cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A scatter model for parallel and converging beam SPECT based on the Klein-Nishina formula

A scatter model is proposed for parallel-, fan-, and cone-beam SPECT imaging. In this model, a photon is allowed to be scattered only once, and the probability of scatter for given angle and energy is computed by using the Klein-Nishina formula. The detector is assumed to have perfect energy resolution. The scatter counts are computed for every projection bin. From the scatter counts, the scatter line source response function and scatter-to-primary ratio (SPR) are obtained. They agree well with those from Monte Carlo (MC) simulation including only single scattering, but deviate from those from full MC simulation including both single and multiple scattering. The deviation depends on the source depth within the medium. For a source depth of 6 cm, the difference of the scatter-to-primary ratio between the model and full MC simulation is less than 7%, while for a 21.6 cm source depth, the difference goes up to 27% for parallel-beam geometry and 32% for cone-beam geometry. Since scatter accounts for 20-40% of the total counts in most clinical studies, the scatter model yields a SPR accuracy that ranges from 3% to 12%. The scatter model provides an effective means to estimate the scatter response with reasonable accuracy, and can be used in developing scatter compensation techniques in parallel- and converging-beam SPECT. >
Metacognitive instruction in L2 French: An analysis of listening performance and automaticity

The goal of the present study was to investigate the instructional potential of metacognitive strategies to improve listening comprehension and the automaticity of listening processes. A pretest—treatment—posttest design was adopted and used in seven sections of second-semester French. Differences were found based on initial listening proficiency and metacognitive awareness: low proficiency learners in both conditions outperformed all high-proficiency learners in listening gains over time. Initial level of metacognitive awareness had a significant impact on gains in listening performance: learners in the experimental group who began the study with low metacognitive awareness achieved higher gains in listening. These results indicate that the initial level of metacognitive awareness has a differential impact on listening comprehension gains, supporting the idea that increasing metacognition can help learners to improve listening skills.
Non-Constituent Coordination, Wrapping, and Multimodal Categorial Grammars

When contemporary categorial grammar is viewed as a theory of natural language syntax and semantics, the feature which most distinguishes it methodologically from other current linguistic theories is its assumption that (‘surface’) syntactic form is logical form, i.e. that no other significant levels of analysis (‘LF’, F-structure, etc.) need be appealed to to yield an adequate semantics from the syntax. Empirically, one of this theory’s very distinctive achievements in syntax has been a successful analysis of so-called non-constituent coordination, a construction which has resisted an analysis that is adequate in both semantics and syntax in any other theory (Steedman, 1985; Dowty, 1985[1988]). However, these two important features have appeared to come into irresolvable conflict in a kind of analysis called ‘Wrapping’: this paper will show, among other things, that this conflict is only apparent.
The effect of simulated concrete pore solution composition and chlorides on the electronic properties of passive films on carbon steel rebar

Abstract Effects of simulated concrete pore solution composition, pH, and added chlorides on electronic properties of passive films on carbon steel rebar were investigated using Mott–Schottky (M–S) analysis. Passive films showed n-type semiconductive behavior with two discrete donor species and high donor densities. Deep donor densities increased with increasing passivation time. Less protective films resulted in lower space charge capacitances and lower flatband potentials. Sulfates had little influence on electronic properties. Chlorides caused a loss of linearity of M–S plots. This loss of linearity required higher chloride levels and longer exposure times to occur in higher pH solutions.
Delayed somite formation in a quail line exhibiting myofiber hyperplasia is accompanied by delayed expression of myogenic regulatory factors and myosin heavy chain

A myofiber hyperplastic quail line P has been developed through selection for heavy body weight. Since the number of muscle fibers is determined early in development and skeletal muscle originates from somites, we compared somite formation and muscle-specific gene expression in P- and control C-line quail embryos. At 47 hours of incubation, C embryos had 18 somite pairs and P embryos had 14.3. By 72 and 120 hours, both lines appeared to be at the same stage of somite development. To determine whether the delay in the formation of the brachial somites was accompanied by alterations in muscle-specific gene expression, we conducted whole-mount in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence studies. At 47 hours of incubation, C embryos were expressing qmf1 in the first 12 somites, while in P embryos only the first 7 somites showed qmf1 activation. Delays in expression were also observed for qmf3 at 43 hours and for all three myogenic factors (qmf1, qmf2 and qmf3) at 60 hours. At 65 hours, C embryos expressed myosin heavy chain in the first 15 somite pairs and P embryos in the first 7. At 72 hours, the transient delay in somite formation had disappeared and there was no lag in myosin heavy chain expression between the lines. The phase delay in brachial somite formation, myogenic factors and myosin heavy chain expression may be associated with the observed myofiber hyperplasia in P-line quail by allowing an increase in the muscle stem cell population.
UWA massive MIMO communications

Underwater acoustic (UWA) channels are characterized by low availability of bandwidth, large propagation delays and fast varying multipaths. The fast variation of multipaths, in particular, hampers the bandwidth efficiency of UWA channels, as a significant percentage of transmission resources should be allocated to pilots. The problem magnifies further in the case of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels as the number of pilots increases linearly with the number of transmitting transducers. This paper introduces the concept of massive MIMO (a technology that has recently been proposed as a candidate for 5G wireless communication systems) for UWA channels and shows that the choice of filter bank multicarrier (FBMC) modulation for transmission in a multicarrier system removes the need for pilots, hence achieves a high level of bandwidth efficiency.
Using Identity Theft To Teach Enterprise Risk Management Make It Personal

This article introduces an innovative way to teach the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Integrated Framework (as developed by COSO), while at the same time informs the student of a real personal risk -- identity theft. This example of assessing and managing a real risk will enhance the students understanding of risk management, thereby increasing the skill set of the student. The student who gains an understanding of the ERM concepts can then apply this tool to all of the disciplines of business. The ERM framework can be tailored to any discipline, as shown by the following examples: presented in connection with the Balanced Scorecard; evaluating different organizational strategies in a Business Policy class; case analysis in Management or Marketing (particularly a new product or new market); in an Auditing class with discussion of internal controls; in Finance to evaluate the decision to invest in derivatives or capital project, and in an Entrepreneurship class.
Sports in Which Men over Age Twenty Engage

(1939). Sports in Which Men over Age Twenty Engage. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 75-79.
A Managerial Approach to Macromarketing

The managerial approach, commonly used in micromarketing, can be systematically applied to the growing area of marketing management with macrosocietal responsibilities. This paper proposes a dual c...
Abstract B213: Pharmacokinetics (PK) and efficacy of axitinib in patients (pts) with sorafenib‐refractory metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC)

Background: Axitinib (AG‐013736) is an oral, potent, and selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1, 2, 3. The objectives of this analysis were to assess the impact of food, gender, race, weight, age, and disease status on axitinib PK and to explore the relationship between PK, diastolic blood pressure (dBP), and clinical efficacy in sorafenib‐refractory mRCC pts. A relationship has been previously reported in refractory mRCC pts. Methods: Pooled PK data were analyzed using nonlinear mixed‐effects modeling to estimate population PK parameters (mean and inter‐individual variability; Rixe et al. ASCO Annual Meeting 2009; abstract 5045). Efficacy data from sorafenib‐refractory mRCC pts (n=59) were included in the PK/pharmacodynamic analysis. Mean steady‐state area under the plasma concentration‐time curve (AUC) at the end of cycle 1 and dBP during axitinib therapy were utilized as predictors of clinical efficacy in the mRCC pts using logistic regression and Kaplan‐Meier survival analyses. Results: Median overall survival (OS) for sorafenib‐refractory mRCC pts with an AUC below the median (662 ng·hr/mL; n=29) was 42 weeks vs 84 weeks (P Conclusions: Increased exposure to axitinib and dBP ≥90 mmHg during axitinib therapy are associated with greater probability of a PR and longer median OS in sorafenib‐refractory mRCC pts. These data support an ongoing, pivotal, phase III trial in previously‐treated mRCC that incorporates a dosetitration scheme based on patient tolerance and BP. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):B213.
Treatment of Intractable Ascites in Patients with Alcoholic Cirrhosis by Peritoneovenous Shunting (LeVeen)

Several hemodynamic abnormalities in the patient with cirrhosis comprise a unique distributive circulatory disturbance that causes intractable ascites and that is, in turn, worsened by the resulting ascites. Ascites is promptly alleviated by drainage of the ascitic fluid into the intravascular compartment. The circulatory abnormalities improve in part because of elimination of the ascites, and also because of a compensatory hypervolemia. The consequences of the latter, especially in the immediate postoperative period, are increased likelihood of pulmonary edema and of gastrointestinal bleeding from heightened portal vein pressure. Postoperative coagulopathy is also a significant problem. Careful selection of patients for the procedure, close postoperative observation and vigorous use of diuretics and other agents will usually enable these complications to be obviated or successfully treated. Increases in body muscle and fat masses and serum albumin concentrations indicate nutritional improvement. Despite evidence of benefits from the procedure, these patients continue to die from the complications that threaten other cirrhotics: effects of return to alcoholism, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, recurrent infections and intestinal obstruction. Thus, it is not yet clear that the benefits include prolongation of life.
Epidemiological Analysis of Hand,Foot and Mouth disease in Suining City during 2009-2010

[Objective]To understand the epidemic trend of hand,foot and mouth disease(HFMD),and provide evidence for developing control measures. [Methods]The descriptive epidemiology was adopted to analyze the epidemiological data of HFMD. [Results]The annual average reported incidence of HFMD was 30.40/100 000 from 2009 to 2010,and the statistical significance was observed between years(P0.05).The incidence rate of HFMD for male and female was 37.85/100 000 and 22.60/ 100 000(P0.01),the ratio of them was 1.76 ∶ 1.The proportion of incidence was 47.16% in April to May.It was 72.60% and 23.60% for scattered children and kindergarten children,respectively.The significant difference was observed between the different areas(P0.01).The proportion of incidence was 76.61% for children aged 1~3 years. [Conclusion]The measures following up should base on the epidemic characteristics of HFMD and focus on the health promotion and health education on kindergartens,the strengthening of disease reporting,grasping the epidemic trends,doing well in health emergency processing to effectively control the epidemic of HFMD.
Cooperation Through Education: How Southern West Bank, Palestine, Can Be Developed Through Agricultural Engineering

Development in the third world is greatly dependant on assistance and cooperation with developed counties. Agricultural engineering can play an important role in the educational, economical and social development of under developed countries in the world due to the nature of work that requires interaction with local people. In this paper, background information is presented about Palestine and Southern West Bank. In addition, many on-going long-term development projects in Southern West Bank are presented as examples of cooperation. Regional and international cooperation in the field of agricultural engineering are shown to be important tools that would lead to the training of Palestinians and to the transferring of knowledge and technology. It is suggested here that this cooperation would lead to interaction and building of tolerance between nations that in turn would be one of the factors that would lead to sustainable just peace in the Middle East.
Chapter B5 Brain Tissues

The brain is organized into the cerebrum, brain stem, and cerebellum. The cerebrum consists of two cerebral hemispheres, basal ganglia, and the diencephalon. The hemispheres contain the cerebral cortex and underlying white matter, and are associated with higher order functioning, including memory, cognition, and fine motor control. The basal ganglia, contained within the hemispheres, controls gross motor function. The diencephalon is much smaller than the cerebrum, contains the thalamus and hypothalamus, and is associated with relaying sensory information and controlling the autonomic nervous system. The brainstem contains the mesencephalon, pons and the medulla oblangata. The smallest segment of the brain, the mesencephalon, is located below the diencephalon and is thought to play a role in consciousness. Muscle activation, tone and equilibrium is controlled in the pons and cerebellum located below the mesencephalon, and respiratory and cardiac processes are governed by the medulla oblongata, located directly beneath the pons.
High-Risk Human Papillomavirus E7 Proteins Target PTPN14 for Degradation.

ABSTRACT The major transformation activity of the high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV) is associated with the E7 oncoprotein. The interaction of HPV E7 with retinoblastoma family proteins is important for several E7 activities; however, this interaction does not fully account for the high-risk E7-specific cellular immortalization and transformation activities. We have determined that the cellular non-receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPN14 interacts with HPV E7 from many genus alpha and beta HPV types. We find that high-risk genus alpha HPV E7, but not low-risk genus alpha or beta HPV E7, is necessary and sufficient to reduce the steady-state level of PTPN14 in cells. High-risk E7 proteins target PTPN14 for proteasome-mediated degradation, which requires the ubiquitin ligase UBR4, and PTPN14 is degraded by the proteasome in HPV-positive cervical cancer cell lines. Residues in the C terminus of E7 interact with the C-terminal phosphatase domain of PTPN14, and interference with the E7-PTPN14 interaction restores PTPN14 levels in cells. Finally, PTPN14 degradation correlates with the retinoblastoma-independent transforming activity of high-risk HPV E7. IMPORTANCE High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV) are the cause of cervical cancer, some other anogenital cancers, and a growing fraction of oropharyngeal carcinomas. The high-risk HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins enable these viruses to cause cancer, and the mechanistic basis of their carcinogenic activity has been the subject of intense study. The high-risk E7 oncoprotein is especially important in the immortalization and transformation of human cells, which makes it a central component of HPV-associated cancer development. E7 oncoproteins interact with retinoblastoma family proteins, but for several decades, it has been recognized that high-risk HPV E7 oncoproteins have additional cancer-associated activities. We have determined that high-risk E7 proteins target the proteolysis of the cellular protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPN14 and find that this activity is correlated with the retinoblastoma-independent transforming activity of E7.
Distribution of boron in gamma iron grains

SpretnakThe distribution of boron in γ iron grains as a function of temperature is studied, employing three experimental techniques: a) grain growth in high purity Fe-C and Fe-C-B alloys, b) X-ray parameter measurements on Fe-B alloys as a function of temperature, and c) the metallographic test for the boron constituent. It is concluded that boron undergoes positive adsorption to γiron grain boundaries and that the temperature coefficient of adsorption is positive.
Privacy-Preserving Certification of Sustainability Metrics

Companies are often motivated to evaluate their environmental sustainability, and to make public pronouncements about their performance with respect to quantitative sustainability metrics. Public trust in these declarations is enhanced if the claims are certified by a recognized authority. Because accurate evaluations of environmental impacts require detailed information about industrial processes throughout a supply chain, protecting the privacy of input data in sustainability assessment is of paramount importance. We introduce a new paradigm, called privacy-preserving certification, that enables the computation of sustainability indicators in a privacy-preserving manner, allowing firms to be classified based on their individual performance without revealing sensitive information to the certifier, other parties, or the public. In this work, we describe different variants of the certification problem, highlight the necessary security requirements, and propose a provably-secure novel framework that performs the certification operations under the management of an authorized, yet untrusted, party without compromising confidential information.
AGGREGATION KINETICS VIA SMOLUCHOWSKI'S EQUATION

The use of Smoluchowski's coagulation equation to model aggregation phenomena is discussed. A computer simulation of 4096 aggregating particles on a lattice of 65536 sites is shown to be well described by Smoluchowski's equation with a constant coagulation kernel.
Toxicology of Sulfur Oxides

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the effect of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) on health. The toxicologically significant sulfur oxides are the gaseous SO 2 , produced primarily from combustion sources, and sulfuric acid and ammonium bisulfate, the secondarily derived particulate strongly acidic sulfates. Controlled clinical studies strongly suggest that asthmatics are more sensitive to SO 2 , responding with bronchoconstriction at much lower exposure levels than do normal individuals. Toxicologically, exposure to high levels of SO 2 are needed before there are significant changes in pulmonary defenses, but exposure to lower levels of acidic sulfates will alter mucociliary transport, alveolar clearance of particles, and airway reactivity, even in normal individuals. While the exact mechanisms underlying the toxicity of sulfur oxides are not known with certainty, the main response to SO 2, that is, bronchoconstriction, is because of contraction of airway smooth muscle via the parasympathetic reflex and/or following release of humoral mediators. This is probably due most directly to the bisulfite ion produced upon dissolution of SO 2 in airway fluids. On the other hand, the toxicity of acid sulfates is most likely because of the deposition of H + on airway surfaces, and it appears that a threshold exists for both the number of deposited acid particles as well as the mass concentration needed to produce any biological response.
A tool for teaching Petri nets

Petri nets are a notation used to model and analyze the behavior of concurrent and distributed systems. They are used in many applications such as work flow descriptions and, recently, in certain medical applications. This paper describes the development of a Petri net tool that is mainly intended to teach Petri nets to beginners. Consequently, the authors focused more on making the tool relatively simple to use yet sufficiently detailed to aid in understanding the important concepts of Petri nets. The tool was developed in Java and uses XML notation for storing the underlying representations; hence, it is easily portable to several platforms. The paper includes a simple case study on the model of a vending machine to illustrate the expressive power of the tool. A brief discussion on continuing work on the tool is also included.
Evolution of a Novel Robotic Training Curriculum in a Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship

Robotic surgery is increasingly being used for complex oncologic operations, although currently there is no standardized curriculum in place for surgical oncologists. We describe the evolution of a proficiency-based robotic training program implemented for surgical oncology fellows, and demonstrate the outcomes of the program. A 5-step robotic curriculum began integration in July 2013. Fellows from July 2013 to August 2017 were included. An education portfolio was created for each fellow, including pre-fellowship experience, fellowship experience with data from robotic curriculum and operative experience, and post-fellowship practice information. Of 30 fellows, 20% completed a prior fellowship, 97% trained at an academic residency, 57% had prior robotic training (median 5 h), and 43% had performed robotic surgery (median 0 cases). In fellowship, on average, fellows spent 5 h on the virtual reality curriculum and performed 19 biotissue anastomoses. For total surgeries, fellows operating from the console increased over time (p = 0.005). For pancreas, the average percentage of robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) steps completed increased (p < 0.011), as did the number of PDs in which the fellow completed the entire resection (p = 0.013). Fellows were 10 times more likely to complete the entire distal than PD from the console (p < 0.01). Post-fellowship, 83% of fellows obtained an academic position, 88% utilized robotics, and 91% performed pancreatic surgery. With dedicated training, fellows can safely primarily perform complex gastrointestinal robotic surgeries and, after graduation, take jobs incorporating this skill set. In this era of scrutiny on cost and outcomes, specialized training programs offer a safe integration option for complex technical skills.
Trans fatty acids linked to myocardial infarction and stroke: What is the evidence?

Abstract Consumption of industrially produced trans fatty acids (IP-TFAs) increases LDL cholesterol, either decreases or has no effect on HDL cholesterol, and increases markers of inflammation. Observational studies have shown that consumption of TFA produced by partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils (PHOs) is associated with increased mortality and incidence of MI and stroke rates. Regulatory initiatives to restrict PHOs to less than 2 g per day from food sources, along with concurrent initiatives to reduce tobacco exposure, have been associated with reduction in cardiovascular mortality and MI rates. What remains unknown is whether the consumption of amounts
Part II Commentary 3: Linking Spatial and Mathematical Thinking: The Search for Mechanism

A multitude of factors affect mathematics learning: motivation, anxiety, gender stereotypes, working memory, teacher practices, teacher knowledge, and many more. Recently, spatial thinking has emerged as one of these factors. This conclusion was based initially on concurrent correlations but is now also supported by longitudinal studies with controls for other determinants, such as verbal intelligence and executive function (e.g., Frick, 2018; Verdine, Golinkoff, Hirsh-Pasek, & Newcombe, 2017; Zhang & Lin, 2017). Even stronger evidence is beginning to emerge from randomized control experiments that can evaluate true causal relations, i.e., whether interventions to support spatial thinking have downstream effects on mathematical achievement in comparison with an appropriate control group. Not all randomized-control studies show positive results, but enough of them do to encourage optimism (see review in Newcombe, 2017).
Efficacy of a T Cell-Biased Adenovirus Vector as a Zika Virus Vaccine

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a major public health concern due to the risk of congenital Zika syndrome in developing fetuses and Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults. Currently, there are no approved vaccines available to protect against infection. Adenoviruses are safe and highly immunogenic vaccine vectors capable of inducing lasting humoral and cellular immune responses. Here, we developed two Adenovirus (Ad) vectored Zika virus vaccines by inserting a ZIKV prM-E gene expression cassette into human Ad types 4 (Ad4-prM-E) and 5 (Ad5-prM-E). Immune correlates indicate that Ad5-prM-E vaccination induces both an anti-ZIKV antibody and T-cell responses whereas Ad4-prM-E vaccination only induces a T-cell response. In a highly lethal challenge in an interferon α/β receptor knockout mice, 80% of Ad5 vaccinated animals and 33% of Ad4 vaccinated animals survived a lethal ZIKV challenge, whereas no animals in the sham vaccinated group survived. In an infection model utilizing immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice that were immunized and then treated with a blocking anti-IFNAR-1 antibody immediately before ZIKV challenge, 100% of Ad4-prM-E and Ad5-prM-E vaccinated mice survived. This indicates that Ad4-prM-E vaccination is protective without the development of detectable anti-ZIKV antibodies. The protection seen in these highly lethal mouse models demonstrate the efficacy of Ad vectored vaccines for use against ZIKV.
Multi Frequency Assessment of the Electrical Impedance Myography Parameters on 3D Malignant Breast

Electrical properties such as conductivity and permittivity of biological material have notable dependency on frequency. These frequency dependent changes in biomaterial properties can play a prominent role in impedance signature of Electrical Impedance Myography (EIM). EIM is a non-invasive painless four electrode measurement tool, measuring the impedance based on the response of the low amplitude alternating current. In this study, multifrequency Electrical impedance Myography assessment was performed using an applied range of frequencies for getting valuable insight of the biomaterials. In this paper, the objective of our study is to explore the effects of different sized malignant tumor in female breast tissue on the multi-frequency signature of EIM. In this study, a finite element model of a female breast has been developed based on electro-biophysical data for each malignant tissue within a frequency range of 2 GHz to 3 GHz and log frequency vs resistance and log frequency vs reactance of EIM have been analyzed for various sized tumor on breast. It is found that the slope of log reactance vs. frequency and resistance vs log frequency decrease with increasing tumor size. For instance, the percentage deviation of log reactance slope for 8 mm tumor and 6mm tumor from 2 mm (1mm radius) tumor size is 4.12% and 0.412% respectively. The study provides evidence that evaluation of the frequency dependent impedance data can provide rich assessment of the abnormal biological tissue.
Algorithmic Greenlining: An Approach to Increase Diversity

In contexts such as college admissions, hiring, and image search, decision-makers often aspire to formulate selection criteria that yield both high-quality and diverse results. However, simultaneously optimizing for quality and diversity can be challenging, especially when the decision-maker does not know the true quality of any criterion and instead must rely on heuristics and intuition. We introduce an algorithmic framework that takes as input a user's selection criterion, which may yield high-quality but homogeneous results. Using an application-specific notion of substitutability, our algorithms suggest similar criteria with more diverse results, in the spirit of statistical or demographic parity. For instance, given the image search query "chairman", it suggests alternative queries which are similar but more gender-diverse, such as "chairperson". In the context of college admissions, we apply our algorithm to a dataset of students' applications and rediscover Texas's "top 10% rule": the input criterion is an ACT score cutoff, and the output is a class rank cutoff, automatically accepting the students in the top decile of their graduating class. Historically, this policy has been effective in admitting students who perform well in college and come from diverse backgrounds. We complement our empirical analysis with learning-theoretic guarantees for estimating the true diversity of any criterion based on historical data.
Visual and Textual Representations in Exchanges between Europe and East Asia 16th–18th Centuries, edited by Luís Saraiva and Catherine Jami

We are overdue for an assessment of the broader role of cartography in early-modern exchanges in East Asia. These proceedings of a conference held at the Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, 7–9 November,...
Effect of Fiber Systems on Stiffness Properties of Chopped Fiber Reinforced Sheet Molding Compound Composites

The effect of such fiber characteristics as weight content, modulus, and density on the stiffness properties of a chopped fiber reinforced sheet molding compound (SMC) composite are analytically evaluated. Comparisons aremade among SMC composites reinforced by four commercially available fiber systems, glass, Kevlar, carbon, and high-modulus carbon.
EXAMINING CHRISTIAN LISTENERS’ ROLE IN GOSSIP: A RELATIONAL DILEMMA

Three studies were conducted to explore Christians’ beliefs and responses to listening to gossip. This research framed gossip as a co-constructed conversation between speaker and listener. Listenin...
The Value of Interracial Contact for Reducing Anti-Black Bias Among Non-Black Physicians: A Cognitive Habits and Growth Evaluation (CHANGE) Study Report:

Although scholars have long studied circumstances that shape prejudice, inquiry into factors associated with long-term prejudice reduction has been more limited. Using a 6-year longitudinal study of non-Black physicians in training (N = 3,134), we examined the effect of three medical-school factors-interracial contact, medical-school environment, and diversity training-on explicit and implicit racial bias measured during medical residency. When accounting for all three factors, previous contact, and baseline bias, we found that quality of contact continued to predict lower explicit and implicit bias, although the effects were very small. Racial climate, modeling of bias, and hours of diversity training in medical school were not consistently related to less explicit or implicit bias during residency. These results highlight the benefits of interracial contact during an impactful experience such as medical school. Ultimately, professional institutions can play a role in reducing anti-Black bias by encouraging more frequent, and especially more favorable, interracial contact.
Assessing Diet Quality in a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Cohort of Low-income Toddlers

Background Low-income racially and ethnically diverse children are at higher risk for obesity compared with their counterparts; yet, few studies have assessed their diet quality. Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate the diet quality of a racially and ethnically diverse cohort of 2-year-olds using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2010. Methods We used 24-hour dietary recall data from caregivers of toddlers (24-34 months) at 4 pediatric resident clinics that participated in the Greenlight Study to calculate compliance with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) using total HEI score (range 0-100) and 12 component scores. Results Participants (n = 231) were mostly Hispanic (57%) or non-Hispanic black (27%) and from low-income families. Mean HEI-2010 score was 62.8 (standard deviation [SD] 10.5). Though not significant, Hispanics had the highest HEI score. Toddlers of caregivers without obesity, older than 35 years and born outside the United States had higher HEI scores. Most had high HEI component scores for dairy, fruit, and protein foods, but few achieved maximum scores, particularly for whole grains (13%), vegetables (10%), and fatty acid ratio (7%). Conclusions Despite scores reflective of DGA recommendations for fruit, dairy and protein foods, toddlers in this diverse sample had low quality diets as measured by the HEI, driven largely by low component scores for whole grains, vegetables, and ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids.
Optimal Dynamic Prioritization of Scarce COVID-19 Vaccines

Multiple promising COVID-19 vaccines are under rapid development, with deployment of the initial supply expected by 2021. Careful design of a vaccine prioritization strategy across socio-demographic groups is an imminent and crucial public policy challenge given that (1) the eventual vaccine supply will be highly constrained for at least the first several months of the vaccination campaign, and (2) there are stark differences in transmission and severity of impacts from SARS-CoV-2 across groups. Previous experience with vaccine development mid-pandemic offers limited insights for SARS-CoV-2 prioritization: SARS and Zika vaccine development was incomplete when those outbreaks ended and the epidemiology of endemic human influenza viruses differ substantially from that of SARS-CoV-2. We assess the optimal allocation of a limited and dynamic COVID-19 vaccine supply in the U.S. across socio-demographic groups differentiated by age and essential worker status. The transmission dynamics are modeled using a compartmental (SEIR) model parameterized to capture our current understanding of the transmission and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19, including key sources of group heterogeneity (susceptibility, severity, and contact rates). We investigate tradeoffs between three alternative policy objectives: minimizing infections, years of life lost, or deaths. Moreover, we model dynamic vaccine prioritization policies that respond to changes in the epidemiological status of the population as SARS-CoV-2 continues its march. Because contacts tend to be concentrated within age groups, there is diminishing marginal returns as vaccination coverage increases in a given group, increasing the group's protective immunity against infection and mortality. We find that optimal prioritization consistently targets older essential workers. However, depending on the policy objective, younger essential workers are prioritized to minimize infections or seniors in order to minimize mortality. Optimal prioritization outperforms non-targeted vaccination strategies by up to 18% depending on the outcome optimized. For example, in our baseline model, cumulative mortality decreased on average by 17% (25,000 deaths in the U.S. population) over the course of the outbreak.
The Contribution of Stress and Distress to Cardiovascular Health in Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer

Background: Childhood cancer survivors are at risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality that is not fully explained by cancer-directed therapies. We examined the contribution of emotional stress and distress to cardiac health in adult survivors of childhood cancer. Methods: Participants included 3,267 adult survivors enrolled in the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study [median (range) 29.9 (18.1–64.5) years of age; 7.7 (0–24.8) years at diagnosis; 48.4% female]. Survivors completed comprehensive medical assessments and standardized measures of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and perceived stress. Cardiovascular-related conditions included hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, cardiomyopathy, dysrhythmia, myocardial infarction (severity graded 0–4), and metabolic syndrome (yes/no). Multivariable modified Poisson models examined associations between symptoms of stress/distress and cardiovascular outcomes. Longitudinal associations between stress/distress and new-onset cardiovascular outcomes, defined as a change from grade ≤1 at initial evaluation to grade ≥2 at follow-up (median 3.9 years) were examined in 1,748 participants. Results: In multivariable cross-sectional models, stress/distress was associated with hypertension [risk ratio (RR) = 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07–1.43], dyslipidemia (RR = 1.29; 95% CI, 1.03–1.61), and metabolic syndrome (RR = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.17–1.54) independent of known cardiovascular risk factors. In longitudinal models, stress/distress was associated with new-onset dysrhythmia (RR = 2.87; 95% CI, 1.21–6.78), perceived stress with hypertension (RR = 1.42; 95% CI, 1.04–1.95), and PTSS and anxiety with dyslipidemia (RR = 1.72; 95% CI, 1.13–2.62; RR = 1.54; 95% CI, 1.01–2.35, respectively). Conclusions: Stress/distress is independently associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes among childhood cancer survivors. Impact: Improving psychological health may serve as a potential intervention target for optimizing cardiac health among childhood cancer survivors.
Particle curvature effects on microstructural evolution during solid-state sintering: phenomenological insights from phase-field simulations

Local curvatures have a profound influence on sintered microstructure. Here, using phase-field simulations, particle curvature effects were phenomenologically investigated by using geometrical configurations of two, three, and four particles, and by systematically varying particle curvatures. Some geometries, involving two, three and four particles, exhibited the expected smooth neck-length evolution, where the maximum neck length was determined by grain boundary (GB) energy ( $$\gamma _{GB}$$ ) rather than surface energy ( $$\gamma _{S}$$ ). In contrast, triangular arrangement of particles with unequal radii manifested a secondary necking event in form of a step during neck evolution. The secondary necking event coincided with internal pore collapse, and only specific range of particle radius ratios manifested such a mechanism. $$\gamma _{S}$$ played a dominant role in triggering the secondary necking event, while $$\gamma _{GB}$$ determined the remnant microstructure. Broadly, the geometries employed here allow us to computationally examine the sintering of particles that display wide variation in shapes and size distributions.
Development of a Positive Psychology Program (LAVENDER) for Preserving Medical Student Well-being: A Single-Arm Pilot Study

BackgroundMental health tends to worsen over the course of medical school, with steep declines in well-being in students’ clerkship year (M3). Positive emotion promotes adaptive coping to stress an...
Acceptance of Dental Office Obstructive Sleep Apnea Screening among Minnesota State Fair Attendees.

Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common breathing disorder; however, many individuals remain undiagnosed. The purpose of this study was to assess the comfort level of community-dwelling adults to participate in OSA screening in a dental office setting and survey the OSA risk levels of an adult population. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among adults presenting at the University of Minnesota Driven to Discover Research Facility during the 2018 Minnesota State Fair. Participants completed a brief survey including the eight-item STOP-Bang questionnaire for OSA screening. Electronic tablets were used for data capture. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, and Chi-square tests. Results: A total of 639 adults met the survey inclusion criteria (n=639). The majority of participants (88%) reported no prior OSA diagnosis. Based on STOP-Bang criteria, 61% (n=344) of the participants were at low, 29% (n=161) intermediate, and 10% (n= 56) high risk of OSA. A majority (64%) of participants reported being either “comfortable” or “very comfortable’”with OSA screening performed in a dental office setting. Conclusion: Over one third of participants with no prior OSA diagnosis were at moderate to high risk for OSA, and the majority stated that they would be comfortable undergoing OSA screening in a dental office setting. Dental hygienists screening patients for OSA with the STOP-BANG questionnaire are likely to have a high level of patient acceptance. Referring patients to the appropriate health care provider for further testing may increase timely diagnoses and treatment of OSA.
The Challenges of Inferring Organic Function from Structure and Its Emulation in Biomechanics and Biomimetics.

The discipline called biomimetics attempts to create synthetic systems that model the behavior and functions of biological systems. At a very basic level, this approach incorporates a philosophy grounded in modeling either the behavior or properties of organic systems based on inferences of structure–function relationships. This approach has achieved extraordinary scientific accomplishments, both in fabricating new materials and structures. However, it is also prone to misstep because (1) many organic structures are multifunctional that have reconciled conflicting individual functional demands (rather than maximize the performance of any one task) over evolutionary time, and (2) some structures are ancillary or entirely superfluous to the functions their associated systems perform. The important point is that we must typically infer function from structure, and that is not always easy to do even when behavioral characteristics are available (e.g., the delivery of venom by the fangs of a snake, or cytoplasmic toxins by the leaf hairs of the stinging nettle). Here, we discuss both of these potential pitfalls by comparing and contrasting how engineered and organic systems are operationally analyzed. We also address the challenges that emerge when an organic system is modeled and suggest a few methods to evaluate the validity of models in general.
Racial Disparities in Advanced Heart Failure Therapies: Are Outcomes the Correct Metric?

Purpose Multiple large database studies have shown that African American (AA) patients have worse outcomes after heart transplant compared to white patients, but that outcomes are similar between these groups after left ventricular assist device placement. We sought to compare outcomes after LVAD and heart transplant between different racial groups at our institution. Methods We utilized retrospective databases from our institution that include all patients that underwent heart transplant or LVAD implantation from 2009 to 2020 (323 LVAD patients, 717 heart transplant patients). Patients were stratified by race, and those categorized as white, AA, Hispanic, or Asian were included. Differences between groups were analyzed using t-tests, chi-squared tests, Kaplan Meier analysis, and cox proportional hazards models. Results AA LVAD patients were more likely to be female, and less likely to have diabetes compared to the other groups. AA, Asian, and Hispanic LVAD patients were younger than white LVAD patients. AA heart transplant recipients were less likely to have ischemic cardiomyopathy as the etiology of heart failure. There was no significant difference by log-rank test in one-year survival between races for LVAD patients or heart transplant patients (figure 1). There was a trend towards less AA LVAD patients undergoing transplant among those eligible (81% compared to 97% of white patients, 85% of Asian patients and 90% of Hispanic patients), but this was not statistically significant (p-value 0.06). Conclusion At our institution, there is no significant difference in one-year survival after LVAD implantation or heart transplant by race, but AA patients may be less likely to receive a transplant. These data are important because they suggest we should focus resources on access to care among AA patients. Future work will involve examining the heart failure population within our health system and county to determine if AA patients are offered LVAD and heart transplant at the same rates as white patients.
Managing Risks in Lower-Income Economy Supply Chains: Evidence from Agricultural Firms in Senegal

Problem definition: How risks are distributed across firms in a supply chain is a major management and public policy concern. Little is documented, however, about how such risks are distributed across firms in lower-income countries, especially the small firms that serve poor, rural households. Relevance: Supply chain risk drives what and how much firms are willing to source, stock, and sell, affecting what is available to customers. Documenting these risks, then, is necessary for policymakers and program managers to design interventions that spread risk in ways favoring firms that serve poor, rural households. Methods: Our research strategy is descriptive and empirical. We report findings from a census of known firms that constitute the irrigation equipment supply chain in Senegal. These firms do business in 35 cities in Senegal’s irrigated areas. In the census, we pose open-ended interview questions about perceived risks. Results: We find that contractual and quality risks are the most cited. Such risks are more prevalent in firms in the supply chain that are downstream and located in small cites. We also find that firms mainly use reactive strategies, instead of proactive strategies, to manage risks. We document that the downstream firms that do use proactive risk-management strategies set higher inventory targets and hold more inventory than firms that only use reactive strategies. Managerial implications: Based on the observation that risk differentially burdens downstream firms and those in small cities, we recommend how policy interventions should be targeted and designed to support these firms in the supply chain. Our recommendations are generalizable for the improvement of supply chains on which public and voluntary sector programs rely, allowing them to benefit the poor.