cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterizing Soil Physical Properties for Soil Moisture Monitoring with the North Carolina Environment and Climate Observing Network

AbstractSoil moisture has important implications for meteorology, climatology, hydrology, and agriculture. This has led to growing interest in development of in situ soil moisture monitoring networks. Measurement interpretation is severely limited without soil property data. In North Carolina, soil moisture has been monitored since 1999 as a routine parameter in the statewide Environment and Climate Observing Network (ECONet), but with little soils information available for ECONet sites. The objective of this paper is to provide soils data for ECONet development. The authors studied soil physical properties at 27 ECONet sites and generated a database with 13 soil physical parameters, including sand, silt, and clay contents; bulk density; total porosity; saturated hydraulic conductivity; air-dried water content; and water retention at six pressures. Soil properties were highly variable among individual ECONet sites [coefficients of variation (CVs) ranging from 12% to 80%]. This wide range of properties sug...
Plant Responses to Water Deficit and Shade Stresses in Pigweed and Their Influence on Feeding and Oviposition by the Beet Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Water deficit and shade stress in weed-infested crops could alter plant growth and biochemistry and feeding and oviposition by the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua Hubner. Palmer amaranth pigweed, Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats., was grown under 25% of full watering (water deficit), 30% of full light (shade), or combined stress. All treatments decreased plant height and weight. Shade and combined stresses decreased leaf counts and increased leaf water content. Water deficit stress increased leaf water potential, soluble protein and carbohydrate contents, peroxidase activities, and accumulations of 10 individual free amino acids (FAAs), summed essential FAAs, and total FAAs. Combined stress increased water potential, soluble carbohydrates, 12 individual FAAs, summed essential FAAs, and total FAAs. Shade stress decreased water potential, soluble carbohydrates, seven individual FAAs, and essential FAAs. Beet armyworm larvae consumed similar leaf areas on water deficit–stressed and nonstressed plants and larger areas on plants grown under shade or combined stress. Larval survival was reduced, and time to pupation was higher on shade-stressed leaves. Adult females deposited more eggs on shade and combined stress plants and fewer eggs on water deficit-stressed plants compared with controls. Beet armyworm feeding and oviposition responded to variation in water content. Stress-induced changes in nutrients were not tied to insect preference but could have negatively influenced survival under shade stress. The results have implications for the plant stress hypothesis and for the use of pigweeds for beet armyworm detection.
Persistent Intra-Specific Variation in Genetic and Behavioral Traits in the Raphidophyte, Heterosigma akashiwo

Motility is a key trait that phytoplankton utilize to navigate the heterogeneous marine environment. Quantifying both intra- and inter-specific variability in trait distributions is key to utilizing traits to distinguish groups of organisms and assess their ecological function. Because examinations of intra-specific variability are rare, here we measured three-dimensional movement behaviors and distribution patterns of seven genetically distinct strains of the ichthyotoxic, raphidophyte, Heterosigma akashiwo. Strains were collected from different ocean basins but geographic distance between isolates was a poor predictor of genetic relatedness among strains. Observed behaviors were significantly different among all strains examined, with swimming speed and turning rate ranging from 33–115 μm s-1 and 41-110 deg s-1 respectively. Movement behaviors were consistent over at least 12 hours, and in one case identical when measured several years apart. Movement behaviors were not associated with a specific cell size, carbon content, genetic relatedness, or geographic distance. These strain-specific behaviors resulted in algal populations that had distinct vertical distributions in the experimental tank. This study demonstrates that the traits of genetic identity and motility can provide resolution to distinguish strains of species, where variations in size or biomass are insufficient characteristics.
THE ENDOCRINOPATHIES OF MALE ANOREXIA NERVOSA: CASE SERIES.

ABSTRACT Objective: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious disorder with associated morbidity and mortality, most commonly diagnosed in females. Existing literature on male anorexia is sparse, and a review of the endocrine effects of AN in males has not previously been published. Our objective is to highlight the clinical characteristics of AN in males as a routinely overlooked cause of multiple endocrinopathies and systemic illness in hospitalized patients. Methods: We present 4 cases (2 cases at The Mount Sinai Hospital; 2 cases at Long Island Jewish Hospital) of young men with hormonal dysfunction due to underlying AN. Pertinent de-identified data were collected from a chart review of cases seen on the endocrinology consult service at both hospitals. Institutional Review Board approval was not required for an observational report of the cases presented. Results: Four young men with AN demonstrated evidence of multiple systemic complications from severe caloric and protein malnutrition. Varying degrees of e...
Gentle Gassing by S.S. Cox, Not S.S. White☆

a Medical Student, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0144, USA b Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA c Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, 2124 Cornell Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA d Honorary Curator, Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology, 1061 American Lane, Schaumburg, IL 60173-4973, USA
CESP: A Low-Power High-Accuracy Time Synchronization Protocol

Time synchronization is a fundamental problem in any distributed system. In particular, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) require scalable time synchronization for implementing distributed tasks on multiple sensor nodes. We propose an energy-efficient coefficient exchange synchronization protocol (CESP) based on a receiver–receiver synchronization scheme, which minimizes the impact of access-time delays. Most of the existing synchronization protocols focus on improving the synchronization accuracy by assuming the availability of packet-level timestamping and with little concern for power consumption. The proposed time-synchronization protocol achieves high synchronization accuracy similar to the classic reference broadcast synchronization (RBS) protocol without requiring packet-level timestamping but with a significant reduction on communication overhead to achieve low power consumption. CESP works in a fundamentally different way from RBS: In order to synchronize two receivers, RBS exchanges all beacon packets between two receivers, whereas CESP receivers first process a large number of received beacon packets and only then exchange a small amount of information between the two receivers: synchronization coefficients. The synchronization performance and power consumption are evaluated and compared with that of other well-known synchronization protocols through experimental results.
Metal Ion Complexes of N,N′-Bis(2-Pyridylmethyl)-1,3-Diaminopropane-N,N′-Diacetic Acid, H2bppd

A higher yield synthesis of N,N′-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,3-diaminopropane-N,N′-diacetic acid (H2bppd) and its complexation of trivalent metal ions (Al(III), Ga(III), In(III)) and selected lanthanides (Ln(III)) are reported. H2bppd and the metal–bppd2– complexes, isolated as hexafluorophosphate salts, were characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, IR, and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. [Ga(bppd)]PF6, [Ga(C19H22N4O4)]PF6, was crystallized as colorless needles by slow evaporation from anhydrous methanol; its molecular structure was solved by direct X-ray crystallography methods. The compound crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21/c, with a = 9.6134(2) A, b = 20.2505(4) A, c = 11.6483(3) A, β = 97.520(1)o, and Z = 4. Ga is coordinated in a distorted octahedral geometry provided by a N4O2 donor atom set with cis-monodentate acetate groups and cis-2-pyridylmethyl N atoms. Quantum mechanical calculations were performed for the three possible geometric isomers of a pseudo-octahedral metal–bppd2...
Predictive Endocrine Testing in the 21st Century Using in Vitro Assays of Estrogen Receptor Signaling Responses

Thousands of environmental chemicals are subject to regulatory review for their potential to be endocrine disruptors (ED). In vitro high-throughput screening (HTS) assays have emerged as a potential tool for prioritizing chemicals for ED-related whole-animal tests. In this study, 1814 chemicals including pesticide active and inert ingredients, industrial chemicals, food additives, and pharmaceuticals were evaluated in a panel of 13 in vitro HTS assays. The panel of in vitro assays interrogated multiple end points related to estrogen receptor (ER) signaling, namely binding, agonist, antagonist, and cell growth responses. The results from the in vitro assays were used to create an ER Interaction Score. For 36 reference chemicals, an ER Interaction Score >0 showed 100% sensitivity and 87.5% specificity for classifying potential ER activity. The magnitude of the ER Interaction Score was significantly related to the potency classification of the reference chemicals (p < 0.0001). ERα/ERβ selectivity was also ev...
A comparison of measures of prenatal care use.

Numerous indices of prenatal care use have been developed to measure and track women's access to prenatal care services. Those measures, based on the month prenatal care began, the number of prenatal visits, or a combination of the two, have been widely used in research and evaluation and have been used as the basis for national public health goals, including the Year 2000 objectives.1-3 In 1989, the Washington State program known as First Steps expanded Medicaid eligibility to 185% of the federal poverty level for pregnant women and infants under 1 year of age, provided for rapid eligibility determinations, increased Medicaid reimbursements for physicians and other maternity care providers, and provided reimbursement for maternity support and case management services. At the program's outset, the legislature requested that the program be evaluated to determine whether First Steps improved women's access to prenatal care. It was not known how much the choice of indices alone could affect our assessment of this program's effectiveness. We therefore undertook the present analysis to guide our choice among available measures of prenatal care use. We compared how the indices of prenatal care
Behavior-based network management: a unique model-based approach to implementing cyber superiority

Behavior-Based Network Management (BBNM) is a technological and strategic approach to mastering the identification and assessment of network behavior, whether human-driven or machine-generated. Recognizing that all five U.S. Air Force (USAF) mission areas rely on the cyber domain to support, enhance and execute their tasks, BBNM is designed to elevate awareness and improve the ability to better understand the degree of reliance placed upon a digital capability and the operational risk. 2 Thus, the objective of BBNM is to provide a holistic view of the digital battle space to better assess the effects of security, monitoring, provisioning, utilization management, allocation to support mission sustainment and change control. Leveraging advances in conceptual modeling made possible by a novel advancement in software design and implementation known as Vector Relational Data Modeling (VRDM™), the BBNM approach entails creating a network simulation in which meaning can be inferred and used to manage network behavior according to policy, such as quickly detecting and countering malicious behavior. Initial research configurations have yielded executable BBNM models as combinations of conceptualized behavior within a network management simulation that includes only concepts of threats and definitions of “good” behavior. A proof of concept assessment called “Lab Rat,” was designed to demonstrate the simplicity of network modeling and the ability to perform adaptation. The model was tested on real world threat data and demonstrated adaptive and inferential learning behavior. Preliminary results indicate this is a viable approach towards achieving cyber superiority in today's volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment.
Does a mother’s voice influence a child’s social communication abilities?

A mother’s voice connects with her child from birth. A mother sometimes speaks nonsense but loving phrases even before her baby can smile back, and over time a mother’s voice develops deep meaning in a child’s life. A mother’s voice brings comfort, and nurtures and guides social function
Three-year longitudinal study of perceptions of competence and well-being among youth exposed to disasters

ABSTRACTThis article examines perceptions of competence/well-being over time and linkages to exposure to natural disaster experiences and stress associated with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in youth. A multi-wave naturalistic design was used to follow N = 3,399 students, ages 8–18 years who were evaluated for perceptions of competence/well-being, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, hurricane exposure experiences, and stress related to the oil spill at three time points across three years. Examination of longitudinal trajectories of competence/well-being revealed growth within youth over time. Age predicted trajectories of competence/well-being, such that older youth had higher ratings of competence/well-being; however, with higher oil spill stress, older youth experienced declines in competence/well-being post-oil spill. There was a negative association between PTSD symptoms and competence/well-being. Findings suggest that perceptions of competence/well-being may be compromised by exposure t...
Polymorphism at 129 dictates metastable conformations of the human prion protein N-terminal β-sheet

We study the thermodynamic stability of the native state of the human prion protein using a new free-energy method, replica-exchange on-the-fly parameterization. This method is designed to overcome hidden-variable sampling limitations to yield nearly error-free free-energy profiles along a conformational coordinate. We confirm that all four (M129V, D178N) polymorphs have a ground-state conformation with three intact β-sheet hydrogen bonds. Additionally, they are observed to have distinct metastabilities determined by the side-chain at position 129. We rationalize these findings with reference to the prion “strain” hypothesis, which links the variety of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy phenotypes to conformationally distinct infectious prion forms and classifies distinct phenotypes of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease based solely on the 129 polymorphism. Because such metastable structures are not easily observed in structural experiments, our approach could potentially provide new insights into the conformational origins of prion diseases and other pathologies arising from protein misfolding and aggregation.
Dynamic structure of active nematic shells

When a thin film of active, nematic microtubules and kinesin motor clusters is confined on the surface of a vesicle, four +1/2 topological defects oscillate in a periodic manner between tetrahedral and planar arrangements. Here a theoretical description of nematics, coupled to the relevant hydrodynamic equations, is presented here to explain the dynamics of active nematic shells. In extensile microtubule systems, the defects repel each other due to elasticity, and their collective motion leads to closed trajectories along the edges of a cube. That motion is accompanied by oscillations of their velocities, and the emergence and annihilation of vortices. When the activity increases, the system enters a chaotic regime. In contrast, for contractile systems, which are representative of some bacterial suspensions, a hitherto unknown static structure is predicted, where pairs of defects attract each other and flows arise spontaneously.
Abstract 1169: Growth regulation of bladder cancer cells by compounds that affect glucose metabolism

The observation that cancer cells tend to exhibit enhanced rates of glycolysis presents a target for therapeutic regulation of cancer cell growth by molecules that regulate glucose metabolism. We have extended our earlier studies on colon cancer cells with an examination in bladder cancer cells of the action of an established inhibitor of PFKFB3, namely 3-(3-pyridinyl)-1-(4-pyridinyl)-2-propen-1-one (3PO) as a single agent and in combination with other molecules that affect glycolysis and proliferation. 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB-3) is an enzyme regulating glycolysis in many tumor cells. Cell growth was monitored by staining with sulforhodamine B. Of the 8 cell lines examined, growth was most rapid in the T24 and UM-UC-3 bladder cancer cells. The slowest growth was seen with RT4, TCCSUP and HT1197 cells while intermediate growth rates were observed with 5637, HT1376, and SW780 cells. Glucose uptake from the medium and acidification of the medium over a 72-hour incubation tended to correlate with growth rate. Thus the greatest changes were seen with the T24 and UM-UC-3 cell lines and the least change was seen with RT4 and TCCSUP cells. Growth was inhibited when glutamine was omitted from the medium but growth was blocked in the absence of glucose except for RT4 cells in which growth was inhibited more in the absence of glutamine. Treatment with 10 μM 3PO as a single agent for 72 hours caused average growth inhibition in the range of 25-50% without apparent relationship to the control growth rates of the cell lines. Additive inhibitory effects on growth were observed when cells were coincubated with 3PO and either 1 mM 2-deoxyglucose, 50 μM phenformin or 1 mM butyrate. In addition to being growth inhibitory, butyrate also caused significant induction of alkaline phosphatase activity in some cell lines. When cells were incubated with phenformin as a single agent, there was generally an increased acidification of the medium that was diminished by coincubation with 3PO. In conclusion, 3PO was an inhibitor of proliferation of human bladder cancer cells and may be a useful agent in combination with other drugs that inhibit bladder cancer cell proliferation. Citation Format: Michael A. Lea, Charles desBordes. Growth regulation of bladder cancer cells by compounds that affect glucose metabolism. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1169. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1169
The Ex Post Deterrence of Manipulation: A Critical Analysis of Existing Law and a Proposed Alternative

Levying harm-based sanctions on convicted manipulators is one way to deter corners and squeezes. Unfortunately, evidence abounds that commodity market manipulation law in the United States is extraordinarily confused.1 For example, court and administrative law judges have violently attacked the reasoning underlying precedent-setting cases.2 Commodity market regulators have publicly lamented the acute difficulty of determining whether a manipulation has occurred.3 Legal scholars have argued that the existing law borders on the chaotic. In the extreme, some have claimed that judicial action is incapable of deterring manipulation and that more thoroughgoing regulatory restrictions on trader conduct are thus necessary.4
Emancipatory Broadband Adoption: Toward a Critical Theory of Digital Inequality in the Urban United States

Drawing on 2 years of ethnographic research that included an engaged participant component, this article seeks to build a critical theory of technology adoption in urban communities. While the high cost of broadband Internet is undeniably an obstacle to adoption, we argue that solving the problem of cost is a necessary but not sufficient solution to the digital divide. To this end, the article contends that a community's relationship to communication technology—and their ability to see it as a political and cultural tool that can be utilized not just instrumentally, but more broadly as a way to fight poverty, inequality, and other forms of oppression—is a substantial factor leading to what we call emancipatory adoption.
Abstract B73: Trends in racial disparities in cancer incidence among white and black older adults in the United States

Background: As cancer occurs more commonly in older adults (≥65 years), the aging of the U.S. population is expected to markedly increase the number of cancer diagnoses. Despite this increase, older adults are an understudied cancer patient population. Few studies have reported trends in cancer incidence rates among older adults in the U.S., however, none have examined trends in racial disparities in cancer incidence in this population. Purpose of the study: To examine potential racial disparities in cancer incidence over time among older adults using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute. Methods: Cases of female breast, prostate, colorectal, and lung and bronchus cancer were reported to one of 18 SEER registries. Differences in cancer incidence rates by race and changes in these differences over time were examined for cases aged ≥65 years diagnosed 1973-2013. Results: From 1973-2013, lung and bronchus and female breast cancer incidence rates increased while colorectal cancer incidence rates decreased among older adults. Prostate cancer incidence rates increased between 1973 and the mid-nineties and then decreased until 2013 among older adults. Among older women diagnosed with breast cancer, white women had higher incidence rates than black women; however, the percent difference in rates decreased from 23.4% in 1973-1977 to 6.3% in 2008-2013. For prostate cancer, black older men had higher prostate cancer incidence rates than white men from 1973-2013. The percent difference in prostate cancer incidence rates between white and black older men remained relatively large over time, from 45.9% in 1973-1977 to 50.1% in 2008-2013. From 1973-1992, white older adults had higher colorectal incidence rates than black older adults. Notably, beginning in 1993, the colorectal cancer incidence rates among black older adults surpassed those of white older adults. The percent difference in the colorectal cancer incidence rates between white and black older men increased from 4.3% in 1993-1997 to 18.1% in 2008-2013. Lastly, from 1973-2013, black older adults had higher lung and bronchus cancer incidence rates than white older adults. The percentage difference for the rates between white and black older adults decreased from 11.9% in 1973-1977 to 8.5% in 2008-2013. Conclusion: There are considerable racial disparities in cancer incidence rates in the U.S. among older adults. Continued efforts involving cancer prevention are needed to reduce these disparities. Citation Format: Jessica L. Krok-Schoen, James L. Fisher, Ryan D. Baltic, Electra D. Paskett. Trends in racial disparities in cancer incidence among white and black older adults in the United States. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B73.
Design and Synthesis of γ- and δ-Lactam M1 Positive Allosteric Modulators (PAMs): Convulsion and Cholinergic Toxicity of an M1-Selective PAM with Weak Agonist Activity

Recent data demonstrated that activation of the muscarinic M1 receptor by a subtype-selective positive allosteric modulator (PAM) contributes to the gastrointestinal (GI) and cardiovascular (CV) cholinergic adverse events (AEs) previously attributed to M2 and M3 activation. These studies were conducted using PAMs that also exhibited allosteric agonist activity, leaving open the possibility that direct activation by allosteric agonism, rather than allosteric modulation, could be responsible for the adverse effects. This article describes the design and synthesis of lactam-derived M1 PAMs that address this hypothesis. The lead molecule from this series, compound 1 (PF-06827443), is a potent, low-clearance, orally bioavailable, and CNS-penetrant M1-selective PAM with minimal agonist activity. Compound 1 was tested in dose escalation studies in rats and dogs and was found to induce cholinergic AEs and convulsion at therapeutic indices similar to previous compounds with more agonist activity. These findings pr...
An experimental and theoretical study of heat and mass transfer during the venting of gas from pressure vessels

Non condensing gas flow and heat transfer during venting of vessels are studied using experiments and analysis. A high pressure helium supply vessel is connected to a low pressure receiver via orifice and tubing. A single control volume analysis and a multi-dimensional analysis are used to predict pressure and mass-averaged temperature in the supply. Experiments utilizing transient PVT methods are conducted to obtain transient pressure and mass-averaged temperature data for validating the analysis. Measured transient pressures and mass-averaged temperatures in the supply are reproduced by analysis. Heat transfer is due to natural convection except for the early part of transfer.
Evidence Underpinning the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Management Bundle (SEP-1): A Systematic Review

This article has been corrected. To see what has changed, please read the Letter to the Editor and the authors' response. The original version (PDF) is appended to this article as a Supplement. Background The Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Early Management Bundle (SEP-1), the sepsis performance measure introduced in 2015 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), requires the reporting of up to 5 hemodynamic interventions, as many as 141 tasks, and 3 hours to document for a single patient. Purpose To evaluate whether moderate- or high-level evidence shows that use of the 2015 SEP-1 or its hemodynamic interventions improves survival in adults with sepsis. Data sources PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to 28 November 2017 with no language restrictions. Study selection Randomized and observational studies of death among adults with sepsis who received versus those who did not receive either the entire SEP-1 bundle or 1 or more SEP-1 hemodynamic interventions, including serial lactate measurements; a fluid infusion of 30 mL/kg of body weight; and assessment of volume status and tissue perfusion with a focused examination, bedside cardiovascular ultrasonography, or fluid responsiveness testing. Data extraction Two investigators independently extracted study data and assessed each study's risk of bias; 4 authors rated level of evidence by consensus using CMS criteria published in 2013. High- or moderate-level evidence required studies to have no confounders and low risk of bias. Data synthesis Of 56 563 references, 20 studies (18 reports) met inclusion criteria. One single-center observational study reported lower in-hospital mortality after implementation of the SEP-1 bundle. Sixteen studies (2 randomized and 14 observational) reported increased survival with serial lactate measurements or 30-mL/kg fluid infusions. None of the 17 studies were free of confounders or at low risk of bias. In 3 randomized trials, fluid responsiveness testing did not alter survival. Limitations Few trials, poor-quality and confounded studies, and no studies (with survival outcomes) of the focused examination or bedside cardiovascular ultrasonography. Use of the 2015 version of SEP-1 and 2013 version of CMS evidence criteria, both of which were updated in 2017. Conclusion No high- or moderate-level evidence shows that SEP-1 or its hemodynamic interventions improve survival in adults with sepsis. Primary funding source National Institutes of Health. (PROSPERO: CRD42016052716).
Selective Osmotic Shock for Islet Isolation in the Cadaveric Canine Pancreas.

Currently, islet isolation is performed using harsh collagenases that cause nonspecific injury to both islets and exocrine tissue, negatively affecting the outcome of cell transplantation. We evalu...
Treatment of Poststroke Anxiety in an Older Adult Male: A Single-Case Analysis

A single-case analysis was carried out to study the nonpharmacological treatment of post-stroke anxiety in an older adult male. The intervention consisted of a biofeedback-assisted program of autogenic training; efficacy was demonstrated using multiple discontinuations and reinstatements of treatment. Physiological indices and self-report measures of anxiety and depression documented treatment success, although a moderate increase in fear was evident on the Fear Survey Schedule II at the final follow-up assessment.
Ethical Considerations in Evaluation

Every profession confronts ethical issues as its members engage in practice, and the ways in which individuals respond to these challenges play a major role in (1) shaping the profession’s public image and credibility, and (2) increasing (or decreasing) the profession’s internal social cohesion. Simply put, “ethics matter” to professions, and evaluation is no exception.
The State of the Science in Technology Transfer: Implications for the Field of Assistive Technology

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology Transfer (T2RERC) hosted a “State of the Science” conference in November, 2001. The conference reviewed technology transfer work within the field of assistive technology, and summarized related work in public, private and academic sectors. Invited speakers prepared papers on various topics concerning technology transfer, and related their findings to the field of assistive technology during the ensuing discussion sessions. This paper provides an overview of the material presented by the participants, and explores the implications of their findings for one particular field of application—assistive technology for people with disabilities.
Greater Physical Activity Is Associated with Slower Visual Field Loss in Glaucoma

Purpose To determine the association between physical activity levels and the rate of visual field (VF) loss in glaucoma. Design Longitudinal, observational study. Participants Older adults with suspect or manifest glaucoma. Methods Participants wore accelerometers for 1 week to define average steps per day, minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity, and minutes of nonsedentary activity. All available VF measurements before and after physical activity assessment were retrospectively analyzed to measure rates of VF loss. Main Outcome Measures Pointwise changes in VF sensitivity associated with physical activity measures. Results A total of 141 participants (mean age, 64.9±5.8 years) were enrolled. Eye mean deviation (MD) at the time of physical activity assessment was −6.6 decibels (dB), and average steps per day were 5613±3158. The unadjusted average rate of VF loss as measured by pointwise VF sensitivity was 0.36 dB/year (95% confidence interval, −0.37 to −0.35). In multivariable models, slower VF loss was observed for patients demonstrating more steps (+0.007 dB/year/1000 daily steps, P –12 dB) as opposed to mild VF damage (MD >–6 dB). Similar associations between baseline accelerometer-measured physical activity and rates of VF loss were observed over other time periods (e.g., within 1, 3, and 5 years of activity assessment). Conclusions Increased walking, greater time spent doing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and more time spent in nonsedentary activity were associated with slower rates of VF loss in a treated population of patients with glaucoma, with an additional 5000 daily steps or 2.6 hours of nonsedentary physical activity decreasing the average rate of VF loss by approximately 10%. Future prospective studies are needed to determine if physical activity can slow VF loss in glaucoma or if progressive VF loss results in activity restriction. If the former is confirmed, this would mark physical activity as a novel modifiable risk factor for preventing glaucoma damage.
Combining multimodal adaptive optics imaging and angiography improves visualization of human eyes with cellular-level resolution

Visualizing the cellular manifestation of disease has recently been aided by an increasing number of adaptive optics (AO)-based imaging modalities developed for the living human eye. However, simultaneous visualization of multiple, interacting cell types within a complete neural-epithelial-vascular complex has proven challenging. By incorporating AO with indocyanine green angiography, we demonstrate the possibility of imaging photoreceptors, retinal pigment epithelial cells, and choriocapillaris in the living human eye. Unexpectedly, we found that there was uptake of indocyanine green dye into the retinal pigment epithelial cells in the earliest phases of imaging, which formed the basis for devising a strategy to visualize the choriocapillaris. Our results expand the range of applications for an existing, FDA-approved, systemically injected fluorescent dye. The combined multimodal approach can be used to evaluate the complete outer retinal complex at the cellular level, a transformative step toward revealing the in vivo cellular status of neurodegenerative conditions and blinding diseases.
Evolution of wax-on-plastic microfluidics for sub-microliter flow dynamics and its application in distance-based assay

Plastic substrates are known for their flexibility, optical clearance, toughness, heat resistance, and nonabsorbent properties. Here, we introduce new wax-on-plastic microfluidic platforms, which are responsive to liquid types and concentrations in sub-microliter volume regime based on their flow behavior. Fabrication of the wax-on-plastic microfluidic platforms do not require heating to create stable hydrophobic barriers and liquids can move with a capillary flow down to 0.25 μL volume in the microchannels having 10 μm height. The flow dynamics of the studied fluids in these channels followed the Darcy’s theoretical model, which can be correlated with their flow velocity and viscosity. The flow velocity of the liquid flow was used to estimate glucose in simulated urine within ~ 40 s run-time. The distance-based assay involving relying on flow velocities was used to establish a dynamic range of the glucose in simulated urine with limit of quantitation of 0.018%, which is almost 3× lower than the lower limit of glucose quantity normally present in diabetic patients, i.e., 0.05–0.1%. Moreover, these microchannels can also work distinctly with various biofluids, such as sweat, urine, and fat-free milk.
Six Sigma to Reduce Claims Processing Errors in a Healthcare Payer Firm

As a continuous improvement practice, Six Sigma has been accepted globally across the service industry. In the past decade, the application and success of Six Sigma in healthcare services has been ...
Effect of high altitude on human placental amino acid transport.

Babies born at high altitude are smaller than at sea level. Birth weight is dependent on growth in utero and, in turn, placental nutrient transport. We determined amino acid transport capacity in p...
Genderqueer: What It Means

This article explains the term genderqueer, presenting a comprehensive, unambiguous, working definition. Getting to a definition of genderqueer could be the first step toward tolerance, acceptance, and eventual appreciation of a marginalized group of people. There are three primary ways in which the word genderqueer is conceptualized. First, the term can describe a personal identity that exists outside of the gender binary. Second, it can refer to an identity that consists of a particular amalgamation of masculine and feminine traits (or even the rejection of all such traits). Third, the word can represent an identity that embraces a fluidity of gender. Keywords: genderqueer, linguistic relativity, definition, gender identity, binary
Cultural differences in the content of child talk: evaluative lexis of English monolingual and Spanish-English bilingual 30-month-olds.

We examined the size, content, and use of evaluative lexis by 26 English monolingual and 20 Spanish–English bilingual 30-month-old children in interaction with their mothers. We extracted the evaluative words, defined as words referring to cognition, volition, or emotion. Controlling for overall vocabulary skills as measured by the MacArthur-Bates inventories, monolinguals had a larger evaluative lexicon than the bilinguals’ Spanish evaluative lexicon, but no difference was found between monolinguals’ and bilinguals’ English evaluative lexicons. There were differences between the monolinguals and bilinguals in the distribution of evaluative words across semantic categories: English monolingual children used more words pertaining to volition and cognition and talked more about volition than the Spanish–English bilingual children. These results suggest that the development of evaluative lexicons is influenced by cultural differences, and consequently, bilingual children, who are also bicultural, follow a different developmental path in both languages from the path followed by their monolingual peers.
Silver(II) and Silver(III) Intermediates in Alkene Aziridination with a Dinuclear Silver(I) Nitrene Transfer Catalyst

In recent years, synthetically useful homogeneous catalysis has been developed with silver, including nitrene transfer reactions for carbon–nitrogen bond formation. However, the mechanisms of silve...
First Report of Downy Mildew, Caused by Peronospora effusa, on Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) in North Carolina

In this brief, we report the first observation of downy mildew caused by Peronospora effusa on spinach grown in North Carolina. To this end, we characterized the morphology of sporangiophores and s...
An Ecologic Analysis of Comorbidities in Patients with COVID-19 in Philadelphia and New York City

Objective: Early scientific reports of the COVID-19 pandemic suggested that the coronavirus was associated with more serious disease and mortality in older adults. However, additional research suggested that those with underlying comorbidities, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart and respiratory diseases were most at risk for more severe outcomes. As a result, most studies focused on comorbidities among those who were hospitalized or critically ill. There is a need to understand how common comorbidities are associated with overall risk of infection. This analysis aimed to explore the relationship between COVID-19 infection and common comorbidities. Methods: An ecologic analysis explored aggregate case counts of COVID-19 cases across zip codes compared to area-level estimates of health-related variables and outcomes in Philadelphia, PA and New York City, NY. Results: The analysis found that small area-estimated rates of obesity and asthma were significant ecologic predictors of population-based rates of COVID-19 cases in New York City. In contrast, small area-estimates rates of arthritis were significant predictors in Philadelphia. Conclusions: There are important area-level variations in COVID-19 infections that are correlated with variations in other chronic conditions, suggesting that factors that influence health disparities may affect the distribution of COVID-19.
Large-Scale Seedling Grow-Out Experiments Do Not Support Seed Transmission of Sweet Potato Leaf Curl Virus in Sweet Potato

Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV) threatens global sweet potato production. SPLCV is transmitted by Bemisia tabaci or via infected vegetative planting materials; however, SPLCV was suggested to be seed transmissible, which is a characteristic that is disputed for geminiviruses. The objective of this study was to revisit the validity of seed transmission of SPLCV in sweet potato. Using large-scale grow-out of sweet potato seedlings from SPLCV-contaminated seeds over 4 consecutive years, approximately 23,034 sweet potato seedlings of 118 genotype entries were evaluated. All seedlings germinating in a greenhouse under insect-proof conditions or in a growth chamber were free of SPLCV; however, a few seedlings grown in an open bench greenhouse lacking insect exclusion tested positive for SPLCV. Inspection of these seedlings revealed that B. tabaci had infiltrated the greenhouse. Therefore, transmission experiments were conducted using B. tabaci MEAM1, demonstrating successful vector transmission of SPLCV to sweet potato. Additionally, tests on contaminated seed coats and germinating cotyledons demonstrated that SPLCV contaminated a high percentage of seed coats collected from infected maternal plants, but SPLCV was never detected in emerging cotyledons. Based on the results of grow-out experiments, seed coat and cotyledon tests, and vector transmission experiments, we conclude that SPLCV is not seed transmitted in sweet potato.
Demand Uncertainty and Price Stabilization

Price stabilization is an important policy goal of government intervention in competitive markets. These policies are primarily directed at raising producer income and stabilizing market prices at levels acceptable to consumers and producers (Fox 1956, Turnovsky 1978, Newbery and Stiglitz 1979). Many of the stabilization policy results have been developed from the study of agricultural commodity markets. In these markets, prices tend to be highly variable due to uncertain and inelastic supply and demand (Schultz 1945, Gardner 1981).
Analyzing and Forecasting the Volatility of Ethereum based on Econometric Models

The cryptocurrency market has recently gained a lot of interest from investors worldwide but is also much more volatile than the stock market. Volatility is a significant characteristic of both exchange markets and has a great influence on investment behavior. However, there is little research on how to estimate the volatility of cryptocurrencies using rigid econometric analysis. Here we find the factors that potentially affect the volatility of Ethereum, measure the effect of the Dao Hack event and the hard fork treatment for volatility, and finally forecast the volatility based on its historical data. Our result demonstrates that the volatility is positively correlated with the sum of all native units ever created (current supply) and positively subject to interventions and treatment effects. We also predict that the volatility will go down shortly. We anticipate our essay to be a reference for cryptocurrency investors and a start point for further research based on more sophisticated Econometrics models or other potential event studies.
Over my dead body: Self-determination, proxy consent, and proportionate reason in the treatment of a Jehovah's Witness patient with severe traumatic hemorrhagic shock:

When a Jehovah’s Witness patient is traumatically injured, the lack of uniform professional consensus guidelines and the cultural knowledge deficit of many clinicians adds an additional layer of le...
RESPONSE OF A COLUMN IN RANDOM VIBRATION TESTS

Laboratory experiments were conducted to observe and measure the response amplitude and frequency of a simply supported column. The column was excited by axial forces generated from sinusoidal and random (bandwidths of 3 Hz, 10 Hz, 30 Hz, and 100 Hz) signals. The column will vibrate near its natural frequency if the excitation contains a sufficiently high level power spectral density within the parametric resonance zone of the column. The variance of the response amplitude decreases with increasing bandwidth of excitation. A zero amplitude of response is found during a considerable portion of the excitation time; this indicates there is a discrete component in the probability distribution at zero amplitude.
Spatially and Temporally Varying Insonification for the Elimination of Spurious Detail in Acoustic Transmission Imaging

Acoustic transmission images obtained with spatially coherent insonification are often difficult to interpret since complex interference patterns are superimposed on pertinent object details.
Light chain-mediated tubulopathies.

Immunoglobulin light chains are low molecular weight proteins that are filtered through the glomerulus and reabsorbed into the proximal tubular epithelium by binding initially to a heteromeric recepto
An Investigation of the Relationship Between the Gaussian Process Model Parameters and Surface Area in Three Dimensions

In this paper, we study the relationship between the fitted parameters in a Gaussian process (kriging) model and the complexity of the resulting response surface. This study is done for models with one response and two input variables. An analytical calculation of surface roughness is used as a measure of the complexity of the response surface fit by the Gaussian process model. Our findings indicate that the size of the fitted model parameters as measured across different fits and data sets do not give indication as to the complexity of the surface. We do, however, show that the magnitude of each of the parameters in a single fitted model gives indication about the amount of variability in the direction of that fitted parameter. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cosmic ray transport in a heliospheric magnetic field with non-polar coronal holes

The simple tilted dipole picture of Corotating Interaction Regions which prevailed during the first polar pass of Ulysses no longer applies since the Sun entered a more active phase. Recent observations show that CIRs still persist, though the large polar coronal holes of solar minimum shrink to smaller areas and move to lower latitudes. We present 3-D simulations for the cosmic-ray intensity variations in a model with non-polar high speed streams. Latitudinal and recurrent time-variations are discussed, but more detailed and realistic simulations are required before quantitative comparisons with observations can be made.
Synthesis and basic pharmacology of N-substituted and N, N′-disubstituted allyl barbiturates

N -Substituted and N , N ′-disubstituted allyl derivatives of barbital, phenobarbital, hexobarbital, and diallylbarbital have been synthesized by the use of a strongly basic anion-exchange resin. The barbiturate is first absorbed on the resin and the resin then agitated mechanically with an ethanol solution of benzyl chloride. None of the allyl barbiturates approached phenobarbital in terms of pharmacological potency.
Releasing the Brakes on Cancer Immunotherapy.

James Allison, winner of this year's Lasker–DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, did seminal work that has led to checkpoint-blockade immunotherapy, arguably the most exciting advance made in cancer treatment in recent years.