cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pig oocyte activation using a Zn2+ chelator, TPEN

Artificial oocyte activation is a critical step during SCNT. Most current activation protocols focus on inducing an increase in the intracellular free Ca(2+) concentration of the oocyte. Here, we have used a zinc chelator, TPEN, to enhance the efficiency of oocyte activation during SCNT. TPEN treatment of matured pig oocytes resulted in the reduction of available Zn(2+) in pig oocytes; however, the cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration in the oocytes was not affected by the TPEN treatment. When various concentrations (100-250 μM) and incubation durations (45 minutes-2.5 hours) of TPEN were used to activate oocytes, the efficiency of oocyte activation was not different from conventional activation methods. When oocytes that were activated by conventional activation methods were incubated with a lower concentration of TPEN (5-10 μM), a significant increase in embryos developing to the blastocyst stage was observed. In addition, when oocytes receiving a small Ca(2+) stimulus were further activated by higher concentration of TPEN (100-200 μM), a significant increase in the frequency of blastocyst formation was observed, compared to a conventional activation method. This result indicated that TPEN can be a main reagent in oocyte activation. No increase in the cytosolic Ca(2+) level was detected when oocytes were exposed to various concentrations of TPEN, indicating the ability of TPEN to induce oocyte activation is independent of an intracellular Ca(2+) increase. We were able to produce clones through SCNT by using the TPEN-assisted activation procedure, and the piglets produced through the process did not show any signs of abnormality. In this study, we have developed an efficient way to use TPEN to increase the developmental potential of cloned embryos.
An improved model for solving the optimal placement for river-routing problem

Describes two linear-time river-routing algorithms for respectively optimizing and computing channel separation between the interior rows and columns of synthesized random-logic cells for custom module generation. The method uses river routing within the cells to virtually eliminate routing channels between the cell rows and columns while producing little or no increase in cell area. The first algorithm is a terminal-position assignment procedure that can be used in conjunction with the optimal-placement-for-river-routing algorithm given by C.E. Leiserson and R.Y. Pinter (see SIAM J. Computing, vol.12, no.3, p.447-462, 1983) to eliminate, or greatly reduce, the routing area that is computed by the second proposed algorithm. The second algorithm computes embedded river-routing channel separations between the rows and columns of cells. Use of these algorithms for optimizing the interconnections between custom-synthesized cells provides a significant improvement in area usage in comparison with using standard river routing methods. >
The selective directed forgetting effect: Can people forget only part of a text?

Participants studied sentences describing two different characters and then were told to forget the sentences about only one of the characters. A second list contained sentences attributed to a third character. Subsequently, they received a recall test on the sentences about the original two characters. When the sentences could be thematically integrated, participants showed no directed forgetting relative to a control group that was never told to forget. However, with unrelated sentences, participants selectively forgot the target character's sentences without forgetting the other character's sentences. This selective directed forgetting effect is a novel empirical result. We interpret the results as consistent with Radvansky's (1999) ideas about inhibition with textual materials.
Informative representations of unstructured environments

Perception by autonomous systems, in unstructured dynamic worlds, is one of the significant research challenges in the development of effective intelligent systems. Nonlinear dimensionality reduction techniques have been extensively utilized within the artificial intelligence community to devise compact representations of high dimensional data. These techniques display great promise in yielding low dimensional, meaningful representations of an unstructured environment in real time from raw sensory information. Two such techniques, the kernel principal component analysis method and locally linear embedding (LLE) are evaluated herein, with respect to their ability to generate compact and physically reasonable embeddings of an unstructured environment. The LLE technique shows great potential in the computation of low dimensional and perceptually meaningful embeddings of natural environments.
Dispersal of Adult European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Within and Proximal to Irrigated and Non-irrigated Corn

The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), causes economic damage to corn, Zea mays L., throughout the Corn Belt. Because this insect has become the primary target of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) transgenic corn, current efforts addressing the management of O. nubilalis resistance to Bt corn require information on adult European corn borer dispersal and factors affecting its dispersal. In 1998 we conducted mark-release-recapture, release-recapture, and caged-mating studies to directly measure and compare local dispersal patterns of O. nubilalis adults within and proximal to irrigated and non-irrigated cornfields. Releases of marked adults were made corresponding to the first and second flight of O. nubilalis in eastern Nebraska. Adult dispersal was significantly different between irrigated and non-irrigated cornfields. Released adults tended to remain in and near irrigated cornfields, but dispersed out of and away from non-irrigated cornfields. When released at the edge of the cornfield, neither male nor unmated female O. nubilalis displayed an initial tendency to move out of irrigated corn and into the mixed smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss) and broadleaf-weed field edge. Mating efficiency in a late-season cornfield was not significantly different than in dense foxtail (Setaria spp.). Generally, we found that adult O. nubilalis dispersal may vary depending on variables such as action-site availability and agronomic practices and their interaction with O. nubilalis life history.
Access to Knowledge: A Conceptual Genealogy

This is an introduction to an edited volume, Access to Knowledge in the Age of Intellectual Property (Zone Press, 2010. It's aim is to describe and analyze the conceptual stakes of the new mobilization around A2K. A2K groups contest the terrain of intellectual property law (for example, around issues of access to medicines, free software, farmers' rights to seeds, and free culture) - but what do they have in common? The chapter elaborates on concepts that A2K thinkers use - such as the commons, openness, and access - to challenge the conventional justification for strong intellectual property law. It closes by posing a series of theoretical questions for the movement, like, what is the nature of the freedom that A2K demands?
An Evidence-Based Program to Reduce Fall-Related Risk Among Older Adults: A Comparison of Program Efficacy by Ethnicity

Despite rapid growth among the Hispanic population in the United States, seniors within this ethnic group are typically underrepresented in evidence-based programs. The purpose of this study is to examine the relative efficacy of A Matter of Balance/Volunteer Lay Leader Model (AMOB/VLL), an eight session fall risk prevention program, for non-Hispanic White and English-speaking Hispanic participants on key study outcomes. Data were collected from 1,233 seniors enrolled in AMOB/VLL in Texas. Compared to non-Hispanic White participants, a significantly larger proportion of Hispanic participants were younger (χ2=50.23, df=3, p © 2012 Californian Journal of Health Promotion. All rights reserved. Keywords: Aging; Ethnicity; Hispanic; Evidence-based programs; Fall risk prevention
Resting vagal activity in schizophrenia: meta-analysis of heart rate variability as a potential endophenotype

Background Cardiac vagal tone, indexed by heart rate variability (HRV), is a proxy for the functional integrity of feedback mechanisms integrating central and peripheral physiology. Aims To quantify differences in HRV in individuals with schizophrenia compared with healthy controls. Method Databases were systematically searched for studies eligible for inclusion. Random effect meta-analyses of standardised mean differences were calculated for vagal activity indicated by high-frequency HRV and the root mean square of successive R–R interval differences (RMSSD). Results Thirty-four studies were included. Significant main effects were found for high-frequency HRV ( P = 0.0008; Hedges' g = −0.98, 95% CI −1.56 to −0.41, k = 29) and RMSSD ( P <0.0001; g = −0.91, 95% CI −1.19 to −0.62, k = 24), indicating lower vagal activity in individuals with schizophrenia than in healthy controls. Considerable heterogeneity was evident but effects were robust in subsequent sensitivity analyses. Conclusions Given the association between low HRV, threat processing, emotion regulation and executive functioning, reduced vagal tone may be an endophenotype for the development of psychotic symptoms.
Breast cancer and thrombosis: timing matters.

In this issue of Blood , [Walker et al][1] estimate venous thromboembolism (VTE) rates associated with current breast cancer treatments in time windows before, during, and following treatment.[1][2] ![Figure][3] Absolute and adjusted relative rates (RRadj) of VTE associated with surgery,
The origin of precursors to core waves

The origin of the precursors of the core waves in the range 105°-142° is studied. Between 105° and 125° a long tail is observed after the P wave diffracted by the core. In the range 130° ≦ Δ ≦ 142° we usually observe short-period onsets a few seconds before PKIKP ; these are the waves called P(GH) . Reflection at a discontinuity in the outer core, near the inner-core boundary, is shown to produce the P(GH) branch. Reflections in the outer core are rejected as a mechanism for the tail of the P diffracted wave. A theoretical study of diffraction of P by the core shows that higher modes of diffracted waves cannot explain the observations of the tail of P diffracted. We conclude, by elimination, that it is due to reflections or multiple paths in the upper mantle.
Nutrient menu planning for clinical research centers. Control by computer.

Computers have been used to calculate metabolic diets and develop equivalency lists. Now, their use is extended to the planning of modified diets.
Impact of seductive details on the acquisition and transfer of laparoscopic suturing skills: Emotionally interesting or cognitively taxing?

Background A common strategy to increase learner engagement is to interweave educational material with interesting but slightly tangential tidbits of information (eg, “war stories” and funny anecdotes), known as seductive details. Our objective was to examine the impact of seductive details on initial acquisition and transfer of basic laparoscopic surgical skills. Methods Novices (first- to fourth-year medical students) were randomized into control (N = 47) or seductive details (N = 42) groups. Curricula consisted of a baseline skills assessment (Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery Task 1), instructional video on intracorporeal laparoscopic suturing (Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery Task 5), multiple choice quiz, practice, and assessment on both primary and transfer tasks. Two separate instructional videos were used for Task 5; 20% of the seductive details group's instructional video consisted of seductive details, whereas the control group's video included no seductive details. Participants completed questionnaires of mental workload and task engagement after training. We also conducted a mediation analysis, which is a statistical approach to identify causal paths among a group of variables. Results Baseline skill scores (control: 112 ± 52; standard deviation: 118 ± 56; 0 = lowest possible score; 600 = highest possible score) and knowledge scores (control: 76 ± 19; standard deviation: 74 ± 16; 0 = lowest possible score; 100 = highest possible score) were similar for both groups. The control group demonstrated better (higher) performance on both the primary (434 ± 193 vs 399 ± 133, P Conclusion Our findings suggest that the inclusion of seductive details may be detrimental to the acquisition and transfer of laparoscopic surgical skills due to increased mental workload for trainees.
Global Health Simulation During Residency

Resident participation in international health electives (IHEs) has been shown to be beneficial, yet not all residents have the opportunity to participate. We sought to determine whether participating in simulated global health cases, via the standardized Simulation Use for Global Away Rotations (SUGAR) curriculum, was useful for all pediatric residents, not merely those planning to go on an IHE. Pediatric residents in our program took part in 2 SUGAR cases and provided feedback via an online survey. Thirty-six of 40 residents participated (90%); 72% responded to the survey. Three of 10 residents not previously planning to work in resource-limited settings indicated participation in SUGAR made them more likely to do so. Nearly all residents (88%) felt SUGAR should be part of the residency curriculum. All felt better prepared for working cross-culturally. While designed to prepare trainees for work in resource-limited settings, SUGAR may be beneficial for all residents.
Fiber-based optical trapping for cell mechanics study and microrheology

In this work, we developed fiber based optical trapping system and explored its applications in biology and physics. We aim to replace objective lenses with optical fibers, both for optical trapping and particle position detection. Compared with objective lens based counterparts, fiber based optical trapping systems are small, low-cost, integratable, independent of objective lenses, and can work in turbid mediums. These advantages make fiber optical trapping systems ideal for applications in tightly confined spaces as well as integration with various microscopy techniques. We demonstrate the applications of fiber optical trapping systems in both single-cell mechanics and microrheology study of asphalt binders. Fiber optical trapping system is being used to study mechanical properties of viscoelastic hydrogel, as an important extra cellular matrix (ECM) material that is used to understand the force propagation on cell membranes on 2D substrates or in 3D compartments. Moreover, the fiber optical trapping system has also been demonstrated to measure the cellular response to the external mechanical stimuli. Direct measurements of cellular traction forces in 3D compartments are underway. In addition, fiber optical trapping systems are used to measure the microscale viscoelastic properties of asphalt binders, in order to improve the fundamental understanding of the relationship between mechanical and chemical properties of asphalt binders. This fundamental understanding could help targeted asphalt recycling and pavement maintenance. Fiber optical trapping systems are versatile and highly potential tools that can find applications in various areas ranging from mechanobiology to complex fluids.
CMS Effects of Coughing in Cystic Fibrosis

Neurological symptoms complicating the paroxysmal coughing associated with cystic fibrosis were studied in 273 patients, aged 10 to 44 years, attending the Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, Divisions of Pediatric Pulmonology and Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Rainbow and Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, OH.
Gain and alpha factor of intermixed InAs/InAlGaAs quantum-dash lasers

We study the optical gain and alpha factor of InAs/InAlGaAs quantum-dash lasers on InP substrate after being subjected to the postgrowth intermixing process. The intermixing was achieved using dielectric capping process that involves the deposition of dielectric film and subsequent rapid thermal annealing. Compared to the un-intermixed laser, we found that the intermixed lasers with a 93 nm bandgap blue-shift exhibit good material quality with improved differential gain and comparable alpha factor.
Preventing Childhood Obesity through Healthy Diet, Physical, and Stress-Reduction Activities

The prevalence of child obesity is increasing in many countries, highlighting the need to educate children and to make them a priority population for obesity prevention. There is limited information about how to best engage children in comprehensive programs that include gardening, cooking, and physical and stress-reduction activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate engaging children in healthy diet, physical, and stress-reduction activities to encourage behavior changes to address childhood obesity. The participants were children ages 8 to 17 years old (n=20). The 2-week health education program included food safety, water intake, physical activity, energy intake, fast food, body mass index, eating disorders, cooking, overall health, and family meal times. Pre- and post-tests were administered to measure changes in participants' knowledge, attitude, and perception about health, and their learning experience was reported. The McNemar test was used to assess changes over time. Participants' knowledg...
Three eras of planetary exploration

The number of known exoplanets rose from zero to one in the mid-1990s, and has been doubling approximately every two years ever since. Although this can justifiably be called the beginning of an era, an earlier era began in the 1960s when humankind began exploring the Solar System with spacecraft. Even earlier than that, the era of modern scientific study of the Solar System began with Copernicus, Galileo, Brahe, Kepler and Newton. These eras overlap in time, and many individuals have worked across all three. This Review explores what the past can tell us about the future and what the exploration of the Solar System can teach us about exoplanets, and vice versa. We consider two primary examples: the history of water on Venus and Mars; and the study of Jupiter, including its water, with the Juno spacecraft.
Language and Parenting: Minority Languages in North America

Numerous children in North America speak a dialect and/or languages other than those in which they are schooled and can acquire new languages without jeopardizing their heritage languages. Current research questions regarding the impact of bilingualism have documented many positive results, countering the negative findings of older studies that confounded socioeconomic status with bilingualism. Accurate assessment of bilingual children with typical and atypical language development remains challenging despite a great deal of work on this subject and some progress. Early and frequent exposure to high-quality diverse and responsive input from speakers of multiple languages, along with continued support for those languages, results in optimal academic success for bilingual children regardless of whether they are typically or atypically developing. Universal versus culture-specific mechanisms, future directions for research, and policy implications are discussed. Parents should be encouraged to speak frequently and positively with their children using whatever language(s) and/or dialect(s) they are comfortable speaking.
Testing positive for a genetic predisposition to depression magnifies retrospective memory for depressive symptoms.

OBJECTIVE Depression, like other mental disorders and health conditions generally, is increasingly construed as genetically based. This research sought to determine whether merely telling people that they have a genetic predisposition to depression can cause them to retroactively remember having experienced it. METHOD U.S. adults (men and women) were recruited online to participate (Experiment 1: N = 288; Experiment 2: N = 599). After conducting a test disguised as genetic screening, we randomly assigned some participants to be told that they carried elevated genetic susceptibility to depression, whereas others were told that they did not carry this genetic liability or were told that they carried elevated susceptibility to a different disorder. Participants then rated their experience of depressive symptoms over the prior 2 weeks on a modified version of the Beck Depression Inventory-II. RESULTS Participants who were told that their genes predisposed them to depression generally reported higher levels of depressive symptomatology over the previous 2 weeks, compared to those who did not receive this feedback. CONCLUSIONS Given the central role of self-report in psychiatric diagnosis, these findings highlight potentially harmful consequences of personalized genetic testing in mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record
Anomaly Detection in General-Aviation Operations Using Energy Metrics and Flight-Data Records

Among the operations in the general-aviation community, one of the most important objectives is to improve safety across all flight regimes. Flight-data-monitoring or flight-operations-quality-assu...
One point recovery of a parabolic equation

Abstract We recover the shape of the domain and the diffusion coefficient of a parabolic equation from observations of an infinite sequence of solutions taken at an arbitrary single point inside or on the boundary of the unknown domain. The method is to reconstruct the principal eigenfunction of the associated elliptic operator from the observed data.
A Review of Regional Impacts Associated with the Development of U.S. Synthetic Fuel Resources

Abstract A comprehensive review was made of the topic of environmental impacts of synthetic fuels development. The results are discussed by resource (e.g., coal, peat, oil shale, tar sands, heavy oil), by resource region (e.g., Powder River, Fort Union, Eastern Interior, San Juan River), and by major resource provinces (e.g., Eastern Interior, Rocky Mountain, Northern Great Plains, Gulf Coast). In the West, naturally high levels of airborne particulate matter may exceed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). In industrialized areas in the East, non-attainment of NAAQS is a common problem, but opportunities are available for reductions in emissions from existing sources. Opportunities for such offsets are not readily available in the West, where little development has taken place. Air issues characterized by a high degree of public sensitivity include acid deposition, considered a problem in parts of the Fort Union and Texas coal regions and in high mountain lakes, and visibility deterioration, primarily with respect to the impairment of scenic vistas. Water availability is considered a limiting factor with respect to synfuel development in water-short areas, particularly the Green River Formation, comprising parts of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Particularly in the West, public sensitivity concerning unique, threatened, endangered, or sensitive species (e.g., black-footed ferret, Colorado squawfish) may be a major impediment to synfuels development.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act & the Culture of Bribery: Expanding the Scope of Private Whistleblower Suits to Overseas Employees

This Article makes a case for using a private right of action to protect overseas employees from retaliation by their employers for reporting or opposing the bribery of foreign officials. After surveying public enforcement efforts, voluntary corporate initiatives, and existing private causes of action that may be predicated on FCPA violations, the Article finds that they all have their shortcomings and recommends several legal and legislative solutions. First, a private cause of action for retaliation should be implied under the FCPA. Second, section 806 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002 should be read to protect whistleblowers who disclose FCPA violations by publicly held U.S. companies. Third, the territorial scope of section 806 should be expanded to cover employees working overseas. The Article takes issue with the First Circuit’s decision in Carnero v. Boston Scientific Corp., which declined to extend section 806 whistleblower protection to a foreign employee of a foreign subsidiary of a publicly held U.S. company. The Article then explores two alternative approaches to extraterritoriality suggested in the Southern District of New York court’s recent decision in O’Mahony v. Accenture Ltd. to support prescriptive jurisdiction in such cases: the 'conduct' and 'effects' tests. Alternatively, it argues section 806 and the administrative complaint procedures from AIR21 it incorporates by reference should be amended to provide specific procedures for employees overseas to bring whistleblower complaints. Finally, the Article endorses the Foreign Business Bribery Prohibition Act of 2008, H.R. 6188, which is expected to be reintroduced by Congressman Ed Perlmutter in the 111th Congress, to authorize private suits for treble damages against foreign concerns whose bribery costs American businesses and their employees.
Adjuvant Therapy for High-Risk Renal Cell Carcinoma

The current standard of care for the treatment of patients with high-risk localized or locally advanced renal cell carcinoma is surgical resection alone. Due to the high risk of disease progression and cancer-related death among these patients, there has been considerable interest in exploring adjuvant therapies for use following surgical extirpation. Unfortunately efforts aimed at studying a range of postoperative therapies including cytokine immunotherapy, cancer vaccines, hormonal therapy, and radiation have failed to show a clinical benefit. Additionally, more recent data from two large clinical trials failed to show a survival advantage with the use of adjuvant tyrosine kinase inhibitors , albeit one of these trials did show a benefit in terms of disease-free survival. A number of trials evaluating other adjuvant treatments for high-risk RCC are currently underway including studies evaluating immune checkpoint inhibitors. In this chapter we summarize the literature on adjuvant therapy for high-risk localized renal cell carcinoma.
A Winners-Take-All Incentive Mechanism for Crowd-Powered Systems

This paper studies incentive mechanisms for crowd-powered systems, including applications such as collection of personal data for big-data analytics and crowdsourcing. In big-data analytics using personal data, an individual may control the quality of reported data via a privacy-preserving mechanism that randomizes the answer. In crowdsourcing, the quality of the reported answer depends on the amount of effort spent by a worker or a team. In these applications, incentive mechanisms are critical for eliciting data/answers with target quality. This paper focuses the following two fundamental questions: what is the minimum payment required to incentivize an individual to submit a data/answer with quality level ∈? and what incentive mechanisms can achieve the minimum payment?Let ∈i denote the quality of the data/answer reported by individual i. In this paper, we first derive a lower bound on the minimum amount of payment required for guaranteeing quality level ∈i. Inspired by the lower bound, we propose an incentive mechanism, named Winners-Take-All (WINTALL). WINTALL first decides a winning answer based on the reported data, cost functions of individuals, and some prior distribution; and then pays to individuals whose reported data match the winning answer. Under some assumptions, we show that the expected payment of WINTALL matches the lower bound. In the application of private discrete distribution estimation, we show that WINTALL simply rewards individuals whose reported answers match the most popular answer from the reported ones (the prior distribution is not needed in this case).
Clinical Predictors of Coronary Artery Plaque Progression by Quantitative Serial Assessment Using 320-Row Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography in Asymptomatic Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Abstract Background Natural history of coronary plaque progression (PP) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the clinical predictors of coronary PP in patients with DM. Methods In this prospective observational study, we analyzed 70 asymptomatic patients (age, 64.4 years; male, 67%) with type 2 DM without prior history of coronary artery disease who underwent serial 320-row computed tomography coronary angiography with an interscan interval of more than 24 months (median 37.7 months). Study endpoint was PP, which was defined if coronary plaque volumes (PVs) at follow-up minus PVs at baseline was >0. We evaluated plaque composition using the Hounsfield Unit thresholds and insulin resistance estimated by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Results Thirty-nine patients who showed PP had a higher increase in hemoglobin A1c (⊿HbA1c) from baseline to follow-up than those without PP (0.3% ± 0.8% vs −0.4% ± 1.1%; p = 0.01), although there was no statistical difference in HbA1c at baseline (7.1 ± 0.5% vs. 7.3 ± 1.4%; p = 0.24). In multivariable analysis, ⊿HbA1c [odds ratio (OR): 3.05; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.39–6.67; p = 0.001] was an independent predictor for PP. Increase in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (⊿LDL-C), not ⊿HbA1c, was significantly correlated to percent change in necrotic core (NC) volume (β-coefficients: 0.04; 95% CI: 0.004 - 0.08; p = 0.03). Among 48 patients without insulin therapy, patients with PP (n = 28) had a higher increase in HOMA-IR than those without PP (n = 20) (0.95 ± 2.00 vs. −0.63 ± 1.31; p = 0.003). Conclusions Increase in HbA1c and HOMA-IR was associated with PP in asymptomatic patients with type 2 DM, whereas increase in LDL-C was correlated to increase in NC.
Medical cannabis laws and medical and non-medical prescription stimulant use among a nationally representative sample of US Adults: Examining the role of sexual identity and gender.

Abstract Background Medical marijuana laws (MMLs) can impact marijuana and opioid use, but the relationship between MMLs and other drugs, such as prescription stimulants, remains unexamined. Because lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals report higher levels of prescription stimulant use than heterosexuals, we explored the relationship between MMLs and past-year medical and non-medical stimulant use by sexual identity and gender. Methods We pooled 2015–2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data for adults (n = 126 463), and used survey-weighted multinomial logistic regression to estimate odds of past-year (a) medical prescription stimulant use, (b) non-medical prescription stimulant use and (c) non-medical versus medical stimulant use. We stratified by gender, adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, and tested the interaction between MML state residence and sexual identity. Results Bisexual men had higher medical (6.4% versus 4.1%; aROR=1.93[1.29–2.88]) and non-medical stimulant use 6.6% versus 2.4%; aROR=2.23[1.44–3.44]) than heterosexual men. Bisexual women had higher non-medical stimulant use (6.8% versus 1.6%; aROR=1.54[1.23–2.93] than heterosexual women. Female (aROR=0.70[0.62–0.78]) and male (aROR=0.74[0.66–0.82]) heterosexuals in MML states had lower odds of medical stimulant use than in non-MML states. Bisexual men in MML states had lower odds of medical (aROR=0.36[0.21–0.61]) and non-medical stimulant use (aROR=0.48[0.29–0.81]) than bisexual men in non-MML states. Similar patterns emerged for bisexual women's non-medical use (aROR=0.57[0.40–0.81]). Conclusion Prescription stimulant use was higher in non-MML states for most LGB subgroups. MMLs may differentially impact stimulant use, primarily for bisexual men and women. States enacting MMLs should consider potential impacts on drugs other than marijuana, especially among LGB populations.
Spectrum of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitor cutaneous adverse events in skin of color: a retrospective, single-institutional study in an urban community.

Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) have emerged as popular targets for immune checkpoint inhibitors given the numerous malignancies that have been found to upregul...
Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 total antibody detection via a lateral flow nanoparticle fluorescence immunoassay.

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) endgame may benefit from simple, accurate antibody testing to characterize seroprevalence and immunization coverage. Objectives To evaluate the performance of the lateral flow QIAreach anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total rapid nanoparticle fluorescence immunoassay compared to reference isotype-specific IgG, IgM, and IgA SARS-CoV-2 ELISA using S1 or receptor binding domain (RBD) as antigens. Study design A diagnostic comparison study was carried out using 154 well-characterized heparin plasma samples. Agreement between assays was assessed by overall, positive, and negative percent agreement and Cohen’s kappa coefficient. Results Overall agreement between the QIAreach anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total and any anti-spike domain (S1 or RBD) antibody isotype was 96.0 % (95 % CI 89.8–98.8), the positive percent agreement was 97.6 % (95 % CI 91.0–99.9), the negative percent agreement was 88.2 % (95 % CI 64.4–98.0). The kappa coefficient was 0.86 (95 % CI 0.72 to 0.99). Conclusion The QIAreach anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total rapid antibody test provides comparable performance to high-complexity, laboratory-based ELISA.
Performance of solar leasing for low- and middle-income customers in Connecticut

Author(s): Deason, Jeff; Leventis, Greg; Murphy, Sean | Abstract: Policymakers are increasingly interested in expanding access to rooftop photovoltaic systems. This study analyzes the financial performance of a Connecticut Green Bank (CGB) solar leasing program, run in partnership with PosiGen, that targets low- and moderate-income customers. We show that this program has successfully reached underserved customers and has reasonable repayment rates given the credit characteristics of the participants. The CGB/PosiGen program reaches many more underserved customers than other PV financing programs in Connecticut.For example, the majority of CGB/PosiGen participants (58%) live in census tracts that have a median income of less than 80% of the area median income (AMI). In contrast, only 9% of participants in the other CGB solar financing programs live in these census tracts. Furthermore, the majority of CGB/PosiGen participants (56%) have FICO scores that would generally be considered non-prime (l670), whereas only 2% of participants in the other programs have similarly low scores. Credit, not income, is the primary factor that explains participants’ financial performance. Overall, we find that delinquency and annualized losses are higher for PosiGen (2.3% and 0.9%) than for other CGB programs (1.4% and 0.1%). Across the CGB programs, lower credit scores are associated with higher rates of delinquency and loss. Therefore, participants’ lower credit scores explain much of the program’s higher rates of delinquency and annualized losses. PosiGen leases perform competitively with market-rate solar and non-solar leases and loans. When compared to securities backed by market-rate PV loans and leases with similar amounts of seasoning, we find that the PosiGen leases have higher delinquency rates but comparable gross loss rates. The similarity in losses is notable given that loss rates for PosiGen leases were higher than those of the other CGB leases and loans. Rather than the PosiGen leases having high loss rates, other CGB leases and loans have unusually low loss rates. We also compare PosiGen to non-solar benchmarks, including indices of auto and consumer loans. We find that the PosiGen leases have significantly less delinquency than non-prime auto loans and have performance comparable to many consumer loans. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office supported this research.
Autoimmune encephalitis following recovery of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (2756)

Objective: The novel SARS-CoV-2 predominantly presents with respiratory symptoms. Neurological complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported including but not limited to encephalopathy, stroke, seizures, meningoencephalitis, GBS, ADEM and myalgias. However, post-infectious COVID-19 autoimmune encephalitis has not been reported. Here, we report a case of post-COVID-19 autoimmune encephalitis. Background: A 60-year-old male physician with a history of recent recovered COVID-19 infection presented with neuropsychiatric complaints including altered mental status, perseveration, disinhibition, word finding difficulty and worsening paranoia. Exam consistent with constructional apraxia, akinetic mutism, bradykinesia, severely impaired delayed recall, and difficulty with complex tasks and multistep commands. Other neurological exam was normal. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis (CSF) demonstrated a glucose of 58, protein of 54, nucleated cell count of 0, RBC 0. SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR in CSF was inconclusive. Autoimmune encephalitis and paraneoplastic panel in CSF were negative. Positron emission tomography (PET) scan was consistent with abnormal mixed brain hypometabolism and hypermetabolism suggesting an early pattern of autoimmune encephalitis. Detailed neurocognitive testing consistent with severe executive dysfunction. 48 hours of video EEG was suggestive of severe diffuse encephalopathy, no seizures or epileptiform discharges. Patient received treatment with 5 days of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) with marked improvement noted clinically and as well as on repeat PET imaging and neurocognitive testing. Design/Methods: NA Results: NA Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with respiratory symptoms and complications. There should be high suspicion of autoimmune encephalitis following COVID-19 infection in patients presenting with combination of neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms following recovery of acute infection. PET scan can be abnormal initially in the autoimmune encephalitis, when EEG, MRI, and CSF studies are in-conclusive. Treatment with IVIg is warranted and clinical improvement can be monitored with pre and post treatment repeat imaging and neuro-cognitive testing. Future studies to understand post COVID autoimmune encephalitis are warranted. Disclosure: Dr. Yousuf has nothing to disclose. Dr. King has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ainger has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hessler has nothing to disclose.
Tightrope walking in low-latency live streaming: optimal joint adaptation of video rate and playback speed

It is highly challenging to simultaneously achieve high-rate and low-latency in live video streaming. Chunk-based streaming and playback speed adaptation are two promising new trends to achieve high user Quality-of-Experience (QoE). To thoroughly understand their potentials, we develop a detailed chunk-level dynamic model that characterizes how video rate and playback speed jointly control the evolution of a live streaming session. Leveraging on the model, we first study the optimal joint video rate-playback speed adaptation as a non-linear optimal control problem. We further develop model-free joint adaptation strategies using deep reinforcement learning. Through extensive experiments, we demonstrate that our proposed joint adaptation algorithms significantly outperform rate-only adaptation algorithms and the recently proposed low-latency video streaming algorithms that separately adapt video rate and playback speed without joint optimization. In a wide-range of network conditions, the model-based and model-free algorithms can achieve close-to-optimal trade-offs tailored for users with different QoE preferences.
Understanding User Expertise Through Lived Experience: Making Natural Hazard Risk and Mitigation Information More Accountable to Users

This experience report discusses the design of “HazardAware,” a website being developed to provide interactive tools for individuals and community decision-makers in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico states to learn about housing-related natural risk and mitigation options. As part of the user-centered design process, we conducted interviews with target users. We describe how participants’ experiences with natural hazards and hazard preparation helped them develop situated expertise, and discuss how sharing this expertise with the interdisciplinary project team has helped us make the website more accountable to users.
Interpersonal Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Black Women: Does Racial Discrimination Matter?

There is evidence that the more frequent, severe, and chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology experienced by Black compared to White individuals cannot be explained by dispariti...
Effects of crustal assimilation and magma mixing on zircon trace element relationships across the Peninsular Ranges Batholith

Abstract Magmatic zircon tends to exhibit characteristic trends in trace element contents in response to magma cooling and fractionation, such that zircon may provide a window into melt evolution not accessible by whole rock geochemistry. The Peninsular Ranges Batholith of southern California and Baja California consists of older rocks of oceanic arc affinity in the west. Younger rocks to the east been interpreted via whole rock chemistry to reflect (Transition Zone) deeper origins and (Eastern Zone) deeper origins with significant crustal assimilation compared to the Western Zone. The youngest magmas in the Eastern Zone form large, typically zoned plutons and are high in Sr/Y. We present zircon trace element and oxygen isotope measurements in selected Western and Transition Zone samples and in many units from the high-Sr/Y La Posta and San Jacinto plutons. Most Western and Transition Zone populations exhibit typical shallow fractionation-related trace element trends, while one Eastern Transition Zone sample and most samples from the high-Sr/Y Eastern Zone lack Eu/Eu* evidence for plagioclase fractionation. Oxygen isotopes, zircon P contents, and Ce-based redox estimates suggest that the most evolved unit (2-mica granodiorite) of the La Posta pluton is significantly contaminated by sediments, with other high-Sr/Y units displaying zircon oxygen isotope and redox estimates falling between the 2-mica granodiorite and the relatively uncontaminated Transition Zone in these parameters. However, most of these zircons lack unambiguous markers for supracrustal contamination that could be interpreted even in a detrital context. The contrasting behavior of zircon U/Yb and Eu/Eu* during shallow fractionation and their similar response to melting depth variations can be used to distinguish the effects of shallow fractional crystallization, depth of melting, and introduction of exotic materials by either crustal assimilation or magma mixing. On the basis of U/Yb vs Eu/Eu* relationships, we interpret the behavior of Western Zone and most Transition Zone zircons as reflecting mainly shallow fractionation. One Eastern Transition Zone tonalite appears to result from mixing of magma from different depths. We interpret the high-Sr/Y Eastern Zone magmas as resulting from mixing of magmas that have assimilated varying amounts of metasediment. Moderate levels of sediment assimilation may complicate magma depth interpretations which are based on zircon (Th, U)/Yb plots or detrital zircon Eu/Eu* – without yielding clear zircon geochemical evidence for supracrustal assimilants. Magma mixing is less problematic for regional-scale detrital zircon Eu/Eu* studies and may be easier to detect based on the relationships among (Th, U)/Yb and Eu/Eu*.
Metacognition matters in many ways

The construct of metacognition appears in an ever increasing number and range of contexts in educational, developmental, and cognitive psychology. Can it retain its status as a useful construct in ...
Blending Doctrine, Practice, and Purpose in Legal Education: The Case for an Integrated Pedagogy

BLENDING DOCTRINE, PRACTICE, AND PURPOSE IN LEGAL EDUCATION: THE CASE FOR AN INTEGRATED PEDAGOGY By Debra M. Schneider, Master of Arts in English, Writing and Rhetoric A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English, Writing and Rhetoric at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2008 Major Director: Dr. David Coogan Assistant Professor, the Department of English Virginia Commonwealth University Traditional legal education is sorely imbalanced. A law student receives rigorous training in legal doctrine and analytical skills—he learns to “think like a lawyer”—but is left with little training in practical skills or his ethical role in society. Moreover, law schools rely almost exclusively on the ineffectual pedagogy of the case-dialogue, or “Socratic,” method. Several factors explain this entrenched imbalance, most notably the academy’s top-down power structure and its budget constraints. v Increasingly, however, the marketplace is demanding practice-ready lawyers who have strong training not only in doctrine but in practical skills and ethics. Law schools, responding to this market pressure, are beginning to implement pedagogies that foster this balanced legal training. Toward this end, I advocate implementing into law school curricula three specific, workable pedagogies: using group learning models, using writing as a learning tool, and using assessment as a formative and ongoing component of the learning process. (Note: This document was created in Microsoft Office Word 2003.)
Understanding Social Science Statistics: A Spreadsheet Approach

This book is designed for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students, as well as for active and productive researchers who want to enhance their grasp of standard social science statistics. Topics covered include hypothesis testing, type I and II errors, simple and multiple correlation and regression, categorical variables coding, assessment of both statistical significance and the magnitude of effects, standard experimental designs, analysis of covariance, and power analysis. Both between- and within-subjects designs and their associated post-hoc tests are presented. The core of "Understanding Social Science Statistics" is a series of exercises performed on a microcomputer using a spreadsheet program (like LOTUS 1-2-3) which is included with the book. The program allows for quick, hands-on analysis of realistic data using conceptually meaningful computations. As readers complete the exercises in this book they accumulate a set of spreadsheet templates that can be used with any appropriate data, creating, in effect, their own personal statistical package. Excellent for use in the classroom or as a self-study guide, this text is intended to entice the sort of student who is otherwise intimidated by statistics. The level of presentation is simple and straightforward; conceptual underpinnings and practical applications are stressed, whereas algebraic derivations and complex formulaic manipulations are avoided; and new material and ideas are presented in the context of concrete, running examples. This volume emphasizes basic statistical literacy. The level of presentation is straightforward and intended to entice the sort of student who otherwise feels intimidated by statistics. A series of integrated exercises (using a standard spreadsheet program) make it especially useful as a self-study guide for those who want to improve their statistical understanding while working at their own pace. Note: 5 1/4" disk accompanying this volume is designed and distributed for, and may only be used on, IBM PCs, XTs, ATs, and PS/2s or compatibles running MS DOS 2.0 or above.
The Cyanide Adduct of the Aldolase Dihydroxyacetone Phosphate Imine

Abstract Aldolase was slowly inhibited in the presence of dihydroxyacetone phosphate and hydrogen cyanide. Activity was recovered on removal of these reagents. Neither dihydroxyacetone phosphate or hydrogen cyanide separately nor dihydroxyacetone with cyanide inhibited aldolase. The formation of an inactive aminonitrile enzyme derivative by addition of cyanide to an enzyme-substrate imine (Schiff base) is postulated. The rate and equilibrium constants for inhibition were marginally lower for carboxypeptidase A-treated aldolase than for native aldolase.