cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design principles for biologically inspired cognitive robotics

Abstract The goals of cognitive robotics are to better understand cognition through the construction of physical artifacts, and to create practical systems that demonstrate cognitive capabilities. I believe for cognitive robotics to move forward, a balanced approach that emphasizes the interaction of brain, body, and environment is necessary. In general, cognitive robots and cognitive architectures focus too much on brain control, and overlook the contributions of morphology to intelligent behavior. On the other hand, the behavior based robotics approach is unbalanced in the opposite direction. For cognitive robotics to move forward, these disparate research communities need to come into balance. The materials, morphology, sensors, actuators, and the nervous system should be balanced and coordinated in their action. In their book, “How the body shapes the way we think: A new view of intelligence” (MIT Press, 2007), Pfeifer and Bongard have suggested that intelligent agents should follow a set of design principles that highlight the importance of embodiment and physical interaction with the environment. In the present paper, I apply each of these principles to biologically inspired cognitive robotics and suggest how the field can shift toward better cognitive architectures by adherence to these principles.
Speeding up Film Deposition Rate: Its Effects on Microstructures of YBa 2 Cu 3 O y Superconducting Thick Films

Two very different pulsed laser deposition rates, 192 and 6 {Angstrom}/s, were used to produce 1 {mu}m thick superconducting YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} (YBCO) films on (001) SrTiO{sub 3} single-crystal substrates at 790 {degree}C. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to characterize and compare microstructures between the two films. It has been found that the high deposition rate led to a slight deviation from the expected epitaxial orientations, and extra stress was induced in the films by increased lattice mismatch between the films and the substrates. In addition, misoriented YBCO grains were formed in the high-rate films after a thickness of about 150 nm. Postannealing in oxygen has no visible influence on these defects, although superconducting properties were improved significantly. In contrast to the high-rate films, overall epitaxial orientations have been formed in the low-rate films, and no misoriented YBCO grains were found. However, variations in lattice parameters and columnar voids were observed although their existence apparently does not have considerable influence on superconducting current density (J{sub c}). Cation disorder was observed in both films. A two-step film growth mechanism is concluded which is responsible for the formation of some defects in the high-deposition rate films. {copyright} {ital 1999 Materialsmore » Research Society.}« less
Management of Hill-Sachs Lesions

The Hill-Sachs defect is a compression fracture of the posterolateral humeral head that is associated with anterior shoulder dislocation or recurrent instability. At the time of the shoulder dislocation, the soft cancellous bone of the humeral head is impressed against the hard cortical bone of the anterior glenoid rim, creating a compression fracture in the humeral head. This can be visualized on an internal rotation radiograph of the shoulder, as first described by Hill and Sachs in 1940.
The short nose.

This article discusses the diagnosis and treatment of the short nose. Emphasis is placed on examining the short nose and on determining what particular features constitute an absolutely short nose versus an apparently short nose. The primary emphasis of the operation to achieve maximum lengthening is based on (1) release of the soft tissue including the mucoperichondrium, which has to be elevated bilaterally from the septum; (2) release of the soft tissue between the upper lateral cartilage and the lower lateral cartilage; and (3) attachment of a batten graft to the septum to project the tip cartilages caudally and to obtain a full centimeter of length. The closed technique (which prevents adequate soft-tissue release of the mucoperichondrium of the septum) uses a hemitransfixion incision and elevation of the mucoperichondrium bilaterally followed by attachment of a batten graft. Treatment for the apparently short nose, which involves derotating the tip, correcting the columellar labial angle, and altering the location of the nasion as well as the slope (nasofacial angle), also is discussed.
S&P 500 Index Changes and Investor Awareness

We find that, on average, firms added to the S&P 500 index experience a permanent price increase, while those deleted from it suffer only a temporary price decline. Existing theories, such as a downward sloping demand curve, liquidity, and information, fail to explain the asymmetric response. We propose a new explanation for the observed price patterns: changes in investor awareness. Investors become more aware of a stock upon its addition to the S&P 500 index but do not become similarly unaware of a stock following its deletion. This results in a significant price increase after an addition but not an equivalent decline after a deletion. Consistent with our hypothesis, we find that Merton's (1987) measure of awareness improves after an addition but remains essentially unchanged after a deletion. The price reaction is related to changes in the measure of awareness. From a practical standpoint, our results suggest that index fund managers who are not constrained by tracking error minimization are better off not trading on the effective date. Rather, they may be able to benefit their shareholders by executing purchases of additions upon announcement, but waiting to sell deleted firms until well after the effective date.
Introduction to the Teaching Portfolio

This note is an introduction to the concept, aims, and preparation of a teaching portfolio, which is an evidence-based document about one's teaching philosophy and effectiveness. A teaching portfolio is a compilation of reflections and "best work" indicating what the teacher has done in the past and might do in the future.
Linear benchmarks

This paper presents a language feature benchmarking technique that is based on the use of multiple sampling loops and linear regression. Multiple performance estimates for multiple parameters can be obtained simultaneously. A heuristic is presented to automatically adjust the number of iterations for the sampling loops. It is also possible to compute values that give some insight into the accuracy of the estimates. This paper gives an overview of how such benchmarks may be coded and discusses some preliminary experiments with this approach.
Golden Parachutes, Takeover Incentive, and Risk-taking

We examine the relations between golden parachutes (GPs), pay-performance sensitivity (delta), and managerial risk-taking. We find an insignificant effect of GPs, but a negative and significant interaction of GPs with delta, on risk-taking. These results are consistent with the “takeover incentive hypothesis,” an original proposition stating that GPs influence risk-taking through the incentive of a CEO with a GP to accept a takeover, as well as delta’s role in affecting the weight of the CEO’s incentive to maximize the expected takeover-associated equity portfolio wealth. The findings do not support the proposition that GPs influence risk-taking through an insurance effect.
Relative Value and Customer Choice in Loan Decisions: An Application of the Wallet Allocation Rule:

AbstractPurpose – This research applies the Wallet Allocation Rule (WAR) to provide marketing scholars and practitioners with a deeper understanding of the key drivers of loan selection and to esti...
Simultaneous enhancements of polarization and magnetization in epitaxial Pb ( Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 ) O 3 / La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 multiferroic heterostructures enabled by ultrathin CoF e 2 O 4 sandwich layers

Layered thin films of $\mathrm{Pb}(\mathrm{Z}{{\mathrm{r}}_{1}}_{\ensuremath{-}x}\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{i}}_{x}){\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ (PZT) and $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{a}}_{x}\mathrm{S}{{\mathrm{r}}_{1}}_{\ensuremath{-}x}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ (LSMO) are well-known multiferroic systems that show promise for numerous applications including data storage devices and spintronics. In this work, structure-property relationships are explored in novel $\mathrm{PZT}/\mathrm{CoF}{\mathrm{e}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ (CFO)/LSMO heterostructures with optimized ferroic properties. High quality, epitaxial PZT/CFO/LSMO heterostructures with the thickness of the CFO layer varying from 0 to 50 nm were grown on $\mathrm{SrTi}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ (100) substrates using an optimized pulsed laser deposition technique. An ultrathin (10--20 nm) CFO layer was found to simultaneously improve the ferromagnetic and ferroelectric (FE) characteristics of the system through distinct mechanisms. The increase in magnetization and magnetic coercivity in the CFO-containing samples was associated with a tetragonal distortion of the CFO lattice under epitaxial strain, while perpendicular anisotropy generated by the distortion stabilized an out-of-plane orientation of the easy axis of magnetization in the thinnest CFO layers. Trapped charge at the CFO/PZT interface in PZT/CFO/LSMO induced an internal built-in field in the heterostructures, resulting in the accumulation of higher switched charges during voltage cycling and enhanced polarization in the samples over PZT/LSMO. An increase in electric coercivity was also observed in the CFO-containing heterostructures, and is discussed in terms of a dielectric/FE layered capacitor model. Above a critical thickness, \ensuremath{\sim}50 nm, the presence of a CFO layer has a negative effect on both magnetization and polarization in PZT/CFO/LSMO as compared to PZT/LSMO.
Research on Laser Brazing Applying Al-Based Amorphous Ribbon

The Al-based amorphous ribbons were prepared by the copper roller melt spinning method, and then the laser brazing was carried out between aluminum alloy and aluminum alloy. Subsequently, the Micro Vickers Hardness Tester, Metallographic Microscope, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the hardness, morphology, micro structure and composition distribution of the welded joints respectively, so as to analyze the structural characteristic, performance characteristic and binding effect of the matrix metal joints. The results indicate that the prepared Al-based amorphous ribbon is of amorphous structure, the soldering point between aluminum alloy and aluminum alloy is well-connected and the joint’s hardness is identical to that of the base metal. The connection between the metal sheets can be achieved by using Al-based amorphous ribbon as solder, which could provide concrete references for the development and application of amorphous brazing in various fields.
Genetic Parameters Estimation for Some Functional Milk Traits of Brown Swiss Dairy Cattle

Abstract The objective of this study was to estimate heritabilities and to investigate the genetic relationship between some functional milk traits such as milk yield (MY), dry matter (DM), fat (F) and milking duration (MD) on Brown Swiss dairy cattle breeding in Turkey with random regression model using heterogeneous residual error variance interval. Variance components were estimated with 4 multiple-trait (4 traits at a time) random regression model via restricted maximum likelihood (REML) with AI-REML algorithm. Data were obtained from an experimental farm and comprised 636 test day (TD) records for each trait. Average heritability for MY, DM, F and MD were 0.29, 0.10, 0.16 and 0.05, respectively. The largest genetic correlation interval were found between F and MD and ranged from -0.34 to 0.72 throughout lactation. The shape of genetic correlation curve of DM-MD was similar to F-MD and genetic correlation between DM-MD ranged from -0.24 to 0.61. Genetic correlations of other traits changed from 0.08 to 0.65 for MY-DM, -0.16 to 0.28 for MY-MD and 0.04 to 0.59 for MY-F throughout lactation. Results from this study implied that increasing fat percentage in milk and other milk components may have led to decrease the flow of milk and consequently, affected the milking duration. Key words: Random regression model, functional milk traits, genetic parameter Ozet Bu calismanin amaci Turkiye de yetistiriciligi yapilan Esmer irki sut sigirlarinda sut verimi (MY), kuru madde (DM), sut yagi (F) ve sagim suresi (MD) gibi bazi islevsel sut verim ozelliklerinin kalitim derecelerini hesaplamak ve bu ozelliklerin aralarindaki genetik iliskiyi arastirmaktir. Arastirma da sansa bagli regresyon modeli kullanilmis ve denetim gunleri araliklarinda hata varyansinin farkli oldugu kabul edilmistir. Varyans bilesenleri sansa bagli regresyon modelinde dort ozelligin ayni anda modele dahil edilmesi ile kisitlanmis en yuksek olabilirlik (REML) metodu ile AI-REML algoritmasi kullanarak tahminlenmistir. Arastirma da deneysel bir ciftlikten elde edilen ve her bir sut verim ozelliginin dahil oldugu 636 denetim gunu kaydi kullanilmistir. MY, DM, F and MD icin kalitim dereceleri ortalamalari sirasiyla 0.29, 0.10, 0.16 ve 0.05 olarak hesaplanmistir. Ozellikler icinde laktasyon boyunca en genis genetik korelasyon araligi F - MD arasinda saptanmis olup -0.34 ile 0.72 araliginda degismistir. DM-MD arasindaki genetik korelasyon egrisinin sekli F-MD arasindaki genetik korelasyon egrisi ile benzerlik gostermis ve degerler -0.24 ile 0.61 araliginda saptanmistir. laktasyon boyunca diger ozelliklere iliskin genetik korelasyonlar MY-DM icin 0.08 ile 0.65, MY-MD icin -0.16 ile 0.28 ve MY-F icin ise 0.04 ile 0.59 araliginda degismistir. Bu sonuclar sut bilesenleri icinde yag yuzdesindeki artisin sut akiciligini azaltarak sut sagim hizini etkiledigini gostermektedir. Anahtar kelimeler: Sansa bagli regresyon modeli, islevsel sut verim ozellikleri, genetik parametre
Time-specific placental growth factor (PlGF) across pregnancy and infant birth weight in women with preexisting diabetes.

AbstractObjective: Determine the independent association between time-specific placental growth factor (PIGF)—a marker of placental vasculature—and infant birth weight in offspring of mothers with preexisting type 1 and 2 diabetes. Methods: A total of 150 women were recruited from Joslin Diabetes Center’s/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Diabetes in Pregnancy Program. PlGF was measured up to four times during pregnancy. Infant birth weight and covariate data were collected from medical records. Hemoglobin A1c was assessed from drawn blood samples. We used generalized linear and log-binomial models to calculate the change in continuous birth weight, as well as macrosomia for every unit change in time-specific ln-transformed PlGF, respectively. Models were adjusted for potential confounders. Results: Approximately 75% of women had type 1 diabetes. Third trimester PlGF levels were significantly associated with infant birth weight (r = 0.24, p = 0.02 at 27–34 weeks; r = 0.26, p < 0.009 for 36–40 weeks)....
Progenitor Cells and Cardiac Homeostasis and Regeneration

Abstract This chapter discusses the fundamental observations that have profoundly changed our view of the adult human heart, resulting in the experimental use of stem/progenitor cells as a potential form of therapy for the failing heart. The progressive decline in myocyte number as a function of age and the formation of scarred tissue following myocardial infarction have been interpreted as irrefutable proofs of the post-mitotic characteristic of the heart. Emerging evidence supports a more dynamic view of the heart, in which cell death and renewal are vital components of the remodeling process that governs cardiac homeostasis, aging and disease. The identification of dividing myocytes raises the important question concerning the origin of the newly formed cells. Myocyte renewal can be accomplished by commitment of stem cells, and replication or dedifferentiation of pre-existing myocytes. In vitro and in vivo findings strongly suggest that replicating myocytes correspond to transit amplifying cells derived from the lineage determination of primitive cells, supporting the notion that cardiomyogenesis is controlled by activation and differentiation of stem cells.
Evaluating the Thermodynamics of Electrocatalytic N2 Reduction in Acetonitrile

The development of a sustainable ammonia synthesis by proton-coupled electroreduction of dinitrogen (N2) requires knowledge of the thermodynamics described by standard reduction potentials. The first collection of N2 reduction standard potentials in an organic solvent are reported here. The potentials for reduction of N2 to ammonia (NH3), hydrazine (N2H4), and diazene (N2H2) in acetonitrile (MeCN) solution are derived using thermochemical cycles. Ammonia is thermodynamically favored, with a 0.43 V difference between NH3 and N2H4 and a 1.26 V difference between NH3 and N2H2. The thermodynamics for reduction of N2 to the protonated products ammonium (NH4+) and hydrazinium (N2H5+) under acidic conditions are also presented. Comparison with the H+/H2 potential in MeCN reveals a 63 mV thermodynamic preference for N2 reduction to NH3 over H2 production. Combined with knowledge of the kinetics of electrode-catalyzed H2 evolution, a wide working region is identified to guide future electrocatalytic studies.
Integrating Renewable Energy Resources in Smart Grid Toward Energy-Based Cyber-Physical Systems

Abstract The inherent intermittency of renewable energy resources can seriously affect the stability and reliability of energy service in the smart grid. In this chapter, we first review the renewable energy resources and existing efforts toward their integration into the power grid. We then design simulation scenarios that consider the integration of different types of renewable energy resources and deployment techniques. After that, we propose a control mechanism that is capable of mitigating the inherent variability of renewable energy resources. Using GridLAB-D and GridMat simulation tools, 1 we implement these scenarios and evaluate the effectiveness of mixing different types of renewable energy resources and techniques, as well as our proposed control mechanism. Our simulation data shows that mixing different types of renewable energy resources and energy storage can effectively reduce power generation costs and power losses. Our simulation data also show that the proposed control mechanism is effective in responding to failure and contingencies by monitoring the status of distributed energy resources.
Avalanche statistics from data with low time resolution

Extracting avalanche distributions from experimental microplasticity data can be hampered by limited time resolution. We compute the effects of low time resolution on avalanche size distributions and give quantitative criteria for diagnosing and circumventing problems associated with low time resolution. We show that traditional analysis of data obtained at low acquisition rates can lead to avalanche size distributions with incorrect power-law exponents or no power-law scaling at all. Furthermore, we demonstrate that it can lead to apparent data collapses with incorrect power-law and cutoff exponents. We propose new methods to analyze low-resolution stress-time series that can recover the size distribution of the underlying avalanches even when the resolution is so low that naive analysis methods give incorrect results. We test these methods on both downsampled simulation data from a simple model and downsampled bulk metallic glass compression data and find that the methods recover the correct critical exponents.
The Hangover: Assessing Impact of Major Service Interruptions on Urban Rail Transit Ridership

Driven by several factors, transit ridership has increased dramatically in some major U.S. urban areas over the past several years. Developing accurate econometric models of system ridership growth...
Predictive Compensator Applied To Annealing Process

Abstract A reduced form of Kalman filter algorithm for system identification/control of quenching process is discussed. Implementation is carried out on dedicated programmable controller with 16 bit fixed point arithmetics. Digital simulation results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of this algorithm.
A high-frequency and high-frame-rate ultrasound imaging system design for capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer arrays on an FPGA evaluation board

Dynamic receive beamforming (DRBF) is challenging for FPGA-based ultrasound (US) imaging because it is computationally intense. Work has been done to either simplify the delay calculation or precalculate the delays and store them on the FPGA. The former sacrifices image quality and the latter is challenged by limited memory resource. In this work, we report on the design of an US imaging system for capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) arrays implemented on an FPGA evaluation board. The system features high frequency, high framerate, and full DRBF for every pixel.
The Strength of Evidence Pyramid: One Approach for Characterizing the Strength of Evidence of Geoscience Education Research (GER) Community Claims

During the past two decades, the Geoscience Education Research (GER) community has been increasingly recognized as an evidence-based research subdiscipline in the geoscience and in the larger disci...
“Quite in the Clouds”: French Emissaries Abroad

Inherent in revolutionary diplomacy was a tacit but more often an overt subversion of the established order. A number of instances illustrate the hydra-like problems that arose when a diplomat schooled in the customs of the old regime confronted a representative who followed the dictates of the revolutionary agenda. Mutual antipathy often undermined the possibility of negotiation as did revulsion at the fate of the king and the violence of the Terror. The public face of republican France projected onto the diplomatic parquet was hardly an amenable one. Not surprisingly, many governments refused to receive French representatives whom they viewed as “emissaries of sedition.” Even in fellow republics their schemes to promote an international republicanism alienated the host government. Witness Genet in the United States.
540 Post-offer/pre-employment screening for carpal tunnel syndrome and other musculoskeletal disorders: is it effective?

Introduction Pre-employment examinations, known as post-offer pre-placement (POPP) tests in the US, are performed by many US employers to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). However, there is no strong evidence of effectiveness of such screening. We tested the predictive validity of POPP screening using nerve conduction studies (NCS) to identify future cases of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) among manufacturing workers. Methods We used data from a natural experiment in which 1648 newly hired production workers in a manufacturing plant underwent baseline physical exam and NCS, but were hired regardless of test results. Workers were then followed for up to 5 years; outcomes of CTS and workplace physical exposures in different jobs were obtained from the employer’s medical and safety records. Results There was no association between NCV results at the time of hire and future CTS. Varying the diagnostic cut-offs for determining ‘abnormal’ NCS did not improve predictive validity. However, workers in jobs with high hand/wrist exposure showed greater risk of CTS than those in low exposed jobs (Relative Risk 2.82; 95% CI: 1.52 to 5.22). Discussion NCS and other screening tests for the musculoskeletal system are commonly used in the US as a primary means to reduce or prevent MSDs, despite little evidence that such testing predicts which workers will incur MSDs in the future. Ours is the third study to find that POPP screening is ineffective as a preventive strategy for CTS. Other common testing strategies for MSDs do not satisfy evidence-based criteria, and their use should be scrutinised. Such screening seems a poor use of health and safety resources, which could better be spent on improving work activities to reduce injury risk for the entire worker population.
Inhibitors of protein-protein interactions (PPIs): an analysis of scaffold choices and buried surface area.

Protein-protein interactions (PPI) were once considered 'undruggable', but clinical successes, driven by advanced methods in drug discovery, have challenged that notion. Here, we review the last three years of literature on PPI inhibitors to understand what is working and why. From the 66 recently reported PPI inhibitors, we found that the average molecular weight was significantly greater than 500Da, but that this trend was driven, in large part, by the contribution of peptide-based compounds. Despite differences in average molecular weight, we found that compounds based on small molecules or peptides were almost equally likely to be potent inhibitors (KD<1μM). Finally, we found PPIs with buried surface area (BSA) less than 2000A2 were more likely to be inhibited by small molecules, while PPIs with larger BSA values were typically inhibited by peptides. PPIs with BSA values over 4000A2 seemed to create a particular challenge, especially for orthosteric small molecules. Thus, it seems important to choose the inhibitor scaffold based on the properties of the target interaction. Moreover, this survey suggests a (more nuanced) conclusion to the question of whether PPIs are good drug targets; namely, that some PPIs are readily 'druggable' given the right choice of scaffold, while others still seem to deserve the 'undruggable' moniker.
Spatially Constrained Random Walk Approach for Accurate Estimation of Airway Wall Surfaces

Assessing airway wall surfaces and the lumen from high resolution computed tomography (CT) scans are of great importance for diagnosing pulmonary diseases. However, accurately determining inner and outer airway wall surfaces of a complete 3-D tree structure can be quite challenging because of its complex nature. In this paper, we introduce a computational framework to accurately quantify airways through (i) a precise segmentation of the lumen, and (ii) a spatially constrained Markov random walk method to estimate the airway walls. Our results demonstrate that the proposed airway analysis platform identified the inner and outer airway surfaces better than methods commonly used in clinics, such as full width at half maximum and phase congruency.
Organización de los expedientes urbanos del Instituto de Teoría y Urbanismo de la Facultad de Arquitectura, Diseño y Arte de la Universidad Nacional de Asunción

Desde el ano 1962 hasta 1989, el Instituto de Teoria y Urbanismo de la Facultad de Arquitectura, Diseno y Arte de la Universidad Nacional de Asuncion ha realizado estudios de diferentes municipios del pais, y ha elaborado sus Expedientes Urbanos conteniendo planos y relevamiento de datos de ciudades, unicos en el pais. Los mismos se encontraban almacenados en un deposito de la Facultad, en muy malas condiciones fisicas y ambientales, inadecuadas para el resguardo de documentos. La adopcion de soportes que mejore las posibilidades de conservacion, busqueda y recuperacion de la informacion para poner a disposicion de investigadores, docentes y estudiantes se convirtieron en razones fundamentales para llevar a cabo la organizacion efectiva de estos documentos, siguiendo parametros archivisticos internacionales y con la finalidad de dar lugar posteriormente a la creacion de un Observatorio de las Dinamicas Territoriales.
ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY FROM UNILATERAL ADRENAL HEMORRHAGE IN A PATIENT ON RIVAROXABAN THROMBOPROPHYLAXIS.

ABSTRACT Objective: We report a case of unilateral adrenal hemorrhage resulting in adrenal insufficiency in a patient on rivaroxaban for thromboprophylaxis after total knee arthroplasty. Methods: T...
Carbon nano-onion-filled polyacrylonitrile/polyethylenimine foams: structure, characteristics, and ion detoxification studies

AbstractThis study reports on novel polyacrylonitrile/polyethylenimine (PAN/PEI) blend, polyacrylonitrile/polyethylenimine/carbon nano-onion (PAN/PEI/CNO) nanocomposite and related PAN/PEI/CNO foam...
Quality You Can't Touch: Mubi Social, Platform Politics, and the Online Distribution of Art Cinema

Mubi, created in 2007, is a streaming site that specializes in art film and boutique fare. In this article, I reveal what is at stake in Mubi’s recent evolution to a more highly curated “film-a-day...
Theory-Based Predictors of Mindfulness Meditation Mobile App Usage: A Survey and Cohort Study

Background: Mindfulness meditation has become increasingly popular over the last few years, due in part to the increase in mobile apps incorporating the practice. Although studies have demonstrated the potential of mindfulness meditation to positively impact health, little has been uncovered about what predicts engagement in mindfulness meditation. Understanding the predictors of mindfulness meditation may help practitioners and phone app developers improve intervention strategies and app experience. Objective: The purpose of this study was to use the Theory of Planned Behavior and Temporal Self-Regulation Theory to determine factors predicting mindfulness meditation mobile app use. Methods: The sample consisted of 85 undergraduate students with no prior mindfulness meditation experience. During their first laboratory visit, participants completed tasks to measure their executive functioning and a survey to measure Theory of Planned Behavior constructs about mindfulness meditation. Over the following 2 weeks, participants logged the days and minutes that they practiced mindfulness meditation using a phone app. Hierarchical regression modeling was used to analyze the data. Results: After controlling for demographic factors, participant subjective norms (beta=14.51, P=.001) and intentions (beta=36.12, P=.001) were predictive of the number of minutes practicing mindfulness. Participant executive functioning did not predict mindfulness meditation practice, nor did it moderate the link between intentions and mindfulness meditation practice. Participant attitudes (beta=0.44, P<.001) and perceived control (beta=0.42, P=.002) were positively associated with intentions to practice mindfulness. Conclusions: These results suggest that among college student populations, the Theory of Planned Behavior may be useful in predicting the use of mindfulness meditation phone apps. However, participant executive functioning was not a predictor or moderator of mindfulness practice, and Temporal Self-Regulation Theory may be less useful for explaining mindfulness meditation behaviors using phone apps over a short period of time among college students. The results have implications for public health professionals, suggesting that a focus on subjective norms and intentions may promote mindfulness meditation practice using phone apps.
Molecular mechanism of olesoxime-mediated neuroprotection through targeting α-synuclein interaction with mitochondrial VDAC

An intrinsically disordered neuronal protein α-synuclein (αSyn) is known to cause mitochondrial dysfunction, contributing to loss of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease. Through yet poorly defined mechanisms, αSyn crosses mitochondrial outer membrane and targets respiratory complexes leading to bioenergetics defects. Here, using neuronally differentiated human cells overexpressing wild-type αSyn, we show that the major metabolite channel of the outer membrane, the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), is a pathway for αSyn translocation into the mitochondria. Importantly, the neuroprotective cholesterol-like synthetic compound olesoxime inhibits this translocation. By applying complementary electrophysiological and biophysical approaches, we provide mechanistic insights into the interplay between αSyn, VDAC, and olesoxime. Our data suggest that olesoxime interacts with VDAC β-barrel at the lipid-protein interface thus hindering αSyn translocation through the VDAC pore and affecting VDAC voltage gating. We propose that targeting αSyn translocation through VDAC could represent a key mechanism for the development of new neuroprotective strategies.
Adrenal gland injury due to gunshot.

Abstract Adrenal gland trauma is a rare phenomenon, due to the small size and retroperitoneal location of the organ. The majority of adrenal gland trauma is due to blunt force injury and is only rarely encountered due to the penetrating mechanisms. A 20-year-old male sustained a gunshot wound to the left abdomen. Upon exploration, he was found to have a through and through injury to the left adrenal gland, among other injuries. Injury to the adrenal gland due to penetrating trauma is exceptionally rare. The principles of management are to control bleeding from the gland with debridement and hemostasis rather than attempt to resect the entire organ. The management of a penetrating injury to the adrenal gland is straightforward and should not be a contributor to a patient’s morbidity or mortality.
Trauma-Informed Financial Empowerment Programming Improves Food Security Among Families With Young Children.

Abstract Objective To determine how trauma-informed programming affects household food insecurity (HFI) over 12 months. Design Change was assessed in HFI from baseline to 12 months in response to a single-arm cohort intervention. Measures were taken at baseline and in every quarter. Two participant groups were compared: participation in ≥4 sessions (full participation) vs participation in Setting Community-based setting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Participants A total of 372 parents of children aged Intervention Trauma-informed programming incorporates healing-centered approaches to address previous exposures to trauma. Sixteen sessions addressed emotional management, social and family dynamics related to violence exposure and childhood adversity, and financial skills. Main Outcome Measures Household food insecurity, as defined by the US Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module. Analysis Mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to compare groups from baseline to 12 months, controlling for adverse childhood experiences, depression, and public assistance. Results Those with full participation had 55% lower odds of facing HFI compared with the low/no participation group (adjusted odds ratio = 0.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.22–0.90). Conclusions and Implications Trauma-informed programming can reduce the odds of HFI and may reduce trauma-related symptoms associated with depression and poverty.
Effects of acetonitrile-assisted ball-milled aluminum nanoparticles on the ignition of acoustically levitated exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (JP-10) droplets

Abstract We investigated the effects of aluminum nanoparticles produced by acetonitrile-assisted ball milling on the ignition of JP-10 droplets acoustically levitated in oxygen and argon. A carbon dioxide laser ignited the droplets, and the induced combustion processes were followed via ultraviolet-visible and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopies together with a high-speed thermal-imaging camera. The increased ignition delay times, the reduced maximum flame temperatures, and the lower production of aluminum monoxide (AlO) radicals for the acetonitrile-milled aluminum sample suggest that its AlNnCmOvHx surface layer limits oxidation of the aluminum core to a greater extent than the amorphous Al2O3 surface layer surrounding traditional aluminum nanoparticles.
The Current State of the Otolaryngology Workforce

A shortage of otolaryngologists is predicted for the coming decades, primarily because of an aging population and aging workforce. However, many factors affect the agility of the workforce to expand or contract. This article discusses what is known about factors of the current otolaryngology workforce, including trends in residency and fellowship training, diversity of the specialty, its geographic distribution, and the challenges of caring for an aging population. Predicting the shortage and possible solutions through modeling is complex and prone to errors caused by incomplete data and assumptions about otolaryngology's similarity to other specialties of medicine at large.
Enhanced nursing self-awareness and pharmacotherapy knowledge-base: peer-teaching and nursing/pharmacy interprofessional education.

Peer-teaching and interprofessional education can help students define individual healthcare roles, establish improved interprofessional relationships, and improve overall knowledge-base. Peer-teac...
Evaluating MTurk as a recruitment tool for rural people with disabilities.

Abstract Background Recruitment of people with disabilities often occurs through disability organizations, advocacy groups, service providers, and patient registries. Recruitment that relies exclusively on established relationships can produce samples that may miss important information. The MTurk online marketplace offers a convenient option for recruitment. Objective The paper compares samples recruited through (1) conventional and (2) MTurk methods to better understand how these samples contrast with one another and with national estimates of people with disabilities. Methods In 2019, researchers recruited 1374 participants through conventional methods and 758 through MTurk to complete the National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD). We analyzed sample differences between recruitment groups with t-tests, Chi-square, and logistic regression. Results With the exception of race/ethnicity, the conventional and MTurk samples were significantly different on several dimensions including age, gender, education level, marital status, children living at home, and sexual orientation. The MTurk sample was overrepresented in lower income brackets. A significantly higher percentage of the conventional sample received SSI, SSDI, or both, compared to the MTurk sample (36.2% vs 12.8%) and had significantly higher rates of insurance coverage. Comparisons with American Community Survey data show that the conventional and MTurk samples aligned more closely with the general population of people with disabilities on different characteristics. Conclusions MTurk is a viable complement to conventional recruitment methods, but it should not be a replacement. A combination of strategies builds a more robust dataset that allows for more varied examination of issues relevant to people with disabilities.
Mechanisms and early patterns of dyslipidemia in pediatric type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Objectives The is no consensus on the early patterns of lipid-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in youth with either type 1 diabetes (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aim was todetermine the differences in CVD risk, using lipid profiles, in children and adolescents with either T1D or T2D at the time of their first lipid assessment, after stratifying the T1D cohort into remitters and non-remitters based on their honeymoon history. Methods A cross-sectional study of 249 subjects consisting of 73 controls, 53 T2D subjects, and 123 T1D subjects stratified into remitters (n=44), and non-remitters (n=79). Partial clinical remission (PCR) was defined as insulin-dose adjusted HbA1c of ≤9. Pubertal status was determined by Tanner staging. Results After adjusting for age, sex, BMI, race, and pubertal status, T2D patients had significantly higher LDL-C compared to the controls (p=0.022), the remitters (p=0.029), but not the non-remitters (103.1 ± 5.9 mg/dL vs. 91.4 ± 4.2 mg/dL, p=0.49). Similarly, T2D patients had significantly higher non-HDL-C compared to the controls (p=0.006), the remitters (p=0.0002), but not the non-remitters (137.6 ± 7.1 mg/dL vs. 111.71 ± 5.0 mg/dL, p=0.053). Total cholesterol was also significantly higher in T2D patients compared to the controls (p=0.0005), the remitters (p=0.006) but not the non-remitters (183.5 ± 6.6 mg/dL vs. 166.2 ± 4.8 mg/dL, p=0.27). Conclusions Lack of the honeymoon phase in children and adolescents with T1D confers early and significantly increased lipid-based cardiovascular risk to these patients that is similar to the elevated cardiovascular risk seen in T2D.
Effect of tack coat emulsion type, application rate, and surface type and texture on early-age interlayer shear strength of pavements in cold regions

Tack coat binder is much softer shortly after construction compared to that after aging during in-service life which raises the likelihood of early-age interlayer shear failure. This study was unde...
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: Can Echocardiographic Parameters Predict Response?

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been shown to improve heart failure (HF) symptoms in adults. However, data showing improvement in various echocardiographic (ECHO) parameters following CRT is lacking in the younger population. We sought to evaluate ECHO markers of response in children and young adults undergoing CRT. Methods: This retrospective review included patients who underwent CRT at our institution. Patients with single ventricle physiology or poor images were excluded. CRT efficacy during placement was determined by ≥ 15% increase in directly measured dP/dt. ECHOs (prior, 1 month post …
Economic and Financial Policy Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Review and Analysis (preprint)

One year ago, both the World Health Organization and the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services declared the outbreak of COVID-19 to be a public health emergency. Within weeks, confirmed cases were announced in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Responses in the form of lockdowns, travel restrictions, widespread cancellation of events, facility and workplace closures, and agricultural disruption resulted in vast social and economic disruption. These disruptions led to stress and volatility in the financial markets and the largest global recession since the Great Depression. While regulatory measures instituted since the Great Financial Crisis have increased resiliency in the core of the financial system, the COVID-19 shocks nevertheless revealed systemic financial problems. The crisis also saw unprecedented intervention by central banks in the form of credit and liquidity facilities. Combined with additional fiscal and monetary policy responses, as well as regulatory intervention, the government responses reached truly unprecedented levels. This paper reviews the U.S. financial and economic policy responses undertaken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, it examines several critical areas of financial stability concern that were brought to light during the pandemic: stresses in central clearing counterparties, pre-emptive redemption of money market fund shares by investors in response to broaching of weekly liquid asset levels, and extreme dysfunction in credit and U.S. Treasury markets. Finally, this paper touches on the critical equity and financial inclusion impacts of COVID-19, as an area that deserves urgent attention.
Specification of axial identity by Hoxa2 distinguishes between a phenotypic and molecular ground state in mouse cranial neural crest cells

Hox genes play a key role in head formation by specifying the axial identity of neural crest cells (NCCs) migrating into embryonic pharyngeal arches. In the absence of Hoxa2, NCC derivatives of the second pharyngeal arch (PA2) undergo a homeotic transformation and duplicate structures formed by first arch (PA1) NCCs. Current models postulate that PA1 represents a NCC 9ground state9 and loss of Hoxa2 causes a reversion of PA2 NCCs to the PA1 9ground state9. We use bulk and single-cell RNAseq to investigate the molecular mechanisms driving this phenotypic transformation in the mouse. In Hoxa2-/- mutants, PA2 NCCs generally maintain expression of the PA2 transcriptional signature and fail to strongly upregulate a PA1 transcriptional signature. Our analyses identify putative HOXA2 targets and suggest that subsets of NCCs may respond to HOXA2 activity in distinct manners. This separation of phenotypic and molecular states has significant implications for understanding craniofacial development.
Robustness of Interpretation of Carbon-14 Ages for Paper, Ink, Papyri, and Parchment

There exists recent formal theoretical evidence that, relative to true ages, Carbon-14 (¹⁴C) ages for fossils of living organisms (man or animals) are lacking in qualitative and quantitative robustness. This study examines the extent to which highlighted recent evidence extends to ¹⁴C ages for Paper, Ink that is derived from wood, Papyri, and Parchments. The formal axiomatic (mathematically theoretical) evidence establishes, relative to true ages for paper and ink, that ¹⁴C ages for either of paper or ink are qualitatively and quantitatively robust. While ¹⁴C ages for Papyri are not quite as robust as ¹⁴C ages for Paper, formal axioms establish that, asymptotically, and relative to true ages for Papyrus plants, ¹⁴C ages for Papyri are qualitatively and quantitatively robust. While ¹⁴C ages for Parchments originating within the same spatial location are shown to be (asymptotically) qualitatively and quantitatively robust, absent adjustments for spatial differences in rates of young carbon formation, the entire universe of ¹⁴C ages for Parchments is lacking in qualitative and quantitative robustness. The preliminary empirical evidence provides unequivocal support for study predictions. In aggregate, while there exist some concerns about robustness of ¹⁴C ages for Parchments, the evidence reveals boundedness of the concerns, with outcome it safely can be asserted that inferences derived from ¹⁴C ages for Paper, Ink that comes from wood, Papyri, and Parchments can be deemed to be robust.
Depth-dependent patterns in shear modulus of temporomandibular joint cartilage correspond to tissue structure and anatomic location.

Abstract To fully understand TMJ cartilage degeneration and appropriate repair mechanisms, it is critical to understand the native structure-mechanics relationships of TMJ cartilage and any local variation that may occur in the tissue. Here, we used confocal elastography and digital image correlation to measure the depth-dependent shear properties as well as the structural properties of TMJ cartilage at different anatomic locations on the condyle to identify depth-dependent changes in shear mechanics and structure. We found that samples at every anatomic location showed qualitatively similar shear modulus profiles as a function of depth. In every sample, four distinct zones of mechanical behavior were observed, with shear modulus values spanning 3–5 orders of magnitude across zones. However, quantitative characteristics of shear modulus profiles varied by anatomic location, particularly zone size and location, with the most significant variation in zonal width occurring in the fibrocartilage surface layer (zone 1). This anatomic variation suggests that different locations on the TMJ condyle may play unique mechanical roles in TMJ function. Furthermore, zones identified in the mechanical data corresponded on a sample-by-sample basis to zones identified in the structural data, indicating the known structural zones of TMJ cartilage may also play unique mechanical roles in TMJ function.
Sex Differences in Lamina Terminalis and Hypothalamic Paraventicular Nucleus Activation in Aging Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR)

Blood pressure in male SHR remains at consistent levels after approximately 9 months of age. In females, however, blood pressure (BP) increases after 10-12 months of age to similar or even higher l...
Lime Reactivity of Illinois Soils

Laboratory studies have shown that variable strength increases are produced by lime treatment of different fine-grained soils. An extensive study of 38 typical Illinois soils indicated that organic carbon content, soil pH, natural soil drainage, clay mineralogy, horizons, carbonate content, and soil weathering substantially influence soil lime reactivity. Lime reactivity is not significantly correlated with such typical engineering properties as liquid limit, plasticity index, AASHO group index, and percentage < 2 μ clay. Natural soil properties and characteristics can be used to evaluate quantitatively the lime-reactivity potential of a soil.