cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection of the human promyelocytic cell line HL-60 : high frequency of low-level infection and effect of subsequent cell differentiation

As a model system to study the infection of early myeloid cells by human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), we have infected the human promyelocytic cell line, HL-60, with a recombinant selectable HIV-1 clone. A fully infected population showed a relatively high frequency of low-level infection, with 40% of subcloned cells being negative by reverse transcriptase and p24 indirect immunofluorescence analysis and displaying only low levels of supernatant p24. The same treatment of a T-lymphoid cell line produced 100% productive infections. HIV-1 infection of HL-60 did not appear to alter the state of differentiation of the cells, as assessed by surface antigen expression, regardless of the level of viral expression. Furthermore, infected cells were able to respond normally to chemical inducers of differentiation. Induction of differentiation towards monocyte/macrophages by phorbol myristate acetate activated the HIV-1 long terminal repeat in a transient transfection system, and there was a corresponding increase in viral production from the infected subclones. Granulocytic differentiation, as stimulated by dimethyl sulfoxide or retinoic acid, had no effect on long terminal repeat activity and did not stimulate viral replication. These data suggest that low-level HIV-1 infections may be established at a relatively high frequency in myeloid precursor cells, and that different pathways of promyelocytic differentiation vary in their ability to stimulate HIV-1 replication.
A Book Review: Long Live the Bill of Rights! Long Live Akhil Reed Amar's the Bill of Rights!

Akhil Reed Amar's volume, The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction ("The Bill of Rights"), deserves to sit on every constitutional scholar and lawyer's shelf along with such other contemporary classics as Alexander Bickel's The Least Dangerous Branch, Charles Black's Structure and Relationship in Constitutional Law, John Hart Ely's Democracy and Distrust, and Philip Bobbitt's Constitutional Fate. This book builds on two of the most breathtaking and important law review articles of the past decade-Professor Amar's The Bill of Rights as a Constitution, and The Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment. Professor Amar's contributions to constitutional scholarship are of the first order. The Bill of Rights is the centerpiece of that contribution but it is scarcely its limit. The author will focus, very briefly, on the following four aspects of The Bill of Rights which he believes help to explain its significance: (1) its place as the cornerstone of a large and seemingly well-integrated scholarly agenda; (2) its analytic methodology; (3) its explanatory power; and (4) its rhetorical elegance.
Tuberculosis morbidity at Haskell Institute, a Native American Youth Boarding School 1910–1940:∧

Objective To determine historical disparities in tuberculosis morbidity between Native American youth attending government boarding schools and the non-Native American population. Findings are placed within the context of documented health disparities in Native American populations, with implications for modern health. Methods Analysis performed on epidemiologic data from Haskell Institute in Kansas and corresponding statewide data for the years 1910–1940. Data on tuberculosis prevalence and enrollment for Haskell were collected via historical records. Tuberculosis morbidity rates were calculated, along with comparative tuberculosis morbidity for the state of Kansas. Results Tuberculosis rates at Haskell Institute were significantly higher than for the state of Kansas from 1910 to 1940. Conclusion Tuberculosis morbidity among Native American boarding school youth in the early 20th century was higher than among the general public. Entrenched social and historical determinants resulted in increased susceptibility to tuberculosis; these factors continue to cause increased rates of tuberculosis among Native Americans today.
Prolyl 4-Hydroxylase: Substrate Isosteres in Which an (E)- or (Z)-Alkene Replaces the Prolyl Peptide Bond.

Collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylases (CP4Hs) catalyze a prevalent posttranslational modification, the hydroxylation of (2S)-proline residues in protocollagen strands. The ensuing (2S,4R)-4-hydroxyproline residues are necessary for the conformational stability of the collagen triple helix. Prolyl peptide bonds isomerize between cis and trans isomers, and the preference of the enzyme is unknown. We synthesized alkene isosteres of the cis and trans isomers to probe the conformational preferences of human CP4H1. We discovered that the presence of a prolyl peptide bond is necessary for catalysis. The cis isostere is, however, an inhibitor with a potency greater than that of the trans isostere, suggesting that the cis conformation of a prolyl peptide bond is recognized preferentially. Comparative studies with a Chlamydomonas reinhardtii P4H, which has a similar catalytic domain but lacks an N-terminal substrate-binding domain, showed a similar preference for the cis isostere. These findings support the hypothesis tha...
A 500 kHz, 3 kW power factor correction circuit with low loss auxiliary ZVT circuit

The paper presents a low-loss auxiliary circuit in a power factor correction (PFC) circuit to achieve zero voltage transition and hence improving the efficiency and operating frequency. The high dynamic energy generated in the switching node during turn-on is diverted by providing a parallel path through an auxiliary inductor and a transistor placed across the main inductor. The auxiliary devices operate at zero current switching and this addition has no effect on the control of the main PFC circuit. The paper discusses the operating principles, design and merits of the proposed scheme with hardware validation on a 3 kW/ 500 kHz PFC prototype.
Coherent control of carrier and phonon dynamics in photoexcited bismuth

Using single-shot pump-probe spectroscopy, the carrier relaxation and phonon oscillation in highly photo-excited bismuth are coherently controlled with double-pulse excitation. Beside phonon amplitude and phase, the magnitudes of monotonic decays also oscillate with interpump delay.
Nutrient Sensing Using Chip Scale Electrophoresis and In Situ Soil Solution Extraction

This paper reports an electrophoresis-based microfluidic ion nutrient sensor for the detection of anions in soil solution samples. The sensor is able to analyze the concentration of various anions in extracted soil solutions with high sensitivity as well as high specificity, while it is an approach requiring no labels. The electrophoretic microchip integrates a pair of in-plane conductivity detection microelectrodes. A programmable high voltage power supply unit was designed to achieve precise control over voltage potentials needed for sample and buffer injection and ion separation. An electrical conductivity detector was designed to extract and process the changes in conductivity due to the arrivals of separated anions at the electrodes at various times. An arrival time serves to identify an anionic species, while the peak height indicates the concentration. A soil water extraction device was also designed to extract the soil solution analyte from the bulk soil, by applying vacuum suction. Only a minute amount of solution (on the order of $\mu$ L) is needed for the electrophoretic measurement. Extracted soil solutions were analyzed for ionic concentrations to demonstrate the feasibility of using this microfluidic sensor, showing a limit of detection of about $\mu$ M.
Resumable online index rebuild in SQL server

Azure SQL Database and the upcoming release of SQL Server enhance Online Index Rebuild to provide fault-tolerance and allow index rebuild operations to resume after a system failure or a user-initiated pause. SQL Server is the first commercial DBMS to support pause and resume functionality for index rebuilds. This is achieved by splitting the operation into incremental units of work and persisting the required state so that it can be resumed later with minimal loss of progress. At the same time, the proposed technology minimizes the log space required for the operation to succeed, making it possible to rebuild large indexes using only a small, constant amount of log space. These capabilities are critical to guarantee the reliability of these operations in an environment where a) the database sizes are increasing at a much faster pace compared to the available hardware, b) system failures are frequent in Cloud architectures using commodity hardware, c) software upgrades and other maintenance tasks are automatically handled by the Cloud platforms, introducing further unexpected failures for the users and d) most modern applications need to be available 24/7 and have very tight maintenance windows. This paper describes the design of "Resumable Online Index Rebuild" and discusses how this technology can be extended to cover more schema management operations in the future.
Rock climbers’ management of hand injuries and perceptions on seeking healthcare: A mixed methods analysis

This study examined rock climbers’ behaviors and perspectives on utilizing healthcare for climbing-related hand injuries. Twenty-eight climbers were interviewed and completed questionnaires on thei...
Computational Grounded Theory: A Methodological Framework

This article proposes a three-step methodological framework called computational grounded theory, which combines expert human knowledge and hermeneutic skills with the processing power and pattern ...
First Complete Genome Sequence of Pepper mild mottle virus from Chili Pepper in the United States.

ABSTRACT Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) was first reported as a latent strain in the United States and then later reported in other countries around the world. Here, we report the first complete genome sequence of a PMMoV isolate (BL14) that was collected from chili pepper during the 2014 growing season in Oklahoma.
Using Enhanced Concept Map for Student Modeling in Programming Tutors.

We have been using the concept map of the domain, enhanced with pedagogical concepts called learning objectives, as the overlay student model in our intelligent tutors for programming. The resulting student model is finegrained, and has several advantages: (1) it facilitates better adaptation during problem generation; (2) it makes it possible for the tutor to automatically vary the level of locality during problem generation to meet the needs of the learner; (3) it clarifies to the learner the relationship among domain concepts when opened to scrutiny; (4) the tutor can estimate the level of understanding of a student in any higher-level concept, not just the concepts for which it presents problems; and (5) two tutors in a domain can affect each other’s adaptation of problems. Prior evaluations have shown that tutors that use enhanced concept maps help improve learning.
The Photoreceptor Connecting Cilium A Model for the Transition Zone

Vertebrate photoreceptors provide an excellent system for investigating the organization and maintenance of the membrane domains and cell polarity necessary for sensory function. In particular, the connecting cilium of photoreceptors appears to play an important role in photoreceptor organization. This specialized region corresponds structurally to the transition zone of motile cilia. As a consequence, studies of the structure and function of the photoreceptor connecting cilium are likely to provide insight into the function of the transition zone of motile and sensory cilia found more generally in eukaryotic cells. The purpose of this chapter is to review our current understanding of both the structure and function of the photoreceptor connecting cilium with emphasis on features that it may share with other cilia. The principal focus of recent research is on the role of the connecting cilium in the generation and maintenance of the polarized structure of photoreceptors. Details of the many recent advances in photoreceptor development, molecular biology, transduction, and membrane turnover are beyond the scope of this chapter, but are discussed in a series of recent reviews (Papermaster and Schneider, 1982; Bok, 1985; Besharse, 1982, 1986; Besharse et al., 1988; Liebman, 1987; Applebury and Hargrave, 1986; Adler, 1986).
Ferromagnetic resonance in coupled magnetic nanostructured arrays

The modulated field sweep ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectroscopy was used to study the magnetization dynamics in large arrays of interacting cubic nanomagnets. A 60nm thick permalloy (Ni80Fe20) thin films were patterned using a lift-off process into several large arrays of 60 x 60 nm2 nanostructures where the spacing between the magnetic nanocubes was varied to control the strength of dipolar coupling. Electron beam lithography was used for device patterning using lift-off. The permalloy films were deposited using magnetron sputtering. DC magnetic properties were evaluated using alternating gradient force magnetometer (AGFM). In the FMR measurements, the orientation of DC bias magnetic field was varied from the in-plane to out-of-plane with respect to the 2D plane of the arrays. The FMR peak splitting and multiple FMR modes were observed in the evolution of the FMR spectra as the function of the bias field orientation, and were strongly influenced by the nanomagnet geometry and the spacing between the nanomagnets. Two resonance modes, shape and lattice, were particularly well pronounced in the observed FMR spectra. These modes are characterized by effective demagnetizing factors representing different symmetries of the system of interacting nanomagnets. Micromagnetic modeling suggest that micromagnetic texture within the nanomagnets modulated by the stray fields from the neighbors correlates with the FMR spectra.The modulated field sweep ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectroscopy was used to study the magnetization dynamics in large arrays of interacting cubic nanomagnets. A 60nm thick permalloy (Ni80Fe20) thin films were patterned using a lift-off process into several large arrays of 60 x 60 nm2 nanostructures where the spacing between the magnetic nanocubes was varied to control the strength of dipolar coupling. Electron beam lithography was used for device patterning using lift-off. The permalloy films were deposited using magnetron sputtering. DC magnetic properties were evaluated using alternating gradient force magnetometer (AGFM). In the FMR measurements, the orientation of DC bias magnetic field was varied from the in-plane to out-of-plane with respect to the 2D plane of the arrays. The FMR peak splitting and multiple FMR modes were observed in the evolution of the FMR spectra as the function of the bias field orientation, and were strongly influenced by the nanomagnet geometry and the spacing between the...
Forms of Freedom in Pablo Larraín’s No and Neruda

For nearly forty years, freedom in Latin American literature has been tied to liberal democracy and state-sponsored terror. Literature, according to this post-dictatorial project, eliminates the division between art and life on behalf of democratic freedom and against human rights violations. What this project ignores is that the dictatorships’ objective was to eliminate all resistance to the market. Or as Eduardo Galeano notes, “People were in prison so that prices could be free.” This essay suggests that Pablo Larrain’s No (2012) and Neruda (2016) begin to challenge the conception of freedom in relation to democracy and dictatorship by insisting that democracy and dictatorship be understood instead in relation to the market. That is, the true force of these two films is found in their insistence on aesthetic form, or what Larrain calls an “illusion,” an illusion that not only rejects the indistinction between art and commodities, but also gestures toward a space of freedom beyond neoliberalism.
Modifications to the Aryl Group of dppf-Ligated Ni σ-Aryl Precatalysts: Impact on Speciation and Catalytic Activity in Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling Reactions

There is currently significant interest in the development of efficient nickel precatalysts for cross-coupling. In this work, 14 nickel(II) precatalysts of the form (dppf)Ni(aryl)(X) (dppf = 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene, X = Cl, Br) were synthesized. In particular, both the electronic and steric properties of the aryl group were modified to understand how this affects precatalyst activation. Using EPR spectroscopy, it was demonstrated that the amount of off-cycle nickel(I) species which are formed via comproportionation during precatalyst activation varies depending on the nature of the aryl group. For example, sterically bulky aryl groups reduce comproportionation. Additionally, the catalytic activity of the family of precatalysts was evaluated in five different Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions. The results from these catalytic studies provide information about how precatalyst structure affects catalytic efficiency, which may be useful for the rational design of improved nickel precatalysts for ...
Medical Group Characteristics and the Cost and Quality of Care for Medicare Beneficiaries

Objective To estimate the relationship between outcomes of care and medical practices' structure and use of organized care improvement processes. Data sources/study setting We linked Medicare claims data to our national survey of physician practices (2012-2013). Fifty percent response rate; 1,040 responding practices; 31,888 physicians; 868,213 attributed Medicare beneficiaries. Study design Cross-sectional observational analysis of the relationship between practice characteristics and total spending, readmissions, and ambulatory care-sensitive admissions (ACSAs), for all beneficiaries and five categories of beneficiary defined by predicted need for care. Principal findings Practices with 100+ physicians and 50-99 physicians had, respectively, annual spending per high-need beneficiary that was $1,870 (12.5 percent) and $1,824 higher than practices with 1-2 physicians, and readmission rates 1.64 and 1.71 higher. ACSA rates did not vary significantly by practice size. Outcomes did not vary significantly by ownership or by practices' use of organized processes to improve care. Conclusions Large practices had higher spending and readmission rates than the smallest practices, especially for high-need beneficiaries. There were no significant performance differences between physician-owned and hospital-owned practices. Policy makers should consider the effects of specific policies on provider organization, pending further research to learn which types of practice provide better care.
Determinants of Severe Maternal Morbidity and Its Racial/Ethnic Disparities in New York City, 2008–2012

Objectives Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) is an important indicator for identifying and monitoring efforts to improve maternal health. Studies have identified independent risk factors, including race/ethnicity; however, there has been limited investigation of the modifying effect of socioeconomic factors. Study aims were to quantify SMM risk factors and to determine if socioeconomic status modifies the effect of race/ethnicity on SMM risk. Methods We used 2008-2012 NYC birth certificates matched with hospital discharge records for maternal deliveries. SMM was defined using an algorithm developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mixed-effects logistic regression models estimated SMM risk by demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics. The final model was stratified by Medicaid status (as a proxy for income), education, and neighborhood poverty. Results Of 588,232 matched hospital deliveries, 13,505 (229.6 per 10,000) had SMM. SMM rates varied by maternal age, birthplace, education, income, pre-existing chronic conditions, pre-pregnancy weight status, trimester of prenatal care entry, plurality, and parity. Race/ethnicity was consistently and significantly associated with SMM. While racial differences in SMM risk persisted across all socioeconomic groupings, the risk was exacerbated among Latinas and Asian-Pacific Islanders with lower income when compared to white non-Latinas. Similarly, living in the poorest neighborhoods exacerbated SMM risk among both black non-Latinas and Latinas. Conclusions for Practice SMM determinants in NYC mirror national trends, including racial/ethnic disparities. However, these disparities persisted even in the highest income and educational groups suggesting other pathways are needed to explain racial/ethnic differences.
Meta-Analytic and Economic Approaches for Evaluation of Pesticide Impact on Sclerotinia Stem Rot Control and Soybean Yield in the North Central United States

As complete host resistance in soybean has not been achieved, Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum continues to be of major economic concern for farmers. Thus, chemical con...
Glassy slowing of stripe modulation in ( L a , E u , N d ) 2 − x ( S r , B a ) x CuO 4 : A 63 Cu and 139 La NQR study down to 350 mK

${}^{63}\mathrm{Cu}$ and ${}^{139}\mathrm{La}$ nuclear quadrupole resonance and Zeeman perturbed nuclear magnetic resonance experiments are performed on the striped phase of the high-temperature superconductors ${\mathrm{La}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{x}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$ and ${\mathrm{La}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x\ensuremath{-}y}(\mathrm{N}\mathrm{d},\mathrm{E}\mathrm{u}{)}_{y}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{x}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}.$ The first goal of the present study is to utilize the fact that ordered Cu magnetic moments exert a static hyperfine field on the ${}^{63}\mathrm{Cu}$ and ${}^{139}\mathrm{La}$ nuclei to deduce the charge density and ordered moment within the ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ planes. A hyperfine-broadened nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) line shape is observed in both ${\mathrm{La}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{x}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$ and ${\mathrm{La}}_{1.80\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Eu}}_{0.20}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{x}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$ for $x\ensuremath{\approx}\frac{1}{8}.$ Detailed numerical analysis of the ${}^{63}\mathrm{Cu}$ NQR line shape establishes that widely accepted models of periodic sinusoidal or square-well-shaped modulations of spin density waves with maximum moment $\ensuremath{\sim}0.3 {\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B},$ as inferred from elastic neutron scattering and muon spin rotation $(\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{SR})$ measurements, cannot account for the NQR line shape unless we assume a relatively small ordered moment $\ensuremath{\sim}0.15 {\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ with a comparably large distribution. The second goal of the present work is to establish the temperature dependence of the fluctuation frequency scale of stripes. We find that the fraction of missing ${}^{63}\mathrm{Cu}$ NQR intensity below charge ordering temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{charge}}$ accurately tracks the temperature dependence of the charge order parameter as measured by scattering methods. By fitting a single model to the temperature dependences of the wipeout fraction $F(T)$ for ${}^{63}\mathrm{Cu}$ and ${}^{139}\mathrm{La}$ NQR, the spin order parameter measured by elastic neutron scattering, and the $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{SR}$ data, we deduce the spatial distribution of the spin fluctuation frequency scale $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$ and its temperature dependence. These results indicate that as soon as the charge dynamics slow down, the spin fluctuations begin to slow dramatically with spin stiffness $2\ensuremath{\pi}{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{s}^{\mathrm{eff}}\ensuremath{\sim}200 \mathrm{K}.$ By extending the analysis to other hole concentrations, we demonstrate a qualitative difference in the spatial variation of electronic states induced by slowing the charge dynamics above and below $x=\frac{1}{8}.$
Limit Interchange and L'Hôpital's Rule

Conventional application of these two calculus staples is stretched here, somewhat recreationally, but also to raise solid questions about the role of limit interchange in analysis—without, however...
The varied sources of increasing wage dispersion

Pre-tax and transfer, or market income distribution has grown more unequal over the past four decades and thus has put increasing demands for redistribution on the welfare state. We focus on one aspect of inequality, wage dispersion, investigating the factors that shape the ratio of wages at the 90th percentile to wages at the 10th percentile, and the ratio of wages at the median to wages at the 10th percentile. We analyze data for 21 advanced democracies for varying numbers of years between the 1960s and 2013, depending on data availability for both the dependent and the independent variables. We integrate a focus on structural changes in the economy with a focus on labor market institutions, partisan politics, and education policies. We argue that the same factors shape wage dispersion between both the top and the bottom and the middle and bottom, but some of those factors have a stronger effect on the distance between the bottom and the median income earner. Specifically, higher levels of capital market openness, Third World imports, and immigration are all associated with higher wage dispersion in the 90:10 and the 50:10 ratio, but these effects are much stronger for the 50:10 ratio. Among the countervailing factors, union density, wage coordination, employment legislation that regulates temporary work, and investment in human capital restrain the overall distance and the distance between the bottom and the middle of the income distribution. The effect of regulation of temporary employment, however, is stronger at the bottom.
Construction glass and glazing job description: a qualitative case study

Construction workers regularly experience heavy workloads and various physical stressors that can result in work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs). According to the Bureau of Labor Statist...
Supervised Quantile Normalization for Low Rank Matrix Factorization

Low rank matrix factorization is a fundamental building block in machine learning, used for instance to summarize gene expression profile data or word-document counts. To be robust to outliers and differences in scale across features, a matrix factorization step is usually preceded by ad-hoc feature normalization steps, such as \texttt{tf-idf} scaling or data whitening. We propose in this work to learn these normalization operators jointly with the factorization itself. More precisely, given a $d\times n$ matrix $X$ of $d$ features measured on $n$ individuals, we propose to learn the parameters of quantile normalization operators that can operate row-wise on the values of $X$ and/or of its factorization $UV$ to improve the quality of the low-rank representation of $X$ itself. This optimization is facilitated by the introduction of a new differentiable quantile normalization operator built using optimal transport, providing new results on top of existing work by (Cuturi et al. 2019). We demonstrate the applicability of these techniques on synthetic and genomics datasets.
Ovarian mitochondrial and oxidative stress proteins are altered by glyphosate exposure in mice.

Abstract Glyphosate (GLY) usage for weed control is extensive. To investigate ovarian impacts of chronic GLY exposure, female C57BL6 mice were orally administered saline as vehicle control (CT) or GLY at 0.25 (G0.25), 0.5 (G0.5), 1.0 (G1.0), 1.5 (G1.5), or 2 (G2.0) mg/kg for five days per wk. for 20 wks. Feed intake increased (P
eMPRess: a systematic cophylogeny reconciliation tool.

Summary We describe eMPRess, a software program for phylogenetic tree reconciliation under the duplication-transfer-loss model that systematically addresses the problems of choosing event costs and selecting representative solutions, enabling users to make more robust inferences. Availability and implementation eMPRess is freely available at http://www.cs.hmc.edu/empress. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Assistive and Rehabilitative Effects of the Playskin LiftTM Exoskeletal Garment on Reaching and Object Exploration in Children With Arthrogryposis.

Importance Children with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita are often delayed in their development of reaching and object exploration, which can place them at risk for associated delays in motor and cognitive development. Objective To evaluate the longitudinal assistive and rehabilitative effects of the Playskin Lift™ (hereinafter Playskin), a novel exoskeletal garment, on reaching and object exploration abilities in children with arthrogryposis. Design Single-case ABA design with a 1-mo baseline, 4-mo intervention, and 1-mo postintervention. Setting Home environment. Participants Seventeen children with arthrogryposis (ages 6-35 mo at first visit; 5 boys). Intervention Participants used the Playskin daily for 30 to 45 min while participating in structured intervention activities to encourage reaching for objects across play spaces larger than they were typically able to. Outcomes and measures Participants were tested biweekly throughout the study with and without the Playskin using a systematic reaching assessment. Coding of reaching and object exploration behavior was performed using OpenSHAPA software; statistical analyses were conducted using Hierarchical Linear and Nonlinear Modeling software. Feasibility of the Playskin for daily home intervention was evaluated with a parent perception questionnaire. Results Positive assistive effects (improved performance when wearing the Playskin within sessions) and rehabilitative effects (improved independent performance after the Playskin intervention) were observed with increased active range of motion, expanded reaching space, improved grasping with the ventral side of the open hand, and greater complexity and multimodality and intensity of object exploration. Conclusions and relevance The Playskin may be a feasible, effective assistive and rehabilitative device to advance object interaction and learning in young children with arthrogryposis. What this article adds The novel exoskeletal Playskin garment improves reaching and object exploration in young children with arthrogryposis.
Comprehensive coupled thermo-hydro-bio-mechanical model for holistic performance assessment of municipal solid waste landfills

Abstract A comprehensive coupled thermo-hydro-bio-mechanical (CTHBM) model is proposed to simulate the coupled interactions between the hydraulic, mechanical, biochemical, and thermal processes observed in municipal solid waste (MSW) and also assess their influence on the long-term performance of MSW landfills. The hydraulic model is based on two-phase fluid flow through unsaturated porous media. The biochemical model is based on a two-stage anaerobic biodegradation model. The thermal model is based on conductive heat transport with heat generation rates derived from the biodegradation model. The mechanical model uses the soft-soil-creep constitutive model to simulate the time-dependent creep behavior of the waste. The effect of biodegradation and subsequent mass loss on the waste settlement is also incorporated. Using the proposed CTHBM model, two numerical simulations were performed on a typical full-scale landfill cell geometry to determine the long-term spatial and temporal variations in the hydraulic, mechanical, biochemical, and thermal characteristics of waste under conventional and bioreactor landfill conditions. The influence of the dynamic changes in the waste characteristics on the shear behavior of a textured geomembrane-geotextile interface in the bottom liner and cover system of the simulated landfill cell was also examined.
Celestina ’s Influence on La casa de Bernarda Alba

This study argues that the breadth and depth of influence of Fernando de Rojas’s Celestina on Federico Garcia Lorca’s La casa de Bernarda Alba is much greater than previously acknowledged. Garcia Lorca borrowed from Rojas not only motifs, images, and characterization, but also symbols, structure, and the effusive rhetoric that characterizes Celestina and Melibea’s mode of expression. Lorca’s La casa contains a microcosm of the social institutions and cultural dynamics that predominate in Celestina’s world and, by extension, in Rojas’s society. In this comparative analysis, I hope to show the far-reaching influence that Celestina has had since its publication in 1499 up to the twentieth century. By reading Lorca’s play from this perspective, I also uncover new levels of meaning that help us interpret La casa based on the systems of intertextual relations that underprop La casa’s foundations.
Photoacoustic differentiation of cortical from cancellous bone in the lumbar vertebrae of an intact human cadaver to prevent bone breaches during spinal fusion surgeries

In spinal fusion surgeries, it is critical to maintain correct trajectories during the process of creating pedicle holes for screw insertion, in order to avoid accidental bone breaches and screw misplacement, which are characterized by screws placed within surrounding cortical bone rather than the cancellous core of the pedicle. One key difference between these two bone types is the greater porosity of the cancellous bone when compared to the more dense, more compact cortical bone. This work investigates the feasibility of using photoacoustic imaging to differentiate cortical from cancellous bone in the lumbar vertebrae of an intact human cadaver, with the ultimate goal of developing a novel photoacoustic surgical system to prevent breaches. Eleven pedicle cannulations were performed in the lumbar vertebrae of a human cadaver, including six holes in the cancellous core and five partial or complete breaches of surrounding cortical bone. Amplitude-based delay-and-sum (DAS), coherence-based short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC), and locally weighted SLSC (LW-SLSC) beamforming were used to characterize differences in the morphology of photoacoustic signals originating from cancellous and cortical bone. Statistically significant differences between the median of measured areas from cortical and cancellous bone measured 6.61 mm2 for -6 dB contours obtained with DAS beamforming and ranged from 2.89 mm2 to 42.13 mm2 for -10 dB and -15 dB contours obtained with DAS, SLSC, and LW-SLSC beamforming (p<0.001). In addition, coherence-based photoacoustic imaging enabled localization of the tip of the optical fiber that was inserted into each prepared pedicle hole. Therefore, both DAS and SLSC beamforming has the potential to synergystically detect the tip of surgical tools and differentiate between signals originating from cortical and cancellous bone. These results are promising for surgical guidance within the desired cancellous core of the pedicle and away from the surrounding cortical bone, in order to avoid costly and painful bone breaches during surgery.
Associations with COVID-19 Symptoms, Prevention Interest, and Testing Among Sexual and Gender Minority Adults in a Diverse National Sample.

Purpose: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) and racial/ethnic minority populations may differ in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention, testing, and vaccine interest, although little research has explored these disparities. It is critical to understand the differential experiences within minoritized communities to ensure effective intervention and vaccine rollout. Methods: In a national online survey of U.S. adult SGM individuals, conducted between April and August 2020, 932 participants responded about COVID-19 testing, symptoms, interest in vaccination, and interest in at-home testing. Bivariate associations between these outcomes and demographic factors, including sexual orientation, gender identity, endorsing intersex traits, gender modality, race/ethnicity, and HIV status were calculated. Results: Despite 24% of the sample reporting COVID-19 symptoms, testing was relatively low at 13.3%. Transgender and bisexual/pansexual individuals were more likely to be interested in a COVID-19 vaccine and an at-home test compared with cisgender and gay/lesbian respondents, respectively. Compared with cisgender individuals, transgender individuals were nearly twice as likely to report COVID-19 symptoms. Latinx individuals were less likely to be interested in a future COVID-19 vaccination and Black individuals were less likely to be interested in an at-home COVID-19 test compared with White participants. Both respondents who endorsed intersex traits and people with HIV were less likely to be interested in an at-home test compared with those who did not endorse having intersex traits and people without HIV, respectively. Conclusions: These results show critical disparities in COVID-19 symptomology and prevention interest within SGM populations that must be taken into account when designing or tailoring effective COVID-19 interventions.
Celebrating the local: place-based advertising at Liverpool Football Club

This paper aims to explore the place-based advertisements used in international soccer. First, it elucidates the aspects of history and myth that are used by Liverpool Football Club (LFC) to attrac...
Social Robotics to Address Isolation and Depression Among the Aging During and After COVID-19

COVID-19 is exacerbating isolation issues faced by older adults, which may lead to increased risk for depression and other mental health issues. Social robots are being explored for their potential to alleviate these challenges through conversational therapy, companionship, and connectedness regardless of where older adults chose to age in place—from home to long-term care facilities. This is a discussion piece with the objective of raising awareness to the topic of social isolation within older adults and current limitations in the field of social robotics. We discuss the state of the art in social robotics for aging in place and bring attention to remaining challenges for addressing isolation and mental health especially during and after COVID-19. This paper provides a discussion on critical differences between environments where older individuals age, and how designs should account for these variations. Lastly, this paper highlights the physical and mental health issues of caregivers and provides a discussion of challenges that remain toward using social robotics to assist those who take care of the aging population.
Multivariate Fuzzy-Random Quasi-interpolation Neural Networks Approximation

In this chapter we study the rate of multivariate pointwise and uniform convergence in the q-mean to the Fuzzy-Random unit operator of multivariate Fuzzy-Random Quasi-Interpolation neural network operators.
A Review of “Mark My Words/Native Women Mapping Our Nations”

Mishuana Goeman's book, Mark My Words/Native Women Mapping Our Nations, was in my to read stack, so it was a pleasure to take up this text and consider it through questions raised in this special i...
Retail promotional advertising. Do the number of deal items and size of deal discounts affect store performance

Abstract Retailers use advertised price promotions to attract customers and stimulate store traffic and sales. While several studies have investigated the efficacy of individual-brand promotions, little empirical research has investigated the ways in which store-level promotion strategies influence retail performance. This article reports on a natural experiment involving a change in a grocery store's promotion strategy from featuring many items at small discounts, to a few items at deep discounts. Results of a time series intervention analysis indicate that such a change in strategy led to an increase in chain-level sales dollars but did not affect customer traffic.
Acceleration and Transport of Energetic Charged Particles in Space

Energetic charged particles or cosmic rays are found in space wherever the ambient matter density is small enough to allow them to exist. Their observed kinetic energies vary from just above the local thermal energies to in excess of 1020 eV. The energy spectrum is quite smooth, suggesting that a common mechanism is responsible for particles of all energies. Their arrival directions are distributed evenly in solid angle, with the observed anisotropies being quite small even at energies ∼ 1018 eV. Various scenarios for their acceleration are discussed, including 2nd-order Fermi acceleration, shocks and cosmic-ray viscosity. It is concluded that the most likely mechanism for the acceleration of most energetic particles to high energies is diffusive shock acceleration. This mechanism has the benefit of producing a power-law energy spectrum with a spectral index which is very insensitive to parameters and which is close in magnitude to that observed in a variety of contexts. It is also reasonably fast and efficient. Anomalous cosmic rays in the heliosphere are discussed as one example of the success of the shock-acceleration picture.
Byte-aligned bitmap compression

Summary form only given. Bitmap compression reduces storage space and transmission time for unstructured bit sequences like in inverted files, spatial objects, etc. On the down side, the compressed bitmaps loose their functional properties. For example, checking a given bit position, set intersection, union, and difference can be performed only after full decoding, thus causing a many-folded operational speed degradation. The proposed byte-aligned bitmap compression method (BBC) aims to support fast set operations on the compressed bitmap formats and, at the same time, to retain a competitive compression rate. To achieve this objective, BBC abandons the traditional approach of encoding run-lengths (distances between two ones separated by zeros). Instead, BBC deals only with byte aligned byte-size bitmap portions that are easy to fetch, store, AND, OR, and convert. The bitmap bytes are classified as gaps containing only zeros or only ones and maps containing a mixture of both. We also introduced a simple extension mechanism for existing methods to accommodate a dual-gap (zeros and ones) run-length encoding. With this extension, encoding of long "one" sequences becomes as efficient and better than arithmetic encoding.
Structural characterization of muropeptides from Chlamydia trachomatis peptidoglycan by mass spectrometry resolves “chlamydial anomaly”

The “chlamydial anomaly,” first coined by James Moulder, describes the inability of researchers to detect or purify peptidoglycan (PG) from pathogenic Chlamydiae despite genetic and biochemical evidence and antibiotic susceptibility data that suggest its existence. We recently detected PG in Chlamydia trachomatis by a new metabolic cell wall labeling method, however efforts to purify PG from pathogenic Chlamydiae have remained unsuccessful. Pathogenic chlamydial species are known to activate nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2) innate immune receptors by as yet uncharacterized ligands, which are presumed to be PG fragments (muramyl di- and tripeptides). We used the NOD2-dependent activation of NF-κB by C. trachomatis-infected cell lysates as a biomarker for the presence of PG fragments within specific lysate fractions. We designed a new method of muropeptide isolation consisting of a double filtration step coupled with reverse-phase HPLC fractionation of Chlamydia-infected HeLa cell lysates. Fractions that displayed NOD2 activity were analyzed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, confirming the presence of muramyl di- and tripeptides in Chlamydia-infected cell lysate fractions. Moreover, the mass spectrometry data of large muropeptide fragments provided evidence that transpeptidation and transglycosylation reactions occur in pathogenic Chlamydiae. These results reveal the composition of chlamydial PG and disprove the “glycanless peptidoglycan” hypothesis.
Phase Equilibria in the KNbO3‐SrNb2O6 and KNbO3‐BaNb2O6 Systems

Phase equilibrium studies of the KnbO2-SrNb2O6 system revealed that tetragonal tungsten bronze-type solid solutions extend from 59 to 87 mol% SrNb2O6. The solid solution field has a relatively flat liquidus peaking at 1486°C and 78 mol% SrNb2O6. In contrast, solid solutions are limited to 67 to 75 mol% BaNb2O6 in the KnbO3-BaNb2O6 system, with peritectic decomposition occurring at the 75 mol% solid-solution limit. The diagrams establish conditions for perfecting the growth and stoichiometry of potassium-strontium and potassium-barium niobate electrooptic crystals. Dielectric and crystallographic properties of crystals grown in these systems are presented, and the phase relations are compared to previous work in the sodium-barium niobate system.
Carton-Mix Optimization for Walmart.com Distribution Centers

Walmart's Internet shopping business has grown considerably since 2006. To effectively and efficiently serve this business model, Walmart launched distribution centers DCs in the United States; these DCs focus on fulfilling orders placed online at the Walmart.com website. The Carrollton, Georgia distribution center CDC handles a significant portion of the volume of products shipped directly to customers and stores for customer pickup. In spring 2011, the CDC executed a focused cost-improvement project to optimize its carton mix, defined as the sizes of the shipping cartons that can be erected using automation or built manually. The goals of this project were to develop a process to create an optimal mix of carton sizes to reduce shipping, material, and labor costs of conveyable orders, and improve customer satisfaction. Working in close coordination with CDC managers and Walmart's corporate supply chain team, we developed an Excel-based solution algorithm to determine the optimal carton sizes for four automated and six manual carton sizes. Walmart has fully implemented this solution algorithm into a decision support system for reconfiguring the carton mix at the CDC. The company has certified order-fulfillment cost savings of $600,000 per year and has projected annual cost savings of $2 million across the entire Walmart.com network.
Recurrent urinary tract infections in an infant with antenatal Bartter syndrome

Background Antenatal variant of Bartter syndrome is characterized by a history of polyhydramnios, premature birth, metabolic alkalosis, hypokalemia, polyuria and renal salt wasting. In this report we present a premature female baby with antenatal Barter syndrome who had three episodes of urinary tract infection (UTI), without evidence for congenital anomaly of the kidneys or urinary tract.
Hippocampal noradrenergic responses in vivo and in vitro. Characterization of alpha and beta components.

Pressure ejection of l-norepinephrine (NE) in the in vivo rat hippocampus generally produced depression of pyramidal cell spontaneous activity. In addition, both excitation and biphasic responses were observed. NE-induced inhibition of firing rate was effectively antagonized by concurrent administration of the alpha antagonist phentolamine, but was largely unaltered by the beta antagonist timolol. On the other hand, NE-induced elevation in spontaneous firing rate was effectively blocked by timolol, and largely unaffected by phentolamine. Another beta antagonist, sotalol, did not selectively antagonize either NE-induced inhibition or NE-induced excitation. The beta agonist 2-fluoro-NE produced increases in pyramidal cell firing rates in most cells studied, while the alpha agonist 6-fluoro-NE inhibited the majority of cells examined. The effects of sotalol were also examined on alpha and beta receptor-mediated field responses in the in vitro hippocampal slice. Sotalol was shown to be a selective beta antagonist in this system, blocking excitation evoked by the beta agonist isoproterenol while having no effect on inhibition elicited by the alpha agonist clonidine; however, the potency of sotalol (Ki=3.5μM) was considerably less than that of timolol (Ki=50 nM). Taken together, these results suggest that NE-induced depression and elevation in hippocampal pyramidal cell spontaneous discharge in vivo are mediated via alpha and beta adrenoceptors, respectively.
The regularity of x3-graphs

Consider a finite directed graph (loops allowed) such that the number of directed paths from vertex i to vertex j of length three is a fixed non-zero number for every distinct pair (i, j). If the graph has more than two vertices it is regular.