cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
No-scalpel, no-needle vasectomy.

Vasectomy is the safest and most dependable method of permanent contraception available to men today. More than 500,000 vasectomies are performed in the United States and more than 55,000 in Canada each year. Of American married couples, 7% to 10% choose vasectomy as their form of birth control. This has made vasectomy the most common urologic procedure in North America. 1–3 Although vasectomy is a safe and simple procedure for those who are well-trained, it can be technically challenging. Most contemporary surgeons and urologists have never been formally educated on how to perform a conventional vasectomy throug ha2t o3-cm incision or the newer no-scalpel vasectomy made throug ha2t o 3-mmpuncture wound on the scrotum. Many are forced to learn the procedure by trial and error during or after their residency training. Therefore, many urologists develop their own techniques that stray from more superior methods that have fewer complications and lower failure rates and may be accomplished with little or no pain. Kendrick and associates 4 illustrated how vasectomy performed by inexperienced hands leads to an increased incidence of complications such as bleeding, hematoma and infection. We discuss the no-scalpel vasectomy and noneedle vasectomy, a unique and nearly painless technique for anesthetizing the scrotal skin and vas. Using a jet injector (MadaJet, Mada Medical Products, Carlstadt, NJ), the anesthetic solution is sprayed through the skin and around the vas using a high-pressure injector that patients have described as a “gentle snap of a rubber band” against the scrotal skin. 1,5 The no-needle jet injection is a simple, effective, and safe technique that delivers excellent local anesthesia for vasectomy with high patient satisfaction. We believe this technique may reduce men’s fear of the pain associated with the needle puncture involved in vasectomy and, in conjunction with the no-scalpel vasectomy, will likely enhance the popularity of vasectomy worldwide.
Behavior-based motion planning for group control

Despite the large body of work in both motion planning and multi-agent simulation, little work has focused on the problem of planning motion for groups of robots using external “controller” agents. We call this problem the group control problem. This problem is complex because it is highly underactuated, dynamic, and requires multi-agent cooperation. In this paper, we present a variety of new motion planning algorithms based on EST, RRT, and PRM methods for shepherds to guide flocks of robots through obstacle-filled environments. We show using simulation on several environments that under certain circumstances, motion planning can find paths that are too complicated for naive “simulation only” approaches. However, inconsistent results indicate that this problem is still in need of additional study.
Specificity of Renal Tubular Damage Criteria for Aminoglycoside Nephrotoxicity in Critically III Patients

Two populations of critical care patients were studied using indices of renal tubular damage (beta 2-microglobulin, enzymes, casts) and indices of glomerular filtration (creatinine, creatinine clearance). The purpose of these studies had been initially to elucidate the type of renal failure typical of the critically ill patient treated with aminoglycoside gentamicin or tobramycin, then to determine its frequency. The second study population included a control group of patients given the nonnephrotoxic cephalosporin moxalactam, in order to assess the specificity of the renal tubular damage criteria for aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity versus other types of renal injury in critical care patients. Creatinine rise occurred in approximately 30 per cent of each tobramycin-treated group and in only 12 per cent in the moxalactam control patients (P less than 0.05). Thus, the data indicate that aminoglycosides are associated with an approximate doubling of the renal damage in those older, critically ill patients. Renal tubular damage criteria appear specific for the aminoglycoside effect, but a substantial percentage of the renal damage in this population is not associated with detectable alterations in renal tubular status.
Metabolic Engineering of Clostridium cellulolyticum for Production of Isobutanol from Cellulose

ABSTRACT Producing biofuels directly from cellulose, known as consolidated bioprocessing, is believed to reduce costs substantially compared to a process in which cellulose degradation and fermentation to fuel are accomplished in separate steps. Here we present a metabolic engineering example for the development of a Clostridium cellulolyticum strain for isobutanol synthesis directly from cellulose. This strategy exploits the host9s natural cellulolytic activity and the amino acid biosynthesis pathway and diverts its 2-keto acid intermediates toward alcohol synthesis. Specifically, we have demonstrated the first production of isobutanol to approximately 660 mg/liter from crystalline cellulose by using this microorganism.
A Channel Sharing Scheme for Underwater Cellular Networks

We propose a channel-allocation and scheduling protocol for underwater acoustic cellular networks. The protocol exploits both the acoustic path loss and the long propagation delay of the underwater channel to enable efficient use of system resources. By scheduling co-channel transmissions to avoid strong interference, it allows grouping of the cells into small clusters, thus achieving higher efficiency than a conventional scheme based on spatial frequency (or code) reuse alone.
Developmental rate: A unifying mechanism for sympatric divergence in postglacial fishes?

Morphologically divergent ecotypes arise in fish populations on postglacial time scales, and resource polymorphisms are often invoked to explain their origin. However, genetic recombination can constrain the ability of divergent selection to pro- duce reproductive isolation in sympatry. Recombination breaks up favorable combinations of traits ("adaptive suites") if indivi - dual traits are affected by different loci. Recombination also breaks up any association between traits under divergent selection and traits contributing to reproductive isolation. Thus, ecological speciation in the absence of preexisting barriers to gene flow is more likely when pleiotropy minimizes the number of loci involved. Here, we revisit research conducted by Carl Hubbs in the early 1900s on the effects of developmental rate on morphological traits in fishes. Hubbs' work provides a mechanism to explain how sympatric divergence by trophic polymorphism can occur despite the challenges of recombination. We consider the implica- tions of Hubbs' observations for ecological speciation with gene flow in fishes, as well as rapid evolution in captive fish popula- tions (Current Zoology 58 (1): 21-34, 2012). Keywords Pleiotropy, Resource polymorphism, Selection-recombination antagonism
A Multilevel Modeling Approach to Examining Individual Differences in Skill Acquisition for a Computer-Based Task

This article explores the role of age, cognitive abilities, prior experience, and knowledge in skill acquisition for a computer-based simulated customer service task. Fifty-two participants aged 50–80 performed the task over 4 consecutive days following training. They also completed a battery that assessed prior computer experience and cognitive abilities. The data indicated that overall quality and efficiency of performance improved with practice. The predictors of initial level of performance and rate of change in performance varied according to the performance parameter assessed. Age and fluid intelligence predicted initial level and rate of improvement in overall quality, whereas crystallized intelligence and age predicted initial e-mail processing time, and crystallized intelligence predicted rate of change in e-mail processing time over days. We discuss the implications of these findings for the design of intervention strategies.
Rubisco activity is altered in a starchless mutant of Nicotiana Sylvestris grown in elevated carbon dioxide

Abstract Dry matter and net photosynthesis of a wild type and a starchless mutant NS 458 of Nicotiana sylvestris (Speg. et Comes) were studied after 25 d of CO2 enrichment. Plants were grown from seed in controlled environment chambers and treatments of either ambient (35 Pa) or twice ambient (70 Pa) CO2 were initiated when plants were 3–4 weeks old. Photosynthetic rates measured at 35 and 70 Pa CO2 and at 900 μmole quanta m−2 s−1 were unaffected (P > 0.05) by 25 d of CO2 enrichment. However, a CO2-by-genotype interaction was observed indicating that photosynthetic rates of the wild type but not the mutant at 35 Pa CO2 differed in response to CO2 enrichment. Photosynthetic enhancement was greater (P 0.05) between CO2 environments. However, initial Rubisco activity was more than 30% lower in mutant than than in wild type samples when results from ambient and elevated CO2-grown plants were combined. Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate and 3-phosphoglycerate were 280% and 28% greater in the mutant than in the wild type, respectively. These findings suggested that photosynthesis rates of the mutant were limited by Rubisco activity at 35 Pa CO2 and that end product synthesis rates limited photosynthesis of the mutant at 70 Pa CO2.
Nasal continuous positive airway pressure improves myocardial perfusion reserve and endothelial-dependent vasodilation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), but whether OSA is an independent risk factor for CVD is controversial. The purpose of this study is to determine if patients with OSA have subclinical cardiovascular disease that is detectable by multi-modality cardiovascular imaging and whether these abnormalities improve after nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP). Of the 35 consecutive subjects with newly diagnosed moderate to severe OSA recruited from the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic, 20 patients were randomized to active vs. sham nCPAP. Active nCPAP was titrated to pressures that would prevent sleep disordered breathing based on inpatient polysomnography. OSA patients had baseline vascular function abnormalities including decreased myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR), brachial flow mediated dilation (FMD) and nitroglycerin-induced coronary vasodilation. Patients randomized to active nCPAP had improvement of MPR (1.5 ± 0.5 vs. 3.0 ± 1.3, p = 0.02) and brachial FMD (2.5% ± 5.7% vs. 9.0% ± 6.5%, p = 0.03) after treatment, but those randomized to sham nCPAP showed no significant improvement. There were no significant changes seen in chamber sizes, systolic and diastolic function, valvular function and coronary vasodilation to nitroglycerin. Patients with moderate to severe OSA had decreased MPR and brachial FMD that improved after 3 months of nCPAP. These findings suggest that relief of apnea in OSA may improve microvascular disease and endothelial dysfunction, which may prevent the development of overt cardiovascular disease. Further study in a larger patient population may be warranted.
Divertor erosion study for TPX and implications for steady-state fusion reactors

A sputtering erosion analysis was performed for the tilted plate divertor design of the proposed TPX tokamak. High temperature (/spl sim/100 eV), non-radiative, steady-state compatible, plasma edge conditions were used as input to the REDEP erosion/redeposition code. For the reference carbon surface the results show a stable erosion profile, i.e., non-runaway self-sputtering, in spite of carbon self-sputtering coefficients that are locally in excess of unity. The resulting net erosion rates are high (peak /spl ap/1-2.5 m/burn-yr) but may be acceptable for a low duty factor experimental device such as TPX. Other surface materials were also analyzed, in part to obtain insight for fusion reactor designs using a similar plasma regime. Both medium and high-Z materials are predicted not to work, due to runaway self-sputtering. Beryllium is stable but has erosion rates as high or higher than carbon. A liquid metal lithium surface has stable sputtering with a zero-erosion potential and may thus be an attractive future material choice.
What Happened to Middle Management

This chapter concerns what has happened to the ranks of middle management and managerial work since the 1950s. Middle management consists of managers reporting to other managers—in other words, middle management encompasses the great majority of managers. Chief executives are not middle managers, nor are they sole proprietors. Otherwise, the definition of middle management is quite elastic, as we will see.
BETWEEN AFFECT AND HISTORY: SOVEREIGNTY AND ORDINARY LIFE AT AKWESASNE, 1929–1942

This essay seeks to recover the ordinary and its analytical and decolonial potential within the extraordinary conditions created by settler colonialism. To do so, it investigates moments when Mohawks at Akwesasne, a community that straddles the US–Canada border, refused to acknowledge settler authority, paying particular attention to the relationship between their refusals and the condition of ordinary life. This article also considers the historical challenge of how to preserve moments of experience and their complex meanings without enveloping them in broader narratives dominated, in this case, by questions of sovereignty. How do theories of sovereignty affect the production of history, and what constraints do they place on our ability to narrate Indigenous experiences? What if we cast away the two narratives that dominate tellings of Indigenous histories: that of a settler crisis over control and that of an age-old struggle for sovereignty? Is it possible, or useful, to differentiate between acts focused primarily on maintaining the contours of ordinary, everyday life—expressions of lateral agency less about the “long haul” than about the here-and-now—and deliberate acts of political engagement, consciously aimed at the structural inequality undergirding a particular situation? Through a deep historical treatment of several moments within Akwesasne's early twentieth-century history, this essay proposes and attempts to execute a methodology that draws together multiple theories of affect and sovereignty.
5'-C-Malonyl RNA: Small Interfering RNAs Modified with 5'-Monophosphate Bioisostere Demonstrate Gene Silencing Activity.

5′-Phosphorylation is a critical step in the cascade of events that leads to loading of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) to elicit gene silencing. 5′-Phosphorylation of exogenous siRNAs is generally accomplished by a cytosolic Clp1 kinase, and in most cases, the presence of a 5′-monophosphate on synthetic siRNAs is not a prerequisite for activity. Chemically introduced, metabolically stable 5′-phosphate mimics can lead to higher metabolic stability, increased RISC loading, and higher gene silencing activities of chemically modified siRNAs. In this study, we report the synthesis of 5′-C-malonyl RNA, a 5′-monophosphate bioisostere. A 5′-C-malonyl-modified nucleotide was incorporated at the 5′-terminus of chemically modified RNA oligonucleotides using solid-phase synthesis. In vitro silencing activity, in vitro metabolic stability, and in vitro RISC loading of 5′-C-malonyl siRNA was compared to corresponding 5′-phosphorylated and 5′-nonphosphorylated siRNAs. The 5...
Self-efficacy versus perceived enjoyment as predictors of physical activity behaviour.

Objective: Self-efficacy and physical activity (PA) enjoyment are related to PA behaviour, but it is unclear which is more important and how they interrelate. The purpose of this study was to examine how these two constructs interrelate to influence PA behaviour.Design: Participants were low-active adults (n = 448) participating in a RCT examining the effect of a PA promotion intervention. Participants completed physical activity, enjoyment and self-efficacy measures at baseline, six and 12 months.Results: Self-efficacy and enjoyment at both baseline and six months predicted PA at 12 months. However, enjoyment was a stronger predictor than self-efficacy, in that self-efficacy no longer predicted PA behaviour when included alongside enjoyment. In follow-up mediation analyses, enjoyment at six months did not mediate the effect of baseline self-efficacy on 12-month PA; however, six-month self-efficacy mediated the effect of baseline enjoyment on 12-month PA.Conclusion: Our results indicate that interventions...
Design for Transitions ‒ from and to what?

AbstractAs part of its attempt to resituate the practice of designing within a commitment to facilitating social change toward more sustainable futures, the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University has started talking about ‘Transition Design.’ It is risky to invent yet another term which too easily looks like an appropriative branding exercise, but it can also be useful as way of marking an ambition. The following is a further attempt to explain the differences from existing practice to which Transition Design aspires.
DShaper: an approach for handling missing low‐Q data in pair distribution function analysis of nanostructured systems

In this work we discuss the potential problems and currently available solutions in modeling powder-diffraction based pair-distribution function (PDF) data from systems where morphological feature information content includes distances in the nanometer length scale, such as finite nanoparticles, nanoporous networks, and nanoscale precipitates in bulk materials. The implications of an experimental finite minimum Q-value are addressed by simulation, which also demonstrates the advantages of combining PDF data with small angle scattering data (SAS). We introduce a simple Fortran90 code, DShaper, which may be incorporated into PDF data fitting routines in order to approximate the so-called shape-function for any atomistic model.
Tobacco Budworm: Control On Flue-Cured Tobacco with Certain Microbial Pesticides

In advanced field test during 1964–72, certain commercial formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner and a nuclear polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis zea (Boddie) were applied with a power sprayer to flue-cured tobacco at dosages suggested by the manufacturers for tobacco budworm, H. virescens (F.), control. The lower dosages of B. thuringiensis and the virus were usually as effective as the higher dosages, and addition of certain insecticidal and non-insecticidal products to B. thuringiensis spray did not increase its effectiveness. Thuricide®, Biotrol® BTB-183, and Dipel® brands of B. thuringiensis were usually as effective as 1.5 lb/acre of TDE or carbaryl and sometimes as effective as 0.5 lb of methomyl. Biotrol® VHZ and Viron® /H brands of the virus were usually less effective than TDE or methomyl. In a preliminary test, a noncommercial preparation of Nosema necatrix Kramer provided significant but less control than methomyl.
DOES DISCIPLINE MODERATE COI-COURSE OUTCOMES RELATIONSHIPS IN ONLINE MBA COURSES?

This paper examines the relationship between the elements of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, disciplinary differences, perceived learning, instructor effectiveness, and delivery medium sa...
DLTS Study of Optoelectronic Devices in the Dynamic Regime

Every semiconductor device contains as grown and process induced defects even though the techniques to minimize the density of defects are known. Conventional DLTS methods are used to identify the trapping defects in the device. However, the activity of the traps could be suppressed or enhanced by the operating conditions of the device such as temperature, current through the device or light directed onto the device. We studied the DLTS spectra of silicon polycrystaline solar cells, as well as silicon and GaAs photodetectors in the dynamic regime, namely under light and at elevated temperature. Significant change in the resulting spectra were observed when compared to the spectra obtained by conventional DLTS methods.
Efficient matrix-exponential random variate generation using a numeric linear combination approach

Matrix Exponential (ME) probability distributions form a versatile family of distributions and enable an accurate description and simulation of a wide variety of situations where a positive distribution is required. In queueing theory they are used for arrival and service processes. Random Number Generators (RNG) for ME's are not commonly available. In this work, we create a new ME RNG by scaling a uniform random number using a weighting function, which is then converted to the ME random variate using an inverse transformation. The weighting function is obtained by arranging the distribution as a linear combination (allowing negative and/or complex components) of exponentials and numerically solving the cumulative distribution function (CDF) for e−x. Of the proposed techniques to generate ME random variables, our method is more efficient and can be applied to a wider sub-class of ME distributions. Additionally, we have incorporated our RNG into OPNET and it can readily be integrated into other simulation packages as well. Distributions are specified through their moments, by a matrix representation (include Phase Type), or by selecting from a palette of common distributions (hyper-, hypo-, exponential). The accuracy of the RNG is determined by analyzing the first three moments of the generated random numbers. Finally, the performance of our RNG is compared to other methods to generate ME random variates.
Effects of leukotriene C4 on pancreatic secretion and circulation in dogs.

In the present study the effects of leukotriene C4 (LTC4) on exocrine pancreatic secretion and pancreatic blood flow were determined. LTC4 given intravenously in various doses ranging from 0.35 to 2.8 nmol.kg-1.h-1 in conscious dogs caused a dose-dependent inhibition of pancreatic HCO-3 and protein responses to exogenous hormones such as secretin, cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8), and bombesin and to endogenous stimulants including meat feeding and duodenal perfusion with oleate. In tests with pancreatic secretion induced by secretin plus CCK, maximal inhibition by LTC4 occurred at a dose of 1.4 nmol.kg-1.h-1 and reached approximately 70% of the control value for HCO-3 output and 45% for protein output. In tests with separate secretin- or CCK-induced secretion, maximal inhibition occurred at a dose of 1.4 nmol.kg-1.h-1 and reached 38 and 66% of the control HCO-3 and protein secretion, respectively. The same dose of LTC4 reduced the postprandial HCO-3 secretion by approximately 80% and protein output by approximately 70%. After administration of indomethacin, the pancreatic secretion declined, but the inhibitory effects of LTC4 remained unchanged. Pancreatic tissue generated two to three times more LTC4 than the gastrointestinal mucosa, and indomethacin caused further increase in this generation, suggesting that LTC4 may contribute to indomethacin-induced pancreatic inhibition. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Assessing Intercultural Competence in Higher Education: Existing Research and Future Directions

The modern wave of globalization has created a demand for increased intercultural competence (ICC) in college graduates who will soon enter the 21st-century workforce. Despite the wide attention to the concepts and assessment of ICC, few assessments meet the standards for a next-generation assessment in areas of construct clarity, innovative item types, response processes, and validity evidence. The objectives of this report are to identify current conceptualizations of ICC, review existing assessments and their validity evidence, propose a new framework for a next-generation ICC assessment, and discuss key assessment considerations. To summarize, we found the current state of the literature to be murky in terms of the clarity of the ICC construct. Definitions of the construct vary considerably as to whether it is a trait, skill, or performance outcome. In addition, current measurements of ICC overly rely on self-report methods, which have a number of flaws that result in less than optimal assessment. In this paper, we propose a new framework based on a model of the social thinking process developed by Grossman and colleagues that describes the knowledge, skills, and abilities that promote success in complex social situations. From this social process model, as well as Earley and Peterson's definition of ICC (a person's capability to gather, interpret, and act upon these radically different cues to function effectively across cultural settings or in a multicultural situation), three stages are developed: approach, analyze, and act. Guided by this framework, we discuss assessment considerations such as innovative task types and multiple response formats to help translate the framework to an assessment of ICC.
Experimental Analysis of Receding Horizon Planning Algorithms for Marine Monitoring

Autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) are becoming more widely used in environmental monitoring applications. Due to the limited duration of these vehicles, algorithms need to be developed to save energy and maximize monitoring efficiency. This paper compares receding horizon path planning models for their effectiveness at collecting usable data in an aquatic environment. An adaptive receding horizon approach is used to plan ASV paths to collect data. A problem that often troubles conventional receding horizon algorithms is the path planner becoming trapped at local optima. Our proposed Jumping Horizon (J-Horizon) algorithm planner improves on the conventional receding horizon algorithm by jumping out of local optima. We demonstrate that the J-Horizon algorithm collects data more efficiently than commonly used lawnmower patterns, and we provide a proof-of-concept field implementation on an ASV with a temperature monitoring task in a lake.
Formation, Nature, and Mobility of Ions of Atmospheric Importance

An understanding of the evolution of atmospheric small ions requires the knowledge of 1) the type of radiation, 2) the atmospheric trace gas composition as a function of altitude and the physical and chemical molecular parameters of these trace gas molecules such as ionization potential, electron affinity, proton affinity, polarizability, chemical reactivity, etc., 3) ion-molecule reaction rates for eventually every collisional interaction of ions with the neutral gaseous environment and 4) the theory of ionic mobility. Partial information on 1) –4) is available today and presented in this paper. Based upon laboratory and field measurement, we can now derive a preliminary picture of the nature of atmospheric ions as a function of altitude. The atmospheric ions are thought of being in a state of constant change, reflecting in their chemical nature the collisional interaction with atmospheric trace gas molecules. Molecular rearrangement of attached molecules can lead to the formation of new chemical species on the “surface” of small ions, which allows the ion to grow into larger ion clusters. The mobility spectrum of atmospheric small ions is thought to be pseudo-continuous in the lower part of the atmosphere due to the presence of numerous trace gases (on the level of less than 10–9 of all parts) interacting with the ions during their lifetime. However, direct mass spectrometric in situ measurements of tropospheric and stratospheric ions are still missing.
Chronology of Membrane Studies

The study of membranes has a very long and rich history. This chapter describes compendium of many of the most important observations concerning membrane composition, structure, and function. Such a list must terminate several years before its compilation date since it takes some considerable time before it is clear which newer studies will have a lasting impact and which studies will reach a dead end.
Different effects of basal insulin peglispro and insulin glargine on liver enzymes and liver fat content in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

AIMS To compare effects of basal insulin peglispro (BIL), a hepatopreferential insulin, to insulin glargine (glargine) on aminotransferases and liver fat content (LFC) in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes (T1D, T2D). MATERIALS AND METHODS Data from two Phase 2 and five Phase 3 randomized trials comparing BIL and glargine in 1709 T1D and 3662 T2D patients were integrated for analysis of liver laboratory tests. LFC, measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at baseline, 26 and 52 weeks, was analyzed in 182 T1D patients, 176 insulin-naive T2D patients and 163 T2D patients previously treated with basal insulin. RESULTS Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increased in patients treated with BIL, was higher than in glargine-treated patients at 4-78 weeks (difference at 52 weeks in both T1D and T2D: 7 international units/litre (IU/L), P < .001), and decreased after discontinuation of BIL. More BIL patients had ALT ≥3× upper limit of normal (ULN) than glargine. No patient had ALT ≥3× ULN with bilirubin ≥2× ULN that was considered causally related to BIL. In insulin-naїve T2D patients, LFC decreased with glargine but was unchanged with BIL. In T1D and T2D patients previously treated with basal insulin, LFC was unchanged with glargine but increased with BIL. In all three populations, LFC was higher after treatment with BIL vs glargine (difference at 52 weeks: 2.2% to 5.3%, all P < .01). CONCLUSIONS Compared to glargine, patients treated with BIL had higher ALT and LFC at 52-78 weeks. No severe drug-induced liver injury was apparent with BIL treatment for up to 78 weeks.
Robust fault detection for positive systems

In this paper, we consider the problem of robust fault detection for linear time-invariant positive systems. Although positive observers have been designed for positive systems, they are unable to estimate the states when unknown inputs (disturbances or faults) are present in the systems. The first goal of this paper is to show how a positive unknown input observer (PUIO) can be designed for positive systems. The PUIO design can be performed with the aid of a positive stabilization scheme via LMI in which the positivity of the generalized inverse of a certain design matrix is required. Then, we take advantage of PI observer combined with PUIO structure to estimate the faults in positive systems. The main contribution of this paper is to design a PI-based unknown input observer (PIUIO) which is capable of decoupling the unknown input disturbance while estimating the fault. Design procedures with high PI gains are outlined through parametrized eigenvalue assignment and LMI for the case of nonlinear fault. We also demonstrate that the PIUIO with a fading term achieves the same goal with low proportional and integral gains. Finally, illustrative examples are included to support the theoretical results.
An improved finite element modeling of the cerebrospinal fluid layer in the head impact analysis

The finite element (FE) method has been widely used to investigate the mechanism of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), because it is technically difficult to quantify the responses of the brain tissues to the impact in experiments. One of technical challenges to build a FE model of a human head is the modeling of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the brain. In the current study, we propose to use membrane elements to construct the CSF layer. Using the proposed approach, we demonstrate that a head model can be built by using existing meshes available in commercial databases, without using any advanced meshing software tool, and with the sole use of native functions of the FE package Abaqus. The calculated time histories of the intracranial pressures at frontal, posterior fossa, parietal, and occipital positions agree well with the experimental data and the simulations in the literature, indicating that the physical effects of the CSF layer have been accounted for in the proposed modeling approach. The proposed modeling approach would be useful for bioengineers to solve practical problems.
Some common misunderstandings about cognitive approaches to the study of religion: a reply to Sterelny

Welcome back, Professor Sterelny, to the discussion! Those of us taking cognitive and evolutionary approaches to the study of religion should do more to better identify the requisite social conditi...
Kinetics of thermal decomposition of PVC/fly ash composites

In this study, the kinetics and mechanisms of thermal degradation of Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) composites reinforced with class-F fly ash are studied experimentally and numerically using Flynn–Wall...
Peripheral quantitative computed tomography detects differences at the radius in prepubertal children with cystic fibrosis compared to healthy controls.

Introduction In 2015, 11.9% of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) in the United States had osteopenia, 5.1% osteoporosis, and 0.3% experienced a fracture. Screening for CF-related bone disease starts in childhood, and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the recommended method. It is unknown whether peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) can detect deficits earlier than DXA. This study compared pQCT and DXA scans in a group of pre-pubertal children with CF and healthy controls. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of children at Tanner stage 1. A pQCT scan of the radius at proximal and distal sites was performed plus a total body DXA scan. Serum C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were also measured. Results A total of 34 subjects completed the study; 14 with CF and 20 controls. At the distal radius, pQCT showed a lower total bone mineral density (BMD) Z-score for the CF group (P = 0.01 and P = 0.03 for 2 different reference databases) compared to controls. At the proximal site, the polar strength-strain index was lower in the CF group (P = 0.017). Finally, the total body BMD Z-score by DXA was lower in the CF group, although it did not meet the definition of reduced bone density (P = 0.004). Biomarkers of inflammation were not different. Conclusions In this group of pre-pubertal children with CF, measures of bone strength and density by both pQCT and DXA were reduced compared to healthy controls.
Adaptive parsing: a general method for learning idiosyncratic grammars

Abstract Natural language interfaces have fallen short of their goal of providing full freedom of expression in human-computer interactions largely because significant increases in the coverage of the grammar are usually accompanied by intolerable decreases in system performance. We demonstrate a method for overcoming this barrier called adaptive parsing , a technique in which the system accommodates the user by dynamically growing its grammar to acquire her preferred forms of expression and recognize them directly in the future. The specific learning method in an implemented adaptive parser is discussed in detail and shown to be adequate to acquire eight idiosyncratic grammars with good coverage and good performance.
Efficiency of the Thermal Jacket on the delivered temperature of prewarmed crystalloid intravenous fluid.

Abstract : A quasi-experimental research design was used to determine the relationship between the flow rate and the delivered temperature of prewarmed crystalloid intravenous solutions when using the Thermal Jacket, an insulation device designed for intravenous fluid bags, as compared to a conventional blood warning apparatus. One control and three experimental groups were used. Fluids in Group 1 (control group), Group 2, and Group 4 were prewarmed in a microwave oven to 41.45 + or- 1.05 C. Fluids in Group 3 were left near ambient room temperature and measured at 22.05 + or - 0.45 C. Fluids in the control group were infused through a standard intravenous pump tubing, 270 cm in length, using no temperature maintenance device. Fluids in Group 2 and Group 3 were delivered through a standard intravenous pump tubing connected to a blood warming coil which was immersed in a water bath blood warmer. The distance from the exit point of the blood warmer to the distal end of the infusion line measured 174 cm. Fluids in Group 4 were placed in a Thermal Jacket and delivered-through standard intravenous pump tubing. After a baseline measurement, temeperatures were recorded for all groups at two sites at 10 minute intervals over a 60 minute period. One site was the lower portion of the IV solution bag, and the other site was a point 2 cm from the distal end of the infusion set. Temperatures were at flow rates of 100, 250, 500, 750, and 1,000 ml/ hr for each group.
Hybridization capture-based next generation sequencing reliably detects FLT3 mutations and classifies FLT3-internal tandem duplication allelic ratio in acute myeloid leukemia: a comparative study to standard fragment analysis

FLT3-internal tandem duplication occurs in 20–30% of acute myeloid leukemia and confers an adverse prognosis with its allelic ratio being a key risk stratifier. The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved FLT3 inhibitors midostaurin and gilteritinib in FLT3 mutation-positive acute myeloid leukemia. Historically, FLT3 was tested by fragment analysis, which has become the standard method endorsed by international guidelines. However, next generation sequencing is increasingly used at acute myeloid leukemia diagnosis given its ability to simultaneously evaluate multiple clinically informative markers. As FLT3-internal tandem duplication detection was known to be challenging by next generation sequencing and the results carry profound prognostic and therapeutic implications, it is important to thoroughly examine its performance in FLT3-internal tandem duplication detection and allelic ratio classification. In a comparative study with fragment analysis, we retrospectively reviewed our experience using a custom-designed, hybridization capture-based, targeted next generation sequencing panel. Among 7902 cases, FLT3-internal tandem duplication was detected in 335 with variable sizes (3–231 bp) and insertion sites. Fragment analysis was also performed in 402 cases, demonstrating 100% concordance in FLT3-internal tandem duplication detection. In 136 dual-tested, positive cases, 128/136 (94%) exhibited concordant high/low allelic ratio classifications. The remaining 6% showed borderline low allelic ratio by next generation sequencing. The two methods were concordant in FLT3-tyrosine kinase domain mutation detection at the hotspot D835/I836 targeted by fragment analysis. Furthermore, seven mutations which may benefit from FLT3 inhibitor therapy were detected by next generation sequencing, in regions not covered by fragment analysis. Our study demonstrates that using a hybridization capture-based chemistry and optimized bioinformatics pipeline, next generation sequencing can reliably detect FLT3-internal tandem duplication and classify its allelic ratio for acute myeloid leukemia risk stratification. Next generation sequencing also exhibits superior comprehensiveness in FLT3 mutation detection and may further improve personalized, targeted therapy in acute myeloid leukemia.
Faculty perceptions of chosen name policies and non-binary pronouns

As transgender students become an increasingly visible segment of college student populations, policies allowing students to indicate chosen names and pronouns will offer crucial support while also...
Hydrodynamic response to jets with a source based on causal diffusion

Abstract We study the medium response to jet evolution in the quark-gluon plasma within the JETSCAPE framework. Recoil partons' medium response in the weakly coupled description is implemented in the multi-stage jet energy-loss model in the framework. As a further extension, the hydrodynamic description is rearranged to include in-medium jet transport based on a strong-coupling picture. To interface hydrodynamics with jet energy-loss models, the hydrodynamic source term is modeled by a causal formulation employing the relativistic diffusion equation. The jet shape and fragmentation function are studied via realistic simulations with weakly coupled recoils. We also demonstrate modifications in the medium caused by the hydrodynamic response.
Telephone Survey Calling Patterns, Productivity, Survey Responses, and Their Effect on Measuring Public Opinion:

This study examines the effect of telephone survey dialing patterns on lab productivity and survey responses. Using an original data set of paradata from 2010 to 2017 and a machine learning techniq...
Fetishism as Psychological Compensation for a Lack

Sigmund Freud’s appropriation of fetishism was rooted in animism, but also an expression of the fetish’s conceptualization at the crossroads of modernity and colonialism. For Freud, it was the apparently worthless thing valued by the individual, sexualizing the fetish, that was also bound up with the sacred. Freud’s conceptualization of fetishism is the question of modernity put to religion. Following commentary on the Freudian corpus through Jacques Lacan, Jean-Joseph Goux, Slavoj Žižek, Mari Ruti, Paul Ricoeur, Michel de Certeau, and Edward Said, we explore his conceptualization of the “Thing” (das Ding), which promised to restore a seemingly primordial lack within the subject. In the end, the de-stabilization of identity itself is at stake through the de-constructive force of the fetishistic which perpetually unsettles any attempt to totalize the self.
Resuscitation outcomes for weekend deliveries of very low birthweight infants.

Objective To characterise the association between weekend (Saturday and Sunday) deliveries of very low birthweight (VLBW) infants and delivery room outcomes in the ‘golden hour’ after birth. Design and setting A retrospective cohort study using California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative data from participating neonatal intensive care units. Patients The study population after exclusions was 26 515 VLBW infants born in California from 2010 to 2016. Main outcome measures Delivery room outcomes assessed included: chest compressions, epinephrine, intubation prior to continuous positive airway pressure ventilation, 5 min Apgar Results Infants delivered on weekends were less likely to have been prenatally diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction but were otherwise not significantly different in gestational age, ethnicity, sex or maternal risk factors than those born during weekdays. Caesarean deliveries were less common on weekends, while vaginal deliveries were consistent across all days. After adjusting for sex and race, weekend delivery was associated with delivery room chest compressions (OR: 1.12, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.24) and lower 5 min Apgar (OR: 1.11, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.21). Conclusion In this population-based study of VLBW infants, there was an increase in chest compressions for infants born on the weekend. More research is needed on the differences between populations born on weekdays versus weekends, and how these may contribute to observed associations.
Selective targeting of different populations of myeloid-derived suppressor cells by histone deacetylase inhibitors

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are widely implicated in negative regulation of immune responses in cancer. Inhibition of class I histone deacetylases (HDAC) with entinostat has anti-MDSC activity. However, as single agent, it did not delay tumor growth in EL4 and LLC tumor models. Here, we found that entinostat reduced immune suppressive activity of only one type of MDSC-polymorphonuclear, PMN-MDSC, whereas it had no effect on monocytic M-MDSC or macrophages. M-MDSC had high amount of class II HDAC-HDAC6, which was further increased after the treatment of mice with entinostat. Inhibition of HDAC6 with ricolinostat reduced suppressive activity of M-MDSC, but did not affect PMN-MDSC or delayed tumor growth. However, combination of entinostat and ricolinostat abrogated suppressive activity of both populations of MDSC and substantially delayed tumor progression. Thus, inactivation of MDSC required targeting of both major subsets of these cells via inhibitors of class I and class II HDAC.
Perceived risk of infection and smoking behavior change during COVID-19 in Ohio.

Objective The recent COVID-19 pandemic may catalyze smoking behavior modification. The purpose of the study was to examine factors associated with reducing smoking exposure during the COVID-19 outbreak. Design Cross-sectional design using the Health Belief Model to develop an online survey distributed throughout Ohio early during the outbreak. Sample 810 adults in Ohio (77.9% non-smokers, 22.1% current smokers). Measurements Sociodemographic factors, smoking and behavior changes since the COVID-19 outbreak, and perceived risk of infection were collected. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine factors associated with indoor smoking bans and factors associated with desire to quit smoking since the outbreak. Results For the overall sample, the odds of indoor smoking bans were significantly associated with never smoked, college education, single-family residence, not living with smokers, and perceived importance of avoiding public places. For smokers, the desire to quit smoking since the COVID-19 outbreak was associated with diabetes and perceived risk of severe infection. Conclusions Identified factors inform residential smoking exposure reduction through indoor smoking bans. Having an increased perceived risk of severe infection among smokers may motivate cessation. Public health nurses can provide accurate and accessible resources for smoking cessation during the COVID-19 pandemic to promote healthy lifestyle modification.
Epidemiology's time of need: COVID-19 calls for epidemic-related economics

The COVID-19 pandemic has catapulted scientific conversations and scientific divisions into the public consciousness Epidemiology and economics have long operated in distinct silos, but the COVID-19 pandemic presents a complex and cross-disciplinary problem that impacts all facets of society Many economists have recognized this and want to engage in efforts to mitigate and control the pandemic, but others seem more interested in attacking epidemiology than attacking the virus As an epidemiologist, I call upon economists to join with us in combating COVID-19 and in preventing future pandemics In this essay, I attempt to provide some insight for economists into how epidemiology works, where it doesn't work, and the much-needed answers that economists can help us obtain I hope this will spur economists towards an epidemic-related economics that can provide a blueprint for a healthy economy and population
Functional analysis of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in Drosophila identifies Orf6-induced pathogenic effects with Selinexor as an effective treatment.

SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19 with a widely diverse disease profile that affects many different tissues. The mechanisms underlying its pathogenicity in host organisms remain unclear. Animal models for studying the pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 proteins are lacking. Using bioinformatic analysis, we found that 90% of the virus-host interactions involve human proteins conserved in Drosophila. Therefore, we generated a series of transgenic fly lines for individual SARS-CoV-2 genes, and used the Gal4-UAS system to express these viral genes in Drosophila to study their pathogenicity. We found that the ubiquitous expression of Orf6, Nsp6 or Orf7a in Drosophila led to reduced viability and tissue defects, including reduced trachea branching as well as muscle deficits resulting in a “held-up” wing phenotype and poor climbing ability. Furthermore, muscles in these flies showed dramatically reduced mitochondria. Since Orf6 was found to interact with nucleopore proteins XPO1, we tested Selinexor, a drug that inhibits XPO1, and found that it could attenuate the Orf6-induced lethality and tissue-specific phenotypes observed in flies. Our study established Drosophila as a model for studying the function of SARS-CoV2 genes, identified Orf6 as a highly pathogenic protein in various tissues, and demonstrated the potential of Selinexor for inhibiting Orf6 toxicity using an in vivo animal model system.