cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gender, Debt, and Dropping Out of College:

For many young Americans, access to credit has become critical to completing a college education and embarking on a successful career path. Young people increasingly face the trade-off of taking on debt to complete college or foregoing college and taking their chances in the labor market without a college degree. These trade-offs are gendered by differences in college preparation and support and by the different labor market opportunities women and men face that affect the value of a college degree and future difficulties they may face in repaying college debt. We examine these new realities by studying gender differences in the role of debt in the pivotal event of graduating from college using the 1997 cohort of the national longitudinal Survey of youth. In this article, we find that women and men both experience slowing and even diminishing probabilities of graduating when carrying high levels of debt, but that men drop out at lower levels of debt than do women. We conclude by theorizing that high levels of debt are one of the mechanisms that sort women and men into different positions in the social stratification system.
Verification of a Viscous Computational Aeroacoustics Code using External Verification Analysis

The External Verification Analysis approach to code verification is extended to solve the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations with constant properties, and is used to verify a high-order computational aeroacoustics (CAA) code. After a brief review of the relevant literature, the details of the EVA approach are presented and compared to the similar Method of Manufactured Solutions (MMS). Pseudocode representations of EVA's algorithms are included, along with the recurrence relations needed to construct the EVA solution. The code verification results show that EVA was able to convincingly verify a high-order, viscous CAA code without the addition of MMS-style source terms, or any other modifications to the code.
ESTIMATES OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STABILIZATION POLICIES FOR THE MORTGAGE AND HOUSING MARKETS

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT agencies and government-related agencies have been very active in the last 10 years in attempting to stabilize short-run fluctuations in mortgage and housing markets. The agencies include GNMA (Government National Mortgage Association), FNMA (Federal National Mortgage Association), and FHLMC (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation). An agency issues commitments to a private lender, with the commitments providing the private lender an option to resell to the agency a quantity of new mortgage loans at a specified interest rate over periods ranging from several months to over a year. The private lender then may either "take-down" the commitment, in which case it sells mortgages to the agency, or cancel the commitment. If the commitment is takendown, the agency may either hold the mortgages in its own portfolio or sell them (frequently to one of the other agencies). The agency's portfolio of mortgages is itself funded through capital market debt issues. The objective of the agencies' counter-cyclical policies has been to issue commitments and purchase mortgages (and sell mortgages) with timing designed to stabilize the mortgage and housing markets.2 The ability of the agencies to stabilize mortgage and housing markets has been much debated. Allan Meltzer, for example, has argued strongly that the agencies have essentially no net effect on mortgage and housing markets; through a variety of mechanisms, the actions of the agencies are fully offset by reactions of the private sector lenders in the opposite direction.3 On the other hand, both Congress and the agencies have revealed a strong belief in the efficacy of their actions. For example, during the 1974-75 recession, the agencies purchased over $12 billion in mortgages, and issued an even greater amount of new commitments. In our view, the fact lies between these extremes, and depends critically on the relevant time span. Empirical evidence now has been accumulated showing that the agencies, in fact, have essentially no effect on mortgage and housing markets over extended periods; beyond say a year, private sector reactions do fully offset the intervention of the agencies.4 On the other hand, available quarterly econometric
Proposal maps driven MCMC for estimating human body pose in static images

This paper addresses the problem of estimating human body pose in static images. This problem is challenging due to the high dimensional state space of body poses, the presence of pose ambiguity, and the need to segment the human body in an image. We use an image generative approach by modeling the human kinematics, the shape and the clothing probabilistically. These models are used for deriving a good likelihood measure to evaluate samples in the solution, space. We adopt a data-driven MCMC framework for searching the solution space efficiently. Our observation data include the face, head-shoulders contour, skin color blobs, and ridges; and they provide evidences on the positions of the head, shoulders and limbs. To translate these inferences into pose hypotheses, we introduce the use of 'proposal maps', which is an efficient way of consolidating the evidence and generating 3D pose candidates during the MCMC search. As experimental results show, the proposed technique estimates the human 3D pose accurately on various test images.
Cost-Utility Analyses in Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Implications from Real-World Evidence

Abstract Objectives To systematically review the cost-effectiveness of diabetes interventions, identify high-value diabetes services, and estimate potential gains from increasing their utilization. Methods The study consisted of two steps. First, we reviewed cost-utility analyses (CUAs) related to diabetes published through the end of 2012, using the Tufts Medical Center Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry (www.cearegistry.org). We used logistic regression to examine factors independently associated with favorable cost-effective ratios. Second, we used the Humedica electronic medical records to estimate potential savings and health benefits gained by shifting patients currently receiving low-value services to high-value alternatives. Results We identified 196 diabetes CUAs, of which 55% examined pharmaceuticals. Most (70%) diabetes CUAs focused on treatment rather than prevention. Most used a health care payer perspective and were industry-sponsored. Of the 497 published cost-utility ratios, 82% examined an intervention recommended by diabetes guidelines. Approximately 73% of the interventions were cost-saving or below $50,000 per quality-adjusted life-year. Logistic regression analysis showed that higher-quality CUAs, CUAs conducted from the US perspective, surgical interventions, and guideline-recommended interventions were more likely to report favorable ratios. Of the 7907 eligible patients with diabetes in our sample, up to 7117 could in principle be shifted to cost-saving treatments, reducing costs by $12.5 million and gaining more than 1938 quality-adjusted life-years over a lifetime. Conclusions Most diabetes interventions evaluated by CUAs are recommended by practice guidelines and may provide good value for money. Our results indicate that patients with diabetes and the health care system could potentially benefit from shifting to the greater use of high-value services.
Mutational Analysis of the Disulfide Catalysts DsbA and DsbB

In prokaryotes, disulfides are generated by the DsbA-DsbB system. DsbB functions to generate disulfides by quinone reduction. These disulfides are passed to the DsbA protein and then to folding proteins. To investigate the DsbA-DsbB catalytic system, we performed an in vivo selection for chromosomal dsbA and dsbB mutants. We rediscovered many residues previously shown to be important for the activity of these proteins. In addition, we obtained one novel DsbA mutant (M153R) and four novel DsbB mutants (L43P, H91Y, R133C, and L146R). We also mutated residues that are highly conserved within the DsbB family in an effort to identify residues important for DsbB function. We found classes of mutants that specifically affect the apparent Km of DsbB for either DsbA or quinones, suggesting that quinone and DsbA may interact with different regions of the DsbB protein. Our results are consistent with the interpretation that the residues Q33 and Y46 of DsbB interact with DsbA, Q95 and R48 interact with quinones, and that residue M153 of DsbA interacts with DsbB. All of these interactions could be due to direct amino acid interactions or could be indirect through, for instance, their effect on protein structure. In addition, we find that the DsbB H91Y mutant severely affects the kcat of the reaction between DsbA and DsbB and that the DsbB L43P mutant is inactive, suggesting that both L43 and H91 are important for the activity of DsbB. These experiments help to better define the residues important for the function of these two protein-folding catalysts.
Revisiting Recent Research on Social Learning Theory as an Etiological Proposition for Sexually Abusive Male Adolescents.

Abstract This article examines social learning theory as a construct that is applicable to adolescent sexual abusers based upon recent published research. Bandura's (1986) work is used to outline the theory and then research on victimization, aggression, criminality, pornography and personality is reviewed to assess the theory as a reasonable fit for adolescent sexually abusive behavior. Research implications are offered that argue for rigorous research methods in the field to allow for further test of this theory.
Course of C-reactive protein during continuous peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis.

SUMMARY: Objective: C-reactive protein (CRP) levels increase during peritonitis. Little is known about the extent and duration of CRP elevation. Patients and Methods: Patients on continuous peritoneal dialysis (CPD) therapy had a baseline CRP value at the start of the study. CRP values were determined at 48 h, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after an episode of peritonitis developed in the 13 months after the study started. Results: The demographic values and comorbid diseases of the patients developing and not developing peritonitis were not significantly different. Patients who developed peritonitis had a mean ± SD CRP value of 15.0 ± 11.1 mg/L compared with 15.7 ± 9.9 mg/L in patients without peritonitis. The CRP value rose to 118.35 ± 96.86 mg/L at 48 h, and decreased to 34.5 ± 43.6 mg/L at 2 weeks and to 30.1 ± 39.7 mg/L at 4 weeks after the onset of peritonitis. All types of peritonitis were associated with a significant increase in CRP at 48 h. Nine patients had CRP elevations above baseline at 4 weeks; seven patients had active medical issues. Conclusion: CRP values become significantly elevated during peritonitis. Most patients have a decrease in the CRP values toward baseline values at 4 weeks following the onset of peritonitis while 20% of patients had continued elevations. The significance of the elevations is unclear. Given the associations of CRP with cardiovascular mortality in both uremic and non-uremic patients and the association of peritonitis with mortality, the role of this inflammatory marker deserves further evaluation.
CS1 (CRACC, CD319) Induces Proliferation and Autocrine Cytokine Expression on Human B Lymphocytes

CS1 (CRACC, CD319), a member of the CD2 family of cell surface receptors, is implicated in the activation of NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Previous studies showed that CS1 is also expressed on activated B cells. However, the functional role of CS1 in human B-lymphocytes is not known. Two isoforms of CS1, CS1-L and CS1-S, are expressed in human NK cells that differentially regulate NK cell function. CS1-L contains immunoreceptor tyrosine-based switch motifs in its cytoplasmic domain whereas CS1-S lacks immunoreceptor tyrosine-based switch motifs. In this study, we show that human B lymphocytes express only the CS1-L isoform, and its expression is up-regulated upon B cell activation with various stimulators. Moreover, anti-CS1 mAb strongly enhanced proliferation of both freshly isolated as well as activated B cells. The enhanced proliferation effects of CS1 were most prominent on B cells activated by anti-CD40 mAbs and/or hrIL-4. The effects of CS1 on B cell proliferation were shown on both naive and memory B cells. Human cytokine microarray and quantitative real-time PCR results indicated that CS1 activation enhanced mRNA transcripts of flt3 ligand, lymphotoxin A, TNF, and IL-14. Neutralizing Abs against lymphotoxin A, TNF-alpha, and/or flt3 ligand abolished the ability of CS1 on the B cell proliferation. These results suggest that activation of B lymphocytes, through surface CS1, may be mediated through secretion of autocrine cytokines and CS1 may play a role in the regulation of B lymphocyte proliferation during immune responses.
Assessment of Anxiety Disorders in Older Adults: Current Concerns, Future Prospects

The assessment of anxiety in the elderly is an area that has just begun to receive attention from researchers and clinicians. As such, there are many questions that are unanswered at present. This overview is intended to facilitate continued work in this area, as well as to highlight issues where clinical science could benefit from more systematic information.
Spacecraft surface charging within geosynchronous orbit observed by the Van Allen Probes

Using the Helium Oxygen Proton Electron (HOPE) and Electric Field and Waves (EFW) instruments from the Van Allen Probes, we explored the relationship between electron energy fluxes in the eV and keV ranges and spacecraft surface charging. We present statistical results on spacecraft charging within geosynchronous orbit by L and MLT. An algorithm to extract the H+ charging line in the HOPE instrument data was developed to better explore intense charging events. Also, this study explored how spacecraft potential relates to electron number density, electron pressure, electron temperature, thermal electron current, and low-energy ion density between 1 and 210 eV. It is demonstrated that it is imperative to use both EFW potential measurements and the HOPE instrument ion charging line for examining times of extreme spacecraft charging of the Van Allen Probes. The results of this study show that elevated electron energy fluxes and high-electron pressures are present during times of spacecraft charging but these same conditions may also occur during noncharging times. We also show noneclipse significant negative charging events on the Van Allen Probes.
Are we imprisoned in narratives of progress? The work of Hanes Walton and its lessons for an Afrofuturistic black politics

Hanes Walton was a prolific scholar and a fine human being. In this article, I use his work to engage theories of Afrofuturism and explore their combined import for the future of black politics. I ...
Seismic Performance of Shallow Founded Structures on Liquefiable Ground: Validation of Numerical Simulations Using Centrifuge Experiments

AbstractThe results of fully coupled, three-dimensional (3D), nonlinear finite-element analyses of structures founded on liquefiable soils are compared with centrifuge experiments. The goal is to provide insight into the numerical model’s capabilities in predicting the key engineering demand parameters that control building performance on softened ground for a range of structures, soil profiles, and ground motions. Experimental and numerical observations will also guide future analyses and mitigation decisions. The numerical model captured excess pore pressures and accelerations, the dominant displacement mechanisms under the foundation, and therefore building’s settlement, tilt, and interstory drift. Both experimental and numerical results showed that increasing the structure’s contact pressure and height/width (H/B) ratio generally reduces net excess pore pressure ratios in soil but amplifies the structure’s tilting tendencies and total drift. The settlement response of a structure with a greater pressu...
Perfect Square Patterns in the Pascal Triangle

(1973). Perfect Square Patterns in the Pascal Triangle. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 46, No. 4, pp. 203-208.
Non-Lipschitzian Control Algorithm for Nanoscale

We present a robust feedback control algorithm and apply it to the nonlinear oscillator array (Frenkel-Kontorova) model of nanoscale friction. The new control approach is based on the concepts of non-Lipschitzian dynamics and global targeting. We show that average quantities of the controlled system can be driven - exactly or approximately - towards desired targets which become additional, linearly stable attractors for the system's dynamics. Extensive numerical simulations show that the basins of attraction of these targets are reached in very short times and the control exhibits very strong robustness. We investigate the efficiency of the control in terms of various parameters (e.g., system size, non-Lipschitzian exponent)}.
Circumferential cervical surgery for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: A multianalytic outcome study

Study design Three outcome measures, Nurick grades, Odom's criteria, and the Short Form (SF-36) were analyzed following circumferential cervical surgery in 47 patients. Objectives To analyze three outcome measures following circumferential surgery. Summary of background data Few studies use multiple outcome criteria to assess circumferential surgery. Methods Patients averaged 54 years of age and exhibited severe myelopathy (Nurick grade 3.6). Corpectomies of 2.6 vertebrae (on average) were followed by posterior fusions (C2-T1) with halo stabilization. Initial fixed-plates (n = 28) and subsequent dynamic ABC plates (Aesculap, Tuttlingen, Germany) (n = 19) were applied, Fusion was confirmed on dynamic radiographs and two-dimensional CT studies 3, 6, and up to 12 months after surgery. Nurick grades and Odom's criteria were evaluated 1 and 2 years after surgery. Results of SF-36 questionnaires, obtained before surgery, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years after surgery, were calculated. Results Neurodiagnostic studies confirmed fusion on average 5.0 months after surgery. One and 2 years after surgery, mean Nurick grades were 0.8 (+2.8 points) and 0.4 (+3.2 points), respectively. One year (2 years) postoperative Odom's criteria revealed excellent 26 (30), good 14 (11), fair 6 (5), and poor 1 (1) patient outcomes. Comparing preoperative with 1-year postoperative SF-36 questionnaires revealed moderate improvement on 5 health scales: Social Function (+19.9), Bodily Pain (+19.6), Role-Physical (+18.8), Physical Function (+12.5), and Role-Emotional (+11.1). Minimal additional improvement occurred over the second year: Role-Physical (+21.6), Social Function (+16.4), Bodily Pain (+13.4), Physical Function (+12.8), and Role Emotional (+9.5). Conclusion Based on three outcome measures, the greatest improvement occurs 1 year following circumferential surgery.
Bioactive lysophospholipids generated by hepatic lipase degradation of lipoproteins lead to complement activation via the classical pathway.

PURPOSE We determined bioactivity of lysophospholipids generated by degradation of the low-density (LDL), very low-density (VLDL), and high-density (HDL) lipoproteins with hepatic lipase (HL), cholesterol esterase (CE), and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2). METHODS The LDL, VLDL, and HDL were treated with HL, CE, and Lp-PLA2 after immobilization on plates, and complement activation studies were performed with diluted human serum. Complement component 3 (C3) fixation, a marker for complement activation, was determined with a monoclonal anti-human C3d antibody. Enzymatic properties of HL and CE were assayed with triglyceride and phosphatidylcholine substrates for triglyceride hydrolase and phospholipase A activities. The ARPE-19 cells were used for viability studies. RESULTS The HL degradation of human lipoproteins LDL, VLDL, or HDL results in the formation of modified lipoproteins that can activate the complement pathway. Complement activation is dose- and time-dependent upon HL and occurs via the classical pathway. Enzymatic studies suggest that the phospholipase A1 activity of HL generates complement-activating lysophospholipids. C-reactive protein (CRP), known to simultaneously interact with complement C1 and complement factor H (CFH), further enhances HL-induced complement activation. The lysophospholipids, 1-Palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 1-Oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, can be directly cytotoxic to ARPE-19 cells. CONCLUSIONS The HL degradation of lipoproteins, known to accumulate in the outer retina and in drusen, can lead to the formation of bioactive lysophospholipids that can trigger complement activation and induce RPE cellular dysfunction. Given the known risk associations for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with HL, CRP, and CFH, this study elucidates a possible damage pathway for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in genetically predisposed individuals, that HL activity may lead to accumulation of lysophospholipids to initiate complement activation, with CFH dysregulation exacerbating the effects of this process.
Formation Mechanism and Emission Reduction of PCDD/Fs in Iron Ore Sintering

Iron ore sintering is an important industrial source of dioxin(PCDD/Fs), and the mechanism of generating dioxins in sintering process is very complex. Reaction by a precursor compound of an organic compound and De novo are two main ways, and De novo is the main way. Dioxins in the sintering machine are produced not only in the dry zone, but also produced in exhaust flue after the sinter zone and the combustion zone. There are three ways to reduce emissions of dioxins: source control, process control and operation, and treatment in the end. Source control is the best choice for the inhibition of dioxin, and treatment in the end is often chosen in the current process. Single dioxin abatement technologies may not be feasible for the complexity of sintering flue gas composition, and the investment is relatively large. For the technical characteristics of the sintering process and flue gas, the best way is synergistic emission reduction. Circulating sintering flue gas can reduce dioxins, NOxand dust content, etc. So it will be an important development direction.
Teaching Public Policy: Linking Policy and Politics

Policy makers constantly struggle to reconcile policy and politics—to square what they want to do on the merits with what consent requires. Academic research and teaching on public policy, however,...
Do state minimum markup/price laws work? Evidence from retail scanner data and TUS-CPS.

Background Minimum markup/price laws (MPLs) have been proposed as an alternative non-tax pricing strategy to reduce tobacco use and access. However, the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of MPLs in increasing cigarette prices is very limited. This study aims to fill this critical gap by examining the association between MPLs and cigarette prices. Methods State MPLs were compiled from primary legal research databases and were linked to cigarette prices constructed from the Nielsen retail scanner data and the self-reported cigarette prices from the Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between MPLs and the major components of MPLs and cigarette prices. Results The presence of MPLs was associated with higher cigarette prices. In addition, cigarette prices were higher, above and beyond the higher prices resulting from MPLs, in states that prohibit below-cost combination sales; do not allow any distributing party to use trade discounts to reduce the base cost of cigarettes; prohibit distributing parties from meeting the price of a competitor, and prohibit distributing below-cost coupons to the consumer. Moreover, states that had total markup rates >24% were associated with significantly higher cigarette prices. Conclusions MPLs are an effective way to increase cigarette prices. The impact of MPLs can be further strengthened by imposing greater markup rates and by prohibiting coupon distribution, competitor price matching, and use of below-cost combination sales and trade discounts.
Network analysis of psoriasis reveals biological pathways and roles for coding and long non-coding RNAs

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, inflammatory disorder of the skin characterized by chronic inflammation and hyperproliferation of the epidermis. Differential expression analysis of microarray or RNA-seq data have shown that thousands of coding and non-coding genes are differentially expressed between psoriatic and healthy control skin. However, differential expression analysis may fail to detect perturbations in gene coexpression networks. Sensitive detection of such networks may provide additional insight into important disease-associated pathways. In this study, we applied weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) on RNA-seq data from psoriasis patients and healthy controls. RNA-seq was performed on skin samples from 18 psoriasis patients (pre-treatment and post-treatment with the TNF-α inhibitor adalimumab) and 16 healthy controls, generating an average of 52.3 million 100-bp paired-end reads per sample. Using WGCNA, we identified 3 network modules that were significantly correlated with psoriasis and 6 network modules significantly correlated with biologic treatment, with only 16 % of the psoriasis-associated and 5 % of the treatment-associated coexpressed genes being identified by differential expression analysis. In a majority of these correlated modules, more than 50 % of coexpressed genes were long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA). Enrichment analysis of these correlated modules revealed that short-chain fatty acid metabolism and olfactory signaling are amongst the top pathways enriched for in modules associated with psoriasis, while regulation of leukocyte mediated cytotoxicity and regulation of cell killing are amongst the top pathways enriched for in modules associated with biologic treatment. A putative autoantigen, LL37, was coexpressed in the module most correlated with psoriasis. This study has identified several networks of coding and non-coding genes associated with psoriasis and biologic drug treatment, including networks enriched for short-chain fatty acid metabolism and olfactory receptor activity, pathways that were not previously identified through differential expression analysis and may be dysregulated in psoriatic skin. As these networks are comprised mostly of non-coding genes, it is likely that non-coding genes play critical roles in the regulation of pathways involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.
Avoiding Fragmentation of Global Financial Governance

Regions of the world have developed an increasing number of financial arrangements to underpin the stability of capital markets and combat crises. But these arrangements vie for influence over international finance with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as has been dramatically illustrated during the euro crisis, and threatens to fragment global financial governance. This article reviews the regional financial arrangements (RFAs) and their relationships to the IMF, examines the sources of conflict between these institutions, draws lessons from the euro crisis for institutional cooperation, and proposes a set of guidelines and principles to avoid fragmentation of financial governance in the future.
Needle Decompression of Tension Pneumothorax with Colorimetric Capnography

Background The success of needle decompression for tension pneumothorax is variable, and there are no objective measures assessing effective decompression. Colorimetric capnography, which detects carbon dioxide present within the pleural space, may serve as a simple test to assess effective needle decompression. Methods Three swine underwent traumatically induced tension pneumothorax (standard of care, n = 15; standard of care with needle capnography, n = 15). Needle thoracostomy was performed with an 8-cm angiocatheter. Similarly, decompression was performed with the addition of colorimetric capnography. Subjective operator assessment of decompression was recorded and compared with true decompression, using thoracoscopic visualization for both techniques. Areas under receiver operating curves were calculated and pairwise comparison was performed to assess statistical significance ( P Results The detection of decompression by needle colorimetric capnography was found to be 100% accurate (15 of 15 attempts), when compared with thoracoscopic assessment (true decompression). Furthermore, it accurately detected the lack of tension pneumothorax, that is, the absence of any pathologic/space-occupying lesion, in 100% of cases (10 of 10 attempts). Standard of care needle decompression was detected by operators in 9 of 15 attempts (60%) and was detected in 3 of 10 attempts when tension pneumothorax was not present (30%). True decompression, under direct visualization with thoracoscopy, occurred 15 of 15 times (100%) with capnography, and 12 of 15 times (80%) without capnography. Areas under receiver operating curves were 0.65 for standard of care and 1.0 for needle capnography ( P = .002). Conclusions Needle decompression with colorimetric capnography provides a rapid, effective, and highly accurate method for eliminating operator bias for tension pneumothorax decompression. This may be useful for the treatment of this life-threatening condition.
PVDF-TrFE Electroactive Polymer Based Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMs) Structures

Electroactive polymer (EAP) has recently been receiving significant attention as smart materials for actuators and sensors for novel micro fabricated devices. Polymer film devices have demonstrated use as pressure sensors and shown potential for harvesting energy from the natural environment. Fabrication of sensing devices using copolymer films has been accomplished using standard lithography process. Materials such as P(VDF-TrFE) (polyvinyledenedifluoride-tetrafluoroethylene) copolymer films (1 m thick or less) were evaluated and presented a large relative permittivity and greater piezoelectric-phase without stretching. Mechanical analysis of experimental structures was also provided and led to key design rules for key post-processing steps to control the performance of the devices. Further investigations will be used to identify suitable micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMs) structures.
Digital Radiography in Total Hip Arthroplasty: Technique and Radiographic Results.

Background:Obtaining the ideal acetabular cup position in total hip arthroplasty remains a challenge. Advancements in digital radiography and image analysis software allow the assessment of the cup position during the surgical procedure. This study describes a validated technique for evaluating cup
Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease: Improvements in Outcomes.

Cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease has changed dramatically since the first surgery in 1938. During the early era, children underwent surgery at older ages often with palliative procedures before their corrective operation. Not surprisingly, in the early era, there was considerably higher early and late mortality, including the additive risks of having more than one procedure and a long period of living with an unphysiological palliated circulation. Over time with advances in noninvasive diagnosis, surgical approach, cardiopulmonary bypass techniques, and team-based care, outcomes have improved. Children now undergo corrective surgery at a younger age and have fewer palliative procedures. Short-term outcome as measured by the commonly used metric “procedural early mortality” (i.e., death before hospital discharge or less than 30 days following a surgical procedure) is now as low as 1 or 2% for many low-to-moderate complexity procedures. Late outcomes have also improved with long-term survival of hospital survivors for simple lesions being close to population controls. Late outcomes for more complex defects still show diminishing survival relative to a control population. Examination of the causes of death provides insights into areas in which clinical improvements may further improve the outlook for children with complex congenital heart disease.
Monitoring and improving pain management practices. A quality improvement approach.

The undertreatment of acute pain is well documented. Many experts in pain management recommend a quality improvement (QI) program in pain management as one way to improve the situation. This article describes the principles of QI and outlines a process for developing a QI program in pain management. The results of published QI studies on patient satisfaction with pain management are summarized and critiqued. Finally, specific recommendations for conducting QI studies in pain management are included.
Impact of Engineering Ambassador Programs on Student Development

This study highlights the positive impact of participation in an engineering ambassador program on students from two universities: Oregon State University which is a large public university in a college town with a 13% minority student body, and Howard University, a medium sized private university with a relatively small engineering program in an urban setting enrolling a primarily minority population. Although these ambassador programs have a major goal of service to the university and engineering program, they serve an equally important goal of developing the skills and attitudes of the ambassadors themselves. Ambassadors from both universities were surveyed, and though the universities and the programs are different, results show that both programs have a similar positive impact on student goals, attitudes, leadership skill and self-efficacy.
Optimization in Wireless Networks

Wireless ad hoc networks consist of autonomous nodes and require each node’s cooperation in communications. Since the network environment does not assume any infrastructure, communication tasks are performed in an ad-hoc fashion and many well-established protocols for wired networks are not applicable in such a network. In this chapter, we survey several combinatorial optimization. problems in wireless ad hoc networks and discuss applications of the problems. To improve the solution quality, the intrinsic natures of wireless communications should be considered in designing algorithms.
Modeling Cyclist Route Choice using Revealed Preference Data: An Age and Gender Perspective

Perception of safety varies among cyclists depending on their cycling experience and frequency as well as on their socio-demographic attributes, particularly age and gender. Female cyclists are oft...
Reproducibility and Variability of Protein Analytes Measured Using a Multiplexed Modified Aptamer Assay

Background: There is growing interest in the use of multiplexed aptamer-based assays for large-scale proteomic studies. However, the analytic, short- and long-term variation of the measured proteins is largely uncharacterized. Methods: We quantified 4001 plasma protein analytes from 42 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study in split samples and at multiple visits using a multiplexed modified aptamer assay. We calculated the CV, Spearman correlation, and intraclass correlation (ICC) between split samples and evaluated the short-term (4–9 weeks) and long-term (approximately 20 years) variability using paired t-tests with log-transformed protein concentrations and Bonferroni-corrected significance thresholds. We performed principal component (PC) analysis of protein analyte concentrations and evaluated their associations with age, sex, race, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Results: The mean baseline age was 57 years at the first visit, 43% of participants were male and 57% were white. Among 3693 protein analytes that passed quality control, half (n = 1846) had CVs 0.89, and ICCs > 0.96 among the split samples. Over the short term, only 1 analyte had a statistically significant difference between the 2 time points, whereas, over approximately 20 years, 866 analytes (23.4%) had statistically significant differences (P Conclusions: Multiplexed modified aptamer technology can assay thousands of proteins with excellent precision. Our results support the potential for large-scale studies of the plasma proteome over the lifespan.
Pipeline embolization device diameter is an important factor determining the efficacy of flow diversion treatment of small intracranial saccular aneurysms

Objective Flow diversion using the Pipeline embolization device (PED) has become a widely used treatment method for intracranial aneurysms. However, a subset of aneurysms will fail to occlude following treatment and the factors that influence the efficacy of flow diversion remain uncertain. As smaller diameter PEDs inherently have greater metal density than larger devices, we elected to investigate whether PED diameter influences treatment efficacy when using a single device. We also evaluated other factors that may influence treatment outcomes with PED. Methods We retrospectively evaluated all patients treated for an intracranial saccular aneurysm at our institution with a single PED at least 12 months prior to the time of data collection. Patients treated with multiple devices, adjunctive coiling, traumatic and fusiform target aneurysms, as well as patients with inadequate imaging follow-up ( Results 158 aneurysms in 124 patients (128 treatments) met the inclusion criteria for our study. 123 aneurysms (80%) were occluded over an average follow-up of 26.6 months. Multivariable logistic regression showed that branch vessel incorporation into the target aneurysm sac (p Conclusions PED diameter significantly impacts outcomes when using a single device for the treatment of small anterior circulation intracranial saccular aneurysms, most likely due to the inherent greater metal density of smaller devices. This factor should be taken into account when planning endovascular aneurysm treatment with PED.
A passive sampling model to predict PAHs in butter clams (Saxidomus giganteus), a traditional food source for Native American tribes of the Salish Sea Region.

Native Americans face disproportionate exposures to environmental pollution through traditional subsistence practices including shellfish harvesting. In this study, the collection of butter clams (Saxidomus giganteus) was spatially and temporally paired with deployment of sediment pore water passive samplers at 20 locations in the Puget Sound region of the Salish Sea in the Pacific Northwest, USA, within adjudicated usual and accustomed tribal fishing grounds and stations. Clams and passive samplers were analyzed for 62 individual PAHs. A linear regression model was constructed to predict PAH concentrations in the edible fraction of butter clams from the freely dissolved fraction (Cfree) in porewater. PAH concentrations can be predicted within a factor of 1.9 ± 0.2 on average from the freely dissolved PAH concentration in porewater using the following equation: PAHClam=4.1±0.1×PAHporewater This model offers a simplified, cost effective, and low impact approach to assess contaminant levels in butter clams which are an important traditional food.
Predictive Models of Aqueous Solubility of Organic Compounds Built on A Large Dataset of High Integrity

Abstract Aqueous solubility is one of the most important properties in drug discovery, as it has profound impact on various drug properties, including biological activity, pharmacokinetics (PK), toxicity, and in vivo efficacy. Both kinetic and thermodynamic solubilities are determined during different stages of drug discovery and development. Since kinetic solubility is more relevant in preclinical drug discovery research, especially during the structure optimization process, we have developed predictive models for kinetic solubility with in-house data generated from 11,780 compounds collected from over 200 NCATS intramural research projects. This represents one of the largest kinetic solubility datasets of high quality and integrity. Based on the customized atom type descriptors, the support vector classification (SVC) models were trained on 80% of the whole dataset, and exhibited high predictive performance for estimating the solubility of the remaining 20% compounds within the test set. The values of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) for the compounds in the test sets reached 0.93 and 0.91, when the threshold for insoluble compounds was set to 10 and 50 μg/mL respectively. The predictive models of aqueous solubility can be used to identify insoluble compounds in drug discovery pipeline, provide design ideas for improving solubility by analyzing the atom types associated with poor solubility and prioritize compound libraries to be purchased or synthesized.
From McCarthy to Trump

The two most notorious demagogues in recent American political history (1945–2019) are linked through the unscrupulous lawyer and fixer Roy Cohn, who worked for them both. His career suggests an entree into a biographical effort to compare Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and President Donald J. Trump, both of whom demonstrated an aptitude for arousing popular fears and animosities and for sowing discord and divisiveness. Both were mendacious. Yet McCarthy did not directly and explicitly activate bigotry or nativism, in contrast to Trump, and did not rise above service as junior Senator from Wisconsin, posing less of a threat to democratic institutions and the rule of law.
Geometric ergodicity of a Metropolis-Hastings algorithm for Bayesian inference of phylogenetic branch lengths

This manuscript extends the work of Spade et al. (Math Biosci 268:9–21, 2015) to an examination of a fully-updating version of a Metropolis-Hastings algorithm for inference of phylogenetic branch lengths. This approach serves as an intermediary between theoretical assessment of Markov chain convergence, which in phylogenetic settings is typically difficult to do analytically, and output-based convergence diagnostics, which suffer from several of their own limitations. In this manuscript, we will also examine the performance of the convergence assessment techniques for this Markov chain and the convergence behavior of this type of Markov chain compared to the one-at-a-time updating scheme investigated in Spade et al. (Math Biosci 268:9–21, 2015). We will also vary the choices of the drift function in order to obtain a sense of how the choice of the drift function affects the estimated bound on the chain’s mixing time.
Primary immunodeficiency testing in a Massachusetts tertiary care NICU: persistent challenges in the extremely premature population.

Prematurity presents a diagnostic challenge in interpreting primary immunodeficiency (PID) testing. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all infants in our level IV referral neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Massachusetts, with immunologic testing performed from 2006 to 2018. The overall rate of PID testing was enriched in our population, with 1% of admitted patients having extended immunologic testing. The addition of TREC (T cell receptor excision circle) newborn screening in Massachusetts in 2009 increased the proportion of infants tested for PID in our NICU by 3-fold (1.21% post-newborn screening (NBS) vs. 0.46% pre-NBS). A majority of the term and late preterm (≥34 weeks) infants (31 of 41, 76%), as well as very premature (29–33 weeks) infants (12 of 17, 71%), who had immune testing, had a genetic diagnosis associated with secondary immunodeficiency or a PID. Most infants who were born extremely premature (EP, <29 weeks) (25 of 29, 86%) had no identifiable cause of immunodeficiency besides prematurity, despite a mean postmenstrual age of 40.1 weeks at the time of testing. Persistent immune derangements were present within a subgroup of the EP population through term postmenstrual age. EP infants with significant infectious history and abnormal immune testing at term-corrected age should be considered for genetic testing.
Promises, Promises: Credible Policy Reform via Signalling

Empirical experience and theory both suggest that policy reforms can be aborted or reversed if they lack sufficient credibility. One reason for credibility problems is the doubt regarding how serious the government really is about the reform. This paper considers a framework in which the private sector is unable to distinguish between a genuinely reformist government and a government that simply feigns interest in reform because it is a precondition for foreign assistance. The general conclusion is that the magnitude of the reform may serve to convey the government's future intentions and, hence, act as a signal of its "type." Copyright 1989 by Royal Economic Society.
Are randomized controlled trials in urology being conducted with justification

CONTEXT Considering the substantial increase in research funding in the field of urology, minimizing research waste should be a top priority. Systematic reviews (SRs) compile available evidence regarding a clinical question into a single critical resource. If properly utilized, SRs can help minimize redundant studies, focus attention to unsubstantiated treatments, and reduce research waste. OBJECTIVES To appraise the use of SRs as justification for conducting randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in high impact urology journals, and to report the ways SRs were incorporated into RCT manuscripts published in the top four urology journals by h5 index. METHODS On December 13, 2019, a PubMed search was conducted for RCTs published in the top four urology journals according to the Google Scholar h5-index: European Urology, BJU International, The Journal of Urology, and Urology. For an article to be eligible for inclusion in this study, it must have been a full length RCT, published between November 30, 2014, and November 30, 2019 in one of the identified journals, reported only human subjects, and been accessible in English. The following data points were extracted independently by select investigators from each included RCT: manuscript title, year of publication, journal title, type of intervention (drug, medical device, procedure, other), funding source (government, hospital/university, industry, mixed) type of trial (parallel groups, crossover, cluster), and total number of participants reported in each RCT. The included RCTs were searched for reference to an SR, which was then recorded as "yes - verbatim," "yes - inferred," or "not used as justification" and the location in the manuscript where the SR was cited was recorded. RESULTS Of the 566 articles retrieved, 276 were included. Overall, 150 (54.3%) RCTs cited an SR as either verbatim (108; 39.1%) or inferred (42; 15.2%) trial justification, while 126 (45.7%) did not use an SR for RCT justification. Of those 126, 107 (84.9%) RCTs did not cite an SR to any extent. A significant association was noted between verbatim justification and type of intervention (x2=20.23, p=0.017), with 18 of 31 (58.1%) "other" interventions (i.e. psychosocial intervention, exercise programs, and online therapy) having an SR cited as verbatim justification. Only 39 of 118 (33.1%) pharmaceutical trials referenced an SR as verbatim justification. Of 403 systematic review citations, 205 (50.8%) appeared in the Discussion section, while 15 (3.7%) were in the Methods section. CONCLUSIONS We found that RCTs published in four high impact urology journals inconsistently referenced an SR as justification and 39.1% of our entire sample did not reference an SR at all. These findings indicate that a divide exists between the instruction and implementation of evidence based medicine in the field of urology concerning RCTs published in the top four journals. Educating clinicians and researchers on the use of SR as justification for RCTs in urology may reduce research waste and increase the quality of RCTs in the field.