cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perioperative treatment of patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Purpose of review Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder. Despite reports of its role as a risk factor for postoperative morbidity and mortality, only a few investigators have examined the optimal treatment of patients during this vulnerable period. Recognition of obstructive sleep apnea during conscious sedation or in the perioperative period is important to prevent the occurrence of adverse outcomes. This review discusses the influence of sedative, anesthetic, and analgesic agents and other factors during the perioperative period on patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The aim of this article is to emphasize the importance of recognizing and appropriately treating surgical patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Recent findings Sedative, analgesic, and anesthetic agents used perioperatively play a major role in the development of sleep-disordered breathing during the postoperative period. Postoperative apneic episodes frequently occur even after surgery remote from the upper airway. Sleep apnea predisposes patients to a greater than normal risk for postsurgical complications. Adequate screening of patients preoperatively and initiation of continuous positive airway pressure therapy perioperatively could prevent serious complications, including hypoxemia, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and respiratory arrest. Summary Obstructive sleep apnea places a significant proportion of surgical patients at increased risk of perioperative complications. Obstructive sleep apnea can be induced, unmasked, or exacerbated by the effects of sedative, analgesic, and anesthetic agents regardless of the site of surgery. The role of sleep apnea as a risk factor for development of postoperative complications needs greater emphasis. Increased awareness of the risk posed by an obstructed upper airway and appropriate management are important to optimize the perioperative care of patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
Volume Flexibility in Services: The Costs and Benefits of Flexible Labor Resources

Organizations can create volume flexibility---the ability to increase capacity up or down to meet demand for a single service---through the use of flexible labor resources e.g., part-time and temporary workers, as compared to full-time workers. Although organizations are increasingly using these resources, the relationship between flexible labor resources and financial performance has not been examined empirically in the service setting. We use two years of archival data from 445 stores of a large retailer to study this relationship. We hypothesize and find that increasing the labor mix of temporary or part-time workers shows an inverted U-shaped relationship with sales and profit while temporary labor mix has a U-shaped relationship with expenses. Thus, although flexible labor resources can create volume flexibility for a firm along multiple dimensions, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. This paper was accepted by Serguei Netessine, operations management.
Personality Dimensions in Nonhuman Animals: A Cross-Species Review

The evolutionary continuity between humans and other animals suggests that some dimensions of personality may be common across a wide range of species. Unfortunately, there is no unified body of research on animal personality; studies are dispersed across multiple disciplines and diverse journals. To review 19 studies of personality factors in 12 nonhuman species, we used the human Five-Factor Model plus Dominance and Activity as a preliminary framework. Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Agreeableness showed the strongest crossspecies generality, followed by Openness; a separate Conscientiousness dimension appeared only in chimpanzees, humans’ closest relatives. Cross-species evidence was modest for a separate Dominance dimension but scant for Activity. The comparative approach taken here offers a fresh perspective on human personality and should facilitate hypothesis-driven research on the social and biological bases of personality.
Do We Practice What We Preach? Goal Setting for Ecological Restoration

Over the last decade, several research and opinion pieces have challenged the tenets of restoration ecology but a lack of centralized data has impeded assessment of how scientific developments relate to on-the-ground restoration. In response, the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) launched the Global Restoration Network (GRN) to catalog worldwide restoration efforts. We reviewed over 200 GRN projects to identify the goals governing restoration and the frequency with which they are measured. We used the SER Primer on Ecological Restoration to frame our analysis, categorizing goals by SER’s attributes of restored ecosystems. We developed additional attributes to characterize goals not encompassed by the SER-defined attributes. Nearly all projects included goals related to ecosystem form, namely similarity to reference conditions and the presence of indigenous species, and these goals were frequently measured. Most projects included goals related to ecosystem function, and many highlighted interactions between abiotic and biotic factors by either modifying abiotic conditions to support focal species or manipulating species to achieve desired ecosystem functions. Few projects had goals related to ecosystem stability, whereas the majority of projects had goals related to social values. Although less frequently measured, social goals were described as important for long-term project success. In conclusion, science and practice frequently aligned on goals related to ecosystem composition and function, but scientific guidelines on resilience and self-sustainability appear insufficient to guide practice. In contrast, the common inclusion of goals for human well-being indicates that, if intended to advise practice, restoration guidelines should give direction on social goals.
Expression of mRNA coding for the serotonin transporter in aged vs. young rat brain: differential effects of glucocorticoids

Serotonin transporter mRNA expression in midbrain of young and aged rats was measured after long-term infusion of dexamethasone (0.01 and 0.05 mg/kg/day). Aging alone had no effect. Dexamethasone significantly decreased expression in both young and old rats but the effect was greater in the aged group. Adrenocortical dysregulation is common in elderly depression; our results suggest that glucocorticoids interact with aging to exacerbate abnormalities of serotonergic function, contributing to reduced antidepressant effectiveness.
A generalization of Bergstrom's inequality and some applications

Abstract Bergstrom's inequality is generalized. Using the new inequality, several interesting results concerning Hadamard product of matrices are proved. More specifically, let P,Q ϵ C N×N such that P>0 and Q⩾0, Qii>0. Then we prove the following tight inequalities: (a) Qii[(P⊙Q)-1]ii⩽ (P-1ii; (b) Qii{[Re(P⊙Q)]-1}ii ⩽ max {[Re(φPφ∗)]-1}ii; (c) det(P⊙Q)⩾ (detP)πNi=1 Qii; (d) det Re(P⊙ Q) ⩾ min det[Re(φPφ∗)]πNi=1 Qii, where in (b) and (d) maximization and minimization are over all unitary diagonal matrices φϵ C N×N.
Louisiana (LA) Health: Design and Methods for a Childhood Obesity Prevention Program in Rural Schools

There is a worldwide epidemic of obesity with far-reaching consequences for the health of our nation. Prevention of obesity, especially in children, has been deemed by public health policy makers to be one of the most important objectives for our country. This prevention project, called Louisiana (LA) Health, will test whether modification of environmental and behavioral factors can prevent inappropriate weight gain in children from rural parishes of Louisiana who are enrolled in the fourth to sixth grades during Year 1. The primary aim of the LA Health project is to test the efficacy of two school-based approaches for obesity prevention: primary prevention alone and a combination of primary and secondary prevention which will be compared to a no-intervention control group using a cluster randomization research design, with 17 school clusters randomly assigned to the three treatment arms. The study will span 3 years and will provide critical tests of strategies that: 1) modify the child's environment as a primary prevention strategy and 2) provide health behavior modification via classroom instruction and internet counseling as a secondary prevention strategy. The study will also recruit a similar sample of students to measure changes in body weight relative to height, gender, and age over the same three-year period.
Specificity of sugar-phospholipid interactions.

Abstract Previous studies by Lefevre et al. (6) have shown that phospholipids stimulate uptake of glucose and other sugars by lipid solvents and enhance transfer of glucose through solvent layers into water. In this paper the specificity of the process for different sugars is investigated by following uptake from thin films of sugars or from glass fiber strips coated with radioactive sugars. Hexoses were taken up slowly to molar ratios of sugar to lipid phosphorus of about 1:1. Pentoses and deoxy sugars were taken up 5–10 times more rapidly to molar ratios of between 1.5 and 2.5:1. Relative rates of formation of the complexes at 25 °C were ( d -glucose = 1.0): l -fucose, 9.1; d -ribose, 6.1; d -arabinose, 5.5; l -rhamnose, 3.8; l -arabinose, 3.7; d -xylose, 3.6; d -lyxose, 3.1; 3-O-methyl- d -glucose, 1.52; d -mannose, 1.36; d -galactose, 1.13; sucrose, 0.03; and lactose, 0.015. Radioactive sugars bound to phospholipids exchanged readily with unlabeled sugar in the anhydrous state and the sugars passed slowly into the aqueous phase when the complexes were shaken with water. The relative rates of dissociation ( d -glucose = 1.0): l -arabinose, 2.82; d -arabinose, 2.49; l -rhamnose, 2.26; l -fucose, 1.96; d -xylose, 1.65; 3-O-methyl- d -glucose, 0.37; d -galactose, 0.28 were in the same general order as formation, suggesting that a common intermediate may be involved in both processes. In general, sugars with high mutarotation rates reacted most rapidly indicating a possible relationship between the structural features which favor interaction with phospholipids and those which enhance mutarotation.
Minimum mean square error filters for binary phase shift keyed signals

One consequence of the Nyquist theory of minimum bandwidth is that any and all bandwidth above that minimum is redundant. This excess bandwidth has been exploited both in cyclostationary signal processing, under the name spectral correlation, as well as in the design of optimal receiver filters. Such receiver filters have to date only exploited the spectral correlation due to a uniform symbol rate, disregarding the spectral correlation about the center frequency which is present in real signals at bandpass frequencies. This paper investigates using both spectral correlations in the design of an optimal receiver filter for binary phase shift keyed (BPSK) signals in colored noise environments. Two results are demonstrated. First, the optimal filter is shown to be a combination of a matched filter for colored noise followed by a tapped delay line equalizer. Second, it is shown that by using this technique significant gains may be achieved in colored noise over other linear filters used in BPSK demodulation.
Use of posttreatment imaging and biomarkers in survivors of early-stage breast cancer: Inappropriate surveillance or necessary care?

BACKGROUND Advanced imaging and serum biomarkers are commonly used for surveillance in patients with early-stage breast cancer, despite recommendations against this practice. Incentives to perform such low-value testing may be less prominent in integrated health care delivery systems. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate and compare the use of these services within 2 integrated systems: Kaiser Permanente (KP) and Intermountain Healthcare (IH). The authors also sought to distinguish the indication for testing: diagnostic purposes or routine surveillance. METHODS Patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer stage 0 to II breast cancer diagnosed between 2009 and 2010 were identified and the use of imaging and biomarker tests over an 18-month period were quantified, starting at 1 year after diagnosis. Chart abstraction was performed on a random sample of patients who received testing to identify the indication for testing. Multivariate regression was used to explore associations with the use of nonrecommended care. RESULTS A total of 6585 patients were identified; 22% had stage 0 disease, 44% had stage I disease, and 34% had stage II disease. Overall, 24% of patients received at least 1 imaging test (25% at KP vs 22% at IH; P = .009) and 28% of patients received at least 1 biomarker (36% at KP vs 13% at IH; P<.001). Chart abstraction revealed that 84% of imaging tests were performed to evaluate symptoms or signs. Virtually all biomarkers were ordered for routine surveillance. Stage of disease, medical center that provided the services, and provider experience were found to be significantly associated with the use of biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS Advanced imaging was most often performed for appropriate indications, but biomarkers were used for nonrecommended surveillance. Distinguishing between inappropriate use for surveillance and appropriate diagnostic testing is essential when evaluating adherence to recommendations. Cancer 2016;122:908–16. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Predicting success on conditional release for insanity acquittees: regionalized versus nonregionalized hospital patients

This research compared the outcomes of two cohorts of insanity acquittees: one group was treated solely in the maximum security state forensic hospital before their release to the community (nonregionalized) and the other group was treated at the state forensic hospital and transferred for further treatment at less secure state regional hospitals (regionalized). This research describes the outcome of a group of insanity acquittees (regionalized patients) never previously studied. The applicability of a prediction model based on earlier research of insanity acquittees was tested on the patients. Findings on four outcome indicators are reported: rearrests within five years after release, overall functioning in the community five years after release, rehospitalizations for mental illness, and successful completion of the terms of the five-year conditional release (nonrevocation). Discriminant analysis was performed on the four outcome variables. The model was found to accurately predict the four types of outcome from 69 percent to 94 percent accurately for the nonregionalized insanity acquittees and from 87.5 percent to 95.8 percent for the regionalized patients. This model is currently being adapted to classify patients into potential high- and low-risk groups at the time of conditional release for the purpose of determining the intensity of outpatient supervision.
Determination of the W W polarization fractions in p p → W ± W ± j j using a deep machine learning technique

The unitarization of the longitudinal vector boson scattering (VBS) cross section by the Higgs boson is a fundamental prediction of the Standard Model which has not been experimentally verified. One of the most promising ways to measure VBS uses events containing two leptonically decaying same-electric-charge $W$ bosons produced in association with two jets. However, the angular distributions of the leptons in the $W$ boson rest frame, which are commonly used to fit polarization fractions, are not readily available in this process due to the presence of two neutrinos in the final state. In this paper we present a method to alleviate this problem by using a deep machine learning technique to recover these angular distributions from measurable event kinematics and demonstrate how the longitudinal-longitudinal scattering fraction could be studied. We show that this method doubles the expected sensitivity when compared to previous proposals.
Mass Surveillance, Drones, and Unconventional Warfare

The article argues that armed drones are weapons made for unconventional warfare and have little value for conventional interstate conflict. The rise of armed drones to prominence has to be considered as an indicator for the changed nature of contemporary armed conflict that has now become focused on countering terrorism, insurgencies, transnational organized crime and fighting ‘hybrid wars’ globally. The US military is preparing for both global counterinsurgency and for civil unrest at home as they are creating a global surveillance architecture reaching from outer space to cyber space, where everything and everybody can be continuously identified, tracked and located. Unmanned systems assist in global surveillance and provide the global reach for intervening in internal conflicts without the need of deploying large ground forces. The new technological capabilities, including drones, biometrics and cyber warfare, are very useful for global manhunts in the context of the ongoing war on terror and for the control of large populations from afar. Western governments are also increasingly concerned about the spread of extremist ideologies and the possibility of mass civil unrest, which means that many of the lessons learned in the counterinsurgency campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq could be applied within the West.
Rational Design of High-Spin Biradicaloids in the Isobenzofulvene and Isobenzoheptafulvene Series

The relative energies of singlet biradicaloid and of triplet and singlet biradical electronic states for a series of benzannelated isobenzofulvenes and isobenzoheptafulvenes were calculated at the (u-)B3LYP/6-31G(d), full π-space CASSCF-CASPT2 (≤14 π-e–s), and full π-space RASSCF-RASPT2 (≤24 π-e–s) levels of theory. Both absolute and relative CASPT2 energies were reproduced quite well by the RASPT2 approach, which can be extended to much larger active spaces. RASPT2 (and DFT) calculations find that increasing benzannelation leads to triplet ground states in both hydrocarbon series, in violation of the classical principle of maximum bonding. This confirmed the expectations that the combined effects of resonance energy and aromaticity could compensate for the extra formal π-bond of the biradicaloid singlet, and that the strong exchange coupling inherent to the embedded trimethylenemethane (TMM) would manifest itself in the biradicaloids. The relative energy of the biradicaloid singlet rises rapidly upon ben...
Distributed Sequential Pattern Mining in Large Scale Uncertain Databases

While sequential pattern mining SPM is an import application in uncertain databases, it is challenging in efficiency and scalability. In this paper, we develop a dynamic programming DP approach to mine probabilistic frequent sequential patterns in distributed computing platform Spark. Directly applying the DP method to Spark is impractical because its memory-consuming characteristic may cause heavy JVM garbage collection overhead in Spark. Therefore, we design a memory-efficient distributed DP approach and use an extended prefix-tree to save intermediate results efficiently. The extensive experimental results in various scales prove that our method is orders of magnitude faster than straight-forward approaches.
Structure and Function of Copper Uptake Transporters

Owing to their redox and coordination chemistry copper ions play essential roles in cellular function. Research over the past 20 years has shed much light on the biochemistry of copper homeostasis, and the emergence of high-resolution crystal structures for many of the proteins that partake in cellular copper biology have began to provide insight into the molecular mechanisms by which cells handle this important metal. A notable gap in our understanding is related to the process by which cells acquire copper ions. This chapter describes recent progress in the structure determination of cellular copper uptake transporters and how the emerging structural information aids understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern cellular copper acquisition and distribution.
Reliable communication models in interdependent critical infrastructure networks

Modern critical infrastructure networks are becoming increasingly interdependent where the failures in one network may cascade to other dependent networks, causing severe widespread national-scale failures. A number of previous efforts have been made to analyze the resiliency and robustness of interdependent networks based on different models. However, communication network, which plays an important role in today's infrastructures to detect and handle failures, has attracted little attention in the interdependency studies, and no previous models have captured enough practical features in the critical infrastructure networks. In this paper, we study the interdependencies between communication network and other kinds of critical infrastructure networks with an aim to identify vulnerable components and design resilient communication networks. We propose several interdependency models that systematically capture various features and dynamics of failures spreading in critical infrastructure networks. We also discuss several research challenges in building reliable communication solutions to handle failures in these models.
Reproductive life history of the introduced peacock grouper Cephalopholis argus in Hawaii.

This research investigated the reproductive biology (sex ratio, hermaphroditic pattern, size and age at maturity) of Cephalopholis argus, known locally in Hawaii by its Tahitian name roi. The results suggest that C. argus exhibits monandric protogyny (female gonad differentiation with female to male sex change) with females reaching sexual maturity at 1.2 years (95% c.i.: 0.6, 1.6) and 20.0 cm total length (LT ; 95% c.i.: 19.6, 21.2). The female to male sex ratio was 3.9:1. The average age and LT at sex change was 11.5 years (95% c.i.: 11.1, 12.9) and 39.9 cm (95% c.i.: 39.5, 41.2), respectively. Current information on spawning seasonality of this species is incomplete, but based on the occurrence of spawning capable and actively spawning females, spawning probably takes place from May to October. Evidence of lunar spawning periodicity was found, with an increased proportion of spawning capable and actively spawning females, and an increased female gonado-somatic index during first quarter and full-moon phases. This information fills a valuable information gap in Hawaii and across the species' native range.
CHAPTER 231 – G Protein Regulation of Channels

Stimulation of G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) facilitates GTP exchange for GDP to Gɑ, leading to dissociation of Gɑ GTP from the GβƔ dimer and regulation of their effectors. Ion channels as effectors allow neurotransmitters or hormones to elicit electric activity. Measurements of ions that flow through the open channel pore by electrophysiological methods enable direct determination of the activity of a single channel protein at millisecond resolution in vivo. Different configurations of patch-clamp recording make it possible to control the composition of solutions on either side of the membrane. There are numerous examples for modulation of channel activity by indirect means involving phosphorylation, second messengers (Ca 2+ , cAMP), and regulators of G-protein activity such as RGS proteins. This chapter discusses modulation of channels due to their direct interaction with G proteins, and focus on the G-protein-gated inward rectifying potassium channels Kir3 (GIRK), and the voltage-gated calcium channels.
Sliding Mode in Systems with Parallel Unmodeled High Frequency Oscillations

Abstract In this paper, we examine the effects of parallel unmodeled high frequency parasitic dynamics which may destroy sliding mode. We show that asymptotic observers provide the robustness to the nominal feedback system as in the case of serial parasitic dynamics.
Management of Warm- and Cool-Season Grasses for Biomass on Marginal Lands: II. Composition and Nutrient Balance

Organic fertilizers can improve soil health while providing nutrients for perennial grass growth for bioenergy feedstock, particularly under marginal soil conditions. The impact of organic fertilizer application on perennial grass composition needs clarification. Our objective was to evaluate feedstock composition, and N, P, and K dynamics of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.)], and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) provided with either inorganic or organic fertilizer sources. Grasses were established on a sandy soil and a clay soil at the Cornell University Willsboro Research Farm in Willsboro, NY. The experiment was a split-split plot randomization of a randomized block design with six replicates. Sites were whole plots, grass species were subplots, and fertility treatments were sub-subplots. Six treatments were (1) 168 kg ha−1 of N fertilizer for cool-season grasses; 84 kg ha−1 for switchgrass, (2) 56 kg ha−1 of 0-46-0 P fertilizer plus N (#1), (3) 112 kg ha−1 of 0-0-60 K fertilizer plus N (#1), (4) 89.6 Mg dairy manure ha−1, (5) 44.8 Mg dairy manure compost ha−1, and (6) a control without fertilizer. Organic fertilizers produced a net positive P and K balance, while other treatments had negative balances. Organic fertilizer treatments resulted in lower lignin and gross energy values, and higher total ash and Cl, compared to inorganic fertilizer treatments. Switchgrass biomass had higher fiber and gross energy, lower total ash, and much lower Cl content under organic fertilizer applications than cool-season grasses, making switchgrass a more desirable feedstock regardless of conversion process.
Nanoscale Membrane Budding Induced by CTxB and Detected via Polarized Localization Microscopy

Abstract For endocytosis and exocytosis, membranes transition among planar, budding, and vesicular topographies through nanoscale reorganization of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. However, prior attempts to understand the initial stages of nanoscale bending have been limited by experimental resolution. Through the implementation of polarized localization microscopy, this article reports the inherent membrane bending capability of cholera toxin subunit B (CTxB) in quasi-one-component-supported lipid bilayers. Membrane buds were first detected with 200 nm radius, and extended into longer tubules with dependence on the membrane tension and CTxB concentration. Compared to the concentration of the planar-supported lipid bilayers, CTxB was (12 ± 4)× more concentrated on the positive curvature top and (26 ± 11)× more concentrated on the negative Gaussian curvature neck of the nanoscale membrane buds. CTxB is frequently used as a marker for liquid-ordered lipid phases; however, the coupling between CTxB and membrane bending provides an alternate understanding of CTxB-induced membrane reorganization. These findings allow for the reinterpretation of prior observations by correlating CTxB clustering and diffusion to CTxB-induced membrane bending. Single-particle tracking was performed on single lipids and CTxB to reveal the correlations among single-molecule diffusion, CTxB accumulation, and membrane topography. Slowed lipid and CTxB diffusion was observed at the nanoscale bud locations, suggesting a local increase in the effective membrane viscosity or molecular crowding upon membrane bending. These results suggest inherent CTxB-induced membrane bending as a mechanism for initiating CTxB internalization in cells that could be independent of clathrin, caveolin, actin, and lipid phase separation.
Isolation and direct imaging of polycrystalline backscatter waves

The nondestructive quantification of grain feature information in polycrystalline aerospace materials is an important area of recent research, where information related to mean grain size, grain size distribution, and crystallographic orientation is needed for engineering analysis and remaining life predictions in aerospace engine components. In the present effort, the interaction of surface acoustic waves (SAW) with a dualmicrostructure nickel polycrystalline material is studied, where the isolation and direct imaging of backscatter processes is made possible using time-gated wavefield imaging methods. The methods provide a means for studying the time-evolving nature of the backscatter energy fields, which suggest radially-expanding waves are generated by the individual and collective grain scattering events. This basic observation is consistent with longstanding backscatter theory considerations and is being used to understand the root-cause backscatter conditions that contribute to far-field ultrasonic signal capture.
Genome Editing: The Recent History and Perspective in Cardiovascular Diseases

The genome-editing field has advanced to a remarkable degree in the last 5 years, culminating in the successful correction of a cardiomyopathy gene mutation in viable human embryos. In this review, the author discusses the basic principles of genome editing, recent advances in clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated 9 technology, the impact on cardiovascular basic science research, possible therapeutic applications in patients with cardiovascular diseases, and finally the implications of potential clinical uses of human germline genome editing.
Executive Function in Learning Mathematics by Comparison: Incorporating Everyday Classrooms into the Science of Learning.

Individual differences in executive functions (EFs) are well established to be related to mathematics achievement, yet the mechanisms by which this occurs are not well understood. Comparing represe...
VSEPR-Plus: Correct Molecular and Electronic Structures Can Lead to Better Student Conceptual Models.

The VSEPR model has well-established limitations in its ability to represent accurate molecular and electronic geometries of simple molecules, which can create a significant need for students to relearn structure and bonding concepts in organic chemistry. We present an alternate method for describing molecular geometries and electronic structures to students that is far more consistent with experimental observations than VSEPR. Our alternate method of teaching structures extends VSEPR to account for conjugation to adjacent π-systems and the experimentally observed nature of lone pairs, which is supported by computational chemistry via WebMO’s HTML-export feature. If implemented, it allows students to reconcile hybridization, valence bond theory, molecular orbital theory, and resonance structures into a single coherent picture of electronic structure and bonding for organic molecules.
Association between conventional bicycle helmet use and facial injuries after bicycle crashes

Importance Bicycling is an increasingly common activity in the United States that is often associated with fall injuries to the head and face. Although helmets lessen head injury, their role in reducing facial injuries is less clear; therefore, it is important to understand the protective capacity for the face in current helmet design. Objective To estimate the conventional bicycle helmet’s association with the rate of facial injury after bicycle crashes. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study accessed records from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2014, from the National Trauma Databank, which collects data from emergency departments in US hospitals. Each record pertained to 1 emergency department admission for a bicycle crash. The National Trauma Databank registry data are collected and recorded by incident, which is equivalent to an injury-related hospital admission. All injuries involving patients aged 18 to 65 years for whom data on helmet use and injury were available were included. Statistical analysis was conducted from July 19 to October 17, 2016. Exposures Helmeted and nonhelmeted bicycle crashes. Main Outcomes and Measures Head and facial injuries among helmeted and nonhelmeted bicycle crashes. Results A total of 85 187 facial injuries met inclusion criteria (patient age 18-65 years, availability of helmet use status, and type of injury). Demographic information on bicycle riders was frequently unavailable. Among all injuries, fractures to the head (11.6% [9854]) and face (11.3% [9589]) occurred at similar rates. Helmets reduced head fractures by 52% (from 14.0% [7623] to 7.3% [2231]) and head soft-tissue injuries by 30% (from 15.0% [8151] to 10.9% [3358]), but had lower rates in protecting against facial injuries. While reducing facial injuries overall, the amount of protection with helmet use varied with facial location of the injury. Reduction in facial fractures was 35% (95% CI, 31%-39%) for upper face, 28% (95% CI, 23%-32%) for mid face, and 21% (95% CI, 15%-26%) for the lower face. Helmets were less protective against facial soft-tissue injuries, with a reduction of 33% (95% CI, 30%-36%) in the upper face, 21% (95% CI, 16%-26%) in the mid face, and 2% (95% CI, 0%-6%) in the lower face. Conclusions and Relevance Although bicycle helmets provide some protection against facial injuries after bicycle crashes, the level of protection depends on the proximity of the injury to the helmeted head. The lower face is particularly vulnerable to injury despite helmet use.
Individualism, Risk Aversion, and Authoritarian Control: International Evidence on the Influence of Social Norms on Capital Structure Decisions

We examine the impact of social norms (individualism, risk aversion, and authoritarian control index) on firm capital structure in the G20 countries from 1995 through 2009. Our results show that increases in individualism increase firm willingness to use debt and decrease the average cost of capital (a move from below median to above median individualism within developed countries translates to a roughly 1.9% decrease in the cost of capital). Increases in risk aversion have the opposite effect, increasing the cost of capital by an average of 1.7% in developed economies for a below median to above median move. A 2% change in the cost of capital translates to approximately $12 million annually in debt interest service for the average firm. Our results are robust to alternative social norms measures, measures of the debt cost of capital, differences in legal structure, transparency, and enforcement levels.
New Zealand white rabbit: a novel model for prolapse mesh implantation via a lumbar colpopexy.

New Zealand white rabbits are an inexpensive large-animal model. This study explored the rabbit as a model for mesh-augmented colpopexy using the intra-abdominal vagina. We hypothesized that polypropylene mesh would negatively impact rabbit vaginal smooth muscle (VSM) morphology and contractile function, similar to the nonhuman primate (NHP)—the established model for prolapse mesh evaluation. Restorelle was implanted onto the vagina of ten rabbits via lumbar colpopexy after a hysterectomy. Ten rabbits served as sham. Twelve weeks post-implantation, the vagina was excised and VSM morphology and vaginal contractility were assessed. Outcome measures were compared using independent samples t and Mann-Whitney U tests with a Bonferroni correction, where appropriate. Results from the rabbits were compared with published NHP data. Animals had similar age, parity and BMI. VSM was 18% thinner after Restorelle implantation, P = 0.027. Vaginal contractility was 43% decreased in response to 120 mM KCl (P = 0.003), similar to the 46% reduction observed in the NHP vagina implanted with Restorelle (P = 0.027). Three meshes wrinkled in vivo, resulting in dramatic thinning of the underlying vagina in the area of the mesh causing a mesh exposure. Polypropylene mesh negatively impacts VSM morphology and vaginal contractility in the rabbit, similar to the NHP, suggesting that the rabbit may serve as an alternative large-animal model. The vaginal thinning and appearance of a mesh exposure in the area of a mesh wrinkle suggest the rabbit may also serve as a model for understanding the pathophysiology of mesh exposure.
Normocalcemic hyperparathyroidism: A Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program analysis

Abstract Background Normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism may be more challenging to cure compared with classical primary hyperparathyroidism. The aim of this study was to utilize a multi-institutional database to better characterize this condition. Methods The Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program database was queried for all patients who underwent parathyroidectomy for sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism. Patient characteristics, operative details, pathology, and outcomes data were compared between patients with normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism and those with hypercalcemia. Results Among 7,569 patients, 9.7% (733) were normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism. Mean age at surgery and sex were similar for normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism and primary hyperparathyroidism with hypercalcemia. The primary hyperparathyroidism with hypercalcemia cohort had a single parathyroid resected more frequently than the normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism group (73.3%% vs 47.5%, P Conclusion Patients with normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism have higher rates of multigland disease and remedial surgery compared with primary hyperparathyroidism with hypercalcemia.
“I Love You with All the Moods and Tenses of the Verb”: Lucy and Mina’s Love in Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Dracula is a queer text. Dracula is the monster, beloved, and “sexual catalyst” (Dominguez-Rue 303) who reveals that Lucy and Mina share a queer friendship that approaches lesbianism. Stoker, then, makes the argument that queer love is not monstrous or dangerous but benign, romantic, and productive by privileging Lucy and Mina’s queer friendship over Dracula’s frightening nighttime calls. Friendships between New Women, like Lucy and Mina, can be queer and queer love and, in turn, can be spiritual and fruitful. Homosexuality should not be vilified; it should be understood and embraced.
Risk-averse Optimization for Improving Harvesting Efficiency of Autonomous Systems through Human Collaboration

Abstract Autonomous systems operating in unstructured and complex agricultural environments are susceptible to errors leading to uncertain losses in the efficiency of the system. In robotic harvesting, these losses would translate into lower harvesting efficiency. To this end, it is desirable to improve harvesting efficiency of robotic systems through human collaboration. The added labor costs associated with human involvement could be a concern since the robotic harvesting systems are expected to reduce harvesting costs. Therefore, the objective of this work is to develop optimal human-robot collaboration policies that minimize the risk of economic losses by identifying the components of the system that need to be serviced by a human supervisor all while guaranteeing a desired level of financial return. The developed risk-averse optimization solution is verified in a simulated grove environment for Florida Valencia citrus.
Fast LP-based approximations for geometric packing and covering problems

We derive fast approximation schemes for LP relaxations of several well-studied geometric optimization problems that include packing, covering, and mixed packing and covering constraints. Previous work in computational geometry concentrated mainly on the rounding stage to prove approximation bounds, assuming that the underlying LPs can be solved efficiently. This work demonstrates that many of those results can be made to run in nearly linear time. In contrast to prior work on this topic our algorithms handle weights and capacities, side constraints, and also apply to mixed packing and covering problems, in a unified fashion. Our framework relies crucially on the properties of a randomized MWU algorithm of [41]; we demonstrate that it is well-suited for range spaces that admit efficient approximate dynamic data structures for emptiness oracles. Our framework cleanly separates the MWU algorithm for solving the LP from the key geometric data structure primitives, and this enables us to handle side constraints in a simple way. Combined with rounding algorithms that can also be implemented efficiently, we obtain the first near-linear constant factor approximation algorithms for several problems.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms are Associated with Connectivity Between Large-Scale Neural Networks and Brain Regions Involved in Social Processing

The neurobiology of autism spectrum disorder remains poorly understood. The present study addresses this knowledge gap by examining the relationship between functional brain connectivity and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) scores using publicly available data from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) database (N = 107). This relationship was tested across all brain voxels, without a priori assumptions, using a novel statistical approach. ADOS scores were primarily associated with decreased connectivity to right temporoparietal junction, right anterior insula, and left fusiform gyrus (p < 0.05, corrected). Seven large-scale brain networks influenced these associations. Findings largely encompassed brain regions involved in processing socially relevant information, highlighting the importance of these processes in autism spectrum disorder.
Not all methods are created equal: assessment of sampling methods for crayfishes and fishes in southern Appalachian streams

We compared the effectiveness of three sampling methods (kick seining, electrofishing, and nest trapping) to collect crayfishes and fishes, simultaneously, in southern Appalachian Mountain streams (Alabama, USA). For crayfishes, kick seining collected the highest species richness and most individuals. However, by combining kick seining and electrofishing collections, we decreased the number of sites needed to accurately assess crayfish richness relative to using one method. For 9 of the 13 species collected, no differences in crayfish sizes or sex ratios were detected between electrofishing and kick seining. In the remaining four species, electrofishing collected larger crayfishes and more females than kick seining. For fishes, electrofishing was most effective at assessing fish species richness. Sampled fish richness was higher when electrofishing in streams with higher water temperatures and width-to-depth ratios, as well as lower conductivities and smaller substrates. Electrofishing was the most effective sampling method for collecting Centrarchids, whereas kick seining was most effective at collecting Cyprinids. Nest traps were the least effective sampling method. We conclude that using a combination of kick seining and electrofishing is best for assessing stream fish and crayfish assemblages, simultaneously, which can improve management, biomonitoring, and understanding of the complex relationships between these faunal groups.
Who’s Taking What? “Applied STEM” Coursetaking for High School Students With Learning Disabilities:

Increasing and improving the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational pipeline has been a point of emphasis for decades, and federal policy in the United States has urge...
Metabolic barriers to cancer immunotherapy.

Several non-redundant features of the tumour microenvironment facilitate immunosuppression and limit anticancer immune responses. These include physical barriers to immune infiltration, the recruitment of suppressive immune cells and the upregulation of ligands on tumour cells that bind to inhibitory receptors on immune cells. Recent insights into the importance of the metabolic restrictions imposed by the tumour microenvironment on antitumour T cells have begun to inform immunotherapeutic anticancer strategies. Therapeutics that target metabolic restrictions, such as low glucose levels, a low pH, hypoxia and the generation of suppressive metabolites, have shown promise as combination therapies for different types of cancer. In this Review, we discuss the metabolic aspects of the antitumour T cell response in the context of immune checkpoint blockade, adoptive cell therapy and treatment with oncolytic viruses, and discuss emerging combination strategies. Immunotherapeutic approaches to cancer can be affected by metabolic restrictions that limit the potency of anticancer T cell responses. In this Review, DePeaux and Delgoffe discuss the metabolic features of the tumour microenvironment that limit anticancer immune responses, as well as emerging therapeutic approaches to target these.
The frequency of assessment of progression in randomized oncology clinical trials.

BACKGROUND Progression in tumor assessments is often detected at a follow-up appointment rather than when actual change in progression has occurred, which can bias PFS outcomes. AIM We sought to evaluate the frequency of tumor assessment scans in clinical trials of anti-cancer interventions and to compare this to recommended (National Comprehensive Cancer Network) and real-world frequencies of tumor assessments. METHODS In a cross-sectional analysis, we searched for articles published in the three top oncology journals between July 2017 and June 2020. We included articles that were RCTs of patients that had unresectable or metastatic solid tumors and used an intervention that was designed to be anti-tumor. We abstracted median PFS survival for each group, the PFS hazard ratio, frequency of tumor assessment scans, tumor type, intervention type, and information regarding the study. RESULTS We found that, in the 182 comparisons (163 articles), less frequent tumor assessment (occurring more than 9 weeks between assessments) was associated with higher median PFS values for both the intervention group (p < .0001) and the control group (p < .0001). PFS hazard ratios for studies scanning for tumors every 10 or more weeks were no different than for studies scanning for tumors more frequently (p = .88). Data on the frequency of tumor assessments in the real world is sparse. CONCLUSION We found that less frequent tumor assessment frequency was associated with longer median PFS in both intervention and control groups of clinical oncology trials but was not associated with differences in PFS hazard ratios. Future research is needed to compare real world to trial assessment.
Characteristics of Cooperative Education and Internship in Aviation Management Programs

Traditionally, cooperative education is a means by which students acquire real work experience through actual employment that is similar, if not identical, to their intended career field. Internship traditionally exposes students to the working environment. Over time these differences have become blurred and in many cases the terms are used synonymously. The aim of this paper was to determine to what extent practitioners in Aviation Management (AVM) programs differentiate between cooperative education and internship. The study was delineated to: community colleges, colleges, and universities affiliated with the University Aviation Association having AVM programs that participate in cooperative education and/or internship.
Lectotypification of Polygonatum franchetii and P. tsinlingense (Asparagaceae)

During systematic studies on Polygonatum Miller (1754: without pagination), the examination of type specimens and protologues revealed several nomenclature issues with regards to typification and priority of two species native to China. Polygonatum tsinlingense Tsui (1949: 135), lacking type designation, was discovered to be an earlier name for P. gracile Li (1966: 252). In addition P. franchetii Hua (1892: 392), also lacking type designation, was described on the basis of a series of three different Farges collections from eastern Sichuan. For both species lectotypes are here selected. Herbarium acronyms follow Thiers (2015).