cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wood Anatomy of Staphyleaceae: Ecology, Statistical Correlations, and Systematics

Summary Wood of Staphyleaceae is characterized by vessels which are mostly solitary; vessel elements are long with scalariform perforation plates (mostly more than 20 bars per plate) and with scalariform, opposite, or alternate lateral wall pitting. Imperforate tracheary elements range from fiber-tracheids with fully bordered pits somewhat less dense than those of tracheide (Euscaphis, Staphylea, Turpinia) to fiber-tracheide with reduced borders on pits (Huertea) to libriform fibers (Τapiscia) . Axial parenchyma is mostly abaxial, with tendencies towards vasicentric scanty and ray-adjacent cells and only a few diffuse cells. Rays are both multiseriate and uniseriate. Heterogeneous Type IIA. The multiseriate portion of multiseriate rays is often not sheathed with upright cells and consists of procumbent cells which often have bordered pits on radial walls. Rhomboidal crystals, tyloses, and dark-staining amorphous deposits are found in some but not all species. Quantitative features show wood of Staphylea to be less markedly mesomorphic than that of the other genera, a fact perhaps related to winter cold. The Mesomorphy index is held to be more useful in analysis of dicotyledon woods and in predicting relationship with ecology than a conductivity formula, because it runs parallel to ecological gradients, takes into account vessel element length (apparently related to embolism localization), and represents degrees of relinquishment of safety as woods become more mesomorphic. Statistical correlation among wood features of Staphyleaceae show vessel element length related to imperforate tracheary element length and to ray height because all of these are linked to fusiform cambial initial length. Correlation between vessel diameter and vessel element length is slightly weaker, as is inverse correlation between vessel diameter and vessel density (where packing constraints tend to enforce a correlation). The genera of Staphyleaceae can be easily characterized by wood anatomy features such as growth ring presence or absence, perforation plate bar number, presence of helical sculpture within vessels, type of imperforate tracheary element, presence of septa in fibers (in which case axial parenchyma is absent), ray dimensions, tylosis occurrence, and crystal presence. Wood of Staphyleaceae most closely resembles that of some Cunoniales (Saxifragales), and resembles that of Sapindales somewhat less.
Quality Improvement, Education, and Outcomes Research

Patient safety events for hospitalized children occur at a rate comparable to hospitalized adults. There are also many safety issues that are unique to children’s health care, which are related to the four Ds of childhood: developmental change, dependence on adults, different disease epidemiology, and unique demographics. Medication errors are the most common adverse events in hospitalized patients, the majority of which are associated with rotating general surgery residents. Standardized order sets for common pediatric surgical conditions and routine perioperative order sets reduce the potential for medication error, overall hospital charges, and length of stay. Surgical morbidity and mortality conference is the most important meeting for surgical education and quality assurance in the surgery department at teaching institutions. The educational value of the surgical M&M conference can be improved by applying several techniques including direct questioning of the audience, more thorough explanation of cases, questions directed to attending surgeons, the use of radiographic images, and teaching points specifically made for the medical students in attendance. NSQIP Pediatric is designed to measure the quality of surgical care within an institution utilizing prospective entry of patient risk and outcome data and the determination of risk-adjusted 30-day outcomes.
Outcomes in bullous retinal detachment

Purpose To report two patients with giant retinal tear (GRT) associated retinal detachment in the setting of baseball trauma.
Moment-to-Moment BOLD Signal Variability Reflects Regional Changes in Neural Flexibility across the Lifespan.

Variability of neuronal responses is thought to underlie flexible and optimal brain function. Because previous work investigating BOLD signal variability has been conducted within task-based fMRI contexts on adults and older individuals, very little is currently known regarding regional changes in spontaneous BOLD signal variability in the human brain across the lifespan. The current study utilized resting state fMRI data from a large sample of male and female human participants covering a wide age range (6-85 years) across two different fMRI acquisition parameters (TR = 0.645 and 1.4 seconds). Variability in brain regions including a key node of the salience network (anterior insula) increased linearly across the lifespan across datasets. In contrast, variability in most other large-scale networks decreased linearly over the lifespan. These results demonstrate unique lifespan trajectories of BOLD variability related to specific regions of the brain and add to a growing literature demonstrating the importance of identifying normative trajectories of functional brain maturation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Although brain signal variability has traditionally been considered a source of unwanted noise, recent work demonstrates that variability in brain signals during task performance is related to brain maturation in old age as well as individual differences in behavioral performance. The current results demonstrate that intrinsic fluctuations in resting-state variability exhibit unique maturation trajectories in specific brain regions and systems, particularly those supporting salience detection. These results have implications for investigations of brain development and aging, as well as interpretations of brain function underlying behavioral changes across the lifespan.
A Predictive Model for IC Self-Heating Based on Effective Medium and Image Charge Theories and Its Implications for Interconnect and Transistor Reliability

Spatially resolved precise prediction of local temperature ${T}(\textit {x,y,z})$ is essential to evaluate Arrhenius-activated interconnect (e.g., electromigration) and transistor reliability (e.g., NBTI, HCI, and TDDB). A 3-D finite-element modeling (FEM) do provide excellent results, but the calculation is too time-consuming for a structure that involves eight to ten layers of percolating interconnects, especially for fast turn-around reliability modeling. Here, an analytical model that can quickly/accurately determine $\textit {T(x,y,z)}$ will reduce the design time of self-heated modern IC. In this paper, we 1) develop a physics-based electrothermal compact model for ICs to predict $\textit {T(x,y,z)}$ based on the synthesis of effective medium theory, image charge theory, and Rent’s rule; 2) validate our model against 3-D FEM and experimental data; and 3) predict back-end-of-line (BEOL) reliability (i.e., electromigration at each layer) based on the temperature profile. Since our analytical model predicts changes in $\textit {T(x,y,z)}$ with any given IC’s configuration (e.g., interconnect wire length and number distribution, metal volume fraction in BEOL, heat sinks mechanisms, materials, and type of devices), it suggests new opportunities for optimization of performance and reliability of modern ICs.
Emerging molecular predictive and prognostic factors in acute myeloid leukemia.

AbstractRecurrent cytogenetic abnormalities have provided the backbone for prognosticating acute myeloid leukemia and predicting response to consolidative therapies for decades. However, more than 45% of acute myeloid leukemia patients have normal cytogenetics on both karyotype and fluorescence in situ hybridization at diagnosis. Increasingly utilized next-generation sequencing has led to the discovery of numerous recurrent molecular mutations in acute myeloid leukemia, which can currently be identified in 97.3% of patients. Despite the prevalence of dozens of these recurrent lesions, only NMP1, CEBPA, KIT, FLT3-ITD, and TP53 have been incorporated into widely accepted risk-stratification schemas, such as the 2017 National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. Here we review the most frequent molecular genetic abnormalities, their utility in predicting relapse and survival, and their function as markers of minimal residual disease. We also provide a summary of sixteen common recurrent molecular abnorma...
Drivers of intermodal rail freight growth in North America

Intermodal rail freight service, in the form of semi-trailers and containers carried by rail in coordination with connecting road and water transport operators, emerged in North America on a few railways during the 1920s and 1930s. Experience gained from these early ventures inspired widespread introduction of intermodal service offerings after 1950. Between 1990 and 2005, rail intermodal traffic grew 87.7 percent, from 6.2 million to 11.7 containers and trailers, and now holds a significant position in the aggregate traffic base of the major North American rail freight carriers. Previous research and other sources of data and information are drawn upon to identify key drivers of this growth within the context of a conceptual model. The driving forces include changes in transport providers’ business policies and practices, government deregulation of pricing and other commercial actions by firms in rail and competing modes of transport, advancements in rail intermodal technology, and changes in supply chain management processes by shippers and consignees that have intensified demand for freight service of higher quality and lower cost. Comments on transferability to Europe of lessons learned from intermodal business experience in North America are provided in the concluding section.
On the (mis)behavior of water in the mantle: Controls on nominally anhydrous mineral water content in mantle peridotites

Abstract In magmatic settings, water behaves as an incompatible species and should be depleted during melting and enriched during metasomatism. Previous studies have identified correlations between nominally anhydrous mineral (NAM) water content ([H2O]) and indices of metasomatism or melt extraction, seemingly confirming this behavior in the mantle. However in detail, these correlations are ambiguous and do not reflect robust controls on NAM [H2O]. We measured orthopyroxene (opx) and clinopyroxene (cpx) [H2O] in variably hydrated and metasomatized peridotite xenoliths from the Navajo volcanic field (NVF) that sample the Colorado Plateau subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM), an endmember of SCLM hydration and metasomatism. These xenoliths span a wide range of pyroxene [H2O] (opx from 50 to 588 ppm wt. H2O; cpx from 38 to 581 ppm wt. H2O), but NAM [H2O] does not correlate with either indices of melt depletion or metasomatism. Growth of hydrous minerals suggests higher water activity than in anhydrous peridotites, and therefore hydrous-mineral-bearing xenoliths and anhydrous xenoliths should have different NAM [H2O] and water activities. However, when the two groups are compared no significant differences can be found in either NAM [H2O] or water activity. We propose that the high diffusivity of hydrogen in the mantle allows for equilibration of water activity in the mantle over sub-kilometer length scales over geologic time. Such diffusive equilibration reduces water activity variability and results in the blurring and destruction of correlations between NAM [H2O] and indices of metasomatism or melt extraction. As a result of diffusive equilibration of water, there is a large difference in the variability of concentration between NAM [H2O] (spanning ∼2 orders of magnitude) and similarly incompatible elements such as Ce in the same peridotites (spanning ∼4 orders of magnitude). This difference in behavior explains why H2O/Ce ratios in mantle peridotites are highly variable relative to those of basalts.
Thirty biologically interpretable clusters of transcription factors distinguish cancer type

Transcription factors are essential regulators of gene expression and play critical roles in development, differentiation, and in many cancers. To carry out their regulatory programs, they must cooperate in networks and bind simultaneously to sites in promoter or enhancer regions of genes. We hypothesize that the mRNA co-expression patterns of transcription factors can be used both to learn how they cooperate in networks and to distinguish between cancer types. We recently developed a new algorithm, Thresher, that combines principal component analysis, outlier filtering, and von Mises-Fisher mixture models to cluster genes (in this case, transcription factors) based on expression, determining the optimal number of clusters in the process. We applied Thresher to the RNA-Seq expression data of 486 transcription factors from more than 10,000 samples of 33 kinds of cancer studied in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We found that 30 clusters of transcription factors from a 29-dimensional principal component space were able to distinguish between most cancer types, and could separate tumor samples from normal controls. Moreover, each cluster of transcription factors could be either (i) linked to a tissue-specific expression pattern or (ii) associated with a fundamental biological process such as cell cycle, angiogenesis, apoptosis, or cytoskeleton. Clusters of the second type were more likely also to be associated with embryonically lethal mouse phenotypes. Using our approach, we have shown that the mRNA expression patterns of transcription factors contain most of the information needed to distinguish different cancer types. The Thresher method is capable of discovering biologically interpretable clusters of genes. It can potentially be applied to other gene sets, such as signaling pathways, to decompose them into simpler, yet biologically meaningful, components.
The U.S Trade Policy Decision Structure: A Primer

For any nation actively engaged in the global trading system, trade policy is a complex set of strategic decisions. Trade policy in the 21st century has expanded well beyond tariffs and quotas on industrial and agricultural commodities to span the range of government responsibilities: from intellectual property, global supply chains, regulatory and administrative procedures, and health and safety standards to taxes, labor, and the environment. In a political system as complicated as that of the United States, with a vast and growing number of interested and influential stakeholders, developing a coherent trade strategy and a distinct U.S. position on any given issue is difficult. A cumbersome but effective system has evolved to incorporate all the views of, and useful information from, the interested parties, both within the government and outside it. This paper tries to describe that system.
Creating High-Energy-Density Conditions

This chapter discusses a sequence of physical mechanisms and practical issues associated with the production of high-energy-conditions, primarily using lasers. After a brief introduction to the lasers themselves, the first topic is the effect of the laser beams on the plasma and of the plasma on the laser beams. This includes absorption, refraction, reflection, laser scattering, and laser–plasma instabilities . The next topic is the transfer of energy by electron heat conduction, which enables a discussion of the laser heating of the plasma, of the consequent ablation of dense matter, and of the eventual resulting, rocket-like acceleration of the target . This is followed by a consideration of the dynamics of mid-Z and high-Z targets, in which radiation plays a larger role, and specifically of the use of gold targets as an X-ray source. The final topic is hohlraums, including discussions of the soft-X-ray energy fluxes they generate, the ablation of low-Z matter by such X-rays, and the problems that experiments using hohlraums encounter.
A combination of transcription factors mediates inducible interchromosomal contacts

The genome forms specific three-dimensional contacts in response to cellular or environmental conditions. However, it remains largely unknown which proteins specify and mediate such contacts. Here we describe an assay, MAP-C (Mutation Analysis in Pools by Chromosome conformation capture), that simultaneously characterizes the effects of hundreds of cis or trans-acting mutations on a chromosomal contact. Using MAP-C, we show that inducible interchromosomal pairing between HAS1pr-TDA1pr alleles in saturated cultures of Saccharomyces yeast is mediated by three transcription factors, Leu3, Sdd4 (Ypr022c), and Rgt1. The coincident, combined binding of all three factors is strongest at the HAS1pr-TDA1pr locus and is also specific to saturated conditions. We applied MAP-C to further explore the biochemical mechanism of these contacts, and find they require the structured regulatory domain of Rgt1, but no known interaction partners of Rgt1. Altogether, our results demonstrate MAP-C as a powerful method for dissecting the mechanistic basis of chromosome conformation.
Early postpartum resting-state functional connectivity for mothers receiving buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder: A pilot study.

Between 1999 and 2014, the prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) among pregnant women quadrupled in the USA. The standard treatment for peripartum women with OUD is buprenorphine. However, the maternal behavior neurocircuit that regulates maternal behavior and mother-infant bonding has not been previously studied for human mothers receiving buprenorphine treatment for OUD (BT). Rodent research shows opioid effects on reciprocal inhibition between maternal care and defence maternal brain subsystems: the hypothalamus and periaqueductal gray, respectively. We conducted a longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) pilot study in humans to specifically examine resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) between the periaqueductal gray and hypothalamus, as well as to explore associations with maternal bonding for BT. We studied 32 mothers who completed fMRI scans at 1 month (T1) and 4 months postpartum (T2), including seven mothers receiving buprenorphine for OUD and 25 non-OUD mothers as a comparison group (CG). The participants underwent a 6-minute resting-state fMRI scan at each time point. We measured potential bonding impairments using the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire to explore how rs-FC with periaqueductal gray is associated with bonding impairments. Compared to CG, BT mothers differed in periaqueductal gray-dependent rs-FC with the hypothalamus, amygdala, insular cortex and other brain regions at T1, with many of these differences disappearing at T2, suggesting potential therapeutic effects of continuing buprenorphine treatment. In contrast, the "rejection and pathological anger" subscale of the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire at T1 and T2 was associated with the T1-to-T2 increases in periaqueductal gray-dependent rs-FC with the hypothalamus and amygdala. Preliminary evidence links maternal bonding problems for mothers with OUD early in the postpartum to connectivity between specific care and defence maternal brain circuits, which may be mitigated by buprenorphine treatment. This exploratory study supports a potential mechanism for investigating both the therapeutic benefits and risks of opioids for maternal care and bonding with infants.
Re‐examining the effects of public health insurance: The case of nonpoor children in Vietnam

This paper focuses on the effects of a 2005 health insurance reform in Vietnam. Through this reform, public health insurance was newly offered to nonpoor children under 6 years old, but it required the use of community health facilities. This requirement potentially limited the value of the insurance. Employing difference-in-discontinuities and triple-difference methods and using data from 2002, 2004, and 2006, I show that, despite health coverage among nonpoor children increasing by nearly three times, there is little or no evidence that the reform significantly increased health care utilization, changed care locations from private to public sites, lowered out-of-pocket costs, or improved health status for nonpoor young children. My results suggest a "bypassing" phenomenon whereby nonpoor families skipped free health care at low-quality facilities.
Lack of Awareness and Common Misconceptions About Palliative Care Among Adults: Insights from a National Survey

Despite recent growth in palliative care programs palliative care remains underutilized. Studies suggest that patients and providers commonly associate palliative care with end of life, often leading to misconceptions and late referrals. To characterize self-reported palliative care knowledge and misconceptions about palliative care among US adults and demographic, health, and social role factors associated with knowledge and misconceptions. We conducted secondary data analysis of nationally representative, self-reported data from the 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5, Cycle 2. We examined associations between knowledge and misconceptions about palliative care together with demographics, health care access, health status, and social roles. 3504 US adults. 2594 included in the first analysis after omitting missing cases; 683 who reported knowing about palliative care were included in the second analysis. Palliative care knowledge was self-reported in response to: “How would you describe your level of knowledge about palliative care?” Level of misconceptions was based on a series of factual and attitudinal statements about palliative care. Among US adults, 28.8% report knowing about palliative care, but only 12.6% report knowing what palliative care is and hold no misconceptions. Those most likely to report knowing about palliative care are female, college-educated, higher income, have a primary health care provider, or are a caregiver. Among those who report knowing about palliative care, misconceptions were common: 44.4% automatically think of death, 38.0% equate palliative care with hospice, 17.8% believe you must stop other treatments, and 15.9% see palliative care as giving up. US adults who have some knowledge of palliative care are most likely to confuse it with hospice but are less likely to see it as requiring forgoing treatment or as giving up. Primary care clinicians should be encouraged to communicate about palliative care with patients.
Ion Microprobe 232Th-208Pb Ages from High Common pb Monazite, Morefield Mine, Amelia County, Virginia: Implications for Alleghanian Tectonics (american Journal of Science, v. 316, n. 5, p. 470─503, doi 10.2475/05.2016.03)

The original version of the article inadvertently contained a mistake in the title, where 208Th should be 232Th. The corrected title is “Ion microprobe 232Th-208Pb ages from high common Pb monazite, Morefield Mine, Amelia County, Virginia: Implications for Alleghanian tectonics
The Need for Risk Stratification Tools in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

* Abbreviations: ED — : emergency department LqSOFA — : Liverpool quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment In this issue of Pediatrics, Romaine et al1 describe the derivation and validation of a novel risk stratification score, the Liverpool quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (LqSOFA) score, in predicting critical care admission for febrile children in a single emergency department (ED) in the United Kingdom. The authors aimed to address the long-standing challenge of identifying potentially critically ill children from the sea of well children with fever who present for pediatric emergency care: identifying the proverbial “needle in a haystack.” Their team proposed the LqSOFA as a rapid, easily implemented score that can be applied during an ED visit to facilitate recognition of ill children, with a particular interest in identifying children with sepsis. The elements of the LqSOFA were determined by consensus, and the score gives a point each for poor perfusion, altered mental status (measured by the Awake, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive scale), and heart rate and respiratory … Address correspondence to Fran Balamuth, MD, PhD, Division of Emergency Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3501 Civic Center Blvd, Colket Translational Research Building 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104. E-mail: balamuthf{at}email.chop.edu
Differential gene regulatory pattern in the human brain from schizophrenia using transcriptomic-causal network

Common and complex traits are the consequence of the interaction and regulation of multiple genes simultaneously, therefore characterizing the interconnectivity of genes is essential to unravel the underlying biological networks. However, the focus of many studies is on the differential expression of individual genes or on co-expression analysis. Going beyond analysis of one gene at a time, we systematically integrated transcriptomics, genotypes and Hi-C data to identify interconnectivities among individual genes as a causal network. We utilized different machine learning techniques to extract information from the network and identify differential regulatory pattern between cases and controls. We used data from the Allen Brain Atlas for replication. Employing the integrative systems approach on the data from CommonMind Consortium showed that gene transcription is controlled by genetic variants proximal to the gene (cis-regulatory factors), and transcribed distal genes (trans-regulatory factors). We identified differential gene regulatory patterns in SCZ-cases versus controls and novel SCZ-associated genes that may play roles in the disorder since some of them are primary expressed in human brain. In addition, we observed genes known associated with SCZ are not likely (OR = 0.59) to have high impacts (degree > 3) on the network. Causal networks could reveal underlying patterns and the role of genes individually and as a group. Establishing principles that govern relationships between genes provides a mechanistic understanding of the dysregulated gene transcription patterns in SCZ and creates more efficient experimental designs for further studies. This information cannot be obtained by studying a single gene at the time.
Clinical Interpretation and Management of Genetic Variants.

Highlights • The human genome contains approximately 4 million variants, whose population frequencies vary according to the ethnic backgrounds. • Genetic diversity of humans in part determines inte...
Mapping Institutional Relations for Local Policy Change: The Case of Lead Poisoning in Syracuse New York

Institutional Ethnography has long sought the improvement of society for the benefit of individuals whose interests are poorly served by the complex web of government, market, and ingrained patterns of behavior (i.e., institutions). In this case, I begin with the point of departure of refugee women sharing their concerns about lead poisoning in their homes in front of the Syracuse Common Council. From their experience I map out, or trace, the institutional relations that create and reinforce these unsafe conditions. I then explore how this IE mapping of texts, policies and processes, as done by Prodinger and Turner, Pence and others can be used to elucidate both areas for policy advocacy and philanthropic intervention that can make a difference in the everyday lives of these women. In doing so, this paper contributes to an underdeveloped area of research that Nichols has identified as: using IE to move beyond identifying problems to actually crafting actions to resolve the issues.
Why Harmonize the Guidelines for Infant and Young Child Feeding: Book Review

A recent book from the United States’ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine was prepared “to collect, compare, and summarize existing recommendations on what and how to feed infants and young children from birth to 24 months of age” This review explores what its purpose might be.
Is Fiscal Adjustment More Durable When The IMF is Involved? 1

This paper investigates fiscal developments in 112 countries during the 1990s. It finds that while the overall fiscal balance improved in most of them, the composition of this improvement differed. In countries without IMF-supported programmes, revenues increased modestly and expenditure declined sharply, while in programme countries both post-programme revenue and expenditure declined. However, in countries with programmes that included fiscal structural conditions, the adjustment was effected primarily through sharp expenditure compression. No evidence of a statistically significant impact of IMF conditionality was found. Moreover, fiscal developments were influenced by cyclical factors and by the general stance of macroeconomic policies.
Training a First-Order Theorem Prover from Synthetic Data

A major challenge in applying machine learning to automated theorem proving is the scarcity of training data, which is a key ingredient in training successful deep learning models. To tackle this problem, we propose an approach that relies on training purely with synthetically generated theorems, without any human data aside from axioms. We use these theorems to train a neurally-guided saturation-based prover. Our neural prover outperforms the state-of-the-art E-prover on this synthetic data in both time and search steps, and shows significant transfer to the unseen human-written theorems from the TPTP library, where it solves 72\% of first-order problems without equality.
Case report: Duodenal perforation in a critically ill patient with covid-19

Aims We report the case of a 54-year old male who was admitted to our intensive care unit due to respiratory failure andCOVID-19 disease. The patients' comorbidities were allergic asthma and obesity;he was on no regular medication. On day15 after admission to the ICU, invasive ventilation was started, and on day 19, melena, with a drop in hemoglobin levelfrom 12.9 g/dl to 8.5 g/dl, was observed. Methods In the emergency gastroscopy, three ulcerations were seen in the duodenal bulb. Two ulcerations showed visiblevessels (Forrest IIa), and were treated with a standard hemoclip as well as an “Over-the-Scope-Clip” (OTSC, Ovesco). Thethird ulceration was covered by a large clot (F IIb). After mobilization of the clot, the ulceration was seen to have perforatedinto the retroperitoneum. Results The patient underwent emergency surgery in which the perforation was sutured. Conclusions Studies have shown a high risk for gastrointestinal complications, such as gastrointestinal ischemia and ileusin critically ill patients with COVID-19 disease. In this case, we postulate that critically ill patients with COVID-19 may havea higher risk of GI bleeding and ulcer perforation. However, it is unclear whether these complications can be specificallyattributed to the underlying COVID-19 disease or the therapeutic anticoagulation, which all critically ill patients with COVID-19 recieve as standard of care. Further studies are needed to confirm or rule out these assumptions. Nevertheless, specialattention should be paid to gastrointestinal complications in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Rapid computation of TMS-induced E-fields using a dipole-based magnetic stimulation profile approach.

Abstract Background TMS neuronavigation with on-line display of the induced electric field (E-field) has the potential to improve quantitative targeting and dosing of stimulation, but present commercially available solutions are limited by simplified approximations. Objective Developing a near real-time method for accurate approximation of TMS induced E-fields with subject-specific high-resolution surface-based head models that can be utilized for TMS navigation. Methods Magnetic dipoles are placed on a closed surface enclosing an MRI-based head model of the subject to define a set of basis functions for the incident and total E-fields that define the subject's Magnetic Stimulation Profile (MSP). The near real-time speed is achieved by recognizing that the total E-field of the coil only depends on the incident E-field and the conductivity boundary geometry. The total E-field for any coil position can be obtained by matching the incident field of the stationary dipole basis set with the incident E-field of the moving coil and applying the same basis coefficients to the total E-field basis functions. Results Comparison of the MSP-based approximation with an established TMS solver shows great agreement in the E-field amplitude (relative maximum error around 5%) and the spatial distribution patterns (correlation >98%). Computation of the E-field took ~100 ms on a cortical surface mesh with 120k facets. Conclusion The numerical accuracy and speed of the MSP approximation method make it well suited for a wide range of computational tasks including interactive planning, targeting, dosing, and visualization of the intracranial E-fields for near real-time guidance of coil positioning.
Flexible encoding of objects and space in single cells of the dentate gyrus

The hippocampus is involved in the formation of memories that require associations among stimuli to construct representations of space and the items and events within that space. Neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG), an initial input region of the hippocampus, have robust spatial tuning, but it is unclear how nonspatial information may be integrated with spatially modulated firing at this stage. We recorded from the DG of 21 adult mice as they foraged for food in an environment that contained discrete objects. By classifying recorded DG cells into putative granule cells and mossy cells, we examined how the addition or displacement of objects affected the spatial firing of these DG cell types. We found DG cells with multiple firing fields at a fixed distance and direction from objects (landmark vector cells) as well as cells that exhibited localized changes in spatial firing when objects in the environment were manipulated. When mice were exposed to a second environment with the same objects, DG spatial maps were completely reorganized, suggesting standard global remapping, and a largely different subset of cells responded to object manipulations. Together, these data reveal the capacity of DG cells to detect small changes in the environment, while preserving a stable spatial representation of the overall context.
Influence of Traffic Characterization Methodology on Service Life Prediction of Pavements Subjected to Overweight Traffic Operations

Mechanistic-Empirical (ME) design and analysis of pavement structures are highly sensitive to the traffic data inputs. Hence, proper characterization of truck traffic is the key step for accurate assessment of performance and service life of pavements subjected to overweight (OW) traffic movements. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of different traffic characterization methodologies on the predicted service life of pavements in overload corridors. To accomplish this objective, initially, the authors collected the site-specific traffic information by deploying Portable Weight-in-Motion (P-WIM) devices to ten representative pavement sections in Texas. Subsequently, non-destructive field tests such as Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) were performed during summer and winter months for the back-calculation of the layer moduli in representative sites. Ultimately, different traffic data inputs, including the site-specific Axle Load Spectra (ALS), Equivalent Single Axle Load (ESAL) values, and software default values, as well as the pavement layer properties were incorporated into a series of ME analyses to estimate the service life of the pavements. The comparative analysis results indicated that the incorporation of ESAL and software default values in the analysis, instead of using site-specific ALS, substantially overestimated the service life of the pavements. Such deviation was more pronounced for pavement sections of Farm-to-Market roadways subjected to unprecedented OW traffic operations. Therefore, the traditional traffic characterization methodologies were not capable of representing the demanding loading conditions in the studied network. Further comparisons between the post-processed results and field distress records in this study showed that the most promising methodology to incorporate the traffic information into the service life analysis of pavements in overload corridors is the concept of the site-specific ALS.
A Case of S-Variant Hepatitis B Virus: An Immune System Escape Artist.

Genomic variants of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) preS/S protein are well-known to occur. Typically, immunity is gained through recovered HBV infection or by immunization. Very rarely, there are cert...
The role of social virtual world in increasing psychological resilience during the on-going Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has not only impacted the physical health of individuals but the fear and anxiety of contracting the disease has also contributed to psychological distress among people. The current research identifies a novel coping strategy to strengthen individuals' psychological resilience against the pandemic. Study 1 (N = 210) and Study 2 (N = 93) showed significant beneficial effect of representing oneself via avatar in social virtual world (SVW) on the psychological resilience towards contracting COVID-19. Study 2 also showed that this effect is explained by the disembodied (i.e., out-of-body) experience one encounters in the SVW by digitally representing oneself via an avatar), which enables SVW users to project themselves onto a character in a parallel world that is immune to the COVID-19 virus, thus alleviating the anxiety of contracting the virus themselves in the real world. Additionally, it ruled out alternate explanations like escapism and enjoyment. The findings extend the Proteus effect (i.e., individuals behaviorally conform with their avatar's visual/physical appearance) to a more innate feature of the avatar–its imperviousness from the human body's limitations. The results have important implications for health policy makers along with making a strong case for marketing computer-simulated games like SVWs as virtual therapy tools.
Migration of an E-Learning Model to the Cloud N. Ganesan ©

An e-learning model consisting of a course website and multimedia learning modules was developed and implemented initially on a traditional computing platform at a higher learning institution. With the emerging concept of cloud computing, the possibility of using cloud computing resources such as Google Apps, YouTube and SkyDrive to redesign and deploy the elearning model in the cloud was explored. It was found that the cloud computing resources offered unprecedented opportunity and flexibility to migrate the course website to the cloud and to expand the outreach of the multimedia modules. This paper discusses the migration of the elearning portal from a traditional hosting platform to a cloud computing platform. In particular, the design of the course website using Google Apps and the hosting of multimedia modules using SkyDrive and YouTube are discussed.
From Deep Space: The Poetry of Robert Dana

IF ONE ATTENDS primarily to the brisk, clipped tone that sounds fre quently in Robert Dana's What I Think I Know (new poems, with a selec tion from his four previous volumes plus a number of uncollected works from the 1950s) one might conclude that Dana descends from the long line of street-tough poets ?sharp, brusque, guarded?that originated with Villon and extends now to Philip Levine, C. K. Williams, and Raymond Carver. For such poets, the urban setting supplies a backdrop of random violence against which they must define themselves. Their essential prob lem is whether anything like tenderness can be sustained in so hostile an environment. Often their solution is to recall a moment of fragility or vul nerability that emerged unexpectedly, despite violent circumstances. These poets deploy the poem as a guard or shield: the hard shell of their brusque voice serves to sequester that fragile moment, preserving it for always. And so Villon's poems naturally take the form of last wills and testaments, handing down gifts for posterity (even ironic gifts); and Levine's poems frequently return to adolescent days in Detroit, to a time when toughness and tenderness seemed opposite sides of the same coin. Yet ultimately, Dana's work fits awkwardly alongside poems in the street-tough tradition. That tradition depends on plain speaking. A flat, next-to-prose discourse is useful because its very blankness alludes to the weight of the city streets, but also because it can easily be cast aside to redeem an instance by depicting it with special reverence. But the verbal surface of a Dana poem is apt to be unusually disrupted. Several voices con tend for dominance in the middle of "Aquamarine":
Huelva Front and Malaga, Spain, eddy chain as defined by satellite and oceanographic data

By a combination of multi-spectral, remotely sensed data, visual observations from manned spacecraft, and ocean data gathered by ship and aircraft, the oceanography off southwest Spain has been determined as never before (Fig. 13). A strong ocean front has been defined and named (Huelva Front), a large (80×180 n miles), shallow eddy has been recognized (Tarif Eddy) (Fig. 14), and an eddy chain has been identified. Because of the interrelationship of these features, information on the life history, origin, and physical characteristics of the fronts and eddies is not only of academic interest, but also of direct value to fisheries and other marine activities.
Learning to share, sharing to learn: Fostering organizational learning through teachers' dissemination of knowledge

This paper argues that conditions supporting dissemination (sharing) of teachers' learning are necessary for school change and organizational learning. Based on a qualitative study that explored dissemination of teachers' learning within a multi‐school computer technology project, the paper identifies 43 factors that motivate teachers' sharing and 35 factors that restrain their sharing in schools. The paper posits that in the short‐term, it may be easier to encourage dissemination by reducing restraining factors than by working to increase motivating factors. In the long term, however, the attitudes and beliefs underlying the motivating factors must be addressed. This paper also offers a table of participants' suggestions for administrators to encourage teachers to share their learning with colleagues.
Strength Decrements from Wearing Various Army Boots and Shoes on Military Marches

Abstract The strength loss effects on the muscles of the lower leg and ankle resulting from wearing three types of army boots and shoes on 7.5 mile marches carrying combat packs were determined. Military marches with the combat boot resulted in the least fatigue of the muscle groups studied; the rubber insulated boot was next favored; and strength loss with the quarter-cut shoe was the greatest. The muscle group most affected by proportionate strength losses for the three footwear marches was the ankle everters; and, then, in order: the ankle plantar flexors, the ankle inverters, and the ankle dorsi flexors.
Partnering to Promote Evidence-Based Practice by Implementing Nursing Reference Center at the Point of Care

Nurses need easy access to authoritative resources for decision-making and development of nursing interventions at the point of care. Perceived lack of time, limited awareness of resources, and training opportunities are obstacles to accessing evidence-based resources at the bedside. A medical librarian and the nursing shared governance council for Nursing Research & Evidence Based Practice partnered to enhance education and training for nurses in evidence-based practice. Nursing Reference Center became one of the tools to accomplish the goal. This paper presents one organization’s attempt to overcome obstacles to evidence-based practice that clinical nurses encounter, namely, access to best available evidence at the patient’s bedside.
An Infrastructure for Mining Medical Multimedia Data

Biomedical research processes related to disease diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring would great benefit from advanced tools able not exclusively to store and manage multimodal data but also to process and extract significant relations and then novel knowledge from them. Indeed, making a prediction on a disease outcome usually requires considering heterogeneous pieces of information obtained from several sources which should be compared and related. Mining medical multimedia objects is aimed at discovering and making available the hidden useful knowledge embedded in collections of data and is, then, of key importance for supporting clinical decision-making. In this paper, we report current results of a medical warehouse we are developing in an integrated environment for mining clinical data acquired by different media. In particular, focus is herein given to the infrastructure of the warehouse and its current functionalities not limited to storage and management but including intelligent representation and annotation of multimedia objects.
Solubilization, purification, and salt activation of acyl-acyl carrier protein synthetase from Escherichia coli.

Acyl-acyl carrier protein (acyl-ACP) synthetase is an inner membrane enzyme from Escherichia coli that ligates free fatty acids to acyl carrier protein (ACP) in the presence of ATP and M&+. Acyl-ACP synthetase is neither a component of the /I oxidation (fad) regulon nor catabolite repressed by growth on glucose. The enzyme has been solubilized by Triton X-100 and purified 3000-fold over the crude extract. Acyl-ACP synthetase has a half-life of 2 min at 55°C; however, in the presence of ATP the half-life increases to >32 min at 55°C. M&’ is not required for ATP to protect the enzyme from heat denaturation. We found no evidence for a phospholipid requirement for the solubilized protein. Kinetic constants were determined for ATP (0.3 DIM), ACP (5 PM), palmitate (5.3 PM), and oleate (30 PM). Acyl-ACP synthetase activity is also dependent on the presence of salt in the assay system. With the exception of M&+, no specific ion requirements were found and all salts tested are capable of activating the enzyme to comparable extents. The salt effect is not related to ionic strength per se since the more chaotropic the ion, the lower the concentration required to maximally activate acyl-ACP synthetase. The ATP-induced heat stability of the protein is abolished by salt concentrations that maximally activate acyl-ACP synthetase. We conclude that the salts exert a destabilizing influence on the acyl-ACP synthetase protein that is required for the production of acyl-ACP in vitro.
Cauchy transforms of characteristic functions and algebras generated by inner functions

We prove that Cauchy transforms of characteristic functions of subsets of positive measure of the unit circle are equidistributed in the unit disk in the sense that the L P -closure of the polynomial algebra in these Cauchy transforms coincides with the L p -closure of the polynomial algebra in a canonical inner function. As a corollary to this result we find conditions describing when the polynomial algebra in two singular inner functions determined by point masses is dense in the Hardy spaces H P .
Orbital Period Changes and Global Evolution of Contact Binaries

Numerical models has shown that thermal or dynamical processes drive the close binary evolution faster than the classic chemical evolution of their interiors. (e.g. Iben & Tutukov, 1984;Sarna & Federova, 1989;van’t Veer & Maceroni, 1990;Maceroni & van’t Veer, 1991 etc). Especially for contact systems, thermal and/or dynamical instabilities formulate evolutionary scenaria, which are taking place in thermal time-scales and even faster. It seems that contact binaries’ evolution is controlled by two principal evolutionary mechanisms: the thermal relaxation oscillations (TRO) and the tidal (or dynamical, or orbital) instability.