cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevention of Stress-Provoked Endothelial Injury by Values Affirmation: a Proof of Principle Study

Background Few studies have tested whether cellular processes directly associated with cardiovascular disease risk can be influenced by a psychological inoculation. Purpose This study investigated whether values affirmation, a psychological procedure designed to reduce stress and threat perception, would prevent endothelial injury to social evaluative threat (SET). Methods Participants (N=32) were randomized to SET, SET with values affirmation, or Control. SET was induced with the Trier Social Stress Test, and participants performed values affirmation prior to SET induction. Using flow cytometry, endothelial injury was assessed by measuring circulating levels of endothelial cell-derived microparticles (EMPs) phenotypic for endothelial cell activation (CD62E+), apoptosis (CD31+) or both (CD51+). Results Social threat caused expected increases in circulating EMPs phenotypic of endothelial cell injury, a response completely attenuated in those receiving values affirmation. Conclusions This study, as proof of principle due to small sample size, shows cellular level, cardiovascular disease-relevant effects of social stress and provides the first evidence of inoculation against such effects by a psychological procedure.
Von Wright’s Logic of Propositions Expressing Preferences

Georg Henrik von Wright’s work on the logic of preference represented in its time the most thorough treatment of this area of twentieth century philosophy. Without question, von Wright performed the invaluable task of carefully defining the range of a logic of preference, considered in an intrinsic sense, demarcating the extent and limits of its scope. His understanding of the complexity of the theoretical issues with which this logic deals introduced a wholly philosophical attitude to the enterprise of developing such a logic, in marked contrast to prior efforts which relied heavily upon techniques developed in economics and related areas. Von Wright’s early effort was to affect almost every subsequent attempt in this particular area of philosophical logic.
Estimating Latent Cell Subpopulations with Bayesian Feature Allocation Models

Tumor cells are genetically heterogeneous. The collection of the entire tumor cell population consists of different subclones that can be characterized by mutations in sequence and structure at various genomic locations. Using next-generation sequencing data, we characterize tumor heterogeneity using Bayesian nonparametric inference. Specifically, we estimate the number of subclones in a tumor sample, and for each subclone, we estimate the subclonal copy number and single nucleotide mutations at a selected set of loci. Posterior summaries are presented in three matrices, namely, the matrix of subclonal copy numbers (\(\boldsymbol{L}\)), subclonal variant alleles (\(\boldsymbol{Z}\)), and the population frequencies of the subclones (\(\boldsymbol{w}\)). The proposed method can handle a single or multiple tumor samples. Computation via Markov chain Monte Carlo yields posterior Monte Carlo samples of all three matrices, allowing for the assessment of any desired inference summary. Simulation and real-world examples are provided as illustration. An R package is available at http://www.cran.r-project.org/web/packages/BayClone2/index.html.
Additional Mammal Records from the Bonneville Basin, Utah

When Durrant prepared his “Mammals of Utah, taxonomy and distribution” (Univ. Kans. Publ., Mus. Nat. Hist., 6:1-549, 1952) he had comparatively few specimens and records of some kinds of mammals from the Bonneville Basin, particularly from Tooele County. Intensive field work from 1951 to 1955 in Tooele County and other parts of the western Utah desert has extended the known ranges of several mammals to include the northern Bonneville Basin. These records, together with additional specimens and records of certain little-known species already reported from the area, are the basis for this paper. “Specimens examined” are in the collections of Ecological Research at Dugway, Utah; the “other records” resulted from special studies where the mammals collected were identified and recorded but were not prepared as specimens. Most of the present and former members (both civilian and military) on the staff of Ecological Research have contributed time and effort collecting specimens and recording data used in this report. S. D. Durrant confirmed the identification of some of the cottontail rabbits and critically read the manuscript. This work was supported in part by U.S. Army Chemical Corps contracts, Nos. DA-18-108-CML-4776 and DA-18-064-CML-2455, with the University of Utah. Sylvilagus auduboni arizonae? (Allen), Audubon cottontail.—A specimen from Gold Hill, Tooele County, extends the known area of occurrence approximately 40 miles northward. Other records and specimens from the intervening valleys and foothills of desert ranges between the Stansbury and Deep Creek mountains (1951–1955) indicate that this cottontail is uncommon in suitable habitats throughout the area. Cottontails reported ( in verbis ) by several persons to occur in the Newfoundland Mountains, a low desert range in Boxelder County, may also prove to be of this species. As previously stated by Durrant ( op. cit. : 86), the taxonomic status of the Audubon cottontail in the Bonneville Basin still awaits …
Reactions of NH2 with NO2 and of OH with NH2O

The reaction system produced by 193 nm flash photolysis of a mixture of NH3 and NO2 has been investigated experimentally and modeled. The accepted belief that only two channels are of significance for the reaction between NH2 and NO2, producing (a) N2O and H2O and (b) NH2O and NO, is confirmed by the absence of H2O2 absorption signals and the absence of early HNO, as H2O2 and HNO are produced by two of the possible five NH2 + NO2 channels. The fact that the OH concentration extrapolated to the flash is less than the initial NH2 concentration indicates that the channel producing two OH molecules is not significant. HNO is observed to be produced on a slower time scale than that of the NH2 + NO reaction and is believed to be formed by the reaction of OH with NH2O (OH is formed by the reaction of NO2 with H produced by the flash photolysis of NH3). NH2O does not appear to react with NO2 at 296 K on our time scale. Modeling of the reaction system gives a rate for the reaction between NH2O and OH of 1.8(10) × ...
Brain Metabolites and Cognitive Function among Older Depressed and Healthy Individuals Using 2D MR Spectroscopy

Brain metabolites of choline (Ch) and myo-Inisotol (mI) have been reported as elevated among geriatric depressed patients. Two-dimensional (2D) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) provides estimates of Ch, mI, and creatine (Cr) similar to one-dimensional MRS, and it also estimates the resonances of the Ch-containing compounds of phosphoethanolamine (Pe) and phosphocholine (PCh). In this cross-sectional geriatric study, 14 depressed patients and 14 healthy volunteers who were comparable in age, gender, education, comorbid medical burden, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores completed 2D MRS and a neurocognitive battery. A voxel in the left dorsolateral cortex, which was comprised of approximately 60% white matter, was used to estimate the CR ratios of Ch, PCh, Pe, and mI. Composite scores for cognitive function were developed for verbal learning, recall, recognition, executive function, hypothesis generation, and processing speed. Among nondepressed subjects, cognition was positively correlated with Ch/Cr and mI/Cr and negatively correlated with PCh/Cr in four domains of verbal learning, recognition, recall, and hypothesis generation. In contrast, depressed patients did not have consistent relationships between Ch/Cr, mI/Cr, and PCh/Cr and cognition. There was a significant difference in the overall pattern of associations between the four metabolites and verbal learning and processing speed in depressed patients compared to healthy controls. The attenuated relationship between metabolites and specific cognitive domains in patients with late-life MDD suggests that the level of cognitive performance observed during depressive episodes may be associated with changes in biochemistry within the frontostriatal neuronal circuitry.
Elm Volatiles Increase Attraction of Scolytus multistriatus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) to Multilure

Traps baited with multilure and bolts of healthy American elm, Ulmus americana , captured significantly more beetles than traps baited only with multilure. The elm bolt-multilure combination was two to three times as attractive as multilure and 4 to 18 times as attractive as elm bolts alone. The increased attraction from the presence of healthy elm tissue suggests that additional host volatiles, other than those formulated in multilure, contribute to the aggregation of beetles on host trees.
Geological mapping of impact melt deposits at lunar complex craters Jackson and Tycho: Morphologic and topographic diversity and relation to the cratering process

Abstract High resolution geological mapping, aided by imagery and elevation data from the lunar reconnaissance orbiter (LRO) and Kaguya missions, has revealed the scientifically rich character of impact melt deposits at two young complex craters: Jackson (71 km) and Tycho (85 km). The morphology and distribution of mapped impact melt units provide several insights into the cratering process. We report elevation differences (>200 m) among large, coherent floor sections within a single crater and interpret them to be caused by crater wall collapse and/or large scale structural failure of the floor region. Clast-poor, smooth melt deposits are correlated with floor sections at lower elevations and likely represent ponded deposits sourced from higher elevation regions (viz. crater walls). In addition, these deposits are also located in the inferred downrange direction of the impact. Melt-coated large blocks spanning several kilometers are common on the crater floors and may represent collapsed wall sections or in some cases, subdued sections of the central peaks. Spatial trends in the mapped impact melt units at the two craters provide clues to decipher the conditions during each impact event and subsequent evolution of the crater floor.
Limits to the scope of applicability of extended formulations theory for LP models of combinatorial optimisation problems

The purpose of this paper is to bring to attention and to make a contribution to the issue of defining/clarifying the scope of applicability of extended formulations (EFs) theory. Specifically, we show that EFs theory is not valid for relating the sizes of descriptions of polytopes when the sets of the descriptive variables for those polytopes are disjoint, and that new definitions of the notion of 'projection' upon which some of the recent extended formulations works [such as Kaibel (2011), Fiorini et al. (2011, 2012a, 2012b, 2013), Faenza et al. (2012), Gillis and Glineur (2012) and Kaibel and Walter (2014), for example] have been based can cause those works to over-reach in their conclusions.
Fore-arc structure, plate coupling and isostasy in the Central Andes: Insight from gravity data modelling

Abstract The central segment of the Peru-Chile subduction zone has not seen a major earthquake of similar scale to the megathrust Iquique event in 1877 (Magnitude ∼8.8). The plate interface between the subducting and overriding plates in the central segment of the subduction zone is highly coupled and is accumulating elastic energy. Here, we assessed the locking mechanism and isostatic state of the Central Andes based on gravity models of the crust and upper mantle structure. The density models are based on satellite gravity data and are constrained by velocity models and earthquake hypocenters. The gravity models indicate a high density batholithic structure in the fore-arc, overlying the subducting Nazca plate. This high density crustal structure is pressing downward into the slab and locking the plate interface. Thus, plate coupling in the Central Andes may result from pressure exerted by high density fore-arc structures and buoyancy force on the subducting Nazca plate. The increased compressive stress closer to the trench, due to the increased contact between the subducting and overriding plates, may increase the intraplate coupling in the Central Andes. To assess the isostatic state of the Central Andes, we determined the residual topography of the region (difference between observed and isostatic topography). There is a residual topography of ∼800 m in the western part of the Central Andes that cannot be explained by the observed crustal thicknesses. The residual topography may be attributed to mantle wedge flow and subduction of the Nazca plate. Thus, part of the observed topography in the western part of the Central Andes may be dynamically supported by mantle wedge flow below the overriding plate.
Religious Coping, Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety, and Well-Being Among Somali College Students

This study examined the associations between positive and negative religious coping, symptoms of depression and anxiety, physical and emotional well-being among Somali college students in Minnesota. In this online cross-sectional survey study, 156 participants (ages 18–21, M = 21, SD = 2.3) were recruited. Participants reported using more positive religious coping methods. Negative religious coping was associated with an increase in symptoms of both depression (b = .06, p = .003) and anxiety (b = .04, p = .05), and positive religious coping was associated with a decrease in symptoms of depression (b = −.04, p = .05).
Stretching Reduces Skin Thickness and Improves Subcutaneous Tissue Mobility in a Murine Model of Systemic Sclerosis.

Objective: Although physical therapy can help preserve mobility in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), stretching has not been used systematically as a treatment to prevent or reverse the disease process. We previously showed in rodent models that stretching promotes the resolution of connective tissue inflammation and reduces new collagen formation after injury. Here, we tested the hypothesis that stretching would impact scleroderma development using a mouse sclerodermatous Graft versus Host Disease (sclGvHD) model. Methods: The model consists in the adoptive transfer (allogeneic) of splenocytes from B10.D2 mice (graft) into Rag2-/- BALB/c hosts (sclGvHD), resulting in skin inflammation followed by fibrosis over 4 weeks. SclGvHD mice and controls were randomized to stretching in vivo for 10 minutes daily vs. no stretching. Results: Weekly ultrasound measurements of skin thickness and subcutaneous tissue mobility in the back (relative tissue displacement during passive trunk motion) successfully captured the different phases of the sclGvHD model. Stretching reduced skin thickness and increased subcutaneous tissue mobility compared to no stretching at week 3. Stretching also reduced the expression CCL2 and ADAM8 in the skin at week 4, which are two genes known to be upregulated in both murine sclGvHD and the inflammatory subset of human SSc. However, there was no evidence that stretching attenuated inflammation at week 2. Conclusion: Daily stretching for 10 minutes can improve skin thickness and mobility in the absence of any other treatment in the sclGvHD murine model. These pre-clinical results suggest that a systematic investigation of stretching as a therapeutic modality is warranted in patients with SSc.
The role of pancreatic and nonpancreatic hormones in normal pancreatic function and growth

To come further in the understanding of this disease it is essential to understand the biology of the disease and to evaluate the pronounced metabolic disturbances observed in patients with pancreatic cancer~ Almost no other malignant disease has a more powerful impact on body metabolism and composition than pancreatic cancer, especially if related to tumor size. A marked weight-loss often seen and the mortality is more often associated with cachexia rather than to carcinomatosis per se. Studies at our institution indicate that the tumor's endocrine activity plays an important role in the biology of pancreatic carcinoma. This is indicated by the fact that up to 80% of the patients with pancreatic carcinoma have an impaired glucose tolerance at diagnosis (3). The present workshop with the title "Endocrine aspects of exocrine pancreatic cancer" will highlight the current knowledge of pancreatic hormones and growth factors in relation to pancreatic cancer.
Introduction to the Dossier: Shifting Frontiers of Citizenship in Latin America

In recent years, Latin American countries have been at the global forefront of remarkable confrontations, debates, and shifts in the understanding of citizenship. The region has undergone profound transformations in the conceptualization of citizenship and of migration and residency. The frontiers of citizenship have ebbed and flowed with crises of political representation and mounting protest; of multiculturalism and demands of recognition; of labor migration and transnationalism; of struggles around gender, ethnic, and racial issues; and new international articulations and public insecurity. This dossier addresses some of these shifting frontiers of citizenship.
4D seismic close-the-loop impacts business decisions at the Okume Complex, Equatorial Guinea

Abstract Time-lapse seismic “4D” close-the-loop (CtL) technology can play a significant role in creating robust static and dynamic models for deepwater reservoirs, as demonstrated by a case study in Equatorial Guinea, West Africa. Initial static and dynamic models for the field were built using well data and seismic attribute volumes, from prestack 3D and 4D simultaneous angle versus offset (AVO) inversions, in conjunction with rock-physics analysis. We then used seismic inversion technology to estimate static and dynamic reservoir properties over the field's life, including porosity, net-to-gross (NTG), and changes in both fluid saturations and pressures. To model changes, we used a baseline and two high-repeat 4D seismic surveys as input to the inversion work. The study shows how the many competing production effects and their combined nonunique 4D signatures posed a serious challenge to achieving history-matched dynamic models consistent with 4D seismic data. However, 4D CtL technology served as a guid...
Femoroinfrapopliteal PTFE Bypass with Adjunctive AVF or Vein Cuff

Limb-threatening ischemia (rest pain, ischemic ulcer, gangrene), in the presence of native autogenous vein.
Zika virus: a public health perspective.

Purpose of review Zika virus' impact on pregnancy became widely known in 2015 with a dramatic increase in the number of babies born with microcephaly in Recife, Brazil. A mosquito-borne virus resulting in congenital anomalies is unique, and Zika's ability to cause neurological defects on a large scale was a grim reminder of the Rubella epidemic in the 1950s. Over the past 2 years, studies have provided insight on how Zika virus (ZIKV) infects cells and causes disease, but much remains unknown about the long-term risks of Zika exposure on infant growth and development. Recent findings The impact of ZIKV on pregnancy extends beyond microcephaly and may only first be identified in infancy. The virus has a long latency in semen and can be transmitted sexually. Transplacental passage occurs through infection of Hofbauer cells in the trophoblast. A major difficulty in management of ZIKV disease is that most infections are asymptomatic and the diagnostic methods are not ideal, making both diagnosis and ascertainment of timing of infection problematic. Several different types of vaccines are in development. Large studies are ongoing to determine the risk and total spectrum of anomalies based on the timing of infection and other environmental exposures. Summary This review will summarize the epidemic, what we have learned, what we hope to learn, and current recommendations for care and management.
Are solo infections of the diphyllobothriidean cestode Schistocephalus solidus more virulent than multiple infections

We performed a long-term natural experiment investigating the impact of the diphyllobotriidean cestode Schistocephalus solidus on the body condition and clutch size (CS) of threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus, its second intermediate host, and the growth of larval parasites in host fish. We tested the hypothesis that single S. solidus infections were more virulent than multiple infections. We also asked whether the metrics of mean and total parasite mass (proxies for individual and total volume, respectively) were consistent with predictions of the resource constraints or the life history strategy (LHS) hypothesis for the growth of, hence exploitation by, larval helminths in intermediate hosts. The samples were drawn from Walby Lake, Alaska in eight of 11 years. Host body condition and CS (egg number per spawning bout) decreased significantly with intensity after adjustments for host size and parasite index. Thus, infections have an increasingly negative impact on measures of host fitness with greater intensity, in contrast to the hypothesis that single infections are more harmful than multiple infections. We also found that mean parasite mass decreased with intensity while total parasite mass increased with intensity as predicted by the LHS hypothesis.
Direct Calculation Approach And Design Criteria For Wave Slamming of an FPSO Bow

Wave slamming is a recognized hazard for an FPSO. Severe slamming may cause damage to structures and possible flooding of compartments. The consequences of wave slamming can be mitigated through a combination of enhancing structural design and implementing preventative operation procedures. The design of an FPSO is dependent on the installation site. This requires direct calculation tools, but a complete analysis system does not seem to be available. This paper presents a direct calculation approach, which may be used for designing shell scantlings of an FPSO bow against wave-impact loads. This approach includes determining ship motions relative to waves, calculating wave-slamming pressure, analyzing structural responses, and judging the acceptance of a design. Because this approach is based on some engineering programs and analytical formulae, it is also a practical engineering analysis methodology. Its practicability is demonstrated by applying it to the design of an FPSO bow for 3 different installation sites. The approach is applicable to both new constructions and conversions, and it can be used for investigating damages due to wave slamming.
Upregulation of Angiotensin II Type 2 Receptor (agtr2) Attenuates Atherosclerotic Lesion Formation and Enhances Apoptosis in the LDL Receptor Knockout Mice Fed High Cholesterol Diet

Angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) exerts growth-promoting and anti-apoptotic effects, which contribute to atherogenesis. In contrast, type 2 receptor (AT2R) activation exerts anti-growth and pro-apoptotic effects. We tested the hypothesis that over-expression of AT2R will attenuate formation of atherosclerotic lesions. Low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (LDLR KO) mice were injected via tail vein with recombinant AAV carrying AT2R (agtr2) cDNA (AAV/AT2R), AAV/Neo, or saline, and then put on a high cholesterol diet. At 18 weeks, all animals were sacrificed, and the aortas were harvested for AT2R expression and determination of atherosclerotic lesion formation. AT2R was highly expressed in mice given AAV/AT2R, but not in other groups. Atherosclerotic lesion formation and thickness of intima were significantly reduced in the LDRL KO mice with AT2R over-expression compared to other LDLR KO mice. Concurrently, there was suppression of oxidative stress (NADPH oxidase p67phox and the transcription factor NF-κB) and increase in the free radical scavenger superoxide dismutase activity. Importantly, there was a marked increase in apoptosis in the atheromatous tissues in the LDLR KO mice with over-expression of AT2R. Thus, upregulation of AT2R by gene delivery in the LDLR KO mice reduces oxidative stress and increases apoptosis resulting in a reduction in atherosclerotic lesion formation.
Will the Real "Che" Guevara Please Stand Up? Labor and Authoritarianism in Sandinista Nicaragua

This paper examines the impact of authoritarian left theory, in particular that of Che Guevara, on labor rights during the Sandinista's Nicaraguan revolution. This is important because of the current revival of movements like that of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela that rely on similar approaches to labor and human rights issues as that of the original Sandinista movement. In addition, there is widespread interest today in Che Guevara, yet little is known or understood about his actual politics while in power during the early years of the Cuban revolution. In addition, there is increasing sympathy for such authoritarian approaches to labor activism inside the U.S. labor movement.
Maximizing weld strength in Chrome Moly space frames

Chromium Molybdenum Steel (AISI 4130), commonly referred to as "Chrome Moly", is one of the most popular materials used in the construction of tubular space frames and chassis components for racing applications. Its high strength, light weight and comparably low material cost make the reasons for its popularity quite obvious. However, there is one problem that is commonly overlooked: maintaining the strength of Chrome Moly in areas exposed to high levels of heat followed by rapid cooling during welding. This paper seeks to gain a better understanding of the effects of cooling (due to welding) on the strength of Chrome Moly.
Are Women Coached by Women More Likely to Become Sport Coaches? Head Coach Gender and Female Collegiate Athletes’ Entry into the Coaching Profession

University of Minnesota M.S. thesis.May 2018. Major: Kinesiology. Advisor: Nicole LaVoi. 1 computer file (PDF); iii, 52 pages.
198 U.S. survey on provider surveillance patterns in patients with stage I cervical cancer after cervical conization

Objectives To determine surveillance patterns of Stage I cervical cancer after cervical conization (CC) in the United States. Methods A 25-question electronic survey was sent to members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology. Provider demographics, surveillance during first year (Y1), years 1–3 (Y13) and >3 years (Y3+) after CC, use of pelvic exam, cytology, HPV testing, colposcopy and endocervical curettage (ECC) were queried. Data were analyzed. Results 185/1381 (13%) responses were collected: all providers identified as gynecologic oncologists and characteristics shown in figure 1. Y1, 66% of providers perform pelvic exam and 35% cytology every (q) 3 months (figure 2). Y13, 60% perform pelvic exam and 46% cytology q6 months. Y3+, 54% perform pelvic exam q6 months and 67% cytology annually. HPV testing was not offered by 28% of providers at any point during 5-year follow-up. 52% recommend annual HPV testing Y3+ following CC. 86% of providers do not offer routine colposcopy and 71% do not offer ECC at any point during 5-year follow up. 75% screen patients for HPV vaccination. Surveillance results impact decisions for post-CC hysterectomy (figure 3). Conclusions To date, there are no specific surveillance guidelines for Stage I cervical cancer treated with CC. The most common surveillance practice reported is q3 month pelvic exam with or without cytology in Y1 and q6 month thereafter. However, wide variation exists in visit frequency, cytology and HPV testing, and a clear trend away from using colposcopy and ECC. This disparate surveillance strategy provides an opportunity to define uniform surveillance guidelines.
A 0.025-mm 2 0.8-V 78.5-dB SNDR VCO-Based Sensor Readout Circuit in a Hybrid PLL- $\Delta\Sigma$ M Structure

This article presents a capacitively coupled voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO)-based sensor readout featuring a hybrid phase-locked loop (PLL)- $\Delta \Sigma $ modulator structure. It leverages phase-locking and phase-frequency detector (PFD) array to concurrently perform quantization and dynamic element matching (DEM), much-reducing hardware/power compared with the existing VCO-based readouts’ counting scheme. A low-cost in-cell data-weighted averaging (DWA) scheme is presented to enable a highly linear tri-level digital-to-analog converter (DAC). Fabricated in 40-nm CMOS, the prototype readout achieves 78-dB SNDR in 10-kHz bandwidth, consuming 4.68 $\mu \text{W}$ and 0.025-mm2 active area. With 172-dB Schreier figure of merit, its efficiency advances the state-of-the-art VCO-based readouts by $50\times $ .
Imaging Biomarkers of the Physis: Cartilage Volume on MRI vs. Tract Volume and Length on Diffusion Tensor Imaging.

BACKGROUND Current methods to predict height and growth failure are imprecise. MRI measures of physeal cartilage are promising biomarkers for growth. PURPOSE In the physis, to assess how 3D MRI volume measurements, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measurements (tract volume and length) correlate with growth parameters and detect differences in growth. We compared patients exposed to cis-retinoic acid, which causes physeal damage and growth failure, with normal subjects. STUDY TYPE Case-control. POPULATION Twenty pediatric neuroblastoma survivors treated with cis-retinoic acid and 20 age- and sex-matched controls. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE 3T; DTI and 3D double-echo steady-state (DESS) sequences. ASSESSMENT On distal femoral MR studies, physeal 3D volume and DTI tract measurements were calculated and compared to height. STATISTICAL TESTS We used partial Spearman correlation, analysis of covariance, logistic regression, Wald test, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS The height percentile correlated most strongly with DTI tract volumes (r = 0.74), followed by mean tract length (r = 0.53) and 3D volume (r = 0.40) (all P < 0.02). Only tract volumes and lengths correlated with annualized growth velocity. Relative to controls, patients showed smaller tract volumes (8.00 cc vs. 13.71 cc, P < 0.01), shorter tract lengths (5.92 mm vs 6.99 mm, P = 0.03), and smaller ratios of 3D cartilage volume to tract length; but no difference (4.51 cc vs 4.85 cc) in 3D MRI volumes. The 10 patients with the lowest height percentiles had smaller tract volumes (5.07 cc vs. 10.93 cc, P < 0.01), but not significantly different 3D MRI volumes. Tract volume is associated with abnormal growth, with an accuracy of 75%. DATA CONCLUSION DTI tract volume of the physis/metaphysis predicts abnormal growth better than physeal cartilage volumetric measurement and correlates best with height percentile and growth velocity. EVIDENCE LEVEL 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;52:544-551.
Public Interest in Knee Replacement Fell During the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Google Trends Analysis.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered medical practice and public behavior in the USA. In spring of 2020, elective surgery including most joint replacement was suspended and much of...
Stochastic Optimal Control with a Constrained Feedback Information Rate

Abstract In this paper the stochastic optimal problem is considered for the case where the exact relationship between the observables and the state of the plant is unknown. Instead of assuming a known sensor structure, it is assumed that the unknown sensor is modeled as a communication channel which transmits information about the state to the controller at a fixed given information rate (in the Shannon sense). This leads to a double minimization problem over the set of admissible controls and the set of admissible conditional probability density functions describing the sensor. This problem is treated using a combination of techniques from calculus variations and dynamic programming to obtain a set of recursive equations for determining the optimal control sequence and the optimal probability density functions describing the sensor. The general results obtained are then applied to the linear plant-quadratic cost case. It is shown that, in this case, the optimal sensor is linear with additive noise and the results reduce to well-known results for the linear plant quadratic cost problem where the sensor is known to be linear and the noises are additive and Gaussian. The optimal costs obtained herein can be interpreted as lower bounds on the performance achievable using real sensors.
Weighted Entropy Modification for Soft Actor-Critic.

We generalize the existing principle of the maximum Shannon entropy in reinforcement learning (RL) to weighted entropy by characterizing the state-action pairs with some qualitative weights, which can be connected with prior knowledge, experience replay, and evolution process of the policy. We propose an algorithm motivated for self-balancing exploration with the introduced weight function, which leads to state-of-the-art performance on Mujoco tasks despite its simplicity in implementation.
Impact of Telehealth Use on Healthcare Utilization: A Quasi-experimental Study of Maryland Patients

Telehealth helps transform traditional healthcare delivery processes to improve access to care. It has witnessed a surge in popularity since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, as both patients and providers have adopted telehealth services for various types of outpatient services. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence on whether telehealth use leads to better care while lowering utilization and costs. In this research, we systematically study the impact of telehealth on healthcare utilization both in outpatient and inpatient settings, across a heterogeneous population of chronic and non-chronic disease patients. Our data on use of telehealth services is based at a granular level of patient-provider visits, drawing on patient encounters in the state of Maryland from 2012 to 2018 for both outpatient and inpatient settings. Our analysis indicates a 31% reduction (or 1.3 visits) in the number of outpatient visits, equivalent to $1,117 in cost, within 30 days after a telehealth visit. Our results suggest that the benefits of telehealth are realized primarily among chronic disease patients in outpatient settings. Specifically, chronic patients exhibit a significant reduction of 1.9 outpatient visits (an equivalent cost reduction of $1,297) when they are treated via telehealth, suggesting a substitution effect of telehealth with respect to traditional clinic visits. However, non-chronic patients experience a 45% increase in their inpatient admissions, within 30 days after a telehealth visit, suggesting a gateway effect in inpatient settings. We also observe that the number of preventive procedures increases for chronic disease patients after telehealth, suggesting that such patients benefit from telehealth by undergoing preventive, follow-up care and avoidance of costly, ER or inpatient services. Our research addresses the growing debate over the effectiveness of telehealth use and provides much-needed empirical evidence on the specific business and clinical values of telehealth. Our findings have important implications for healthcare providers and policy makers with respect to the potential for increasing access to telehealth services in a value-based care environment.
Time-resolved photoconductivity mapping in 2D materials and perovskite solar cells

We report the spatiotemporal photoconductivity imaging on monolayer semiconductors and perovskite solar cell thin films by laser-illuminated microwave impedance microscopy (iMIM). With a spatial resolution of sub-100 nm and a temporal resolution of sub-10 ns, we are able to quantitatively measure the diffusion length and lifetime of photo-generated free carriers in these materials. The results are in good agreement with the diffusion equation and Einstein relation. Our work reveals the intrinsic time and length scales of electrical response to photo-excitation in optoelectronic van der Waals systems and photovoltaic materials.
Distributed computing feasibility in a non-dedicated homogeneous distributed system

The authors address the feasibility of a nondedicated parallel processing environment, assuming workstation processes have preemptive priority over parallel tasks. They develop an analytical model to predict parallel job response times. The model provides insight into how significantly the workstation owner interference degrades parallel program performance. A new term, task ratio, which relates the parallel task demand to the mean service demand of nonparallel workstation processes, is introduced. It is proposed that the task ratio is a useful metric for determining how large the demand of a parallel applications must be in order to make efficient use of a nondedicated distributed system.
Gaming the System: Three 'Red Flags' of Potential 10b5-1 Abuse

The SEC adopted Rule 10b5-1 to provide an affirmative defense against allegations of insider trading to executives whose jobs regularly expose them to material nonpublic information. In this Closer Look, we present evidence on the trading behavior of corporate executives using a unique dataset of over 20,000 10b5-1 plans to show that a subset of executives use these plans to engage in opportunistic, large-scale selling that appears to undermine the purpose of Rule 10b5-1. We identify three “red flags” associated with 10b5-1 abuse: 1) short cooling-off periods, 2) plans that cover a single block trade, and 3) plans that are adopted and commence trading immediately prior to earnings announcements. We ask: • Would simple modifications to Rule 10b5-1 prevent these abuses? • Why doesn’t the SEC require disclosure of 10b5-1 plans and the trades made under these plans? • Does the board or compensation committee monitor executive stock sales under 10b5-1? • Why don’t they require best practice guidelines to reduce the potential for abuse?
All grade 3+ complications are not equal: teasing out the impact of surgical complications on patient-centric outcomes after debulking surgery

Objectives: Our goal was to determine the relationship between the surgical complication grade (G) of three scales (Contracted Accordion scale [CAS], Expanded Accordion Scale [EAS], and Clavien-Dindo Scale [CDS]), the key components of the grading systems (organ failure and invasive procedures), and important patient-centric outcomes after primary debulking surgery (PDS). Reliably characterizing the severity of morbidity after PDS is essential for benchmarking outcomes and improving quality in ovarian cancer (OC) surgery. Complications after PDS are currently defined by scales modeled in general surgery of varying degrees of complexity. Methods: We included all patients undergoing PDS for stage IIIC/IV OC from 2006 to 2016 at one institution. Complications within 30 days of surgery were graded according to three scales (CAS, EAS, and CDS). Outcomes included length of stay (LOS), mortality (90 day), and initiation of chemotherapy within 42 days of surgery. Correlations were assessed using the Spearman rank correlation and comparisons between groups were evaluated using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test for continuous variables and the chi-square test for categorical variables. Results: Among the 615 patients who met inclusion criteria, 120 (19.5%) patients had a G3 or higher (3+) complication per all scales. Patients with G3+ complications when compared to those with none, G1 or G2 complications, had longer LOS (median, 10 vs 6 days), higher 90 day mortality (17.5 vs 2.4%) and were less likely to start chemotherapy Download : Download high-res image (371KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: Patients who develop G3+ complications after PDS have worse patient-centric outcomes: however there is a wide range of impact using the contracted scale. The more detailed EAS and CDS systems allow for further stratification of outcomes though the correlations are weak to modest. This suggests the need for a complication grading system specific to PDS surgery that better defines the impact on important patient outcomes.
New Paradigms for Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) continues to be the bane of the US beef and dairy industry. BVDV infections cause clinical signs that vary from peracute death to inapparent infection. Even these inapparent BVDV infections can result in persistent infection (PI) of susceptible fetuses. The macrophage expresses cell surface markers that are important for phagocytosis and bacteria killing, and also for stimulation of T helper cells and for immune surveillance and killing by cytotoxic T cells (CTL). In this study, our objective was to measure the effect of BVDV on the macrophage function (phagocytosis and pathogen killing) and surface marker expression (CD14, MHCI and MHCII).
Essay content and style are strongly related to household income and SAT scores: Evidence from 60,000 undergraduate applications.

There is substantial evidence of the relationship between household income and achievement on the standardized tests often required for college admissions, yet little comparable inquiry considers t...
Translating Borders, Performing Trans-nationalism

A constitutive theme of semiotics, comparative literatures, applied linguistics and social theory, translation, is read here as a practice of transformation and crossing, trans-action and transit, composition and recomposition between texts and cultures. Inside and underneath the practices of translation lies the logics of encounter which is strictly linked to the cono- cimiento that global trasformation can take place only if there is self transformation, and vice- versa. The translation border is a space of transformation, and la frontera a paradigm for transition and change: a body, a tongue, a culture opens to elsewhere, entering a contact zone, a transitional space of incessant gangways between cultures, between societary and individual histories, where words and worlds interact, and one's sense of identity trasmutes and moves on. The interracial, intercultural self-infra-intra-translation enacted by Gloria Anzaldua in Border- lands/La Frontera (and Alfred Arteaga in Cantos) creates figurations of metamorphoses where mestizo thinking flourishes to become transnational, planetary and culturally dense—a mesti- zajed poetics, politics, thinking. The essay follows a caminho which opens on a critical perspec- tive showing that Anzaldua's theory is not binary or dialectic, but relational: the great divide between the dualistic thinking and Anzaldua's project-process is the conocimiento that the coun- terstance "locks one into a duel of oppressor and oppressed," whereas confrontation, translation and comparativism introduce difference in monologism.
Response of the radial stratification at the base of the convection zone to the activity cycle

We have analyzed the differences in the oscillation eigenfrequencies measured over more than two years of GONG observations (December 1995-April 1998) and SOI/MDI observations (May 1996-July 1998). We have inverted these data to look for signatures of the solar activity cycle on the stratification. A one-dimensional (radial) structure inversion code was used to study temporal variations of the sound speed distribution at the boundary between the radiative and convective zones. Such variations could be an indication of the presence of a toroidal magnetic field anchored in this region.
Navigating beyond “here & now” affordances—on sensorimotor maturation and “false belief” performance

How and when do we learn to understand other people’s perspectives and possibly divergent beliefs? This question has elicited much theoretical and empirical research. A puzzling finding has been that toddlers perform well on so-called implicit false belief (FB) tasks but do not show such capacities on traditional explicit FB tasks. I propose a navigational approach, which offers a hitherto ignored way of making sense of the seemingly contradictory results. The proposal involves a distinction between how we navigate FBs as they relate to 1) our current affordances (here & now navigation) as opposed to 2) presently non-actual relations, where we need to leave our concrete embodied/situated viewpoint (counterfactual navigation). It is proposed that whereas toddlers seem able to understand FBs in their current affordance space, they do not yet possess the resources to navigate in abstraction from such concrete affordances, which explicit FB tests seem to require. It is hypothesized that counterfactual navigation depends on the development of ‘sensorimotor priors’, i.e. statistical expectations of own kinestetic re-afference, which evidence now suggests matures around age four, consistent with core findings of explicit FB performance.
To the Yukon and Beyond: Local Laborers in a Global Market

This article explores the possibilities for effective protection of labor rights in the emerging global labor market. It explores existing forms of transnational labor regulation, including both hard regulation, i.e., regulation by state-centered institutions, and soft regulation, i.e., regulation through private actors responding to market forces. The author finds that existing regulatory approaches are inadequate to ensure that the global marketplace will offer adequate labor standards to its global workforce. She proposes new approaches to global labor regulation, approaches that blend hard and soft law by reshaping market forces and embedding them in a regulatory framework that is protective of core labor rights.
Polarized Light in the Contact Free Determination of Thermal Expansion of Organized Cellulose Nanocrystal Materials

The number of applications using cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) has been consistently increasing due to their sustainable character and unique set of properties. The thermal stability of CNC films has been recently explored by determining the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), where optical response under polarized light was employed to highlight textural features required for digital image correlation calculations.1 The technique has also been extended to other imaging modes such as bright field and phase contrast in different polymers2 Major part of the optical and in-plane thermo mechanical properties in CNC films are highly correlated to the structure generated by the lyotropic character of aqueous suspensions.
The Group in Society by Gastil, J.

John Gastil is a professor of communications at the University of Washington and has published a number of books about small groups, particularly how democratic processes work and how juries delibe...
Differential Regulation of Human Neutrophil FcγRIIa (CD32) and FcγRIIIb (CD16)-induced Ca2+ Transients

Human neutrophils express two structurally distinct receptors for the Fc region of IgG, FcgammaRIIa and FcgammaRIIIb. Although earlier studies have suggested that the functional properties of these receptors are similar, mounting evidence suggests that these receptors are capable of inducing distinct functional responses. Accordingly, we have examined the regulation of intracellular Ca2+ transients induced by each of these receptors alone (homotypic receptor cross-linking) and together (heterotypic receptor cross-linking). The glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored FcgammaRIIIb induces a rise in [Ca2+] after homotypic cross-linking that is independent of ligand-mediated engagement of the transmembrane FcgammaRIIa. Both receptors were sensitive to the protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor methyl 2,5-dihydroxycinnamate, but FcgammaRIIa-induced signaling was uniquely sensitive to the protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein. FcgammaRIIa but not FcgammaRIIIb engages a cAMP-sensitive and inositol 1,4, 5-trisphosphate-dependent pathway(s) that results in the Ca2+-transient. When these receptors are cross-linked into heterotypic clusters, a synergistic rise in [Ca2+] is observed that is accompanied by synergistic increases in the phospholipase Cgamma-breakdown products inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and diglyceride. These data provide a mechanism for the functional differences between these two receptors and suggest the possibility that they can be differentially modulated.