cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vitro velocity and turbulence measurements in the vicinity of three new mechanical aortic heart valve prostheses: Björk-Shiley Monostrut, Omni-Carbon, and Duromedics

The in vitro velocity and turbulent shear stress fields created by three new mechanical valve designs (size 27 mm) were studied in the aortic position under pulsatile flow conditions. The following valves were studied: Bjork-Shiley Monostrut tilting disc, Omni-Carbon tilting disc, and Duromedics bileaflet. All three valve designs created low pressure gradients with effective orifice areas in the range of 3.10 to 3.90 cm2. Both tilting disc designs created major and minor orifice jets, which were asymmetric in size. The peak velocities of the major and minor orifice jets were, however, of the same magnitude (200 cm/sec). The Omni-Carbon valve created a more even flow distribution through the minor orifice compared with the Bjork-Shiley design. Regions of stagnation/flow separation were observed immediately adjacent (ie, distal) to the minor orifice strut and the pivot guards of the Bjork-Shiley and Omni-Carbon valve designs, respectively. The Duromedics valve created relatively centralized flow. However, a major portion of the | flow occurred through the two lateral orifices. Regions of flow separation/stagnation were observed adjacent to the valve sewing ring in the area of the valve pivot (hinge) mechanism. All three valve designs did create elevated turbulent shear stresses, with peak values in the range of 1000 to 2000 dynes/cm2 and mean values in the range of 100 to 1000 dynes/cm2. Such elevated shear stresses could cause sublethal and/or lethal damage to cellular blood elements. In an overall analysis, these new-generation low-profile mechanical valves are hemodynamically comparable to the Medtronic Hall and St. Jude Medical mechanical valves and are superior to the older-generation mechanical valves. However, it is unlikely that these valve designs will eliminate the problems of thrombosis, thromboembolic complications, and hemolysis.
Teacher Educator Identity in a Culture of Iterative Teacher Education Program Design: A Collaborative Self-Study

AbstractFaculty in the School of Education have collaborated to re-envision teacher education at our university. A complex, dynamic, time-consuming and sometimes painstaking process, redesigning a teacher education program from a traditional approach (i.e. where courses focus primarily on theoretical principles of practice through textbooks and university-based classroom discussions) to a model of teacher education that embraces teaching, learning and leading with schools and in communities is challenging, yet exciting work. Little is known about teacher educators’ experiences as they either design or deliver collaborative field-based models of teacher education. In this article, we examine our experiences in the second implementation year of our redesigned teacher education program, Teaching, Learning, and Leading with Schools and Communities (TLLSC) and how these unique experiences inform our teacher educator identities. Through a collaborative self-study, we sought to make meaning of our transformation...
Abstract 5051: Docosahexaenoic acid inhibits cancer cell invasion and migration by modifying focal adhesion complex structure and signaling

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is responsible for the regulation of many cellular processes, including survival, proliferation, migration and invasion. Cellular-ECM contact induces a coordinated process recruiting functional protein complexes, consisting of scaffold, adapter, linking and docking proteins, to form focal adhesion (FA) structures. Once formed, FA complexes then recruit signaling proteins to activate downstream cellular pathways. Aberrations in FA structure and signaling have shown to contribute to cancer initiation, progression and cellular motility. Studies investigating the molecular mechanisms accounting for FA structure and function in cancer cells have demonstrated unique growth behavior and migratory properties in vitro. While docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 PUFA, has been shown to inhibit growth of a number of cancer cell lines, the effects of DHA on FA dynamics and signaling have not been investigated. In the present study, we show that DHA induced changes in the morphological growth phenotype in cancer cell lines grown in Matrigel™. DHA treatment also inhibited planar cell movement (cell migration) and amoeboid motility (invasion) in breast and lung cancer cell lines. Associated with the observed morphological changes and inhibited growth, were changes in the expression of a number of proteins involved in the FA complex. Upon further characterization, cell line specific changes in protein expression levels and protein localization of FAK, e-cadherin, paxillin and vinculin were observed with DHA treatment, which suggests that DHA is modifying FA complex structure. Additionally, changes in the phosphorylation patterns of major signaling pathways associated with the FA complex, like EGFR, ERK and c-Myc, were also observed with DHA treatment. Overall, these results provide new insight into FA activation and signaling and demonstrate a new mechanism for DHA treatment in cancer. Citation Format: Michael Mouradian, Palvinder K. Bains, Ronald S. Pardini. Docosahexaenoic acid inhibits cancer cell invasion and migration by modifying focal adhesion complex structure and signaling. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 5051.
Executive Stock Option Exercise, Insider Trading, and Abnormal Stock Returns

This article examines actual executive stock option exercises to investigate corporate insider's use of private information in their decision to exercise stock options. In the year following exercise we document negative cumulative abnormal return of approximately 11%. To distinguish which cohort of insiders are most informed we disaggregate our sample according to six factors: 1) whether the executive exercised prior to maturity, 2) whether the exercise occurred near the vesting date, 3) whether the exercise was dividend related, 4) whether the exercise was induced by departure, 5) the proportion of vested options exercised and 6) the proportion of stock acquired from exercise sold. We find that the most informed insiders are those that exercise early, exercise after the vesting date, exercise a large proportion of vested options, or sell a large proportion of the stock acquired from exercise. It is also shown for dividend paying firms that executives often exercise early just prior to dividend payments; these exercises are non-informative. The purpose of this article is to investigate empirically, whether corporate insiders use private information in their decision to exercise executive stock options. We define private information as the ability to effectively time option exercise and do not allege that it necessarily involves illegal activity on the part of the executive. First, we investigate the information revealed in the exercise pattern of insiders as a whole by examining all insider exercises reported to the SEC from 1996 to 2002. Evidence suggests that insiders do effectively time their exercise. Second, we disaggregate these insiders according to various measures to distinguish which cohort of these insiders are most informed. The results of this study have significant implications for valuation of executive stock options and on hedging procedures of firms that issue executive stock options. It is important to accurately assess the cost of the options to shareholders. If executives are effectively timing the market and expropriating shareholder wealth, then these executive stock options are more expensive to the firm than initially expected. If they are not effectively timing the market, incentive based compensation may be cheaper than initially expected and compensation committees should take this non-informed exercise pattern into consideration.
Chorar, verbo transitivo

Resumo Este estudo analisa o choro e/ou a ausencia dele como um dos parâmetros usados, especialmente nos seculos XIX e XX, para se definir masculinidade e virilidade. Examina tambem os discursos das emocoes fortes (furia, medo, dor, vergonha) e as mudancas de codigo do significado de masculinidade e virilidade que ocorreram a partir dos anos 60, fomentadas, em parte, pelos movimentos de contra-cultura. Utiliza varios textos (o filme “A intrusa”, algumas passagens de Grande sertao: veredas, o Canto V de Os lusiadas e varias letras do cancioneiro popular brasileiro) como exemplos da desconstrucao da masculinidade e da virilidade e das discussoes teoricas apresentadas ao longo deste trabalho. Abstract This study analyzes the act of crying/not crying as one of the parameters used, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, to define masculinity and virility. It also examines the discourses of strong emotions (fury, fear, pain, shame) and the changes in the codes used to define masculinity and virility that have occurred since the 1960s, in part because of counter-culture discourses. This work also utilizes several texts (the film, A intrusa, some passages of Grande sertao: veredas, Chant V of The Lusiads, and several lyrics selected from Brazilian popular songs) which exemplify the deconstruction of masculinity and virility and the theoretical discussions presented throughout this study.
Continuity of change in Kant’s dynamics

Since his Metaphysische Anfangsgrunde der Naturwissenschaft was first published in 1786, controversy has surrounded Immanuel Kant’s conception of matter. In particular, the justification for both his dynamical theory of matter and the related dismissal of mechanical philosophy are obscure. In this paper, I address these longstanding issues and establish that Kant’s dynamism rests upon Leibnizian, metaphysical commitments held by Kant from his early pre-Critical texts on natural philosophy to his major critical works. I demonstrate that, throughout his corpus and inspired by Leibniz, Kant endorses the a priori law of continuity of alteration as a truth of metaphysics, according to which all alterations in experience must occur gradually through all intervening degrees. The principle thus legislates against mechanical philosophy’s absolutely impenetrable atoms, as they would would involve instantaneous changes of velocity in impact. This reveals the metaphysical incoherencies in mechanical philosophy and leaves Kant’s own dynamical theory of matter, grounded on material forces, as the only viable approach to physical explanation. Subsequently, I demonstrate that Kant nevertheless made conceptual space in his system for the theoretical consideration of mechanical explanations, which makes manifest one of the positive roles that the faculty of reason can play with respect to natural science.
Toll-like receptor 3 in pancreatic cancer and malignant melanoma: a new paradigm for treatment

2762 It is now recognized that chronic inflammation is an important risk factor for the development of cancer. The proinflammatory cytokine IL6 is implicated in cancer because it is important for the activation of Stat3, a key regulator of cancer growth, survival, metastasis, immune evasion and angiogenesis. We have identified increased IL6 and Stat3 in vitro in pancreatic cancer and malignant melanoma cells with high basal expression of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) and Wnt5a. We hypothesized that IL6/Stat3 activation, mediated by overexpressed TLR3 signaling, is important in the tumor growth process, that it may increase Wnt5a signaling, and be associated with increased cellular growth and migration. The link to TLR3 was established using siRNA inhibition. Additionally, using a novel inhibitor of pathologic TLR3 signaling, we have demonstrated decreases in these markers plus suppression of cell growth and migration in human pancreatic and malignant melanoma cancer cells in vitro, and have shown that this was relevant to cancer growth in vivo by demonstrating that the inhibitor suppressed the growth of pancreatic cancer and malignant melanoma in syngeneic mouse models.
Development of a PVDF based artificial basilar membrane

In spite of many studies concerning the potential of auditory nerve actions, the timing of neural excitation in relation to basilar membrane motion is still not well understood. In this study, therefore, a Piezoelectric Artificial Basilar Membrane (PABM) is fabricated using Denton Explorer evaporator. The proposed dynamical system is made of polyvinylidene fluoride membrane on which 40 chromium electrodes were deposited with thickness close to 104 A. The PABM sensor was tested with variable engineering parameters that contribute to its frequency selection capabilities. To characterize the frequency selectivity of the PABM, mechanical displacements were measured using a very precise high-resolution data acquisition board. When electrical and acoustic stimuli were applied, the measured resonance frequencies were in the ranges of 600to2000. These results demonstrate that the mechanical frequency selectivity of this PABM is close to the human communication frequency range (300–3000 Hz), which is a vital feature of potential auditory prostheses.
There is No Chaos in Stock Markets

The elegant simplicity of the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) is its greatest weakness because human nature demands complicated answers to important questions and Chaos Theory readily fills that demand for complexity claiming that it reveals the hidden structure in stock prices. In this paper we take a close look at the Rescaled Range Analysis tool of chaos theorists and show that their findings are undermined by weaknesses in their methods.
Bayesian Clustering of Gene Expression Dynamics

This chapter presents a Bayesian method for model-based clustering of gene expression dynamics and a program implementing it. The method represents gene expression dynamics as autoregressive equations and uses an agglomerative procedure to search for the most probable set of clusters, given the available data. The main contributions of this approach are the ability to take into account the dynamic nature of gene expression time series during clustering and an automated, principled way to decide when two series are different enough to belong to different clusters. The reliance of this method on an explicit statistical representation of gene expression dynamics makes it possible to use standard statistical techniques to assess the goodness of fit of the resulting model and validate the underlying assumptions. A set of gene expression time series, collected to study the response of human fibroblasts to serum, is used to illustrate the properties of the method and the functionality of the program.
The metabolic fate of radiolabeled acetate in a woodchuck cell line of hepatitis virus-induced hepatocellular carcinoma

1348 Objectives: Recent studies have established the usefulness of [1-11C]acetate (11C-ACT) combined with 2-deoxy-2[18F]fluoro-D-glucose for detecting primary liver cancer in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using positron emission tomography. A correlation between ACT uptake and cellular differentiation was established, but the mechanisms of uptake remain poorly understood. A woodchuck hepatitis virus-induced HCC cell line was used to investigate the metabolic fate of radiolabeled acetate in HCC. Methods: Ten million WCH-17 cells were incubated for 5, 15, 30 and 60 min with 37 kBq of 14C-ACT. The cellular metabolites from the water- and lipid-soluble fractions were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, thin-layer chromatography and paper chromatography. Results: WCH-17 cells showed consistent increase in 14C uptake with time. The radioactivity accumulated mainly in phosphatidylcholine (PC) and neutral lipids such as diacylglycerol (DAG) and free fatty acids (FFA). Moderate levels of 14C-triacylglycerol (TG) and cholesterol (CHO) were also observed. Minor amounts of radioactivity were found in the water-soluble phase in amino acids and acetate. Conclusions: 14C-PC is the dominant phospholipid metabolite of 14C-ACT in WCH-17 cells. Neutral lipids which are either precursors of PC or important components of the cell membrane also incorporated the 14C label from ACT. Future work on woodchucks with HCC will allow the study of ACT metabolites in vivo and a comparison of ACT metabolism in tumors versus non-tumorous liver tissues and in well- versus poorly-differentiated HCC. Research Support: NIH R01 CA095307 (Z. Lee, PI)
Pharmaceutical Applications of Microcalorimetry

General principles and applications of microcalorimetry are reviewed. Microcalorimetry is useful in the study of physical, chemical, and biological drug interactions. The sensitivity of the present instrumentation is approximately 0.1 µW. With this high sensitivity, additional applications have been developed, including the interactions of drugs with food, lymphoma cells, microorganisms, blood, excipients, and cyclodextrin. A recent application of microcalorimetry is the measurement of degradation rates of drugs.
Musculoskeletal Flexibility and Quality of Life: A Feasibility Study of Homeless Young Adults in Los Angeles County

Proper musculoskeletal health is dependent on the efficient inner workings of muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and bones. The homeless experience can be physically debilitating to these tissues and anatomical structures. This feasibility study aims to explore how to answer the overarching question: do the lived experiences of homeless young adults negatively affect their musculoskeletal health? Questionnaires were distributed to assess the demographic characteristics, physical activity, health behaviors, and sleep patterns of 40 homeless young adults and 45 university students in Los Angeles County. Participants also completed supervised stretch tests to assess musculoskeletal flexibility. Findings indicate that homeless young adults were less flexible in all four stretch assessments compared to university students. Noteworthy differences were noted with the sit and reach (p=0.050), butterfly (p=0.036), right shoulder (p=0.005), and left trunk twist tests (p=0.041). Analyses of physical activity levels and sleep location within the homeless subgroup suggest a deleterious impact on flexibility. Flexibility assessments are a low cost and sensitive method for measuring degree of musculoskeletal dysfunction of homeless young adults. Preliminary data suggests that the musculoskeletal health of this subgroup is adversely affected by their lived experience. Health services such as yoga or Pilates, in addition to existing case management and mental health services at homeless drop-in centers, may reduce the likelihood of long-term physical disability.
The application of interferometric imaging in quantitative mechanobiology (Conference Presentation)

Quantitative interferometric microscopy is a power non-invasive technique to extract quantitative cellular and tissue biomechanical and morphological information. On one hand, we will describe several generations of quantitative interferometric microscopic systems with improved spectral contrast, depth resolution, and enhanced sensitivity. In conjunction with these advances in optical imaging techniques, important biomedical applications have become possible. We will focus on the identification of biophysical markers of sickle red blood cells and the study of cancer cell nuclear mechanics in relationship to their metastasis potential.
Actuation simplification for grippers based on bioinspired spring origami

Soft robotics promise to enable large reconfigurability in robotic systems, in turn allowing interaction with unknown objects in unstructured environments. Most applications in soft robotics draw from natural examples for inspiration in sensing, actuation and control functions needed to achieve desired operations. In this respect, many organisms realize complex tasks with minimal efforts exploiting material system architectures that store mechanical energy that can be used for reconfiguration. Examples include the fast motion exhibited by the Venus Flytrap and the remarkable multifunctionality of the Earwig wing, both of which exploit prestress and multistability. We present a bioinspired spring origami gripper that is capable of conforming and holding objects several times its weight with minimal sensing and actuation systems drawing from the characteristics of the Earwig wing. This is achieved by exploiting the multiple functions afforded by the multistability that allows functional geometries for gripping and holding onto objects. We extend a previously developed model to design the bistable gripper and validate the obtained results with experimental tests.
Evaporation and condensation of water mist/cloud droplets with thermal radiation

Abstract The role of thermal radiation in water droplet evaporation and condensation is investigated theoretically. The primary droplet size regime considered is that between non-continuum gas effects and gas–liquid velocity-slip effects, nominally 10−1–102 μm, with mist or clouds (nominally 20-μm diameter) being the primary application of interest. Principles for extending the results to larger droplets are also discussed, even to the radiative–evaporative balance of the oceans. The importance of distributed (volumetric, in-depth) absorption in the droplet, conduction, and advection induced by surface regression are analyzed. It is found that advection within the liquid phase induced by surface regression can be neglected for most conditions and that conduction usually establishes a spatially isothermal droplet. Comparison with experimental results for a laser-irradiated droplet suggests that, due to the isothermal condition, these assumptions are reasonable for predicting evaporation rate. Moreover, it is shown that infrared absorption and emission can be treated as surface phenomena; in-depth effects can be neglected. Extending the analysis to cloud droplets shows that radiation, whether with colder upper layers of the atmosphere, warmer lower layers/ground, or solar radiation, can have a significant influence on cloud droplet growth and stability. For typical ambient conditions the thermal radiation effect near the edge of a cloud can be as strong as the effect of a 0.1% super- or sub-saturation, enough to modify significantly the Kohler curves governing equilibrium droplet size distribution and enough to provide the missing mechanism of warm rain droplet growth between the upper limit of non-radiating, diffusional condensation growth (∼30 μm) and the lower limit of turbulent-inertial coalescence growth (∼80 μm), the so-called condensation–coalescence “bottleneck”.
First-principles determination of the ultrahigh electrical and thermal conductivity in free-electron metals via pressure tuning the electron-phonon coupling factor

Responses of materials at high pressures can reveal fundamental insights into properties of condensed matter that are otherwise masked under ambient conditions. Using first-principles calculations to determine the electron-phonon interactions of free-electron metals at high pressures, we show that the electrical and thermal transport properties of aluminum, gold, and silver can be significantly enhanced with the application of high pressures. This is partly attributed to the decrease in electron-phonon coupling with increasing pressures. At elevated temperatures, under these high-pressure conditions, the thermal conductivity of aluminum is amongst the highest of any known material, surpassing the thermal conductivity of diamond at ambient pressure. Moreover, through calculation of the spectrally resolved electron-phonon coupling parameter at high pressures, we show an increased contribution to electron-phonon coupling from high-frequency longitudinal phonon modes scattering with electrons in aluminum. Using the same analysis with gold and silver, we show that low frequency acoustic phonon scattering with electrons is increased at high pressures. This work provides valuable insights into the electron-phonon scattering processes occurring under high pressures, which gives rise to new regimes of electrical and thermal transport properties in metals.
Evaluating Multi-Species Cover Crops for Forage Production

Cover crops offer potential benefits for improving soil health, but establishment and management costs can be expensive. One way for farmers to recover these costs is to graze the forage, which benefits producers by integrating crop and animal production. More information is needed on the potential forage quantity and quality for grazing livestock of cover crops and mixed species of cover crops. Researchers have suggested that different plant species complement each other, but additional work is needed to determine how best to balance forage production and how competitive the various species are when added to a mix. Sixteen treatments were drill-seeded at the Southeast Research and Extension Center near Columbus, Kansas, in August 2014 and 2015. Each treatment consisted of a three-way mix representing popular cover crops from the plant families Brassicaceae (brassicas), Poaceae (grasses), and Fabaceae (legumes). Eight species were planted, including forage radish (Raphanus sativus), purple-top turnip (Brassica rapa), oat (Avena sativa), rye (Secale cereale), barley (Hordeum vulgare), wheat (Triticum aestivum), Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum subsp. arvense), and berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum). Small areas of each plot were clipped at 45-, 74-, and 91-day intervals each year. The clipped biomass was then weighed, sorted, and dried to determine biomass as well as species composition. In 2014 the average biomass produced at 45, 74, and 91 days was 1,250, 3,290, and 3,050 lb/ac, respectively. These range from 470–1,940 lb/ac 45 days after planting to 1,790–4,440 lb/ac at 91 days after planting, depending on the cover crop mix. In 2015, the average biomass at 45, 74, and 91 days was 1,120, 1,604, and 2,273 lb/ac, respectively. These range from 557-1,876 lb/ ac 45 days after planting to 1,100–4,127 lb/ac at 91 days after planting, depending on the cover crop mix.
Evolutionary patterns of major urinary protein scent signals in house mice and relatives

Scent marks are important mediators of territorial behaviour and sexual selection, especially among mammals. The evolution of compounds used in scent marks has the potential to inform our understanding of signal evolution in relation to social and sexual selection. A major challenge in studies of chemical communication is that the link between semiochemical compounds and genetic changes is often unclear. The major urinary proteins (MUPs) of house mice provide information on sex, status and individual identity. Importantly, MUPs are a direct protein product of genes, providing a clear link between genotype and phenotype. Here, we examine the evolution of urinary protein signals among house mice and relatives by examining the sequences and patterns of mRNA expression of Mup genes related to urinary scent marks. MUP patterns have evolved among mouse species both by gene duplication and variation in expression. Notably, protein scent signals that are male specific in well-studied inbred laboratory strains vary in sex-specificity among species. Our data reveal that individual identity signals in MUPs evolved prior to 0.35 million years ago and have rapidly diversified through recombining a modest number of amino acid variants. Amino acid variants are much more common on the exterior of the protein where they could interact with vomeronasal receptors, suggesting that chemosensory perception may have played a major role in shaping MUP diversity. These data highlight diverse processes and pressures shaping scent signals, and suggest new avenues for using wild mice to probe the evolution of signals and signal processing.
American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health

In order to present an overview of American Indians and Alaska Natives mental health issues, the authors have purposefully avoided specific examples or generalizable guidelines that would mislead the readers due to the extreme cultural and historical differences that comprise the many American Indian and Alaska Native nations. It is also important to note that in the context of diversity, American Indian and Alaska Native identity is defined politically due to their collective history of being citizens of sovereign nations, not solely by racial, ethnic, or cultural terms. The chapter assesses the current knowledge available that describes mental health processes occurring among American Indians and Alaska Natives. The inquiry further clarifies the structure and function of mental health programs that have been established. We conclude that there is a need for a revision in a basic conceptualization of the research models and the types of data analysis that are or have been used, as well as their subsequent utilization.
Binding to medium and long chain fatty acyls is a common property of HEAT and ARM repeat modules

Covalent post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins with acyl groups of various carbon chain-lengths regulates diverse biological processes ranging from chromatin dynamics to subcellular localization. While the YEATS domain has been found to be a prominent reader of acetylation and other short acyl modifications, whether additional acyl-lysine reader domains exist, particularly for longer carbon chains, is unclear. Here, we employed a quantitative proteomic approach using various modified peptide baits to identify reader proteins of various acyl modifications. We discovered that proteins harboring HEAT and ARM repeats bind to lysine myristoylated peptides. Recombinant HEAT and ARM repeats bind to myristoylated peptides independent of the peptide sequence or the position of the myristoyl group. Indeed, HEAT and ARM repeats bind directly to medium- and long-chain free fatty acids (MCFA and LCFA). Lipidomic experiments suggest that MCFAs and LCFAs interact with HEAT and ARM repeat proteins in mammalian cells. Finally, treatment of cells with exogenous MCFAs and inhibitors of MCFA-CoA synthases increase the transactivation activity of the ARM repeat protein β-catenin. Taken together, our results suggest an unappreciated role for fatty acids in the regulation of proteins harboring HEAT or ARM repeats.
1154. Impact of Educational Feedback on Reducing Hospital-Onset Catheter-Associated Urinary tract Infections at an Academic Medical Center

Background High regulatory burden on hospital-onset (HO) infections has increased performance pressure on infection prevention programs. Despite the availability of comprehensive prevention guidelines, a major challenge has been communication with frontline staff to integrate appropriate prevention measures into practice. The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of educational intervention on HO CAUTI rates and urinary catheter days.
Glacier Change and Paleoclimate Applications of Cosmogenic-Nuclide Exposure Dating

Surface exposure dating using cosmic-ray-produced nuclides has been applied to determine the age of thousands of landforms produced by alpine glaciers in mountain areas worldwide. These data are po...
Practical considerations for high throughput wafer level tests of silicon-photonics integrated devices

Optical communication has recently seen a resurgence driven by the demand for high-speed networking. Silicon Photonics (SiPh) has gained recent interest as a low cost and high volume method for creating photonic integrated circuits (PIC). PICs create new challenges for manufacturability since the devices require optical probing in addition to RF probing. This paper discusses a low cost method for aligning an optical fiber to a vertical grating coupler for wafer optical probing using a pre-defined device layout. This method is suitable for high volume wafer manufacturing. The alignment takes 0.5-1.5s and is reliable across multiple products and designs.
Attributes of the food addiction phenotype within overweight and obesity.

Previous studies have demonstrated overlapping behavioral features between substance-use disorders and food addiction, the latter of which is particularly prevalent among individuals with overweight or obesity. However, the unique attributes of food addiction as a possible phenotype within overweight and obesity are not fully understood. This cross-sectional study recruited participants (n = 46) with overweight or obesity, nearly half (n = 20) of whom met the criteria for food addiction based on the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) and examined responses to self-report questionnaires that indexed behavioral characteristics relevant to addictive disorders. Individuals with food addiction exhibited significantly higher scores on the Palatable Eating Motives Scale overall score (p < .001) and subscales for coping (p < .001) and enhancement (p < .001) of emotions, Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire Emotional Eating subscale (p < .001), UPPS-P Impulsivity Scale negative urgency (p < .001) and lack of perseverance (p = .01) subscales, and the Food Craving Inventory overall score (p = .02) and subscales of cravings for sweets (p < .01) and fast food fats (p = .02). Food addiction appears to represent a distinct phenotype within overweight and obesity, marked by greater emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and cravings, which have been observed in prior studies examining features of individuals with addictive disorders. Level III: Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case–control analytic studies.
Time Spent Eating, by Immigrant Status, Race/Ethnicity, and Length of Residence in the United States

Introduction Time spent eating is associated with obesity and diet-related diseases. We examined the association between time adults spent eating, immigrant status, race/ethnicity, and race/ethnicity among adults in the United States. Methods We used multivariate linear regression to analyze a cross-sectional, nationally representative sample of respondents aged 19 years or older (N = 192,486) from the 2016 American Time Use Survey. The outcome measures were time spent per day on primary eating and drinking and secondary eating. The predictors were immigrant status, race/ethnicity, and years spent living in the United States. Results Multivariate adjusted minutes per day spent on primary eating and drinking were 66.4 for noncitizens, 66.5 for naturalized citizens, and 60.1 for US-born individuals. Multivariate adjusted minutes per day spent on secondary eating were 11.1 for noncitizens, 12.2 for naturalized citizens, and 12.9 for US-born individuals. Minutes per day spent on primary eating and drinking for immigrants by length of residence in the United States was 69.7 minutes for 5 years or less of residence, 67.9 minutes for 6 to 10 years of residence, 63.6 minutes for 11 to 15 years of residence, and 63.6 minutes for more than 15 years of residence. Minutes per day spent on secondary eating for immigrants by length of residence was 5.5 minutes for 5 years or less of residence, 9.7 minutes for 6 to 10 years of residence, 8.4 minutes for 11 to 15 years of residence, and 12.6 minutes for more than 15 years of residence. Conclusion Time spent eating varied by immigrant status and length of residence in the United States.
13C NMR chemical shift assignments of nitrated benzo[a]pyrenes based on two-dimensional techniques and DFT/GIAO calculations

Abstract Nitrated benzo[a]pyrenes are known to be mutagenic, carcinogenic and teratogenic to bacterial and animal cells. For differentiation of isomers and environmental analytical trace studies, spectroscopic information is necessary. The present studies report the 13C NMR spectra of 1-, 3- and 6-nitrobenzo[a]pyrene measured in CDCl3. Complete 13C NMR assignments based on 2D NMR spectroscopy (HMQC and HMBC) were carried out. Further, the computation of fifty 13C chemical shifts of 1-, 3-, and 6-nitrobenzo[a]pyrenes by using GIAO B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-31+G(d), 6-31+G(d,p), 6-311+G(d), 6-311+G(d,p), 6-311G(d,p) levels of theory was investigated. For 1-, 3- and 6-NBaP the calculated chemical shifts δcalc versus δexpt plots of chemical shifts fall on a linear correlation line with r2 > 0.90. The GIAO B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-311G(d,p)level of theory was found to yield chemical shifts in good agreement with experiment with r2 > 0.90. The most expensive method (larger basis set) has provided the best agreement with the experiment. It is therefore important to continue to seek computational methods that can predict precise chemical shifts in nitrated or related compounds.
Gaussian and Poisson Convergence

Characteristic functions and Laplace transforms, equi-continuity and tightness, linear projections, null arrays, Poisson convergence, positive and symmetric terms, central limit theorem, local CLT, Lindeberg condition, Gaussian convergence, weak laws of large numbers, domain of Gaussian attraction, slow variation, Helly’s selection theorem, vague and weak convergence, tightness and weak compactness, extended continuity theorem
Inflammatory but not respiratory symptoms associated with ongoing upper airway viral replication in outpatients with uncomplicated COVID-19

BackgroundThe vast majority of SARS-CoV-2 infections are uncomplicated and do not require hospitalization, but contribute to ongoing transmission. Our understanding of the clinical course of uncomplicated COVID-19 remains limited. MethodsWe detailed the natural history of uncomplicated COVID-19 among 120 outpatients enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of Peginterferon Lambda. We characterized symptom trajectory and clusters using exploratory factor analysis, assessed predictors of symptom resolution and cessation of oropharyngeal viral shedding using Cox proportional hazard models, and evaluated associations between symptoms and viral shedding using mixed effects linear models. ResultsHeadache, myalgias and chills peaked at day 4 after symptom onset; cough peaked on day 9. Two distinct symptom cluster trajectories were identified; one with mild, upper respiratory symptoms, and the other with more severe and prolonged inflammatory symptoms. The median time to symptom resolution from earliest symptom onset was 17 days (95% CI 14-18). Neither enrollment SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels (Hazard ratio [HR] 1.88, 95% CI 0.84-4.20) nor oropharyngeal viral load at enrollment (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.98-1.05) were significantly associated with the time to symptom resolution. The median time to cessation of viral shedding was 10 days (95% CI 8-12), with higher SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels at enrollment associated with hastened resolution of viral shedding (HR 3.12, 95% CI 1.4-6.9, p=0.005). Myalgia, joint pains, and chills were associated with a significantly greater odds of oropharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection. ConclusionsIn this outpatient cohort, inflammatory symptoms peaked early and were associated with ongoing SARS-CoV-2 replication. SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels were associated with more rapid viral shedding cessation, but not with time to symptom resolution. These findings have important implications for COVID-19 screening approaches and clinical trial design.
The Utility of Prolonged Prophylactic Systemic Antibiotics (PPSA) for Subfascial Drains After Degenerative Spine Surgery.

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE The aim of the current investigation was to evaluate the impact of prolonged prophylactic systemic antibiotics (PPSA) on the development of surgical site infection rate (SSIR) in degenerative spine surgery. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Surgical drains are utilized postoperatively in posterior spine surgery to help minimize the risk of seroma formation. Prophylactic antibiotics while drains are in place are frequently used to reduce SSIR, though the practice remains controversial. METHODS We performed a single center, retrospective review of all patients that underwent posterior spinal surgery for cervical and lumbar degenerative pathology over a 3.5 year period (January 2016-July 2019). Patients underwent a traditional open posterior midline procedure with postoperative placement of a subfascial surgical drain. Antibiotics were administered for the duration of the drain (PPSA group) or for 24 hours postoperatively (non-PPSA group). The number of surgical site infections, organism, and Clostridium difficile infections was recorded. RESULTS Three hundred thirty six patients were identified, 168 patients in the PPSA group and 168 in the non-PPSA groups. The overall SSIR was 5.36% (18/336). The SSIR for the non-PPSA and PPSA groups were 7.14% (12/168) and 3.57% (6/168), respectively (P = 0.146). While difference of SSIR between the groups was two-fold, it was not statistically significant. For the non-PPSA and PPSA groups, the SSIR for cervical (5.95% [5/84] vs. 2.38% [2/84], P = 0.443) and lumbar (8.33% [7/84], vs. 4.76% [4/84], P = 0.535) regions were not significantly different. C. difficile cases in the PPSA and non-PPSA groups were 1/168 and 0/168 respectively (P = 1.00). CONCLUSION Our series demonstrate a two-fold reduction of SSI with implementation of PPSA regimen. This benefit was demonstrated separately for both cervical and lumbar regions. Randomized trials and increase in sample size are warranted to elucidate the significance of PPSA in posterior spinal surgery.Level of Evidence: 3.
Mass Institutionalization and Civil Death

Most scholars who study felon disenfranchisement trace its roots back to Reconstruction. Southern states drew up laws to disenfranchise people convicted of felonies as an ostensibly race-neutral way to diminish the political power of newly freed Black Americans. Viewed against this historical backdrop, the onset of mass incarceration in the current era expands the impact of a practice intended to be both racist and punitive from the start. This account is true, but it is incomplete. Non-criminal mass institutionalization has also played—and continues to play—a role in systematic disenfranchisement. Marshaling a wealth of archival and historical evidence, from newspapers, legislative debates, congressional hearings, and court cases, I reveal that institutional disenfranchisement is not just about mass incarceration—a singular phenomenon sparked by the Civil War that happens solely within the carceral state and targeted only freed Black people. Institutional disenfranchisement began much earlier, included more spaces than the prison, and initially targeted white men. Indeed, the more familiar prison disenfranchisement had a shadowy twin within the welfare state. Civil death includes more ghosts than previously imagined.
Determinacy and Prewellorderings of the Continuum

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses determinacy and prewellorderings of the continuum. The chapter establishes the notation and summarizes the properties of recursive functions, projective sets and determinacy. The new constructions, the consequences when Λ = R x R, and the consequences when Λ is assumed to satisfy various structure properties are discussed. The results about the projective classes are also presented. A different approach to the projective classes is through definability in the language of second order number theory or analysis. Classes of sets that are definable in languages richer than second order number theory may be studied. Infinite games were introduced where it was shown that every closed set is determined and that there exist non-determined sets. The chapter summarizes fundamental structure properties and highlights the results about them.
Toward a Theory of Algorithm-Architecture Co-design

We are carrying out a research program that asks whether there is a useful mathematical framework for reasoning at a high-level about the behavior of an algorithm on a supercomputer with respect to the physical constraints of energy, power, and die area. By “high-level,” we mean that we wish to explicitly relate characteristics of an algorithm, such as its inherent parallelism or memory and communication behavior, with parameters of an architecture, such as the number of cores, structure of the memory hierarchy, or network topology. Our ultimate goal is to say, in broad but also quantitative terms, how macroscopic changes to an architecture might affect the execution time, scalability, accuracy, and power-efficiency of a computation; and, conversely, identify what classes of computation might best match a given architecture. The approach we shall outline marries abstract algorithmic complexity analysis with caps on power and die area, which are arguably the central first-order constraints on the extremescale systems of 2018 and beyond [1, 16, 21, 29, 41]. We refer to our approach as one of algorithm-architecture co-design.
Does emotional intelligence change during medical school gross anatomy course? Correlations with students’ performance and team cohesion

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been associated with increased academic achievement, but its impact on medical education is relatively unexplored. This study sought to evaluate change in EI, performance outcomes, and team cohesion within a team-based medical school anatomy course. Forty-two medical students completed a pre-course and post-course Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT). Individual EI scores were then compared with composite course performance grade and team cohesion survey results. Mean pre-course EI score was 140.3 out of a possible 160. During the course, mean individual EI scores did not change significantly (P = 0.17) and no correlation between EI scores and academic performance was noted (P = 0.31). In addition, EI did not correlate with team cohesion (P = 0.16). While business has found significant utility for EI in increasing performance and productivity, its role in medical education is still uncertain.
Optimal control theory for selective vibrational excitation in molecules

The design of optimal electromagnetic fields producing selective vibrational excitation in molecules modeled as harmonic physical systems is shown to be equivalent to minimizing a quadratic cost functional balancing the energy distribution in the molecule and the fluence of the optical field. To ensure that a desired final excitation is attained, a terminal constraint is introduced for the state. A physically reasonable controller requires that both the weighting parameter on the fluence in the cost functional and the final time be large. The authors present the asymptotic form of the state and costate for large final time using familiar LQG (linear quadratic Gaussian) techniques and give an approximation of the modes of the linear chain molecule in the limit in which the weighting parameter becomes large. They conclude with a discussion of the choice of practical design parameters. >
Study Design and Statistical Analysis: A Practical Guide for Clinicians

This book takes the reader through the entire research process: choosing a question, designing a study, collecting the data, using univariate, bivariate and multivariable analysis, and publishing the results. It does so by using plain language rather than complex derivations and mathematical formulae. It focuses on the nuts and bolts of performing research by asking and answering the most basic questions about doing research studies. Making good use of numerous tables, graphs and tips, this book helps to demystify the process. A generous number of up-to-date examples from the clinical literature give an illustrated and practical account of how to use multivariable analysis.