cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Economic Operation of Microgrid Containing Charging-Swapping-Storage Integrated Station Under Uncertain Factors of Wind Farm and Photovoltaic Generation

Direct microgrid-connection of electric vehicles(EV) makes no contribution to achieve the low-carbon electric power in its true sense, however, the microgrid-connection of EV via battery charging-swapping station(BCSS) to locally accommodate the electric power generated by renewable energy sources and combining BCSS with energy storage station(ESS) to constitute charging-swapping-storage integrated station(CSSIS) that is taken as the energy storage system for microgrid can reduce the impact of EV on microgrid operation, meanwhile the adjustable capacity of energy storage system can be increased. In allusion to the uncertainty of both wind turbines and photovoltaic(PV) generation inside the microgrid as well as the fluctuation of load, a chance constrained programming based economic optimization model, in which satisfying the reserve demand under a certain confidence level is taken as the reliability constraint and based on peak-valley TOU price the output of the integrated wind power station and the fuel cell is optimized and the interchange power of the tie line is determined, is established. When the charging/discharging power is allocated between BCSS and ESS, the sliding window method is utilized to adjust the charging/discharging of BCSS first of all, and then the remaining power is taken on by ESS, thus to create a stable operating environment for BCSS as well as to provide BSS a support with adjustable capacity. Taking a concrete microgrid for example, the effectiveness of the proposed strategy is validated.
Parametric modeling approach for economic and environmental life cycle assessment of medium-duty truck electrification

Abstract Using a parametric modeling approach, we evaluate economic and environmental life cycle trade-offs of medium-duty electric trucks in comparison with nine non-electric technologies (e.g., conventional diesel, biodiesel, compressed natural gas, etc.) for U.S. model year 2015. Life cycle results for electric trucks vary strongly with weighted positive kinetic energy, whereas those for non-electric trucks vary the most with average trip speed. Our parametric life cycle assessment models explain 91%–98% of the variability in life cycle inventory and impact assessment results, revealing “how” and “why” the trade-offs of truck electrification change with different input conditions. In terms of cost, whether total cost of ownership or also including health and climate impact costs, model year 2015 battery electric trucks in severe applications such as urban driving provide positive and robust net benefits in many areas of the U.S. However, for typical operations, petroleum diesel with idle reduction or hybrid-electric technology provide the largest overall life cycle cost benefit. Battery electric, idle reduction, and hybrid trucks emit lower life cycle greenhouse gas emissions across the board in comparison with the other technologies. Despite lower carbon-intensity, electric trucks tend to be water-intensive because of cooling water consumption for thermo-electric power plants. Hybrid trucks create higher NOx emissions and thus larger associated environmental impacts. Idle reduction is beneficial to urban-type applications. Compressed natural gas trucks are the least water-intensive but may not reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Using marginal rather than average factors for electric grid emissions calculations doesn't change the overall life cycle comparisons. Improving driving behavior has universally positive effects for which the exact magnitude and sensitivity depend on environmental impact indicators and technologies.
Effect of Gonadal Hormones on Adrenocortical Secretion and Its Significance

Alterations of adrenocortical secretion during pregnancy and differences between males and females of various species have been extensively studied for many years and it would be beyond the limitation of this brief survey to attempt to cover this entire field. We will therefore review the highlights of work done in this area especially as it affects our understanding of normal human physiology and alterations that occur with hormone treatment in man. In addition, work from our laboratory will be discussed.
Quantitative sensory testing measures individual pain responses in emergency department patients.

Background Refining and individualizing treatment of acute pain in the emergency department (ED) is a high priority, given that painful complaints are the most common reasons for ED visits. Few tools exist to objectively measure pain perception in the ED setting. We speculated that variation in perception of fixed painful stimuli would explain individual variation in reported pain and response to treatment among ED patients. Materials and methods In three studies, we 1) describe performance characteristics of brief quantitative sensory testing (QST) in 50 healthy volunteers, 2) test effects of 10 mg oxycodone versus placebo on QST measures in 18 healthy volunteers, and 3) measure interindividual differences in nociception and treatment responses in 198 ED patients with a painful complaint during ED treatment. QST measures adapted for use in the ED included pressure sensation threshold, pressure pain threshold (PPT), pressure pain response (PPR), and cold pain tolerance (CPT) tests. Results First, all QST measures had high inter-rater reliability and test-retest reproducibility. Second, 10 mg oxycodone reduced PPR, increased PPT, and prolonged CPT. Third, baseline PPT and PPR revealed hyperalgesia in 31 (16%) ED subjects relative to healthy volunteers. In 173 (88%) ED subjects who completed repeat testing 30 minutes after pain treatment, PPT increased and PPR decreased (Cohen's dz 0.10-0.19). Verbal pain scores (0-10) for the ED complaint decreased by 2.2 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.9, 2.6) (Cohen's dz 0.97) but did not covary with the changes in PPT and PPR (r=0.05-0.13). Treatment effects were greatest in ED subjects with a history of treatment for anxiety or depression (Cohen's dz 0.26-0.43) or with baseline hyperalgesia (Cohen's dz 0.40-0.88). Conclusion QST reveals individual differences in perception of fixed painful stimuli in ED patients, including hyperalgesia. Subgroups of ED patients with hyperalgesia and psychiatric history report larger treatment effects on ED pain and QST measures.
Biomechanics of Automotive Safety Restraints

There is an advertising poster put out in 1940 by the now defunct Packer Motors that suggested an unusual way for the right front passenger to protect him/herself before an impending crash. The ad suggested that the passenger in the “dead man’s seat” curl up in the footwell to ride out the crash. This is possible for a small person in a large car but it is not a practical suggestion because by the time the passenger manages to get into the footwell, the crash would have occurred already. The more practical form of protection is the use of automotive restraint systems. There are two forms of safety restraints. Seatbelts constitute the active restraint system which requires the occupant to actively participate in its use. There are forms of automatic seatbelts but so far their use has been limited. The most popular form of passive restraint is the airbag which is deployed at the time of the crash, hence the name passive restraint. Both systems afford good protection for the occupant but when used together, they are very effective in mitigating injuries and preventing fatalities. The biomechanics behind the use of these restraint systems is the subject of this chapter.
Momentary assessment of impulsive choice and impulsive action: Reliability, stability, and correlates

Abstract Impulsivity is associated with substance use, including tobacco use. The degree to which impulsivity fluctuates over time within persons, and the degree to which such intra-individual changes can be measured reliably and validly in ambulatory assessments is not known, however. The current study evaluated two novel ambulatory measures of impulsive choice and impulsive action. Impulsive choice was measured with an eight-item delay discounting task designed to estimate the subjective value of delayed monetary rewards. Impulsive action was measured with a two-minute performance test to assess behavioral disinhibition (the inability to inhibit a motor response when signaled that such a response will not be rewarded). Valid data on impulsive choice were collected at 70% of scheduled reports and valid data on impulsive action were collected on 55% of scheduled reports, on average. Impulsive choice and action data were not normally distributed, but models of relations of these measures with within- and between-person covariates were robust across distributional assumptions. Intra-class correlations were substantial for both impulsive choice and action measures. Between persons, random intercepts in impulsive choice and action were significantly related to laboratory levels of their respective facets of impulsivity, but not self-reported or other facets of impulsivity. Validity of the ambulatory measures is supported by associations between abstinence from smoking and increased impulsivity, but challenged by an association between strong temptations to smoke and reduced impulsive choice. Results suggest that meaningful variance in impulsive choice and action can be captured using ambulatory methods, but that additional measure refinement is needed.
Cyclopropanations via Heme Carbenes: Basic Mechanism and Effects of Carbene Substituent, Protein Axial Ligand, and Porphyrin Substitution

Catalytic carbene transfer to olefins is a useful approach to synthesize cyclopropanes, which are key structural motifs in many drugs and biologically active natural products. While catalytic methods for olefin cyclopropanation have largely relied on rare transition-metal-based catalysts, recent studies have demonstrated the promise and synthetic value of iron-based heme-containing proteins for promoting these reactions with excellent catalytic activity and selectivity. Despite this progress, the mechanism of iron-porphyrin and hemoprotein-catalyzed olefin cyclopropanation has remained largely unknown. Using a combination of quantum chemical calculations and experimental mechanistic analyses, the present study shows for the first time that the increasingly useful C═C functionalizations mediated by heme carbenes feature an FeII-based, nonradical, concerted nonsynchronous mechanism, with early transition state character. This mechanism differs from the FeIV-based, radical, stepwise mechanism of heme-depende...
Comprehensive assessment of substance abuse and addiction risk in adolescence

Assessing substance use, misuse, abuse, and problems in adolescence is a key way to help identify risk, intervene early, and potentially prevent addiction and other substance-related problems in adulthood. Adolescence is a particularly sensitive risk period for alcohol and other substance-related problems to begin and progress, with many individuals beginning problematic use during adolescence. Thus, evaluating risks for problematic use during adolescence and future dependence and other problems is key in prevention and early intervention. While necessarily imperfect, comprehensive evaluation can be useful in identifying those adolescents at greatest risk for developing problem patterns and future substance-related disorders.
In situ measurement of wind pressure loadings on pedestal style rooftop photovoltaic panels

Abstract The installation of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) arrays is increasing throughout the US. Until recently, pedestal type PV framing systems for rooftops were basically designed using procedures from the ASCE7-10 Components and Cladding Standard for rooftop equipment. The 2011 Japanese Standard Load design guide on structures for photovoltaic arrays was useful in characterizing the pressure coefficients on rooftops, but the Standard employs different wind speed and importance factors, making its use in the US quite limited. Even the updated 2017 version is written for a different audience. Because rooftop pressure loadings are high due to flow separation, SEAOC and other organizations contracted boundary layer wind tunnel tests of panels attached to rooftops to ascertain if the ASCE7-10 equipment loadings were appropriate. The investigations resulted in new standards for pedestal-style arrays that appear in Chapter 29 of ASCE7-16. However, the new standards are limited to simple geometries and orientations, and the dynamics of the simply-supported thin PV plates do not appear to be considered. Questions regarding the ability of the boundary tunnels to simulate accurately the turbulence at the scale required for the attached panels have been raised. In response, very limited full-scale investigations in large-scale tunnels and in situ have been undertaken to calibrate the tunnel results. The results of this paper represent one of these calibration investigations. Specifically, in situ full-scale net wind pressure loadings on a rooftop PV array in a pedestal-style framing system located on the three story Hogue Technology Building of Central Washington University (CWU) in Ellensburg, Washington were measured. The CWU campus has a rural setting in a region with steady winds: Ellensburg is located in the Kittitas Breezeway portion of the Northwest wind power region. Indeed, the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Farm is located on the outskirts of town. The data described here were collected from April through August 2014. The measured net pressure coefficient time series were similar to those for rooftop pressure loadings for low-rise buildings described in the literature such as the Wind Engineering Research Field Laboratory at Texas Tech University (Ham and Bienkiewicz, 1998 [1] ; Levitan and Mehta, 1992 [2] ). The analysis of the net pressure time series data included an examination of the minimum, maximum, mean, and RMS values. Preliminary results suggest that the range of the values is larger than assumed in the ASCE7 Standard, and that the magnitude of the loadings vary considerably spatially over the multiple panel array. The pressure loading measurements are ongoing.
Amphotericin Inhibits Coronavirus SD, SK and A59 Growth

Fungizone (AMB) a clinical formulation of Amphotericin B has been widely used as an antifungal agent. The synthetically derived analogue Amphotericin B Methyl Ester (AME) has a similar antifungal activity.
The Physiologic Basis for Renal Functional Reserve Testing

Early studies by Pitts demonstrated that protein intake (meat meal) or intravenous administration of amino acid (glycine) to dogs were associated with significant increases in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF) (1, 2). Variations in daily protein intake are also capable of modifying GFR and RPF in both man and experimental animals, with increments in GFR and RPF paralleling the increase in quantity of protein (1–3). Although the acute and chronic effects of protein loading on renal function have been established for nearly 50 years, it is not until recently that major interest has accumulated with respect to the potential role of protein in the progression of renal disease. Pioneer work by Hostetter et al (4) demonstrated in a model of radical subtotal nephrectomy in rats that increased protein intake was associated with hyperfiltration secondary to glomerular hypertension and hyperperfusion. Reducing protein intake in this experimental model decreased hyperfiltration and prevented albuminuria and glomerular sclerosis. Further studies in different experimental models, which include streptozotocininduced diabetes mellitus, hypertension and partial renal ablation, confirmed previous findings by Hostetter et al and supported the concept that hyperfiltration may play an important role in the progression of kidney disease (5–7). The presence of hyperfiltration in experimental models led many investigators to evaluate the role of hyperfiltration as a mechanism for progression of renal disease in man. Normal pregnancy, early stages of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and sickle cell disease are a few clinical conditions associated with absolute increases in GFR (8–10). Since most patients with renal disease have normal or low values of GFR, it is impossible to detect the presence of hyperfiltration by evaluation of absolute GFR values under normal conditions.
Update on Feeding the Open Abdomen in the Trauma Patient

Describe how and when nutrition for trauma patients should be provided after damage control laparotomy. Early enteral nutrition is a requisite component of open abdomen critical care support to achieve optimal outcomes. Providing trophic enteral nutrition is beneficial. Enteral nutrition with an open abdomen complicated by enteroatmospheric fistula is safe and feasible. Enteral nutrition is initiated with resolution of acidosis, coagulopathy, and hypothermia. Absent intestinal discontinuity, the only absolute contraindication, enteral nutrition is started as soon as possible via any standard route of enteral access. Post-pyloric access should be trialed in patients intolerant to gastric feeds. Parenteral nutrition is considered if an absolute contraindication to enteral nutrition is expected to persist beyond 5–7 days, the patient is intolerant to enteral nutrition, or caloric goal is not achieved with enteral nutrition after 5–7 days. Protein requirements for the OA patient are higher, 2 g/Kg/day.
Physical and optical characteristics of heavily melted “rotten” Arctic sea ice

Abstract. Field investigations of the properties of heavily melted “rotten” Arctic sea ice were carried out on shorefast and drifting ice off the coast of Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska, during the melt season. While no formal criteria exist to qualify when ice becomes rotten, the objective of this study was to sample melting ice at the point at which its structural and optical properties are sufficiently advanced beyond the peak of the summer season. Baseline data on the physical (temperature, salinity, density, microstructure) and optical (light scattering) properties of shorefast ice were recorded in May and June 2015. In July of both 2015 and 2017, small boats were used to access drifting rotten ice within ∼32 km of Utqiaġvik. Measurements showed that pore space increased as ice temperature increased ( −8 to 0 ∘ C), ice salinity decreased (10 to 0 ppt), and bulk density decreased (0.9 to 0.6 g cm −3 ). Changes in pore space were characterized with thin-section microphotography and X-ray micro-computed tomography in the laboratory. These analyses yielded changes in average brine inclusion number density (which decreased from 32 to 0.01 mm −3 ), mean pore size (which increased from 80 µ m to 3 mm), and total porosity (increased from 0 % to > 45 %) and structural anisotropy (variable, with values of generally less than 0.7). Additionally, light-scattering coefficients of the ice increased from approximately 0.06 to > 0.35 cm −1 as the ice melt progressed. Together, these findings indicate that the properties of Arctic sea ice at the end of melt season are significantly distinct from those of often-studied summertime ice. If such rotten ice were to become more prevalent in a warmer Arctic with longer melt seasons, this could have implications for the exchange of fluid and heat at the ocean surface.
Endoscopic intervention and cholecystectomy in pregnant women with acute biliary pancreatitis decrease early readmissions

Background and Aims Acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) is associated with increased rates of morbidity in pregnancy. Because there is a paucity of population-based studies evaluating ABP in pregnancy, we sought to investigate clinical outcomes in hospitalized pregnant women on a national level. Methods By using the Nationwide Readmission Database (2011-2014), we identified all women (age ≥18 years) with an index admission for ABP in the United States. Multivariate and propensity-score matched analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of pregnancy on the clinical outcomes of early readmission and severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in ABP. Results There were 7787 hospitalizations for ABP in pregnant women during the study period. The rate of 30-day readmission was 16.26%; 57% of these early readmissions were due to adverse events of ABP. Compared with nonpregnant women with ABP, ERCP (21.1% vs 25.2%; P 1 week of hospitalization (OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.24-2.48) increased the risk of 30-day readmission, whereas ERCP (OR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.27-0.57) and cholecystectomy (OR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.10-0.18) reduced the odds of early readmission in pregnancy. Conclusions Pregnant women with ABP less frequently undergo timely endoscopic biliary decompression and cholecystectomy. These modifiable factors can potentially lower early readmissions in pregnant women.
“Data Strikes”: Evaluating the Effectiveness of a New Form of Collective Action Against Technology Companies

The public is increasingly concerned about the practices of large technology companies with regards to privacy and many other issues. To force changes in these practices, there have been growing calls for “data strikes.” These new types of collective action would seek to create leverage for the public by starving business-critical models (e.g. recommender systems, ranking algorithms) of much-needed training data. However, little is known about how data strikes would work, let alone how effective they would be. Focusing on the important commercial domain of recommender systems, we simulate data strikes under a wide variety of conditions and explore how they can augment traditional boycotts. Our results suggest that data strikes can be effective and that users have more power in their relationship with technology companies than they do with other companies. However, our results also highlight important trade-offs and challenges that must be considered by potential organizers.
AB0252 RACIAL DISPARITIES IN OUTCOMES FOR PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS UNDERGOING TOTAL KNEE OR TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY

Background Race is linked to delays in healthcare. Black and Hispanic patients with osteoarthritis have worse pain and function than Whites before arthroplasty. Whether Black and Hispanic patients with RA similarly delay care is unknown. Objectives To assess whether Black and/or Hispanic (minority) RA patients have worse pain, function and disease activity at the time of arthroplasty. Methods We used prospectively acquired data on RA patients between 10/2013 and 11/2018 prior to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA). Pain, function, and disease activity were assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS), the Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MD HAQ), and the Disease Activity Score (DAS28). Race, ethnicity, education, income, insurance and medications were collected via self-report questionnaire. Multivariable linear and logistic models examined whether minority status predicted pain, function and disease activity. Results 37 (23%) of the 164 patients were minorities (Table 1). MD HAQ and DAS28 were worse in minorities, only VAS was significant (p-value= 0.029). There was no significant difference in education. Unadjusted comparisons indicated no difference in pain, function, disease activity or medication use between groups. Insurance varied significantly between groups (p= Conclusion For Black and/or Hispanics with RA undergoing THA or TKA at a high-volume specialty hospital, minority status was not significantly associated with pain, disability or RA disease activity at the time of elective arthroplasty. Disclosure of Interests Julianna Hirsch: None declared, Bella Mehta: None declared, Jackie Finik: None declared, Serene Mirza: None declared, Mark Figgie: None declared, Collin Brantner: None declared, Iris Navarro-Millan: None declared, Susan Goodman Grant/research support from: Novartis: research support, Consultant for: Novartis, UCB, Pfizer: consulting
Pneumococcal Urinary Antigen Testing in United States Hospitals: A Missed Opportunity for Antimicrobial Stewardship.

BACKGROUND The Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends pneumococcal urinary antigen testing (UAT) when identifying pneumococcal infection would allow for antibiotic de-escalation. However, the frequencies of UAT and subsequent antibiotic de-escalation are unknown. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult patients admitted with community-acquired or healthcare-associated pneumonia to 170 US hospitals in the Premier database from 2010 to 2015, to describe variation in UAT use, associations of UAT results with antibiotic de-escalation, and associations of de-escalation with outcomes. RESULTS Among 159 894 eligible admissions, 24 757 (15.5%) included UAT performed (18.4% of intensive care unit [ICU] and 15.3% of non-ICU patients). Among hospitals with ≥100 eligible patients, UAT proportions ranged from 0% to 69%. Compared to patients with negative UAT, 7.2% with positive UAT more often had a positive Streptococcus pneumoniae culture (25.4% vs 1.9%, P < .001) and less often had resistant bacteria (5.2% vs 6.8%, P < .05). Of patients initially treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, most were still receiving broad-spectrum therapy 3 days later, but UAT-positive patients more often had coverage narrowed (38.4% vs 17.0% UAT-negative and 14.6% untested patients, P < .001). Hospital rate of UAT was strongly correlated with de-escalation following a positive test. Only 3 patients de-escalated after a positive UAT result were subsequently admitted to ICU. CONCLUSIONS UAT is not ordered routinely in pneumonia, even in ICU. A positive UAT result was associated with less frequent resistant organisms, but usually did not lead to antibiotic de-escalation. Increasing UAT and narrowing therapy after a positive UAT result are opportunities for improved antimicrobial stewardship.
Effect of an environmental flow on vegetation growth and health using ground and remote sensing metrics

Understanding the effectiveness of environmental flow deliveries along rivers requires monitoring vegetation. Monitoring data are often collected at multiple spatial scales. For riparian vegetation, optical remote sensing methods can estimate growth responses at the riparian corridor scale, and field‐based measures can quantify species composition; however, the extent to which these different measures are duplicative or complementary is important to understand when planning monitoring programmes with limited resources. In this study, we analysed riparian vegetation growth in the delta of the Colorado River in response to an experimental pulse flow. Our goal was to compare ground‐based measurements of vegetation structure and composition with satellite‐based Landsat radiometric variables, such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). We made this comparison in 21 transects following the delivery of 131.8 million cubic meters (mcm) of water in the stream channel during the spring of 2014 as a pulse flow and 38.4 mcm as base flows. Vegetation cover increased 14% and NDVI increased 0.02 (15%) by October 2015, and both variables returned to pre‐pulse flow values in October 2016. Observed changes in vegetation structure and composition did not persist after the second year. The highest increase in vegetation cover in October 2014 and October 2015 resulted from species that could respond rapidly to additional water such as reeds (Arundo donax and Phragmites australis), cattail (Typha domingensis), and herbaceous plants. Dominant shrubs, saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) and arrowweed (Pluchea sericea), both indicative of nonrestored habitats showed variable increases in cover, and native trees (Salicaceae family) presented low increases (1%). The strong NDVI–vegetation cover relationship indicates that NDVI is appropriate to detect changes at the riparian corridor scale but needs to be complemented with ground data to determine the contributions by different species to the observed trends.
Balancing Disturbance and Conservation in Agroecosystems to Improve Biological Control.

Disturbances associated with agricultural intensification reduce our ability to achieve sustainable crop production. These disturbances stem from crop-management tactics and can leave crop fields m...
Outpatient healthcare utilization and prescribing patterns for herpes zoster in United States adults.

Little is known about health resource utilization and treatment patterns for herpes zoster (HZV) after the introduction of HZV virus vaccination. The objective of this study is to characterize trends in HZV utilization, racial disparities, and treatment patterns in the United States. Data from the 1993–2015 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were analyzed, including 15,400,000 weighted primary acute HZV visits in adults. Overall, the weighted frequency (95% confidence interval) of HZV visits increased from 1993–1998 to 2007–2015 (1,269,815 [565,455–1,974,175]–8,017,911 [6,424,491–9,611,331], P = 0.0001). HZV visits were associated with African–American (38.8% [35.8–41.7%] vs. 8.2% [7.4–9.0%]) and Hispanic race/ethnicity (12.6% [6.6–18.5%] vs. 8.0% [7.3–8.5%]), public insurance (42.7% [36.6–49.2%] vs. 33.7% [32.2–35.2%]) in comparison with all other visits. Oral antiviral agents were prescribed in 64.3% (58.1–70.1%) of HZV visits. HZV visits were associated with higher rates of opioid prescriptions compared to all other visits (18.4% [14.0–23.9%] vs. 6.1% [5.6–6.6%], P < 0.0001). The limitation is no data on HZV severity. HZV visits increased over time, even after introduction of HZV vaccines. There were significant racial/ethnic and healthcare disparities of, and high rates of opiate and corticosteroid prescriptions at HZV visits. Future efforts are needed to address these practice gaps, and encourage vaccination and evidence-based prescribing in HZV.
Wrong but Useful - What Covid-19 Epidemiologic Models Can and Cannot Tell Us.

Wrong but Useful Mechanistic epidemiologic models are designed to help us systematically examine the implications of various assumptions about a highly nonlinear process that is hard to predict usi...
COnTORT: COmprehensive Transcriptomic ORganizational Tool for Simultaneously Retrieving and Organizing Numerous Gene Expression Data Sets from the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus Database.

ABSTRACT We introduce COnTORT (COmprehensive Transcriptomic ORganizational Tool), a publicly available program that retrieves all available gene expression data and associated metadata for an organism from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The data are compiled into text files that can be used for downstream bioinformatic applications.
Experimental Observation of Braiding Topological Zero Modes in a Photonic Waveguide Array

We demonstrate a non-trivial Berry phase that originates from braiding topological defects in a photonic waveguide array. The non-zero Berry phase implies that braiding operations involving the defects are non-Abelian.
$$\mathcal{P}\mathcal{A}{\text{-isomorphisms}}$$ of inverse semigroups

A partial automorphism of a semigroup S is any isomorphism between its subsemigroups, and the set all partial automorphisms of S with respect to composition is an inverse monoid called the partial automorphism monoid of S. Two semigroups are said to be \(\mathcal{P}\mathcal{A}{\text{-isomorphic}}\) if their partial automorphism monoids are isomorphic. A class \(\mathbb{K}\) of semigroups is called \(\mathcal{P}\mathcal{A}{\text{-closed}}\) if it contains every semigroup \(\mathcal{P}\mathcal{A}{\text{-isomorphic}}\) to some semigroup from \(\mathbb{K}.\) Although the class of all inverse semigroups is not \(\mathcal{P}\mathcal{A}{\text{-closed}},\) we prove that the class of inverse semigroups, in which no maximal isolated subgroup is a direct product of an involution-free periodic group and the two-element cyclic group, is \(\mathcal{P}\mathcal{A}{\text{-closed}}.\) It follows that the class of all combinatorial inverse semigroups (those with no nontrivial subgroups) is \(\mathcal{P}\mathcal{A}{\text{-closed}}.\) A semigroup is called \(\mathcal{P}\mathcal{A}{\text{-determined}}\) if it is isomorphic or antiisomorphic to any semigroup that is \(\mathcal{P}\mathcal{A}{\text{-isomorphic}}\) to it. We show that combinatorial inverse semigroups which are either shortly connected [5] or quasi-archimedean [10] are \(\mathcal{P}\mathcal{A}{\text{-determined}}.\)
Let Hunger Be Your Guide? Being Hungry Before a Meal is Associated with Healthier Levels of Post-Meal Blood Glucose

Accumulating evidence suggests that when people eat might be as important for their health as what or how much they eat. Consumers initiate eating behavior in response to a number of factors including time of day, food availability, and hunger. The present research examines whether feeling hungry might reflect a time at which it is relatively healthy for individuals to initiate eating. Specifically, the present research examines whether differences in hunger predict differences in an important health measure, namely post-meal blood glucose. The results show that post-meal blood glucose is highest when people are not at all hungry and relatively lower when people are moderately hungry or very hungry. When people are very hungry, post-meal glucose is not lower and possibly slightly higher than when people are moderately hungry. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that, from a health standpoint, it is beneficial to eat when moderately hungry.
Untold Risk: HIV Transmission Behaviors in Miami’s Historically Black Communities

Advances in HIV prevention therapies have led to significant reductions in HIV transmission across the USA. However, these resources have not been equally utilized across all populations, with Black communities in the Southeastern USA experiencing among the greatest HIV disparities in the nation. Tailoring HIV programs to align with the cultural norms of minority communities is one approach that can increase uptake of HIV prevention services. However, accomplishing this requires a rich understanding of the unique risk factors and the context of HIV transmission among men and women within culturally distinct communities. To further our understanding, we examined HIV risk behaviors among Black adults living in geographic HIV hotspots of Miami-Dade County. Between December 2016 and April 2019, data on HIV risk behaviors use a standardized HIV assessment developed by the Florida Department of Health. Chi-square and t-test analyses were conducted to examine differences in population demographics and risk factors, and logistic regression was used to test for predictors of HIV status. Results indicate that a significant portion of participants had prior experience with HIV testing, a known protective factor against HIV transmission. Despite this, much of the sample also reported recent engagement in high-risk sexual behaviors. These findings emphasize the need for intervention development within the context of population-specific behaviors. Future research should further consider the importance of transmission behaviors among clusters of demographically similar populations at high risk for or living with HIV.
Power and concession in computer-mediated negotiations: an examination of first offers

Negotiation is increasingly being conducted over computer media, such as e-mail and instant messaging, because of the potential for time savings and monetary benefits. However, these media can affect negotiators' behaviors as they engage in what is called concession making, which is a process by which they make offers that yield benefits to their opponents. In this paper, we focus on how and why conducting negotiations via computer media can affect this process, especially when negotiators have unequal power. Our research model is based on theories from the information systems, negotiation, and social psychology literatures. Via a laboratory experiment, we find that concessions made by the first individual to make an offer (the first mover) were not typically reciprocated by his/her negotiating opponent (the second mover). Thus, in the context of computer-mediated negotiation, it appears that second movers are, among other things, more likely to violate the well-established norm of reciprocity. This can result in significant disadvantages for the first mover, independent of power differences between negotiators. In addition, we find that, contrary to face-to-face negotiations, increased power of one negotiator resulted in his/her having less influence in terms of getting larger concessions from the other negotiator. In general, these findings support the notion that computer-mediated negotiation can be significantly different than face-to-face negotiation.
Derivation of a theoretical form of a production function for home temperature: A comment

Abstract One of the problems encountered when studying the economics of home heating is the nature of the production function for indoor temperatures. This article derives a production function from principals of steady-state heat transfer and explores its properties.
Ethics and Dualism in Contemporary Psychology: From Avicenna and Descartes to Neuroscience

From Avicenna and Descartes a long debate on the role of mind-body dilemma has left a huge impact on ethics of psychological research. That is especially applicable on researches that include both human and non-human participants, as well as their limitations and constraints that are connected to ethical principles. However, these principles are closely related to the interpretation of mind-body dilemma, which depends on different understandings of connection between soul and senses. The purpose of this paper is to examine the major impact of well-known “mind-body” dualism on ethics in psychological researches, with special emphasis on neuropsychology and neuroscience in general, as well as major constraints related to that dillema. The thought experiment has been recognized as a precursor to Rene Descartes’ famous ‘Cogito ergo sum’, as well as his body-mind dilemma. However, Avicenna's argument is more intended to demonstrate conceptually that Aristotle’s empirical axiom “ there is nothing in the mind which was not first in the senses ” is mistaken, since there is at least one thing in the mind which is not contingent upon experience, and that is self-awareness. The major contribution of this paper is the inclusion of two philosophical debates on mind-body dilemma while considering ethical approaches to neuropsychological research on both human and non-human participants.
Metals: Microbial Processes Affecting Metals

Microbial Processes Affecting Metals Microbial Solubilization of Metals Microbial Redox Transformations of Metals Heavy Metal Toxicities to Microorganisms Heavy Metal–Resistance Mechanisms Keywords: biosorbents for metals; bioleaching; heavy metal toxicity; metals; metals in soils; metals, microbial resistance to; methylation of metals; siderophores; soils; toxicity of metals to microorganisms
Small scale additions of native plants fail to increase beneficial insect richness in urban gardens.

. 1. Despite increasing interest in gardening for wildlife, experiments testing the conservation value of garden alterations are scarce, particularly in heavily urbanised landscapes. 2. In this paper, we assess the ability of discrete additions of native wildflowers (70 plants of seven plant species added and subsequently monitored for 2 years) to augment species richness of beneficial insects including bees, butterflies and predatory wasps in New York City community gardens. We also evaluate the overall use of native and introduced flowers by these insect groups in the urban garden study sites. 3. Bayesian analyses failed to find a strong influence of the native plant additions on beneficial insect richness, after correcting for prior floral abundance. 4. In addition, butterflies and megachilid (leaf-cutter) bees were found to heavily utilise introduced ornamental and crop flowers in these gardens, even when native flowers were present. 5. Our results suggest that exotic garden plants are utilised by, and important in maintaining richness of, beneficial insects in urbanised landscapes. Furthermore, garden manipulations need to be more substantial than often recommended, if they are to significantly influence the richness of beneficial insects in urban gardens.
Opportunities for software engineering education

Software engineering is entering the educational mainstream at a time when budgets are tight, growth opportunities are limited, and existing disciplines are fighting to retain their share of a shrinking educational pie. This paper discusses some of the fundamental reasons why this situation is not likely to improve, and addresses ways software engineering can utilize modern computing and communication technology to overcome these limitations and, indeed, to lead the way in innovative education.
Functional cDNA Clones of The Flaviviridae: Strategies and Applications

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the trials and tribulations of constructing the functional clones for Flaviviridae viruses and discusses some recent advances in the field. The family Flaviviridae is a remarkably diverse and widespread group of human and animal pathogens. These viruses are enveloped with single-stranded messenger-sense genome RNAs. Three genera are recognized: the classical flaviviruses, the pestiviruses, and the hepaciviruses. For members of each genus, genetic manipulation of functional complementary DNA (cDNA) clones is now yielding insights into viral replication and pathogenesis and providing new avenues for vaccine development. Functional cDNA clones now exist for representative members of all three genera of the Flaviviridae. Highly infectious RNA transcripts, efficient transfection conditions, rapid replication and spread in cell culture, and tractable animal models provide a solid foundation for the state-of-the-art genetic studies on flaviviruses and pestiviruses. For Hepatitis C virus (HCV), challenges remain, but the availability of functional clones should expedite studies on HCV proteins and RNA elements, and on virus evolution and host immune responses, and contribute to the establishment of cell culture replication assays and alternative animal models.
Prolonged increase in insulin-stimulated glucose transport in muscle after exercise

Exercise can induce short-term increases in the sensitivity and responsiveness of skeletal muscle glucose transport to insulin. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of carbohydrate deprivation on the persistence of increased insulin sensitivity and responsiveness after a bout of exercise. Three hours after a bout of exercise, epitrochlearis muscles from carbohydrate-deprived (fat fed) rats showed a 25% greater increase in 3-O-methylglucose (3-MG) transport in response to a maximal insulin stimulus compared with muscles of nonexercised rats; this increase in insulin responsiveness had reversed 18 h postexercise. Muscles of rats fed carbohydrate showed no increase in insulin responsiveness 3 h after exercise. The effect of 60 microU/ml of insulin on 3-MG transport was approximately twofold greater in muscles studied 3 h after exercise than in nonexercised controls regardless of dietary carbohydrate intake. This increase in insulin sensitivity was lost within 18 h in carbohydrate-fed rats but persisted for at least 48 h in carbohydrate-deprived rats. Muscle glycogen increased approximately 41 mumol/g in the rats fed carbohydrate for 18 h, and only approximately 14.5 mumol/g in the rats fed fat for 48 h, after exercise. The persistent increase in insulin sensitivity after exercise in carbohydrate-deprived rats was unrelated to caloric intake, as muscles of fasted and fat-fed rats behaved similarly.
Image categorization using texture features

A method for finding all images from the same category as a given query image (termed 'categorization') using texture features is presented. The hypothesis that two images that are similar in texture are likely to belong to the same category is examined. A new texture feature called an N/spl times/M-gram is presented. It is based on the N-gram technique that is commonly used for text similarity. The process of computing an image profile in terms of its N/spl times/M-grams is described. Results of experiments on images from various categories are presented. The N/spl times/M-gram method with three different similarity measures is compared to the results of categorization using other well-known texture features and grey-level distribution features. The results show that, for our test images, texture features are suitable for image categorization, and N/spl times/M-gram based methods are the best overall choice of texture features for this task.
Climate hazards: Lessons from recent events in the United States.

Three recent cases of climate extremes are studied to identify human impacts and response strategies and to identify common characteristics that may help illuminate the nature of climate hazards. The 1980 heat wave in the central United States, 1981 cold wave in Boston, Massachusetts, and recent flooding and lake level rise in northern Utah, illustrate several important aspects of climate hazards that separate them from the more traditional set of catastrophic events (e.g. tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes) usually dealt with by hazards research and management. Among those characteristics are an emphasis on health impacts rather than physical damage, accumulative effects rather than short shocks, a tendency for impacts to accrue to certain socio-economic classes, and relatively slow onset. The management and research implications of these hazard characteristics are explored.
Does the rat with hereditary hypothalamic diabetes insipidus have impaired avoidance learning and/or performance?

Abstract Avoidance learning and extinction of rats with hereditary hypothalamic diabetes insipidus (Brattleboro strain) were studied in 2 experiments that differed only in shock intensity. In both experiments rats homozygous for diabetes insipidus were more deficient in both escape and avoidance responding than were their heterozygous or normal controls. Although the heterozygous animals showed improved escape performance at the higher shock intensity, their avoidance behavior was not improved. The superiority of normal and heterozygous animals in extinction performance, relative to the homozygous animals, was eliminated or reversed when the differences in terminal acquisition performance were taken into account by analyses of covariance. Deficiency of ADH, therefore, may not result in faster extinction of avoidance behavior.
Environmental Implications of Wireless Technologies: News Delivery and Business Meetings

Wireless information technologies are providing new ways to communicate, and are one of several information and communication technologies touted as an opportunity to reduce society's overall environmental impacts. However, rigorous system-wide environmental impact comparisons of these technologies to the traditional applications they may replace have only recently been initiated, and the results have been mixed. In this paper, the environmental effects of two applications of wireless technologies are compared to those of conventional technologies for which they can substitute. First, reading newspaper content on a personal digital assistant (PDA) is compared to the traditional way of reading a newspaper. Second, wireless teleconferencing is compared to business travel. The results show that for both comparisons wireless technologies create lower environmental impacts. Compared to reading a newspaper, receiving the news on a PDA wirelessly results in the release of 32−140 times less CO2, several orders of...