cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MR imaging findings in spring ligament insufficiency.

Objective. Spring ligament insufficiency is associated with chronic posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, and may constitute an indication for surgical repair or reconstruction. This study examines the accuracy of MRI for the diagnosis of insufficiency of the spring ligament. Design and patients. Two experienced musculoskeletal radiologists independently scored the MRI findings in 13 cases of surgically proven spring ligament insufficiency and in 18 control subjects, using a standardized scoring system. Results. Insufficiency of the spring ligament was associated with increased signal heterogeneity on short TE spin echo images, and an increase in the thickness of the medial portion of the ligament. The sensitivity of MRI for the diagnosis of spring ligament insufficiency was 54–77%, while the specificity was 100%. MRI assessment of the plantar portion of the spring ligament was unreliable (kappa=0.33), but the assessment of global ligament integrity was substantially reproducible (kappa=0.76). Conclusion. The medial portion of the spring ligament can be reliably assessed on routine MRI. The findings of spring ligament insufficiency on MRI are only moderately sensitive but highly specific.
Language Helps Children Succeed on a Classic Analogy Task

Adult humans show exceptional relational ability relative to other species. In this research, we trace the development of this ability in young children. We used a task widely used in comparative research—the relational match-to-sample task, which requires participants to notice and match the identity relation: for example, AA should match BB instead of CD. Despite the simplicity of this relation, children under 4 years of age failed to pass this test (Experiment 1), and their performance did not improve even with initial feedback (Experiment 2). In Experiments 3 and 4, we found that two kinds of symbolic-linguistic experience can facilitate relational reasoning in young children. Our findings suggest that children learn to become adept analogical thinkers, and that language fosters this learning in at least two distinct ways.
Soy food and isoflavone intake in relation to semen quality parameters among men from an infertility clinic

BACKGROUND: High isoflavone intake has been related to decreased fertility in animal studies, but data in humans are scarce. Thus, we examined the association of soy foods and isoflavones intake with semen quality parameters. METHODS: The intake of 15 soy-based foods in the previous 3 months was assessed for 99 male partners of subfertile couples who presented for semen analyses to the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center. Linear and quantile regression were used to determine the association of soy foods and isoflavones intake with semen quality parameters while adjusting for personal characteristics. RESULTS: There was an inverse association between soy food intake and sperm concentration that remained significant after accounting for age, abstinence time, body mass index, caffeine and alcohol intake and smoking. In the multivariate-adjusted analyses, men in the highest category of soy food intake had 41 million sperm/ml less than men who did not consume soy foods (95% confidence interval 5 ‐74, ‐8;P, trend 5 0.02). Results for individual soy isoflavones were similar to the results for soy foods and were strongest for glycitein, but did not reach statistical significance. The inverse relation between soy food intake and sperm concentration was more pronounced in the high end of the distribution (90th and 75th percentile) and among overweight or obese men. Soy food and soy isoflavone intake were unrelated to sperm motility, sperm morphology or ejaculate volume. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that higher intake of soy foods and soy isoflavones is associated with lower sperm concentration.
Bed roughness effects on boundary‐layer turbulence and consequences for odor‐tracking behavior of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus)

We employed laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements of odorant plume structure and behavioral observations to examine how turbulence affects the three-dimensional structure of odorant plumes and subsequently mediates olfactory search efficiency and success in our model organism, the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). The turbulent characteristics of two laboratory flumes (one for behavioral quantification, one for signal-structure quantification) were systematically varied by changing the bed substrate roughness to create smooth, transitional, and fully rough flow conditions. Generally, increasing bed roughness caused greater mixing, decreased the time-averaged odorant concentration and concentration variance, and increased the plume width and homogeneity. Foraging success and speed of blue crabs attempting to locate the odorant source both declined consistently with increasing bed roughness. The variation in signal structure at the height of the antennules among bed-roughness treatments explains the observed behavior differences in crab foraging speed. In contrast, steering (path linearity) appeared to be unaffected by bed-roughness-induced turbulence. The transverse correlation function for odorant concentration at sensors separated across the width of the plume was examined among bed-roughness treatments, and, ultimately, the correlation function was found to be related to the spatial position of tracking blue crabs. The spatial arrangement of blue crab chemosensors combined with the three-dimensional structure of odor plumes account for the differential effects of turbulence on the speed and success of crab-tracking behavior.
Sentinel Event Methods for Monitoring Unanticipated Adverse Events

We propose an approach to monitoring unanticipated adverse events in a clinical trial. For a specific type of event, the methods allow the first occurrence, the first few occurrences, or an elevated rate to trigger a formal monitoring plan to identify whether that event occurs more frequently in the treated than in the control arm. The methods can apply either to rare events or to common events not expected to occur at an elevated rate in the treated group. We offer some simple models, emphasizing that, by the very nature of its rarity, a rare event is quite difficult to monitor.
The 'Four Great Waters' Case: An Important Expansion of Waiāhole Ditch and the Public Trust Doctrine

Twelve years after its celebrated decision in Waiāhole Ditch, the Hawaii Supreme Court again confirmed that the public trust doctrine is a valuable tool for reigning in private rights in water in order to promote public purposes. As in Waiāhole Ditch, local community groups in In re "Iao Ground Water Management Area (the “Four Great Waters” case) sought to defend the rights of the public in Hawaii’s water resources by challenging two of the largest private entities within the State: the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar and the Wailuku Water Company. In its decision, the court unanimously vacated the Commission’s decision granting water permit applications to the companies and restoring little to none of the instream flows necessary to sustain four major Maui streams. This Article focuses on the court’s exercise of jurisdiction and addresses the heightened standard of review applied to decisions involving the state water resources trust. It suggests that — by emphasizing the importance of judicial review of actions impacting trust resources — the decision promotes public participation in public trust decision-making. These developments solidify the doctrine’s concrete ability to protect public rights in water and to protect those resources for future generations.
Developmental Anomalies – Clefts

Developmental congenital anomalies present both opportunities and challenges for personalized medicine. Since such anomalies develop before birth, prevention (one of the major goals of personalized medicine) is less pertinent. Instead, other opportunities are likely to be more attainable, for example, the use of personalized medicine approaches to improve treatment, prognosis, long-term outcomes, and prevention of associated health complications. Here we will focus on orofacial clefts (OFCs) as a model for other congenital anomalies with respect to personalized medicine. OFCs, primarily cleft lip (CL) and cleft palate (CP) are among the most common birth defects in all populations worldwide, with notable population, ethnicity, and gender differences in birth prevalence. In this chapter we trace major advances in phenotypic and genetic research of OFC which have laid the groundwork for applying the promise of personalized medicine for OFCs and other developmental anomalies. Notably, OFC represents a major success in applying genome-wide approaches to the etiology of a complex trait, and is poised for further breakthroughs in the near future.
Problem or Paradox: Teaching the Catholic Religion in Catholic Schools

Across the globe, debate ensues on the nature and role of teaching religion in Catholic schools. There is confusion as to how this practice applies in today’s world. A variety of different and conflicting perspectives currently operate at every level of the church’s life – internationally, academically and pastorally. What criteria should guide the practice? What assumptions and presuppositions ought to guide the pedagogy? How does the teaching of religion fit into the particular mission and ethos of the school? Is it educationally compatible with the evangelical proclamation of the faith? Would this be a problem or a paradox? The chapter seeks to untangle and shed light on this debate.
Development of a capstone course to improve student confidence and pharmacotherapy knowledge prior to advanced pharmacy practice experiences

Abstract Objective To describe a capstone course designed to improve student confidence with clinical skills, improve confidence with providing medication therapy, and evaluate student knowledge. Design A 2-week capstone course was incorporated into the third-year pharmacotherapy course in a Doctor of Pharmacy program. Students evaluated complex patient cases and developed pharmacotherapy care plans. Pre- and post-capstone course survey results were used to assess change in student confidence using clinical skills and providing medication therapy, and quiz and exam results were used to assess student knowledge. Results Student confidence significantly improved from baseline for clinical skills ( p p p p Conclusion A 2-week capstone course can be valuable to improve confidence and assess student knowledge prior to advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs).
Social Support and Life Satisfaction among Older Adults in China: Family-Based Support versus Community-Based Support

Family-based support has been the traditional care arrangement for the elderly in China. With the maturing of its "one child per couple" policy and the changing scenarios of family structure and cultural norms, these traditional care arrangements for the Chinese elderly are becoming dismantled. Centers and associations within the community have gradually become the major infrastructures to provide old age service and support in China. This study examined the effects of family-based and community-based support on life satisfaction among older Chinese adults, using data from the pilot survey of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2008. A series of multilevel models were assessed with statistical package SAS 9.2 among 1,398 Chinese adults aged 45 or older. The results suggest that even with the inclusion of community-based support, family-based support variable, the perceived future help from family members, still significantly predicted the life satisfaction among older Chinese adults.
Divergent Trends in Accredited Forestry Programs in the United States: Implications for Research and Education

Undergraduate forestry programs in the United States have been accredited by the Society of American Foresters since 1935. Over the subsequent 75 years, the list of accredited undergraduate programs has grown, but several of the original programs have recently dropped their forestry programs or their accreditation. When forestry programs were first accredited in the United States, they were all housed in larger research universities. In recent decades, there has been a contraction of forestry programs at universities with a strong research/doctoral education emphasis and an expansion at other universities and colleges in programs with little or no research/doctoral education. This trend is also apparent if the number of graduates by current Carnegie classification is compared from 1935 to 1960 with 2010. These trends raise important questions regarding forestry education at a time when many are calling for more broadly trained foresters that can understand and apply emerging science and management trends. If this trend continues, it might result in more narrowly trained foresters and shortages of researchers and teachers with professional training. For a profession that prides itself on advancing the “science, education, technology, and practice of forestry,” these trends suggest a future where the science becomes increasingly separated from the practice.
A Way Across the Mountain: Joseph Walker’s 1833 Trans-Sierran Passage and the Myth of Yosemite’s Discovery. By Scott Stine

A Way Across the Mountain: Joseph Walker’s 1833 Trans-Sierran Passage and the Myth of Yosemite’s Discovery . By Scott Stine. (Norman: Arthur H. Clark, 2015. 317 pp. Illustrations, maps, chart, appendices, notes, bibliography, index. $39.95.) Scott Stine, emeritus professor of geography and anthropology and an experienced Sierra trekker, sets out to explain “a milestone in the exploration of intermontane North America,” Joseph Walker’s westward transit of Southern California’s Sierra Nevada (p. 19). Stine also aims to unravel a “myth” originating in an 1876 eulogy that asserted Walker was the first white man to see the future Yosemite National Park. The book is organized strangely, with twenty-one “chapters” (several occupy one to five pages), five interspersed “excursions” (with titles like “The Matter of … bbarbour{at}boisestate.edu
SU-F-T-544: Development of a Clinically Feasible Workflow of 4D MRI-Based Treatment Planning for Liver SBRT

Purpose: To develop a clinically feasible workflow of 4D MRI-based treatment planning for liver SBRT. Methods: A clinical workflow based on 4D MRI for liver SBRT was designed to largely simulate the same procedure as 4D CT for lung SBRT. Key features of the workflow include: (1) contouring tumor volume at each phases (2) contouring more structures, (3) assigning CT numbers to structures for dose calculation. Uncertainties (bone delineation, MRI distortion, CT number assignment, etc.) were investigated using five clinical treatment plans of liver SBRT by simulating the following scenarios: homogeneous calculation, calculation with CT number assignment (for each structure separately and for all combined), calculation with and without distortion (mimicked by shirking body structure by 1mm to 5 mm). Dose-histogram volume (DVF) parameters were collected from the simulated cases and compared to those in the original plan. Lastly, a patient example case of 4D MRI-based treatment plan was performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed workflow. Results: In homogeneous calculation, the average percentage volume error (ΔV30) of liver was 0.40% and maximum average dose error (GTV ΔD95) was 1.08Gy. Between MRI-based and original plans, liver ΔV30 was 0.28% and maximum average dose error (GTV ΔD95) was 0.75Gy. Basically dose errors and percentage volume error increased as distortion increased. In some special cases, in original plans, the minimum spinal cord max dose error appeared when distortion was 4mm; in MRI-based plans, the minimum liver ΔV30 appeared when distortion was 3mm. In the example case, mean liver dose was 20.7Gy in 4D MRI-based plan and 34.2Gy in 4D CT-based plan. Conclusion: A clinically feasible workflow of 4D MRI-based treatment planning for liver SBRT has been established. Dose uncertainties of the workflow were generally small, except for large MR geometric distortions (> 3 mm). NIH (1R21CA165384)
Effects of low-dose rate γ-irradiation combined with simulated microgravity on markers of oxidative stress, DNA methylation potential, and remodeling in the mouse heart.

Purpose Space travel is associated with an exposure to low-dose rate ionizing radiation and the microgravity environment, both of which may lead to impairments in cardiac function. We used a mouse model to determine short- and long-term cardiac effects to simulated microgravity (hindlimb unloading; HU), continuous low-dose rate γ-irradiation, or a combination of HU and low-dose rate γ-irradiation. Methods Cardiac tissue was obtained from female, C57BL/6J mice 7 days, 1 month, 4 months, and 9 months following the completion of a 21 day exposure to HU or a 21 day exposure to low-dose rate γ-irradiation (average dose rate of 0.01 cGy/h to a total of 0.04 Gy), or a 21 day simultaneous exposure to HU and low-dose rate γ-irradiation. Immunoblot analysis, rt-PCR, high-performance liquid chromatography, and histology were used to assess inflammatory cell infiltration, cardiac remodeling, oxidative stress, and the methylation potential of cardiac tissue in 3 to 6 animals per group. Results The combination of HU and γ-irradiation demonstrated the strongest increase in reduced to oxidized glutathione ratios 7 days and 1 month after treatment, but a difference was no longer apparent after 9 months. On the other hand, no significant changes in 4-hydroxynonenal adducts was seen in any of the groups, at the measured endpoints. While manganese superoxide dismutase protein levels decreased 9 months after low-dose γ-radiation, no changes were observed in expression of catalase or Nrf2, a transcription factor that determines the expression of several antioxidant enzymes, at the measured endpoints. Inflammatory marker, CD-2 protein content was significantly decreased in all groups 4 months after treatment. No significant differences were observed in α-smooth muscle cell actin protein content, collagen type III protein content or % total collagen. Conclusions This study has provided the first and relatively broad analysis of small molecule and protein markers of oxidative stress, T-lymphocyte infiltration, and cardiac remodeling in response to HU with simultaneous exposure to low-dose rate γ-radiation. Results from the late observation time points suggest that the hearts had mostly recovered from these two experimental conditions. However, further research is needed with larger numbers of animals for a more robust statistical power to fully characterize the early and late effects of simulated microgravity combined with exposure to low-dose rate ionizing radiation on the heart.
An Integrated Continuous Auditing Approach

ABSTRACT: The concept of continuous auditing has been around for more than three decades. Although researchers have made great progress in enhancing our understanding and the implementation of continuous auditing, several challenges remain. This paper provides a new conceptual framework, the integrated continuous auditing approach, to potentially overcome the challenges. We also illustrate how the proposed framework can be implemented by enabling the collaboration between internal and external auditors, as well as by readjusting the roles of auditing parties.
Metal-Free Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Organoselenides and Selenoglycosides

A one-pot, metal-free procedure has been developed to synthesize unsymmetrical organoselenides. In the first step of the reaction, arylation of potassium selenocyanate (KSeCN) with an iodonium reagent proceeds in the absence of a metal catalyst to produce an arylselenocyanate. In the second step, treatment with sodium borohydride unmasks a second selenium nucleophile that engages an aliphatic electrophile, iodonium reagent, or glycosyl halide. The procedure represents an umpolung approach to the synthesis of aryl-selenides.
Radiation Emissions from Turbulent Diffusion Flames Burning Vaporized Jet and Jet-like Fuels

This study measured and compared the size and radiation emissions from turbulent diffusion flames burning large hydrocarbon fuels, including jet fuels. This effort is motivated by the need to understand how burning conventional or alternative jet-like fuels changes radiation emissions. Radiative heat transfer is significant because it is can alter pollutant formation and the lifetime of combustion devices. Eleven fuels were evaluated, consisting of traditional and alternative aviation fuels (e.g., Jet-A) and 1–3 component fuels. The flames were burned on a reduced-scale piloted Sydney turbulent diffusion burner with Reynolds numbers (Re) ranging from 7500 to 45 000. The vaporized fuel exited the burner near 300 °C. The radiative heat flux and the radiation intensity were measured using a radiometer (Medtherm, Model 64-0.2-20) and a mid-infrared camera (FLIR, Model SC6700), respectively. The radiant fraction (χR) is reported for the different fuels. χR typically varied by <15% at similar Re for the differe...
Special session on reliability and vulnerability of neuromorphic computing systems

This is the summary of the special session on reliability and vulnerability of neuromorphic computing systems.
Brain Network Connectivity and Executive Function in Long-Term Survivors of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Abstract Chemotherapeutic agents used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common cancer affecting young children, have been associated with long-term cognitive impairments that re...
Results of surgical resection for metastatic liver tumors.

According to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program population-based registries, the age-adjusted colorectal cancer incidence rates have declined from a peak of 63 per 100,000 population in 1985 to 50 per 100,000 in 1995 (1). During 2000, there were approximately 130,000 newly diagnosed patients with colorectal cancer in the United States, and about 15–25% were estimated to have synchronous liver metastases (2,3).
A Study on Parametric Amplification in a Piezoelectric MEMS Device

In various applications, damping from the surrounding fluid severely degrades the performance of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). In this paper, mechanical amplification through parametric resonance was investigated in a piezoelectrically actuated MEMS to overcome the effects of damping. The device was fabricated using the PiezoMUMPS process, which is based on a Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) process with an additional aluminum nitride (AlN) layer. Here, a double-clamped cantilever beam with a concentrated mass at the center was excited at its first resonance mode (out-of-plane motion) in air and at atmospheric conditions. A parametric signal modulating the stiffness of the beam was added at twice the frequency of the excitation signal, which was swept through the resonance frequency of the mode. The displacement at the center of the device was detected optically. A four-fold increase in the quality-factor, Q, of the resonator was obtained at the highest values in amplitude used for the parametric excitation. The spring modulation constant was obtained from the effective quality-factor, Q e f f , versus parametric excitation voltage curve. This study demonstrates that through these methods, significant improvements in performance of MEMS in fluids can be obtained, even for devices fabricated using standard commercial processes.
Conquering Radicals with a Sense of Humor.

In this issue of Cell Chemical Biology, Vasavda et al. (2019) present data supporting a neuroprotective role for bilirubin, a bioactive product resulting from heme degradation. While the antioxidant capability of bilirubin is well documented, its role in modulating superoxide radical signaling offers new insight into the regulation of neurotransmission and neuronal survival.
Technical Note: Robust individual thermoluminescence dosimeter tracking using optical fingerprinting

PURPOSE The thermoluminescence dosimeter (TLD) has desirable features including low cost, reusability, small size, and relatively low energy dependence. However, the commonly available poly-crystal TLDs (e.g., TLD-100) exhibit high interdetector variability that requires individual calibration for high detection accuracy. To improve individual TLD tracking robustness, we developed an optical fingerprinting method to identify the TLD-100 chips. METHODS Seven hundred and fifty-two images were initially captured using a digital microscope camera to build a feature library for both facets of 376 TLD-100 chips. A median intensity thresholding method was used to segment images into foreground and background. The affine transformation was used to register the segmented images to the same position. The fingerprint of each image was calculated from its registered image. All fingerprints were then recorded in an Elasticsearch® search database. The TLD fingerprint match was tested three times when the library was established and repeated once 20 months later. All chips were irradiated at 0, 1, 4, and 8 Gy on a calibrated clinical MV linac to establish the individual calibration curve. RESULTS The true positive rate of identifying TLDs based on their optical fingerprints was 100% at initialization of the inventory. After 20 months and multiple deployments for characterization, calibration, and dose measurement, the true positive match rate dropped to 99% with zero false-positive matches. The TLDs exhibited high self-consistency in the dose-response test with R2 between 0.988 and 1 with linear regression. CONCLUSIONS The TLD-100 chips surface textures are unique and sufficient to support accurate identification based on the optical fingerprinting. This method provides inexpensive and robust management of the TLDs for individual calibration and dosimetry.
Locke’s Biblical Hermeneutics on Bodily Resurrection

Not unlike the Catholics, the English Reformed circles—the Church of England—upheld the legitimacy of the Revelation and miracles, recognised the Mosaic account of creation, original sin and the Trinity, the non-corporeal nature of spiritual substance, the eternity of punishment or reward and the primacy of Church over State. And so where did Locke’s hermeneutics fit into this complex panorama in terms of the interpretations of Christian anthropology and the resurrection? As underscored in the early chapters of The Reasonableness of Christianity, Locke does not appear to consider that the sin of Adam has to fall on the whole of posterity, and again there is no positive affirmation of the Trinity in this work which, although it is not named, in effect proves to be incompatible with the definitions of person and individual identity which he provides in the Essay concerning human understanding.
Distributed Network of LDO Microregulators Providing Submicrosecond DVFS and IR Drop Compensation for a 24-Core Microprocessor in 14-nm SOI CMOS

A distributed network of low-dropout (LDO) microregulators (uREGs) senses and corrects the voltages at multiple points on a power supply grid in a multi-core microprocessor to reduce errors due to IR drops. A voltage regulator controller (VREGC) compares the voltages at various points on the grid to a programmable reference and delivers a set of corrective 2-b up/down (UP/DN) codes (global feedback) to the distributed uREGs across the core. Inside each uREG, the UP/DN codes control a local charge pump that sets the reference for an asynchronous comparator that turns on and off a pMOS passgate with a sub-nanosecond response. To mitigate the self-generated ripple, hybrid fast/slow passgate control is employed, whereby a parallel pMOS passgate with a slew-rate-limited gate drive is used to supply the dc portion of the load current. The distributed regulator architecture includes a scheme for limiting the degree of load-sharing imbalances among its uREGs due to the VREGC comparator offsets. Adding a switched-capacitor (SC) accelerator to the charge pump of each uREG speeds up the output-voltage transitions by up to 17 $\times $ for greater dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) savings. Line and load regulations are 9 mV/V and 1.1 mV/A, respectively. The regulator achieves a peak power efficiency of 95.2% and a peak current efficiency of 99.1%. It reaches a peak power density of 82.3 W/mm2.
Protective effects of tiopronin on oxidatively challenged human lung carcinoma cells (A549).

Tiopronin (MPG) is a thiol antioxidant drug that has been explored as a treatment for various oxidative stress-related disorders. However, many of its antioxidant capabilities remain untested in we...
Low genetic diversity in a population of Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor), a species pending Endangered status

The Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor) is a colonial songbird, found almost exclusively in California, whose total population size has sharply declined over the past century. It is currently under review to be listed as Endangered under both the California and U.S. Endangered Species Acts. Here we assess the genetic diversity of a breeding population in California9s Central Valley, comparing our findings with previously sampled conspecific and congeneric populations. First, we genotyped 50 adults at 9 microsatellite loci in our focal population and estimated allelic and Shannon diversity, observed and expected heterozygosity, and the inbreeding coefficient (FIS). Second, we compared our results to those of the one existing study on Tricolored Blackbird conservation genetics and found that levels of allelic diversity and heterozygosity in our focal population were similar to those of 11 previously studied populations. Unlike the earlier study, which found moderately high mean inbreeding coefficients, we detected no evidence of inbreeding in our focal population. Third, we used 7 of the 9 loci to compare the genetic diversity of our focal population with populations of 2 previously sampled Agelaius congeners. We found that allelic diversity, Shannon diversity, and expected heterozygosity in our Tricolored Blackbird population were most similar to those of an isolated Red-winged Blackbird (A. phoeniceus) population in the Bahamas. We discuss possible reasons for the different results from the conspecific study, outline why the collective findings from both studies support the need for protective measures, and urge conservation action to maintain existing genetic diversity and gene flow before ongoing population losses lead to adverse fitness consequences.
Pre-Operative Antibiotic Agents for Facial Fractures: Is More Than One Day Necessary?

Background: Despite a paucity of evidence, patients with facial fractures often receive long courses of pre-operative antibiotic agents. This study compared the effect of a short versus long pre-op...
Bisphenols and Risk of Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review of the Impact of Diet and Bioactive Food Components.

Data from preclinical studies suggest a link between increased risk of breast cancer and exposure to bisphenols at doses below what the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers as safe for consumption. Bisphenols exert estrogenic effects and are found in canned and plastic wrapped foods, food packaging, and plasticware. Mechanistically, bisphenols bind to the estrogen receptor (ER) and activate the expression of genes associated with cell proliferation and breast cancer. In this paper, we present a narrative literature review addressing bisphenol A and chemical analogs including bisphenol AF, bisphenol F, and bisphenol S selected as prototype xenoestrogens; then, we discuss biological mechanisms of action of these bisphenols in breast cells and potential impact of exposure at different stages of development (i.e., perinatal, peripubertal, and adult). Finally, we summarize studies detailing interactions, both preventative and promoting, of bisphenols with food components on breast cancer risk. We conclude the review with a discussion of current controversies in interpretation of the above research and future areas for investigation, including the impact of bisphenols and food components on breast tumor risk.
Telehealth in an Orthopedic Sports Medicine Clinic: The First 100 Patients.

Background: Orthopedic specialties have begun to embrace telehealth as an alternative to in-person visits. We have not found studies assessing telehealth in sports medicine. Our goal is to evaluate...
Rigorous estimation of post-translational proteasomal splicing in the immunopeptidome

ABSTRACT Recently, de novo peptide sequencing has made it possible to gain new insights into the human immunopeptidome without relying on peptide databases, while identifying peptides of unknown origin. Many recent studies have attributed post-translational proteasomal splicing as the origin of those peptides. Here, we describe a peptide source assignment workflow to rigorously assign the source of de novo sequenced peptides and find that the estimated extent of post-translational splicing in the immunopeptidome is much lower than previously reported. Our approach demonstrates that many peptides that were thought to be post-translationally spliced are likely linear peptides, and many peptides that were thought to be trans-spliced could be cis-spliced. We believe our approach furthers the understanding of post-translationally spliced peptides and thus improves the characterization of immunopeptidome which plays a critical role in the immune response to antigens in cancer, autoimmune disease, and infections.
Maternal Use of Decontextualized and Contextualized Talk: An In-Depth Investigation of Early Parent-Child Interactions in Down Syndrome.

Purpose The goal of this study was to characterize and quantify maternal use of decontextualized and contextualized input during mother–child interactions including young children with Down syndrom...
Evaluation of Morbidity and Mortality in Young Dairy Heifers After Vaccination with a Pasteurella haemolytica A 1 Leukotoxoid

Respiratory disease is the most common problem in weaned dairy young stock and Pasteurella haemolytica biotype A, serotype 1 is the organism most frequently isolated from the lungs of calves affected with severe, fibrinopurulent bronchopneumonia.
CLINICOSOCIAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE DIAGNOSTIC DELAY IN ALS (P4.127)

Objective: To identify the clinical, demographic and social predictors of delay in diagnosing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Background: ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and an average survival time after diagnosis of three years. Thus early diagnosis and supportive treatment of the disease is paramount to ensuring patients have the best possible quality of life. Due to lack of robust diagnostic biomarkers, there is often a delay in its diagnosis. Design/Methods: This was a retrospective chart review including 50 patients that received complete care for ALS between 2010 and 2016. Demographic, social factors, site of onset, diagnostic tests run on individual patients were gathered. ANOVA was used to tests statistical significance and a p Results: 50 patients (12 upper limb onset, 25 lower limb and 13 bulbar) with 29 males and 21 females, 95% Caucasian were included in the study. Average age of diagnosis was 60 years with bulbar at 65 years and upper limb at 56 years. Lower limb onset ALS was diagnosed 27 months after symptom onset (p Conclusions: Older male patients with lower limb onset ALS, frontotemporal behavior and current alcohol abuse caused significant delay in the diagnosis of ALS. Disclosure: Dr. Young has nothing to disclose. Dr. Alqadri has nothing to disclose. Dr. Govindarajan has nothing to disclose.
Kinematics of sea star legged locomotion.

Sea stars have slower crawling and faster bouncing gaits. Both speed and oscillation amplitude increase during the transition from crawling to oscillating. In the bouncy gait, oscillating vertical velocities precede oscillating horizontal velocities by 90 deg, as reflected by clockwise circular hodographs. Potential energy precedes horizontal kinetic energy by 9.6 deg and so they are nearly in phase. These phase relationships resemble terrestrial running gaits, except that podia are always on the ground. Kinetic and potential energy scale with body mass as Mb 1.1, with the change in kinetic energy consistently two orders of magnitude less, indicating that efficient exchange is not feasible. Frequency of the bouncy gait scales with Mb-0.14, which is similar to continuously running vertebrates and indicates that gravitational forces are important. This scaling differs from the Hill model, in which scaling of muscle forces determine frequency. We propose a simple torque-stabilized inverted pendulum (TS-IP) model to conceptualize the dynamics of this gait. The TS-IP model incorporates mathematics equivalent to an angular spring, but implemented by a nearly constant upward force generated by the podia in each step. That upward force is just larger than the force required to sustain the underwater weight of the sea star. Even though the bouncy gait is the rapid gait for these sea stars, the pace of movement is still very slow. In fact, the observed Froude numbers (10-2 to 10-3) are much lower than those typical of vertebrate locomotion and are as low or lower than those reported for slow-walking fruit flies, which are the lowest values for pedestrian Froude numbers of which we are aware.
Initial value problem in string-inspired nonlocal field theory

We consider a nonlocal scalar field theory inspired by the tachyon action in open string field theory. The Lorentz-covariant action is characterized by a parameter $\xi^2$ that quantifies the amount of nonlocality. Restricting to purely time-dependent configurations, we show that a field redefinition perturbative in $\xi^2$ reduces the action to a local two-derivative theory with a $\xi^2$-dependent potential. This picture is supported by evidence that the redefinition maps the wildly oscillating rolling tachyon solutions of the nonlocal theory to conventional rolling in the new scalar potential. For general field configurations we exhibit an obstruction to a local Lorentz-covariant formulation, but we can still achieve a formulation local in time, as well as a light-cone formulation. These constructions provide an initial value formulation and a Hamiltonian. Their causality is consistent with a lack of superluminal behavior in the nonlocal theory.
The Effects of a Pass-Fail Curriculum on a Physician Assistant Program.

PURPOSE The grading scale for students in a physician assistant program of study is not standardized. Students may be evaluated on a traditional 5-tiered A to F scale or a pass-fail system. The decision to change from ordered grading to pass-fail at an established program in the southeast was done following a change in the affiliated School of Medicine. The purpose of this study was to review effects on student scores following such a change. METHODS The Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) and PACKRAT 2 exam scores for the last 2 cohorts of students scored in the 5-tiered system (2016, N = 60 and 2017, N = 59) were compared against the same for the first 2 cohorts (2018, N = 59 and 2019, N = 58) of the pass-fail system. Nonrandom sampling of all students in each cohort year was evaluated using 2-tailed t-testing. RESULTS A total of 236 student scores were evaluated using a 95% confidence interval. The traditionally scored classes outperformed all pass-fail cohorts (means 460.67/491.86 versus 503.34/493.92). P values were found to be significant at all values between the 5-tier scored classes and the pass-fail cohorts in PANCE scoring, resulting in failure to reject the null hypothesis. This was also true for the PACKRAT 2 with the exception of the 2019 cohort, which was significant only for outperformance of the other pass-fail cohort. For the purpose of this study, the only analysis performed was scoring. CONCLUSION For cohorts undergoing curricular change, unforeseen impacts on initial standardized exam scores may occur. In this study, PANCE scores for the first year of the 2 pass-fail cohorts decreased while the overall program scores remained at or above the national average. The pass-fail cohort did show an upward trend in the second year of the curriculum, suggesting that as programs become more familiar with the pass-fail system, steady improvements occur. This suggests that while an anticipated drop in initial scores may be expected, further studies are needed to evaluate the impact on stress reduction, long retention, and intraclass competition.
Spatio-temporal impacts of fire on soil nutrient availability in Larrea tridentata shrublands of the Mojave Desert, USA

Abstract Soil nutrients and herbaceous plant growth are patchily distributed in desert ecosystems, often restricted to “fertility islands” created by perennial shrubs. Although fire has been historically uncommon in southwestern American hot deserts (e.g., the Mojave), these regions have experienced more severe fires due to recent invasions of exotic species that increased proneness to fire. Nevertheless, the effects of fire on soil nutrients in SW deserts, including via the removal of shrubs by fire, remain unclear. We assessed the spatio-temporal impacts of fire on soil nutrient availability in burned and unburned areas of the Mojave Desert. The study was conducted in shrublands dominated by Larrea tridentata. We investigated both the short (seven months after fire) and long (seven years after fire) term effects of fire on soil nutrient availability within a microhabitat gradient spanning from under the shrub canopy to open inter-shrub areas. We found that nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) were higher under the canopy of burned L. tridentata seven months after fire. In contrast, seven years after fire, N and K availability were lower around shrubs that were killed by fire. Over the short-term, fire had a positive effect on soil nutrients. However, over the long-term, the fertility island effect diminished after removal of shrubs by fire, and the differential availability of nutrients such as N and K became more similar under shrubs and in open inter-shrub areas. This reinforces the key role of L. tridentata in influencing the distribution of soil nutrients and provides support for the hypothesis that post-fire herbaceous plant growth will be less restricted to areas under shrubs.
Influence of Physical Activity on Hypertension and Cardiac Structure and Function

The global burden of hypertension is rising and accounts for substantial morbidity and mortality. Lifestyle factors such as diet and physical inactivity contribute to this burden, further highlighting the need for prevention efforts to curb this public health epidemic. Regular physical activity is associated with lower blood pressure, reduced cardiovascular risk, and cardiac remodeling. While exercise and hypertension can both be associated with the development of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), the cardiac remodeling from hypertension is pathologic with an associated increase in myocyte hypertrophy, fibrosis, and risk of heart failure and mortality, whereas LVH in athletes is generally non-pathologic and lacks the fibrosis seen in hypertension. In hypertensive patients, physical activity has been associated with paradoxical regression or prevention of LVH, suggesting a mechanism by which exercise can benefit hypertensive patients. Further studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying the benefits of physical activity in the hypertensive heart.
Two axis-of-rotation mirror array using electromagnetic MEMS

This paper presents an overview of Coming IntelliSense's 3D electromagnetic MEMS mirror technology for use in optical switching applications. This work presents for the first time a dense array of mirrors actuated through large angles at low voltage and low current. Multiple coils on the backs of the mirrors interact with permanent magnetic fields to provide actuation. Unlike previous electromagnetic 2-axis mirrors, a novel and simple arrangement of coils and magnets provides true 2-axis orthogonal actuation, as well as an order of magnitude increase in tilt (/spl deg//mA). Actuation is linear vs. drive current on both axes, and displays negligible charging and drift. These mirrors have achieved greater than 10 degrees mechanical rotation per mA in each axis, a 40x increase over previously reported work. The mirror rotation angle is hysteresis free to less than 0.01 degrees, and is actuated at about 1 volt.
Comparison of methods of determining meteoroid range rates from linear frequency modulated chirped pulses

[1] In this paper we present three methods for evaluating range rates of meteoroids passing through the ionosphere, using linear frequency modulated (LFM) chirped pulse data from the ALTAIR radar. The first method is based on the simple calculation of range differences divided by interpulse intervals. The second method utilizes the dual‐frequency capability of ALTAIR to solve for range rates based on the difference in the measured ranges due to range‐Doppler coupling. The third method utilizes a simplified form of integer programming in order to unwrap the phase differences of the matched filter time response, with reliance on the rough approximation available from the first method to disambiguate the solution set. The results of the three methods, with error bounds, are given for a large set of meteoroid head echoes taken from a data collection conducted with ALTAIR in 2007. Citation: Loveland, R., A. Macdonell, S. Close, M. Oppenheim, and P. Colestock (2011), Comparison of methods of determining meteoroid range rates from linear frequency modulated chirped pulses, Radio Sci., 46, RS2007,
Unraveling the apparent magnitude threshold of remote earthquake triggering using full wavefield surface wave simulation

[1] Empirical studies with earthquake catalogs suggest that large events (M > 5) are rarely triggered in significant numbers by passing surface waves at remote distances from main shocks. Triggered, small (M 7) main shocks. Since large earthquakes involve larger rupture areas, we study the spatial and temporal characteristics of dynamic stress change for clues. Using a 3D finite element method, we model the complete wavefield from the 2002 M = 7.9 Denali earthquake recorded near the Wasatch Front in Utah, where details about triggered seismicity are known. In particular, we load our model with a displacement seismogram to acquire a time series of the stress change tensor and model failure of a representative normal fault based on these stress changes. We note that the stress-change regime varies rapidly between favoring strike-slip, thrust, and normal faulting, with durations lasting � 1–4 s. We find that these stress regimes usually affect only some fraction of a fault surface at any given time. Stress amplitudes also vary, meaning that ideal conditions for triggering are short-lived and spatially limited. Stress conditions can also rapidly reverse to regimes that inhibit slip. Given these stressing conditions, we conclude that it may be difficult for a larger rupture area to experience the temporally and spatially coherent stress change necessary to develop into a large magnitude earthquake.
Market share inertia with more than two firms: An existence problem

Abstract When there is market share inertia, there may exist an equilibrium in pure price strategies in a duopoly. But when the number of firms is greater than two, such an equilibrium never exists.
$R$-sequences and homological dimension

The motivation for the results in this note comes from a theorem of Macaulay. Let f 1 , …, f n be elements of a polynomial ring R over a field, and let I be the ideal they generate. Assume I R and rank ( I ) = n . Then the theorem of Lasker and Macaulay asserts that I is unmixed (all prime ideals belonging to I have rank n ). Macaulay [1, p. 51] proved further that any power of I is unmixed .