cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Latent Morpho-Semantic Analysis: Multilingual Information Retrieval with Character N-Grams and Mutual Information

We describe an entirely statistics-based, unsupervised, and language-independent approach to multilingual information retrieval, which we call Latent Morpho-Semantic Analysis (LMSA). LMSA overcomes some of the shortcomings of related previous approaches such as Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA). LMSA has an important theoretical advantage over LSA: it combines well-known techniques in a novel way to break the terms of LSA down into units which correspond more closely to morphemes. Thus, it has a particular appeal for use with morphologically complex languages such as Arabic. We show through empirical results that the theoretical advantages of LMSA can translate into significant gains in precision in multilingual information retrieval tests. These gains are not matched either when a standard stemmer is used with LSA, or when terms are indiscriminately broken down into n-grams.
Mental Health Clinicians’ Participation in Web-Based Training for an Evidence Supported Intervention: Signs of Encouragement and Trouble Ahead

Comprehensive scalable clinician training is needed to increase the impact of evidence-supported psychotherapies. This study was designed to ascertain clinician participation in different low-cost training activities, what predicts their training participation, and how participation can be increased. The study enrolled 163 clinicians. Of these, 105 completed a follow-up survey and 20 completed a more in-depth qualitative interview. Some activities (web training) attracted greater participation than others (e.g., discussion boards, role playing). Key findings include the desirability of self-paced learning and the flexibility it afforded practicing clinicians. However, some found the lack of accountability insurmountable. Many desired in-person training as a way to introduce accountability and motivation. While low-cost, relevant, self-paced learning appeals to practicing clinicians, it may need to be combined with opportunities for in-person training and accountability mechanisms in order to encourage large numbers of clinicians to complete training.
Efficient time-domain and frequency-domain finite-element solution of Maxwell's equations using spectral Lanczos decomposition method

An efficient three-dimensional solver for the solution of the electromagnetic fields in both time and frequency domains is described. The proposed method employs the edge-based finite-element method (FEM) to discretize Maxwell's equations. The resultant matrix equation after applying the mass-lumping procedure is solved by the spectral Lanczos decomposition method (SLDM), which is based on the Krylov subspace (Lanczos) approximation of the solution. This technique is, therefore, an implicit unconditionally stable finite-element time and frequency-domain scheme, which requires the implementation of the Lanczos process only at the largest time or frequency of interest. Consequently, a multiple time- and frequency-domain analysis of the electromagnetic fields is achieved in a negligible amount of extra computing time. The efficiency and effectiveness of this new technique are illustrated by using numerical examples of three-dimensional cavity resonators.
A policy-based approach for assuring data integrity in DBMSs

Data integrity is crucial for collaborative activities where information is shared among multiple organizations to effectively make cooperative and mission-critical decisions. Assuring data integrity is particularly challenging in the presence of frequent data modifications by collaborative parties, especially for large-scale collaborations. However, data integrity is difficult to grasp with a single concept or a single model since the definition can vary depending on the goals and requirements of the collaboration. To address this multi-faced feature of data integrity, we propose a policy-based approach by which one can specify data integrity policies according to the requirements of collaborations and enforce the policies on DBMSs, an essential software component for large-scale collaboration activities. We first introduce our integrity policy language, which provides comprehensive framework for specifying and enforcing integrity policies based on access control, data validation, and metadata management functions. Next, to make our policy language work with existing off-the-shelf DBMSs, we present an integration strategy which we call language level integration (LLI). The LLI strategy enforces integrity policies by automatically translating high-level integrity policies, expressed in our policy language, onto low-level database operations. Compared to alternative approaches, the LLI strategy can be easily implemented since it does not require modifications to the source code of the DBMS or to the code of the applications running on top of the DBMS. Also, with the LLI strategy, the policies cannot be bypassed regardless of which database interface is used by the applications since the policies are implemented by DBMS functions and objects, and then, automatically enforced by the DBMS itself. We then present a software architecture of implementing the integrity policy language with the LLI strategy for a real DBMS (Oracle) and show that our strategy can easily implement well-known data integrity models.
Role of material microstructure in plate stiffness with relevance to microcantilever sensors

This work examines the effect of microstructure upon microcantilever bending stiffness. An existing beam theory model, based upon an isotropic Hooke's law constitutive relationship, is compared to a model based upon a micropolar elasticity constitutive model. The micropolar approach introduces a bending stiffness relation which is a function of any two independent elastic constants of the Hooke's law model (e.g., the elastic modulus and the Poisson's ratio), and an additional material constant (called γ). A consequence of the additional material constant is the prediction of an increased bending stiffness as the cantilever thickness decreases—a stiffening due to the material microstructure which becomes measurable at micron-order thicknesses. Polypropylene microcantilevers, which have a non-homogeneous microstructure due to their semi-crystalline nature, were fabricated via injection molding. A nanoindenter was used to measure their stiffness. The nanoindenter-determined stiffness values, which include the effect of the additional micropolar material constant, are compared to stiffness values obtained from beam theory. The nanoindenter stiffness values are seen to be at least four times larger than the beam theory stiffness predictions. This stiffening effect has relevance in future MEMS applications which employ materials with non-homogeneous microstructures instead of the conventional MEMS materials (e.g., silicon, silicon nitride), which have a very uniform microstructure.
Multiple simultaneous acoustic source localization in urban terrain

Experiences developing a sensor network-based acoustic shooter localization system are presented. The system is able to localize the position of a shooter and the trajectory of the projectile using observed acoustic events, such as the muzzle blast and the ballistic shockwave. The network consists of a large number of cheap sensors communicating through an ad-hoc wireless network, which enables the system to resolve multiple simultaneous acoustic sources, eliminate multipath effects, tolerate multiple sensor failures while providing good coverage and high accuracy, even in such challenging environment as urban terrain. The paper describes the hardware and software platform developed for this application and summarizes the lessons learned during the development of the system.
Anti–Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen-4 Antibody: The First in an Emerging Class of Immunomodulatory Antibodies for Cancer Treatment

Purpose To evaluate the emerging role of immunomodulatory antibodies in cancer treatment. Antibodies (ipilimumab and tremelimumab) targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4), an inhibitory molecule on T cells, represent the vanguard of these new drugs. Design We performed a systematic review of the clinical studies examining the clinical activity of anti–CTLA-4 antibodies. We also review the potential mechanisms and toxicities associated with these treatments. Results Clinical activity with anti–CTLA-4 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has paved the way for additional T-cell immunomodulatory monoclonal antibody (mAb) approaches for the treatment of cancer to be investigated. Because anti–CTLA-4 mAbs target the immune system and not the tumor, they may provide significant potential advantages over traditional antitumor mAbs, chemotherapies, and immunotherapies (ie, vaccines and cytokines). Other antibodies, such as CD137 agonists, CD40 agonists, and PD-1 antagonists, are currently in various stages of ...
The "Plant Drosophila": E. B. Babcock, the Genus Crepis, and the Evolution of a Genetics Research Program at Berkeley, 1915––1947

This paper explores the research and administrative efforts of Ernest Brown Babcock, head of the Division of Genetics in the College of Agriculture at the University of California, Berkeley, the first academic unit so named in the United States. It explores the rationale for his choice of "model organism," the development——and transformation——of his ambitious genetics research program centering on the weedy plant genus named Crepis (commonly known as the hawkbeard), along with examining in detail the historical development of the understanding of genetic mechanisms of evolutionary change in plants leading to the period of the evolutionary synthesis. Chosen initially as the plant counterpart of Thomas Hunt Morgan's Drosophila melanogaster , the genus Crepis instead came to serve as the counterpart of Theodosius Dobzhansky's Drosophila pseudoobscura , leading the way in plant evolutionary genetics, and eventually providing the first comprehensive systematic treatise of any genus that was part of the movement known as biosystematics, or the "new" systematics. The paper also suggests a historical rethinking of the application of the terms model organism, research program, and experimental system in the history of biology.
Hormonal pregnancy test redux.

Given the large numbers of women affected and the risks inherent in pregnancy and childbirth in the countries where they live amenorrheic women presenting for contraception beyond 6 months post-partum need a new option. If pregnancy cannot be excluded by pregnancy test or by history (e.g. by determining that the woman has not had unprotected intercourse since delivery) we propose initiating one full cycle of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) immediately. This approach has two benefits: it provides effective contraception to the client and in addition it can serve as a pregnancy test. At the end of 21 days the woman would cease taking active pills for a week as usual. Bleeding at that time would indicate no pregnancy and the woman could continue COCs or switch to a different method. Lack of bleeding would indicate a possible pregnancy and the woman would be instructed to stop taking thepills and seek a pregnancy test. She could also be counseled ahead of time about where to seek prenatal care or other options. (excerpt)
Chronic coexistence of two troponin T isoforms in adult transgenic mouse cardiomyocytes decreased contractile kinetics and caused dilatative remodeling

Our previous in vivo and ex vivo studies suggested that coexistence of two or more troponin T (TnT) isoforms in adult cardiac muscle decreased cardiac function and efficiency (Huang QQ, Feng HZ, Liu J, Du J, Stull LB, Moravec CS, Huang X, Jin JP, Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 294: C213–C22, 2008; Feng HZ, Jin JP, Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 299: H97–H105, 2010). Here we characterized Ca2+-regulated contractility of isolated adult cardiomyocytes from transgenic mice coexpressing a fast skeletal muscle TnT together with the endogenous cardiac TnT. Without the influence of extracellular matrix, coexistence of the two TnT isoforms resulted in lower shortening amplitude, slower shortening and relengthening velocities, and longer relengthening time. The level of resting cytosolic Ca2+ was unchanged, but the peak Ca2+ transient was lowered and the durations of Ca2+ rising and decaying were longer in the transgenic mouse cardiomyocytes vs. the wild-type controls. Isoproterenol treatment diminished the differences in shortening amplitude and shortening and relengthening velocities, whereas the prolonged durations of relengthening and Ca2+ transient in the transgenic cardiomyocytes remained. At rigor state, a result from depletion of Ca2+, resting sarcomere length of the transgenic cardiomyocytes became shorter than that in wild-type cells. Inhibition of myosin motor diminished this effect of TnT function on cross bridges. The length but not width of transgenic cardiomyocytes was significantly increased compared with the wild-type controls, corresponding to longitudinal addition of sarcomeres and dilatative remodeling at the cellular level. These dominantly negative effects of normal fast TnT demonstrated that chronic coexistence of functionally distinct variants of TnT in adult cardiomyocytes reduces contractile performance with pathological consequences.
Market integration and price convergence in the European Union

Abstract The implementation of international treaties in the European Union was expected to promote integration of consumer markets. Using Economist Intelligence Unit Worldwide Cost of Living Survey data, I analyze the convergence of prices for a range of traded goods and find that large price differences remain across Europe. Using high income non-euro European countries as a control group, I test the effect of the euro and the Single European Act on the convergence of prices within the European Union. Using a difference-in-difference estimation strategy, I find that the Single European Act, rather than the euro, reduced price differences and promoted market integration. Distinguishing between the two stages of the euro implementation shows increasing price divergence as a result of the common currency.
Puppetry vs. Creationism: Why AI Must Cross the Chasm

Artificial intelligence began with an enthusiastic embrace of newly available computing machinery and the basic question of what kinds of problems we could solve with it. The first 50 years focused on programming computers to perform tasks that previously only humans could do. Then, people began comparing machines to humans as problem solvers, and the race was on to see where machines could match or even surpass human performance. Success in solving math word problems, winning checkers and chess championships, understanding natural language, and generating plans and schedules reinforced our efforts to build supercapable machines. The author call these puppets, not to derogate the machines but to respect the importance of the programmers and builders who were actually responsible for their accomplishments. From time to time, many of us have recognized the field's rate-limiting factor under various names and viewpoints, such as the knowledge-acquisition bottleneck and the challenges of machine learning, system bootstrapping, artificial life, and self-organizing systems. Mostly, however, these efforts have had limited success. The little bit of learning and adaptation they've demonstrated has paled in comparison to the puppeteers' laborious inputs
Sustaining scholarly publishing University presses and emerging business models

And in contrast to academic libraries that serve the comprehensive needs of the fac- ulty and students at their home institutions, university presses serve selected needs—for published works within their disciplines of focus—of authors and readers across the global academic community. Naturally these characteristics inform how university presses are evolving as scholarly communication goes digital. How are university presses evolving today, and how are they thinking about the future? The Association of American Univer- sity Presses (AAUP) recently appointed a task- force to investigate these questions. (Please note that, while I served on the taskforce, this article reflects my own views, not those of its members.) The taskforce's report "Sustaining Schol- arly Publishing: New Business Models for University Presses" was just released this March. 1
Sex Differences in Masculine Depression: Externalizing Symptoms as a Primary Feature of Depression in Men

Gender role socialization significantly affects how many men and women think, feel, and behave, which subsequently affects their depressive symptom presentation. This study involved an examination ...
Clausal and DP-internal agreement in Ikalanga

This paper investigates the controversial morphemes that occur both at the clause level and within the DP in Bantu languages such as Ikalanga, which have been analyzed as "agreement morphology" by some (Baker 2002, Demuth and Harford (1999) and as resumptive/incorporated pronouns by others (Bresnan and Mchombo 1987, Zwart 1997). The paper proposes a unified analysis of this phenomenon, analyzing both clausal and DP-internal occurrences of these morphemes as agreement morphology which holds between the head of an XP and its predicate, or between the head of an XP and its modifiers. In both instances, the agreement relation is instantiated after movement of the relevant category from its base position to a specifier position which enables the moved category to enter into a checking relation (i.e. a spec-head configuration) with another category that has matching features (Chomsky 1995).
Seven rainfed wheat rotation systems in a drought-prone Mediterranean climate

Abstract Increasing cropping intensity and use of no-till fallow (NTF) has been successful in many rainfed Mediterranean agricultural regions around the world, including of the Inland US Pacific Northwest (PNW) where annual precipitation exceeds 290 mm. However, in the low-precipitation (
On Migrating a Distributed Application to a Multi-Threaded Environment

Light-weight computation threads in a multi-threaded operating system promise to provide low-overhead computation and fully sharable addressing space not available in conventional process-oriented operating systems. Traditional distributed applications based on processes can be re-architectured to use concurrent threads in a multi-threaded platforrn to take advantage of faster context switches and shared-memory communication. We investigated this expectation by porting an existing distributed application to a mulrithreaded environment. As a result, we virtually eliminated the cost of message-based IPC, replacing it with shared-memory communication between threads. In this paper we address the benefits, the difficulties, and the trade-offs of such a rearchitecture. We also comment on some feasible architectures for migrating currently distributed applications to multi-threaded environments.
Renal Tumors Associated with Tuberous Sclerosis: The Case for Aggressive Surgical Management

AbstractTuberous sclerosis is associated commonly with renal angiomyolipoma. However, the radiographic differentiation of angiomyolipoma and renal carcinoma can be difficult, and the natural history of angiomyolipoma may be associated with serious complications. We present a case of bilateral renal cell carcinoma associated with tuberous sclerosis. Aggressive but conserving renal surgery should be considered in patients with tuberous sclerosis and enlarging renal masses.
Adenosine and Its Receptors: Influence on Cerebral Blood Flow

This chapter discusses the effect of adenosine and its receptors on cerebral blood flow (CBF). Adenosine, a purine nucleoside, has two general physiologic activities in the brain: modulation of neuronal and synaptic activity and regulation of CBF. Adenosine appears to be a chemical link between brain metabolism and flow. Topically applied adenosine is a potent dilator of cerebral arterioles; interstitial and cerebrospinal fluid concentrations are in the vasoactive range; concentrations can rapidly increase after the onset of a stimulus; adenosine concentrations are elevated during transient and prolonged ischemia, hypoxia, hypotension, and seizures and neural activation. Moreover, causality can be invoked in experiments where adenosine activity is blocked or augmented with resultant changes in CBF. During neuronal activation, theophylline blocks hyperemia. In contrast, dipyridamole that inhibits cellular uptake of adenosine and results in increased extracellular concentrations of adenosine causes augmentation of hypoxic hyperemia. During neuronal activation, dipyridamole also causes a heightened vascular response. In brain, adenosine receptor manipulation protects against tissue injury following normoglycemic ischemia. In hyperglycemic reperfusion injury, CSF and brain adenosine concentrations are depressed compared to that seen following normoglycemic reperfusion injury.
Engineering the tissue–wound interface: Harnessing topography to direct wound healing

Abstract More than 450,000 people are treated for burn injuries each year in the United States alone, leading to more than 12,000 skin graft procedures. Additionally, chronic skin wounds such as diabetic ulcers and venous leg ulcers as well as pressure ulcers affect 3–4 million people in the United States annually, and this number is expected to increase as the average age of the population and the incidence of diabetes increases. Rapid restoration of the epidermal barrier is critical to the successful treatment of these traumatic and chronic wounds. Tissue-engineered skin substitutes represent a promising therapeutic alternative to the gold standard autograft, especially in patients with large area wounds or compromised wound healing. In stark contrast to the complex microenvironment of the native dermal–epidermal junction (DEJ), current tissue-engineered skin substitutes are commonly characterized by a flat interface at the DEJ. Studies have shown that the biochemical and physical microenvironment of the DEJ creates keratinocyte microniches that promote stem cell clustering and support epidermal regeneration and wound healing. This chapter reviews the current state-of-the-art technologies (both in vitro and in vivo) for evaluating cellular responses to the physical microenvironment in the context of wound healing and the implications for the design of the next-generation clinical therapies.
The Influence of Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor Agents on Hemoglobin Levels of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents are an important component of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment but data on their influence on anemia, a frequent complication of IBD is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of anti-TNF agents on hemoglobin (Hb) levels in a large IBD cohort.
Postmodern and Conservative: The King’s Ministers in The Tudors

It is perhaps too much of a truism among historians that popular culture, specifically Hollywood, almost always gets history wrong. Every few years, it seems, another Oscar-chasing film or prestige premium cable drama will claim, as The Tudors did in its opening credits, to tell the “real story,” undergraduate students will entertain some very dubious ideas about subjects near and dear to their history professors’ hearts, and the rot will spread, as illustrated by the belief that HBO’s Game of Thrones is somehow “medieval.”1 As readers of this volume undoubtedly know, this problem is particularly acute when it comes to Henry VIII and his reign, not the least because as Mark Rankin, Christopher Highley, and John N. King recently have argued, Henry’s image was remarkably unstable in his own lifetime, as polemicists and playwrights sought to manipulate the figure of the king for their own political and aesthetic purposes.2 As a result, construction of the myth of Henry VIII had already begun before the real Henry’s death, and in the intervening five centuries that myth has only grown, relentless in its omnivorous hunger for new expressions, emphases, and idioms. Such iterations inevitably present their narrative of Henrician England as the “right” one, hoping the audience will forget that stories are products of their time and tell us more about the moment in which they were produced than the historical figure, period, or process they purport to depict with accuracy.
Exploring the aggregation free energy landscape of the amyloid-β protein (1–40)

A predictive coarse-grained protein force field [associative memory, water-mediated, structure, and energy model for molecular dynamics (AWSEM)-MD] is used to study the energy landscapes and relative stabilities of amyloid-β protein (1–40) in the monomer and all of its oligomeric forms up to an octamer. We find that an isolated monomer is mainly disordered with a short α-helix formed at the central hydrophobic core region (L17-D23). A less stable hairpin structure, however, becomes increasingly more stable in oligomers, where hydrogen bonds can form between neighboring monomers. We explore the structure and stability of both prefibrillar oligomers that consist of mainly antiparallel β-sheets and fibrillar oligomers with only parallel β-sheets. Prefibrillar oligomers are polymorphic but typically take on a cylindrin-like shape composed of mostly antiparallel β-strands. At the concentration of the simulation, the aggregation free energy landscape is nearly downhill. We use umbrella sampling along a structural progress coordinate for interconversion between prefibrillar and fibrillar forms to identify a conversion pathway between these forms. The fibrillar oligomer only becomes favored over its prefibrillar counterpart in the pentamer where an interconversion bottleneck appears. The structural characterization of the pathway along with statistical mechanical perturbation theory allow us to evaluate the effects of concentration on the free energy landscape of aggregation as well as the effects of the Dutch and Arctic mutations associated with early onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Development of a high-resolution and depth-of-interaction capable detector for time-of-flight PET

PET with its quantitative powers is becoming increasingly popular in the clinic. While the detector spatial resolution and sensitivity directly affect its ability, it has been shown that including the time-of-flight information further enhances its powers. Currently numerous approaches are being pursued to improve spatial resolution and timing, but most involve trade-offs. We describe here the development of a high-resolution PET detector with time-of-flight capabilities. The detector design is based on our previously developed pixelated Anger-logic detector where an array of individual crystals is readout by an array of larger photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) coupled to it via a light-guide. Depth-of-interaction (DOI) measurement in this design is accomplished by making use of a dual crystal-layer offset relative to each other. With a target spatial resolution of 1–2 mm, we have carefully evaluated the performance of several 1.5 × 1.5 and 2.0 × 2.0 mm2 and 10–20 mm long LYSO crystals readout by several appropriately sized PMTs. Experiments and simulations were used to investigate the design, and optimize performance of the detector. An experimental prototype using a single 8 × 7 array of 1.5 × 1.5 × 12 mm3 LYSO crystals readout by a 7-PMT array of the Hamamatsu R4124 PMTs was developed. A high-speed waveform sampling data acquisition system based on the DRS4 switched-capacitor that digitizes data at 5 GS/s was also built. Experimental evaluations demonstrate that the detector provides very good timing and also successfully discriminates 1.5 × 1.5 mm2 cross-section scintillation crystals. Bench-top timing measurements with a dual-layer detector demonstrate that relatively good timing can be maintained in a stacked crystal arrangement, suggesting the feasibility for extending the approach to incorporate DOI with this design.
The Surveillance of Coastal Marine Waters with Bivalves - The Mussel Watch

ABSTRACT Bivalves, oysters and mussels, have been used as sentinel organisms to monitor levels of heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, synthetic organics, and artificial radionuclides at over 100 stations in the U. S. coastal waters. Zones of high pollutant levels have been identified. The strategies of carrying out the program, including collection techniques and analytical procedures, are described. The results from the initial analyses in 1976 and 1977 indicate varying degrees of pollution in the studied waters. Further, there is a remarkable similarity in the concentrations of some heavy metals and plutonium in the organisms collected from a given station during year one and during year two. In the future, other pollutants, such as those arising from the chlorination of waste waters, might be included in the program. Further, there is an urgent need for the development of methods to assess the biological impact of the pollutants, acting singly or in concert.
Sport Injury: Lower Extremity

There has been a dramatic increase in adolescent sports participation over the last two decades. This increase has led to primary care physicians seeing and caring for athletic injuries more regularly. It is imperative that these physicians have a strong understanding of lower extremity injuries for proper initial management and necessary follow-up.
Development and Evaluation of the Walk for Health Program: A Physical Activity Intervention for Adults with Visual Impairments:

BackgroundAlthough the pervasive comorbidity documented in adults with visual impairments may be linked to physical inactivity, little is known regarding the extent to which mobility and health sta...
FAP and Psychodynamic Therapies

The purpose of this chapter is to present a brief overview of current psychodynamic therapies and to show how these therapies may be understood within a Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP, Kohlenberg & Tsai , 1991; Tsai et al., 2008) framework. As readers of this chapter are no doubt aware, FAP is a bit of an anomaly within the current therapeutic landscape. On the one hand, FAP is derived from radical behavioral epistemology. On the other hand, FAP is more similar clinically to psychodynamic approaches than to traditional behavioral therapies. Thus, FAP occupies a unique therapeutic space in that it is able to bridge both behavioral and psychodynamic worlds (see Kohlenberg & Tsai , 1991, Chapter 7). A clearer understanding, therefore, of current psychodynamic therapies may help FAP therapists become more effective in their clinical work.
Nabokov’s translations and transnational canon formation

The library of scholarship on Vladimir Nabokov still circles uncomfortably around his annotated translation Eugene Onegin (1964) and late English-language novel Ada, or Ardor (1969). This article e...
Adapting Information Search Tools for use by Health Consumers: Challenges and Lessons for Software Designers

ABSTRACTConsumers are increasingly using the Internet to find information to support health-related decisions. This study evaluated two software tools, Mr. Taggy and SparTag.us, which are designed to help users filter and identify relevant information and organize and make sense of information. Participants included 80 adults, aged 35–82, who performed health information search tasks. Twenty participants used Mr. Taggy and another 20 used Spartag.us. The search tasks varied according to the tool characteristics. Two corresponding control groups, each with 20 participants, performed the tasks using the Google search engine. Participants also completed cognitive ability tests and a usability questionnaire. The findings indicated that participants using the tools found them useful and usable. However, participants using Google had significantly better task performance. Although cognitive abilities were related to task performance, a wider variety of abilities were related to performance in the aided conditio...
The addition of evening-NPH insulin to oral hypoglycemics reduced weight gain and hyperinsulinemia in patients with type 2 diabetes

Source Citation Yki-Jarvinen H, Kauppila M, Kujansuu E, et al. Comparison of insulin regimens in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med. 1992 Nov 12;327:1426-33.
Role of Pacific SSTs in improving reconstructed streamflow over the coterminous US

Reconstructed annual streamflows using tree-ring chronologies provide useful information on moisture availability during the pre-historic period, but they have limitations in estimating high flows due to the upper bound on soil water holding capacity and trees' metabolic growth limits. We propose a hybrid approach that uses tree-ring chronologies and climatic indices for improving high flows in 301 basins whose annual streamflows are modulated by ENSO and/or PDO. The hybrid decomposition approach relies on separating the moisture supply into the basin as outside-the-region moisture and within-the-region moisture with the former being estimated by SST indices and the latter being estimated by tree-ring chronologies. Analyses over the 301 stations from coterminous US show that the proposed approach improves the high flows and improves the overall error in the reconstructed streamflows. Potential utility of the improved reconstructed annual streamflows with improved high flows is also discussed.
On the evaluation of the stress intensity factor in calving models using linear elastic fracture mechanics

We investigate the appropriateness of calving or crevasse models from the literature using linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). To this end, we compare LEFM model-predicted stress intensity factors (SIFs) against numerically computed SIFs using the displacement correlation method in conjunction with the finite element method. We present several benchmark simulations wherein we calculate the SIF at the tips of water-filled surface and basal crevasses penetrating through rectangular ice slabs under different boundary conditions, including grounded and floating conditions. Our simulation results indicate that the basal boundary condition significantly influences the SIF at the crevasse tips. We find that the existing calving models using LEFM are not generally accurate for evaluating SIFs in grounded glaciers or floating ice shelves. We also illustrate that using the ‘single edge crack’ weight function in the LEFM formulations may be appropriate for predicting calving from floating ice shelves, owing to the low fracture toughness of ice; whereas, using the ‘double edge crack’ or ‘central through crack’ weight functions is more appropriate for predicting calving from grounded glaciers. To conclude, we recommend using the displacement correlation method for SIF evaluation in real glaciers and ice shelves with complex geometries and boundary conditions.
First evidence of protein-carbohydrate regulation in a plant bug (Lygus hesperus)

Abstract Lygus bugs are highly polyphagous piercing/sucking insects found throughout North America. Collectively, they have been reported to feed on over 330 plant species (one of the broadest host range ever documented for a group of insects); they also feed on many economically important crops. Despite its prevalence across North America and status as a common pest in many agroecosystems, very little is known about how Lygus bugs regulate their intake of nutrients. In reality, little is known about nutrient regulation for most hemipterans, specifically non-phloem feeding species in the suborder Heteroptera. This likely reflects difficulties in developing adequate artificial diets for insects with piercing/sucking mouthparts. There is, however, an artificial diet for L. hersperus, and in this study we modified it and performed choice and no-choice experiments to determine how L. hesperus regulates its intake of two macronutrients – protein (p) and carbohydrates (c) – that are tightly linked to survival and performance in other insect herbivores. In choice experiments L. hesperus was allowed to select between two foods with different protein:carbohydrate ratios. We documented strong regulation for protein and carbohydrates, with late instar nymphs selecting a slightly protein-biased intake target (protein-carbohydrate ratio = 1.5:1). We also performed no-choice experiments, where nymphs were restricted to a single food. Here, the protein-carbohydrate ratio of their food had a strong impact on survival, which was highest for nymphs reared on the treatment with a protein-carbohydrate ratio closest to the self-selected intake target (determined by the choice experiments), but no significant impact on developmental time or mass gain. Our data are the first of their kind for a non-phloem feeding hemipteran and provide a starting point for more broadly understanding and further investigating the nutritional ecology/physiology of Lygus bugs. Our study also provides a framework for exploring nutrient regulation in other hemipterans and for optimizing artificial diets for piercing/sucking insects, especially heteropterans.
RF Compressed Sensing Based Radar for 2-D Localization and Mapping

This paper presents the simulation results of a radio frequency (RF) compressed sensing (CS) radar for 2-D localization and mapping. In contrast to many existing literatures, this paper deals with the RF front-end compressive sensing, which is achieved by illuminating the target scenario with pseudo random multi-beam radiation patterns. The spatial sparsity of the target frame enables the use of compressed sensing to recover the scene from fewer number of scans compared with a conventional beam scanning radar. Preliminary simulations are performed, and the results of the reconstructed target frame are presented.
Both gain and loss of Nampt function promote pressure overload-induced heart failure

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyl-transferase (Nampt) is a rate-limiting enzyme in the salvage pathway of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) synthesis. We demonstrate that pressure overload-induced ...
Direct transmission via households informs models of disease and intervention dynamics in cholera

While several basic properties of cholera outbreaks are common to most settings-the pathophysiology of the disease, the waterborne nature of transmission, and others-recent findings suggest that transmission within households may play a larger role in cholera outbreaks than previously appreciated. Important features of cholera outbreaks have long been effectively modeled with mathematical and computational approaches, but little is known about how variation in direct transmission via households may influence epidemic dynamics. In this study, we construct a mathematical model of cholera that incorporates transmission within and between households. We observe that variation in the magnitude of household transmission changes multiple features of disease dynamics, including the severity and duration of outbreaks. Strikingly, we observe that household transmission influences the effectiveness of possible public health interventions (e.g. water treatment, antibiotics, vaccines). We find that vaccine interventions are more effective than water treatment or antibiotic administration when direct household transmission is present. Summarizing, we position these results within the landscape of existing models of cholera, and speculate on its implications for epidemiology and public health.
Enhancing Drone Pilots’ Engagement Through a Brain-Computer Interface

Drones are becoming ubiquitous in society, and as their use continues to grow, it becomes important to research new approaches to provide a better user experience and safer flights. In this paper, we propose the use of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) to measure the drone pilot’s engagement from the brain while piloting drones. We hypothesize that relaying on a quantified measurement, the pilot will be encouraged to increase their focus, leading to higher engagement and possible safer flights. Our first contribution is a technical description of the system, which allows the pilots to control a virtual first-person view (FPV) drone while receiving feedback on their engagement level measured with a BCI. Secondly, we present the results of a user study with 10 participants, in which their feedback stated that receiving engagement level feedback increased their engagement as they tried to raise their focus in the activity.
Transition Metal Catalyzed Insertion Reactions with Donor/Donor Carbenes

Donor/donor carbenes are relatively new in the field of carbene chemistry; although applications in C-H and X-H insertion reactions are few in number, they demonstrate exquisite chemo- and stereo-selectivity. Recent reports have shown that C-H, N-H, B-H, O-H, S-H, Si-H, Ge-H, Sn-H and P-H insertion reactions are feasible with a variety of transition metal catalysts, both inter- and intramolecularly. Furthermore, high degrees of diastereo- and enantioselectivity have been observed in several cases. Methods typically involve the formation of a diazo-based carbene precursor, but procedures using diazo-free metal carbenes have been developed with significant success. This Minireview covers transition-metal catalyzed insertion reactions with donor/donor and donor carbenes, providing context for future developments in this emerging field.
Pelvic Tilt and the Pubic Symphysis to Sacrococcygeal Junction Distance: Risk Factors for Hip Dislocation Observed on Anteroposterior Pelvis Radiographs.

Abstract Background Dislocation after total hip arthroplasty (THA) is among the most common causes of early revision in contemporary practice. Abnormal spinopelvic alignment increases risk for dislocation, but methods to identify such are limited and can be complex. We sought to determine the effect of pelvic tilt, using a novel radiographic measurement, on dislocation risk by evaluating those with and without a history of dislocation. Methods Using our institutional total joint registry, we identified 10,082 primary THAs performed between 2006 and 2015. Postoperatively, 177 dislocated (1.7%). Dislocators were matched 1:1 to control patients who did not dislocate. Pelvic tilt was calculated using the pubic symphysis to sacrococcygeal junction distance (PSCD) from a supine anteroposterior pelvis radiograph both preoperatively and postoperatively. The association between dislocation and both pelvic tilt and PSCD was then evaluated by logistic regression. Mean follow-up was 3 years. Results Patients who dislocated had more posterior pelvic tilt (mean pelvic tilt of 57° vs 60°; P = .02) and smaller PSCDs (mean 41 mm vs 46 mm; P = .04) than controls. Patients with a PSCD 50 (odds ratio 9; P = .006). Conclusion Patients who dislocated following primary THA had more posterior pelvic tilt. Additionally, those with a PSCD Level of Evidence Level IV, case-control study;
Use of chlorhexidine to eradicate oropharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 patients.

As public distribution of vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is underway, prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) relies on minimizing spread. In this study, chlorhexidine gluconate was investigated as a topical antimicrobial agent against SARS-CoV-2. This was a randomized, prospective cohort study using chlorhexidine as an oral rinse and posterior oropharyngeal spray in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The primary outcome was presence or absence of laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 in the oral and oropharyngeal cavities after 4 days of chlorhexidine use and standard of care (study group) or standard of care only (control group). SARS-CoV-2 was eliminated from the oropharynx in 62.1% of patients who used chlorhexidine as an oral rinse, versus 5.5% of the control group patients. Among patients who used a combination of oral rinse and oropharyngeal spray, 86.0% eliminated oropharyngeal SARS-CoV-2, versus 6.3% of control patients. Chlorhexidine is a simple and safe addition to current COVID-19 prevention guidelines and may play a significant role in reducing disease spread.
Appearance of special colors in deuteranomalous trichromacy.

Abstract Deuteranomalous color matching behavior is different from normal because the middle-wavelength sensitive cones contain an abnormal Lʹ pigment instead of the M pigment of the normal observer. However, there is growing evidence that deuteranomalous color experience is not very different from that of normal trichromats. Here, normal and deuteranomalous observers chose monochromatic unique yellow lights. They also chose broadband lights, displayed on a computer monitor, that corresponded to eight special colors: the Hering unique hues (red, yellow, green, blue), and binary colors perceptually midway between them (orange, lime, cyan, purple). Deuteranomalous monochromatic unique yellow was shifted towards red, but all the broadband special color selections were physically similar for normal and deuteranomalous observers. Deuteranomalous special colors, including monochromatic unique yellow, were similar to those of normal observers when expressed in a color-opponent chromaticity diagram based on their own visual pigments, but only if (1) color-opponent responses were normalized to white, and (2) the deuteranomalous diagram was expanded along the r – g dimension to compensate for the reduced difference between deuteranomalous L- and Lʹ-cone photopigments. Particularly, deuteranomalous observers did not choose binary colors with extra r – g impact to overcome their insensitivity along the r – g dimension. This result can only be compatible with the known abnormality of the deuteranomalous Lʹ photopigment if deuteranomalous observers adjust their perceptual representation of colors to compensate for their color vision deficiency.
Septic Arthritis of the Shoulder After SARS-CoV-2 Pfizer Vaccination: A Case Report.

Case We report a case of a 68-year-old woman who developed left shoulder glenohumeral joint septic arthritis within 1 week of receiving the COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Conclusion Common vaccine complications include injection site pain, fever, chills, arthralgia, and hypersensitivity reactions. A less common and more serious complication of septic arthritis has been reported and requires invasive treatment of surgical irrigation and debridement, and culture-specific parenteral antibiotic therapy. The current report highlights the clinical presentation and significant potential for serious complication with the improper technique. We urge vaccine administrators to practice caution and aseptic technique when vaccinating patients to reduce the risk of complication and morbidity.