cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Homing in on helminths.

I am honored to give this lecture dedicated to the memory of Dr. Fred Soper, whose pioneering efforts against the insect vectors of malaria and yellow fever are legendary. Soper and his colleagues also played key roles in restoring the concept of eradication to respectability after the collapse of earlier campaigns to eradicate hookworm and yellow fever. When Soper was himself invited to give the first of five Fred Soper Lectures to mark his retirement as regional director of the Pan American Health Organization in 1959, he entitled his lecture Rehabilitation of the Eradication Concept in Prevention of Communicable Diseases. Ten years later, The World Health Organization (WHO)'s abandonment of the declared goal of malaria eradication marked another nadir in the acceptability of the concept of eradication, from which we are only now reemerging. One measure of the change is that the Director-General of WHO in 1980 wrote that “Important lessons can be learned from smallpox eradication, but the idea that we should single out other diseases for worldwide eradication is not among them.”
Applications of Microwave Energy in Preparation of Poultry Convenience Foods

AbstractAn economic analysis of three systems for the commercial cooking of chicken is presented based on actual costs of batch steam and theoretical (but believed realistic) costs of conveyorized steam and conveyorized microwave in steam atmosphere systems. Microwave cooking shows certain advantages in operation over batch systems and over steam or water continuous systems of cooking. Advantages are of such magnitude that they would pay out the increased capital investment in about 1.27 years. Other advantages in microwave cooking are discussed.
The GFT Utility Function

Samuelson, in his Foundations of Economic Analysis (1947), credits Walras with having shown many years before that it is possible to modify utility analysis so as to take account of the peculiar properties of money; (Samuelson, 1947b, p. 118).The first part of this chapter is adapted in part from Basmann, Molina and Slottje (1987). The latter exposition follows Basmann, Molina and Slottje (1984a). In response to Walras’ critics who feared “that there was something viciously circular in assuming the existence of prices and of a ‘value for money’ in the midst of the process by which that value was to be determined” Samuelson sought to clear up such misconceptions, by deriving the consumer’s demand function for holding of money from a utility function subject to a linear budget constraint in which the price of “gold”1 and the rate of interest, as well as commodity prices and total expenditure appear as parameters; (Samuelson, 1947b, pp. 119–121). Samuelson introduced commodity prices and the price of “gold” into the consumer’s ordinal direct utility function U(X; p) as parameters.2 Apart from the usual restrictions on fixed-preference utility functions, only homogeneity of degree zero in all prices was imposed. Even without an explicit form of a direct utility function that restriction is sufficient to imply the meaningful, refutable hypothesis that the demand for (holding) money has unitary own-price elasticity; (Samuelson, 1947b, p. 121).
A Computer-Controlled System for Calibrating Detectors of Tea Laser Pulses

The National Bureau of Standards a t Boulder Colorado has developed a system for calibrating detectors used to measure TEA laser pulses El]. This system operates under the control of a desktop computer, which permits the rapid precise acquisition of data from several measuring devices during a testir:g period lasting approximately 5 minutes. Without the computer-controlled feature, the measurements would be quite laborious and time consuming and subject to the possible errors associated with transcribing and processing of data by hand. With the corputer the results are precisely calculated to 14 significant digits and are availablewithin 60 seconds after the veasuring process i s completed. This paper will deal ;nainly with the computer-controlled aspects of the system, although the optical setup and certain physical characteristics of the detectors will be described to promote a more complete understandicg of the system.
Readout and control of optical alignment devices in the ATLAS Muon endcap

Optical devices have been used to monitor the positions and deformations of the ATLAS Endcap Muon chambers in real-time during data-taking in a muon beam at CERN. A part of an octant of the ATLAS Muon endcap spectrometer has been set up in a test beam to study particle tracking precision. The scale of the ATLAS spectrometer and the high precision needed for particle momentum measurements (10% at 1000 TeV) require a continually operating optical system to track motions of the detector chambers. With alignment corrections applied the design tracking precision was achieved.
Lack of Alloantibody Response to Red Blood Cell Antigens in Juvenile Mice Following Transfusion: Non-Immunogenic or Tolerogenic Response?.

Abstract Introduction: Alloimmunization to red blood cell (RBC) antigens occurs in approximately 6% of chronically transfused adults, with some patient populations having significantly higher rates of alloimmunization. Despite these numbers, multiple studies have failed to detect alloantibodies to RBC antigens in neonates following transfusion, even after repeat exposures from the same donor. This is consistent with two possible scenarios: RBC antigens are non-immunogenic in neonates, or RBC antigens are tolerogenic. If early exposure to RBC antigens is a tolerogenic stimulus, then the potential clinical implications are considerable. To allow a controlled testing of these hypotheses, we have constructed a murine model of alloimmunization to RBC antigens in pediatric populations. Methods: Weight-adjusted volumes of leukoreduced blood from mHEL donors, expressing membrane bound hen-egg lysozyme as a unique RBC antigen, were transfused into B10.BR recipients at 3 weeks (juveniles) or 3 months (adults) of age. To assess the effects of inflammation, which we have recently reported augments RBC alloimmunization in adult mice, half of the recipients were treated with Poly (I:C), a double-stranded RNA that mimics viral inflammation. Two weeks post-transfusion, RBC alloimmunization was determined by measuring serum anti-HEL IgG levels by ELISA. Results: In 2 out of 2 experiments, as part of an ongoing study, whereas all 10 adult mice mounted a low level alloantibody response by ELISA, only one out of 10 juvenile mice made a detectable alloantibody response. The non-responsiveness of juvenile mice was not significantly altered by inflammation, as only 2 out of 10 juvenile mice treated with Poly (I:C) mounted an alloantibody response. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that transfused RBCs are weakly immunogenic in adult mice, but only rarely result in alloimmunization in juvenile mice. This is consistent with the pattern of alloimmunization seen in adult versus neonatal humans. Since our model system detects alloantibodies by ELISA, which is 2000 fold more sensitive than agglutination assays using mHEL RBCs, these data support the notion that the majority of juvenile mice do not make alloantibodies to the mHEL RBC antigen. Additionally, inflammation enhances alloimmunization in juvenile mice to a significantly lesser extent than in adult mice. Ongoing studies will utilize the ability of this model to assess if juvenile transfusion recipients are tolerized, by challenging with an immunogenic stimulus (transfusion in the presence of inflammation or subcutaneous injection of HEL/CFA ). If these studies demonstrate that tolerance to RBC antigens occurs after exposure in the neonatal or juvenile period, then the potential clinical implications are significant.
Feasibility of spatial frequency-domain imaging for monitoring palpable breast lesions.

In breast cancer diagnosis and therapy monitoring, there is a need for frequent, noninvasive disease progression evaluation. Breast tumors differ from healthy tissue in mechanical stiffness as well as optical properties, which allows optical methods to detect and monitor breast lesions noninvasively. Spatial frequency-domain imaging (SFDI) is a reflectance-based diffuse optical method that can yield two-dimensional images of absolute optical properties of tissue with an inexpensive and portable system, although depth penetration is limited. Since the absorption coefficient of breast tissue is relatively low and the tissue is quite flexible, there is an opportunity for compression of tissue to bring stiff, palpable breast lesions within the detection range of SFDI. Sixteen breast tissue-mimicking phantoms were fabricated containing stiffer, more highly absorbing tumor-mimicking inclusions of varying absorption contrast and depth. These phantoms were imaged with an SFDI system at five levels of compression. An increase in absorption contrast was observed with compression, and reliable detection of each inclusion was achieved when compression was sufficient to bring the inclusion center within ∼12 mm of the phantom surface. At highest compression level, contrasts achieved with this system were comparable to those measured with single source-detector near-infrared spectroscopy.
Modeling cascading-failures in power grids including communication and human operator impacts

Most studies on cascading-failures in power grids have focused on modeling dynamics in a single, non-interacting power system. However, a few recent studies have suggested that communication networks and human operators' response also play pivotal roles during cascading-failures in modern smart grids. In this paper, the interactions among three coupled layers in the smart grid, i.e., the power system, the supporting communication network and human operators' response, during cascading-failures are studied. The cascading-failure dynamics is characterized based on a Markov chain model. The proposed model has the capability to analyze how interdependencies among the three-layers impact cascading-failures. Modeling of cascading-failures in IEEE 118-bus system demonstrates the impact of communication network and human-operator response on power grid cascading-failures.
Evaluating Learning with Tangible and Virtual Representations of Archaeological Artifacts

Technological advances offer new methods of representing physical objects in tangible and virtual forms. This study compares learning outcomes from 61 students as they interact with ancient Egyptian sculptures using three increasingly popular educational technologies: HoloLens AR headset, 3D model viewing website (SketchFab), and plastic extrusion 3D prints. We explored how differences in interaction styles affect the learning process, quantitative and qualitative learning outcomes, and critical analysis.
A mechanically based magneto-inductive transmitter with electrically modulated reluctance

Magneto-inductive (MI) communication is a viable technology for wireless communications in underwater and underground environments. In this paper, a new design for an MI transmitter is presented. Unlike conventional MI transmitters that utilize coiled loops or solenoids to generate magnetic fields, we demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of using a rotating permanent magnet. We also present and experimentally verify a modulation technique that does not involve changing the rotational speed of the magnet. By electrically changing the permeability of a surrounding shield, the fields from the rotating magnet are amplitude modulated. Our findings suggest that increased efficiency and bandwidth can be realized compared to conventional MI transmitters.
Automating System Administration: Landscape, Approaches and Costs

Publisher Summary This chapter addresses the automation of system administration, a problem that is addressed as a set of three interrelated questions: what to automate, how to automate, and when to automate. The cost of systems administration in Information Technology (IT) systems often exceeds the cost of hardware and software and automating system administration can reduce these costs and increase the business value provided by IT. The traditional perspective has been that automation is always advantageous. However, it is important to look at the full costs imposed by automation. For example, automating software distribution requires that the distribution infrastructure be installed and maintained, software packages be prepared in the format required by the distribution infrastructure, and additional tools be provided to handle problems with packages that are deployed because of the large scale of the impact of these problems. While automation often provides a net benefit despite these costs, there have been cases in which these costs exceed the benefits. Three approaches have been explored for automation technologies—rule-based systems, control theoretic approaches, and automated workflow construction. All three have been used in practice. Rules provide great flexibility in building automation, but the complexity of this approach becomes problematic as the scope of automation increases. Control theory provides a strong theoretical foundation for certain classes of automation, but it is not a universal solution. Workflow has appeal because its procedural structure is a natural way for humans to translate their activities into automation. As the scale of systems administration increases and new technologies for automation are developed, systems administrators will have even greater challenges in automating their activities.
The Gathering Storm – “A Shower of Fishes”

May of 1889 had unusual weather. The earliest recorded formation of an Atlantic hurricane (up to that time) occurred on May 20th. Less than a month later another hurricane was born. Between these events a low-pressure system developed in the western plains and quickly moved east, pulling in additional warmth and moisture from the south and the Atlantic Coast. Large lateral gradients in temperature and pressure developed, rapidly strengthening the storm. The weather system caused damage over large regions of the northeastern U.S. and especially ravaged Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York State. Unintentional cloud seeding from the smoky industries in Johnstown may have enhanced local precipitation in 1889; perhaps also in 1936 and 1977.
The role of B cells in multiple sclerosis: Current and future therapies.

Abstract While it was long held that T cells were the primary mediators of multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis, the beneficial effects observed in response to treatment with Rituximab (RTX), a monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting CD20, shed light on a key contributor to MS that had been previously underappreciated: B cells. This has been reaffirmed by results from clinical trials testing the efficacy of subsequently developed B cell-depleting mAbs targeting CD20 as well as studies revisiting the effects of previous disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) on B cell subsets thought to modulate disease severity. In this review, we summarize current knowledge regarding the complex roles of B cells in MS pathogenesis and current and potential future B cell-directed therapies.
Noninvasive seizure prediction using autonomic measurements in patients with refractory epilepsy

There is resurgent interest in the role played by autonomic dysfunction in seizure generation. Advances in wearable sensors make it convenient to track many autonomic variables in patient populations. This study assesses peri-ictal changes in surrogate measures of autonomic activity for their predictive value in epilepsy patients. We simultaneously recorded fronto-central surface EEG and submental EMG to score vigilance state, intracranial EEG (iEEG) to compute several electrophysiological variables (EV), and measurements (heart rate, blood volume pulse, skin impedance, and skin temperature) relevant to autonomic function (AV) using a wrist-worn sensor from three patients. A naive Bayes classifier was trained on these features and tested using five-fold cross- validation to determine whether preictal and interictal sleep (or wake) epochs could be distinguished from each other using either AV or EV features. Of 16 EV features, beta power, gamma power (30–45 Hz and 47–75 Hz), line length, and Teager energy showed significant differences for preictal versus interictal sleep (or wake) state in each patient (t test: $p<0.001$). At least one AV was significantly different in each patient for interictal and preictal sleep (or wake) segments ($p<0.001$). Using AV features, the classifier labeled preictal sleep epochs with 84% sensitivity, 79% specificity, and 64% kappa; and 78%, 80% and 55% respectively for preictal wake epochs. Using EV, the classifier labeled preictal sleep epochs with 69% sensitivity, 64% specificity, and 33% kappa; and 15%, 93% and 10% respectively for preictal wake epochs.
Ethical/Legal Aspects of Tissue Engineered Products

Abstract Tissue engineering (TE) is a rapidly evolving field of medicine that aims to replace lost/damaged/diseased tissue(s) with laboratory engineered tissue constructs. Several areas of medicine including dentistry can benefit from the progress made by experts in the field of TE. Some scientists and authors have questioned the need and use of technology and advances in medicine that have been achieved in the past few decades allowing us to manipulate the human body in ways that not only repair it, but potentially enhance its function(s). Public perceptions of science and scientific research in various countries depend on the prevailing culture, the political climate, and religious beliefs. Manipulating the human body (with the potential of TE aimed toward restoring lost function and/or enhancing the performance of the human body) in some cultures may not be acceptable. As TE evolves, several ethical challenges, including the safety and long-term effects of cell lines used for the fabrication of the TE constructs, intellectual property issues, clinical trials, costs, informed consent, and the source(s) of funding need further discussion. In view of this evolving field of science, this chapter discusses the associated ethical issues that scientists, researchers, and clinicians might need to consider in the future.
Democratic deconsolidation revisited: Young Europeans are not dissatisfied with democracy:

Is democracy running out of steam? In recent years, politicians, pundits, and academics have voiced the idea that young citizens in industrialized democracies lack commitment to a democratic system...
Spread and Sparse: Learning Interpretable Transforms for Bandlimited Signals on Directed Graphs

We address the problem of learning a sparsifying graph Fourier transform (GFT) for compressible signals on directed graphs (digraphs). Blending the merits of Fourier and dictionary learning representations, the goal is to obtain an orthonormal basis that captures spread modes of signal variation with respect to the underlying network topology, and yields parsimonious representations of bandlimited signals. Accordingly, we learn a data-adapted dictionary by minimizing a spectral dispersion criterion over the achievable frequency range, along with a sparsity-promoting regularization term on the GFT coefficients of training signals. An iterative algorithm is developed which alternates between minimizing a smooth objective over the Stiefel manifold, and soft-thresholding the graph-spectral domain representations of the signals in the training set. A frequency analysis of temperature measurements recorded across the contiguous United States illustrates the merits of the novel GFT design.
PET/CT in Pediatric Oncology

In pediatric practice, 18F-FDG PET/CT is now considered standard of care for the diagnosis, staging, and posttreatment response assessment for an increasing number of pediatric malignancies. The relative rarity of pediatric tumors, availability of PET/CT scanners, and development of pediatric-specific protocols have contributed to the slower standardization of PET/CT practices in the pediatric population as compared to adults. Other pediatric-specific challenges, including radiation concerns, use of IV contrast, and requirements for anesthesia, must also be addressed. This chapter will focus on the use of 18F-FDG PET/CT, protocol options, and normal variations in the pediatric patients, in addition to reviewing the evidence-based literature for specific pediatric cancer types and tumor-like non-cancerous lesions. Recent advances in hybrid PET technology are also presented, with an emphasis on the role these technologies play in driving development of molecular imaging techniques and their application to personalized and targeted approaches to pediatric cancer care.
The New Role of the Federal Laboratories

Federal laboratories are of vital importance to America’s scientific achievements, national security, and economic well-being. Science and technology, when successfully commercialized, provide opportunities and jobs across the board in research and development, design, manufacturing, customer maintenance and service, financing, and other service sectors, including personal services of all kinds.
Shale gas in coal country: Testing the Goldilocks Zone of energy impacts in the western Appalachian range

Abstract Impacts from energy development have been shown to affect different demographic, stakeholder, and community groups in different ways, which in turn may differ across energy regimes, project lifecycles, and geographies. This research examines the social and structural influences which may amplify or attenuate the varied impacts of unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD) in a heretofore under-examined energy impact geography: the periphery region of Ohio’s Utica Shale. We conduct fifty-four (54) interviews in five Ohio communities to test and extend the Goldilocks Zone analytic framework of energy impacts, in which some energy periphery communities have been shown to experience moderate, positive spillover economic gains but minimal social harms in virtue of their socio-geographic distance from core UOGD activity. We find support for a Goldilocks Zone in the Utica Shale periphery, however the size and strength of effects are attenuated by the varied population densities, geographic and political economy diversities, natural resource legacies, and industry mixes and dependences of the Appalachian Range. This research contributes to the limited scholarship examining the effects of energy development in periphery impact geographies as well as provides baseline energy impact and perception data in a region that has received very little academic scrutiny despite ongoing and significant future potential for unconventional oil and gas development. Finally, this article tests and extends the Goldilocks Zone of energy impacts analytic framework in a new social, geographic, and energy context.
Implementation of a Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy training (MCPT) program for oncology clinicians: a qualitative analysis of facilitators and barriers

The Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy training program (MCPT) is a multimodal, intensive, in-person program that trains cancer care providers in the evidence-based psychosocial treatment Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy (MCP). This analysis aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to clinical implementation (CI) at 1 year post-training. Trainee feedback regarding CI was collected via a mixed-methods questionnaire, including rating the ease of CI and free-text response identifying facilitators and barriers to CI. Descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis of follow-up data from the first five MCPT training cohorts (n = 55) were performed to assess CI and its facilitators and barriers. One third of participants indicated that it was at least somewhat difficult to implement MCP in clinical practice. Trainee-identified facilitators and barriers to CI were characterized within four main categories: program, patient, treatment, and institution. Within each of these factors, clinicians reported a variety of components that contributed to or hindered their ability to implement MCP. MCPT itself was reported as a facilitator. Patient access and interest were simultaneously identified as facilitators for some and barriers for others. Some trainees found the MCP treatment structure helpful in addressing important patient psychosocial needs, while others felt it was too restrictive. Institutional support played an important role in whether trainees felt hindered or helped to implement MCP. These initial results provide important insight into the program's strengths and have fostered improvements to the MCPT program to better facilitate CI. Further study of MCPT CI is warranted, and theme refinement will be possible with a larger sample.
Medicine, with a focus on physicians: Addressing substance use in the 21st century.

Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use are a significant public health concern in the United States,1 and several public health strategies have been developed to identify and reduce high-risk drinkin...
Shared Characteristics of College Faculty Who Are Effective Communicators.

This study sought to identify what characteristics faculty who are effective classroom communicators share. Qualitative methods of interviews and observations were used to collect data at two public, comprehensive universities. College faculty with good communication, particularly, immediacy and clarity, were all found to have humanistic views of their students and to be reflective about their teaching and their communication. Those who demonstrated poor communication skills were neither humanistic nor reflective teachers. This would suggest that in order to improve faculty effectiveness, we must consider underlying views and thought processes, rather than teach successful communication techniques in isolation.
The reliability of Deep Brain Stimulation YouTube videos

Abstract Background Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) was approved by the FDA in the 1990s and is used to treat a variety of movement disorders. Patients are increasingly turning to the internet for information regarding their ailments. In this study, we aim to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of information presented in DBS-related YouTube videos. Methods Using the “Relevance-Based Ranking” strategy for analysis we assessed the first 3 pages of YouTube for each of the following keywords: “Deep Brain Stimulation”, “DBS”, “DBS for Parkinson’s disease”, “DBS for essential tremor”, and “DBS for movement disorders”. Four independent healthcare personnel evaluated the videos’ education quality and informational material using the validated DISCERN tool. Results Our study found that only 24% of the 42 published videos analyzed scored above a 3 on the DISCERN scoring scale (considered a “good” video). The search term “Deep Brain Stimulation” had the highest percentage of good videos (DISCERN > 3) (32%). We also found that the duration of videos was longer for the “good” videos (Good = 25.6 min vs Unhelpful = 3.0 min, P = 0.01). Conclusion YouTube is one of the largest video platforms; the uploaded videos lack reliability and institutional oversight by the experts. We believe that medical institutions should explore this way of communicating to patients by publishing evidence-based and informative videos on diseases and their management. As it is imperative that the medical field advance to combat medical misinformation.
Rare Tumor-Normal Matched Whole Exome Sequencing Identifies Novel Genomic Pathogenic Germline and Somatic Aberrations

Whole exome sequencing (WES) of matched tumor-normal pairs in rare tumors has the potential to identify genome-wide mutations and copy number alterations (CNAs). We evaluated 27 rare cancer patients with tumor-normal matching by WES and tumor-only next generation sequencing (NGS) as a comparator. Our goal was to: 1) identify known and novel variants and CNAs in rare cancers with comparison to common cancers; 2) examine differences between germline and somatic variants and how that functionally impacts rare tumors; 3) detect and characterize alleles in biologically relevant genes-pathways that may be of clinical importance but not represented in classical cancer genes. We identified 3343 germline single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and small indel variants-1670 in oncogenes and 1673 in tumor suppressor genes-generating an average of 124 germline variants/case. The number of somatic SNVs and small indels detected in all cases was 523:306 in oncogenes and 217 in tumor suppressor genes. Of the germline variants, six were identified to be pathogenic or likely pathogenic. In the 27 analyzed rare cancer cases, CNAs are variable depending on tumor type, germline pathogenic variants are more common. Cell fate pathway mutations (e.g., Hippo, Notch, Wnt) dominate pathogenesis and double hit (mutation + CNV) represent ~18% cases.
New Insights on the Role of N6-Methyladenosine RNA Methylation in the Physiology and Pathology of the Nervous System.

RNA modifications termed epitranscriptomics represent an additional layer of gene regulation similar to epigenetic mechanisms operating on DNA. The dynamic nature and the increasing number of RNA modifications offer new opportunities for a rapid fine-tuning of gene expression in response to specific environmental cues. In cooperation with a diverse and versatile set of effector proteins that "recognize" them, these RNA modifications have the ability to mediate and control diverse fundamental cellular functions, such as pre-mRNA splicing, nuclear export, stability, and translation. N 6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant of these RNA modifications, particularly in the nervous system, where recent studies have highlighted it as an important post-transcriptional regulator of physiological functions from development to synaptic plasticity, learning and memory. Here we review recent findings surrounding the role of m6A modification in regulating physiological responses of the mammalian nervous system and we discuss its emerging role in pathological conditions such as neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.
Type of unanticipated stimulus affects lower extremity kinematics and kinetics during sidestepping

Including an unanticipated stimulus has significant impacts on lower extremity biomechanics during dynamic movements. It is unknown how a live, human defender affects lower extremity biomechanics. ...
On the classification of automorphisms of trees

We identify the complexity of the classification problem for automorphisms of a given countable regularly branching tree up to conjugacy. We consider both the rooted and unrooted cases. Additionally, we calculate the complexity of the conjugacy problem in the case of automorphisms of several nonregularly branching trees.
Role of tantalum concentration, processing temperature, and strain-rate on the mechanical behavior of copper-tantalum alloys

Abstract Microstructural instability in traditional nanocrystalline metals limits the understanding of the fundamental effect of grain size on mechanical behavior under extreme environmental conditions such as high temperature and loading rates. In this work, the interplay between Ta concentrations and processing temperature on the resulting microstructure of a powder processed, fully dense Cu-Ta alloy along with their tensile and compressive behavior at different strain rates are investigated to probe the possibility of manipulating or tuning microstructurally dependent parameters to control the flow-stress upturn phenomenon. Consequently, the results reveal that there is a crucial length scale, i.e., small grain size and appropriate cluster spacing, below which such upturn is damped out. The observation of changes in flow stress upturn behavior is consistent with the observed changes in measured high-rate plasticity, which enhances below the critical length scale. Furthermore, tension-compression asymmetry also tends to be suppressed in nanocrystalline Cu-Ta alloys, while it becomes evident as the grain size increases to an ultrafine regime. Overall, this work presents a systematic approach to control or engineer reduced high strain rate flow stress upturn behavior in metallic alloys, for high-rate applications.
An Examination of the Relationship of Core Self-Evaluations and Life Satisfaction in College Students With Disabilities:

For many students with disabilities, the transition from high school to a postsecondary educational institution can be challenging as they navigate a new environment with new or different supports....
A Hierarchical Task Scheduler for Heterogeneous Computing

Heterogeneous computing is one of the future directions of HPC. Task scheduling in heterogeneous computing must balance the challenge of optimizing the application performance and the need for an intuitive interface with the programming run-time to maintain programming portability. The challenge is further compounded by the varying data communication time between tasks. This paper proposes RANGER, a hardware-assisted task-scheduling framework. By integrating RISC-V cores with accelerators, the RANGER scheduling framework divides scheduling into global and local levels. At the local level, RANGER further partitions each task into fine-grained subtasks to reduce the overall makespan. At the global level, RANGER maintains the coarse granularity of the task specification, thereby maintaining programming portability. The extensive experimental results demonstrate that RANGER achieves a \(12.7\times \) performance improvement on average, while only requires \(2.7\%\) of area overhead.
Application of the Multi-Facet Rasch Model to Evaluate the Chief Resident Selection Survey: A Two-Year Study.

Introduction The Chief Resident (CR) selection process is described by many residency programs as a collective effort from the residency program leadership, key faculty members, and resident peers. Unfortunately, the literature does not show any established guidelines, methods, or psychometric sound instruments to aid this process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the properties of the newly developed CRs selection survey across two years using the Multi-Facet Rasch Model (MFRM). Methods This study used the MFRM to analyze two-year data from the newly developed CRs selection survey. After the first implementation of the tool in 2015, this instrument had its second-round evaluation process for the CRs selection in 2016. We applied a three-facet Rasch model (candidates, questions, and raters). We used Facets v. 3.66 and SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) for data analysis. Results In 2015, 40 out of100 residents completed the survey to select three of the four candidates for the 2017-2018 CRs positions. The mean rating for each candidate showed that Candidate 1 received the highest rating of 5.56 while Candidates 2 and 4 received the exact same ratings. The majority of survey items performed very well based on the results from the MFRM while leaving room for improvement for a few items. In 2016, 55 out of 100 residents completed the revised survey to select three of the six candidates for the 2018-2019 CR positions. The mean rating showed that Candidate 3 received the highest mean rating of 5.81 while Candidate 2 received the lowest mean rating of 5.12. The item reliability was improved from 0.70 to 0.88 based on the results from the revised survey. The results were used to help inform decisions regarding the selection of chief residents. Conclusions The CR selection process requires a fair and collective effort from program leadership, relevant faculty members, and input from the resident group. Our study demonstrated that the survey tool we developed is appropriate to select CR candidates and MFRM is a promising technique in survey development and the evaluation of survey items.
Fragility Analysis of Coastal Roadways and Performance Assessment of Coastal Transportation Systems Subjected to Storm Hazards

AbstractCoastal transportation systems are extremely vulnerable due to the coupled impacts of storm surge, waves, and inundation. Existing literature has developed coastal fragility models for brid...
Scoliosis with Chiari I malformation without associated syringomyelia.

Many patients with presumed idiopathic scoliosis are found to have Chiari I malformation (CM-I) on MRI. The objective of this study is to report on scoliosis progression in CM-I with no syringomyelia. A retrospective review of patients with scoliosis and CM-I was conducted from 1997 to 2015. Patients with syringomyelia and/or non-idiopathic scoliosis were excluded. Clinical and radiographic characteristics were recorded at presentation and latest follow-up. CM-I was defined as the cerebellar tonsil extending 5 mm or more below the foramen magnum on MRI. Thirty-two patients (72% female) with a mean age of 11 years (range 1–16) at scoliosis diagnosis were included. The average initial curve was 30.3° ± SD 16.3. The mean initial Chiari size was 9.6 mm SD ± 4.0. Fifteen (46.9%) experienced Chiari-related symptoms, and three (9%) patients underwent Posterior Fossa Decompression (PFD) to treat these symptoms. 10 (31%) patients went on to fusion, progressing on average 13.6° (95% CI 1.6–25.6°). No association was detected between decompression and either curve progression or fusion (p = 0.46, 0.60). For those who did not undergo fusion, curve magnitude progressed on average 1.0° (95% CI − 4.0 to 5.9°). There was no association between age, Chiari size, presence of symptoms, initial curve shape, or bracing treatment and fusion. Patients with CM-I and scoliosis may not require surgical treatment, including PFD and fusion. Scoliosis curvature stabilized in the non-surgical population at an average progression of 1.0°. These results suggest that CM-I with no syringomyelia has minimal effect on scoliosis progression.
Lapian (拉片): The disseminated professionalism and the co-constituted world

Current Chinese cinephilia has developed an obsession with what is known as lapian, a practice that consists of scholarly or professional analysis of films and a fascination with cinematic details ...
The Autism Detection in Early Childhood Tool: Level 2 autism spectrum disorder screening in a NICU Follow-up program.

Abstract Objective Children born preterm are at increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, early diagnosis of ASD is challenging because conventional screening Level 1 tools are less reliable in this population. We sought to determine whether the Autism Detection in Early Childhood (ADEC) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) could accurately identify children at risk for ASD in a NICU Follow-up setting and thus facilitate referral for formal ASD evaluation. Method Children aged 18–36 months were recruited from a NICU Follow-up program. All children received presumptive diagnoses based on DSM-5 criteria and were screened for ASD risk with the ADEC and CBCL. Children scoring in the “at risk” range on either tool were referred for a full diagnostic ASD evaluation. Results Sixty-nine patients (median birth weight 1140 g; median gestational age 28 weeks) were included with 18 designated “at risk” for ASD. Nine (13 %) scored “at risk” on the ADEC and 12 (17 %) on the CBCL. Thirteen children underwent diagnostic ASD evaluation with 9 receiving a formal diagnosis of ASD. The ADEC demonstrated the best performance (sensitivity 89 %, specificity 98 %). The CBCL was less sensitive (sensitivity 50 %, specificity 90 %). Requiring elevated scores on both the CBCL and ADEC was specific but not sensitive (sensitivity 33 %, specificity 100 %). Conclusion The ADEC performed well in identifying children at risk for ASD within this high-risk NICU cohort, adding benefit as an autism-specific screening tool over the CBCL alone.
The Contribution of the Arts and Creative Economy to Social Capital: Evidence from the COVID-19 Pandemic (preprint)

While there is a large literature about the importance of social capital and its impact on economic and social flourishing, much less is known about the relevance of the arts and creative communities as inputs to social capital. Using cross-sectional variation in the exposure of different counties to the arts and creative communities prior to the pandemic, we quantify how their employment declines are associated with social capital. We find that a 1 percentage point decline in arts employment growth between February and May 2020 is associated with a 0.16 standard deviation decline in social capital. We find even stronger effects when we focus on the creative economy at large, concentrated in the association with collective efficacy and shared norms within a community. Our estimates are robust to the inclusion of median household income, overall county employment growth, and state fixed effects. These results suggest that there is an open window for state and local policy interventions that promote economic development and social capital through the arts and creative communities.
HOW TAXOL MODULATES MICROTUBULE DISASSEMBLY

Measurement of the affinity of microtubules for the anti-cancer drug taxol is problematic, because microtubules are not stable at the very low concentrations required to detect taxol dissociation. We have circumvented this problem by using the GTP analogue GMP-CPP (guanylyl alpha, beta-methylenediphosphonate), which renders microtubules sufficiently stable to allow binding studies with nonsaturating concentrations of taxol. AKd value equal to about 10 nM was estimated from the effect of taxol concentration on the dilution-induced disassembly rate and on the binding of [3H]taxol. With GTP-microtubules the Kd value for taxol binding by tubulin-GDP subunits in the core of the microtubule appears to be comparable with that of GMPCPP-microtubules. However, the stabilizing effect of the drug bound to tubulin subunits that arrive at ends of disassembling microtubules is attenuated by a two-step reaction sequence in which taxol dissociates (k = 30 s-1), followed by rapid (k = 1000 s-1) loss of the taxol-free tubulin subunit. This sequential reaction can be disrupted by high (micromolar) concentrations of taxol, which react rapidly with tubulin subunits at the ends of microtubules (k = 2 x 10(9) M-1 s-1). The inhibitory effect of taxol on microtubule disassembly at concentrations a thousand-fold greater than the Kd value suggests the desirability of using high taxol concentrations in chemotherapy with this compound.
Predictors of Seizure Presentation associated with Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations in a Prospective Cohort of 1,007 Patients (I2-3A)

OBJECTIVE: To determine the predictors of seizure presentation in patients harboring cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM). BACKGROUND: Seizures are the most common presentation of unruptured AVMs and are the second most frequent presentation for all AVM patients following hemorrhage. AVM-associated epilepsy may be debilitating and adversely impact a patient’s quality of life. However, the pathogenesis of AVM-associated epilepsy and the factors associated with seizure presentation in AVM patients are not well defined. DESIGN/METHODS: We evaluated our prospective institutional AVM radiosurgery database, from 1989 to 2013, to select patients in whom pertinent clinical information at presentation and adequate clinical and radiologic follow-up was available. Baseline patient demographics and AVM angioarchitectural features were compared between patients with and without seizure presentation. In addition to standard descriptive statistics, logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of seizure presentation. RESULTS: Of the 1,007 AVM patients included for analysis, 229 patients presented with seizures (22.7[percnt]). The incidence of seizure presentation was significantly higher in cortical than non-cortical AVMs (33.1[percnt] versus 6.6[percnt], P<0.0001). Amongst the cortical locations, occipital AVMs had the lowest rate of seizure presentation (21.5[percnt], P=0.0012), whereas the rates of seizure presentation in frontal (37.3[percnt]), temporal (37.7[percnt]), and parietal (34.0[percnt]) AVMs were similar. The lack of prior AVM hemorrhage (P<0.0001), larger nidus diameter (P<0.0001), and cortical location (P<0.0001) were independent predictors of seizure presentation in the multivariate analysis. The strongest independent predictors of seizure presentation were lack of prior AVM hemorrhage (OR 16.8) and cortical location (OR 4.2). CONCLUSIONS: Large, unruptured, cortical nidi are most prone to seizure presentation in patients referred for radiosurgery. Further investigations of the molecular biology, neuronal and glial physiology, and natural history of AVM-associated epilepsy appear warranted. Study Supported by: N/A Disclosure: Dr. Ding has nothing to disclose. Dr. Starke has nothing to disclose. Dr. Quigg has nothing to disclose. Dr. Yen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Przybylowski has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dodson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sheehan has nothing to disclose.
Where are z= 4 Lyman Break Galaxies? Results from conditional luminosity function models of luminosity-dependent clustering

Using the conditional luminosity function (CLF) - the luminosity distribution of galaxies in a dark matter halo - as a way to model galaxy statistics, we study how z = 4 Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) are distributed in dark matter haloes. For this purpose, we measure luminosity-dependent clustering of LBGs in the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Field by separating a sample of 16 920 galaxies to three magnitude bins in i' band between 24.5 and 27.5. Our model fits to data show a possible trend for more-luminous galaxies to appear as satellites in more-massive haloes; the minimum halo mass in which satellites appear is 3.9 +4.1 -3.5 x 10 12 , 6.2 +3.8 -4.9 × 10 12 and 9.6 +7.0 -4.6 x 10 12 M ⊙ (1σ errors) for galaxies with 26.5 < i' < 27.5, 25.5 < i' < 26.5 and 24.5 < i' < 25.5 mag, respectively. The satellite fraction of galaxies at z = 4 in these magnitude bins is 0.13-0.3, 0.09-0.22 and 0.03-0.14, respectively, where the 1σ ranges account for differences coming from two different estimates of the z = 4 LF from the literature. To jointly explain the LF and the large-scale linear bias factor of z = 4 LBGs as a function of rest UV luminosity requires central galaxies to be brighter in UV at z = 4 than present-day galaxies in same dark matter mass haloes. Moreover, UV luminosity of central galaxies in haloes with total mass greater than roughly 10 12 M ⊙ must decrease from z = 4 to today by an amount more than the luminosity change for galaxies in haloes below this mass. This mass-dependent luminosity evolution is preferred at more than 3σ confidence level compared to a pure-luminosity evolution scenario where all galaxies decrease in luminosity by the same amount from z = 4 to today. The scenario preferred by the data is consistent with the 'downsizing' picture of galaxy evolution.
Winding Fault Detection in Power Transformer by SFRA with DOBLE M5100

The Doble M5100 is a robust and field proven instrument for detection of hidden fault in Power Transformer uses technique called Sweep Frequency Response Analysis (SFRA). SFRA is a tool that can give an indication of core or winding movement in Power Transformer this is done by performing a measurement, albeit a simple one, looking at how well a transformer winding transmits a low voltage signal that varies in frequency, Just how well the transformer does this is related to its impedance, the captive and inductive elements of which are intimately related to physical construction of transformer, Changes in frequency response as measured by SFRA technique may indicate a physical change inside the transformer, the cause of which then need to be identified and investigated. M5100 allow us to see inside the transformer and detect even suitable changes in the mechanical structure of the core and winding.