Au coating was not well bonded to the silica fiber, as expected since there were no adhesion layers present. These effects led to significant damage of the fiber optic under high vibrations. We also found that vibrations from the gas turbine coupled into fundamental modes of the fiber optic probe assembly, which were analyzed by detailed dynamic mechanical analysis. This led to the fiber impacting the internal wall of the probe assembly, which caused further damage and failure of the fiber and the Au coating. The silica fibers returned from the field also exhibited significant twisting throughout most of their length. This suggests the fibers reached temperatures above their strain point (about 1000 C for pure silica glass), which is explained by either a) the strain point had been significantly reduced by the presence of the Ge dopant, or b) the temperature was higher than expected in the gas turbine exhaust region. It was also hypothesized that complex anelastic effects may play a role under the high temperature, high vibration environment experienced by the probes. Detailed structural analysis of the fiber optic temperature sensors by scanning electron microscopy, ToF-SIMS, and X-ray microscopy will be presented to corroborate the above simulations and proposed damage mechanisms. Finally, we note that the fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) present within the temperature probes provided promising temperature data, and were in fact not damaged/erased by the high temperature environment.
Neuronal Uptake of Paraneoplastic IgG Autoantibodies Reactive with Intracellular Antigens Requires the Fc Portion of the IgG Molecule and Can Be Competitively Inhibited by Normal IgG (P5.295)

OBJECTIVE: To investigate mechanisms of paraneoplastic antibody uptake by CNS neurons. BACKGROUND: Neurons have traditionally been considered to exclude immunoglobulin G (IgG). Over the past several years, however, we have demonstrated neuronal uptake of anti-Yo, anti-Hu, and anti-Ri antibodies in rat brain slice cultures, anti-Yo antibodies accumulating in Purkinje cells and anti-Hu and anti-Ri antibodies in essentially all neurons. It is not known, however, whether antibody uptake is mediated at the cell surface through unique antibody-antigen interactions or is more general, involving interaction with motifs common to all antibodies. DESIGN/METHODS: To determine whether IgG uptake requires the antigen recognition site of the IgG molecule, Fab fragments were generated from patient anti-Yo, anti-Ri, anti-Hu, anti-GAD65, anti-amphiphysin and anti-voltage-gated calcium channel IgG antibodies, and from the neuronal marker, anti-NeuN. Neuronal uptake of Fab fragments in rat cerebellar slice cultures was compared with that of intact IgGs. To determine whether antibody uptake could be competitively blocked by normal IgG, cultures were incubated with serial dilutions of normal IgG for 24 hours prior to addition of antineuronal IgG and examined for antineuronal IgG uptake 48 hours later. RESULTS: Neuronal uptake was seen with all intact antineuronal IgGs studied, and IgG accumulation occurred specifically in neurons expressing the targeted antigen. In contrast, antibody Fab fragments were not taken up. Preincubation of cultures with normal IgG inhibited antineuronal antibody uptake in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: Neuronal uptake of antineuronal IgGs requires the Fc portion of the IgG molecule and can be inhibited by competitive incubation with normal IgG. These findings suggest that intravenous IgG might be of therapeutic benefit in patients with paraneoplastic neurological disease, especially early in the course of illness, when there is often disruption of the blood-brain barrier. The nature of neuronal surface receptors binding IgG Fc regions is under investigation. Disclosure: Dr. Greenlee has received royalty payments from MedLink and Merck. Dr. Clawson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wood has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hill has nothing to disclose. Dr. Clardy has received personal compensation for activities with the DAVICK Group and Trinity Partners. Dr. Clardy9s spouse holds stock and/or stock options in Quadex. Dr. Clardy has received research support from Western Institue for Biomedical Research Dr. Carlson has nothing to disclose.
Initiative for Molecular Profiling and Advanced Cancer Therapy and challenges in the implementation of precision medicine

In the last decade, breakthroughs in technology have improved our understanding of genomic, transcriptional, proteomic, epigenetic aberrations and immune mechanisms in carcinogenesis. Genomics and model systems have enabled the validation of novel therapeutic strategies. Based on these developments, in 2007, we initiated the IMPACT (Initiative for Molecular Profiling and Advanced Cancer Therapy) study, the first personalized medicine program for patients with advanced cancer at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. We demonstrated that in patients referred for Phase I clinical trials, the use of tumor molecular profiling and treatment with matched targeted therapy was associated with encouraging rates of response, progression-free survival and overall survival compared to non-matched therapy. We are currently conducting IMPACT2, a randomized study evaluating molecular profiling and targeted agents in patients with metastatic cancer. Optimization of innovative biomarker-driven clinical trials that include targeted therapy and/or immunotherapeutic approaches for carefully selected patients will accelerate the development of novel drugs and the implementation of precision medicine.
Filtering the Past, Building the Future: A Conference on Archaeology, Tradition, and Politics in the Middle East

On April 23-24, 2004 the conference “Filtering the Past, Building the Future: Archaeology, Tradition and Politics in the Middle East,” was held in the Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah. Funded by a grant from the United States Department of Education with supplemental funds provided by various contributors at the University of Utah, this conference was meant to act as a forum for participants to present and discuss innovative means of understanding the uses of the past and of archaeology in politicized cultural discourse in the Middle East. The conference organizers hold the view that multiple, competing versions of the past are mobilized in service of varying agendas both within and between cultural groups. Participants were invited to discuss theories, explore methods, or present case studies that illustrate the manipulation of archaeological data and practice to promote political goals in the Middle East, and within world communities that interact with and respond to each other on topics that concern the Middle East. The papers presented at this conference are currently being edited and the resulting collection will be submitted to the University of Arizona press in the coming months.
Complex networks: Network healing after loss

Research now shows that human social networks surrounding a person who unexpectedly dies recover from the loss through strengthening of the relationships between friends and acquaintances of the deceased individual. The study demonstrates how individuals change their interaction patterns to support one another during a time of grief.
Identification of Nonlinear Hysteretic Systems Using Random Search

Abstract This paper presents the application of an adaptive random search algorithm to the identification of parameters in systems containing hysteretic nonlinearities. The hysteretic restoring force in a second order dynamical system was represented by a bilinear model with three unknown parameters. All three parameters were successfully identified from a single experiment using sinusoidal inputs. The effects of measurement noise on the parameter estimates were studied experimentally. Identification was successful with 20-percent additive measurement noise on the outputs.
Falling short: how state laws can address health information exchange barriers and enablers.

Objective Research on the implementation of health information exchange (HIE) organizations has identified both positive and negative effects of laws relating to governance, incentives, mandates, sustainability, stakeholder participation, patient engagement, privacy, confidentiality, and security. We fill a substantial research gap by describing whether comprehensive state and territorial HIE legal frameworks address identified legal facilitators and barriers. Materials and Methods We used the Westlaw database to identify state and territorial laws relating to HIEs in effect on June 7, 2016 (53 jurisdictions). We blind-coded all laws and addressed coding discrepancies in peer-review meetings. We recorded a consensus code for each law in a master database. We compared 20 HIE legal attributes with identified barriers to and enablers of HIE activity in the literature. Results Forty-two states, the District of Columbia, and 2 territories have laws relating to HIEs. On average, jurisdictions address 8.32 of the 20 criteria selected in statutes and regulations. Twenty jurisdictions unambiguously address ≤5 criteria in statutes and regulations. None of the significant legal criteria are unambiguously addressed in >60% of the 53 jurisdictions. Discussion Laws can be barriers to or enablers of HIEs. However, jurisdictions are not addressing many significant issues identified by researchers. Consequently, there is a substantial risk that existing legal frameworks are not adequately supporting HIEs. Conclusion The current evidence base is insufficient for comparative assessments or impact rankings of the various factors. However, the detailed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dataset of HIE laws could enable investigations into the types of laws that promote or impede HIEs.
Simulating Power Scheduling at Scale

Comparison of power scheduling strategies at scale is challenging due to the limited availability of high performance computing (HPC) systems exposing power control to researchers. In this paper we describe PowSim, a simulator for comparing different power management strategies at large-scale for HPC systems. PowSim enables light-weight simulation of dynamically-changing hardware-enforced processor power caps at the scale of an HPC cluster, supporting power scheduling research. PowSim's architecture supports easily changing power scheduler, job scheduler, and application models to enable comparison studies. Preliminary results comparing generalized power scheduling strategies are also presented.
Review of optical coherence tomography in oncology

The application of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the field of oncology has been prospering over the past decade. OCT imaging has been used to image a broad spectrum of malignancies, including those arising in the breast, brain, bladder, the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and reproductive tracts, the skin, and oral cavity, among others. OCT imaging has initially been applied for guiding biopsies, for intraoperatively evaluating tumor margins and lymph nodes, and for the early detection of small lesions that would often not be visible on gross examination, tasks that align well with the clinical emphasis on early detection and intervention. Recently, OCT imaging has been explored for imaging tumor cells and their dynamics, and for the monitoring of tumor responses to treatments. This paper reviews the evolution of OCT technologies for the clinical application of OCT in surgical and noninvasive interventional oncology procedures and concludes with a discussion of the future directions for OCT technologies, with particular emphasis on their applications in oncology.
On location-based target tracking using social media as sensors (Conference Presentation)

The paper discusses challenges in exploiting geotagged social media posts (such as Instagram images) for purposes of target (event) tracking. The argument for social media exploitation for tracking lies in that physical events, such as protests, acts of terror, or natural disasters elicit a response on social media in the neighborhood of the event. However, the density of social media posts is proportional to the local population density. Hence, inferred event locations based on the ensuing distribution of posts are skewed by disparities in population density around the true event location. The paper describes an unsupervised approach to neutralize the effect of uneven population density. Evaluation using Instagram footprints of recent events shows that the approach leads to a much more accurate estimation of real event trajectories.
Antiulcer, Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities of Copper Introductory Remarks

Copper is an essential trace element and as such exerts numerous critical physiological and biochemical functions. Although it exists in biological materials as both Cu (I) and Cu (II), the cupric ion is the more common form. Cu (II) complexes with most ligands more strongly than the other first series transition metals and these complexes usually assume a sguare planar geometry. Zn (II) is a closely relatedion which also has a coordination number of 4, but forms tetrahedral complexes.
In vitro induction and expression of T-cell immunity to tumor-associated antigens.

The development of in vitro assays of cell-mediated cytotoxicity has provided a means both of quantitating cell-mediated immunity (CMI) induced in vivo, and also of identifying thecytotoxic effector cells (CL) involved. Studies with the51 Cr release assay have clearly shown that a specific subpopulation of T lymphocytes (termed Tc-cytotoxic T lymphocytes) are responsible for mediating cytotoxicity in vitro, when cell preparations from animals undergoing allograft rejection or graft-versus-host reactions are assayed in vitro (Cerottini et al, 1970; Miller et al, 1971 ; Cerottini and Brunner, 1974). The Tc subpopu-lation has been further characterized in terms of cell-surface markers and is a distinct T-cell lineage of phenotype Ly-1 negative, Ly-2 positive, Ly-3 positive (Cantor and Boyse, 1976). Since cytotoxic T cells are, however, to be found in both Fc receptor-positive and-negative lymphocyte groups, some heterogeneity may still exist within the TC population (Stout et al., 1976). The results of in vitro assays of lymphoid cells from animals immunized with tumor cells have, however, been much less clear-cut, and the number of different effector cell types and the mechanisms of cytotoxicity have proliferated rapidly since the introduction of techniques for identifying different subpopulations of lymphocytes and mononuclear cells (Table I).
Harmonizing Privilege and Confidentiality

This Article focuses on the interplay between attorney-client privilege and attorney-client confidentiality. Contrasting academia's traditional preoccupation with confidentiality issues, the Article highlights the relative importance of privilege issues for clients; typically, clients' real-world problems have less to do with confidentiality than with privilege -- or, more particularly, with the interplay between privilege and confidentiality. These problems ordinarily stem from questions about the scope of privilege and the failure of lawyers and judges to distinguish privilege from confidentiality in key situations. Focusing on these issues, the Article identifies some alternatives that the ABA or individual jurisdictions might take to harmonizing legislatively the two secrecy principles.
The Origins and Impact of the Nuremberg Doctors’ Trial

The main questions I address are as follows: What were the sources of the ethical concepts that became enshrined in the Nuremberg Code? What immediate or short-term impact did the Trial and the Code have on human subjects research ethics in the USA? Finally, could we envision a set of circumstances in which the Trial might never have occurred? To address the latter question, I will suggest comparisons between the US response to medical war crimes in postwar Germany and Japan. While medical war crimes in Germany were not restricted to unethical experiments on human subjects, I will focus here on that aspect of Nazi medicine, as that discussion is most directly relevant to my list of questions.
Barriers to using new needles encountered by rural Appalachian people who inject drugs: implications for needle exchange

Using a new needle for every injection can reduce the spread of infectious disease among people who inject drugs (PWID). No previous study has examined new needle use barriers among PWIDs residing in the rural Appalachian part of the United States, an area currently in the midst of a heroin epidemic. Therefore, our primary aim was to explore self-reported barriers to using a new needle by PWID attending a needle exchange program (NEP). We conducted a cross-sectional survey of PWID attending two NEPs in rural West Virginia located in the heart of Central Appalachia. A convenience sample of PWID (n = 100) completed the Barriers to Using New Needles Questionnaire. The median number of barriers reported was 5 (range 0–19). Fear of arrest by police (72% of PWID “agreed” or “strongly agreed”) and difficulty with purchasing needles from a pharmacy (64% “agreed” or “strongly agreed”) were the most frequently cited barriers. Congruent with previous findings from urban locations, in rural West Virginia, the ability of PWID to use a new needle obtained from a needle exchange for every injection may be compromised by fear of arrest. In addition, pharmacy sales of new needles to PWID may be blunted by an absence of explicit laws mandating nonprescription sales. Future studies should explore interventions that align the public health goals of NEPs with the occupational safety of law enforcement and health outreach goals of pharmacists.
Arthroscopic shoulder stabilization in the young athlete: return to sport and revision stabilization rates

Background Shoulder instability in young athletes is a complex problem with higher recurrence, higher reoperation, and lower return to sport (RTS) rates after arthroscopic shoulder stabilization compared with adults. Methods This is a prospective case series of young athletes with anterior shoulder instability after arthroscopic stabilization surgery. Primary outcomes were RTS and revision surgery, minimum follow-up was 24 months. Exclusion criteria were more than 3 preoperative episodes of instability, significant bone loss, or primary posterior instability. Demographic data, recurrent instability, revision surgery, sports pre- and postsurgery, patient satisfaction, level of RTS, time to RTS, and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) scores were analyzed. Results Sixty-seven athletes met inclusion criteria, 19 females and 48 males, with a mean age of 17.5 years (range, 13-21 years). Fifty-nine (88%) athletes returned to sport at an average of 7.1 months (standard deviation, ±1.8); 50 (75%) returned to the same level or higher. Football and lacrosse were the most common sports. Four of 67 athletes (6%), all male, underwent revision stabilization at 11-36 months for recurrent instability. The overall mean SANE score was 88. Conclusion This study demonstrates that when the high-risk athlete, 21 years old or younger, is appropriately selected for arthroscopic shoulder stabilization by excluding those with 3 or more preoperative shoulder instability episodes and those with off-track and engaging instability patterns, excellent outcomes can be achieved with low revision surgery rates, high RTS rates, and high patient satisfaction.
Transfusion Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Unifocalization and Repair of Tetralogy of Fallot With Major Aortopulmonary Collaterals.

Background:Surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot and major aortopulmonary collaterals (TOF/MAPCAs) involves unifocalization of MAPCAs and reconstruction of the pulmonary arterial circulation. Surg...
Quasi-relativistic description of a quantum particle moving through one-dimensional piecewise constant potentials

Abstract Using a novel quasi-relativistic wave equation, which can give precise results up to energies ~mc2, exact quantum mechanical solutions are found which corresponds to a particle with mass moving through one-dimensional piecewise constant potentials. As expected, at low particle’s speeds, the found solutions coincide with the solutions of the same problems calculated using the Schrodinger equation; however, as it should be, both solutions have a significative difference at quasi-relativistic speeds. Then, it is argued that the quasi-relativistic wave equation provides a simpler description than a fully relativistic theory or the perturbation approach for a quantum particle moving at quasi-relativistic energies through piecewise constant potentials.
Liquidity Constraints, Kinship Networks, and the Financing of Household Investment

We look at liquidity constraints and the financing of household investment in fixed assets. We find that rural households in our sample, especially the poor, seem to face liquidity constraints. The constraints are partially mitigated by kinship networks in the village. When we further analyze gift and borrowing transaction data, we find that the kinship effect for the poor households seem to be through both gifts and borrowings while the effect for the rich households is more likely to be from gifts and not from borrowing. Using the accounting distinction between the use of a stock of cash and the cash flow, we find that rich households finance investment from previously accumulated cash, i.e. they use internally generated funds, symptomatic of constraints in a pecking order literature. As a result, we argue that although investment-cash flow sensitivity implies liquidity constraints, the reverse is not guaranteed. Finally, we also find evidence consistent with the fact that the network effect may come in both direct channels (gifts and borrowing from people within village) and indirect channels (signal of quality by being a part of the network).
Growth-friendly Spinal Instrumentation in Marfan Syndrome Achieves Sustained Gains in Thoracic Height Amidst High Rates of Implant Failure.

Background There are few reports on the surgical management of early-onset scoliosis (EOS) associated with Marfan syndrome (MFS). Affected patients tend to have more rapid curve progression than those with idiopathic EOS, and their course is further complicated by medical comorbidities. As surgical techniques and implants for growing spines become more widely applied, this study seeks to better delineate the safety and efficacy of growth-friendly spinal instrumentation in treating this population. Methods A prospective registry of children treated for EOS was queried for MFS patients treated between 1996 and 2016. Forty-two patients underwent rib-based or spine-based growing instrumentation and were assessed on preoperative, surgical, and postoperative clinical and radiographic parameters including complications and reoperations. Subgroup analysis was performed based on spine-based versus rib-based fixation. Results Patients underwent their index surgery at a mean age of 5.5 years, when the major coronal curve and kyphosis measured 77 and 50 degrees, respectively. Over half were treated with traditional growing rods. Patients underwent 7.2 total surgical procedures-4.7 lengthening and 1.9 revision surgeries not including conversion to fusion-over a follow-up of 6.5 (±4.1) years. Radiographic correction was greatest at index surgery but maintained over time, with a final thoracic height measuring 23.8 cm. Patients experienced a mean of 2.6 complications over the course of the study period; however, a small group of 6 patients experienced ≥6 complications while over half of patients experienced 0 or 1. Implant failures represented 42% of all complications with infection and pulmonary complications following. Conclusions This is the largest report on patients with EOS and MFS. All subtypes of growth-friendly constructs reduced curve progression in this cohort, but complications and reoperations were nearly universal; patients were particularly plagued by implant failure and migration. Further collaborations are needed to enhance understanding of optimal timing and fixation constructs for those with MFS and other connective tissue diseases.
Sensitivity Plots for Confounder Bias in the Single Mediator Model

Background: Causal inference continues to be a critical aspect of evaluation research. Recent research in causal inference for statistical mediation has focused on addressing the sequential ignorability assumption; specifically, that there is no confounding between the mediator and the outcome variable. Objectives: This article compares and contrasts three different methods for assessing sensitivity to confounding and describes the graphical depiction of these methods. Design: Two types of data were used to fully examine the plots for sensitivity analysis. The first type was generated data from a single mediator model with a confounder influencing both the mediator and the outcome variable. The second was data from an actual intervention study. With both types of data, situations are examined where confounding has a large effect and a small effect. Subjects: The nonsimulated data were from a large intervention study to decrease intentions to use steroids among high school football players. We demonstrate one situation where confounding is likely and another situation where confounding is unlikely. Conclusions: We discuss how these methods could be implemented in future mediation studies as well as the limitations and future directions for these methods.
A Framework for Applied Dynamic Analysis in I.O

This paper outlines a framework which computes and analyzes the equilibria from a class of dynamic games. The framework dates to Ericson and Pakes (1995), and allows for a finite number of heterogeneous firms, sequential investments with stochastic outcomes, and entry and exit. The equilibrium analyzed is a Markov Perfect equilibrium in the sense of Maskin and Tirole (1988). The simplest version of the framework is supported by a publically accessible computer program which computes equilibrium policies for user-specified primitives, and then analyzes the evolution of the industry from user-specified initial conditions. We begin by outlining the publically accessible framework. It allows for three types of competition in the spot market for current output (specified up to a set of parameter values set by the user), and has modules which allow the user to compare the industry structures generated by the Markov Perfect equilibrium to those that would be generated by a social planner and to those that would be generated by prefect collusion.' Next we review extensions that have been made to the simple framework. These were largely made by other authors who needed to enrich the framework so that it could be used to provide a realistic analysis of particular applied problems. The third section provides a simple way of evaluating the computational burden of the algorithm for a given set of primitives, and then shows that computational constraints are still binding in many applied situations. The last section reviews two computational algorithms designed to alleviate this computational constraint; one of which is based on functional form approximations and the other on learning techniques similar to those used in the artificial intelligence literature.
Japanese Ceramics and the Complexities of Consumption in “this Knife-Fork Land”

Japanese Gulch Village was home to a community of Japanese millworkers and their families between 1903 and 1930. During this time, village residents pursued a wide range of options for acquiring goods. This article uses a consumption framework and archaeological Japanese ceramics to explore the ways that village residents negotiated among purchasing options to increase communal wellbeing and express individual agency. As a case study, Japanese Gulch Village highlights the complexities of consumption in transpacific contexts and the importance of drawing connections between the Japanese ceramics industry and its Japanese diaspora customers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Screening for Lung Cancer With Low-Dose Computed Tomography: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force

Importance Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the US. Objective To review the evidence on screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) to inform the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Data sources MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and trial registries through May 2019; references; experts; and literature surveillance through November 20, 2020. Study selection English-language studies of screening with LDCT, accuracy of LDCT, risk prediction models, or treatment for early-stage lung cancer. Data extraction and synthesis Dual review of abstracts, full-text articles, and study quality; qualitative synthesis of findings. Data were not pooled because of heterogeneity of populations and screening protocols. Main outcomes and measures Lung cancer incidence, lung cancer mortality, all-cause mortality, test accuracy, and harms. Results This review included 223 publications. Seven randomized clinical trials (RCTs) (N = 86 486) evaluated lung cancer screening with LDCT; the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST, N = 53 454) and Nederlands-Leuvens Longkanker Screenings Onderzoek (NELSON, N = 15 792) were the largest RCTs. Participants were more likely to benefit than the US screening-eligible population (eg, based on life expectancy). The NLST found a reduction in lung cancer mortality (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.85 [95% CI, 0.75-0.96]; number needed to screen [NNS] to prevent 1 lung cancer death, 323 over 6.5 years of follow-up) with 3 rounds of annual LDCT screening compared with chest radiograph for high-risk current and former smokers aged 55 to 74 years. NELSON found a reduction in lung cancer mortality (IRR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.61-0.90]; NNS to prevent 1 lung cancer death of 130 over 10 years of follow-up) with 4 rounds of LDCT screening with increasing intervals compared with no screening for high-risk current and former smokers aged 50 to 74 years. Harms of screening included radiation-induced cancer, false-positive results leading to unnecessary tests and invasive procedures, overdiagnosis, incidental findings, and increases in distress. For every 1000 persons screened in the NLST, false-positive results led to 17 invasive procedures (number needed to harm, 59) and fewer than 1 person having a major complication. Overdiagnosis estimates varied greatly (0%-67% chance that a lung cancer was overdiagnosed). Incidental findings were common, and estimates varied widely (4.4%-40.7% of persons screened). Conclusions and relevance Screening high-risk persons with LDCT can reduce lung cancer mortality but also causes false-positive results leading to unnecessary tests and invasive procedures, overdiagnosis, incidental findings, increases in distress, and, rarely, radiation-induced cancers. Most studies reviewed did not use current nodule evaluation protocols, which might reduce false-positive results and invasive procedures for false-positive results.
Optimizing Functionals on the Space of Probabilities with Input Convex Neural Networks.

Gradient flows are a powerful tool for optimizing functionals in general metric spaces, including the space of probabilities endowed with the Wasserstein metric. A typical approach to solving this optimization problem relies on its connection to the dynamic formulation of optimal transport and the celebrated Jordan-Kinderlehrer-Otto (JKO) scheme. However, this formulation involves optimization over convex functions, which is challenging, especially in high dimensions. In this work, we propose an approach that relies on the recently introduced input-convex neural networks (ICNN) to parameterize the space of convex functions in order to approximate the JKO scheme, as well as in designing functionals over measures that enjoy convergence guarantees. We derive a computationally efficient implementation of this JKO-ICNN framework and use various experiments to demonstrate its feasibility and validity in approximating solutions of low-dimensional partial differential equations with known solutions. We also explore the use of our JKO-ICNN approach in high dimensions with an experiment in controlled generation for molecular discovery.
CloudSkulk: A Nested Virtual Machine Based Rootkit and Its Detection

When attackers compromise a computer system and obtain root control over the victim system, retaining that control and avoiding detection become their top priority. To achieve this goal, various rootkits have been developed. However, existing rootkits are still easy to detect as long as defenders can gain control at a lower level, such as the operating system level, the hypervisor level, or the hardware level. In this paper, we present a new type of rootkit called CloudSkulk, which is a nested virtual machine (VM) based rootkit. While nested virtualization has attracted sufficient attention from the security and cloud community, to the best of our knowledge, we are the first to reveal and demonstrate how nested virtualization can be used by attackers to develop rootkits. We then, from defenders’ perspective, present a novel approach to detecting CloudSkulk rootkits at the host level. Our experimental results show that the proposed approach is effective in detecting CloudSkulk rootkits.
A way forward in the maternal mortality crisis: addressing maternal health disparities and mental health.

Our objective was to review the role of maternal health disparities and mental health in the maternal mortality crisis in the USA, and discuss how perinatal care quality improvement in these areas is a critical lever for reducing maternal death. This paper summarizes content from a plenary talk delivered at the 2020 Biennial Meeting of the International Marce Society for Perinatal Mental Health, in commemoration of the Society’s 40th anniversary. The talk synthesized literature on two characteristics of the maternal mortality crisis in the US: (1) wide racial and ethnic disparities in maternal mortality and severe morbidity and (2) the impact of mental health and substance use disorders on maternal death, and introduced a framework for how health care quality gaps contribute to both of these issues. The US remains an outlier among similar nations in its alarmingly high rates of maternal mortality. Achieving significant progress on this measure will require confronting longstanding racial and ethnic disparities that exist throughout the pregnancy-postpartum continuum, as well as addressing the under-reported issue of maternal self-harm. Suicide and overdose are leading but under-recognized causes of death among pregnant and postpartum women in some states. Health care delivery failures, including inadequate risk assessment, care coordination, and communication, are identified in the literature on drivers of maternal health disparities and self-harm. Many of the same steps to improve quality of perinatal care can help to reduce health disparities and address the essential role of mental health in maternal well-being.
Neural Network Verification in Control.

Learning-based methods could provide solutions to many of the long-standing challenges in control. However, the neural networks (NNs) commonly used in modern learning approaches present substantial challenges for analyzing the resulting control systems' safety properties. Fortunately, a new body of literature could provide tractable methods for analysis and verification of these high dimensional, highly nonlinear representations. This tutorial first introduces and unifies recent techniques (many of which originated in the computer vision and machine learning communities) for verifying robustness properties of NNs. The techniques are then extended to provide formal guarantees of neural feedback loops (e.g., closed-loop system with NN control policy). The provided tools are shown to enable closed-loop reachability analysis and robust deep reinforcement learning.