cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Staying at the Cutting Edge: Partnership With a Level 1 Trauma Center Improves Clinical Currency and Wartime Readiness for Military Surgeons

ABSTRACT Introduction: Surgical currency is a critical component of medical corps readiness. We report a review of surgeons embedded into a civilian institution and analyze whether this improves surgical currency and wartime readiness. Methods: Patient management and operative volume were acquired from four surgeons embedded at a civilian institution and compared to operative case loads of surgeons based at a military treatment facility (MTF). Results: The surgeons embedded in the civilian institution had a mean of 49.3 cases compared to a mean of 8.3 cases for surgeons at the MTF over this 6-month period. In addition, the embedded surgeons obtained 44.4 to 94.7% of these cases during their civilian experience as opposed to cases done at the MTF. The cases performed by the embedded orthopedic surgeon (n = 247) was over 20 times the mean number of cases (mean = 12) performed at the MTF. Over a 6-month period, the trauma surgeon and general surgeon each evaluated 150 and 170 new trauma patients, respectivel...
Relative importance of climate and mountain pine beetle outbreaks on the occurrence of large wildfires in the western USA

Extensive outbreaks of bark beetles have killed trees across millions of hectares of forests and woodlands in western North America. These outbreaks have led to spirited scientific, public, and policy debates about consequential increases in fire risk, especially in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where homes and communities are at particular risk from wildfires. At the same time, large wildfires have become more frequent across this region. Widespread expectations that outbreaks increase extent, severity, and/or frequency of wildfires are based partly on visible and dramatic changes in foliar moisture content and other fuel properties following outbreaks, as well as associated modeling projections. A competing explanation is that increasing wildfires are driven primarily by climatic extremes, which are becoming more common with climate change. However, the relative importance of bark beetle outbreaks vs. climate on fire occurrence has not been empirically examined across very large areas and remains poorly understood. The most extensive outbreaks of tree-killing insects across the western United States have been of mountain pine beetle (MPB; Dendroctonus ponderosae), which have killed trees over >650,000 km2 , mostly in forests dominated by lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). We show that outbreaks of MPB in lodgepole pine forests of the western United States have been less important than climatic variability for the occurrence of large fires over the past 29 years. In lodgepole pine forests in general, as well as those in the WUI, occurrence of large fires was determined primarily by current and antecedent high temperatures and low precipitation but was unaffected by preceding outbreaks. Trends of increasing co-occurrence of wildfires and outbreaks are due to a common climatic driver rather than interactions between these disturbances. Reducing wildfire risk hinges on addressing the underlying climatic drivers rather than treating beetle-affected forests.
Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation: is it cost-effective?

A major challenge for all health care systems is to identify the most efficient use of limited and finite resources available for health care. Economic evaluation provides a balance sheet of the benefits, harms and costs for making choices between alternative health care services and is one strategy to assist decision-makers to make rational choices about effective and efficient health care. Cost and outcomes data collected on two or more alternatives form the basis for economic evaluations and calculating a cost-effectiveness ratio. While comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation has been shown to be an effective intervention for patients with documented heart disease, the economic evaluation data from which to determine the efficiency of cardiac rehabilitation are limited. Available economic evaluations of comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation suggest that it is a cost-effective intervention following an acute coronary event that can be economically justified. Although the majority of data from studies with less rigorous designs suggest either savings or a decrease in health care utilization. there were increased costs per quality-adjusted life year gained in the only randomized controlled trial with a cost-effectiveness analysis of cardiac rehabilitation. As the traditional delivery of cardiac rehabilitation services is undergoing re-examination, there is a need for considerably more research on the cost-effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation before any definitive statement about reimbursement is made.
Design and evaluation of a low cost intracranial pressure monitoring system

One of the most life-threatening neural conditions is elevated intracranial pressure (ICP); it is associated with ischemia and poor short- and long-term outcomes. Currently, monitoring systems that accurately measure ICP are either highly invasive or inaccurate. This work explores the design and evaluation of an epidural intracranial pressure monitoring system for low-cost, minimally invasive detection. Our goal is to develop a monitoring system that could also be integrated with an electrocorticography (ECoG) system. To this end we created a minimally invasive epidural ICP monitor for use with a 2 mm burr hole craniotomy. A MEMS piezoresistive sensors is used in the system, and its performance is evaluated for intracranial pressure measurements. Our system is calibrated and tested on the benchtop and demonstrated in vivo using an animal model.
Seeding effects on crystallization and microstructure of sol-gel derived PZT fibers

Dense and fine micro-structured lead zirconate titanate (PZT) fibers were successfully fabricated by sol-gel process from lead acetate dehydrate, zirconium normal butoxide, and titanium isopropoxide. An addition of perovskite seed particles (2 wt%) can lower the formation temperature of the perovskite phase and a single-phase perovskite PZT fiber can be obtained by heat-treating the precursor fiber at 500°C. Crystallization of perovskite phase was improved with the seed content. The diffraction peaks of (200) and (002) in the PZT fiber with 6 wt% seed was better split than in the PZT fiber without seed, which indicates that the tetragonality of PZT fiber was increased by adding seed particles. Seed particles also affected microstructure development of the PZT fibers.
Potential Success and Barrier Factors for Implementation of the Transition to Independence (TIP) Model

In this qualitative study, 28 key stakeholders who work with transition-aged youth participated in focus group discussions addressing success and barrier factors regarding implementation of a transition to independence process (TIP) program for youth, ages 14–29, in three Midwestern cities. All participants had prior knowledge of TIP. The paradigm shift to client-oriented goals and services was acknowledged by respondents as the prime benefit of TIP; youth are more motivated to follow through on self-determined goals. Barrier factors for providers involved collaboration with agencies adhering to provider-oriented interventions, provision of TIP methods training, and reallocation of time and money. Barrier factors for youth involved mistrust of service providers, overcoming maturational deficits, and acquiring and maintaining relationships, reputations, and social supports.
Leveraging sparsity to detect HRF variability in fMRI

Functional MRI (fMRI) studies typically analyze data by applying a single function – across the entire brain – to relate what is measured (blood oxygenation fluctuations) to the underlying neural activity. However, this hemodynamic response function (HRF), is known to vary considerably across brain regions in healthy individuals, and even more prominently in clinical populations (e.g., AIDS, Alzheimer’s). An improved characterization of HRF variability would improve cognitive science experimentation, effective connectivity analysis, and may be crucial for early detection of certain diseases. Here, a method is suggested for altering stimulus presentation timing during task related fMRI experiments that aims to maximize characterization of HRF variability while minimizing the number of trials required to accomplish this. To do so, d-optimality constraints are applied for sparse sampling of the HRF in the temporal domain. We first demonstrate this approach using simulated data over a range of background noise fluctuations. Using simulated data, we were able to recover HRF signal estimates with <10% sum of squared error (SSE) using 73% and 47% less stimulus events using D-optimal sampling compared to fixed or random designs respectively. We then utilized this method for designing the stimulus timing in an event-related fMRI experiment. Empirically, we were able to detect the initial dip in 53% of subjects, a part of the HRF signal that is thought to reflect oxygen usage and often obscured when using conventional experimental design paradigms.
Effects of Deconvolution Procedures on Size Estimates in the Born Inversion Algorithm

A great deal of research aimed at the development of quantitative ultrasonic flaw characterization methods has been pursued under Department of Defense sponsorship over the past several years.1 Since some of these methods are being considered for eventual application, we have undertaken an assessment of one aspect of these methods, concentrating our efforts in an area which has not been subject to much study.
Influence of phase stability on the in situ growth stresses in Cu/Nb multilayered films

Abstract As the length scale of individual layers were reduced in a Cu/Nb multilayer, a face centered cubic (fcc)-to-body centered cubic (bcc) and bcc-to-fcc transformations were noted for Cu and Nb respectively. In addition, at equal fractions of Cu/Nb and at a very thin thickness, the layers vitrified. These phase transformations have been modeled using a thermodynamic phase diagram where strain, interfacial, and volumetric energy considerations were used to determine the phase as a function of the bilayer thickness and volume fraction in the multilayer. Using HRTEM, the evolution of the interface from semicoherent-to-coherent was observed as a function of phase and bilayer spacing and is discussed in terms of the interfacial energy contributions towards phase stability. The vitrification has been rationalized by the positive enthalpy of mixing with clustering quantified by atom probe tomography between these two species. All of these phase transformations have been related to real-time, intrinsic growth stress measurements. Upon phase transforming, a reduction in the compressive stress within all of the multilayers were noted. This relaxation was captured in a molecular dynamics simulation of the multilayers and is contributed to the change in interfacial stress and stress distributions within the Cu layer. This demonstrates that phase transformations provide a means to tailor film stress in nanolaminate materials.
Lung Retransplantation for Chronic Rejection: A Single-Center Experience

Background Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) is nonreversible and remains the biggest obstacle to long-term survival after lung transplantation (LTx). Retransplantation is the sole definitive therapeutic option for CLAD. We analyzed our single-center experience with retransplantation as a treatment option for CLAD. Methods From March 1, 2010, to May 31, 2016, 419 consecutive patients underwent LTx at our institution; 29 of these procedures were retransplantations for CLAD. We analyzed demographic characteristics, lung allocation score, operation type, length of stay, and perioperative outcomes. Actuarial survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Results In total, 29 of 419 patients (6.9%) underwent retransplantation for CLAD. Median time from primary LTx to retransplantation was 1,163 days (range: 304 to 3,971 days). Patients undergoing retransplantation were younger and had higher lung allocation scores than primary transplantation patients. Most LTx procedures were bilateral (93% of retransplantations, 95% of primary LTx). Rates of cardiopulmonary bypass, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support for severe primary graft dysfunction, and re-exploration for bleeding were higher in retransplantation patients ( p = 0.010, p = 0.019, and p = 0.029, respectively). One- and 5-year survival rates in the retransplantation group were similar to those of the primary LTx group (89.2% and 64.3% versus 89.7% and 58.2%, respectively; p = 0.79). Conclusions Lung retransplantation is a viable treatment option for CLAD after LTx. In this study, retransplantation patients were younger, had higher lung allocation scores, and were more likely to require cardiopulmonary bypass and postoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support than primary LTx patients. Postoperative length of stay and short- and mid-term survival were comparable with those of primary LTx patients.
An Examination of the Role of Psychological Inflexibility in Hoarding Using Multiple Mediator Models

Hoarding is associated with functional impairment and impacts quality of life. One process that has been theorized to explain how hoarding develops and leads to impairment is psychological inflexibility, in which behavior is rigidly controlled by a perceived need to regulate internal experiences, at the expense of more effective, valued actions. The present study aimed to test the mediational role of psychological inflexibility in the development of hoarding and its impact on life satisfaction with a sample of 489 college students completing an online survey. Results indicated that multiple measures of psychological inflexibility (overall inflexibility, inattention, and values obstruction) mediated the relationship between distress and hoarding. Other measures of psychological inflexibility (overall inflexibility, cognitive fusion, and lack of values progress) mediated the link between hoarding severity and life satisfaction. These findings suggest that how one responds to distress and hoarding symptoms can influence symptom severity and life satisfaction, and that psychological flexibility may promote more adaptive outcomes. Thus, current interventions for problematic hoarding may be strengthened by targeting psychological inflexibility and related processes.
Transanal Laparoscopic TME with Robot-Assisted Abdominal Laparoscopy

Transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) exists as an excellent new technique for sphincter-preserving surgery in the distal rectum. Convergence of this with a minimally invasive approach from above, albeit laparoscopically or robotically, allows for an extension of sphincter preservation and represents the ultimate application of a minimally invasive approach. In this chapter, we will describe a taTME approach using laparoscopy from below. The abdominal portion of the procedure including release of splenic flexure, high ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery and inferior mesenteric vein (IMV), mobilization of the colon, and completion of the TME dissection from above will be described using a robotic technique. Anatomic and technical approaches will be highlighted demonstrating the evolving field of rectal cancer surgery.
Time-Averaged Heat Flux for a Recessed Tip, Lip, and Platform of a Transonic Turbine Blade

The results of an experimental research program determining the blade platform heat-flux level and the influence of blade tip recess on the tip region heat transfer for a full-scale rotating turbine stage at transonic vane exit conditions are described. The turbine used for these measurements was the Allison VBI stage operating in the closed vane position (vane exit Mach number _ 1.1). The stage was operated at the design flow function, total to static pressure ratio, and corrected speed. Measurements were obtained at several locations on the platform and in the blade tip region. The tip region consists of the bottom of the recess, the lip region (on both the pressure and suction surface sides of the recess), and the 90% span location on the blade suction surface. Measurements were obtained for three vane/blade spacings; 20%, 40%, and 60% of vane axial chord and for a single value of the tip gap (the distance between the top of the lip and the stationary shroud) equal to 0.0012-m (0.046-in) or 2.27% of blade height.Copyright © 2000 by ASME
The Mouse En-1 Gene Encodes a Nuclear Protein Expressed in the Nervous System of the Developing Embryo

The classical genetic approach to understanding how development is controlled is to first identify mutations that perturb the process, and then to study the mutant embryo phenotypes in order to gain some insight into the functions of the genes represented by the mutant alleles. Although this approach has been very successful in organisms well-suited to genetic analysis, such as the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and the nematode (Caenorhabditis elegans), attempts to identify genes that regulate development in mammals by this approach have been hindered by the difficulty of identifying mutations that affect early embryonic development. Moreover, once a particular mutation that affects development is identified, there is no straightforward means of isolating the mammalian gene represented by that mutant allele, except in those cases in which the mutation has been caused by insertion of foreign DNA (Jaenisch, et al., 1983; Wagner, et al., 1983; Woychik, et al., 1985).
A computational investigation into the combustion byproducts of a liquid monopropellant

Abstract A detailed chemical kinetic mechanism is developed for the gas-phase combustion of a liquid monopropellant, which is a blend of propylene-glycol-dinitrate, dibutyl-sebacate, and 2-nitro-diphenylamine (Otto Fuel II). The combustor is modeled as a steady-state burner-stabilized flame. The simulations reveal that not all of the dibutyl-sebacate is consumed in the flame, with approximately 5% persisting in the post-flame region. A large class of combustion byproducts are formed that have boiling points above the post-flame temperature and thus would be expected to condense out along the length of the combustor. This post-flame, two-phase behavior is hypothesized to be the cause of empirically observed oily build-up within the engine. This work represents a novel advancement in predictive modeling for propellant design, as it provides mechanistic insight into the possible origins of engine fouling.
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Integration into Family Planning Services at Title X Clinics in the Southeastern United States: A Geographically-Targeted Mixed Methods Study (Phase 1 ATN 155).

BACKGROUND Black adolescent and young adult women (AYAW) in the Southern United States are disproportionately affected by HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective, scalable, individual-controlled HIV prevention strategy that is grossly underutilized among women of all ages and requires innovative delivery approaches to optimize its benefit. Anchoring PrEP delivery to health services that AYAW already trust, access routinely, and deem useful for their sexual health may offer an ideal opportunity to reach women at risk for HIV and to enhance their PrEP uptake and adherence. These services include those of family planning (FP) providers in high HIV incidence settings. However, PrEP has not been widely integrated into FP services, including Title X-funded FP clinics that provide safety net sources of care for AYAW. To overcome potential implementation challenges for AYAW, Title X clinics in the Southern United States are uniquely positioned to be focal sites for conceptually informed and thoroughly evaluated PrEP implementation science studies. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to assess inner and outer context factors (barriers and facilitators) that may influence the adoption of PrEP prescription and treatment services in Title X clinics serving AYAW in the Southern United States. METHODS Phase 1 of Planning4PrEP is an explanatory sequential, mixed methods study consisting of a geographically-targeted Web-based survey of Title X clinic administrators and providers in the Southern United States, followed by key informant interviews among a purposively selected subset of responders to more comprehensively assess inner and outer context factors that may influence adoption and implementation of PrEP in Title X FP clinics in the South. RESULTS Phase 1 of Planning4PrEP research activities began in October 2017 and are ongoing. To date, survey and key informant interview administration is near completion, with quantitative and qualitative data analysis scheduled to begin soon after data collection completion. CONCLUSIONS This study seeks to assess inner and outer contextual factors (barriers and facilitators) that may influence the adoption and integration of PrEP prescription and treatment services in Title X clinics serving AYAW in the Southern United States. Data gained from this study will inform a type 1 hybrid effectiveness implementation study, which will evaluate the multilevel factors associated with successful PrEP implementation while evaluating the degree of PrEP uptake, continuation, and adherence among women seen in Title X clinics. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/12774.
Laborious Ben Jonson

This essay discusses labor in the poetry of Ben Jonson and engages some notable recent critical assessments of Jonson's labor as a concept determined by material production. Contemporaries, such as...
Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection in a Pregnant Woman Associated with Fetal Complication: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) is an important cause of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), especially in pregnant women. SCAD has angiographic appearance that might mimic atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD). SCAD in pregnancy can be associated with both maternal and fetal complications. The best management approach of such cases may be achieved by a multi-disciplinary team, including an obstetrician, an interventional cardiologist and a cardiothoracic surgeon. We present a very interesting case of SCAD involving the left anterior descending (LAD) artery with two different angiographic appearances in a pregnant woman which was associated with fetal heart deceleration requiring urgent cesarean section and later coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
Theoretical Perspectives of Quantitative Physics Education Research.

A description of the ontological assumptions, epistemological commitments, and methodological implications for three basic genres of quantitative research.
Introduction to the Special Issue: Select Papers Presented at the 2018 OLC Accelerate Conference and the 2019 OLC Innovate Conference

Introduction to the Special Issue: Select Papers Presented at the 2018 OLC Accelerate Conference and the 2019 OLC Innovate Conference
Image Processing Method for Rapid Messenger RNA Profiling from Living Cells

We demonstrate a rapid and label-free method to detect the concentration of the messenger RNA of proteins from living cells that can be used in the identification of cancer cells by combining dielelectrophoresis and image processing.
What Child Oral Health-Related Behaviors Can First-time Mothers Actualize? A Pragmatic Prospective Study.

Introduction:First-time pregnant women are considered to be receptive to health information, rendering the prenatal period an opportune time to provide helpful information on the importance of chil...
VIO: ontology classification and study of vaccine responses given various experimental and analytical conditions

Different human responses to the same vaccine were frequently observed. For example, independent studies identified overlapping but different transcriptomic gene expression profiles in Yellow Fever vaccine 17D (YF-17D) immunized human subjects. Different experimental and analysis conditions were likely contributed to the observed differences. To investigate this issue, we developed a Vaccine Investigation Ontology (VIO), and applied VIO to classify the different variables and relations among these variables systematically. We then evaluated whether the ontological VIO modeling and VIO-based statistical analysis would contribute to the enhanced vaccine investigation studies and a better understanding of vaccine response mechanisms. Our VIO modeling identified many variables related to data processing and analysis such as normalization method, cut-off criteria, software settings including software version. The datasets from two previous studies on human responses to YF-17D vaccine, reported by Gaucher et al. (2008) and Querec et al. (2009), were re-analyzed. We first applied the same LIMMA statistical method to re-analyze the Gaucher data set and identified a big difference in terms of significantly differentiated gene lists compared to the original study. The different results were likely due to the LIMMA version and software package differences. Our second study re-analyzed both Gaucher and Querec data sets but with the same data processing and analysis pipeline. Significant differences in differential gene lists were also identified. In both studies, we found that Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment results had more overlapping than the gene lists and enriched pathway lists. The visualization of the identified GO hierarchical structures among the enriched GO terms and their associated ancestor terms using GOfox allowed us to find more associations among enriched but often different GO terms, demonstrating the usage of GO hierarchical relations enhance data analysis. The ontology-based analysis framework supports standardized representation, integration, and analysis of heterogeneous data of host responses to vaccines. Our study also showed that differences in specific variables might explain different results drawn from similar studies.
Using Chronobiological Phenotypes to Address Heterogeneity in Bipolar Disorder.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a neuropsychiatric mood disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression in addition to disruptions in sleep, energy, appetite, and cognitive functions-rhythmic behaviors that typically change on daily cycles. BD symptoms can also be provoked by seasonal changes, sleep, and/or circadian disruption, indicating that chronobiological factors linked to the circadian clock may be a common feature in the disorder. Research indicates that BD exists on a clinical spectrum, with distinct subtypes often intersecting with other psychiatric disorders. This heterogeneity has been a major challenge to BD research and contributes to problems in diagnostic stability and treatment outcomes. To address this heterogeneity, we propose that chronobiologically related biomarkers could be useful in classifying BD into objectively measurable phenotypes to establish better diagnoses, inform treatments, and perhaps lead to better clinical outcomes. Presently, we review the biological basis of circadian time keeping in humans, discuss the links of BD to the circadian clock, and pre­sent recent studies that evaluated chronobiological measures as a basis for establishing BD phenotypes. We conclude that chronobiology may inform future research using other novel techniques such as genomics, cell biology, and advanced behavioral analyses to establish new and more biologically based BD phenotypes.
Lung tissue microbial profile in lung cancer is distinct from emphysema.

Objectives The composition and structure of site-specific microbiota have been investigated as potential biomarkers for a variety of chronic inflammatory diseases and cancers. While many studies have focused on the changes in the airway microbiota using respiratory specimens from patients with various respiratory diseases, more research is needed to explore the microbial profiles within the distal lung parenchyma in smokers with lung cancer and/or emphysema. Materials and methods To describe and contrast lung tissue-associated microbial signatures in smokers with lung cancer and/or emphysema, we employed culture-independent pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene hypervariable V4 region and compositional analysis in non-malignant lung tissue samples obtained from 40 heavy smokers, including 10 emphysema-only, 11 lung cancer-only, and 19 with both lung cancer and emphysema. Results and conclusion The emphysema-only group presented a lower bacterial community evenness defined by a significantly lower Shannon diversity index compared to the lung cancer patients with or without emphysema (P = 0.006). Furthermore, community compositions of lung cancer patients with or without emphysema were characterized by a significantly lower abundance of Proteobacteria (primary the genera Acinetobacter and Acidovorax) and higher prevalence of Firmicutes (Streptococcus) and Bacteroidetes (Prevotella), compared to emphysema-only patients. In conclusion, the lung microbial composition and communities structures of smokers with lung cancer are distinct from the emphysema-only patients. Although preliminary, our findings suggest that lung microbiome changes could be a biomarker of lung cancer that could eventually be used to help screening for the disease.
Peripherally inserted central catheter placement in a multidisciplinary intensive care unit: A preliminary study demonstrating safety and procedural time in critically ill subjects:

Objective:Peripherally inserted central catheters are a popular means of obtaining central venous access in critically ill patients. However, there is limited data regarding the rapidity of the per...
Investigating the Mechanism of Lithium Transport atSolid Electrolyte Interphases

Reactions between carbonate electrolytes and graphite electrodes in lithium-ion storage devices produce a surface film of byproducts known as the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Significant pro...
Persistent norms and tipping points: The case of female genital cutting

Abstract More than 200 million women alive today have undergone female genital cutting (FGC). Despite the associated negative health outcomes, the practice has persisted for generations. The prevailing theory of FGC persistence is that FGC is a social coordination norm, which implies that if a sufficient number of community members agree to abandon FGC, a tipping point is reached and the rate of FGC will fall to zero. Recent empirical evidence is inconsistent with this theory. This paper formalizes an alternative theoretical explanation in which households have heterogeneous thresholds—i.e. the rate of FGC in their community at which the household switches from practicing to not practicing FGC. This threshold heterogeneity removes the certainty that a tipping point exists and introduces the possibility of a stable internal equilibrium in the rate of FGC in a community. Using a dataset of more than 27,000 women born across 4.5 decades in Burkina Faso, I use a novel technique to construct community-level distributions of household thresholds. These distributions show that some communities in Burkina Faso have tipping points while some have a stable internal equilibrium. I find suggestive, but statistically insignificant, evidence that communities with a larger share of educated women, higher poverty rates, and lower population density are more likely to have a tipping point. Additionally, the empirical method developed in this paper has applications to the evolution of other social phenomena such as technology adoption, voting behavior, and racial segregation.
The K2 Light Curves and Stunted Outbursts of AC Cnc

We describe two observations of the nova-like cataclysmic variable AC Cnc obtained with Kepler during its revamped second mission (K2). Using the K2 1 minute cadence mode, the data were obtained during campaigns 5 and 18. Campaign 5 (C05) lasted from ~2015 April 27 to ~2015 July 10, a total of 74.8 days, and yielded ~106,000 measurements. Campaign 18 (C18) lasted from ~2018 May 13 to ~2018 July 2, a total of 50.7 days, yielding ~72,000 measurements. The C05 light curve reveals two "stunted outbursts" having properties consistent with stunted bursts observed from the ground; a stunted burst was underway during the C18 observation when it ended. During a stunted outburst, the primary eclipse is found to increase in depth, but the residual brightness at the mid-primary eclipse remains nearly constant. By contrast, the secondary eclipse retains the same depth, but the brightness at the mid-secondary eclipse increases during outburst, following the orbital variations of the out-of-eclipse light. The eclipse ephemeris is statistically consistent with historical ephemerides and shows only marginal evidence for a period change. On the basis of the K2 data, we cannot confirm a previously reported non-orbital periodicity in AC Cnc.
Comment on: “Stokes’ first problem for heated flat plate with Atangana–Baleanu fractional derivative” [Chaos Solitons Fractals 117 (2018) 68]

Abstract In the sense of distributions, the derivative of the Heaviside unit step function H ( t ) is a generalized Dirac- δ distribution. If the velocity V ( t ) of a flat plate is impulsive, as V ( t ) = H ( t ) (i.e., it is suddenly set into motion with unit velocity at t = 0 + ), then its acceleration is V ′ ( t ) = δ ( t ) . The Dirac- δ distribution has no point values. However, when the Dirac- δ is the forcing term of an ODE (in t ), it contributes to the solution. The recently published paper [Chaos Solitons Fractals 117 (2018) 68] incorrectly treats the Dirac- δ function as being identically 0. This Comment analyzes the source of this error, and provides guidance on how to correct it (based on the established literature). The mathematical error identified is in addition to some issues about rheological models with fractional derivatives, which are also noted. That is to say, whether or not an “Atangana–Baleanu fractional derivative” is used in [Chaos Solitons Fractals 117 (2018) 68], the solution to Stokes’ first problem provided therein is not correct.
“Arrows are targeted at both the left and the right”: Han Shaogong’s intervention into contemporary Chinese intellectual debate

The Chinese intellectual circle, which used to be united in opposing reified Maoism in the 1980s, has split into two major intellectual factions since the 1990s: the liberals and the New Left. Because of his criticisms of the excesses of modernization, globalization and liberalization, the novelist Han Shaogong is widely regarded as a New Left intellectual. His fictional works are often interpreted as illustrations of pre-existing New Left positions. Instead of reading Han’s works as manifesting any particular factional position, this article explores Han’s larger non-factional contributions to the Chinese intellectual debate and discourse in post-Tiananmen China. This article argues that by resituating juxiang (concrete images, objects, scenes, events and specific human characters) into their specific material and existential contexts, Han seeks to transcend the narrow liberals versus New Left split and to retrieve individual things’ and persons’ complicated meanings, functions, sensibilities, subjectivities and social relations, which are missing from both the liberal and New Left discourses. In particular, Han’s thematizing of the ignored contingent agency of concrete objects and inanimate matters, which make a difference to the state of political affairs, can complement the existing intellectual discourse that privileges abstract structural forces and open a new venue of research into contemporary Chinese politics and public events.
Evaluation of ETT Cuff Compliance Change Under Condition of Sustained Cuff Inflation

Background: Endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff leak in intubated patients is one of the leading causes of aspiration pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia. The primary functions of the ETT cuff are to prevent air leak and minimize aspiration. The recommended cuff pressure ranges from 20 to 30 cm H2O. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ETT cuff compliance change over time while maintaining the cuff pressure at 30 cm H2O. Methods: IRB approval was not required for this laboratory study. Under controlled conditions, the Laerdal Airway Management Trainer (Wappingers Falls, NY) was intubated with three different sizes of ETT (8.0,7.5, and 7.0) (Covidien/Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN). The depth of ETT was 22 cm at the incisors and the ETT was secured with regular ETT tape. A three-way stopcock was used with ports connected to the ETT pilot balloon, Posey Cufflator (Arcadia, CA), and 10 mL syringe. The cuff was inflated with the syringe until Cufflator reads 30 cm H2O of pressure. Volume of air needed to reach 30 cm H2O was recorded. The stopcock was removed and the Cufflator was subsequently used to check and maintain cuff pressure at 30 cm H2O every 6 to 8 hours. Same steps were repeated for 14 days for each ETT tube. Confidence intervals (CI) for the mean were calculated with a significant level of
How Decomposition and Processing Affect Metallic Particles From a Bullet in Gunshot Defects

A significant portion of forensic anthropological cases involve decomposed or fragmented human skeletal remains. When testifying in a courtroom, often the focus is on trauma interpretation and distinguishing between blunt force trauma, sharp force trauma, or high-velocity projectile trauma. Therefore, forensic anthropologists need to understand how various factors and processes alter human remains during the decomposition process and how those changes affect the interpretation of skeletal trauma patterns. The primary research question addressed in this study is: how does the decomposition and processing of human remains impact the preservation of metallic fragments from gunshot trauma? Fifteen hog (Sus scrofa) crania were shot using hollow-point and full-metal jacketed 9mm ammunition with an 8-foot firing distance. Eight skinless slabs of hog ribs were shot using the same ammunition types as the crania. All hog samples decomposed in an outdoor environment under metal cages to prevent scavenging. Radiographs were taken of each hog sample before and after decomposition and after processing. The results show metallic fragments from the bullet embedding in the soft tissue more frequently than in the hard tissue. Scavengers, mummification, and processing are three critical factors that were found to influence the removal/preservation of metallic fragments during the decomposition process.
Tight Bounds for Differentially Private Anonymized Histograms.

In this note, we consider the problem of differentially privately (DP) computing an anonymized histogram, which is defined as the multiset of counts of the input dataset (without bucket labels). In the low-privacy regime $\epsilon \geq 1$, we give an $\epsilon$-DP algorithm with an expected $\ell_1$-error bound of $O(\sqrt{n} / e^\epsilon)$. In the high-privacy regime $\epsilon < 1$, we give an $\Omega(\sqrt{n \log(1/\epsilon) / \epsilon})$ lower bound on the expected $\ell_1$ error. In both cases, our bounds asymptotically match the previously known lower/upper bounds due to [Suresh, NeurIPS 2019].
Perspective on Radiosurgery Versus Conventional Surgery for Movement Disorders

Movement disorders have a long history of treatment with ablative or destructive procedures dating back to 1890 when Sir Victor Horsley performed an extirpation of the motor cortex for the treatment of athetosis. There was a great decline in the number of surgical cases when carbidopa/levodopa became popularized in 1968. Over time, we have discovered that medications have their limitations resulting in the resurgence of surgery for movement disorders. There are several surgical options available including high-intensity focused ultrasound, Gamma Knife, radiofrequency ablation, and deep brain stimulation. All but deep brain stimulation result in irreversible destruction of tissue. Deep brain stimulation has been proven to be a safe, efficient, and reversible tool to help movement neurologists optimize their patients’ quality of life. Currently, it is the therapeutic treatment of choice for refractory disorders. There are essential differences between deep brain stimulation and the ablative modalities, and each has its pros and cons. It this chapter, we will try to precis each modality and compare in between. We will also review the evidence for both deep brain stimulation and radiosurgery. We hope that the readers of this chapter will be able to use it as a tool in making better treatment decisions for their patients.
Numerical Weather and Climate Prediction

Preface List of acronyms List of symbols 1. Introduction 2. The governing systems of equations 3. Numerical solutions to the equations 4. Physical-process parameterizations 5. Modeling surface processes 6. Model initialization 7. Ensemble methods 8. Predictability 9. Verification methods 10. Experimental design in model-based research 11. Techniques for analyzing model output 12. Operational numerical weather prediction 13. Statistical post processing of model output 14. Coupled special-applications models 15. Computational fluid-dynamics models 16. Climate modeling and downscaling Appendix. Suggested code structure and experiments for a simple shallow-fluid model References Index.
Comparative biokinetics of radiogallium and radioindium in mice

The biokinetics of radiogallium and radioindium in normal mice are compared using the compartmental modelling analysis. The rate constants obtained provide useful information in understanding the physiological and biochemical kinetics of radionuclides in the intact object. A comparison of the compartmental models for gallium and indium reveals the similarities and differences between the biokinetics of the two radionuclides. Furthermore, the results provide valuable information and guidance for human studies and clinical use.
Role of Ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathway in malignant pleural mesothelioma.

4406 Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive, asbestos-related locally recurrent thoracic cancer with no effective curative options, affecting about 3000 new patients in the United States annually. Despite advances in cancer treatment, the median survival rate remains low and most patients die within two years after diagnosis. We have recently shown that U95 Affymetrix ologonucleotide microarray platform could be used for the identification of markers of survival and progression among series of 21 MPM cases Pass HI. et al. Clin Cancer Res. 10: 849-859, 2004. For this study we wanted to identify the aberrations in ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathway (UPP) regulatory proteins that were critical to the pathogenesis of MPM. 241 genes involved in the UPP pathway were compared based on survival time, tumor stage, and histology using t-test analysis with a ninety five percent confidence interval. The software used for the calculations was “Genesight” from Biodiscovery Inc. Twenty-four genes showed significant difference between designated short- ( 1year) term survivors. We observed proteasome alpha subunits 5 and 7 were predominantly overexpressed among short-survivors whereas ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1 was profoundly overexpressed among long-term MPM patient tumor samples. We observed thirty-three genes were differentially expressed among epithelioid and biphasic histotypes. Ubiquitin carrier protein was expressed at low levels among epithelioid MPMs compared to biphasic histotypes. Fifteen genes were significantly altered among stage I and II combined versus stage III cases. Ubiquitin specific proteases 1, 10, 14 were expressed at low levels amomg majority of stage I and II tumors. Increased chymotryptic activity associated with proteasome subunit beta 5 was also observed among six MPM patient derived cell lines compared to MeT5A immortalized mesothelial cells. Taken together, these results indicate that protein ubiquitination and degradation have important role in mesothelioma tumorigenesis that could be utilized for the development of more effective targeted therapies for this fatal disease.
Fine needle aspiration of the thyroid: Use in an Average health care Facility

Fine needle aspiration of the thyroid is suggested as an initial diagnostic procedure in the evaluation of thyroid nodules. Some proponents of the procedure, however, believe that fine needle aspiration should be restricted to centers in which each operator obtains at least 500 biopsy specimens annually. Reviewed were 155 biopsy specimens obtained over three and one-half years, and the sensitivity of fine needle aspiration was determined to be 100 percent, the specificity to be 47.4 percent, and the accuracy to be 73 percent. A review of the literature revealed the sensitivity in larger series to range between 92 and 98 percent, specificity to range between 52 and 99.5 percent, and accuracy to range between 56.1 and 91.3 percent. The surgical yield of carcinoma was 64 percent in patients evaluated with fine needle aspiration, whereas the yield was 26 percent in those who underwent surgery without fine needle aspiration. These results appear to justify the use of fine needle aspiration in the evaluation of nodular thyroid disease at average-sized health care centers.
Visualization of [3H]docosahexaenoic acid trafficking through photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium by electron microscopic autoradiography.

PURPOSE [3H]docosahexaenoic (DHA) acid was followed through the retinal pigment epithelial cells and photoreceptors for up to 5 days after injection to specifically determine which membrane systems of the retinal pigment epithelial cells are used in the handling of [3H]DHA after shedding and phagocytosis of rod tips. METHODS Frogs (Rana pipiens) were injected with [3H]DHA in the dorsal lymph sacs, and maintained for up to 5 days. Retinas were processed for electron microscopic autoradiography, stored for various periods of time, and then analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS After 1 day, [3H]DHA had accumulated within photoreceptor ellipsoids, and had begun to appear as dense label in newly formed discs. By day 5, the basal region of dense label had expanded apically. Newly shed rod outer segment tips were diffusely labeled; but occasionally after several hours, they acquired additional label as they moved near Bruch's membrane. Retinal pigment epithelial cytoplasm maintained a constant level of label, with myeloid bodies sometimes slightly labeled. Oil droplets of the retinal pigment epithelium accumulated dense label throughout this study. CONCLUSIONS When [3H]DHA enters the retinal pigment epithelium, some is retained within oil droplets, whereas the rest is passed on to the photoreceptors. [3H]DHA is initially taken up by inner segments and then dispersed to photoreceptor synaptic terminals as well as to ellipsoids where discs are assembled. Phagosomal labeling exactly matches rod outer segment tips, but occasionally increases as degradation occurs near Bruch's membrane. Normally, density of label remains constant throughout the degradation process.