cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling of blackheaded fireworm (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) oviposition and pheromone-trap catches

Our objectives were to predict pheromone-trap catches and oviposition of blackheaded fireworm, Rhopobota naevana (Hubner), on commercial cranberry farms in Wisconsin, Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia and to model oviposition in Wisconsin. Real time, expressed as days after male moths were caught in traps, predicted the day of 50% catch better than degree-days in both growing regions. Weibull functions were used to model the cumulative percentage of male moths caught and cumulative percentage of eggs laid over time in a Wisconsin cranberry farm not treated with insecticides and the percentage of catch of male moths on insecticide-treated farms in Wisconsin and the Pacific Coast growing region. Insecticide treatments made the patterns of flight activity less predictable. However, characteristics of flight activity common to all regions indicated oviposition may occur during a 4-wk period after first catch.
Community-Engaged Strategies to Increase Diversity of Participants in Health Education Research

Minorities have historically been underrepresented in health-related research. Several strategies have been recommended to increase the participation of minorities in health-related research. However, most of the recommendations and guidelines apply to research in clinical or laboratory contexts. One of the more prominent methods to enhance minority participation in health-related research that has recently come to the fore is the use of community-engaged strategies. The purpose of this article is to summarize community-engaged outreach efforts that can be translated into useable strategies for health education research teams seeking to diversify the pool of research participants. Also, we provide a succinct overview of the various components of a research endeavor that may influence minority participation in health-related research. Finally, we analyze how health education specialists and SOPHE (Society of Public Health Education) can play a leading role in helping enhance minority participation in health-related research.
Analysis of the grinding wheel topographical properties based on the digital wheel model

The single layer electroplated CBN wheels are made by joining all abrasive grains onto the wheel hub through electroplating processes.It′s a key technology to achieve higher wheel quality by rigorous size consistency control for manufacturing high-end grinding wheel.Therefore,the understanding of relationship between the grain size and its distribution with the wheel topographical properties will be critical for the wheel design and grinding performance control.The "through the process" grinding wheel model is developed for single layer electroplated CBN wheels by simulating each wheel fabrication procedure numerically.The accuracy and effectiveness of the digital model is verified by modeling and measurement for wheels of 3specifications.In addition,the correlation of abrasive diameter deviation and wheel topographical properties was studied through this model,which could provide the quantitative basis for grinding wheel digital design and quality control.
Generational Differences in Adoption and Use of Information and Communications Technology

The increase in adoption and use of information and communications technology (ICT) by older adults calls for a more detailed understanding of their perceptions, experiences and decisions. Based on responses from a large-scale survey, this study investigates older adults’ adoption and use of two ICT examples – mobile phones and PCs. Detailed open-ended responses from a national sample are quantitatively coded and analyzed with frequency analysis. The results of this study suggest that older adults’ decisions on adoption and use of ICT are affected by multiple factors, including assessment of value, relevance with past experiences, compatibility with lifestyle, and affordability. Furthermore, findings from a comparative analysis suggest that perceived importance and effects of various adoption factors are different between generations, as well as between technology types and between stages of adoption – purchase, initial use and continued use. A summary of research and design implications is presented alon...
Rational Inequalities for Integral Operators Using Convexity

Here we present integral inequalities for convex and increasing functions applied to products of ratios of functions and other important mixtures. As applications we derive a wide range of fractional inequalities of Hardy type. They involve the left and right Riemann-Liouville fractional integrals and their generalizations, in particular the Hadamard fractional integrals.
High Frequency Power Supply for Some Proposed Surface Transportation Systems

AbstractThis paper discusses recent proposals for advanced modes of high speed transportation, many of which involve the use of a guideway formed by a cylindrical tube. The possibility of accomplishing power transfer to a vehicle by using the guideway as a waveguide is discussed. Power loss considerations indicate the advantages of using low microwave frequencies in the tube diameters necessary. Mode filters and power-receiving structures are described in terms of the TE01 mode launched in an 18 ft. diameter guideway at a frequency of 230 MHz.
Where is ‘The Fork in the Road’? Over the Horizon! An Inquiry into the Failure of UN Reform

Conceiving of the call for the reform of the United Nations as a metaphorical challenge immediately is incomplete without a disclosure of perspective and expectation. Invoking the template of the editors, a first concern is whether the metaphoric image is expressive of the core reality of the United Nations, and hence provides a mirror. But quite likely, the call for reform seeks to endow the organization with an effectiveness that transcends the currently unsatisfactory limits of geopolitical possibility, and is implicitly engaged in a plea for magic, that is, for a transformation that exceeds realistic expectations of what is feasible given existing political constraints. It may also be important to introduce a metaphor that dissents from conventional thinking about what is wrong with the United Nations and what to do about it, and thus promotes that part of the editorial paradigm associated with mutiny. In this chapter a prominent use of an inappropriate metaphor for UN reform will be examined, and discarded as a cracked mirror, so to speak. In its place will be proposed an alternative metaphor that is part magic, part mutiny and part medication.
Targeting Stress Pathophysiology to Improve Alcoholism Relapse Outcomes.

Excessive alcohol use is one of the top behavioral causes of global disease burden. A major factor contributing to this burden is the alcohol relapse risk during treatment and recovery from alcoholism. Clinical studies suggest that stress is one of the key factors that contributes to these high-relapse rates (Blaine et al, 2016). Changes in hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis responses, altered and blunted amygdala response to fear/threat potentiated startle in heavy drinkers compared with light social drinkers and autonomic imbalance in sympathetic/parasympathetic systems, have been reported with increased alcohol use (Sinha et al, 2011a). Furthermore, acute alcohol intake stimulates the HPA axis and increases cortisol levels (see Blaine et al (2016) for review), but chronic alcohol abuse is associated with blunted stress cortisol responses (Lovallo et al, 2000). In addition, alcohol withdrawal is associated with elevated basal cortisol (Blaine et al, 2016).
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Longitudinal Study of Cognition, Functional Status, and Post-Traumatic Symptoms.

Abstract More than 75% of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) seeking medical attention are mild, and outcome in that group is heterogeneous. Until sensitive and valid biomarkers are identified, methods are needed to classify mild TBI into more homogeneous subgroups. Four hundred twenty-one adults with mild TBI were divided into groups based on Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 13–15 without computed tomography (CT) abnormalities, GCS 15 with CT abnormalities, and GCS 13–14 with CT abnormalities, and were compared with 120 trauma controls on 1-month and 1-year outcomes. At 1 month post-injury, almost all neuropsychological variables differed significantly among the groups. Compared with trauma controls, the GCS 13–15 CT normal group showed no significant differences on any neuropsychological measure or Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). The GCS 15 CT abnormal group performed significantly worse on only a measure of episodic memory and learning (Selective Reminding Recall [SRCL]) and GOS, and the GCS 13–14 CT abnormal group ...
"El sueño del celta" o el arte de la denuncia

Este ensayo se enfoca en dos cuestiones esenciales de El sueno del celta. En primer lugar, en la posicion politica y etica de Vargas Llosa frente al genocidio del Congo y el Putumayo a principios del siglo XX debido a las repetidas invasiones extranjeras y nacionales codiciosas del caucho o latex negro. En este sentido —se senala— la posicion vargasllosiana estara decididamente influida por el pensamiento del filosofo austriaco Karl Popper y la lectura de su obra cimera, La sociedad abierta y sus enemigos. En segundo lugar, este trabajo se da a la tarea de desentranar la forma helicoidal en que Vargas Llosa ha estructurado la historia de su protagonista, Roger Casement. Al lado del analisis formal, se explican las posibles razones por las cuales la tercera parte de El sueno del celta, “Irlanda”, tiende a ralentizarse. Entre ellas Urroz destaca un cierto abuso de la historia recabada en detrimento de la imaginacion creadora en el cuerpo de la narracion
Impact and persistence of ethical reasoning education on student learning: results from a module-based ethical reasoning educational program

Ethical reasoning is a teachable skill that college students can (and should) learn (Sternberg 2012). Yet, despite the attention ethical reasoning (ER) education has garnered, institutions have delivered ethical reasoning programs with varied success. Improving students’ ethical reasoning skills, and subsequently sustaining those gains throughout the undergraduate career, requires intensive educational curricula delivered over an extended period of time. Specifically, ER instruction should be a program of continuing education rather than a singular or solitary experience (LaGrone et al. 1996). To further examine ethical reasoning education efforts, this study reviewed current practice; piloted a novel, modular-based ethical reasoning program; and studied the new program’s efficacy. Results suggest that the program may be effective, having a positive effect on students’ lower-level and higher-level ER skills. Yet, only gains in students’ lower-level ER skills were sustained for months after they completed the program. The next step is to proceed in continuing to implement additional programs and curricula that foster the ER skills gained through the educational program. To accomplish this, faculty must continue to teach ER in their courses, coupled with other educational opportunities at the university-level.
Abstract 445: Increased Dietary Salt Intake Enhances Sympathetic and Cardiovascular Responses to Various Stressors

Previous studies indicate that increased dietary salt intake enhances sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and arterial blood pressure (ABP) responses evoked from sympathetic neurons of the rostral ventrolateral medulla. The present study sought to extend these findings and determine whether dietary salt intake enhances SNA and ABP responses various sympathetic reflexes that depend on RVLM neurotransmission. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed 0.1% (n=6-8) or 4.0% (n=6-8) NaCl diets for 14-21 days. Then, animals were anesthetized with Inactin. Electrical stimulation (1-20 Hz, 1 ms pulse, 500 uA) of sciatic afferents produced frequency-dependent changes in SNA and ABP in both groups. However, rats ingesting 4% versus 0.1% NaCl displayed significantly larger increases in lumbar SNA (5Hz: 213±25 vs 146±25%, P
Minimizing discontinuities in wafer-level sub-THz measurements up to 750 GHz for device modelling applications

Achieving accurate and continuous measurement for sub-THz wafer-level device characterization is particularly important for device modelling applications. This paper outlines, for the first time, challenges affecting measurement continuity and accuracy at such high frequencies. The newly proposed sub-THz measurement strategy with pre-calibration check for low probe contact resistance, combining power and S-parameter probe tip calibration, implementing post-calibration verification checks and ensuring consistent and accurate DC biasing of devices across all frequency bands, has been demonstrated in this work to improve measurement continuity and quality of wafer-level measurements up to 750 GHz.
CONSERVATION AND STABILIZATION OF MATERIALS

This article provides an overview of the processes of conservation within the various stages of archaeology. The process of conservation include: examination and analysis, stabilization design and proposal, treatment application and interpretation, and data and documentation.
Biomimetic hydrogels direct spinal progenitor cell differentiation and promote functional recovery after spinal cord injury.

Objective Demyelination that results from disease or traumatic injury, such as spinal cord injury (SCI), can have a devastating effect on neural function and recovery. Many researchers are examining treatments to minimize demyelination by improving oligodendrocyte availability in vivo. Transplantation of stem and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells is a promising option, however, trials are plagued by undirected differentiation. Here we introduce a biomaterial that has been optimized to direct the differentiation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) toward oligodendrocytes as a cell delivery vehicle after SCI. Approach A collagen-based hydrogel was modified to mimic the mechanical properties of the neonatal spinal cord, and components present in the developing extracellular matrix were included to provide appropriate chemical cues to the NPCs to direct their differentiation toward oligodendrocytes. The hydrogel with cells was then transplanted into a unilateral cervical contusion model of SCI to examine the functional recovery with this treatment. Six behavioral tests and histological assessment were performed to examine the in vivo response to this treatment. Main results Our results demonstrate that we can achieve a significant increase in oligodendrocyte differentiation of NPCs compared to standard culture conditions using a three-component biomaterial composed of collagen, hyaluronic acid, and laminin that has mechanical properties matched to those of neonatal neural tissue. Additionally, SCI rats with hydrogel transplants, with and without NPCs, showed functional recovery. Animals transplanted with hydrogels with NPCs showed significantly increased functional recovery over six weeks compared to the media control group. Significance The three-component hydrogel presented here has the potential to provide cues to direct differentiation in vivo to encourage regeneration of the central nervous system.
Fluids and Transfusion During Maxillofacial Surgery

Adequate fluid resuscitation is a keystone in optimizing outcomes of our maxillofacial surgical patients. Both insufficient and excess fluid delivery can lead to increased postoperative complications. In the current practice, the notion is to always start with crystalloids as the first-line fluid choice. Colloids have no place in office-based minor oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures and may have utility only in the setting of long and/or invasive maxillofacial surgical procedures where significant blood loss is anticipated and advanced monitoring of blood pressure and/or urinary output is available. Surgical blood loss is replaced in a 3:1 ratio of crystalloid to blood loss and a 1:1 ratio if colloid is administered. This chapter will review the fluid and electrolyte balance of our surgical patients. An individualized assessment of every patient and every procedure is the most important factor in improving our patients’ safety and outcomes.
Pericarditis, pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade, and constriction.

Critical care aspects of pericardial disease are covered, including diagnosis and differential diagnosis of acute pericarditis, pericardial effusion with and without cardiac tam-ponade, constrictive pericarditis and eflusive-constrictive pericarditis. Emphasis is placed on clinical signs and the important invasive and noninvasive diagnostic procedures, particularly various imaging methods (emphasis on echo-cardiography), electrocardiography, and cardiac catheterization. Medical and surgical therapies are reviewed, and the technique of pericardiocentesis is presented.
Carcinosarcoma of the Urinary Bladder—An Aggressive Tumor With Diverse Histogenesis A Clinicopathologic Study of 4 Cases and Review of the Literature

c Objective.—Carcinosarcomas of urinary bladder are rare malignant neoplasms. Seventy-eight cases have been previously described. The histologic composition of these tumors is variable, but diagnosis requires the presence of both epithelial and mesenchymal malignant components. We report 4 additional cases, with an emphasis on unusual histologic features. Methods.—Histologic and immunohistochemical examinations were performed on bladder tumors from 4 patients. Clinicopathologic features of previously reported and current cases were reviewed and summarized. Results.—Four patients (3 men, 1 woman) age 54 to 77 years were found to have polypoid masses in the urinary bladder. In all cases, histologic examination showed biphasic neoplasms with distinct mesenchymal and epithelial components. The morphologic and immunohistochemical characteristics of the tumors varied. One of the cases was remarkable for the presence of liposarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, and micropapillary urothelial carcinoma. Two of the patients died 2 years after diagnosis, which is consistent with the previously reported aggressive nature of urinary bladder carcinosarcomas. Conclusions.—Carcinosarcomas of the urinary bladder are rare, aggressive malignant neoplasms. To our knowledge, a liposarcomatous component has been reported in only 1 case previously, and components of micropapillary urothelial carcinoma and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor have not been reported previously in carcinosarcomas of the urinary bladder. Because of the aggressive biologic behavior of these tumors, they should be identified promptly and treated appropriately. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2000;124:1172‐1178)
Audiovocal Communication in Bats

Bats rely heavily on communication sounds for their everyday social interactions. They even modify echolocation sounds to use them in a communicative context, as in mother–infant interactions, and may eavesdrop on foraging and echolocating individuals to gather information on a food source. Structurally, their communication calls are complex and exhibit syntax. Geographically, some call types vary with group and with subspecies as dialects. Bats can attribute meaning to small variations in syllables, allowing them to recognize individuals and/or their motivational state. Some species have a remarkable capacity for vocal learning.Their young babble as they acquire communication skills, and the adults sing to attract mates or defend their territories.
Design considerations for early-phase clinical trials of immune-oncology agents

With numerous and fast approvals of different agents including immune checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, immunotherapy is now an established form of cancer treatment. These agents have demonstrated impressive clinical activity across many tumor types, but also revealed different toxicity profiles and mechanisms of action. The classic assumptions imposed by cytotoxic agents may no longer be applicable, requiring new strategies for dose selection and trial design. This main goal of this article is to summarize and highlight main challenges of early-phase study design of immunotherapies from a statistical perspective. We compared the underlying toxicity and efficacy assumptions of cytotoxic versus immune-oncology agents, proposed novel endpoints to be included in the dose-selection process, and reviewed design considerations to be considered for early-phase trials. When available, references to software and/or web-based applications were also provided to ease the implementation. Throughout the paper, concrete examples from completed (pembrolizumab, nivolumab) or ongoing trials were used to motivate the main ideas including recommendation of alternative designs. Further advances in the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies will require new approaches that include redefining the optimal dose to be carried forward in later phases, incorporating additional endpoints in the dose selection process (PK, PD, immune-based biomarkers), developing personalized biomarker profiles, or testing drug combination therapies to improve efficacy and reduce toxicity.
Watershed-scale retrospective drought analysis and seasonal forecasting using multi-layer, high-resolution simulated soil moisture for Southeastern U.S

Abstract Drought assessment at local scales needs a reliable framework capturing both local landscape processes and the watershed-scale hydrological responses. Any such tool, implementable in a near real-time, semi-automated framework, is largely unavailable for the South Atlantic-Gulf (SAG) region in the Southeastern US (SEUS). In this study, we evaluate a drought monitoring and forecasting approach using multi-layer, high resolution, simulated soil moisture for 50 watersheds in the SEUS. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is integrated with meteorological drivers (precipitation and temperature) from Climate Forecast System Reanalysis data (CFSR) for retrospective simulations (January 1982–December 2013), and Climate forecast system model version-2 (CFSv2) models to obtain the near real-time estimates (January 2014 through mid-March 2017) and 9-month lead forecasts (mid-March through December 2017) of the hydrologic variables at 12-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC-12) resolution. Drought assessment is carried out by combining the drought severity estimates of the weekly percentiles of the surface and total column (TC) soil moisture, aggregated to 4-week and 8-week respectively, following a different severity classification scheme for each layer. Several drought indices and observed drought maps from the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) are used to compare the agreement (or disagreement) of the proposed approach with the observed drought conditions in the region. The results show promising application of the proposed approach for near real-time estimation as the drought estimates show high (∼80–90%) Index of Agreement (IOA) with the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) for all drought categories (mild-exceptional). The retrospective assessment shows that TC soil moisture percentiles have high correlation (>0.7) with long-term drought indices. The surface soil moisture percentiles show high correlation (∼0.6) with Palmer Z Index (ZNDX) and 1-month Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI-1), while longer aggregations increase the association with the long-term drought indices. While the SWAT-CFSv2 based drought estimation is useful in near real-time mode, higher disagreement between the forecasted drought maps and the observed drought severity from the USDM is noted for a forecast window of greater than ∼ 4–6 weeks.
Case report of a duplicated cystic duct: A unique challenge for the laparoscopic surgeon.

Abstract Introduction Anatomical variants of the extrahepatic biliary tree are numerous, adding significantly to the risk of bile duct injury during cholecystectomy, especially when laparoscopic approach is employed. Duplicated cystic ducts draining a single gallbladder are extremely rare. Presentation of case A 34-year-old female presented with signs and symptoms of acute cholecystitis which was confirmed on imaging. She was found to have an accessory cystic duct on laparoscopic cholecystectomy requiring conversion to open laparotomy with intraoperative cholangiogram to delineate the anatomy. Discussion In the English literature, there has been 20 reported cases of double cystic duct with a single gallbladder. Most of these cases were diagnosed intraoperatively despite the completion of a preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in a few of these patients. Conclusion The limited success of preoperative biliary tract imaging in demonstrating anatomic aberrancies prior to cholecystectomy clearly highlights the importance of maintaining constant vigilance for even the slightest anatomic abnormality at operation. Any uncertainty or concern for ductal injury mandates immediate operative cholangiogram with cannulation of all structures in question.
Publish or Perish v2

Communication of clinical trial outcomes is important, but the results of many clinical trials are never published. If we do not publish the results of clinical trials, the lessons learned from those trials will perish. The Oncologist offers a powerful solution through the Clinical Trial Results publishing platform, which uses an established template for authors to easily build a manuscript by simply providing the essential trial data. Through it, every patient's legacy of clinical trial enrollment can matter.
Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Heidelberg Food Isolates Associated with a Salmonellosis Outbreak Have Enhanced Stress Tolerance Capabilities

Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg is currently the 12th most common serovar of Salmonella enterica causing salmonellosis in the United States and results in twice the average incidence of blood infections caused by nontyphoidal salmonellae. Multiple outbreaks of salmonellosis caused by Salmonella Heidelberg resulted from the same poultry processor, which infected 634 people during 2013 and 2014. The hospitalization and invasive illness rates were 38% and 15%, respectively. We hypothesized that the outbreak strains of Salmonella Heidelberg had enhanced stress tolerance and virulence capabilities. We sourced nine food isolates collected during the outbreak investigation and three reference isolates to assess their tolerance to heat and sanitizers, ability to attach to abiotic surfaces, and invasiveness in vitro We performed RNA sequencing on three isolates (two outbreak-associated isolates and a reference Salmonella Heidelberg strain) with various levels of heat tolerance to gain insight into the mechanism behind the isolates' enhanced heat tolerance. We also performed genomic analyses to determine the genetic relationships among the outbreak isolates. Ultimately, we determined that (i) six Salmonella Heidelberg isolates associated with the foodborne outbreak had enhanced heat tolerance, (ii) one outbreak isolate with enhanced heat tolerance also had an enhanced biofilm-forming ability under stressful conditions, (iii) exposure to heat stress increased the expression of Salmonella Heidelberg multidrug efflux and virulence genes, and (iv) outbreak-associated isolates were likely transcriptionally primed to better survive processing stresses and, potentially, to cause illness.IMPORTANCE This study provides a deep analysis of the intrinsic stress tolerance and virulence capabilities of Salmonella Heidelberg that may have contributed to the length and severity of a recent salmonellosis outbreak. Additionally, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the transcriptomic response of S. enterica strains to heat stress conditions and compares baseline stationary-phase gene expression among outbreak- and non-outbreak-associated Salmonella Heidelberg isolates. These data can be used in assay development to screen isolates for stress tolerance and subsequent survival. This study adds to our understanding of the strains associated with the outbreak and informs ongoing regulatory discussions on Salmonella in poultry.
The Impact of Taxes on Corporate Defined Benefit Plan Asset Allocation

This paper investigates the extent to which taxes affect a corporation?s decision to allocate its defined benefit plan?s assets between equity and bonds. Prior theoretical research shows that if a corporation integrates its pension investment policy and corporate financial policy, differences in tax rates create an arbitrage opportunity. By borrowing at the corporate level and investing the pension assets in bonds, the corporation generates tax benefits. The tax benefits from the arbitrage opportunity should be positively related to the percentage of pension assets allocated to bonds. Consistent with this prediction, but contrary to prior empirical work, this paper finds firms? tax benefits are positively and significantly associated with the percentage of their pension assets in bonds. Using a database created from proprietary tapes, this paper extends prior empirical work by: 1) examining a longer time horizon for a broad spectrum of firms, 2) utilizing a control sample, 3) investigating an additional source of tax benefits, and 4) incorporating more nontax factors.
Scalable Top-K Query Processing Using Graphics Processing Unit

Top-K query processing is one of the fundamental and the most performance-deciding components in Web search engines. A number of techniques such as dynamic pruning have been proposed to reduce the query processing time on CPU. However, it has become increasingly difficult to further improve Top-K query processing’s efficiency without hurting its effectiveness. On the other hand, Graphic Processing Unit (GPU), a powerful computing accelerator on almost every computer today, is barely tapped in Web search engines. The biggest challenge to accelerate top-K query processing on GPU is that the parallel nature of execution model of GPU prevents many CPU top-K query processing optimizations from being directly ported to GPU. GPU with hundreds of cores is ideal for applications with massive parallelism, which is not readily available in existing CPU-oriented top-K query implementations.
Identification of Mycobacterium porcinum in patients with cystic Fibrosis: Pathogen or contaminant?

Abstract Background Mycobacterium porcinum is a non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) identified in potable water. The identification and clinical impact of M. porcinum in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has not been described. In our institution, M. porcinum was isolated exclusively during hospitalization in a cluster of patients with CF. Methods Patients with CF who were hospitalized between September 2016 and September 2018 and could expectorate sputum were included, and samples were processed per institutional guidelines. Post-hospitalization and one-year clinical outcomes on those who isolated M. porcinum in respiratory cultures were reviewed. Whole genome sequencing was performed on M. porcinum isolates obtained from patients and environmental sources to identify source of acquisition. Results Review of 14 CF patients with 16 M. porcinum isolates revealed rapid time to culture positivity within 0.8 (0.04–8.0) days after admission. M. porcinum was isolated in teenagers and adults irrespective of baseline pulmonary function, body mass index, or CF genotype. Whole genome sequencing suggested all isolates belong to the same M. porcinum strain and confirmed the source of acquisition to the ice machine. Review of patients’ clinical course, including three patients who underwent lung transplantation, suggested a pseudo-outbreak with minimal clinical impact. Conclusions NTM, including M. porcinum, are ubiquitous in potable water and institutional water reservoirs. Our findings suggest M. porcinum is a transient colonizer rather than a pathogen. Challenges exist in discerning the role of NTM as a contributor of pulmonary morbidity in patients with CF, and adherence to established guidelines regarding NTM related pulmonary disease remains important.
Spatial separation of triplet excitons drives endothermic singlet fission.

Molecules that undergo singlet fission, converting singlet excitons into pairs of triplet excitons, have potential as photovoltaic materials. The possible advantages of endothermic singlet fission (enhanced use of photon energy and larger triplet energies for coupling with common absorbers) motivated us to assess the role of exciton delocalization in the activation of this process. Here we report the synthesis of a series of linear perylene oligomers that undergo endothermic singlet fission and have endothermicities in the range 5–10 kBT at room temperature in solution. We study these compounds using transient spectroscopy and modelling to unravel the singlet and triplet dynamics. We show that the minimal number of coupled chromophores needed to undergo endothermic singlet fission is three, which provides sufficient statistical space for triplet excitons to separate and avoid annihilation—and a subsequent fast return to the singlet state. Our data additionally suggest that torsional motion of chromophores about the molecular axis following triplet-pair separation contributes to the increase in entropy, thus lengthening the triplet lifetime in longer oligomers. Generating high-energy triplet excitons from singlet fission without excess energy loss is a critical goal for potential applications. Now it is shown that molecular chromophores that are connected covalently can harbour multiple long-lived and high-energy triplets—created from one photon—only if more than two chromophoric units are present and they have sufficient flexibility to isolate the excitations upon torsional motion.
Forecasting Accuracy of Earliest Assessment Versus Transitional Change in Early Education Classroom Problem Behavior Among Children at Risk

This study compared the relative contribution of earliest assessment of preschool children’s context-specific problem behaviors with subsequent observations of those behaviors for the prediction of...
Abbreviated MRI for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Screening and Surveillance.

Abbreviated MRI shows promise as a screening study for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance in adults with cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis B virus infection and may facilitate effective treat...
Community obstacles to large scale solar: NIMBY and renewables

The need to decrease dependency on fossil fuels has never been more evident. Wind and solar energy sources offer promise, but siting can present obstacles. While resistance to wind and massive solar projects has, to some extent, been explored, larger, residential, ground-mounted solar projects, requiring many acres of land, and largely dependent on the receptivity of a local community for successful adoption, have largely been left unexamined. This case study explores the resistance of residents in one suburban, New England town, to a large-scale (2 MW), ground-mounted solar project in a residential neighborhood. The case study incorporates a mixed methodology of participant observation, interview, content analysis, social media activism, and participatory action research. Both the centralized nature of large scale residential solar projects, nonlocal financiers and beneficiaries, and the desire to keep residential areas esthetically pleasing and properly zoned, fueled opposition to this solar project. This research indicates that environmental advocates and policymakers need to more fully incorporate both the meanings of, and connections to places, residents of a community hold. Incentives intended to increase solar projects should not be at the expense of procedural justice, and the push should not feed solar into the centralized system, but should be in the hands of local communities in order for them to be embraced. Additionally, this case further highlights the complexity of NIMBY thinking in renewable projects. Dismissing all renewable opposition as NIMBY is failing to see the complicated nature of residents’ motivations and understandings of place. Future research exploring the success of decentralized projects, community based projects, and projects incorporated within industrial zoning is necessary.
Combining simulations and experiments for the molecular engineering of multifunctional collagen mimetic peptide-based materials

Assembling peptides allow the creation of structurally complex materials, where amino acid selection influences resulting properties. We present a synergistic approach of experiments and simulations for examining the influence of natural and non-natural amino acid substitutions via incorporation of charged residues and a reactive handle on the thermal stability and assembly of multifunctional collagen mimetic peptides (CMPs). Experimentally, we observed inclusion of charged residues significantly decreased the melting temperature of CMP triple helices with further destabilization upon inclusion of the reactive handle. Atomistic simulations of a single CMP triple helix in explicit water showed increased residue-level and helical structural fluctuations caused by the inclusion of the reactive handle; however, these atomistic simulations cannot be used to predict changes in CMP melting transition. Coarse-grained (CG) simulations of CMPs at experimentally relevant solution conditions, showed, qualitatively, the same trends as experiments in CMP melting transition temperature with CMP design. These simulations show that when charged residues are included electrostatic repulsions significantly destabilize the CMP triple helix and that an additional inclusion of a reactive handle does not significantly change the melting transition. Based on findings from both experiments and simulations, the sequence design was refined for increased CMP triple helix thermal stability, and the reactive handle was utilized for the incorporation of the assembled CMPs within covalently crosslinked hydrogels. Overall, a unique approach was established for predicting stability of CMP triple helices for various sequences prior to synthesis, providing molecular insights for sequence design towards the creation of bulk nanostructured soft biomaterials.
Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention to Improve Medical Student Comfort and Familiarity With Providing Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is a key component in the primary care of transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) people. However, physicians are hesitant to initiate GAHT, citing a lack of knowledge. We developed an educational program for medical students and sought to investigate whether medical students' comfort and familiarity with GAHT could increase after a short interactive program. METHODS Second-year medical students (N=54) at the University of Minnesota were recruited to attend an hour long interactive lecture on GAHT. We calculated mean change in pre- and postintervention 5-point Likert scale scores from a survey assessing comfort and familiarity with key concepts of GAHT to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. RESULTS Mean response score change increased significantly after the intervention around the use of chosen names (0.4±0.13, P<.017), the use of informed consent to initiate GAHT (1.8±0.20, P<.001), initiating and managing GAHT in the primary care setting (1.4±0.19, P<.001), medications used in GAHT (2.3±0.21, P<.001), and dosing (2.5±0.60, P<.001). CONCLUSIONS GAHT can be initiated and managed in a primary care setting. There is a push to introduce GAHT in the preclinical years. After participating in a short interactive lecture on GAHT, second-year medical students reported increased comfort and familiarity with GAHT. Inclusion of GAHT in the preclinical curriculum does not require significant teaching time and is important knowledge for all future physicians.
A surfactant polymer wound dressing protects human keratinocytes from inducible necroptosis

Chronic wounds show necroptosis from which keratinocytes must be protected to enable appropriate wound re-epithelialization and closure. Poloxamers, a class of synthetic triblock copolymers, are known to be effective against plasma membrane damage (PMD). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a specific poloxamer, surfactant polymer dressing (SPD), which is currently used clinically as wound care dressing, against PMD in keratinocytes. Triton X-100 (TX100) at sub-lytic concentrations caused PMD as demonstrated by the efflux of calcein and by the influx of propidium iodide and FM1-43. TX100, an inducer of necroptosis, led to mitochondrial fragmentation, depletion of nuclear HMGB1, and activation of signaling complex associated with necroptosis (i.e., activation of RIP3 and phosphorylation of MLKL). All responses following exposure of human keratinocytes to TX100 were attenuated by pre- or co-treatment with SPD (100 mg/ml). The activation and translocation of phospho-MLKL to the plasma membrane, taken together with depletion of nuclear HMGB1, characterized the observed cell death as necroptosis. Thus, our findings show that TX100-induced plasma membrane damage and death by necroptosis were both attenuated by SPD, allowing keratinocyte survival. The significance of such protective effects of SPD on keratinocytes in wound re-epithelialization and closure warrant further studies.
Combatting Anti-Vaccination Misinformation: Improving Immunization Rates of Black/African American Children at UW Health.

Introduction Vaccine hesitancy is a rising public health threat, thwarting progress to reduce vaccine-preventable diseases. While drivers of racial disparities in childhood immunization rates (CIR) have been described, none have explored these disparities at UW Health, and few have highlighted the role of anti-vaccination (anti-vaxx) campaigns in the Black/African American (BAA) community. Objectives This quality improvement study evaluates childhood immunization data for racial and ethnic disparities, identifies possible drivers, and proposes equitable solutions. Methods UW Health CIR were analyzed for racial and ethnic disparities between December 31, 2015, and December 31, 2019. A root cause analysis was done to explore potential drivers. An in-depth media review of targeted anti-vaxx campaigns was chosen for further exploration using "anti-vaccine leaders targeting minority becomes growing concern at NYC forum" as the initial search query template. Google Trend and literature searches were performed to understand questions BAA parents have about vaccines. Results UW Health data show significant increasing racial and ethnic disparities in CIR. As of December 31, 2019, the immunization rates were 90.74% for White children, 88.11% for Asian children, and 68.29% for BAA children. Media review suggests anti-vaccination leaders have increasingly targeted the BAA community with vaccine misinformation and skepticism. Analysis of vaccine-related queries suggest 8 core questions BAA parents have about vaccines. Conclusions Health systems must assess their CIR for disparities and further dissect drivers to effect change. We focus on suggesting strategies to combat negative media campaigns, among others, to close the gap. Understanding of all factors is needed to develop effective interventions to reduce disparities in childhood immunization rates in the BAA community served by UW Health and beyond.
New First-Order Algorithms for Stochastic Variational Inequalities.

In this paper, we propose two new solution schemes to solve the stochastic strongly monotone variational inequality problems: the stochastic extra-point solution scheme and the stochastic extra-momentum solution scheme. The first one is a general scheme based on updating the iterative sequence and an auxiliary extra-point sequence. In the case of deterministic VI model, this approach includes several state-of-the-art first-order methods as its special cases. The second scheme combines two momentum-based directions: the so-called heavy-ball direction and the optimism direction, where only one projection per iteration is required in its updating process. We show that, if the variance of the stochastic oracle is appropriately controlled, then both schemes can be made to achieve optimal iteration complexity of $\mathcal{O}\left(\kappa\ln\left(\frac{1}{\epsilon}\right)\right)$ to reach an $\epsilon$-solution for a strongly monotone VI problem with condition number $\kappa$. We show that these methods can be readily incorporated in a zeroth-order approach to solve stochastic minimax saddle-point problems, where only noisy and biased samples of the objective can be obtained, with a total sample complexity of $\mathcal{O}\left(\frac{\kappa^2}{\epsilon}\ln\left(\frac{1}{\epsilon}\right)\right)$
RORγ is a context-specific master regulator of cholesterol biosynthesis and an emerging therapeutic target in cancer and autoimmune diseases

Aberrant cholesterol metabolism and homeostasis in the form of elevated cholesterol biosynthesis and dysregulated efflux and metabolism is well recognized as a major feature of metabolic reprogramming in solid tumors. Recent studies have emphasized on major drivers and regulators such as Myc, mutant p53, SREBP2, LXRs and oncogenic signaling pathways that play crucial roles in tumor cholesterol metabolic reprogramming. Therapeutics such as statins targeting the mevalonate pathway were tried at the clinic without showing consistent benefits to cancer patients. Nuclear receptors are prominent regulators of mammalian metabolism. Their de-regulation often drives tumorigenesis. RORγ and its immune cell-specific isoform RORγt play important functions in control of mammalian metabolism, circadian rhythm and immune responses. Although RORγ, together with its closely related members RORα and RORβ were identified initially as orphan receptors, recent studies strongly support the conclusion that specific intermediates and metabolites of cholesterol pathways serve as endogenous ligands of RORγ. More recent studies also reveal a critical role of RORγ in tumorigenesis through major oncogenic pathways including acting a new master-like regulator of tumor cholesterol biosynthesis program. Importantly, an increasing number of RORγ orthosteric and allosteric ligands are being identified that display potent activities in blocking tumor growth and autoimmune disorders in preclinical models. This review summarizes the recent preclinical and clinical progress on RORγ with emphasis on its role in reprogramming tumor cholesterol metabolism and its regulation. It will also discuss RORγ functional mechanisms, context-specificity and its value as a therapeutic target for effective cancer treatment.