cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
STEMI notification by EMS predicts shorter door-to-balloon time and smaller infarct size

Abstract Background Emergency medical services (EMS) transportation is associated with shorter door-to-balloon (DTB) time in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In addition to EMS transportation, prehospital notification of STEMI by EMS to receiving hospital might be able to further shorten DTB time. We evaluated the impact of STEMI notification on DTB time as well as infarct size. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with anterior wall STEMI who underwent emergent coronary angiography. We excluded patients who presented with cardiac arrest and those who were transferred from non–percutaneous coronary intervention–capable hospitals. Mode of transportation were categorized into the 3 groups: (1) EMS transport with STEMI notification, (2) EMS transport without STEMI notification, and (3) self-transport. Baseline characteristics, laboratory data, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and DTB time were compared among the 3 groups. Results A total of 148 patients were included in the final analysis. Of the 148 patients, 56 patients arrived by EMS transport with STEMI notification, 56 patients arrived by EMS transport without STEMI notification, and 36 patients arrived by self-transport. Patients who arrived by EMS transport with STEMI notification had the shortest DTB time among the 3 groups. Patients who arrived by EMS transport with STEMI notification had smaller infarct size, as indicated by lower peak creatine kinase value and higher LVEF, compared with those who arrived by EMS transport without STEMI notification. Conclusion Emergency medical services transport with STEMI notification was associated with shorter DTB time and smaller infarct size in patients with anterior wall STEMI.
Aging in America: A Parallel between Popular Images of Aging and Public Policy Narratives

This article uses discourse theory and identifies images of older adults shaping public policy responses. Rhetorical patterns in narratives of aging shape socially constructed perceptions of aging. The article analyzes how peer-reviewed social science journal articles assessed signs, images, and narratives of older adults in popular media outlets in three eras: pre-1900, 1930–1950, and 1990–2010. A 2 by 2 typology is offered to help with the analysis, because it is useful for making connections between narratives and potential public policy outcomes based on the images presented. The findings illustrate a parallel between negative images and dependency policy narratives, and positive images and emerging policies around individual capability. Public policy makers should recognize the impacts and influences that narratives about individuals and groups may have in shaping opinions and subsequent policy responses.
What do our genes tell us about our past

The use of DNA sequences to elucidate the history of relationships of organisms is widespread, and focus on our species has been intense. This paper examines some simple aspects of using genetic information to analyze relationships within and amongst humans. Clonal markers (mtDNA and Y chromosomal DNA) have always shown a high degree of structure and robustness when analyzed for hierarchical structure. Results from genome wide phylogenetic structure in many organismal systems suggests instead that recombining genetic elements like the X chromosome and the autosomes will give conflicting information from genome region to genome region. In addition, the evolutionary signal from the different chromosomal regions will show a high degree of incongruence with each other, as do adjacent regions of chromosomes. This incongruence and lack of hierarchical structure is discussed in the context of what we know about human populations and the theoretical underpinnings of tree building based analysis of human populations.
Strictly regular ternary Hermitian forms

Abstract A positive definite integral Hermitian form is called strictly regular if it primitively represents all integers that can be primitively represented locally everywhere by the form itself. In this article, we show that there are only finitely many equivalence classes of primitive strictly regular positive definite integral ternary Hermitian forms over a fixed imaginary quadratic field.
Teaching with the C3 Framework: Surveying teachers׳ beliefs and practices

Abstract The C3 Framework encourages ambitious inquiry-based social studies teaching. While inquiry is regularly recommended as a preferred pedagogy, research has shown that social studies teachers rarely engage students in inquiry. This exploratory study surveyed social studies teachers in one school district in a southeastern state to update our understanding of teachers’ instructional beliefs and practices related to inquiry and the C3 Framework. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and open coding. Findings indicate that the majority of teachers use instructional practices that may be supportive of the C3 Framework and that the ideas within the C3 Framework resonate with most respondents. At the same time, teachers reported challenges with some key concepts within the Framework, such as taking informed action in the classroom and using questions to initiate an inquiry. While the idea of inquiry as espoused by the C3 Framework resonated with teachers, the extent to which they both believe in and practice inquiry methods is unclear and necessitates further study. This study is an initial step to inform future research and efforts to implement the C3 Framework in K-12 social studies classrooms.
Raman detection of extra virgin olive oil adulterated with cheaper oils

Pure extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is mixed with cheaper edible oils and samples are kept inside clear glass containers, while a 785nm Raman system is used to take measurements as Raman probe is placed against glass container. Several types of oils at various concentrations of adulteration are used. Ratios of peak intensities are used to analyze raw data, which allows for quick, easy, and accurate analysis. While conventional Raman measurements of EVOO may take as long as 2 minutes, all measurements reported here are for integration times of 15s. It is found that adulteration of EVOO with cheaper oils is detectable at concentrations as low as 5% for all oils used in this study.
Comparison of allelopathic effects of five invasive species on two native species1

Abstract Recent studies have found that allelopathy can be an important mechanism of plant invasions. Alliaria petiolata, Lonicera maackii, Ranunculus ficaria, Celastrus orbiculatus, and Microstegium vimineum are invasive species found in the Midwestern USA. We investigated the comparative direct and indirect allelopathic effects of these five species in a laboratory setting using leaf extracts in a germination experiment and a growth experiment. Results illustrate that the effect of each invasive species varied with target species and with life stage. Extracts of L. maackii and R. ficaria had the largest overall effects (∼50% reduction) on germination across both species, but effects of extracts varied by target species. Extracts of A. petiolata and C. orbiculatus had a greater effect on germination of E. hystrix than on C. fasciculata. Extracts of L. maackii, M. vimenum, and R. ficaria had larger inhibitory germination effects on C. fasciculata than on E. hystrix. For growth of E. hystrix after 8 wk, C....
Tolkien’s Geopolitical Fantasy: Spatial Narrative in The Lord of the Rings

This chapter begins with Tom Shippey’s observation that J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (1954–1955) developed in relation to a fundamentally “cartographic plot,” to argue that the expansive geography and distinctive topoi of The Lord of the Rings establish an entire geopolitical world system in which the narrative elements unfold. Tally offers a critical comparison of Tolkien’s novel and the film adaptations directed by Peter Jackson. In particular, the chapter identifies the image of Sauron as a disembodied eye as a metaphor for the films’ geopolitical aesthetic to argue that, in its translation for screen, Tolkien’s thoroughly modernist novel gives way to a postmodern cinematic cartography of the twenty-first-century world system.
The Efficacy of Two Trabecular Bypass Stents Compared to One in the Management of Open-Angle Glaucoma.

ABSTRACTObjectives: To compare the outcomes of combined cataract surgery with two trabecular microbypass stents compared to one in patients with open-angle glaucoma. Methods: Patients with primary open-angle glaucoma were included. Primary outcome measures were intraocular pressure (IOP), postoperative medications, and postoperative adverse events. Results: The average patient age was 73.2 years. Thirty-nine eyes had phacoemulsification and one stent implanted (Group 1); 30 eyes had phacoemulsification and two stents implanted (Group 2). A significant reduction in mean IOP from baseline to 12 months was noted for both Group 1 (16.67 ± 4.1 mm Hg to 14.45 ± 3.8 mm Hg; p < 0.0251) and Group 2 (18.33 ± 3.99 mm Hg to 14.31 ± 1.8 mm Hg; p < 0.0014). Group 2 had a greater percent decrease in IOP at 12 months than Group 1, but this difference was not statistically significant. Only Group 2 demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in medication burden at 12 months. There were no serious complications in ...
Investigation of tropospheric attenuations for UAS beyond-line-of-sight communications, and the ITU-R tropospheric attenuation model

The growth in use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) will require highly reliable control and non-payload communication (CNPC) links to ensure safety. In cases where UAS are beyond the range of a communication ground station (GS), an alternative communication path must be employed. The primary candidate for such beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) links is an air-satellite (AS) link. Wireless communication between a satellite and GS or satellite and aircraft can suffer severe fading due to tropospheric effects, and hence these effects must be quantified as accurately as possible for reliable CNPC link design. Although such tropospheric attenuation modeling is relatively mature, these attenuations have not been accurately modeled as a function of aircraft altitude, nor has attenuation variability been thoroughly studied. In this paper, tropospheric attenuation modeling for AS links is described and analyzed. After providing a brief discussion on background and related literature, we include a short description of the characteristics of tropospheric attenuation and its causes: hydrometeors and gases, and tropospheric inhomogeneities that cause scintillation. We discuss each attenuation component individually, and describe the most popular time series attenuation model from the ITU-R Recommendation P.1853. This model is based upon both atmospheric physics and several decades of experimental data from locations worldwide. We also describe a simulation implementation of this model, and provide example attenuation results and statistics for three temperate-tropical climate locations: Cleveland, OH, Columbia, SC, and Miami, FL. We employ frequencies that are being considered for UAS BLOS links in the Ku band (12 GHz) and the Ka band (30 GHz). The impact of tropospheric attenuation on BLOS UAS communication performance is described, including a discussion of attenuation variability and link margins.
Delaying Disposing: Examining the Relationship between Procrastination and Clutter across Generations

We explored how two types of procrastination (indecision and behavioral), contribute to problems with clutter across three adult U.S. samples differing as generational cohorts. An online survey was administered to college students (mean age = 21) and younger adults recruited using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk; mean age = 31), plus older adults recruited with help from the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (mean age = 54) ( http://challengingdisorganization.org ). Hierarchical linear regression revealed that behavioral procrastination contributed significantly to an increasingly larger percentage of explained variance in clutter problems across the generational cohorts in a series of separate analyses. The addition of indecision as a variable led to a significant incremental increase in explained variance for the younger and older adult samples, but not for the student sample. Clutter problems led to a significant decrease in satisfaction with life among older adults. Findings suggest that general procrastination tendencies may enable a lifelong pattern of responses to one’s environment that become increasingly maladaptive throughout the life cycle - simultaneously delaying disposal decisions.
High Reflectivity Hybrid AlGaN/Silver Distributed Bragg Reflectors for Use in the UV-Visible Spectrum

Indium-free AlGaN-based distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) in the UV spectrum are known to have very low reflectivities due both to the low refractive index contrast as well as limitations imposed by the critical thickness of AlGaN alloys (tensile strain of ~2.41% for AlN on GaN). Near-bandedge excitonic resonances influence the real part of AlGaN's dielectric function, which sharply increases its refractive index as the photon energy approaches the bandgap. Furthermore, heavy doping (Si: 10 20 cm -3 ) can modify the plasma frequency of AlGaN, leading to a reduction in its refractive index. Hence, judiciously choosing the high index material to exploit excitonic resonances and using heavy doping to reduce the refractive index of the low index material can enhance the index contrast and enable growth of epitaxial DBRs with higher reflectivities. We have demonstrated this technique both experimentally and by simulations for wavelengths ranging from 240 to 370 nm. Typically, over 50 epitaxial pairs are needed to achieve a mirror whose reflectivity exceeds 99%, but this can be shrunk down to 20-30 epitaxial pairs by depositing silver/aluminum underneath the epitaxial DBR stack. Silver and aluminum exhibit 90% reflectivity at the AlGaN/metal interface between wavelengths ranging from >360 to 180-670 nm, respectively. A thinner DBR stack also reduces the thermal resistance, which would allow the VCSEL to achieve higher peak output powers, and simultaneously reduce overall tensile strain.
Processing Speed is Impaired in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Relates to Social Communication Abilities.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by a variety of social and non-social behavioral deficits. One potential mechanism that could unify this diverse profile of behaviors is slower processing speed. Seventy-six high-functioning adults with ASD were compared to 64 matched controls on standardized measures of processing speed. Participants with ASD were significantly slower on all measures, and on the composite score from the three tests (d's > .65). ASD participants with slower processing speeds scored higher on the ADOS Communication and Reciprocal Social Interaction scale (r = .34). These findings provide evidence of slower processing speeds in adults with ASD, and that this may be contributing to impairments in social communication skills. Interventions that improve processing speed might improve social communication abilities in ASD.
Direct, high-yielding, one-step synthesis of vic-diols from aryl alkynes

Abstract An unprecedented, high yielding, direct, one-step synthesis of vic-diols from alkynes has been developed via metal-free, open-to-air dihydroboration with ammonia borane. The electronics of the alkyne and the reaction stoichiometry are critical for obtaining optimal yields of the 1,2-diol.
Informal Urbanism and the American City

This chapter argues that informal or unregulated activities are pervasive and spread across different social groups, diverse urban settings, and geographic regions of the Global North. While formal and informal activities may at times conflict with each other, urban designers need to question the conventional duality of informal and formal urbanism and conceive of them as linked, overlapping, and often mutually sustaining. This attitude or approach can open up avenues and opportunities for urban designers to respond to urban informality. The authors suggest that casting a spatial lens on informality can offer a guiding framework covering four distinct areas of urban design: scope, context, process, and practice.
Induction of Donor-Specific Tolerance by Intrathymic Cellular Transplantation

The acquisition of immunologic tolerance is primarily achieved by selective deletion of self-reactive T cells within the thymus, whereby the interaction between self-antigen and the T cell receptor at an immature stage in T cell differentiation aborts further development of the cell (1,2). Within the thymus, developing thymocytes are subjected to both positive and negative selection. It is believed that positive selection permits development of thymocytes bearing receptors capable of binding self-MHC and foreign peptide. Negative selection (or tolerance induction), on the other hand, is thought to arrest the maturation of those thymocytes with high affinity for self-MHC (3). Both bone marrow derived antigen presenting cells and thymic epithelial cells have been demonstrated to be involved in tolerance induction within the thymus (4–7).
Principles and Methods for Measurement of Cerebral Blood Flow: Experimental Methods

This chapter elaborates the basic principles and experimental methods for measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF). Methods for point measurement of CBF using probes are based on the use of probes that detect a signal related to CBF at a single site in brain; CBF can be monitored at multiple sites simultaneously, if more than one probe is used. The thermal clearance method uses a thermistor probe that is inserted into the brain. The probe consists of a heating element and a thermocouple that measures the temperature difference between the heating element and the temperature of the brain; this detects tissue heat clearance, a variable related to CBF. The main advantage of this method is the ability to measure flow continuously. Disadvantages are the need for brain penetration, lack of quantitation, and nonlinearity between heat clearance and flow in some brain regions. Hydrogen clearance method is based on the rate of washout of hydrogen that is either generated locally, using electrochemical means, or inhaled to the point of brain saturation. Laser–Doppler flowmetry technique uses the scatter of laser light by red blood cells to monitor microvascular perfusion.
A concurrent examination of protective factors associated with resilience and posttraumatic growth following childhood victimization.

Abstract The present study concurrently examined protective factors associated with the adaptive outcomes of resilience and posttraumatic growth (PTG; defined as positive psychological change resulting from a life crisis or trauma), after accounting for relevant demographic factors and the impact of circumstances surrounding childhood victimization (i.e., age of first trauma, frequency of victimization, and perception of trauma severity). The protective factors examined in the present study included social support from friends and family, optimism, positive religious coping (i.e., looking to God for support and guidance; forgiveness), and negative religious coping (i.e., feeling abandoned by God; anger towards God). Participants included 161 college students from the US MidSouth, aged 18–24 (Mage = 19.97, SD = 1.86). All participants reported experiencing physical violence and/or sexual abuse during their childhood. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that after accounting for demographics and circumstances surrounding the childhood victimization, higher resilience was associated with greater family support, optimism, and positive religious coping, while higher posttraumatic growth was associated with greater optimism and positive religious coping. These findings underscore the protective role of optimism with respect to both resilience and posttraumatic growth. Additionally, results highlight the importance of examining cognitions related to religious coping rather than simply assessing broadband religiosity, as only positive religious coping was associated with adaptive outcomes. Findings suggest the importance of early intervention to bolster protective factors (i.e., family support, positive thinking, gratitude, and positive religious coping skills) among youth exposed to childhood physical and sexual victimization.
Two-dimensional strain echocardiography-derived left ventricular ejection fraction, volumes, and global systolic dyssynchrony index: Comparison with three-dimensional echocardiography.

BACKGROUND Three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography is the most accurate echocardiographic method for ventricular chamber quantification. It is unclear how two-dimensional (2D) techniques perform against 3D technology and whether 2D methods can be extrapolated to obtain 3D data. METHODS Retrospective review of transthoracic echocardiography was performed, with comparison of ejection fraction (EF), end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), and 2D strain-derived global longitudinal strain (GLS) and synchrony index. RESULTS One-hundred patients were identified. Using 3D echocardiography as reference standard, good correlation was noted with 2D strain-derived EF (r = 0.89, P < 0.01) and with 2D standard biplane EF (r = 0.90, P < 0.01) and similarly for EDV (r = 0.84 and r = 0.81, respectively, both P < 0.01). Two-dimensional strain-derived EDV by 8% and 2D biplane-derived EDV underestimated by 8% (P < 0.01). In relation to 3D EF, 2D strain underestimated by 2% and 2D standard biplane overestimated by 2% (P < 0.01). There was a negative correlation between GLS and 3D EF (r = 0.84, P = 0.001). On multivariate analysis, 3D EF could be derived from 2D strain [3D EF = 34.345 + (0.125 * EDV) + (-0.289 * ESV) + (-1.141 * GLS)]. Three-dimensional echocardiography-derived synchrony parameter (ie, standard deviation from mean time to minimum systolic volume from 16 subvolumes) did not correlate with 2D strain-derived synchrony index (r = 0.171). CONCLUSIONS Two-dimensional standard biplane and 2D strain EF and EDV strongly correlate with 3D EF and EDV. Although 2D methods are predictive of 3D findings, over- and underestimations may occur. Three-dimensional echocardiography should be used when available.
A Mixed Methods Evaluation of EMDR for Treating Female Survivors of Sexual and Domestic Violence

This study assessed the efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for women who experienced trauma due to sexual or domestic violence. Twenty-one adult female clients at a no...
The financial impact of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol in an academic gynecologic oncology practice.

Abstract Objective To determine the financial impact of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol in gynecologic oncology patients. Methods This study identified gynecologic oncology patients who were placed on the ERAS protocol after elective laparotomy from 10/2016–6/2017. A control group was identified from the year prior to ERAS implementation. Financial experts assisted in procuring data for these patient encounters, including payer status, direct and indirect costs, contribution margin, and length of stay (LOS). SPSS Statistics v. 24 was used for statistical analysis. Results 376 patients met criteria for inclusion: 179 in the ERAS group and 197 in the control group. Patient demographics were similar between the two cohorts. Payer status across the groups was not statistically significant in patients with private insurance (control 43.7% vs. ERAS 41.3%), Medicare (38.1% vs. 31.8%), or self-pay patients (12.2% vs. 15.1%). There was a significantly higher number of Medicaid patients in the ERAS group (6.1% vs. 11.7%; p = 0.05). Hospital direct costs ($5596 vs. 5346) and indirect costs ($5182 vs. $4954) per encounter were similar between groups. However, overall contribution margin per encounter decreased in the ERAS group ($11,619 vs. $8528; p = 0.01). LOS was significantly lower in the ERAS group (4.1 vs. 2.9 days; p = 0.04). Conclusions Implementation of the ERAS protocol in gynecologic oncology patients does not lead to increased costs for the patient or hospital system. The decreased contribution margin is likely due to a reduction in per diem payments caused by the reduction in LOS. On a per-patient-day basis, contribution margin was the same for both groups ($2877 vs $2857). The reduction in LOS also created capacity for additional cases, the financial impact of which was not evaluated.
REAL-TIME DATA FUSION FOR ARTERIAL STREET INCIDENT DETECTION USING NEURAL NETWORKS

This research contributes to the development of an automatic incident detection system for detecting traffic-delaying events on arterial street networks for an Advanced Traveler Information System demonstration called ADVANCE. Data describing current traffic conditions will be gathered in real time from two distinct sources: inductive loop detectors and specially equipped vehicles that measure and report their travel times on roadway links. Two approaches are considered for data fusion, the combination of information from these sources to produce a single decision about the presence or absence of incidents on each link. In the integrated fusion approach, observed traffic data are combined directly using a neural network. In the algorithm output fusion approach, separate incident-detection algorithms individually preprocess data from each source, reporting outputs that are combined using a neural network. Data for calibrating these system components were generated using computer simulation. The algorithm output fusion network performed better than the other approach, detecting over 80% of the incidents with almost no false alarms. Fusing algorithm outputs using neural networks was thus found to improve the capability provided by separate source incident detection algorithms operating alone. The importance of validating these results through calibration and testing with field data, as well as improving performance through introduction of an additional data source is discussed.
On the Data Fight Between Cities and Mobility Providers.

E-Scooters are changing transportation habits. In an attempt to oversee scooter usage, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation has put forth a specification that requests detailed data on scooter usage from scooter companies. In this work, we first argue that L.A.'s data request for using a new specification is not warranted as proposed use cases can be met by already existing specifications. Second, we show that even the existing specification, that requires companies to publish real-time data of parked scooters, puts the privacy of individuals using the scooters at risk. We then propose an algorithm that enables formal privacy and utility guarantees when publishing parked scooters data, allowing city authorities to meet their use cases while preserving riders' privacy.
Treatment of Acutely Ruptured Cerebral Aneurysms With the Woven EndoBridge Device: Experience Post-FDA Approval

Background Coil embolization of ruptured bifurcation aneurysms is challenging and often necessitates adjunctive stenting, which requires antiplatelet therapy in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The Woven EndoBridge (WEB; Terumo) device is an alternative self-expanding 3D mesh that does not require antiplatelet agents. However, its use has been mostly reserved for unruptured aneurysms. Objective To assess the safety and feasibility of ruptured aneurysm treatment with the WEB. Methods Retrospective analysis of 9 SAH patients with 11 aneurysms that were treated with the WEB device at 2 institutions after FDA approval. Results Hunt and Hess grades were III and IV in 4 (44%) each and V in 1 (11%). All patients were treated within 24 h of hospitalization, and a single WEB was used in all but one aneurysm. Aneurysms treated were 3 basilar tip, 2 anterior communicating artery, 2 posterior inferior cerebellarartery, 1 middle cerebral artery, 1 carotid-ophthalmic artery, 1 posterior communicating artery, and 1 vertebrobasilar junction. Mean aneurysm height and width were 6.2 ± 2.2 mm (range: 3-10) and 5.6 ± 3.0 mm (range: 3.3-14), respectively. Mean dome-to-neck ratio was 1.7 ± 0.8 (range: 1.0-3.8). There was one intraoperative rupture that occurred because of device dislodgement and was managed with embolization. There were no treatment-related mortalities and no re-rupture after securement of the aneurysms with the WEB. Conclusion Our preliminary experience indicates that the WEB device can be used safely for ruptured aneurysms of various sizes in the anterior and posterior circulation. Larger series with long-term follow-up are necessary to confirm our findings.
Effectiveness of cervical zero profile integrated cage with and without supplemental posterior Interfacet stabilization.

Abstract Background Conditions requiring cervical decompression and stabilization are commonly treated using anterior cervical discectomy and fusion using an anterior cage-plate construct. Anterior zero profile integrated cages are an alternative to a cage-plate construct, but literature suggests they may result in less motion reduction. Interfacet cages may improve integrated cage stability. This study evaluated the motion reduction of integrated cages with and without supplemental interfacet fixation. Motion reduction of integrated cages were also compared to published cage-plate results. Methods Seven cadaveric (C2-T1) spines were tested in flexion-extension, lateral bending, and rotation. Specimens were tested: 1) intact, 2) C6-C7 integrated cage, 3) C6-C7 integrated cage + interfacet cages, 4) additional integrated cages at C3-C4 and C4-C5, 5) C3-C4, C4-C5 and C6-C7 integrated cages + interfacet cages. Motion, lordosis, disc and neuroforaminal height were assessed. Findings Integrated cage at C6-C7 decreased flexion-extension by 37% (P = .06) and C3-C5 by 54% (P Interpretation Anterior integrated cages provides less stability than traditional cage-plate constructs while supplemental interfacet cages improve stabilization. Integrated cages provide more lordosis at caudal levels and increase neuroforaminal height more at cranial levels. After interfacet cages, posterior disc height and neuroforaminal height increased more at the caudal segments.
Assimilation Undercuts Authenticity: A Consequence of Women’s Masculine Self-Presentation in Masculine Contexts:

We tested whether women’s sense of authenticity can be compromised by the expression of masculine characteristics and whether feelings of authenticity directly or indirectly connect masculine expre...
Identifying border effects of payday-lending regulations

Using branch-level licensing data for 13 states, we examine cross-border effects of state-level payday-lending policies on new and operating branches within border counties from January 2005 to Dec...
In Pursuit of CS-based Educational Content Suitable for Broader Audiences

The important role that technology will play in the future requires that IT literacy, IT fluency, and interest in IT careers, in particular, increase significantly in the near future. This study investigates relationships between a variety of student attributes (e.g., general educational interests, classroom behavior, and gender) and engagement with a set of introductory CS-based educational activities. The goal of the study is to gain a better understanding of how to design CS-based educational content that appeals to broader student populations. Among other findings, the study revealed (unsurprisingly) that interest in math played a significant role in the level of engagement for males having STEM-related interests, while interest in reading played a significant role in the level of engagement for females having non-STEM related interests. The most significant finding of the study was that females having non-STEM related interests engaged more extensively than all other student populations.
Diagnosing cystic duct patency during myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), using Tc99m Sestamibi (MIBI), as an adjunct benefit in the acute setting.

Objective:Tc99m methoxy isobutyl isonitrile (MIBI) has been used for myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) for the detection of ischemia. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of effectively...
Financial Penalties Imposed on Large Pharmaceutical Firms for Illegal Activities.

This study describes financial penalties levied on pharmaceutical companies for illegal activities by type of activity and dollar value between 2003 and 2016.
Mechanistic Framework and Effects of High Coverage in Vinyl Acetate Synthesis

Solid catalysts often operate at high surface coverage, but fully analyzing and leveraging coverage effects remains challenging. Vinyl acetate (VA) synthesis via oxidatively acetoxylating ethylene ...
Single-molecule and ensemble methods to probe RNP nucleation and condensate properties

Abstract Biomolecular condensates often consist of intrinsically disordered protein and RNA molecules, which together promote the formation of membraneless organelles in cells. The nucleation, condensation, and maturation of condensates is a critical yet poorly understood process. Here, we present single-molecule and accompanying ensemble methods to quantify these processes more comprehensively. In particular, we focus on how to properly design and execute a single-molecule nucleation assay, in which we detect signals arising from individual units of fluorescently labeled RNA-binding proteins associating with an RNA substrate. The analysis of this data allows one to determine the kinetics involved with each step of nucleation. Complemented with meso-scale techniques that measure the biophysical properties of ribonucleoprotein condensates, the methods described herein are powerful tools that can be adopted for studying any protein-RNA interactions that promote phase separation.
Zoledronic acid reduces the rate of clinical fractures after surgical repair of a hip fracture regardless of the Pretreatment bone mineral density.

In patients with surgical repair of a low-trauma hip fracture, zoledronic acid (ZA) reduced the risk of subsequent fractures regardless of pretreatment femoral neck and total hip bone mineral density (BMD). Zoledronic acid reduces the risk of subsequent fractures after repair of a hip fracture. It is still unclear whether the benefits in fracture reduction with ZA depend upon hip bone mineral density at the time of fracture. We preformed additional post hoc analyses of data from the HORIZON Recurrent Fracture Trial to determine if ZA treatment reduced the risk of new clinical fractures regardless of pretreatment BMD. We modeled femoral neck and total hip BMD as both continuous and dichotomous variables (BMD T-score above and below −2.5). There are no evidence that baseline femoral neck and total hip BMD modified the anti-fracture efficacy of ZA when pretreatment BMD was analyzed as a continuous or a dichotomous variable (interaction p-values > 0.20). The clinical fracture efficacy of ZA was similar among patients with pretreatment femoral neck BMD values above and below −2.5 (relative hazards = 0.60 and 0.67, respectively, interaction p-value = 0.95). A similar result was obtained using pretreatment total hip BMD values (relative hazards = 0.72 and 0.57, respectively, interaction p-value = 0.41). There data should provide more comfort in prescribing ZA after surgical repair of a hip fracture, regardless of pretreatment BMD.
A Review: ACT in Sport: Improve Performance through Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Commitment

In ACT in Sport authors Hegarty and Huelsmann (2020) provide readers with a thorough review of how Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be used as a performance enhancement tool in sport. This i...
Culinary Skills: Assessment of Student’s Learning Outcomes

This study examined the culinary skills of the students through a mixed-method as a research design. An intervention module was delivered by the chef instructor that addressed the gap between pre-assessment and post-assessment. This study utilized a 4-point Likert scale and scores were analyzed with their corresponding descriptions. The result of the study showed the necessity of a demonstration method in improving the culinary skills of the students. Data revealed the significant differences during the pre-evaluation and after post-evaluation.The study exhibited the importance of interventions as an effective way of facilitating the progress of students’ skills. Despite the good or accomplished skills of the students, the standard culinary skills must be observed and practiced for their future professional endeavors. Likewise, chef instructors must ensure the active engagement of the students during culinary activities. Similarly, during laboratory sessions, chef instructors must require students to show what they can do and assess the quality of their performances.
Action translation in extensive-form games with large action spaces: axioms, paradoxes, and the pseudo-harmonic mapping

When solving extensive-form games with large action spaces, typically significant abstraction is needed to make the problem manageable from a modeling or computational perspective. When this occurs, a procedure is needed to interpret actions of the opponent that fall outside of our abstraction (by mapping them to actions in our abstraction). This is called an action translation mapping. Prior action translation mappings have been based on heuristics without theoretical justification. We show that the prior mappings are highly exploitable and that most of them violate certain natural desiderata. We present a new mapping that satisfies these desiderata and has significantly lower exploitability than the prior mappings. Furthermore, we observe that the cost of this worst-case performance benefit (low exploitability) is not high in practice; our mapping performs competitively with the prior mappings against no-limit Texas Hold'em agents submitted to the 2012 Annual Computer Poker Competition. We also observe several paradoxes that can arise when performing action abstraction and translation; for example, we show that it is possible to improve performance by including suboptimal actions in our abstraction and excluding optimal actions.
Ethernet: distributed packet switching for local computer networks

Ethernet is a branching broadcast communication system for carrying digital data packets among locally distributed computing stations. The packet transport mechanism provided by Ethernet has been used to build systems which can be viewed as either local computer networks or loosely coupled multiprocessors. An Ethernet's shared communication facility, its Ether, is a passive broadcast medium with no central control. Coordination of access to the Ether for packet broadcasts is distributed among the contending transmitting stations using controlled statistical arbitration. Switching of packets to their destinations on the Ether is distributed among the receiving stations using packet address recognition. Design principles and implementation are described, based on experience with an operating Ethernet of 100 nodes along a kilometer of coaxial cable. A model for estimating performance under heavy loads and a packet protocol for error controlled communication are included for completeness.
User Needs in e-Government: Conducting Policy Analysis with Models-on-the-Web

Design conventions are emerging in e-government models-on-the-Web but they are not based on evidence of analysts’ actual what-if analyses for purposes like policymaking. From field studies, we developed representations of policy analysts’ actual work and compared them to the assumed goals and tasks built into existing online models, inferred through goal-based requirements methods. We found a large gap exists and argue that current online models are impoverished because they ignore expertise users bring to bear on their work.
Quantum Field Theory as Manifestation of Fractal Geometry

We discuss two theoretical arguments strongly suggesting that the continuum limit of Quantum Field Theory (QFT) leads to fractal geometry. The first argument stems from the Path Integral formulation of QFT, whereas the second one is an inevitable consequence of the Renormalization Group (RG).
From the Failure of Desegregation to the Failure of Choice

As we commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the St. Louis school desegregation litigation, a natural question is how current education reform efforts impact the status of and potential for school integration. This Article examines how the push for school choice impacts school desegregation in Missouri specifically and the United States generally. The evidence reveals that while our student population is becoming more diverse and the prevalence of all-white schools is diminishing, the pattern of high-poverty, high-minority, low-performing schools persists. Charter schools—the most common form of school choice—actually exacerbate the segregation of poor and minority school children. As a first step in rectifying the segregative impact of charter schools, this Article proposes that the federal government require more inclusionary practices by charter schools for states to receive federal funding for their charter schools. Otherwise, we once again allow current reform efforts to continue our history of segregated, unequal schooling. Wendy Parker, James A. Webster Professor of Public Law, Wake Forest University School of Law. I am grateful for the invitation from Professor Kimberly Jade Norwood to participate in this symposium. I am also extremely thankful for the outstanding research assistance of Jason Weber and the helpful comments of Cedric Powell and Leland Ware. Washington University Open Scholarship 118 Journal of Law & Policy [Vol. 40:117
Adaptive rendering for large-scale skyline characterization and matching

We propose an adaptive rendering approach for large-scale skyline characterization and matching with applications to automated geo-tagging of photos and images. Given an image, our system automatically extracts the skyline and then matches it to a database of reference skylines extracted from rendered images using digital elevation data (DEM). The sampling density of these rendering locations determines both the accuracy and the speed of skyline matching. The proposed approach successfully combines global planning and local greedy search strategies to select new rendering locations incrementally. We report quantitative and qualitative results from synthesized and real experiments, where we achieve a computational speedup of around 4X.
Iron sequestration by small molecules: Thermodynamic and kinetic studies of natural siderophores and synthetic model compounds

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses researches on natural siderophores and synthetic siderophore-like molecules, with an emphasis on results from the laboratories over the past decade in the context of the overall field. These findings are discussed in terms of siderophore structure, the thermodynamics of iron sequestration, the kinetics of iron-exchange reactions in ferri-siderophore systems, and molecular recognition and transport. The chapter also discusses the expanding field of ferri-siderophore chemistry and its application to the design of synthetic iron chelators for the study of siderophore binding and uptake in mimics of biological systems, and in therapeutic applications. The use of iron chelators with high stability and specificity can be linked to the study of iron–siderophore chemistry, as an understanding of the structural and architectural features that microbes use to obtain iron from their environment can be used to design synthetic siderophore-like molecules for chelating iron in biological and engineered systems.
Planning for gene regulatory network intervention

Modeling the dynamics of cellular processes has recently become a important research area of many disciplines. One of the most important reasons to model a cellular process is to enable highthroughput in-silico experiments that attempt to predict or intervene in the process. These experiments can help accelerate the design of therapies through their cheap replication and alteration. While some techniques exist for reasoning with cellular processes, few take advantage of the flexible and scalable algorithms popularized in AI research. In this domain, where scalability is crucial for feasible application, we apply AI planning based search techniques and demonstrate their advantage over existing enumerative methods.
Mediationism and the Obfuscation of Memory

Memory theorizing is going nowhere. The reason is that it is rooted in mediationism, the doctrine that memory is mediated by some sort of memory trace. Mediationism is the basic tenet of those who seek the substrate of memory; for students of memory per se it is merely a metaphor, and moreover an unfruitful one, for it cannot be penetrated by the methods of psychology. The rejection of mediationism would serve both to replace mechanistic theories with laws or other modes of explanation and to focus research on the actual experience of memory and on the context in which it occurs. The ensuing advantages are discussed and illustrated.
Aid for all: College coaching, financial aid, and post-secondary persistence in Tennessee

Abstract Beginning with the high school class of 2015, Tennessee Promise will provide college coaching and last-dollar aid to every high school graduate making a seamless transition to community college. We examine the program that preceded this effort and evaluate its potential effect on college-going and college persistence. Knox Achieves originated in Knox County, Tennessee with the class of 2009. Eligibility was neither need-based nor merit-based, negating some of the application hurdles that accompany other aid vehicles. We find that program participation is strongly associated with an increased likelihood of graduating from high school and enrolling directly in college, albeit with a modestly lower chance of starting in a four-year college. The evidence suggests that aid per se is not the only lever by which Knox Achieves worked: college enrollment and college credit gains are largest among lower-income students who likely saw little to no scholarship aid from the program.
The effects of religion on consumer behavior: A conceptual framework and research agenda

Abstract This article provides a conceptual framework for studying the effects of religion on consumer behavior, with the goal of stimulating future research at the intersection of these two topics. We delineate religion as a multidimensional construct and propose that religion affects consumer psychology and behavior through four dimensions—beliefs, rituals, values, and community. For each dimension of religion, we offer definitions and measures, integrate previous findings from research in the psychology, consumer behavior, marketing, and religion literatures, and propose testable future research directions. With this conceptual framework and research agenda, we challenge consumer researchers to ask deeper questions about why religious affiliation and level of religiosity may be driving previously established differences in consumer behavior, and to uncover the psychological mechanisms underlying the effects. This framework complements and extends previous literature and provides a new delineated framework for considering research on the effects of religion on consumer behavior.
A Basis for the Diagonally Signed-Symmetric Polynomials

Let $n\ge 1$ be an integer and let $B_{n}$ denote the hyperoctahedral group of rank $n$. The group $B_{n}$ acts on the polynomial ring $Q[x_{1},\dots,x_{n},y_{1},\dots,y_{n}]$ by signed permutations simultaneously on both of the sets of variables $x_{1},\dots,x_{n}$ and $y_{1},\dots,y_{n}.$ The invariant ring $M^{B_{n}}:=Q[x_{1},\dots,x_{n},y_{1},\dots,y_{n}]^{B_{n}}$ is the ring of diagonally signed-symmetric polynomials. In this article, we provide an explicit free basis of $M^{B_{n}}$ as a module over the ring of symmetric polynomials on both of the sets of variables $x_{1}^{2},\dots, x^{2}_{n}$ and $y_{1}^{2},\dots, y^{2}_{n}$ using signed descent monomials.