cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunopathogenesis Of Toxoplasmic Encephalitis

The incidence of toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) has increased with the increasing numbers of patients with immunodeficiencies, in whom reactivation of latent Toxoplasma infection may occur. This highlights the important role of the immune response in maintaining infection with Toxoplasma gondii in a latent form. Because the brain is the most commonly affected site of latent infection and because it is anatomically unique in regard to the immune system, understanding the systemic immune response to infection within the brain is important. Murine models have proven useful for the study of the immune response to T. gondii and identified the importance of cytokines and NK and T cells in the regulation of protective immunity to T. gondii. Further studies on the development of TE have indicated the possible importance of the interactions of glial cells, such as microglia and astrocytes, with infiltrating T cells to mediate immunity to T. gondii within the brain.
Outcomes of Adult Heart (HT) Versus Heart-Kidney (H+K) Transplant: Influence of CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) Stage

Purpose CKD is common in pts awaiting HT & may be associated with worse outcomes post-HT. CKD stage threshold where H+K is beneficial compared to HT-only is not well defined. Methods and Materials 30424 HT-only & 563 H+K pts were identified from UNOS(1987-2011) & stratified by CKD stage using the MDRD formula. Exclusions(41%): Results CKD 2 (39%) & 3(36%) were most prevalent compared to CKD 1(19%), 4(3%) & 5(3%) in HT-only pts. Amongst H+K pts, CKD 3 (20%), 4(18%) & 5(56%) were most prevalent. FU began at time of HT (mean 65 ± 57 months). 12688 pts died (41% HT & 31% HK, p Figure ). Unadjusted HR for all-cause mortality (compared to CKD 3 HT) in H+K showed:CKD 3[0.68 (0.44-1.03)]; CKD 4[1.11 (0.78-1.57)]; CKD 5[1.05 (0.86-1.26)]. After adjustment: CKD 3[0.66 (0.42-1.04)]; CKD 4[1.07 (0.75-1.53)]; CKD 5(0.94 (0.73-1.21)]. Comparing HT vs H+K in each stage individually: CKD 3[1.67 (1.10-2.54)] vs [0.60 (0.39-0.91)]; CKD 4[1.50 (1.05-2.15)] vs [0.66 (0.46-0.95)]; CKD 5[1.83 (1.48-2.27)] vs [0.54 (0.44-0.67)]. Conclusions HT-only survival is significantly diminished in CKD 3-5 compared to CKD 1-2. However, H+K appears protective for CKD stages 3-5, with similar mortality compared to HT-only with normal renal function In each individual stage 3, 4, & 5, HT-only has increased mortality compared to H+K. These results suggest CKD stages 3-5 should undergo H+K rather than HT-only. Prospective study is warranted to verify these results.
Clinical Requests for Molecular Tests: The 3-Step Evidence Check

Laboratory tests performed by molecular methods are increasing in volume and complexity at an unprecedented rate. Molecular tests have a broad set of applications, and most recently have been advocated as the mechanism by which providers can further tailor treatments to the individual patient. As the momentum behind molecular testing continues to increase, pathology practices may find themselves unprepared for the new wave of molecular medicine. This special article has been developed in an effort to provide pathologists who have limited molecular training with a simple and quick algorithm for determining whether a requested molecular test is appropriate for a patient. Additional recommendations for a more intensive and proactive review and management of molecular requests also are included. The principles discussed can easily be applied to requests for any test, including those not using molecular methods, which would be sent to an outside reference laboratory. This special article was developed from a W...
Teacher-Education Students' Reading Abilities and their Knowledge about Word Structure:

This study focused on teacher-education students taking a special-education language-arts course in which information about English word structure was taught. The relationship between students' component reading-related abilities and their performance on three measures of word-structure knowledge, before and after course instruction about word structure, was examined. Students' word reading accuracy and spelling ability, but not their general language abilities or reading speed, influenced their acquisition of word-structure knowledge. Specific patterns of results varied by word-structure task and by time (pre-vs. posttest); however, even students with strong component reading abilities performed at fairly low levels on the word-structure knowledge tasks at pretest, and course instruction influenced students' knowledge acquisition as much as or more than their component abilities did. Findings support the need to provide word-structure information in teacher preparation and suggest that it may sometimes b...
Identification of hidden Markov models for ion channel currents. I. Colored background noise

Signal processing based on hidden Markov models (HMM's) has been applied recently to the characterization of single ion channel currents as recorded with the patch clamp technique from living cells. The estimation of HMM parameters using the traditional forward-backward and Baum-Welch algorithms can be performed at signal-to-noise ratios (SNR's) that are too low for conventional analysis; however, the application of these algorithms relies on the assumption that the background noise is white. In this paper, the observed single channel current is modeled as a vector hidden Markov process. An extension of the forward-backward and Baum-Welch algorithms is described to model ion channel kinetics under conditions of colored noise like that seen in patch clamp recordings. Using simulated data, we demonstrate that the traditional algorithms result in biased estimates and that the vector HMM approach provides unbiased estimates of the parameters of the underlying hidden Markov scheme.
Phenology and structure of a phytoseiid community in an insecticide-free apple orchard.

Commercial orchards have acarine communities that are reduced in biological diversity compared to their undisturbed counterparts. Examining the phenology of an unsprayed orchard allows for the examination of non-pesticide factors that drive changes in populations. This study examined the mite community in a largely unsprayed research orchard in 2013–2014. The phytoseiids Galendromus flumenis (Chant), Amblydromella caudiglans (Schuster), Kampimodromus corylosus Kolodochka, and Galendromus occidentalis (Nesbitt) were found, in addition to Zetzellia mali (Ewing) and Aculus schlechtendali (Nalepa). Although G. occidentalis is typically the dominant phytoseiid in commercial orchards, G. flumenis was much more abundant in this unsprayed block. Aculus schlechtendali appeared to be the main source of prey for all predator species. The availability of this prey item and the lack of pesticides are likely the factors that allowed for G. flumenis to reach high abundances. Tetranychids were scarce, emphasizing the role of these mites as induced pests; without the application of disruptive sprays, the predatory mite community was able to maintain biological control. This study demonstrates that the species complex of generalist phytoseiids that is present in orchard systems undisturbed by pesticides is sufficient to maintain spider mite populations below damaging levels throughout the season.
Turbulence modeling for time-dependent RANS and VLES : a review

Reynolds stress models and traditional large-eddy simulations are reexamined with a view toward developing a combined methodology for the computation of complex turbulent flows. More specifically, an entirely new approach to time-dependent Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) computations and very large-eddy simulations (VLES) is presented in which subgrid scale models are proposed that allow a direct numerical simulation (DNS) to go continuously to a RANS computation in the coarse mesh/infinite Reynolds number limit. In between these two limits, we have a large eddy simulation (LES) or VLES, depending on the level of resolution. The Reynolds stress model that is ultimately recovered in the coarse mesh/infinite Reynolds number limit has built in nonequilibrium features that make it suitable for time-dependent RANS. The fundamental technical issues associated with this new approach, which has the capability of bridging the gap between DNS, LES and RANS, are discussed in detail. Illustrative calculations are presented along with a discussion of the future implications of these results for the simulation of the turbulent flows of technological importance.
Emerging Trends In Mental Health Policy And Practice

PROLOGUE: As managed care matures in the general health care market, and the problems of accountability and patients' rights continue to elude policymakers, it is not surprising that the mental hea...
VIS capstone address

How do computer architectures and physical architectures inform each other? This talk will explore the interconnection of data and visualization through an architectural and computational lens over the last 50 years, including the work of Steven Coons, Christopher Alexander, Richard Saul Wurman and others.
Einleitung und Inhaltsuebersicht

Die Ende der sechziger Jahre vom franzosischen Mathematiker Rene Thom begrundete elementare Katastrophentheorie weist zwei ganz unterschiedliche Formen auf.2 Die eine entspricht der rein mathematischen Interpretation, die andere der Anwendung der mathematischen Resultate auf die Untersuchung realwissenschaftlicher Probleme.
Phasic Waveforms of Coronary Arterial and Venous Blood Flow Predicted by a Numerical Model of the Coronary Circulation

An electric analog model of the coronary circulation was developed which, for the first time, incorporates both the arterial and venous sides of the circulation. Unlike previous models, the present model does not incorporate a vascular waterfall but, instead relies primarily upon the concept of an intramyocardial pump. The left ventricular myocardium supplied by the distribution of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery was modelled as 3 equal compartments arranged in parallel. Each compartment consisted of fixed arterial and venous resistances on either side of a lumped arterial and venous intramyocardial capacitance. A time varying intramyocardial pressure, Pi(t), different for each compartment was applied through the capacitance. Perfusion pressure to each compartment was represented by phasic aortic pressure, Pa(t), on the inflow side and phasic right atrial pressure Pv(t), on the outflow side. Input pressures to the model were obtained from direct measurements of aortic, right atrial and intramyocardial pressures in 6 open-chest anesthetized dogs. The governing equations were solved using a 4th order RungeKutta method. The model accurately predicted the nearly 180° phase shift between coronary inflow and outflow. The predicted phasic waveforms of coronary arterial and venous blood flow were comparable to those measured experimentally in the LAD coronary artery and great cardiac vein of dogs.
Low carcinogenicity of the K-region epoxides of 7-methylbenz(a)-anthracene and benz(a)anthracene in the mouse and rat.

Summary5,6-Epoxy-5,6-dihydro-7-methyl-benz (a) anthracene, a K-region epoxide of the carcinogenic hydrocarbon 7-methylbenz(a)-anthracene, had only low activity as a carcinogen in the subcutaneous tissues of the rat and mouse or in the skin of the mouse under conditions which permitted the parent hydrocarbon to exhibit moderate to high car-cinogenicity in these tissues. Likewise, 5,6-epoxy-5,6-dihydrobenz(a)anthracene or its 7-methyl derivative showed little or no activity as initiators of papilloma formation in mouse skin.
An evaluation of various therapy approaches with lower socioeconomic-group children.

(1967). An Evaluation of Various Therapy Approaches with Lower Socioeconomic-Group Children. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 67, No. 1, pp. 59-64.
Gauge theory of Ba¨cklund transformations, II

Abstract A class of gauge transformations is constructed for Hamiltonian hierarchies of completely integrable systems on semi-simple Lie algebras. These transformations create or annihilate poles in the scattering data, hence create or annihilate solitons in the potential Q . In that sense they generalize Backlund transformations to which they reduce precisely for the 2 × 2 “AKNS” systems. To each Backlund-gauge transformation is associated an automorphism in the Weyl group of the Lie algebra. Two proofs are given to show that these Backlund-gauge transformations preserve the nonlinear evolution equation. One proof uses the transformation of the scattering data under the Backlund transformation; the second proof is purely gauge theoretic.
“So Many Open Doors?”: An Examination of Gender Stereotypes in State Judicial Campaign Advertisements

ABSTRACTIn the present study we examine gender stereotyping in the traits and images emphasized by candidates in state judicial campaigns. Content analyses were conducted on televised campaign advertisements from state supreme court contests in election years 2008–2010. Our analyses indicate that women referenced masculine traits and were shown with masculine images in their ads more than men. In addition, the gender makeup of the race made a difference; when running against a man, women stress intelligence and being hardworking more than men. Conversely, women mentioned experience to a high degree when running against other women.
The influence of prolonged vibration on motor unit behavior.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of vibration (VIB) on motor unit (MU) behavior of the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle during a 40% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Methods Eleven healthy (age 21.3 ± 2.6 years) individuals participated in the study. Surface electromyography (EMG) data were recorded from the VL during isometric trapezoidal muscle contractions at 40% MVC. Firing events of single MUs and EMG amplitude were reported for the first, middle, and final seconds of a 12-second steady force segment at 40% MVC. VIB was applied at 55 Hz to the patellar tendon for 15 minutes before and continued throughout the remainder of testing (VIB) or remained off (CON). Results There were significant increases in MU firing rates during VIB in comparison to CON and no differences in EMG amplitude between VIB and CON. Conclusion The VIB-mediated reduction in muscle spindle function altered MU behavior at 40% MVC. Muscle Nerve 55: 500-507, 2017.
An Evaluation of the University of Illinois Extension Get Up & Move! Program

Get Up & Move! is a program created by University of Illinois Extension to address childhood obesity. It provides ready-to-use materials for youth leaders to promote healthy lifestyles through physical fitness and healthy eating. The impact of the program on participants’ physical activity was evaluated to see whether involvement produces an increase in physical activity to the USDA recommended 60 minutes per day. It was found that a significant increase in minutes of physical activity occurred in participants from an average of 51.88 minutes per day to an average of 58.84 minutes per day.
A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Coagulation Testing Prior to Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy in Children.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Obtaining laboratory studies to screen for a coagulation disorder prior to tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy (TA test only those children with a pertinent history or physical exam (PE) finding; and perform no pre-operative testing on any child. We performed a literature search to estimate the prevalence of abnormal pre-operative coagulation tests, the prevalence of true coagulation disorders among those patients, the rates of bleeding following TA it is both less expensive and has a higher utility. Cost-effectiveness ratios were sensitive to variation in the overall prevalence of post-operative bleeding, the cost of post-operative care, and the cost of diagnostic coagulation testing after a post-operative hemorrhage. However, the strategy of not testing children pre-operatively was dominant throughout all sensitivity analyses. DISCUSSION: Our results demonstrate that universally screening all children for coagulation disorders prior to T&A is not cost-effective. Furthermore, not performing any preoperative testing appears to be the most cost-effective strategy. This study does not prove the superiority of one strategy over another, though it does offer advantages over single institution observational studies. Given the short time duration of the model, absolute cost and utility differences between strategies are small. However, these differences are persistent in sensitivity analyses, indicating that the model is robust. The analysis provides evidence that suggests pre-T&A coagulation testing in children should be used judiciously at most. Detailed conversations between surgeon, patient, and family about the risks, benefits, and costs of such testing should determine its selective use.
Efficacy and durability of Bacillus anthracis bacteriophages used against spores

Antibiotics and vaccines help fight anthrax disease, but there are no anthrax spore control methods suitable for use in environments where humans are present. The work reported in this article indicates that bacteriophages may help reduce risk from anthrax spores. Dose-response studies demonstrated that higher concentrations of mixed Bacillus anthracis bacteriophages (3.5 x 10(8) plaque-forming units per milliliter) inhibited subsequent growth of bacteria when sprayed on B. anthracis spores. Phages also were tested for durability under conditions designed to simulate environments possibly encountered during mass phage production, storage, and use against anthrax spores. They remained infectious at temperatures from -20 degrees C to 37 degrees C, under filtration, aerosolization, and treatments with perspiration and blood. Phages were sensitive to temperatures over 55 degrees C and to desiccation. Ultraviolet light reduced spore viability more than phage infectivity under similar conditions. The potential for personal or environmental decontamination of anthrax spores with phages is discussed.
Neurological and Motor Disorders: Neuronal Store-Operated Ca 2+ Signaling: An Overview and Its Function

Calcium (Ca2+) is a ubiquitous second messenger that performs significant physiological task such as neurosecretion, exocytosis, neuronal growth/differentiation, and the development and/or maintenance of neural circuits. An important regulatory aspect of neuronal Ca2+ homeostasis is store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) which, in recent years, has gained much attention for influencing a variety of nerve cell responses. Essentially, activation of SOCE ensues following the activation of the plasma membrane (PM) store-operated Ca2+ channels (SOCC) triggered by the depletion of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ stores. In addition to the TRPC (transient receptor potential canonical) and the Orai family of ion channels, STIM (stromal interacting molecule) proteins have been baptized as key molecular regulators of SOCE. Functional significance of the TRPC channels in neurons has been elaborately studied; however, information on Orai and STIM components of SOCE, although seems imminent, is currently limited. Importantly, perturbations in SOCE have been implicated in a spectrum of neuropathological conditions. Hence, understanding the precise involvement of SOCC in neurodegeneration would presumably unveil avenues for plausible therapeutic interventions. We thus review the role of SOCE-regulated neuronal Ca2+ signaling in selecting neurodegenerative conditions.
Commitment to the Truth: Parrhesiastic and Prophetic Elements of Paul’s Letter to the Galatians

Paul writes to the Galatians in the New Testament to bridge the two realms of cultural Judaism and Roman Imperialism. In this analysis of the letter written to the church of Galatia, we see both Hebraic prophecy and Greek, or Gentile, parrhesia. As the context shows, Paul attempts to persuade a hybrid audience on the edge between the two ancient cultures. Paul diagnoses the church’s problems through a prognostic teaching that fulfills a larger Pauline gospel agenda. Future scholars will need to attend to the work of both parrhesia and prophetic rhetoric in Christian texts over the two millennia since Paul’s initial fusion.
Called into crucible: Vocation and moral injury in U.S. public school teachers

This is an exploration of the psycho-spiritual concept of moral injury (MI) in public school settings. Many teachers enter their profession responding to a sense of call to do good and yet can enco...
Quantitative Assessment of Human Pesticide Exposure: Some Defaults and Assumptions

Pesticide exposure assessment is a key, dynamic element in contemporary risk assessment. The elements of the risk assessment process include hazard identification and development of dose-response relationships relevant to human health, an experimental enterprise dominated by toxicity testing in animals and the uncertainties of species-to-species extrapolations, exposure assessment in humans directed toward indirect determination of absorbed dose, and relative risk assessment for acute (margin of safety or margin of exposure) or chronic risk (excess cases of illness attributable to exposure). In either case, a health-based standard, such as the no observed adverse effect level (NOEL), provides the biological reference point for human exposure assessments.
Recovery of renal function after prolonged unilateral ureteral obstruction.

Abstract Concepts of renal counterbalance and animal experiments have long supported nephrectomy forprolonged complete unilateral ureteral obstruction. The situation in humans has been clarified by only a few reported cases. Herein we report 3 cases with relief of obstruction after at least 28, 28 and 150 days. Evidence is presented to supportrenal preservation in similar cases.
Pathogenesis of diffuse intimal thickening (DIT) in aortas and coronary arteries of 2 1 2-year-old minature pigs

Abstract Lesions resembling diffuse intimal thickening (DIT) in morphology are reported in the left anterior descending coronary arteries and aortas of 2 1 2 - year-old miniature swine. The lesions are similar in composition and location to those previously described under a variety of names in swine, either large or miniature. The lesions are intermediate in size when compared with those of younger and older swine, and when all the data are seen together, a picture emerges of gradually enlarging musculoelastic lesions which eventually assume a double or triple-layered structure. The lesions are mostly focal, and are most pronounced in the abdominal aortas where their rather constant localization to proximal posterior and distal anterior walls suggests thay they are caused in part by hemodynamic stresses.
A Statistical Framework to Forecast Duration and Volume of Internet Usage Based on Pervasive Monitoring of NetFlow Logs

In this paper, we address an important and practical problem - namely to forecast the duration and volume of Internet usage of a subject based on pervasive and unobtrusive of past history. Unfortunately though, profiling users can have privacy ramifications. In this paper, we present a statistical framework to forecast duration and volume of Internet usage of subjects via processing NetFlow logs from routers. Briefly, NetFlow logs are network level information of IP packets as they traverse a router, but they do not contain the packet payload. In our experimental study, Internet traffic logs of octets and durations of 66 subjects in a college campus were collected (via privacy-preserving NetFlow records) in a pervasive and unobtrusive manner for a month. By applying times series forecasting techniques, we demonstrate that predictions on duration and volume of usage at future times can be made based on past usage, with very good precision. Furthermore, our results also show that with more historical data, prediction accuracy improves further. We believe that our problem in this paper has not been addressed in the literature. We also believe that our contributions in this paper have important consequences in enabling privacy preserving techniques to manage network resources for administrators, cyber security via behavioral based authentication, and smarter advertising.
Synchronous and metachronous cases of renal cell carcinoma and hematologic malignancies in a state cancer registry.

593Background: A Swedish national family-cancer database reported an association between renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and hematologic malignancies within families. Our hypothesis was that a search of...
Sensing Shear Forces During Food Manipulation: Resolving the Trade-Off Between Range and Sensitivity

Autonomous assistive feeding systems need to acquire deformable food items of varying physical characteristics to be able to feed users. However, bite acquisition of these deformable food items is challenging without force feedback of appropriate range and sensitivity. We developed custom solutions using two widely-used shear sensing fingertip tactile sensors and calibrated them to the range of forces needed for manipulating food items. We compared their performance with traditional force/torque sensors and showed the trade-off between the range and the sensitivity of the fingertip tactile sensors in detecting potential bite acquisition successes for food items with widely varying weights and compliance. We then developed a control policy, using which a robotic gripper equipped with the fingertip tactile sensors can autonomously regulate the sensing range and the sensitivity to be able to skewer food items of different compliance and detect their bite acquisition success attempts.
Validation of the Assault (Violence) Response Scale: An Update.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Assault (Violence) Response Questionnaire has been used widely in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa since the 1980s. The purpose is to update the ARQ. METHOD Specifically the ARQ-R has been expanded to include verbal assault and withholding information, more extensively tested for reliability and validity, and shortened. RESULTS The scale was reduced from 88 to 33 items and yet had the same high reliability and validity as did the larger scale. CONCLUSIONS The reduction in size makes it much less time consuming to complete, making it an instrument that very busy nurses can more easily use. The ARQ-R can be used for nurses measuring assault in both hospital and community settings.
PARAPHARYNGEAL AND RETROPHARYNGEAL SPACES: NORMAL ANATOMY AND CASE DISCUSSION

Background An appreciation of the complex anatomy of potential spaces and fascial planes of the neck is vital to understanding lesions and their potential complications. The involvement of the parapharyngeal space (PPS) and the retropharyngeal space (RPS) poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic problems. The PPS extends from the skull base to the superior cornu of the hyoid bone, connecting posteromedially with the retropharyngeal space, inferiorly with the submandibular space, and laterally with the masticator space. The carotid sheath courses through this space into the chest. RPS lies between the visceral division of the middle layer of the deep cervical fascia around the pharyngeal constrictors and the alar division of the deep layer of deep cervical fascia posteriorly. PPS contains mainly fat and the pterygoid venous plexus, whereas the RPS contains retropharyngeal lymphatics. Clinical and Radiologic Findings We outline the normal anatomy of the PPS and the RPS on images derived from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), medical computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data sets. Then we present unique case studies exhibiting pharyngeal retention cyst in the tonsil, Tornwaldt cyst in the nasopharynx, nasopharyngeal carcinoma with invasion of the PPS, incidental retropharyngeal internal carotid arteries that can be mistaken for a pseudomass, large goiter with retropharyngeal extension, retropharyngeal air in barotrauma, and retropharyngeal lymphadenopathy occupying the PPS. Discussion/Conclusions Displacement of the PPS laterally implicates a lesion in the pharyngeal mucosa posteriorly, the masticator space anteriorly, and the carotid space anterolaterally. Medial displacement implies that the lesion resides in the parotid space. Infection may enter the retropharyngeal airspace directly, as with traumatic perforations of the posterior pharyngeal wall or esophagus, or indirectly, from the parapharyngeal space A fundamental skill set is required for the diagnosis and management of these potentially life-threatening illnesses.
Protecting Pageant Princesses: A Call for Statutory Regulation of Child Beauty Pageants

For the past three years, four-year-old beauty queen Eden Wood has competed in child pageants. Her parents have spent more than $70,000 on her pageant career, which has produced an impressive record of victories. Eden has won between $25,000 and $30,000 in prizes, but has yet to receive any money because of the high costs of reinvestment in the pageant circuit. Eden expresses a deep passion for pageant life, but
Conditions for making direct reduced iron, transition direct reduced iron and pig iron nuggets in a laboratory furnace - Temperature-time transformations

The pig iron nugget process is gaining in importance as an alternative to the traditional blast furnace. Throughout the process, self-reducing-fluxing dried greenballs composed of iron ore concentrate, reducing-carburizing agent (coal), flux (limestone) and binder (bentonite) are heat-treated. During the heat treatment, dried greenballs are first transformed into direct reduced iron (DRI), then to transition direct reduced iron (TDRI) and finally to pig iron nuggets. The furnace temperature and/or residence time and the corresponding levels of carburization, reduction and metallization dictate these transformations. This study involved the determination of threshold furnace temperatures and residence times for completion of all of the transformation reactions and pig iron nugget production. The experiments involved the heat treatment of self-reducing-fluxing dried greenballs at various furnace temperatures and residence times. The products of these heat treatments were identified by utilizing optical microscopy, apparent density and microhardness measurements.
Failure Progression of Spur Gears during a Simulated Loss-of-Lubrication Event in a Rotorcraft Drive System

Tests were conducted to identify and understand the failure mechanisms that control a gear’s longevity during a loss of lubrication (LoL) event by tracking the physical and tribological changes exp...
Gibberellin JRA-003: A Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Translocation of IKKα

The small molecule gibberellin JRA-003 was identified as an inhibitor of the NF-kB (nuclear kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) pathway. Here we find that JRA-003 binds to and significantly inhibits the nuclear translocation of pathway-activating kinases IKKα (IκB kinase alpha) and IKKβ (IκB kinase beta). Analogs of JRA-003 were synthesized and NF-κB-inhibiting gibberellins were found to be cytotoxic in cancer-derived cell lines (HS 578T, HCC 1599, RC-K8, Sud-HL4, CA 46, and NCIH 4466). Not only was JRA-003 identified as the most potent synthetic gibberellin against cancer-derived cell lines, it displayed no cytotoxicity in cells derived from noncancerous sources (HEK 293T, HS 578BST, HS 888Lu, HS 895Sk, HUVEC). This selectivity suggests a promising approach for the development of new therapeutics.
Supply Cost and Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Footprint of Dry and Ensiled Biomass Sorghum for Biofuel Production

Biomass sorghum is a promising feedstock for cellulosic biorefineries because of its high yield and drought tolerance. However, the difficulty of effectively drying sorghum in some regions means th...
Reduction of in-hospital cardiac arrest with sequential deployment of rapid response team and medical emergency team to the emergency department and acute care wards.

Purpose This study aimed to determine if sequential deployment of a nurse-led Rapid Response Team (RRT) and an intensivist-led Medical Emergency Team (MET) for critically ill patients in the Emergency Department (ED) and acute care wards improved hospital-wide cardiac arrest rates. Methods In this single-center, retrospective observational cohort study, we compared the cardiac arrest rates per 1000 patient-days during two time periods. Our hospital instituted a nurse-led RRT in 2012 and added an intensivist-led MET in 2014. We compared the cardiac arrest rates during the nurse-led RRT period and the combined RRT-MET period. With the sequential approach, nurse-led RRT evaluated and managed rapid response calls in acute care wards and if required escalated care and co-managed with an intensivist-led MET. We specifically compared the rates of pulseless electrical activity (PEA) in the two periods. We also looked at the cardiac arrest rates in the ED as RRT-MET co-managed patients with the ED team. Results Hospital-wide cardiac arrests decreased from 2.2 events per 1000 patient-days in the nurse-led RRT period to 0.8 events per 1000 patient-days in the combined RRT and MET period (p-value = 0.001). Hospital-wide PEA arrests and shockable rhythms both decreased significantly. PEA rhythms significantly decreased in acute care wards and the ED. Conclusion Implementing an intensivist-led MET-RRT significantly decreased the overall cardiac arrest rate relative to the rate under a nurse-led RRT model. Additional MET capabilities and early initiation of advanced, time-sensitive therapies likely had the most impact.
Opioid reduction in ambulatory thyroid and parathyroid surgery after implementing enhanced recovery after surgery protocol.

BACKGROUND Opioid abuse is widespread in the United States and the risk for chronic use is increased in surgical patients, including patients with thyroid and parathyroid. METHODS Records for 171 patients prior to and 67 patients following implementation of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol for ambulatory thyroid/parathyroid surgeries were reviewed. The ERAS included superficial cervical plexus block, multimodal premedication, and postoperative reliance on acetaminophen and ibuprofen with judicious prescribing of opioids. RESULTS Post-ERAS patients were prescribed a mean 72 morphine milligram equivalents (MME); pre-ERAS patients were prescribed a mean 163 MME (p < 0.001). 97.1% of pre-ERAS patients were prescribed opioids with 91.1% filled; 68.7% of post-ERAS study patients were prescribed opioids with 84.8% filled. CONCLUSION Implementation of ERAS and focus on prescribing practices decreased the MME prescribed and used for ambulatory thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Future steps include increased patient education and tracking pain scores and medication utilization out of hospital.
cFAT-GAN: Conditional Simulation of Electron-Proton Scattering Events with Variate Beam Energies by a Feature Augmented and Transformed Generative Adversarial Network

The recently proposed generative adversarial network (GAN) based event generator, the Feature Augmented and Transformed GAN (FAT-GAN), has shown impressive capability of reproducing inclusive electron-proton scattering events at a given collision energy. In contrast, many practical applications require the event generator to have the flexibility of allowing users to specify the reaction energy as an input to produce the corresponding synthetic events. In this work, we extend the FAT-GAN framework by conditioning the component neural networks according to the given reaction energy. We demonstrate that this model, referred to as cFAT-GAN, can reliably produce inclusive event feature distributions and correlations for a continuous range of reaction energies by automatically interpolating and extrapolating from a set of trained energies. We employ a continuous energy feature representation to enable the networks to organically learn the distribution relationships between different reaction energies, laying the groundwork for accessing events at untrained energies.This continuous conditional energy provides a degree of versatility to the cFAT-GAN for its further development as a significant research tool in high-energy and nuclear physics.
Energetics of Feedback: Application to Memory Erasure

Landauer's erasure principle states that any irreversible erasure protocol of a single bit memory needs work of at least $k_B T ln2.$ Recent proof of concept experiments has demonstrated that the erasure protocols with work close to the Landauer limit can be devised. Under feedback, where the state of the bit can be measured, the work needed for bit erasure can be lower than $k_B T ln2.$ In this article, we analyze the energetics of feedback enabled erasure, while incorporating the imperfections of experimentally realized memory and bit erasure protocols that admit failure probabilities. We delineate the role of uncertainty in measurements and its effects on the work and entropy changes for a feedback-based erasure. We quantitatively demonstrate that the deficit between the Landauer limit and the minimum average work needed in a feedback-based erasure is accounted for by the mutual information between the measurement and the state of the memory, while incorporating the imperfections inherent in any realization. We experimentally demonstrate analysis results on a memory and erasure protocol realized using optical fields.
Variation in perioperative opioid use after total joint arthroplasty

Abstract Objective We studied variation in perioperative opioid use after total joint arthroplasty with respect to patient and procedure characteristics in order to inform initiatives to optimize pain relief. Methods We recorded perioperative opioid consumption for a cohort of total joint arthroplasty patients to identify factors underlying variation in perioperative opioid use. Results Younger patient age, tobacco use, greater symptoms of depression, private insurance, and knee arthroplasty were associated with increased opioid consumption. Conclusions Awareness of the patient characteristics associated with increased perioperative opioid use can help inform implementation of targeted strategies for safe, optimal pain relief and satisfaction.
Political partisanship and stigma against people who use drugs in opinions about allocating COVID-19 prevention resources to vulnerable populations.

Abstract Background The distribution of resources during the COVID-19 pandemic has been politicized and contentious in the United States. Vulnerable populations, such as those living in poverty, experiencing homelessness, or who use drugs, are particularly susceptible to becoming infected with COVID-19 and often have limited access to protective supplies, such as masks and hand sanitizer. Our aim was to understand public opinion on increasing the allocation of COVID-19 prevention resources to vulnerable populations. Methods Data were from an online survey of 680 United States adults. Participants’ opinions on the allocation of COVID-19 prevention resources to people with low income, experiencing homelessness, or who use drugs were assessed using a five-item Likert scale. We examined the prevalence of these opinions and their relationship to sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19 beliefs, and drug-related experiences. Results Most participants supported increasing resources for individuals with low incomes (79.6%) and experiencing homelessness (74.6%), while a minority supported increasing resources for people who use drugs (33.5%). Politically conservative participants were less likely to support increasing resources for all three populations than those who were politically liberal. Skepticism about the severity of COVID-19 was also associated with less support for increasing resources across groups. Discussion Our results demonstrate that people who use drugs continue to be stigmatized in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in popular opinion not supporting people who use drugs with potentially lifesaving resources. Overcoming this stigma is essential to prevent COVID-19 among people who use drugs, a population which experiences elevated risk of COVID-19 infection.
Elongation of Caudalized Human Organoids Mimics Neural Tube Development

Abstract Axial elongation of the neural tube is critical during mammalian embryogenesis to establish the anterior-posterior body axis1, but this process is difficult to interrogate directly because it occurs post-implantation2,3. Here we report an organoid model of neural tube extension by caudalized human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) aggregates that recapitulates the morphologic and temporal gene expression patterns of neural tube development. Axially extending organoids consisting largely of longitudinally elongated neuroepithelial compartments also contained TBXT(+)SOX2(+) neuromesodermal progenitors, PAX6(+)nestin(+) neural progenitor populations, and MEOX1(+) paraxial mesoderm populations. Wnt agonism stimulated singular axial extensions in a dose-dependent manner, and elongated organoids displayed regionalized rostral-caudal HOX gene expression, with spatially distinct hindbrain (HOXB1) expression from brachial (HOXC6) and thoracic (HOXB9) regions. CRISPR-interference-mediated silencing of the TBXT, a downstream Wnt target, increased neuroepithelial compartmentalization and resulted in multiple extensions per aggregate. Further, knock-down of BMP inhibitors, Noggin and Chordin, induced elongation phenotypes that mimicked murine knockout models. These results indicate the potent morphogenic capacity of caudalized hPSC organoids to undergo axial elongation in a manner that can be used to dissect the cellular organization and patterning decisions that dictate early nervous system development in humans.
Orbitofrontal cortex and basolateral amygdala encode expected outcomes during learning

Reciprocal connections between the orbitofrontal cortex and the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala may provide a critical circuit for the learning that underlies goal-directed behavior. We examined neural activity in rat orbitofrontal cortex and basolateral amygdala during instrumental learning in an olfactory discrimination task. Neurons in both regions fired selectively during the anticipation of rewarding or aversive outcomes. This selective activity emerged early in training, before the rats had learned reliably to avoid the aversive outcome. The results support the concept that the basolateral amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex cooperate to encode information that may be used to guide goal-directed behavior.
Relaxation oscillation behavior in polarization-additive mode-locked Er-doped fiber ring lasers

Summary form only given. We have reported that a polarization APM EDF laser has extremely low noise characteristics. We have also found its noise performance reaches the quantum limit, i.e., the state with only amplified spontaneous emission noise. This quiet state of operation is achieved only under special conditions. In this report, we describe an investigation of how quantum-limited noise performance depends upon operation conditions.
What Can We Learn from the Grand Policy Experiment? Positive and Normative Lessons from SO2 Allowance Trading

Over the past twenty-five years, the political process has gradually become more receptive to market-based instruments. By far the most ambitious application of these instruments has been for the control of acid rain under Title IV of the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990, which established a sulfur dioxide (SO2) allowance trading program intended to cut nationwide electric utility emissions by 50 percent by the year 2000. This essay seeks to identify lessons that can be learned from this grand experiment in economically oriented environmental policy. We begin with a very brief description of the SO2 allowance trading system and its performance to date. We examine positive political economy lessons that can be learned from the program's enactment by addressing three questions. Why have conventional, command-and-control instruments been the dominant form of environmental regulation? When market-based approaches have been used, why has the chosen form always been freely distributed (grandfathered) tradeable rights? And why was allowance trading adopted for acid-rain control in 1990? We also consider normative lessons that can be learned from the program's design and performance, organizing these into four categories: lessons for environmental policy; for design and implementation of tradeable permit systems; for analysis of prospective and adopted systems; and for identifying new applications. In a final section, we offer some conclusions.
Cu and Ag diffused semi-insulating InP and GaAs

High-resistivity (up to 10/sup 5/ Omega -cm) p-type GaAs was obtained by thermal diffusion of Cu and Ag in conducting n-type GaAs wafers. The electrical properties of GaAs:Cu and GaAs:Ag are governed by a deep acceptor level. The semi-insulating InP (up to 10/sup 7/ Omega -cm) could be obtained by thermal diffusion of Cu at 800 degrees C for 20 to 36 h in conducting n-type and p-type InP wafers. Photoluminescence quenching was observed in highly resistive InP:Cu. The qualitative behavior of electrical and optical properties of InP:Cu could be explained by a Cu precipitate compensation model. >
The Cyrilian Solution: Cyril of Jerusalem and Saul Kripke on Naming God

Cyril of Jerusalem's proposed theology of the Trinity has been labeled generic. That is, the term “God” identifies not so much a species of being or an individual being, but a unique, sui generis genus. Within the genus of God there are three species or ways of being God, though not three discrete individual beings. The article will attempt to defend and renew Cyril's theology by an appeal to the contemporary philosopher, Saul Kripke, and his notion of rigid designators. One way to contemporize and perhaps better understand Cyril's position is to interpret the term “God” as a Kripkean natural kind rigid designator with the properties of Fatherhood, Sonship, and Spiration.
Age differences in adults' spatial abilities,learning environmental layout, and wayfinding behavior

Empirical relations among age, general spatial ability as assessed by psychometric tests, wayfinding-related skills as assessed by experimental tasks in the laboratory, environmental layout learning as assessed in a field experiment, and wayfinding behavior as observed in a field experiment were modeled in a study involving 120 younger and 120 older adults. The best-fitting model showed that age-related differences in learning environmental layout were significantly, but not exclusively, mediated by a single ability factor defined by psychometric tests. Knowledge of environmental layout was the exclusive mediator between general spatial ability and wayfinding behavior. Thus, age differences in psychometric test performance were found to be a major factor in accounting for aging-related decline in learning environmental layout, but other variables not assessed in this study also play a significant role.