cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Information Provision on Public Consensus about Climate Change.

Despite over 20 years of research and scientific consensus on the topic, climate change continues to be a politically polarizing issue. We conducted a survey experiment to test whether providing the public with information on the exact extent of scientific agreement about the occurrence and causes of climate change affects respondents’ own beliefs and bridges the divide between conservatives and liberals. First, we show that the public significantly underestimated the extent of the scientific consensus. We then find that those given concrete information about scientists’ views were more likely to report believing that climate change was already underway and that it was caused by humans. However, their beliefs about the necessity of making policy decisions and their willingness to donate money to combat climate change were not affected. Information provision affected liberals, moderates, and conservatives similarly, implying that the gap in beliefs between liberals and conservatives is not likely to be bridged by information treatments similar to the one we study. Finally, we conducted a 6-month follow-up with respondents to see if the treatment effect persisted; the results were statistically inconclusive.
Beyond Tocqueville, Myrdal, and Hartz: The Multiple Traditions in America

Analysts of American politics since Tocqueville have seen the nation as a paradigmatic “liberal democratic” society, shaped most by the comparatively free and equal conditions and the Enlightenment ideals said to have prevailed at its founding. These accounts must be severely revised to recognize the inegalitarian ideologies and institutions of ascriptive hierarchy that defined the political status of racial and ethnic minorities and women through most of U.S. history. A study of the period 1870–1920 illustrates that American political culture is better understood as the often conflictual and contradictory product of multiple political traditions, than as the expression of hegemonic liberal or democratic political traditions.
Kinetics and Species of Flash Pyrolysis of Cellulose Acetate Butyrate: The Binder of LOVA

The principal binder of many LOVA propellants is cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB). By the use of T-Jump/FTIR spectroscopy, CAB was flash-pyrolyzed to set temperatures in the 465–600°C range, while rapid-scan IR spectra were used to identify the main decomposition products and to measure the rate of formation of each product as a function of temperature. Eleven specific products, which include oligomers of CAB, acids, aldehydes, ketenes, esters, CO2 and CO, were quantified by chemometric procedures. The ketenes are the most novel products. The Arrhenius parameters reveal that below 510 ± 20°C, the rate of product evolution is controlled mainly by condensed phase reactions. Above 510 ± 20°C, the rate of product evolution is controlled by desorption/evaporation of the volatile products.
MIRANDA ABUSE AND FUNDAMENTAL FAIRNESS UNDER THE MASSACHUSETTS CONSTITUTION: ARTICLE XII IN NON-CUSTODIAL INTERROGATIONS AND EVIDENCE OF PRIOR BAD ACTS, TWO CASE STUDIES

When it comes to protecting the rights of the criminally accused, the Federal Constitution and federal law provide minimum basic safeguards below which no law enforcement or judicial act in any U.S. civilian jurisdiction may venture, but Massachusetts has long protected the rights of the accused more stringently than federal law requires. In particular, Article XII of the Declaration of Rights has long been held to offer certain protections that the Federal Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court of the United States, does not.
Presentation of Headache in the Emergency Department and its Triage

Four million patients present to US emergency departments (EDs) annually with the complaint of headache. The emergency physician must diagnose malignant secondary causes of headache such as aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage expeditiously, treat acute exacerbations of primary headache disorders such as migraine effectively, and provide tailored education to the primary headache patients who use the ED as a medical safety net. The needs of patients who present to EDs are varying and complex – a one-size-fits-all strategy is doomed to failure. Herein, we discuss clinical features of the various secondary headaches that emergency physicians encounter commonly; efficient diagnostic work-ups, including when to order laboratory and imaging tests; and strategies for effective parenteral and post-discharge treatment. The chapter also discusses management strategies for the complicated subgroup of ED patients with comorbid psychiatric illness, medication overuse headache, and opioid dependence who make frequent visits to an ED for management of headache.
A realist social ontology of religion

Jonathan Z. Smith famously pointed out that the concept of ‘religion’ is not universal but emerged only in the modern West. Several scholars have drawn from Smith the non-realist implication that the existence of religion apart from that concept is an illusion. The word ‘religion,’ they say, does not refer to something out there in the world. In this article, the author argues that Smith’s point is open to a realist interpretation according to which religion exists in the world, as a transhistorical and transcultural reality, even apart from the concept. To make this case, the author outlines and responds to non-realist positions that draw on genealogical, deconstructive, and linguistic arguments, as well as to the alternative proposal that ‘religion’ is simply a heuristic device. In short, the goal of this article is to argue that a realist social ontology provides the better understanding of the central theoretical term in our field.
Is the cause of sensorineural hearing loss in patients with facial schwannomas multifactorial

Objectives Facial nerve schwannomas (FNSs) and vestibular nerve schwannomas (VNSs) may occupy similar locations in the internal auditory canal (IAC). Risk factors for hearing loss in patients with FNS are unknown. Similar to VNSs, we hypothesize that the size and location of FNSs do not correlate with hearing loss. Study Design Retrospective cohort study and otopathology case review. Methods A single institution retrospective review of all patients diagnosed with FNS was performed. Demographic data, tumor size and location, severity and type of hearing loss, and facial nerve function were analyzed. Otopathologic review of a case of FNS was also performed. Results Thirty-three patients with FNS were identified. Mean age was 44 years, and 61% (n = 21) were female. Nine patients had tumors involving the IAC facial nerve, whereas 24 had distal tumors without IAC involvement. Eleven patients (33%) had hearing loss, and 55% of patients with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) had tympanic segment tumors without IAC involvement. The presence of SNHL was not associated with IAC tumor location (P = 0.21). Maximal dimensions of FNSs were 3 mm to 42 mm, without correlation between size and SNHL severity (r = −0.017, P = 0.926). Otopathologic review of an untreated 5-mm IAC FNS demonstrated disproportionate spiral ganglion and hair cell loss within the ipsilateral cochlea compared to the contralateral ear. Conclusion Tympanic segment FNS without IAC involvement may result in SNHL. Tumor size is not associated with the presence or severity of SNHL. Otopathologic review suggests degenerative cochlear changes in FNS. Mechanisms for SNHL in schwannomas are likely multifactorial and may be unrelated to cochlear nerve compression. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 127:1676–1682, 2017
Impact of a Lung Cancer Screening Counseling and Shared Decision-Making Visit.

Background Lung cancer screening is a complex balance of benefits and harms. A counseling and shared decision-making visit has been mandated to assist patients with the decision about participation in screening. To our knowledge, the impact of this visit on patient understanding and decisions has not been studied. Methods We developed a centralized counseling and shared decision-making visit for our lung cancer screening program. The visit included confirmation of eligibility for screening, education supported by a narrated slide show, individualized risk assessment with a decision aid, time for answering questions, and data collection. We surveyed consecutive patients prior to the visit, immediately after the visit, and 1 month after the visit to determine the impact of the visit on their knowledge. Results Twenty-three of 423 patients (5.4%) who had a visit did not proceed to the screening CT scan. One hundred twenty-five consecutive patients completed the initial survey, 122 completed the postvisit survey, and 113 completed the 1-month follow-up survey. Prior to the visit, the patients had a poor level of understanding about the age and smoking eligibility criteria (8.8% and 13.6% correct, respectively) and the benefits and harms of screening (55.2% and 38.4% correct, respectively). There was a significant improvement in knowledge noted after the visit for all questions (P = .03 to P Conclusions A centralized counseling and shared decision-making visit impacts the patient's knowledge about the eligibility criteria, benefits, and harms of lung cancer screening with LDCT, helping patients make value-based decisions.
Layered information granulation based on non-transitive, perceptual indistinguishability

Fuzzy information granulation is key to many applications. Fuzzy Inference Systems (FIS) are an important technology in control systems and reasoning. ANFIS, FIS trained with Adaptive Networks, are a promising machine learning method to tackle the so-called data deluge. The heterogeneity and lack of quality control in big-data, however, lead to inhomogeneous, dynamically changing, non-partitioning granularities. Rough set theory is a powerful, widely used tool to model and represent information granulation in representations. Classical rough set theory is based on an indiscernibility relation that is an equivalence relation. As such it can describe well how information granulation at multiple layers of granularity gives rise to granularity phenomena, where partitions at a finer granularity group into partitions of a coarser granularity. This is usually given if classification is designed by an expert, e.g., using a classical taxonomy. However, information from different sources or untrained users, e.g. from social media or mobile phone sensors, may not be consistent in this manner. This paper investigates a generalization of rough set theory that assumes an indistinguishability relation, which behaves similar to indiscernibility but is not transitive, i.e. not an equivalence relation. In contrast to the even more general tolerance relations in rough set theory, indistinguishability retains an important property from perceptual indistinguishability in human cognition. The paper shows that many important properties of rough set theory do not depend on the transitivity property but can be achieved with this weaker cognitively motivated property, opening the way for new applications of the theory in domains such as volunteered geographic information.
Simulation as Part of Discharge Teaching for Parents of Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Background Simulation has become accepted as a method to increase confidence among healthcare professionals. We felt simulation might have similar benefits for parents of babies about to be discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit. Purpose We developed the Neonatal Home Environment Learning Program to promote parental confidence in anticipation of their infant's discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit. Methods This evaluation study was conducted with 15 mother/father dyads. Each participant recorded a self-perceived confidence score before and after the simulation experience. Participants also completed a program evaluation and participated in a debriefing session. Confidence scores (pre- and postsimulation) and evaluation scores were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Responses from the debriefing sessions were analyzed using descriptive phenomenology. Results Parents rated the simulation experience highly. During debriefings, parents shared that the simulation made them feel more prepared. Two themes emerged from the debriefing data: doing it alone was different than I expected and feeling more confident. Clinical implications A simulation experience for parents helps to ensure a positive transition to home and safe, effective care after discharge of the infant.
Generation of an Orthogonal Protein–Protein Interface with a Noncanonical Amino Acid

We have engineered the protein interface of the Escherichia coli chorismate mutase (EcCM) homodimer to be dependent on incorporation of a noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) at residue 72. The large hydrophobic amino acid p-benzoyl phenylalanine (pBzF) was substituted for Tyr72, which led to a catalytically inactive protein. A library of five residues (Leu25′, Arg29′, Leu76, Ile80′ and Asp83′) surrounding pBzF72 was generated and subjected to a growth based selection in a chorismate mutase deficient strain. An EcCM variant (Phe25′, pBzF72, Thr76, Gly80′ and Tyr83′) forms a stable homodimer, has catalytic activity similar to the wild type enzyme, and unfolds with a Tm of 53 °C. The X-ray crystal structure reveals a pi–pi stacking and hydrogen bonding interactions that stabilize the new protein interface. The strategy described here should be useful for generating organisms that are dependent on the presence of a ncAA for growth.
A miniature 800–1100-MHz tunable filter with high-Q ceramic coaxial resonators and commercial RF-MEMS tunable digital capacitors

This paper presents the design and characterization of a miniaturized tunable bandpass filter utilizing high-Q ceramic coaxial resonators and commercially available RF-MEMS tunable digital capacitors. A proof-of-concept 2-pole tunable filter occupying only 10 × 10 mm2 is demonstrated with a frequency tuning range of 800–1100 MHz and bandwidth tuning range of 6–13%.
Floral traits influencing plant attractiveness to three bee species: Consequences for plant reproductive success.

Premise of the study The ability to attract pollinators is crucial to plants that rely on insects for pollination. We contrasted the roles of floral display size and flower color in attracting three bee species and determined the relationships between plant attractiveness (number of pollinator visits) and seed set for each bee species. Methods We recorded pollinator visits to plants, measured plant traits, and quantified plant reproductive success. A zero-inflated Poisson regression model indicated plant traits associated with pollinator attraction. It identified traits that increased the number of bee visits and traits that increased the probability of a plant not receiving any visits. Different components of floral display size were examined and two models of flower color contrasted. Relationships between plant attractiveness and seed set were determined using regression analyses. Key results Plants with more racemes received more bee visits from all three bee species. Plants with few racemes were more likely not to receive any bee visits. The role of flower color varied with bee species and was influenced by the choice of the flower color model. Increasing bee visits increased seed set for all three bee species, with the steepest slope for leafcutting bees, followed by bumble bees, and finally honey bees. Conclusions Floral display size influenced pollinator attraction more consistently than flower color. The same plant traits affected the probability of not being visited and the number of pollinator visits received. The impact of plant attractiveness on female reproductive success varied, together with pollinator effectiveness, by pollinator species.
Immunobiology and Intraperitoneal Immunobiologics in Ovarian Cancer

Advances continue to be made in tumor immunology and in strategies to integrate the growing number of bioimmunotherapeutic molecules into the treatment of ovarian cancer, as well as other malignancies. Extensive studies have provided support for antigen-driven T-cell activation in vivo. The number of known tumor antigen epitopes is expanding, although advances in this area remain behind that of melanoma. Evidence suggests that the tumor environment is contributing to a state of in vivo immunosuppression; however, in vitro experiments and laboratory correlative studies also show that immune suppressor activity might be reversible. These findings could lead to new approaches, such as the use of antibodies or cytokines to overcome the immunosuppressive effects, in addition to the more established surgical and chemotherapeutic debulking.
Effects of interface roughness on cohesive strength of self-assembled monolayers

Abstract Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are aggregates of small molecular chains that have the property to form highly ordered assemblies. The choice of terminal groups on the chains makes them excellent contenders of molecular-level tailoring. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and experimental observations of spallation of two SAM-enhanced gold-film/silicon-substrate interfaces have shown that the cohesive strength of SAM-enriched transfer-printed interfaces is strongly dependent on the choice of terminal groups. Though the MD results of perfectly ordered atomistic surfaces show the same qualitative trend as the experiments, they over-predict the interfacial cohesive strengths by a factor of about 50. Results from AFM studies have revealed that the roughness of these interfaces is of the same order (∼1 nm) as the range of atomistic interactions. Hence, surface roughness is a key contributor in significantly reducing interfacial cohesive strength in these systems. In this manuscript, a continuum-level study is performed to investigate the influence of surface roughness on the cohesive strength of the interface between a Si/SAM substrate and a transfer-printed gold film. We approximate the film as a deformable continuum interacting with a rough substrate of SAMs represented by a harmonic function. Using a cohesive law derived from MD, spallation is simulated to evaluate the effective traction-separation characteristics for the rough SAM–gold interface. Our analysis shows that incorporating roughness may reduce the interfacial cohesive strength by an order of magnitude depending on the film properties and the surface roughness. Additionally, we observe that the gold film adopts unique separation attributes based on roughness parameters and material properties.
Topological phase transition underpinning particle-hole symmetry in the Halperin-Lee-Read theory

Long wavelength descriptions of a half-filled lowest Landau level ($\ensuremath{\nu}=1/2$) must be consistent with the experimental observation of particle-hole (PH) symmetry. The traditional description of the $\ensuremath{\nu}=1/2$ state pioneered by Halperin, Lee, and Read (HLR) naively appears to break PH symmetry. However, recent studies have shown that the HLR theory with weak quenched disorder can exhibit an emergent PH symmetry. We find that such inhomogeneous configurations of the $\ensuremath{\nu}=1/2$ fluid, when described by HLR mean-field theory, are tuned to a topological phase transition between an integer quantum Hall state and an insulator of composite fermions with a dc Hall conductivity ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{xy}^{(\mathrm{cf})}=\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}\frac{{e}^{2}}{h}$. Our observations help explain why the HLR theory exhibits PH symmetric dc response.
Orbital frontal cortex updates state-induced value change for decision-making.

As we go about our daily lives, we do not simply react to the world around us. Instead we build up mental representations of the world and use these to guide our behavior. For example, we know that if we are hungry we can go into the kitchen to get a slice of our favorite cake. But we also adapt our behavior when circumstances change. If you have just eaten an entire box of cookies you are unlikely to go looking for cake. Which parts of the brain help us to adapt our decisions to reflect our circumstances? To find out, Baltz et al. trained mice to press levers in order to receive sugar water. In initial experiments the mice completed the training while not hungry. Afterward, some of the mice were placed on a diet that made them hungry. A re-exposure period then occurred where the mice could taste more sugar water without having to press the lever. Finally, the next day, they were given the opportunity to press the levers again. Mice that were hungry during the re-exposure period pressed the levers more than mice that had been re-exposed while full. Further experiments showed that this was true regardless of how hungry the mice were when they first learned the task. The mice updated how much they valued the sugar water – and so changed how eagerly they tried to obtain it – based on how hungry they were during the re-exposure period. Baltz et al. repeated the experiments, but this time blocked the activity of a brain region called the orbitofrontal cortex in the mice during the re-exposure period. This prevented the mice from updating how much they valued the sugar, and so they did not adjust their behavior accordingly. If hungry mice had performed the first training stage when they were full, they pressed the levers less often than expected after the re-exposure period. Likewise, full mice who had trained when they were hungry pressed on the lever more times, as if they were still hungry. This suggests that the orbitofrontal cortex helps to update the values that guide decision-making. There are many disorders that can impair decision-making and prevent people from adjusting their behavior when circumstances change. These include addiction, in which affected individuals also show altered activity in their orbitofrontal cortex. This raises the possibility that in the future we may be able to treat disorders like addiction by restoring normal activity in this region of the brain.
gp96 and Tumor Immunity

The focus of this commentary is gp96, the endoplasmic reticulum Hsp90 chaperone, its interactions with the innate and adaptive immune system, and how these interactions contribute to tumor immunity. The goal of this commentary, as embodied in the (paraphrased) quote from Aristotle, is to examine the “how do we know it.” And to avoid any errors of assumption, “it” is the hypothesis that gp96 associates with the antigenic peptide repertoire of the cell, a hypothesis that, if correct, identifies gp96 as a universal cross-presentation antigen.
Advances in electrochemical and optical polyion sensing: A review

Abstract Electrochemical and optical sensing of polyions were first introduced in the early to mid 1990s via the development and study of the first heparin-sensitive potentiometric and optical polyion sensors. Since then, the number of reports relating to electrochemical and optical polyion sensing technologies have grown substantially. Both biologically and industrially relevant polyions can be detected using these methods. This paper provides an overview of key accomplishments with respect to polyion sensor-based technologies over the past 25+ years. A summary of the basic designs and sensing principles of single-use/fully reversible polymeric membrane-type potentiometric polyion sensors, voltammetric polyion-sensitive electrodes, and single-use polyion-sensitive optodes is provided. The expansion of polyion sensing to more industrial and cosmetic polyions (i.e., polyquaterniums) is also discussed. Lastly, potential new directions/applications are provided for electrochemical and optical polyion sensors based on all-solid-contact designs (for electrochemical) and paper-based sensing devices (both electrochemical and optical).
Clostridioides difficile-Associated Diarrhea: Infection Prevention Unknowns and Evolving Risk Reduction Strategies

New controversies in the diagnosis and prevention of Clostridiodes difficile are challenging and at times changing infection control practice at many medical centers. Molecular epidemiologic studies are changing our understanding of C. difficile and its spectrum of disease. C. difficile as a hospital-acquired infection is likely largely overdiagnosed given overly sensitive molecular testing and widespread colonization of ill or debilitated patients. Clostridiodes difficile infection continues to challenge infection prevention programs. Shifts in our understanding of the epidemiology of this organism and its spectrum of clinical presentations are changing the approach to prevention efforts. Nevertheless, cleanliness of the healthcare environment and antimicrobial stewardship remain core risk reduction strategies. Other strategies such as screening and isolation are inciting controversy. The optimal infection prevention strategies for C. difficile remain the subject of intense study and debate.
The influece of probucol on hs-CRP and BMP-7 in serum of patients with diabetic nephropathy

Objective To study the influece of probucol on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP) and bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) in serum of patients with diabetic nephropathy.Methods 124 patients with diabetic nephropathy were randomly divided into two groups,the control group (n =62 cases) and the observation group(n =62 cases).The patients of the control group were treated through the conventional treatment.However,the patients of the observation group were treated by probucol on the basis of conventional treatment.They were treated for eight weeks.The 24-hour urinary protein,hs-CRP and BMP-7 were detected before and after treatment.Results The 24-hour urinary proteins were decreased in both two groups after treatment (t =6.161,5.23,P ＜ 0.01).There was significant difference between two groups(t =5.35,P ＜ 0.05).The hs-CRP and BMP-7 were improved after treatment (t =10.50,5.54,all P ＜ 0.05),while those of the observation group were more significantly improved than those of the control group(t =10.28,4.36,all P＜0.05).Conclusion Probucol could improve the conditions of diabetic nephropathy which was through improving hs-CRP and BMP-7. Key words: Diabetic nephropathy; Probucol; C-reactive protein; Bone morphogenetic proteins
Rip Current Hazard Analysis

Zhang, K.; Zhang, M.C.; Leatherman, S.B., and Leatherman, S.P., 2020. Rip current hazard analysis. In: Malvarez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 969–973. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The effect of rip currents on swimmers was analyzed based on the drag force acting on swimmers and the power they need to generate to overcome the drag force. The drag force and power increase quadratically and cubically, respectively, with increase of rip current and swimming speeds. An additional 50% increase in rip current speed above swimmer's speed results in a 125% increase in drag force, requiring a 238% increase in power by the swimmer to overcome the additional drag. Hence, even rip currents of low velocity can be dangerous and swimming against the current should be avoided.
A Human-centered Perspective on Interactive Optimization for Extreme Event Decision Making

Recent work on the topic of Interactive Optimization has explored opportunities for exploiting human perceptual and cognitive capabilities within frameworks traditionally associated with mathematical optimization. We flip this perspective in order to consider these same basic issues from a human-centered perspective: that is, we identify the opportunities (and challenges) for exploiting methods associated with mathematical optimization models within a framework of human decision making capabilities, as exemplified by complex, dynamic, and ill-structured problems.The paper examines these issues through the lens of Extreme Event (XE) decision making, where XE are defined as events that are rare and severe and create deep changes in society and are rapidly occurring and must be addressed through careful planning but also ingenuity, with little to no opportunity for revisiting prior decisions. Given this reframing, a human centered taxonomy of opportunities for supporting XE decision making is taken as a starting point. In contrast are cast three different methodological approaches to Interactive Optimization, leading to a discussion of the potential of these approaches to supporting XE decision making. The paper concludes with a discussion of prospects and challenges for future work in this area.
Coagulopathy as a Surrogate of Severity of Injury in Penetrating Brain Injury

Penetrating brain injury (PBI) is the most devastating type of traumatic brain injury. Development of coagulopathy in the acute setting of PBI, though common, remains of unclear significance as doe...
The hierarchical structure of error-related negativities elicited from affective and social stimuli and their relations to personality traits

Psychophysiological measures have become increasingly accessible to researchers and many have properties that indicate their use as individual difference indicators. For example, the error-related negativity (ERN), an event-related potential (ERP) thought to reflect error-monitoring processes, has been related to individual differences, such as Neuroticism and Conscientiousness traits. Although various tasks have been used to elicit the ERN, only a few studies have investigated its variability across tasks when examining the relations between the ERN and personality traits. In this project, we examined the relations of the ERN elicited from four variants of the Flanker task (Arrow, Social, Unpleasant, and Pleasant) that were created to maximize the differences in their relevance to personality traits. A sample of 93 participants with a history of treatment for psychopathology completed the four tasks as well as self-report measures of the general and maladaptive five-factor model (FFM) traits. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) of ERN amplitudes indicated that three of the four tasks (Arrow, Social, and Unpleasant) were unidimensional. Another set of CFAs indicated that a general factor underlies the ERN elicited from all tasks as well as unique task-specific variances. The correlations of estimated latent ERN scores and personality traits did not reflect the hypothesized correlation patterns. Variability across tasks and the hierarchical model of the ERN may aid in understanding psychopathology dimensions and in informing future endeavors integrating the psychophysiological methods into the study of personality. Recommendations for future research on psychophysiological indicators as individual differences are discussed.
White Fear, White Flight, the Rules of Racial Standing and Whiteness as Property: Why Two Critical Race Theory Constructs are Better Than One:

Despite earning the highest grade point average (GPA) in her graduating class at the recently integrated Cleveland High School (CHS) in Cleveland, Mississippi, Ms. Jasmine Shepard, an African-Ameri...
Delayed-Onset ADA1 (ADA) Deficiency Not Detected by TREC Screen

A 9-month-old boy presented to a community pediatrician with a recent history of failure to thrive. Workup revealed neutropenia and lymphopenia. Subsequent admission for fever and pneumonia revealed an absolute neutrophil count of 860 and absolute lymphocyte count of 214. Lymphopenia affected all lymphocyte subsets and his naive and memory CD4+ T-cell ratio was inverted for age. Immunoglobulin levels were normal for age, and tetanus and diphtheria antibody titers were protective. The profound lymphopenia raised suspicion for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), despite a normal newborn screening by T-cell receptor excision circle analysis. He did not have a previous history of recurrent fevers or infections, had attended day care, and had received all age-appropriate vaccines. He subsequently was diagnosed with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, adenovirus upper respiratory infection, and rotaviral diarrhea. An enzyme assay revealed absent adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity and elevated erythrocyte deoxyadenosine nucleotides. With genetic sequencing, 2 pathogenic variants in the ADA gene were confirmed. Acute management of ADA-SCID is aimed at restoration of enzyme activity, followed by curative therapy. The patient is currently on immunoglobulin therapy and recombinant ADA (Revcovi), with an excellent immune response, while awaiting sibling hematopoietic cell transplant from a matched sibling. Hypomorphic ADA variants can present with delayed-onset SCID, and some of these patients are missed by SCID newborn screening. A careful review of a complete blood cell count might offer clues and promote confirmatory diagnostic investigation.
A Test of the Millisecond Magnetar Central Engine Model of Gamma-Ray Bursts with Swift Data

A rapidly spinning, strongly magnetized neutron star (magnetar) has been proposed as one possible candidate of the central engine of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We systematically analyze the Swift/XRT light curves of long GRBs detected before 2013 August, and characterize them into four categories based on how likely they may harbor a magnetar central engine: Gold, Silver, Aluminum, and Non-magnetar. We also independently analyze the data of short GRBs with a putative magnetar central engine. We then perform a statistical study of various properties of the magnetar samples and the non-magnetar sample, and investigate whether the data are consistent with the hypothesis that there exist two types of central engines. By deriving the physical parameters of the putative magnetars, we find that the observations of the Gold and Silver samples are generally consistent with the predictions of the magnetar model. For a reasonable beaming factor for long GRBs, the derived magnetar surface magnetic field Bp and initial spin period P 0 fall into the reasonable range. Magnetar winds in short GRBs, on the other hand, are consistent with being isotropic. No GRB in the magnetar sample has a beam-corrected total energy exceeding the maximum energy budget defined by the initial spin energy of the magnetar, while some non-magnetar GRBs do violate such a limit. With beaming correction, on average the non-magnetar sample is more energetic and luminous than the magnetar samples. Our analysis hints that millisecond magnetars are likely operating in a good fraction, but probably not all, GRBs.
Prospective genomic surveillance reveals cryptic MRSA outbreaks with local to international origins among NICU patients

Abstract MRSA infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in neonates. Clinical testing and routine surveillance screening identified an increase in neonates with MRSA colonization and infection which triggered prospective genomic surveillance. Here we show the complex transmission dynamics of MRSA in a NICU setting. Analyses revealed concurrent transmission chains affecting 16 of 22 MRSA-colonized patients (68%), and 3.1% of all NICU patients (n=517). Prematurity and longer lengths of stay increased risks for colonization. Intervals of up to 7 months occurred among some cluster-related isolates. 3 of 22 MRSA-colonized patients developed invasive infections with the colonizing strain. Comparisons with 21,521 isolates in the NCBI Pathogen Detection Resource revealed NICU strains to be distinct from MRSA seen locally and internationally. Integration of international strain datasets in analyses increased the resolution of strain clusters and helped rule-out suspected transmission events. Analyses also identified sequence type 1535 isolates, emergent in the Middle East, carrying a unique SCCmec with fusC and aac(6’)-Ie/aph(2’’)-1a that provided a multi-drug resistant phenotype. NICU genomic surveillance identified cryptic MRSA colonization events, including NICU-endemic strains not linked with local hospital or international clusters, and has rich potential to guide improvements in infection prevention for this vulnerable patient population.
A Half-Century (1970-2020) of the Social Scientific Study of Jewry: Reflections and Projections on Past, Present, and Future.

I begin with a tribute to my professors at Gratz College and Temple University in Philadelphia (1960–1966), at Hebrew University and Hayim Greenberg College in Jerusalem (1962–1963), and at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis (1966–1969), as well as to my colleagues and co-authors; and I follow with five substantive points: Finally, I end with a personal tribute to my family and finish with a quote from the Talmud. “Scholars increase peace in the world,” and conclude with this praise: “To scholars and to peace!”
Logical Majorana fermions for fault-tolerant quantum simulation

We show how to absorb fermionic quantum simulation's expensive fermion-to-qubit mapping overhead into the overhead already incurred by surface-code-based fault-tolerant quantum computing. The key idea is to process information in surface-code twist defects, which behave like logical Majorana fermions. Our approach implements a universal set of fault-tolerant gates on these logical Majorana fermions by effecting encoded measurement-based topological quantum computing with them. A critical feature of our approach is the use of code deformations between logical tetron and logical hexon surface-code-patch encodings, which enables one to move beyond the limitations of a wholly square-patch tetronic surface-code approach. To motivate near-term implementations, we also show how one could realize each of a universal set of logical Majorana gates on a small-scale testbed using noisy intermediate scale quantum (NISQ) technology on as few as 13 qubits.
Analysis of Fracture Incidence in 135 Patients With Pregnancy and Lactation Osteoporosis (PLO)

Pregnancy and lactation-related osteoporosis (PLO) is the development of osteoporosis in a premenopausal woman, usually in the third trimester of pregnancy or puerperium. The hormonal changes that allow for the maternal-fetal calcium gradient may be the underlying cause for bone loss, but it is not currently known why some women are affected so severely. Because osteoporosis does not cause symptoms until the condition is advanced, diagnosis is usually made upon the development of an osteoporotic fracture or incidentally when imaging is performed for other reasons. Spontaneous recovery is common once lactation is discontinued, as the underlying hormonal factors that caused the osteoporosis revert to the pre-pregnancy state. We used the research database TriNetX (TriNetX, LLC, Cambridge, MA) to perform a query selecting women between the ages of 10 and 50 years old who experienced an osteoporotic fracture within 12 months of pregnancy. We analyzed the cohort of patients to determine the incidence of fractures at different skeletal locations and evaluated the medications that were utilized in the patients who received treatment.
Quantum systems on non-k-hyperfinite complexes: a generalization of classical statistical mechanics on expander graphs

We construct families of cell complexes that generalize expander graphs. These families are called non-k-hyperfinite, generalizing the idea of a non-hyperfinite (NH) family of graphs. Roughly speaking, such a complex has the property that one cannot remove a small fraction of points and be left with an object that looks k - 1-dimensional at large scales. We then consider certain quantum systems on these complexes. A future goal is to construct a family of Hamiltonians such that every low energy state has topological order as part of an attempt to prove the quantum PCP conjecture. This goal is approached by constructing a toric code Hamiltonian with the property that every low energy state without vertex defects has topological order, a property that would not hold for any local system in any lattice Zd or indeed on any 1-hyperfinite complex. Further, such NH complexes find application in quantum coding theory. The hypergraph product codes[1] of Tillich and Zemor are generalized using NH complexes.
A variational approach for approximating Bayesian networks by edge deletion

We consider in this paper the formulation of approximate inference in Bayesian networks as a problem of exact inference on an approximate network that results from deleting edges (to reduce treewidth). We have shown in earlier work that deleting edges calls for introducing auxiliary network parameters to compensate for lost dependencies, and proposed intuitive conditions for determining these parameters. We have also shown that our earlier method corresponds to Iterative Belief Propagation (IBP) when enough edges are deleted to yield a polytree, and corresponds to some generalizations of IBP when fewer edges are deleted. In this paper, we propose a different criteria for determining auxiliary parameters based on optimizing the KL-divergence between the original and approximate networks. We discuss the relationship between the two methods for selecting parameters, shedding new light on IBP and its generalizations. We also discuss the application of our new method to approximating inference problems which are exponential in constrained treewidth, including MAP and nonmyopic value of information.
The Jacobi Eigenvalue Criterion: A Dynamic Extension and Stability Theorem

Abstract The Jacobi Eigenvalue criterion is a recently developed, steady state, scaling independent tool for the selection of variable pairing for multiloop control systems (Mijares et al., 1986). This criterion is based on the Jacobi Iteration method for solving sets of linear equations or obtaining the inverse of a matrix. A dynamic extension of the Jacobi Eigenvalue criterion which consists in evaluating the spectral radius of the Jacobi Iteration matrix in the frequency range of interest is presented. The Jacobi Eigenvalue criterion is inherently a diagonal dominance measure, and as such, is readily applied to develop an extension of Rosenbrock's Nyquist stability theorem. The extended Jacobi Eigenvalue criterion is then compared to different interaction and weak coupling measures used for design of decentralized control structures which are based on conditions for generalized diagonal dominance and H-matrices. Two examples are used to illustrate the use of the Jacobi Eigenvalue criterion and its relationship with the other weak coupling measures.
Mitchell, Silas Weir

Silas Weir Mitchell (1829–1914) was a preeminent American neurologist of the nineteenth century. He made seminal contributions to our understanding of the symptomatology and consequences of injuries of peripheral nerves, and produced classic descriptions of associated clinical syndromes including causalgia. His expertise in nerve injuries was a direct product of his experience with Civil War casualties. His clinical work during that war facilitated the creation of the first specialized hospitals in America devoted to the treatment of patients with neurological injuries, which in turn played an important role in the subsequent development of neurology as a medical specialty. Mitchell also pioneered therapeutical approaches to the treatment of ‘neurasthenia,’ including the rest cure, and wrote popular books on health for the lay public. Mitchell was a talented experimental physiologist who also made important contributions to the study of snake venoms, reptile toxins, and neurotoxins such as curare. He was also one of the most widely read novelists of his era.
BWM*: A Novel, Provable, Ensemble-based Dynamic Programming Algorithm for Sparse Approximations of Computational Protein Design

Sparse energy functions that ignore long range interactions between residue pairs are frequently used by protein design algorithms to reduce computational cost. Current dynamic programming algorithms that fully exploit the optimal substructure produced by these energy functions only compute the GMEC. This disproportionately favors the sequence of a single, static conformation and overlooks better binding sequences with multiple low-energy conformations. Provable, ensemble-based algorithms such as A* avoid this problem, but A* cannot guarantee better performance than exhaustive enumeration. We propose a novel, provable, dynamic programming algorithm called Branch-Width Minimization* (BWM*) to enumerate a gap-free ensemble of conformations in order of increasing energy. Given a branch-decomposition of branch-width w for an n-residue protein design with at most q discrete side-chain conformations per residue, BWM* returns the sparse GMEC in O([Formula: see text]) time and enumerates each additional conformation in merely O([Formula: see text]) time. We define a new measure, Total Effective Search Space (TESS), which can be computed efficiently a priori before BWM* or A* is run. We ran BWM* on 67 protein design problems and found that TESS discriminated between BWM*-efficient and A*-efficient cases with 100% accuracy. As predicted by TESS and validated experimentally, BWM* outperforms A* in 73% of the cases and computes the full ensemble or a close approximation faster than A*, enumerating each additional conformation in milliseconds. Unlike A*, the performance of BWM* can be predicted in polynomial time before running the algorithm, which gives protein designers the power to choose the most efficient algorithm for their particular design problem.
Method in Comparative Constitutional Law: A Comment on Law and Versteeg

This is a response to D.S. Law & M. Versteeg, “The Declining Influence of the United States Constitution” (2012) 87 New York University Law Review 762. Of the many questions raised by Law & Versteeg’s important article, I want to focus on two. First, as a methodological matter, do they measure constitutional convergence and divergence in the right way? Second, what is the relationship between quantitative, large-n work of the genre represented by Law and Versteeg’s article and small-n, qualitative work that has hitherto been the favored methodological approach in comparative constitutional law and politics?
Fast and guaranteed tensor decomposition via sketching

Tensor CANDECOMP/PARAFAC (CP) decomposition has wide applications in statistical learning of latent variable models and in data mining. In this paper, we propose fast and randomized tensor CP decomposition algorithms based on sketching. We build on the idea of count sketches, but introduce many novel ideas which are unique to tensors. We develop novel methods for randomized computation of tensor contractions via FFTs, without explicitly forming the tensors. Such tensor contractions are encountered in decomposition methods such as tensor power iterations and alternating least squares. We also design novel colliding hashes for symmetric tensors to further save time in computing the sketches. We then combine these sketching ideas with existing whitening and tensor power iterative techniques to obtain the fastest algorithm on both sparse and dense tensors. The quality of approximation under our method does not depend on properties such as sparsity, uniformity of elements, etc. We apply the method for topic modeling and obtain competitive results.
Versatile Low-cost Modular Microfluidic Arrays for Cancer Diagnostics

Accurate, sensitive, multiplexed detection of biomarker proteins in serum and tissue holds significant promise for personalized cancer diagnostics and therapy monitoring. Here we describe fabrication details of a modular microfluidic system featuring a small chamber for on-line protein capture from serum by magnetic beads, positioned upstream of a nanostructured multi-sensor array chamber to achieve high sensitivity for up to eight proteins, with the ability to expand to many more proteins. Microfluidic chambers are made by templating PDMS channels on machined aluminum molds to avoid lithography, and mounted in hard plastic housings equipped with inlet and outlet lines and interfaced with valves. Gold immunoarrays fabricated by screen or ink-jet printing, or wet chemical etching of gold films utilize amperometry or electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection. These arrays are interfaced with microfluidics to achieve well-controlled mass transport leading to excellent signal/noise and unprecedented sensitivities. With interest in low cost point of care (POC) systems, we developed a module to also facilitate automated microfluidic reagent and sample delivery utilizing an open source microcontroller and micropumps, with ECL detection by camera.