cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extending Alaska’s plate boundary: Tectonic tremor generated by Yakutat subduction

The tectonics of the eastern end of the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone are complicated by the inclusion of the Yakutat microplate, which is colliding into and subducting beneath continental North America at near-Pacific-plate rates. The interaction among these plates at depth is not well understood, and further east, even less is known about the plate boundary or the source of Wrangell volcanism. The drop-off in Wadati-Benioff zone (WBZ) seismicity could signal the end of the plate boundary, the start of aseismic subduction, or a tear in the downgoing plate. Further compounding the issue is the possible presence of the Wrangell slab, which is faintly outlined by an anemic, eastward-dipping WBZ beneath the Wrangell volcanoes. In this study, I performed a search for tectonic tremor to map slow, plate-boundary slip in south-central Alaska. I identified ∼11,000 tremor epicenters, which continue 85 km east of the inferred Pacific plate edge marked by WBZ seismicity. The tremor zone coincides with the edges of the downgoing Yakutat terrane, and tremors transition from periodic to continuous behavior as they near the aseismic Wrangell slab. I interpret tremor to mark slow, semicontinuous slip occurring at the interface between the Yakutat and North America plates. The slow slip region lengthens the megathrust interface beyond the WBZ and may provide evidence for a connection between the Yakutat slab and the aseismic Wrangell slab.
TH-CD-207B-12: Quantification of Clinical Feedback On Image Quality Differences Between Two CT Scanner Models

Purpose: This work sought to quantify a radiology team's assessment of image quality differences between two CT scanner models currently in clinical use, with emphasis on noise and low-contrast detectability (LCD). Methods: A water phantom and a Kagaku anthropomorphic body phantom were scanned on GE Discovery CT750 HD and LightSpeed VCT scanners (4 each) with identical scan parameters and reconstructed to 2.5mm/5.0mm thicknesses. Images of water phantom were analyzed at the scanner console with a built-in LCD tool that uses statistical methods to compute requisite CT-number contrast for 95% confidence in detection of a user-defined object size. LCD value was computed for 5mm, 3mm, and 1mm objects. Analysis of standard deviation and LCD values were performed on Kagaku phantom images within liver, stomach, and spleen. LCD value was computed for 4mm, 3mm, and 1mm objects using a benchmarked MATLAB implementation of the GE scanner-console tool. Results: Water LCD values were larger (poorer performance) for all HD scanners compared to VCT scanners. Mean scanner model difference in requisite CT-number contrast for 5mm, 3mm, and 1mm objects for 5.0mm/2.5mm images was 3.0%/3.4% (p=0.02/p=0.10), 5.3%/5.7% (0.00002/0.02), and 8.5%/8.2% (0.0004/0.002), respectively. Mean standard deviations within Kagaku phantom ROIs were greater in HD compared to VCT images, with mean differences for the liver, stomach, and spleen for 5.0mm/2.5mm of 16%/12% (p=0.04/0.10), 8%/12% (0.15/0.11), and 16%/15% (0.05/0.11), respectively. Mean LCD value difference between HD and VCT scanners over all ROIs for 4mm, 3m, and 1mm objects and 5.0mm/2.5mm was 34%/9%, 16%/8%, and 18%/10%, respectively. HD scanners outperformed VCT scanners only for the 4mm stomach object. Conclusion: Using both water and anthropomorphic phantoms, it was shown that HD scanners are outperformed by VCT scanners with respect to noise and LCD in a consistent and in most cases statistically significant manner. The relationship between statistical and clinical significance demands further work.
Land-surface controls on near-surface soil moisture dynamics: Traversing remote sensing footprints

In this new era of remote-sensing based hydrology, a major unanswered question is how to incorporate the impact of land-surface based heterogeneity on soil moisture dynamics at remote sensing scales. The answer to this question is complicated since (1) soil moisture dynamics that vary with support, extent, and spacing scales are dependent on land-surface based heterogeneity and (2) land-surface based heterogeneity itself is scale-specific and varies with hydroclimates. Land-surface factors such as soil, vegetation, and topography affect soil moisture dynamics by redistributing the available soil moisture on the ground. In this study, we determined the contribution of these biophysical factors to redistribution of near-surface soil moisture across a range of remote sensing scales varying from an (airborne) remote sensor footprint (1.6 km) to a (satellite) footprint scale (25.6 km). Two-dimensional nondecimated wavelet transform was used to extract the support scale information from the spatial signals of the land-surface and soil moisture variables. The study was conducted in three hydroclimates: humid (Iowa), subhumid (Oklahoma), and semiarid (Arizona). The dominance of soil on soil moisture dynamics typically decreased from airborne to satellite footprint scales whereas the influence of topography and vegetation increased with increasing support scale for all three hydroclimates. The distinct effect of hydroclimate was identifiable in the soil attributes dominating the soil moisture dynamics. The near-surface soil moisture dynamics in Arizona (semiarid) can be attributed more to the clay content which is an effective limiting parameter for evaporation whereas in Oklahoma (humid), sand content (limiting parameter for drainage) was the dominant soil attribute. The findings from this study can provide a deeper understanding of the impact of heterogeneity on soil moisture dynamics and the potential improvement of hydrological models operating at footprints' scales.
Copper Antimonide Nanowire Array Lithium Ion Anodes Stabilized by Electrolyte Additives.

Nanowires of electrochemically active electrode materials for lithium ion batteries represent a unique system that allows for intensive investigations of surface phenomena. In particular, highly ordered nanowire arrays produced by electrodeposition into anodic aluminum oxide templates can lead to new insights into a material’s electrochemical performance by providing a high-surface-area electrode with negligible volume expansion induced pulverization. Here we show that for the Li–CuxSb ternary system, stabilizing the surface chemistry is the most critical factor for promoting long electrode life. The resulting solid electrolyte interphase is analyzed using a mix of electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and lithium ion battery half-cell testing to provide a better understanding of the importance of electrolyte composition on this multicomponent alloy anode material.
Who Has the Advantage? an Economic Exploration of Winning in Men's Professional Tennis

This study investigates the factors that determine winning in men's professional tennis. Using 27,388 tennis matches played on the men's singles ATP World Tour between 2000 and 2009, we estimate probit models which explain how several tournament, match, and player characteristics influence the probability of the higher ranked player winning the match. The results are used to confirm or dispel ten performance hypotheses concerning match outcomes. The results of the study provide insights into what matters to winning in head-to-head competitions, and are used to evaluate various economic issues such as how labor compensation, specialization, and experience can influence performance.
Utility of intraoperative frozen sections for thyroid nodules with prior fine needle aspiration cytology diagnosis

Introduction The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of intraoperative frozen section (IFS) in determining the course of surgery in thyroid nodules with a prior fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy diagnosis. In addition, reliability of FNA interpretation to guide surgical management without IFS was investigated. Material and Methods This is a retrospective study of all patients who had a FNA biopsy, IFS, and final pathology performed on a thyroid nodule over a 9 month period. The extent of surgery at the time of the IFS was recorded. Subsequent change in surgical procedure following the IFS diagnosis was noted in each of the Bethesda diagnostic categories. Results 55% of the cases were deferred at IFS overall, with 68 and 86% in Bethesda III and IV categories, respectively. Overall, there was a change in management in 6% of cases. Conclusions Our study does not support the use of IFS for nodules with prior FNA interpretation of Bethesda II, III, IV and VI as management was not significantly changed. IFS is of value for nodules with prior FNA diagnosis of Bethesda I for interpretation of nodule, and Bethesda V for planning surgery. A confirmatory diagnosis could not be rendered at IFS for lesions with follicular architecture, which comprised most of the cases in Bethesda III and IV.
Exploring the role of sequential computation in distributed systems: motivating a programming paradigm shift

Despite many advances in programming models and frameworks, writing distributed applications remains hard. Even when the underlying logic is inherently sequential and simple, addressing distributed aspects results in complex cross-cutting code that undermines such simplicity. This paper analyzes different programming models to motivate a new paradigm that leverages the sequential computation model, while gaining the expressiveness for distribution. The paper argues for an adoption of the paradigm shift by exhibiting a programming model that allows easier reasoning about the conceptual aspects of distributed systems' behavior. The newly proposed programming model provides a clean separation of concerns and retains the simplicity of sequential computation, using it as a basis onto which distributed aspects are added without corrupting the essential sequential structure, while offloading much of the complexity of implementing distributed concerns to the compiler. We demonstrate the feasibility of this model on a case study, identifying key improvements over existing approaches.
Management of Germ Cell Tumors

Germ cell tumors typically present in younger age populations and are known to be extremely sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation. As a result of this, remarkable progress has been achieved for offering a high degree of curative outcomes for these tumor types using a stepwise, stage-specific integration of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. A common theme in the treatment paradigm is to offer high cure rates without compromising on fertility in this typically young population of patients. This chapter will summarize the management of germ cell tumors using testicular germ cell tumors as the prototype example since it has been studied extensively. Principles of management of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors are currently based on treatments that have evolved from the study of testicular cancer and also offer a high rate of cure.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Japan: Why Japan (Still) Matters for Global Competition

Through the 1980s, Japan was significant in global competition largely by shaping global technological trajectories, transforming major global industries, and contributing to fundamental innovations in industrial production processes, creating enough wealth along the way to propel Japan to the world’s second largest economy. After the economic bubble burst in the early 1990s, however, other places such as Silicon Valley in the United States, moved to the forefront of transforming technology, industries, and production, creating vast wealth along the way. While Japan’s role in global competition seemingly became largely irrelevant from the 1990s onward, careful analyses reveal that Japan was in fact transforming quietly and gradually, but significantly. In a pattern of “syncretism,” Japan’s economic transformation was characterized by the coexistence of new, traditional, and hybrid forms of strategy and organization. This paper examines core areas of the “new” and emerging “hybrid” areas — the startup ecosystem and the efforts of select large firms to harness new forms of innovation from outside their corporate borders. Japan’s startup ecosystem, though still small compared to Silicon Valley, as is everywhere else, has dramatically transformed over the past twenty years through a combination of regulatory shifts, corporate transformations, and technological breakthroughs that have opened up vast new opportunities. Some large corporations such as Komatsu, Honda, Toyota, and Yamaha are undertaking innovative efforts of sorts unseen in Japan’s recent history to harness Silicon Valley and other startup ecosystems into their core business areas.
Anguish at outliving our adult children: Successful management of long-term conditions may mean more older people face losing their children

'Old age ain't no place for sissies', film star Bette Davis (pictured) once said, and how right she was.
Hyperparameter Optimization for Predicting the Tolerance Level of Religious Discourse

To address the rising tide of religious violence as it affects U.S. Military deployments, the Army requires analytic methods that can be generalized to predict religious group violence around the globe and scalable to the number of potential groups in an area of operation. Current computational methods based on semantics and topics are lacking in predictive performance for the generalized problem and topic modeling performs poorly in predicting the tolerance level of new groups towards U.S. Military presence. The research in this paper aims to discover the association between religious speech and behaviors and provide a foundation for proactive engagement with these groups. The approach builds on the work from ethnolinquistics to model how things are said (performative analysis) rather than word meanings (semantic analysis). Recent research has developed computational approaches to streamline the manually intensive performative analysis of religious text. While producing promising results, these computational methods lack systematic optimization of the hyperparamters in the learning algorithms. Hence, we do not know the sensitivity of the results to parameter settings. This paper reports on results for predicting religious tolerance by optimizing the parameters in the signal processing algorithms and shows that the predictive power of performative approach is robust to parameter settings.
The civic organization and the digital citizen: Communicating engagement in a networked age, by Chris Wells: New York, NY, Oxford University Press, 2015

Young people around the world use communication technologies for civic engagement in new ways that affect both processes and outcomes of decision-making. Chris Well’s work, The Civic Organization a...
Seeing Like a Farmer: Resource Politics at the Community Level

This chapter scrutinizes the first assumption guiding conservation policies, namely that state-sanctioned rules deter deforestation at the local level. It examines whether states are capable of creating institutions powerful enough to constrain resource users’ behavior at the local level. It further asks what rules, other than formal ones, apply at the local level. The chapter addresses these questions by examining how rules-in-use, or rules as applied, emerge and how they affect forest users’ compliance choices and forest conditions at the local level. Through a detailed analysis of rules-in-use and compliance choices across rural communities of Madagascar, Tanzania, and Uganda, the chapter shows that where interests converge toward forest protection, the rules devised to restrict forest access raise the prospect of conservation significantly. Where and when interests converge toward exploiting forests, however, no rules can effectively contain deforestation. Conversely, when actors’ interests diverge (e.g., the state opts for conservation while private actors opt for exploitation or vice versa) conservation is possible only where those who enforce forest rules have the capacity to make such rules “stick.”
Abstract 198: MUC13 promotes pancreatic tumor-stromal interactions by influencing tumor microenvironment

Objective: Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. MUC13, mucin, is aberrantly expressed in PanCa and its overexpression leads to tumorigenic and metastatic behavior of cancer cells. Herein, we investigate the role of MUC13 in tumor microenvironment (TME) that favors PanCa progression/metastasis and drug resistance. Methods: MUC13 expressing (Panc-1) and knockdown PanCa cells (HPAF-II) and pancreatic stromal cells (PSCs), derived from freshly collected human pancreatic tissues, were utilized for the study. Using immunoblotting, ELISA, qPCR and RT-PCR techniques, we assessed the MUC13-induced alterations in the expression of important molecules that are involved in promotion of pancreatic tumor stromal interactions and drug resistance. Cytation 3 live cell imaging was performed for 3D tumor-stromal cell co-culture and invasion assays. Xenograft mice tumor tissues generated using ectopically expressing MUC13 and null cells were used for the study. Results: Our results demonstrate that MUC13 activates SHH signaling pathway in PanCa cells via upregulation of SHH and its related important downstream targets such as CXCR-4, Gli-1, SMO, PTCH1/2, NFκB and p-AKT in PanCa cells using immunoblotting and PCR. We also observed increased expression of SHH, Gli-1, CXCR-4 and α-SMA in MUC13-expressing xenograft tumors using Immunohistochemistry. Ectopic MUC13-expressing PanCa cells grown in co-culture with PSCs showed enhanced secretion of IL-6 and CXCL-12 (ELISA), increase in invasion (Matrigel invasion assay) and migratory (Boyden chamber assay) potential of both the cultured PanCa as well as stromal cells. Additionally, ectopically MUC13-expressing cells were resistant to treatment with gemcitabine as depicted by proliferation assay and qPCR results showed enhanced expression of ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase (RRM1/2) and miR-21, which are known to be involved in gemcitabine resistance. Overall, our results suggest that MUC13 modulates tumor-stromal crosstalk, promoting tumor growth, invasion and drug resistance in TME. Conclusion: Our results suggest that MUC13 expression might influence signaling supportive of interactive TME, leading to increased tumor growth and drug resistance. These findings illustrate mechanisms by which MUC13 promotes tumorigenic TME and contributes to PanCa cell survival, metastasis and drug resistance. Citation Format: Sheema S. Khan, Kyle Doxtater, Sonam Kumari, Saini Setua, Mohammed Sikander, Shabnam Malik, Murali Yallapu, Stephen Behrman, Subhash Chauhan, Meena Jaggi. MUC13 promotes pancreatic tumor-stromal interactions by influencing tumor microenvironment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 198.
UAB30, a novel RXR agonist, decreases tumorigenesis and leptomeningeal disease in group 3 medulloblastoma patient-derived xenografts

Group 3 tumors account for approximately 25–30% of medulloblastomas and have the worst prognosis. UAB30 is a novel synthetic rexinoid shown to have limited toxicities in humans and significant efficacy in the pediatric neuroectodermal tumor, neuroblastoma. We hypothesized that treatment with UAB30 would decrease tumorigenicity in medulloblastoma patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Three group 3 medulloblastoma PDXs (D341, D384 and D425) were utilized. Cell viability, proliferation, migration and invasion assays were performed after treatment with UAB30 or 13-cis-retinoic acid (RA). Cell cycle analysis was completed using flow cytometry. A flank model, a cerebellar model, and a model of leptomeningeal metastasis using human medulloblastoma PDX cells was used to assess the in vivo effects of UAB30 and RA. UAB30 treatment led to cell differentiation and decreased medulloblastoma PDX cell viability, proliferation, migration and invasion and G1 cell cycle arrest in all three PDXs similar to RA. UAB30 and RA treatment of mice bearing medulloblastoma PDX tumors resulted in a significant decrease in tumor growth and metastasis compared to vehicle treated animals. UAB30 decreased viability, proliferation, and motility in group 3 medulloblastoma PDX cells and significantly decreased tumor growth in vivo in a fashion similar to RA, suggesting that further investigations into the potential therapeutic application of UAB30 for medulloblastoma are warranted.
INFORMING RETIREMENT SAVINGS DECISIONS: A FIELD EXPERIMENT ON SUPPLEMENTAL PLANS

Although supplemental saving plans can be an important part of an individual's financial security in retirement, contribution rates remain low, particularly among those with lower salaries and less education. We report findings from an intervention that provided information on key aspects of the employer‐provided supplemental saving plans to older public employees in North Carolina. Among workers participating in a supplemental plan, individuals who received an informational flyer increased their contributions in the months following the intervention relative to the control group. In contrast, individuals who were not enrolled in a retirement saving plan were not moved to begin contributing to a supplemental plan. The results suggest that informational interventions can induce workers who are already engaged in the saving process to reassess their level of retirement preparedness. (JEL C93, D14, D9)
Design of Repetitive Controller and Input Filter for Active Front-End Rectifier in Solid-State Transformer Under Finite Harmonics and Source Impedance

This paper investigates the effects of low frequency harmonics and source impedance on active front-end rectifier in modular solid-state transformer. The topology for analysis was selected to three-level boost (TLB) converter which is widely used for power factor correction. Harmonic contents of input source cause periodic distortions in input current, degrading THD factor. In the presence of finite source impedance, performance of properly designed current controller can be deteriorated in terms of phase margin and system instability. In this paper, those external effects are studied with equivalent single module TLB. Repetitive controller and input filter designs are presented to compensate periodic distortion and overlapped impedance interaction in frequency domain, respectively. Simulation and experimental results are provided to verify the analysis.
The Russian Orthodox Observers at Vatican II in the Context of Soviet Religious Politics

This chapter focuses on the observers from the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) at Vatican II. Special attention is paid to the process of sending out invitations, treatment of observers at the Council, tensions in relations between ROC observers and other observers, and personalities of two ROC observers—Fr. Vitalij Borovoj and Fr. Vladimir Kotliarov. Besides the value of historical reconstruction of the events surrounding Vatican II, this paper sheds light on the complex interplay of ecclesiastical and secular political factors involved in having non-Catholic observers at the Council. As such, it gives a telling example of the multifarious nature of concrete ecumenical engagements.
Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule, United States, 2019*

This article provides immunization recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for adults aged 19 years or older. The ACIP-recommended use of each vaccine is determ...
Compartmental Approaches to Water and Electrolyte Distribution

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an overview of the compartmental approaches to water and electrolyte distribution in the body. From a pragmatic point of view, the extracellular compartment or space is the aggregate of places where extracellular fluid is present. Similarly, intracellular compartment or space is the aggregate of all cells where intracellular fluid is present. The extracellular compartment can be subdivided into two other compartments: intravascular and interstitial. The intracellular fluid forms 50% of the body weight; the remaining 20% of the body weight for the extracellular fluid is apportioned 15% to the interstitial fluid and 5% to the intravascular fluid. The chapter further describes the composition of body fluids. The compartment theory and compartmental analysis of biological system are further discussed in the chapter. The chapter also discusses the simulation of total body fluid systems.
Stomach nematodes of cotton rats: parasites, commensals, or mutualists?

We related presence and burden of stomach nematodes to body mass and reproductive allocation in hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) from two long-running field studies in Virginia (1983–1984, n = 286; and 1988–1990, n = 425) and one from Georgia 1987–1989 (n = 459). Eighty percent of rats from the earlier Virginia sample were infected, with mean nematode mass of 1,311 mg. In the later samples, 23% (Virginia) and 33% (Georgia) were infected with mean nematode mass of 493 and 769 mg, respectively. Presence of nematodes was positively correlated with host body length for each sex in each sample. We used analysis of covariance to examine length-adjusted residuals for presence of nematodes and mass of nematodes for association with somatic and reproductive response variables. Both body and reproductive masses were either positively associated or not related to nematode presence in the two low-prevalence samples, and either negatively associated or not related to nematode presence in the high-prevalence sample. No relationships were detected between host mass and nematode mass per host in either sex in any sample. There was no effect of nematode presence on litter size of pregnant females, but there was a positive effect of nematode mass on litter size in Georgia. Recent theory provides several possible explanations for such neutral-to-positive effects of stomach nematodes on host fitness, including the evolution of host tolerance to the parasites, fecundity compensation by the hosts, and positive effects on host health via immune modulation.
Stress during pregnancy: Fetal males pay the price.

Stress—an elusive, transient, yet transformative state we struggle to define. There are stress hormones, stressors, psychological stress, physical stress, restraint stress, social stress, the stress axis, acute stress, chronic stress, stress relievers, and unpredictable stress. Stress varies. One person’s motivator is another person’s slayer, challenging our ability to quantify and understand stress. The concept of allostatic load provides an integrated measure of physiological stress and lifestyle (1), while measures of the developmental origins of health and disease quantify early life events that are often antecedents to adult stress (2). Then there are nebulous psychological factors such as social support or lack thereof. Walsh et al. collated all of these to generate categories of maternal stress, with the goal of finding out which factors most impact fetal health and how (3). Not surprisingly, they find that excess stress during pregnancy is bad for the unborn child; this we knew, but what is surprising is how dramatic the impact is on boys, so dramatic in fact that we are left to infer how really bad it is since highly stressed mothers were significantly less likely to birth sons than daughters. So, what could be causing such a dramatic shift in sex ratio in stressed moms? A latent profile analysis of 187 early pregnant women using 27 variables from questionnaires and physical assessment generated 3 nonoverlapping categories: 1) healthy, 2) psychologically stressed, and 3) physically stressed. Over 65% of the women fell into the healthy category with the remaining roughly evenly split between physically and psychologically stressed. The physically stressed women had higher blood pressure and consumed significantly more calories per day than the healthy and psychologically stressed women, while the psychologically stressed scored higher on measures of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. These women also had significantly higher body mass index … [↵][1]1Email: mmccarth{at}umaryland.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Emotion regulation and evaluative understanding

Emotions can enhance our evaluative understanding by mobilizing directed reflection, but notoriously, emotional reflection can also lead us astray. If our goal is evaluative understanding, then we ...
Ethnic Disparities in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Prevalence Among Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in the United States: a Systematic Review.

Objective Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with increased atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). General population cohorts have shown African American individuals to have greater and Hispanic Americans to have lower cardiovascular disease prevalence when compared with non-Hispanic white individuals; however, the reasons for these findings are not clear. This systematic review seeks to describe the incidence and prevalence of ASCVD stratified by race/ethnicity within the US RA population. Methods MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies that reported incidence or prevalence of ASCVD (including, but not limited to, fatal and nonfatal stroke, myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular death) in those with RA. Abstracts and full texts were screened separately for inclusion by two reviewers, with a third reviewer to resolve discrepancies. Results We screened 2625 abstracts and fully reviewed 138 manuscripts. Twenty-one were included that cited at a minimum the percentage of non-Hispanic whites in their population. No publication meeting entry criteria initially stratified ASCVD by race/ethnicity. The average prevalent ASCVD in RA is 46.9% (95% CI: 46.8-47) (range of prevalent ASCVD: 30%-47%). The average incident ASCVD is 8.2% (95% CI: 8.14-8.25) (range of incident ASCVD 1%-46%). Conclusion In this systematic review, we found a paucity of data on racially/ethnically diverse RA patients and ASCVD outcomes. Future studies should report the prevalence of ASCVD in various races/ethnicities with RA in the United States. These data would help inform clinicians on how best to manage cardiovascular disease risk in RA.
Elastic amplification of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in solidifying melts.

The concomitant mechanical deformation and solidification of melts are relevant to a broad range of phenomena. Examples include the preparation of cotton candy, the atomization of metals, the manufacture of glass fibers, and the formation of elongated structures in volcanic eruptions known as Pele’s hair. Usually, solid-like deformations during solidification are neglected as the melt is much more malleable in its initial liquid-like form. Here we demonstrate how elastic deformations in the midst of solidification, i.e., while the melt responds as a very soft solid ( G ∼ 100 Pa), can lead to the formation of previously unknown periodic structures. Namely, we generate an array of droplets on a thin layer of liquid elastomer melt coated on the outside of a rotating cylinder through the Rayleigh–Taylor instability. Then, as the melt cures and goes through its gelation point, the rotation speed is increased and the drops stretch into hairs. The ongoing solidification eventually hardens the material, permanently “freezing” these elastic deformations into a patterned solid. Using experiments, simulation, and theory, we demonstrate that the formation of our two-step patterns can be rationalized when combining the tools from fluid mechanics, elasticity, and statistics. Our study therefore provides a framework to analyze multistep pattern formation processes and harness them to assemble complex materials.
Information Design for Selling Search Goods and the Effect of Competition

I study optimal information provision by a search goods seller. While the seller controls a consumer's pre-search information, which decides whether she will search for the product with a cost, he cannot control the consumer's post-search information because the consumer inevitably learns her match upon inspecting the product. Importantly, I allow the consumer to have private information on her best alternative to the seller's product. To accommodate this, a relaxed problem approach is developed, which fully characterizes the seller's optimal design under certain regularity conditions. Based on this characterization, I consider how consumer privacy, revealing of post-search information, reduction in search cost and competition by a large number of sellers would affect the equilibrium information provision. My approach also helps to highlight the key similarity and dissimilarity between information designs for search goods and experience goods.
Social Determination of HIV: Women’s Relationship Work in the Context of Mass Incarceration and Housing Vulnerability

We contrast a typical “social determinants of health” framing with a more dynamic and complex “social determination of health” framing to analyze HIV-related sexual risk among women in low-income, segregated neighborhoods in New Haven, CT. Using an abductive approach, we analyze repeated, longitudinal qualitative interviews conducted over a 2-year period with a sample of 14 HIV-negative women who engaged in sex with men during the study period. Three case studies are presented to demonstrate how behaviors and sexual practices typically described as HIV “risks” can be understood as part of the work of establishing and maintaining monogamous committed relationships, which we call “relationship work,” shaped in a context characterized by housing vulnerabilities and the many manifestations of mass incarceration and the surveillance state. We conclude by suggesting that for these women, their relationship work is the work of HIV prevention and life in low-income segregated neighborhoods is their HIV-related risk.
Sustainable Commons Production and the Virtues of Moderation

Can online communities can remain free and open for long, or will they instead inevitably retreat into closure and control? Economic theories of the commons seemingly support both sides; one can make a reasonable case both that widespread freedom to participate in an online commons encourages massive cooperation, and that it encourages massive abuse. Both claims are correct; both phenomena real. Online communities are semicommons; rival network infrastructure is used to exchange nonrival information goods. By looking more closely at how actual communities balance these pressures, we can see that neither freedom nor control are absolutes, that moderators have a robust toolkit of techniques to encourage healthy collaboration, and that well-moderated communities can preserve substantial freedom for their participants even in the face of threatened abuse.
A preliminary study of the physiological and behavioral response of beef cattle to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

Abstract Annually, over 2.5 million US cattle valued at $1.5 billion die from diseases. The current methods of monitoring cattle health and behavior are insufficient to mitigate the toll of cattle deaths from diseases, but a combination of existing and innovative modern methods have the potential to further reduce cattle deaths caused by diseases. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with sensors capable of capturing cattle physiology and behavior in pasture have potential to transform cattle health monitoring in pasture. However, due to concerns related to the impact UAVs have on the physical and physiological wellbeing of cattle, it is important to understand the nuances associated with UAV use. In this study, we investigated the physiological and behavioral response of 18 two-year-old black Angus heifers to UAV flights conducted 9 m above ground level. Heifer heart rate was measured noninvasively in beats per minute (bpm) and movement rate with a low-cost Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver in meters per second (m/s) at one second interval for five (5) minutes before flight and five (5) minutes during UAV flights. UAV flights were repeated three (3) days each week for four (4) weeks using a total of 120 flights with (i) circular and (ii) grid pattern UAV flight. The results from our study demonstrated that repeated circular and grid pattern UAV flights were unlikely to elicit significant change in heifer heart rate and movement rate. Our findings represent the preliminary step towards understanding the response of beef cattle to external stimuli from different UAV flight patterns.
Measuring Smoothened (SMO)-Mediated Activation of the G i Protein

The oncoprotein Smoothened (SMO) can transduce the Hedgehog signal from the tumor suppressor Patched-1 (PTCH1) to glioma-associated-oncogene (Gli) transcription factors. Previous studies have shown that SMO is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) of the Frizzled-class (class-F) that can activate Gi family of heterotrimeric G proteins. Here, we describe [35S]-GTPγS assay using SMO cell membranes and purified Gi protein to measure the level of Gi protein activation following the activation of SMO by agonists.
Accelerating the Adoption of Disruptive Technologies: The Impact of COVID-19 on Intentions to Use Autonomous Vehicles.

One of the most notable global transportation trends is the accelerated pace of development in vehicle automation technologies. Uncertainty surrounds the future of automated mobility as there is no clear consensus on potential adoption patterns, ownership versus shared use status and travel impacts. Adding to this uncertainty is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that has triggered profound changes in mobility behaviors as well as accelerated adoption of new technologies at an unprecedented rate. Accordingly, this study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on willingness to adopt the emerging technology of autonomous vehicles (AVs). Using data from a survey disseminated in June 2020 to 700 respondents in the United States, we perform a difference-in-difference regression to analyze the shift in willingness to use autonomous vehicles as part of a shared fleet before and during the pandemic. The results reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic has a positive and highly significant impact on the consideration of using autonomous vehicles. This shift is present regardless of tech-savviness, gender or urban/rural household location. Individuals who are younger, left-leaning and frequent users of shared modes of travel are expected to become more likely to use autonomous vehicles once offered. Understanding the effects of these attributes on the increase in consideration of AVs is important for policy making, as these effects provide a guide to predicting adoption of autonomous vehicles - once available - and to identify segments of the population likely to be more resistant to adopting AVs.
Skill premium and trade puzzles: A solution linking production factors and demand

International trade theory is a general-equilibrium discipline, yet most of the standard portfolio of research focuses on the production side of general equilibrium. In addition, we do not have a good understanding of the relationship between characteristics of goods in production and characteristics of preferences. This paper conducts an empirical investigation into the relationship between a good's factor intensity in production and its income elasticity of demand in consumption. In particular, we nd a strong and signicant positive relationship between skilled-labor intensity in production and income-elasticity of demand for several types of preferences, with and without accounting for trade costs and dierences in prices. Counter-factual simulations yield a number of results. We can explain one third or more of "missing trade", and show an important role for per-capita income in understanding trade/GDP ratios, the choice of trading partners, and the composition of trade. Furthermore, an equal rise in productivity in all sectors in all countries leads to a rising skill premium in all countries, with particularly large increases in developing countries.
De acute buik

In dit artikel volgen we de 75-jarige mevrouw Bakker die met acuut ontstane buikpijn wordt gepresenteerd op de SEH. We laten in deze casus de verschillende fases van een behandeling zien. Het artikel is eerder gepubliceerd inCritical Care.
An Uneasy Peace: Multilateral Military Intervention in Civil Wars

The United Nations is under siege. Many international lawyers assume that the theoretical principles embedded in the United Nations Charter are either irrelevant or have outgrown their usefulness. In practice, states have repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to intervene in the affairs of other states. This practice has not abated despite the prohibition on the use of force contained in Article 2(4) of the U.N. Charter.2 Is this provision still good law, and does it still possess the power to bind states? Or, has the subsequent inconsistent practice of states altered its legal status? This Note argues that while many of the principles contained within the Charter are still crucial to our understanding of how international relations should be conducted, the international community must be prepared to move beyond the strict confines of the law to resolve the problems posed by intrastate conflict.
Nonparametric divergence estimation with applications to machine learning on distributions

Low-dimensional embedding, manifold learning, clustering, classification, and anomaly detection are among the most important problems in machine learning. The existing methods usually consider the case when each instance has a fixed, finite-dimensional feature representation. Here we consider a different setting. We assume that each instance corresponds to a continuous probability distribution. These distributions are unknown, but we are given some i.i.d. samples from each distribution. Our goal is to estimate the distances between these distributions and use these distances to perform low-dimensional embedding, clustering/classification, or anomaly detection for the distributions. We present estimation algorithms, describe how to apply them for machine learning tasks on distributions, and show empirical results on synthetic data, real word images, and astronomical data sets.
Development of a simulation analysis environment for ventilated slab systems

Abstract In this paper, a new simulation environment is presented to evaluate the energy performance of ventilated slab systems in multi-floor buildings. The simulation environment combines a transient two-dimensional finite difference solution of a ventilated slab system comprising slab-wall joints with thermal network model for indoor spaces and associated exterior walls. The developed simulation environment can assess the impact of thermal bridging effects on both heating and cooling building thermal loads. First, the predictions of the developed simulation environment are verified against those obtained from a detailed whole-building energy simulation tool when thermal bridging effects are neglected. Then, a series of parametric analyses are performed to determine the performance of ventilated slab systems under various design and operating conditions considering the thermal bridging effects. It is found that the energy performance of ventilated slab systems and thermal bridging impact depend on a wide range of factors including size of the slab, supply air inlet temperature, air mass flow rate, core diameter, core pitch, and depth of hollow cores. In particular, it is found that the thermal bridge affects significantly the energy performance of ventilated slab systems and can increase both heating and cooling energy consumptions by 17% and 11%, respectively.
C*-algebras from planar algebras I: Canonical C*-algebras associated to a planar algebra

From a planar algebra, we give a functorial construction to produce numerous associated $C^*$-algebras. Our main construction is a Hilbert $C^*$-bimodule with a canonical real subspace which produces Pimsner-Toeplitz, Cuntz-Pimsner, and generalized free semicircular $C^*$-algebras. By compressing this system, we obtain various canonical $C^*$-algebras, including Doplicher-Roberts algebras, Guionnet-Jones-Shlyakhtenko algebras, universal (Toeplitz-)Cuntz-Krieger algebras, and the newly introduced free graph algebras. This is the first article in a series studying canonical $C^*$-algebras associated to a planar algebra.
Efficient and parsimonious agnostic active learning

We develop a new active learning algorithm for the streaming setting satisfying three important properties: 1) It provably works for any classifier representation and classification problem including those with severe noise. 2) It is efficiently implementable with an ERM oracle. 3) It is more aggressive than all previous approaches satisfying 1 and 2. To do this, we create an algorithm based on a newly defined optimization problem and analyze it. We also conduct the first experimental analysis of all efficient agnostic active learning algorithms, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses in different settings.
Computing Strong Game-Theoretic Strategies in Jotto

We develop a new approach that computes approximate equilibrium strategies in Jotto, a popular word game. Jotto is an extremely large two-player game of imperfect information; its game tree has many orders of magnitude more states than games previously studied, including no-limit Texas Hold’em. To address the fact that the game is so large, we propose a novel strategy representation called oracular form, in which we do not explicitly represent a strategy, but rather appeal to an oracle that quickly outputs a sample move from the strategy’s distribution. Our overall approach is based on an extension of the fictitious play algorithm to this oracular setting. We demonstrate the superiority of our computed strategies over the strategies computed by a benchmark algorithm, both in terms of head-to-head and worst-case performance.
Wildland Fire Hazard and Urban Development Pattern: Why California Civil Code 1103 Fails to Protect Households from Wildfires

Recent years have seen mass casualties and severe property damage caused by wildland fires. With increasing housing development in natural-amenity-rich fire-prone areas, human activities not only exert intense pressures on local ecosystems, but also increase difficulties for wildland fire suppression. To cope with wildland fire threats and protect life and property from wildfire, a new California Natural Hazard Disclosure Law (California Civil Code Sec. 1103) went into effect in 1998. Information disclosure required by Sec. 1103 and its related laws is expected to enhance the efficiency of market allocation of land and developments in hazardous areas, making land price and development pattern better reflect the benefit and risk of living in the natural hazard zones. However, Troy and Romm (2004) suggested that the California Natural Hazard Disclosure Law had no effect for the overall population of fire-zone houses and did not stop overdevelopment in wildfire hazardous areas. In this paper, we expand a classic urban economics model to explore the impact of wildland fire-zone designations on housing development patterns in both a general equilibrium framework and a quantifiable manner. We conduct simulation studies to characterize the changes in urban development patterns and spatial profiles in response to the dynamics of wildland fire regimes. Our model and simulation results reveal the behaviors of residents and local governments and help us understand why Sec. 1103 and its related laws fail to stop over-development in wildfire hazardous areas.