cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Hybrid Interpolation Method using Surface Tracking, Fitting and Smoothing Function Applied for Aeroelasticity

A new hybrid interpolation method for motion transfer between different disciplines, computational fluid and structural dynamics, is developed to predict the aeroelastic instability problems in an efficient and accurate way. There have been two groups of numerical interpolation for motion transfer, surface fitting methods such as thin plate spline or infinite plate spline, and surface tracking methods such as inverse isoparametric mapping. In this paper, a new hybrid interpolation method, named as Rotation Index Local Fitting/Smoothing (RILFS), is suggested. RILFS uses a surface fitting method for the local grid whose rotation is relatively large, a smoothing method for boundaries of the local grid, and a surface tracking method for the rest of the grid. This approach overcomes the difficulties of the surface fitting methods such as numerical instability due to ill-conditioned system matrix from the manifolds in curved geometries and requirement of a huge amount of CPU time in interpolating a large number of data. This approach also overcomes the difficulties of the surface tracking methods such as numerical errors due to the roughness from ambiguity of normal directions around edges. Numerical results using two-dimensional test functions are presented to show the superiority of the suggested method. A sphere is deformed into an oval to demonstrate RILFS’ three-dimensional interpolation capabilities. In addition, an AGARD wing deformation interpolation is shown for an example of motion transfer in aeroelastic analysis.
Oviposition preferences of the polyphagous moth Choristoneura parallela (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): effects of plant species, leaf size, and experimental design

The fireworm Choristoneura parallela (Robinson) is a major pest of cranberry in New Jersey. Eggs typically are laid on the leaves of various weed species, and larvae disperse onto cranberry by ballooning. We used laboratory-reared moths and greenhouse experiments to investigate oviposition preferences among 3 weed species: greenbrier, Smilax rotundifolia L.; leatherleaf, Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.); and sheep laurel, Kalmia angustifolia L. In no-choice tests conducted in screen cages using cuttings, leatherleaf received the most egg masses whereas the other species did not differ. In this test there were no differences among species in the latency to the 1st egg mass; and the latency between the 1st and 2nd egg masses did not differ for greenbrier compared with the other species but was shorter for leatherleaf than for sheep laurel. The results were similar in 3-way choice tests conducted in screen cages using cuttings with leatherleaf receiving the highest percentage of egg masses and the other species not differing. However, a different preference hierarchy was found in 3-way choice tests conducted in plastic boxes using a single leaf of each species: greenbrier received the highest percentage of egg masses, leatherleaf received more than sheep laurel, and sheep laurel received no egg masses. Two-way choice tests using paired leaves in plastic boxes showed that larger greenbrier and leatherleaf leaves were preferred over smaller ones of the same species, but that leatherleaf was preferred over sheep laurel even when sheep laurel leaves were larger. These results demonstrate that this moth exhibits oviposition preferences among plant species but that the preference hierarchy depends on the experimental situation, and that both the species and the size of individual leaves can be factors.
Reviews and Resources:Lab Ref, Volume 1: a Handbook of Recipes, Reagents, and Other Reference Tools for Use at the Bench: BOOKS

As research scientists, some of our most prized possessions are the reference manuals that line our lab bookshelves. Volumes of general and specialized manuals, each with their contents of detailed background information, protocols, reagent and media recipes, reference tables, etc. They are the books we direct students to when they are designing experiments.
Validation of device algorithm to differentiate pacemaker-mediated tachycardia from tachycardia due to atrial tracking

Background Current cardiac devices cannot always differentiate between pacemaker-mediated tachycardia (PMT) and tracking of sinus or atrial tachycardia. We previously derived a novel algorithm for distinguishing the 2 mechanisms based on the specific termination response to postventricular atrial refractory period extension, atrial rates, and changes in atrial electrogram morphology. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate how this algorithm would have performed in a clinical setting based on previously recorded PMT events. Methods We applied our algorithm to a database of 122 de-identified stored electrograms that were classified as PMT by 43 remotely monitored devices. Results Of the 122 events stored as "PMT," 3 episodes were excluded because the device recording was consistent with atrial fibrillation. Of the remaining 119 episodes, our algorithm was able to correctly reclassify 92 events (77%) as tracking of sinus or atrial tachycardia rather than true PMT. The VAV response following postventricular atrial refractory period extension, which is specific to tracking of atrial or sinus tachycardia, was seen in 72% of these cases. Changes in atrial rate and atrial electrogram morphology were able to reclassify the remainder of episodes. Finally, we observed that 12 of 83 episodes (14%) misclassified as PMT in cardiac resynchronization devices resulted in loss of cardiac biventricular pacing. Conclusion Applying a novel diagnostic algorithm to current cardiac devices improves the proper diagnosis of true PMT rather than tracking of atrial or sinus tachycardia. Enhanced accuracy of diagnosis reduces the likelihood of inappropriate clinical decisions.
Monitoring results of drinking water quality of rural drinking water safety projects in Binchuan County in 2011

[Objective]To understand the hygiene status of drinking water of rural drinking water safety projects in Binchuan County,provide the scientific basis for further management and supervision of drinking water safety in rural areas.[Methods]According to the Standards for drinking water quality(GB/T 5750-2006),the source water and finished water of 10 rural drinking water safety projects in Binchuan county were sampled in dry season and abundant season,and the water samples were tested.[Results]The total qualified rate in dry season(45%) was higher than that in the abundant season(15%) significantly(χ2=4.29,P﹤0.05).The unqualified indexes mainly included turbidity,visible particles,total bacteria counts,total coliform bacteria and thermotolerant coliform bacteria,and most of drinking water safety projects did not carry out the drinking water disinfection.[Conclusion]The main factors that influence the drinking water quality of rural drinking water safety projects in Binchuan county are turbidity,visible particles and microbial indexes.The drinking water safety projects had no management staff and drinking water disinfection facilities.There are hidden dangers in outbreak of water-borne infection disease endemic disease and zoonosis.
Evolutionary Plasticity of AmrZ Regulation in Pseudomonas.

ABSTRACT amrZ encodes a master regulator protein conserved across pseudomonads, which can be either a positive or negative regulator of swimming motility depending on the species examined. To better understand plasticity in the regulatory function of AmrZ, we characterized the mode of regulation for this protein for two different motility-related phenotypes in Pseudomonas stutzeri. As in Pseudomonas syringae, AmrZ functions as a positive regulator of swimming motility within P. stutzeri, which suggests that the functions of this protein with regard to swimming motility have switched at least twice across pseudomonads. Shifts in mode of regulation cannot be explained by changes in AmrZ sequence alone. We further show that AmrZ acts as a positive regulator of colony spreading within this strain and that this regulation is at least partially independent of swimming motility. Closer investigation of mechanistic shifts in dual-function regulators like AmrZ could provide unique insights into how transcriptional pathways are rewired between closely related species. IMPORTANCE Microbes often display finely tuned patterns of gene regulation across different environments, with major regulatory changes controlled by a small group of “master” regulators within each cell. AmrZ is a master regulator of gene expression across pseudomonads and can be either a positive or negative regulator for a variety of pathways depending on the strain and genomic context. Here, we demonstrate that the phenotypic outcomes of regulation of swimming motility by AmrZ have switched at least twice independently in pseudomonads, so that AmrZ promotes increased swimming motility in P. stutzeri and P. syringae but represses this phenotype in Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Since examples of switches in regulatory mode are relatively rare, further investigation into the mechanisms underlying shifts in regulator function for AmrZ could provide unique insights into the evolution of bacterial regulatory proteins.
Characterization of Planar Model Co-Mo/γ-Al2O3 Catalysts by SIMS, ESCA, and AES

Surfaces of Cobalt-Molybdenum/ γ-Alumina(Co-Mo/γ-Al2O3 ) petroleum hydrotreating catalysts have been studied by sevetalf techniques[1]including recent attempts by modern surface science techniques.[2](i.e. SIMS, XPS, AES). Applications of the surface science techniques are limited due to the porosity and insulating character of these catalysts. This work presents an alternative approach by replacing the porous γ-Al2O3 supports with planar γ-Al2O3 supports.
Clinical and Diagnostic Imaging Features of Brain Herniation in Dogs and Cats.

Background Quantification of brain herniation on MRI and its immediate clinical implications are poorly described. Objectives Define the normal position of caudal fossa structures on brain MRIs in dogs and cats utilizing morphometry, compare this to dogs and cats with caudal transtentorial herniation (CTH), foramen magnum herniation (FMH) or both identified on MRI, and investigate associations between herniation severity, clinical signs, and 24-hour outcome. Animals Ninety-two controls (66 dogs, 26 cats), 119 cases with herniation (88 dogs, 31 cats). Methods Retrospective case series. The MRI database was searched for controls with normal brain anatomy and cases with brain herniation. Morphometry in controls established TTX (transtentorial to rostroventral cerebellum) to quantify CTH and FMX (caudoventral cerebellum to foramen magnum) to quantify FMH. Measurements were compared between cases and controls. Correlations with specific clinical variables and outcome were investigated. Results Measurements in medium/large control dogs versus small dog and cat controls were significantly different (P < .001, TTX: −0.46, −0.305, −0.3, FMX: 0.695, 0.27, 0.25, respectively). 119/1564 (7.6%) cases that underwent brain imaging had brain herniation. TTX and FMX were significantly different between controls and cases with CTH or FMH (P < .001). 67/89 (75%) cases with supratentorial lesions had no signs directly attributable to herniation. 71/119 (60%) had a normal anesthetic recovery. TTX was significantly associated with 24-hour survival (P < .001). Conclusions and clinical importance Brain herniation can be quantified on MRI. Clinical signs directly attributable to brain herniation commonly are absent, and more severe CTH based on TTX is associated with a worse short-term outcome.
Improvement of the design of 180° rat-race hybrid

An innovative and simple design for a 180/spl deg/ rat-race hybrid is proposed which has a substantially improved phase shift characteristic over a large bandwidth compared with that of a conventional rate-race hybrid. The proposed hybrid has been fabricated with a three-dimensional technology to benefit from a high level of integration. It exhibits a bandwidth of 31% from 28.8 to 39.4 GHz with -15 dB input and output matching, a coupling loss of 4.6 dB with a power dividing balance better than 1.1 dB, and a phase balance better than 2.
Latency Aware Workload Offloading in the Cloudlet Network

We propose a novel network architecture by leveraging the cloudlet concept, the software defined networking technology, and the cellular network infrastructure to bring the computing resource to the mobile edge. In order to minimize the average response time for mobile users (MUs) in offloading their application workloads to the geographically distributed cloudlets, we propose the latency-aware workload offloading (LEAD) strategy to allocate MUs’ application workloads into suitable cloudlets. Simulation results demonstrate that LEAD incurs the lowest average response time as compared with two other existing strategies.
Higher Market Thickness Reduces Matching Rate in Online Platforms: Evidence from a Quasiexperiment

Market thickness is a key parameter that can make or break a platform’s business model. Thicker markets can offer more opportunities for participants to meet and higher chances that a potential mat...
GRP78 Influences Chemoresistance and Prognosis in Cancer.

Background Resistance to therapy is a major hindrance to patient survival in cancer, underscoring a critical need to elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for chemoresistance. Research has demonstrated that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays a significant role in allowing cells to survive conditions that would normally elicit cell death. Specifically, elevated expression of GRP78, the master regulator of the unfolded protein response (UPR), has been shown to induce chemoresistance and serves as a indictor of poor prognosis in patients. Objective Evaluating the expression of GRP78 and its downstream targets in a wide range of cancers may allow clinicians to predict resistance to a number of commonly used therapies. Moreover, understanding the mechanism(s) of action GRP78 uses to regulate chemoresistance will accelerate the development of more efficacious treatment strategies that target GRP78 to abrogate chemoresistance. Results This mini-review highlighted the roles of targets downstream of GRP78 and explored their mechanisms related to cellular survival. Furthermore, a summary of the connection between GRP78 expression and patient prognosis was provided. Lastly, strategies for targeting GRP78, in order to improve treatment efficacy, was explored. Conclusions GRP78 maintains an important role in regulating signaling pathways that control cell survival and this review draws attention to its value as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target.
Analyzing medical costs with time‐dependent treatment: The nested g‐formula

As medical expenses continue to rise, methods to properly analyze cost outcomes are becoming of increasing relevance when seeking to compare average costs across treatments. Inverse probability weighted regression models have been developed to address the challenge of cost censoring in order to identify intent-to-treat effects (i.e., to compare mean costs between groups on the basis of their initial treatment assignment, irrespective of any subsequent changes to their treatment status). In this paper, we describe a nested g-computation procedure that can be used to compare mean costs between two or more time-varying treatment regimes. We highlight the relative advantages and limitations of this approach when compared with existing regression-based models. We illustrate the utility of this approach as a means to inform public policy by applying it to a simulated data example motivated by costs associated with cancer treatments. Simulations confirm that inference regarding intent-to-treat effects versus the joint causal effects estimated by the nested g-formula can lead to markedly different conclusions regarding differential costs. Therefore, it is essential to prespecify the desired target of inference when choosing between these two frameworks. The nested g-formula should be considered as a useful, complementary tool to existing methods when analyzing cost outcomes.
There Are Three Methods for Solving Problems

(2002). There Are Three Methods for Solving Problems. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 75, No. 4, pp. 289-289.
Adaptive Control of Flexible Joint Robots Derived from Arm Energy Considerations

Almost all industrial robots exhibit joint flexibility due to mechanical compliance of their gear boxes. In this paper we outline the design of three controllers for flexible joint robots. Two of the three controllers are suitable for parameter adaptation, the candidate Lyapunov functions for these two controllers are derived from arm energy considerations.
Effect of Feeding a Blend of Naturally-Contaminated Corn on Nutrient Digestibility and Feed Preference in Weanling Pigs

OF THESIS EFFECT OF FEEDING A BLEND OF NATURALLY-CONTAMINATED CORN ON NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY AND FEED PREFERENCE IN WEANLING PIGS Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of feeding diets with a 2009 and 2010 naturally-contaminated corn to weaning pigs. For both experiments three diets were blended to contain 100% 2010 naturally-contaminated corn (control), 50-50% blend of the 2009 naturally-contaminated corn and 2010 corn (Diet 2), and 100% 2009 naturally-contaminated corn (Diet 3). In Exp. 1, 24 c rossbred pigs with an average body weight of 7.64 ± 0.70 kg were allotted to 4 replicates of 3 treatments with 2 pigs per pen, on the basis of gender, litter mate, and BW in a randomized complete block design. Fecal and urine samples were collected and dry matter, energy, and nitrogen apparent digestibility were determined. Dry matter, energy, and nitrogen digestibility were not affected by either Diet 3 or Diet 2 compared to the control diet. In Exp. 2, 30 c rossbred pigs with an average body weight of 7.98 ± 1.15 kg w ere allotted to 3 replicates of 2 comparisons with 5 pigs per pen. Comparisons consisted of: 1) Control vs Diet 3, and 2) Control vs Diet 2. Two feeders were located in each pen containing one of the two diets. Feed preference and growth performance were determined. A preference for the feed containing 2010 c orn feed was observed; pigs showed the ability to discriminate mycotoxin-contaminated feed (95.34 vs. 4.66%; P< 0.01). Nutrient digestibility was not affected by these diets, but a clear decrease in feed intake was observed in the pigs.
Case Studies in Linear and Nonlinear Modeling

This chapter introduces a series of case studies that use linear and nonlinear regression techniques. Allometric scaling and dose proportionality are examined using simple linear regression techniques. Limited sampling and development of a dosing formula for carboplatin are developed using multiple linear regression. The pharmacokinetics of cocaine after intravenous, nasal, and inhalation are studied within the context of a compartmental model using nonlinear weighted least squares, as are the pharmacokinetics of a new chemical entity.
Sheaves that are locally constant with applications to homology manifolds

Analyses are made that establish a connection between properties of presheaves and the constancy of the induced (or associated) sheaves. While the analyses applies regardiess of the source of the presheaves, the applications involve either the homology presheaf and sheaf of a space or the cohomology presheaf and sheaf of a continuous function. Amongst the applications is an elementary proof that homology manifolds are locally orientable; that is, the orientation sheaf is locally constant. Additional applications appearing elsewhere include determining the homological local connectivity of decomposition spaces and providing dimension estimates of the images of closed mappings.
Peripheral Testosterone Metabolism

Testosterone is the principal androgen secreted by the human testis. Testosterone is carried by the circulation to target cells, where transactivation of the androgen receptor manifests its actions as a classical steroid hormone. Alternatively, the biological activity of testosterone might be increased, decreased, or categorically altered by enzymes in peripheral and target tissues. The 5α-reductase enzymes convert testosterone to more potent androgen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is required for formation of the external genitalia in males. The biosynthesis of DHT also occurs in some species, including human beings, through an alternate pathway which does not utilize testosterone as an intermediate. Testosterone can be inactivated either through its conversion to androstenedione, mediated by 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2, or through 5β-reduction. Testosterone, DHT, and their metabolites are subjected to glucuronidation and sulfation to facilitate excretion in the urine. Finally, some of the effects of testosterone are mediated through its aromatization to the potent estrogen, estradiol. This chapter discusses the peripheral metabolic pathways of testosterone, the key enzymes involved, and their physiology and genetics.
Taking Religion More Seriously: Beyond Secular Assumption in Studying Religion and Politics in Indonesia

Abstract Â This review looks at two important recent publications by leading scholars on Indonesian politics namely Vedi Hadizâ€™s Islamic Populism in Indonesia and the Middle East , and Michael Buehlerâ€™s The Politics of Shariâ€™a Law: Islamist Activists and the State in Democratizing Indonesia . Both publications have advanced the literature analytically by offering new approaches in a literature that is saturated by culturalist and, more recently, institutionalist arguments. Buehlerâ€™s book, however, is better-equipped in meeting the challenge offered by Benedict Anderson to understand the unique motive of religious politics in Indonesia than Hadizâ€™s book. Buehler has managed to acknowledge the success of Islamist politics in Indonesia in asserting religious laws in the public sphere. Hadiz, by contrast, still treats the case of Indonesia as a case of failure of Islamist politics primarily by relying on the electoral performance of Islamist actors as an indicator. Ultimately, the two publications should be welcomed warmly by the student of religion and politics in Indonesia. Keywords: Islamist politics, Indonesian politics, Islamic populism, Shariâ€™a bylaws, Democratization.
The Future of Measuring Health Outcomes for Children With Medical Complexity.

Children with medical complexity are characterized as those with significant and/or multiple chronic health conditions, functional limitations, and substantial health care use1 who are “most likely to manifest adverse outcomes when health and/or service systems fail.”2 As such, the health and well-being of these children have been described as “sentinel indicators of the effectiveness of the systems on which they depend.”2 In this month’s issue of Pediatrics , Barnert et al3 report on their findings of potential health outcomes for use in clinical and research efforts directed at children with medical complexity. With this elegant work, the authors used group concept mapping and a rigorous and structured mixed-methods approach among a diverse and nationally representative group of 182 caregivers, advocates, providers, researchers, and policy or health systems experts on children with medical complexity ascertained … Address correspondence to Tamara D. Simon, MD, MSPH, Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 1900 Ninth Ave, JMB 946, Seattle, WA 98101. E-mail: tamara.simon{at}seattlechildrens.org
Probing the Colloidal Particle Dynamics in Drying Sessile Droplets.

Particle deposition and assembly in the vicinity of contact lines of evaporative sessile droplets have been intensively investigated during the past decade. Yet little is known about particle arrangement in the contact-line region initiated by the self-assembled particles at the air–liquid interface and how the particle pinning behaves differently compared with that when particles are transported from the bulk of the sessile droplet to the three-phase contact line. We utilized the dual-droplet inkjet printing process to elucidate the versatility in particle deposition and assembly generated near the contact-line region and demonstrated the influence of such printing technique on particle pinning at the contact line after solvent evaporation. Wetting droplets containing sulfate-functionalized polystyrene (sulfate-PS) nanoparticles were jetted over the supporting droplets with carboxyl-PS nanoparticles, where the interplay between the solvent evaporation and particle transport dictates the final morphology ...
Producing La Grande Vitesse Civic Symbolism, Vernacular Archives, and Public Sculpture in Grand Rapids, Michigan:

La Grande Vitesse (1969) by Alexander Calder has adorned the civic center in Grand Rapids, Michigan for nearly forty years. What does this sculpture mean to its publics? Drawing upon interdisciplin...
Prenatal and Postnatal Factors in Gender Identity

In what we have heard about the effects of developmental deprivation in two species, monkey and man, it has become apparent that there is remarkable cross-species parallelism. Investigatively, for ethical reasons, there are fewer options in human than in animal studies: unplanned “experiments of nature” take the place of designed experiments.
Multiple-reader, multiple-case ROC analysis for determining the limit of calcification detection in tomosynthesis

We have conducted virtual clinical trials (VCTs) of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) to evaluate the parameters that affect detectability of breast lesions. The OpenVCT framework was used to simulate the breast anatomy and imaging systems. We generated 36 anthropomorphic breast phantoms (700 ml volume, 6.33 cm compressed thickness), varying the number of simulated tissue compartments and their shape. We inserted 42 calcifications into each phantom with variable sizes of 1-3 voxels. DBT projections of phantoms with and without lesions were synthesized assuming a clinical acquisition geometry. We varied the detector element size (140 μm and 70 μm), the source motion (continuous and stepand- shoot), and the reconstructed voxel size (100 μm and 70 μm). The reconstructed images were cropped in the plane where the calcifications are located, with regions of interest (ROIs) centered on the lesion position. We also simulated virtual readers to evaluate the calcification detectability using multiple-reader, multiple-case method, using Barco’s Medical Virtual Image Chain (MeVIC) software. Human readers were simulated using channelized Hotelling observers with 15 Laguerre-Gauss channels. We used spreads of 22 and 31, and ROIs of 150×150 and 214×214 pixels for images reconstructed with pixel size of 100 μm and 70 μm, respectively. Reconstructed voxels of 70μm provided better overall calcification detection, especially for small calcifications. For one-voxel polycubes, the difference in AUC using five readers was 6.5% (0.713 and 0.667). The impact of calcification detection from most to least significant is: reconstruction voxel size, source motion, and detector element size, especially for small calcifications.
OP0087 TRENDS IN HIP FRACTURE INCIDENCE IN WOMEN AND MEN OVER 1980-2015 IN OLMSTED COUNTY, MINNESOTA, USA

Background Hip fracture incidence, which has been generally declining in North America, may have recently plateaued in women (Lewiecki, et al 2018). Objectives We examined the trends in hip fracture incidence over 1980-2015, in both women and men, from Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA. Methods Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a unique medical records linkage system that allows access to all (inpatient and outpatient) community medical records for Olmsted County residents, we identified all incident hip fractures among residents age ≥18 years between 1980-2015. Available medical records were reviewed by trained nurse abstractors to validate hip fractures identified and to determine their antecedent cause (pathological process [e.g., malignancy], severe trauma [e.g., motor vehicle accidents] and those due to no more than moderate trauma [by convention, equivalent to a fall from standing height or less]). Overall incidence rates were summarized separately for women and men, as well as by 5 year strata for different age groups (ages 18-39, 40-59, 60-79 and ≥ 80 yrs). Rates for women and men were each directly age-adjusted to the population distribution of US whites in 2010. Results Between 1980-2015, we identified 2488 hip fractures in women (73%, median age 84 yrs) and 918 hip fractures in men (27%, median age 80 yrs), 97.4% of which were in whites. The majority of hip fractures were due to no more than moderate trauma (88% in women; 81% in men). The overall age-adjusted annual incidence of first hip fracture over 1980-2015 was 154 per 100,000 person-years (p-y) for women and 98 per 100,000 p-y for men. Hip fracture rates have decreased overall in women since 1980 (Table), however since 2005, there has been a trend for increasing hip fractures among women age 40-59 yrs and since 2010, a possible plateau vs. slight increase in hip fracture rate for women age ≥ 80 yrs. In men, there has been a general decrease in rates among those age 60-79 yrs and, at least since 2005, in men age ≥ 80 yrs, but there may be a trend for increasing hip fractures since 2010 in men age 40-59 (Table). Conclusion There appears to be different trends in hip fracture rates for women and men and by age groups. The factors contributing to the observed recent increases in hip fracture rates among women and men ages 40-59 yrs warrant further attention. As suggested by others, there may be a recent plateau vs. slight increase in hip fracture rates in older women, which we noted in women age ≥ 80 yrs since 2010. The decrease in hip fractures in older men, particularly in those age ≥ 80 yrs, may reflect improved awareness in recent years of osteoporosis in men with initiation of treatment or better mitigation of risk factors, but warrants further review. Reference [1] Lewiecki E.M., et al. Hip fracture trends in the United States, 2002 to 2015. Osteoporos Int29(3):717-722, 2018. Disclosure of Interests None declared
Dynamics of the DEAD-box ATPase Prp5 RecA-like domains provide a conformational switch during spliceosome assembly.

The DEAD-box family of proteins are ATP-dependent, RNA-binding proteins implicated in many aspects of RNA metabolism. Pre-mRNA splicing in eukaryotes requires three DEAD-box ATPases (Prp5, Prp28 and Sub2), the molecular mechanisms of which are poorly understood. Here, we use single molecule FRET (smFRET) to study the conformational dynamics of yeast Prp5. Prp5 is essential for stable association of the U2 snRNP with the intron branch site (BS) sequence during spliceosome assembly. Our data show that the Prp5 RecA-like domains undergo a large conformational rearrangement only in response to binding of both ATP and RNA. Mutations in Prp5 impact the fidelity of BS recognition and change the conformational dynamics of the RecA-like domains. We propose that BS recognition during spliceosome assembly involves a set of coordinated conformational switches among U2 snRNP components. Spontaneous toggling of Prp5 into a stable, open conformation may be important for its release from U2 and to prevent competition between Prp5 re-binding and subsequent steps in spliceosome assembly.
A Study of Community College Faculty Work Expectations: Generous Educators and Their Managed Generosity

ABSTRACTIn this multi-method qualitative study, which included faculty and administrator interviews as well as a systematic analysis of organizational documents, we sought to understand the expecta...
A Quality Improvement Study to Initiate an Inpatient Smoking Cessation Program

BACKGROUND: Second and third hand smoke exposure is a major issue in pediatrics leading to many cardiorespiratory, metabolic, and even epigenetic negative health consequences. Most smoking cessation interventions are found in the ambulatory setting. Additionally, Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Meaningful Use targets tobacco use for those over age 13. Growing evidence supports the acceptability and effectiveness of inpatient smoking cessation interventions in both adult and pediatric hospitals. Hospitalists are well positioned to lead these hospital-based efforts. We describe …
Toward Causally Interpretable Meta-analysis: Transporting Inferences from Multiple Randomized Trials to a New Target Population

We take steps toward causally interpretable meta-analysis by describing methods for transporting causal inferences from a collection of randomized trials to a new target population, one trial at a time and pooling all trials. We discuss identifiability conditions for average treatment effects in the target population and provide identification results. We show that the assumptions that allow inferences to be transported from all trials in the collection to the same target population have implications for the law underlying the observed data. We propose average treatment effect estimators that rely on different working models and provide code for their implementation in statistical software. We discuss how to use the data to examine whether transported inferences are homogeneous across the collection of trials, sketch approaches for sensitivity analysis to violations of the identifiability conditions, and describe extensions to address nonadherence in the trials. Last, we illustrate the proposed methods using data from the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-Term Treatment Against Cirrhosis Trial.
Early Multi-organ Point-of-Care Ultrasound Evaluation of Respiratory Distress During SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak: Case Report

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the virus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Several case series from Italy and China have highlighted the lung ultrasound findings of this disease process and may demonstrate its clinical utility during the current pandemic Case Report: We present a case of a COVID-19 patient who presented to the emergency department twice within a 24-hour period with rapidly progressing illness A multi-organ point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) evaluation was used on the return visit and assisted clinical decision-making Discussion: A multi-organ POCUS exam allows for quick assessment of acute dyspnea in the emergency department As the lung involvement of COVID-19 is primarily a peripheral process it is readily identifiable via lung ultrasound We believe that when applied efficiently and safely a POCUS exam can reduce clinical uncertainty and potentially limit the use of other imaging modalities when treating patients with COVID-19 Conclusion: This case highlights the utility of an early multiorgan point-of-care assessment for patients presenting with moderate respiratory distress during the severe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
Thermal power plant upgrade via a rotating detonation combustor and retrofitted turbine with optimized endwalls

Abstract In the past decade, pressure gain combustion research has promised over 10 percentage-points of increase in power plant thermal efficiency. Alas, to realize such potential gain, one must effectively couple the turbine with the detonation combustor, whose exhaust conditions differ substantially from current state of the art gas turbines. This paper presents a modeling approach that enables a superior thermodynamic cycle with a rotating detonation combustor and a retrofitted gas turbine by including a diffuser downstream of the combustor and by contouring the turbine endwall, while preserving the airfoil geometry. We propose a multi-step optimization strategy, parametrizing the endwall geometry with a few control points, without altering the airfoil geometry, and with the stage turbine efficiency as objective function. In a first step the turbine performance is assessed with steady inlet conditions by solving the steady three-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations. In a second step, the inlet conditions are unsteady, as predicted from a detonation combustor and a diffuser, and three-dimensional full unsteady simulations are performed with an unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes solver. By altering the vane endwall, the steady optimization yielded an efficiency increase of 12% relative to the baseline, while the unsteady optimization resulted in 21% increase compared to the datum turbine. Finally, a full engine analysis demonstrated the superiority of pressure gain combustion which included a realistic thermodynamic cycle of the combustor, the diffuser and the optimized turbine components.
Politics and Economy of the Coronavirus Pandemic in Historical Perspective: A Webinar with Vinay Lal

In this webinar Vinay Lal discusses the coronavirus pandemic from a historical perspective. He argues that although there have always been pandemics the present one is historically unprecedented with respect to the massive scope of state intervention. He further discusses how modern states with their advanced healthcare systems could not deal with the viral disease. He also sheds some light on how technology and globalization are related to the pandemic.
Tumor ablation: treatment and palliation using image-guided therapy.

Imagine destroying a tumor in 6 minutes with a small needle electrode placed through the skin into a tumor deep in the human body—the patient is cured after spending only a few hours in the hospital and leaves with just a small bandage. This may sound like science fiction, but it is reality in many medical centers around the world.
Analysis of a new algorithm for one-dimensional minimization

Davidon has recently introduced a new approach to optimization using the idea of nonlinear scaling. In this paper we study the algorithm that results when applying his ideas to the one-dimensional case. We show that the algorithm is locally convergent withQ-order equal 2 and compare it with the method of cubic interpolation.
Conformational Changes of Immobilized Polythymine due to External Stressors Studied with Temperature-Controlled Electrochemical Microdevices.

Conformational changes of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) play an important role in a DNA strand’s ability to bind to target ligands. A variety of factors can influence conformation, including temperat...
Increasing fracture toughness via architected porosity

Abstract Fracture toughness, rather than strength, is often the limiting factor of structural materials. Developing new base materials with improved fracture toughness often takes more than a decade. Alternatively, topological design has recently been expanded by additive manufacturing. In the present study, architected planes of internal porosity mimicking a weak interface were found capable of arresting and deflecting a propagating crack, delaying fracture. This concept was demonstrated experimentally in solid beams of polymeric 3D printed material, and in gyroid metamaterials constructed from either a brittle polymer or stainless steel. Improvements in fracture toughness ranged from 22% to 300% depending on the material. Especially with topological optimization, toughening via designed porosity provides an avenue for cost-effective and simple toughening across a range of materials.
Thermal properties of carbonatite and anorthosite from the Superior Province, Ontario, and implications for non-magmatic local thermal effects of these intrusions

Igneous intrusions are important to the thermomechanical evolution of continents because they inject heat into their relatively cold host rocks, and potentially change the distribution of radiogenic heat production and thermal properties within the crust. To explore one aspect of the complex evolution of the continental crust, this paper investigates the local thermal effects of two intrusive rock types (carbonatites and anorthosites) on the Archean Superior Province of the Canadian shield. We provide new data on their contrasting properties: rock density near 298 K, thermal diffusivity, and heat capacity up to 800 K (which altogether yield thermal conductivity), plus radiogenic element contents. The volumetrically small carbonatites have widely varying radiogenic heat production (2–56 µW m−3) and moderate thermal conductivity at 298 K (~ 1 to 4 W m−1 K−1) which decreases with temperature. The massive Shawmere anorthosite has nearly negligible radiogenic heat production (< 0.002 µW m−3) and low, roughly temperature-independent thermal conductivity (~ 1.6 W m−1 K−1). Steady-state thermal structures within and around these intrusions, which have quite different shapes and physical properties, were modeled using a pipe geometry for carbonatite and a tabular geometry for anorthosite. We found that the thermal aureoles of these intrusion types persist for hundreds of millions of years after the magmatic heat advected by the intrusions has dissipated. Longevitity of aureoles is due to the high radiogenic element concentrations of the small carbonatite intrusions, and to the low thermal conductivity of the Shawmere anorthosite. Our findings apply to other anorthosite bodies, which vary little in composition and mineralogy, whereas results for carbonatites depend on variations in their radiogenic content.
Testing Electrophysical Parameters of Metamaterials by the Method of Surface Electromagnetic Waves

The development of metamaterials has led to the search and selection of effective methods for radio wave nondestructive testing of their electrophysical parameters. The existing approaches to testing, based on the recovery of the effective electrophysical parameters of metamaterials from the reflection and transmission coefficients of an electromagnetic wave, have low reliability and do not provide the local inspection of the parameters. In this paper, we propose for the first time a radio-wave method for local inspection of complex dielectric and magnetic permeabilities, as well as the thickness of flat-layered samples of metamaterials on a metal substrate using surface electromagnetic waves of the microwave range. The method is based on solving the inverse problem of determining the effective electrophysical parameters of a metamaterial from the frequency dependence of the complex attenuation coefficient of the field of a surface electromagnetic wave excited in the sample under study. In this case, the electrophysical parameters of the metamaterial are represented in the form of parametric frequency functions in accordance with the Drude–Lorentz dispersion models, and the solution of the inverse problem is reduced to minimizing the objective function constructed from the discrepancy between the experimental and calculated theoretical values of the attenuation coefficients of the surface electromagnetic wave field on a grid of discrete frequencies. The structure of the measuring complex that implements the proposed inspection method is presented. A sample of a flat-layered metamaterial based on SRR elements with a region of negative refraction in the frequency range of 10.06–10.64 GHz was investigated for the numerical and experimental verification of the method. Experimental verification has shown that the local values of the effective electrophysical parameters of the studied metamaterial differ from the calculated ones by no more than 10%.
Testing for Asymmetric Information in Insurance Markets

The first goal of this paper is to provide a simple and general test of the presence of asymmetric information in contractual relationships within a competitive context. We also argue that insurance data are particularly well suited to such empirical investigations. To illustrate this claim, we use data on contracts and accidents to investigate the extent of asymmetric information in the French market for automobile insurance. Using various parametric and nonparametric methods, we find no evidence for the presence of asymmetric information in this market.
Greater Portland: Urban Life and Landscape in the Pacific Northwest

Selected by Choice magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2001 It has been called one of the nation's most livable regions, ranked among the best managed cities in America, hailed as a top spot to work, and favored as a great place to do business, enjoy the arts, pursue outdoor recreation, and make one's home. Indeed, years of cooperative urban planning between developers and those interested in ecology and habitability have transformed Portland from a provincial western city into an exemplary American metropolis. Its thriving downtown, its strong neighborhoods, and its pioneering efforts at local management have brought a steady procession of journalists, scholars, and civic leaders to investigate the "Portland style" that values dialogue and consensus, treats politics as a civic duty, and assumes that it is possible to work toward public good. Probing behind the press clippings, acclaimed urban historian Carl Abbott examines the character of contemporary Portland-its people, politics, and public life-and the region's history and geography in order to discover how Portland has achieved its reputation as one of the most progressive and livable cities in the United States and to determine whether typical pressures of urban growth are pushing Portland back toward the national norm. In Greater Portland, Abbott argues that the city cannot be understood without reference to its place. Its rivers, hills, and broader regional setting have shaped the economy and the cityscape. Portlanders are Oregonians, Northwesteners, Cascadians; they value their city as much for where it is as for what it is, and this powerful sense of place nurtures a distinctive civic culture. Tracing the ways in which Portlanders have talked and thought about their city, Abbott reveals the tensions between their diverse visions of the future and plans for development. Most citizens of Portland desire a balance between continuity and change, one that supports urban progress but actively monitors its effects on the region's expansive green space and on the community's culture. This strong civic participation in city planning and politics is what gives greater Portland its unique character, a positive setting for class integration, neighborhood revitalization, and civic values. The result, Abbott confirms, is a region whose unique initiatives remain a model of American urban planning.