cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laser for Treatment of Complex Superficial Femoral Artery Disease

The Laser was one of the first atherectomy devices to be used for the treatment of complex SFA disease. It is has tremendous versatility, used for crossing SFA occlusions, ablation of plaque, and most recently has received approval for the treatment of instent restenosis. It is effective in treating a variety of lesions from hard calcified lesions to soft acute thrombus. The catheter sizing goes from 0.9 to 2.5 mm. By varying the energy levels a much larger lumen than the size of the catheter can be achieved
Maternal obesity accelerates fetal pancreatic β-cell but not α-cell development in sheep: prenatal consequences

Maternal obesity affects offspring weight, body composition, and organ function, increasing diabetes and metabolic syndrome risk. We determined effects of maternal obesity and a high-energy diet on...
In vitro activity of fusidic acid-containing combinations against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical strains

Acinetobacter baumannii continues to be one of the most problematic gram-negative pathogens in the healthcare settings (1).…
Laser-induced droplet shattering in the cloud hole-boring process

Long pulse chemical lasers using DF to CO2 V-V energy transfer have been developed to produce high energy pulses at 10.6 μm for the purpose of clearing holes through stratus and cirrus clouds. Radiation at 10.6 μm is strongly absorbed by liquid water and very weakly absorbed by water vapor. This characteristic makes these lasers very attractive for efficiently clearing relatively thin clouds and fog.
Multi-instance Multi-label Learning by Extreme Learning Machine

Multi-instance Multi-label learning is a learning framework, where every object is represented by a bag of instances and associated with multiple labels simultaneously. The existing degeneration strategy based methods often suffer from some common drawbacks: (1) the user-specific parameter for the number of clusters may incur the effective problem; (2) utilizing SVM as the classifiers builder may bring the high computational cost. In this paper, we propose an algorithm, namely MIML-ELM, to address the problems. To our best knowledge, we are the first utilizing ELM in MIML problem and conducting the comparison of ELM and SVM on MIML. Extensive experiments are conducted on the real datasets and the synthetic datasets. The results show that MIML-ELM tends to achieve better generalization performance at a higher learning speed.
Learning Problems and Neurofibromatosis

A group of 32 children with von Recklinghausen’s neurofibromatosis (VRNF) and school learning problems was compared to a matched sample of learning-disordered (LD) students without known genetic or medical disorders at the Division of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City.
The highway of despair: critical theory after Hegel

Robyn Marasco’s The highway of despair: critical theory after Hegel is an admirably lean book, but also assured, confident and masterful in its interpretations and decisions. She guides us through ...
Analysis of AM2 Airfield Matting Performance Under Six-Wheel Boeing C-17 Gear Loading

Methods previously developed to predict the performance of AM2 aluminum airfield matting subjected to single-wheel aircraft loads were evaluated in this paper to determine their validity for the complex six-wheel Boeing C-17 main landing gear. These methods, derived from full-scale accelerated Boeing F-15E trafficking, were used to predict deformation of the subgrade as a function of the California bearing ratio (CBR) and the number of aircraft passes. The same data set was also used to predict fatigue failure of the mat system’s joints over any CBR. A laboratory test fixture and procedure were designed to mimic the boundary conditions experienced by the mat during full-scale experiments (single-wheel F-15E in the original experiments) so that variations of the joints and any subgrade CBR can theoretically be tested in fatigue without the expense of full-scale experiments. Results presented in this paper showed that, even with a more complex loading configuration (i.e., C-17), the trends published previously for the F-15E were supported, and the procedures offered reasonable predictions for AM2.
Simultaneous and rapid detection of influenza viruses A and B by multiplex real-time quantitative PCR

Objective To establish a TaqMan-based multiplex real-time PCR assay for detection of influenza viruses A and B, and the constructed method was primarily applied to clinical samples test.Methods The specific primers and probes were designed in the conserved region of the M and HA gene of influenza viruses A and B, respectively. The reaction conditions were optimized and the sensitivity, specificity and the stab ility of the assay were evaluated. The clinical specimens collected from the patients were detected by this assay. Results For specific detecting the influenza A and B viruses,the detection limits of the assay were 0.1TCID50and 0.01 TCID50. The viral RNA was directly detected from the clinical specimens by this assay. Only three hours were needed for viral RNA extraction and real-time PCR amplification.Conclusion This assay is a rapid, sensitive and specific one for simultaneous detection of influenza viruses A and B. Key words: Orthomyxoviridae; Sequence analysis; Polymerase china reaction
Multivariate Downscaling Approach Preserving Cross Correlations across Climate Variables for Projecting Hydrologic Fluxes

AbstractMost of the currently employed procedures for bias correction and statistical downscaling primarily consider a univariate approach by developing a statistical relationship between large-scale precipitation/temperature with the local-scale precipitation/temperature, ignoring the interdependency between the two variables. In this study, a multivariate approach, asynchronous canonical correlation analysis (ACCA), is proposed and applied to global climate model (GCM) historic simulations and hindcasts from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) to downscale monthly precipitation and temperature over the conterminous United States. ACCA is first applied to the CNRM-CM5 GCM historical simulations for the period 1950–99 and compared with the bias-corrected dataset based on quantile mapping from the Bureau of Reclamation. ACCA is also applied to CNRM-CM5 hindcasts and compared with univariate asynchronous regression (ASR), which applies regular regression to sorted GCM and observed v...
Breast Cancer Disparities. High-Risk Breast Cancer and African Ancestry

African American women have a lower lifetime incidence of breast cancer than white/Caucasian Americans yet have a higher risk of breast cancer mortality. African American women are also more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at young ages, and they have higher risk for the biologically more aggressive triple-negative breast cancers. These features are also more common among women from western, sub-Saharan Africa who share ancestry with African Americans, and this prompts questions regarding an association between African ancestry and inherited susceptibility for certain patterns of mammary carcinogenesis.
The evolution of spirituality and religion in international social work discourse: Strengths and limitations of the contemporary understanding

ABSTRACTAs the profession’s interest in spirituality and religion has grown, new understandings of these two constructs have emerged. As in other areas of academic discourse, it is important to be informed about diverse understandings. Toward this end, the present article describes the emergence of the contemporary understanding of spirituality and religion in social work discourse and, perhaps more importantly, the strengths and limitations associated with the contemporary perspective. By illuminating some of the diverse arguments in favor of and against contemporary conceptualizations, the profession is better equipped to understand and work with these concepts in a professional and ethical manner.
High fat diet consumption differentially affects adipose tissue inflammation and adipocyte size in obesity-prone and obesity-resistant rats

High fat diet consumption differentially affects adipose tissue inflammation and adipocyte size in obesity-prone and obesity-resistant rats
Effect of Uniaxial Tensile Cyclic Loading Regimes on Matrix Organization and Tenogenic Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Encapsulated within 3D Collagen Scaffolds

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells have become a popular cell choice for tendon repair strategies due to their relative abundance, ease of isolation, and ability to differentiate into tenocytes. In this study, we investigated the solo effect of different uniaxial tensile strains and loading frequencies on the matrix directionality and tenogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells encapsulated within three-dimensional collagen scaffolds. Samples loaded at 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% strains and 0.1 Hz and 1 Hz frequencies for 2 hours/day over a 7-day period using a custom-built uniaxial tensile strain bioreactor were characterized in terms of matrix organization, cell viability, and musculoskeletal gene expression profiles. The results displayed that the collagen fibers of the loaded samples exhibited increased matrix directionality with an increase in strain values. Gene expression analyses demonstrated that ASC-encapsulated collagen scaffolds loaded at 2% strain and 0.1 Hz frequency showed significant increases in extracellular matrix genes and tenogenic differentiation markers. Importantly, no cross-differentiation potential to osteogenic, chondrogenic, and myogenic lineages was observed at 2% strain and 0.1 Hz frequency loading condition. Thus, 2% strain and 0.1 Hz frequency were identified as the appropriate mechanical loading regime to induce tenogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells cultured in a three-dimensional environment.
Performance Analysis of EDCA for IEEE 802.11p/DSRC Based V2V Communication in Discrete Event System

The IEEE 802.11p/DSRC protocol is considered to be a viable technology for inter-vehicle safety communications. In order to support the control algorithms employed by autonomous vehicles, low packet delay is a requirement for Vehicle Ad-Hoc Networks (VANETs). In a VANET, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications play an important role for ensuring a safe and reliable autonomous driving environment since safety messages are transmitted via V2V communication. The Wireless Access in Vehicular Environment (WAVE) protocol includes the Enhanced Distribution Channel Access (EDCA) mechanism to ensure the Quality of Service (QoS). Therefore, it is necessary to create accurate simulations that guarantee the V2V communications will work as described in the protocols. In this paper, we will present a newly designed VANET simulator based on a Discrete-Event System in MATLAB and a series of simulations of the MAC/PHY layer for the DSRC/WAVE V2V network. The simulation results for the delay are compared with previous papers in order to verify the simulator.
Direct Imprinting of Scalable, High-Performance Woodpile Electrodes for Three-Dimensional Lithium-Ion Nanobatteries.

The trend of device downscaling drives a corresponding need for power source miniaturization. Though numerous microfabrication methods lead to successful creation of submillimeter-scale electrodes, scalable approaches that provide cost-effective nanoscale resolution for energy storage devices such as on-chip batteries remain elusive. Here, we report nanoimprint lithography (NIL) as a direct patterning technique to fabricate high-performance TiO2 nanoelectrode arrays for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) over relatively large areas. The critical electrode dimension is below 200 nm, which enables the structure to possess favorable rate capability even under discharging current densities as high as 5000 mA g–1. In addition, by sequential imprinting, electrodes with three-dimensional (3D) woodpile architecture were readily made in a “stack-up” manner. The height of architecture can be easily controlled by the number of stacked layers while maintaining nearly constant surface-to-volume ratios. The result is a propo...
Rural Secondary School Athletic Trainers’ Recognition and Management of Acute Lateral Ankle Sprains: A Retrospective Chart Review

The management of an acute lateral ankle sprain (LAS) affects long-term outcomes, which highlights the need for assessment of practice at the point of care. The purpose of this retrospective chart ...
THE ROLE OF QUASI-SOLUTIONS IN THE STUDY OF DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the role of quasi-solutions in the study of differential equations. It is well known that quasimonotone property plays a crucial role in the study of comparison theorems, existence of extremal solutions, and the monotone iterative techniques for initial and boundary value problems. In the method of vector Lyapunov functions to investigate the stability of large scale systems, an unpleasant fact is that quasimonotone property is required for comparison systems as comparison systems with a desired stability property exist without being quasimonotone. However, in many physical situations, it is often found that quasimonotone property is not satisfied. A simple model governing the combustion of gas represented by the system together with appropriate initial and boundary conditions is considered. The system is not quasimonotone but satisfies a kind of mixed quasimonotone property. The idea of quasi-solutions introduced and developed further can be gainfully employed to study differential systems, which possess a certain mixed quasi-monotonicity.
The Role of CASQ2 D307H Mutant protein in Catecholamine Induced Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT)

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv VITA viii LIST OF TABLES xvi LIST OF FIGURES xvii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xix CHAPTERS Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Cardiac E-C Coupling 1.1.1 The Action Potential 3 1.1.2 Role of SR Proteins in calcium Storage, Release and Uptake 3 1.2 Calsequestrin 1.2.1 Calcium and Calsequestrin polymerization 6 1.2.2 Calsequestrin not only buffers Ca but also modulates SR Ca release..... 7 1.3 Mouse models to better understand the role of CASQ2 1.3.1 Transgenic Overexpression of CASQ2 9 1.3.2 Absence of CASQ: Knockout Mouse models 10
Biomechanics of Impact Traumatic Brain Injury

Brain injury is a major cause of death and disability. A better understanding of the biomechanics of the brain under loading conditions that lead to injury can reduce mortality and morbidity. During normal activity, simple body movements such as twisting or jumping can cause the brain to deform within the cranial cavity. External head loading can be severe even during intentional body movements such as heading a football (soccer in the US), punching a boxer, or experiencing a head collision in US football. At large enough magnitudes, these head loadings can produce irreversible effects in the neural, axonal, and vascular structures of the brain. Mechanisms of tissue damage as well as links with clinical observations have not been completely characterized. Macro-mechanical and micro-mechanical characterization of head loading is a prerequisite to the determination of brain damage mechanisms.
Visual System: Multiple Visual Areas in Monkeys

Visual cortex in macaque monkeys consists of a large number of subdivisions extending from occipital cortex into the temporal, parietal, and frontal lobes. These subdivisions vary in the amount and type of information used in their identification, and thus they vary in the certainty that they represent functionally distinct cortical areas. Traditionally, cortical areas have been defined using multiple, convergent criteria, including architectonics, cortical connections, topographic organization, functional properties, and behavioral contributions. In the current view of visual cortical organization in macaque monkeys, 31 subdivisions have been described consistently by two or more of these criteria and thus are recognized as cortical areas, whereas 20 subdivisions are less consistently described and retain the designation of cortical zone.
Asymmetric Information in Insurance Markets: Predictions and Tests

This chapter surveys a number of recent empirical studies that test for or evaluate the importance of asymmetric information in insurance relationships. Our focus throughout is on the methodology rather than on the empirical results. We first discuss the main conclusions reached by insurance theory in both a static and a dynamic framework for exclusive as well as nonexclusive insurance. We put particular emphasis on the testable consequences that can be derived from very general models of exclusive insurance. We show that these models generate an inequality that, in simple settings, boils down to a positive correlation of risk and coverage conditional on all public information. We then discuss how one can disentangle moral hazard and adverse selection and the additional tests that can be run using dynamic data.
Retinoblastoma mutation to predict poor outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

9060Background: Genomic profiling of tumor DNA has revealed the diversity in NSCLC. The retinoblastoma gene (RB1) encodes for RB pocket protein that plays an important role in cell cycle progressio...
Use of Closed Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy After Revision Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty in Patients at High Risk for Infection: A Prospective, Randomized Clinical Trial.

Abstract Background Continuous wound drainage after arthroplasty can lead to the development of a periprosthetic joint infection. Closed incisional negative pressure wound therapy (ciNPWT) has been reported to help alleviate drainage and other wound complications. The purpose of this prospective randomized controlled trial is to compare the use of ciNPWT with our standard of care dressing in revision arthroplasty patients who were at high risk to develop wound complications. Methods A total of 160 patients undergoing elective revision arthroplasty were prospectively randomized to receive either ciNPWT or a silver-impregnated occlusive dressing after surgery in a single institution. Patients were included if they had at least 1 risk factor for developing wound complication(s): wound complication, readmission, and reoperation rates were collected at 2, 4, and 12 weeks postoperatively. Results The postoperative wound complication rate was significantly higher in the control cohort compared to the ciNPWT cohort (19 [23.8%] vs 8 [10.1%], P = .022). There was no significant difference between the control and ciNPWT cohorts in terms of readmissions (19 [23.8%] vs 16 [20.3%], P = .595). Reoperation rate was higher in controls compared to ciNPWT patients (10 [12.5%] vs 2 [2.5%], P = .017). After adjusting for the history of a prior periprosthetic joint infection and inflammatory arthritis, the ciNPWT cohort had a significantly decreased wound complication rate (odds ratio 0.28, 95% confidence interval 0.11-0.68). Conclusion ciNPWT may decrease the rate of postoperative wound complications in patients who are at an increased risk of such wound issues after revision arthroplasty.
Optical system contamination: vacuum ultraviolet-modified surfaces

Previous studies have shown that molecular contamination outgassed from nonmetallic materials tends toward deposition on optical surfaces as droplets instead of nearly uniform thin films. Failure to consider the sources and effects of these droplets in an optical instrument omits large throughput losses due to scattering. This paper demonstrates that a simple treatment of optical system surfaces using vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation reduces the formation of molecular contaminant droplets. VUV radiation exposure of a nominally clean silicon surface using a deuterium lamp suffices to remove hydrocarbon and carbonyl species that allow wetting of the surface by the contaminant. The throughput losses of the contamination due to droplet scattering can be reduced significantly.
Female cancer survivor perspectives on remote intervention components to support physical activity maintenance

Physical activity minimizes the side effects of cancer; yet, participation rates among cancer survivors are low. Technological innovations are promoted as efficient means for communication and remote monitoring, but little is known about acceptability among female cancer survivors. The purpose of this study was to examine female cancer survivor perspectives on remote monitoring and communication to support independent, physical activity maintenance after completing a structured, facility-based program. Participants were 19 female cancer survivors (mean age 56.3) recruited after completing a 12-week exercise-based oncology rehabilitation program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants following a 4-week pilot trial of a tailored text message, FitBit®, and health coach intervention to support independent physical activity maintenance. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Transcripts from the interviews were iteratively coded by two team members using a thematic analysis. Participants reported acceptance and satisfaction with remote monitoring and communication. Emergent themes related to technology-based support for physical activity maintenance included the following: (1) accountability to a remote partner; (2) plan Bs, planning for barriers; (3) the habit cycle; (4) convenience through technology; and (5) reclaiming health ownership following a cancer diagnosis. Participants attributed physical activity maintenance to accountability enabled by technology. Communication based on remote monitoring was perceived as encouraging and not intrusive, during the transition to a home program. This study highlights the importance of accountability and support for physical activity adherence and the positive role that technology can provide for female cancer survivors to regain control of health management.
A Plasmodium key fits a mosquito lock.

Malaria is one of the three most lethal infectious diseases. Unlike AIDS and tuberculosis, malaria is unique in that the parasite must complete a complex differentiation program in its mosquito vector for transmission to occur (1) (Fig. 1). Despite significant progress made in the last couple of decades, our mechanistic understanding of how the parasite develops in the mosquito is incomplete. A very strong bottleneck occurs in the mosquito gut (2). Out of the many hundred gametocytes that are typically ingested by the mosquito with an infected blood meal, only few parasites (single digits) succeed to form oocysts, even in high-transmission areas. As such, the parasite’s midgut stages constitute prime targets for interference with gut traversal and for curtailing transmission. Fig. 1. Plasmodium cycle in the mosquito and possible role of the mosquito Pfs47 receptor (P47Rec). ( Lower ) A mosquito acquires the Plasmodium parasite when it takes a blood meal from an infected individual. Soon after arrival in the mosquito gut, the Plasmodium sexual forms complete gametogenesis, followed by fertilization. The resulting zygotes differentiate into motile ookinetes that migrate within the blood bolus and about 24 h later cross the midgut to form oocysts on the surface of the midgut epithelium that faces the hemocoel. About 10 d later, thousands of sporozoites that develop within each oocyst are liberated into the hemocoel and invade the salivary gland. Transmission occurs when a mosquito carrying salivary gland sporozoites bites an individual. ( Upper ) The mosquito P47Rec cytoskeletal protein lines the microvilli of the midgut epithelium. Upon entry, the ookinete induces accumulation of P47Rec around itself and this process inhibits nitration of the parasite by an unknown mechanism. P47Rec colocalizes with Pfs25 which was shed … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: ljacob13{at}jhu.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Biological treatment of plant biomass and factors affecting bioactivity

Abstract Plant biomass is a most promising renewable, sustainable and imminent candidate to mitigate the greenhouse gas emission effect, and can be applied in various ways to produce biofuels, chemicals, materials and polymers through integrated biorefineries processes. Pretreatment is an initial step of plant biorefineries and plays a crucial role to separate cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Pretreatment of plant biomass is an essential step to remove and/or reduce the inhibitors such as lignin, extractives, inorganic contents, etc., to have efficient activity of enzymes to hydrolyze polysaccharides into sugars and biofuels. Various types of pretreatment methods include chemicals, physical, thermal or biological processes, which are available on either lab or industrial scales to reduce and/or eliminate these inhibitors. Biological treatment processes including fungi, bacteria, enzymes and more, seem to have the eco-friendly promise and output in most cases of unaltered lignin. The advantages of using biological methods are that they are easy to operate, require low energy input, they are low-risk, operate at mild conditions, and the materials generate free of contaminants that come particularly from chemicals used. This review focuses on the literature on cutting-edge-research containing biological treatment processes of plant biomass. Anticipated catalytic cycles, techno-economic analysis, and parameters that affect biological treatment processes and enzymatic hydrolysis, are discussed. The fungi used as pre- or post-treatment with chemical or physical pretreatment process of assorted types of feedstocks are discussed. The hydroxyl radical delignification mechanism of plant biomass using fungi are presented. A detailed discussion of biomass degradation and/or hydrolysis using cellulase, hemicellulases, ligninase including lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese peroxidase (MnP), laccase, dye-decolorizing peroxidase, versatile peroxidase (VP), heme-thiolate haloperoxidases, and pectinase is discussed. Combined pretreatments that pair with enzymatic treatment processes with a chemical, physical or thermal approach are also discussed. Future prospective of fungal strains by applying recombinant DNA technology for degrading lignin, to enhance biological treatment processes and more, are also presented in this review.
Novel Recruitment Methods for Research Among Young Adults in Rural Areas Who Use Opioids: Cookouts, Coupons, and Community-Based Staff:

ObjectivesRural communities in the United States are increasingly becoming epicenters of substance use and related harms. However, best practices for recruiting rural people who use drugs (PWUD) fo...
Erratum for Kogay et al., "Selection for Reducing Energy Cost of Protein Production Drives the GC Content and Amino Acid Composition Bias in Gene Transfer Agents".

Vol. 11, no. 4, e01206-20, 2020, [https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.01206-20][1]. In the originally published version, Fig. S5 in the supplemental material was a duplicate of Table S5. Figure S5 has since been corrected online. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1128/mBio.01206-20
Identification of an EB IIIA Incised Bone Tube Workshop at Tell el-Hesi, Israel

The Joint Archaeological Expedition to Tell el-Hesi (1970–1983) identified an unusually large number of incised bone tubes from Early Bronze Age IIIA contexts in Field VI. Excavations recovered a t...
Randomized controlled studies comparing traditional lectures versus online modules

We assessed the efficacy of traditional lectures versus online modules with respect to student learning in an undergraduate introductory biochemistry course in two successive years. In the first year, students had the options of attending live lectures by the course instructor and viewing online modules pre-recorded by the instructor, with the lectures and modules covering identical content; in addition, all students had a mandatory weekly application session. Utilizing pre-course and post-course tests as an instrument with which to measure learning during the course, we observed significantly increased learning (0.7 standard deviations) with attendance of traditional lectures and decreased learning with use of online modules, even after adjustment for grade point average. In the second year, the course had the same curriculum, but students were randomized to either live lectures or online modules for the first half of the course, crossing over to the other modality during the second half. With randomization, no difference in learning was observed between the two groups. Our study results suggest that although students who self-select to attend live lectures may be better primed to learn, there is no difference in learning with traditional lectures versus online modules. Furthermore, we found that students were better engaged when viewing online modules than when attending lectures in person. These findings suggest aspects of the lecture experience can be shifted to online modules in STEM courses without impacts on student learning so as to use classroom time more fully for application-based active learning interventions.
A randomized, controlled trial of the safety planning intervention: Research design and methods.

Abstract Background Brief interventions for suicide risk among patients treated in acute care settings like the emergency department are needed. The Safety Planning Intervention is a promising approach but has yet to undergo a high quality, individual level randomized controlled trial. Purpose This paper describes the methods associated with an individual level randomized controlled trial of the Safety Planning Intervention compared to a control condition comprised of reviewing risk factors and warning signs. Methods The sample comprised patients 18 years and older presenting to one of three different emergency departments with suicide related emergencies (target n = 484). Eligible patients were approached, consented, and randomized to the intervention (Safety Planning Intervention) or control (risk factors and warning signs). They were assessed at 1, 3 and 6 months after their index visit. The primary outcome is suicidal behavior. The study also assessed mechanisms of action. Data analyses are pending. Conclusions We identified and addressed key challenges to studying suicidal patients in the emergency department, including difficulty enrolling during the emergency department visit, ascertaining outcomes in patients that are historically very difficult to follow, and addressing the ambiguity of suicidal behavior. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03227991
Waveform Optimization for Multistatic Radar Imaging Using Mutual Information

This article addresses the problem of radar waveform design for imaging targets in a cluttered environment. A multistatic radar scenario is considered for sparse and random sensor positions. The target impulse response is modeled using the simulated frequency response of a buried metallic mine, and the clutter is modeled using the compound Gaussian (CG) distribution. We explore novel waveform design techniques with respect to the mutual information (MI) criterion based on the CG clutter. The first method presents a waveform that exploits the CG distribution of the scene reflectivity function when projected onto a sparse basis. This is compared to the second method, called the target-specific approach that uses knowledge of the target and clutter frequency responses to optimize a matched illumination waveform. In both cases, the Taguchi and particle swarm optimization solvers are employed for MI-based waveform design optimization. To validate and compare the effectiveness of the optimized waveforms, the resulting scene reflectivity function is estimated using the sparsity-driven regularization radar imaging method. Our experimental results demonstrate that both waveform optimization techniques result in significantly better image reconstruction performance than the traditional linear-frequency-modulated waveform, and that the target-specific approach additionally suppresses clutter information in the scene.
Social Sanctioning, Trust, and Voter Turnout in Emerging Democracies

If individual ballots are not pivotal and turning out is costly, why do many citizens in transitioning democracies vote? Prior approaches highlight psychological and material incentives that increase turnout. We argue that, beyond individual utility maximization, voting also reflects a person's investment in collective goods in which communities must cooperate and coordinate to mobilize members. Citizens therefore turnout, at least in part, to avoid negative social sanctions resulting from perceptions of strong community expectations and monitoring capacity. We test our predictions with original survey data from Afghanistan's 2010 parliamentary elections. We find avoidance of negative payoffs from social sanctioning drives mobilization and that sanctioning declines in areas of stronger social capital. Strength of ethnic attachments and vote-buying do not consistently increase turnout for marginal voters.
Reported abdominal pain is associated with gastric motility in functional dyspepsia patients

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common gastrointestinal (GI) disorder of the upper GI tract associated with a variety of symptoms, such as abdominal pain and bloating, but lacking identifiable organic abnormalities. Altered motility patterns in FD occur in the stomach, pylorus and small intestine during digestive or interdigestive periods, and up to 30% of symptoms are associated with migrating motor complexes-like activity, thus suggesting a link between gastric motility and sensory disturbances. However, gastric functional impairments have proven to be challenging to assess using conventional abdominal imaging, which typically evaluated anatomy at a single time point and relied on a variety of modalities with varying degrees of invasiveness. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) represents a promising tool for non-invasive assessment of multiple aspects of gastric function, which can be linked with pain intensity. We applied a novel 4D (volume + time), free-breathing MRI sequence at 3T with contrast enhancement achieved through a food-based meal in order to assess human gastric function. Twelve (12) FD patients were asked to consume a high-caloric meal (470 ml semi-solid pudding) containing pineapple as contrast agent. 4D cine-MRI gastric scans were collected continuously for 5 minutes (temporal resolution: 7s) at 3 post-meal times (+15, +45, +75 minutes). Ratings of abdominal pain were collected prior to each scan using a numerical rating scale ranging from 0 (“unnoticeable”) to 100 (“unbearable”). MRI gastric volumes were segmented and a gastric motility index was extracted by dividing gastric wall deformation by gastric volume. This index showed a significant positive correlation with abdominal pain ratings (r=0.39, p-value=0.018). No significant correlations were found between abdominal pain and gastric volume or ingested meal volume, supporting the importance of dynamic gastric measurements. Our results support 4D cine-MRI as a clinically relevant tool for the identification of gastric abnormalities associated with FD symptomatology. NIH NIDDK R21-DK116029, NIH Office Of The Director OT2-OD023867.
Distributed Data Processing for Large-Scale Simulations on Cloud

The computational challenges encountered in the large-scale simulations are accompanied by those from data-intensive computing. In this work, we proposed a distributed data pipeline for large-scale simulations by using libraries and frameworks available on Cloud services. The building blocks of the proposed data pipeline such as Apache Beam and Zarr are commonly used in the data science and machine learning community. Our contribution is to apply the data-science approaches to handle large-scale simulation data for the hardware design community. The data pipeline is designed with careful considerations for the characteristics of the simulation data in order to achieve high parallel efficiency. The performance of the data pipeline is analyzed with two examples. In the first example, the proposed data pipeline is used to process electric potential obtained with a Poisson solver. In the second example, the data pipeline is used to process thermal and fluid data obtained with a computational fluid dynamic solver. Both solvers are in-house developed and finite-difference based, running in parallel on Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) clusters and serving the purpose of data generation. It is worth mentioning that in this work, the focus is on data processing instead of data generation. The proposed data pipeline is designed in a general manner and is suitable for other types of data generators such as full-wave electromagnetic and multiphysics solvers. The performance analysis demonstrates good storage and computational efficiency of the proposed data pipeline. As a reference, it takes 5 hours and 14 mins to convert simulation data of size 7.8 TB into Zarr format and the maximum total parallelism is chosen as 10,000.
Is the lung microbiome alive? Lessons from Antarctic soil.

Is the lung microbiome alive? What we can learn from 1) the cold, dry, salty soil of Antarctica and 2) an elegant new translational study in the European Respiratory Journal. A new essay by @robertpdickson and @jenn_bak_.https://bit.ly/3p76a0L
Evolution of Native and Alien Macrophytes in a Fluvial‐wetland System Using Long‐term Satellite Data

An overgrowth of invasive floating macrophytes can occur in shallow eutrophic lakes as a result of significant anthropogenic pressures. This necessitates appropriate monitoring, followed by informed management, control and mitigation actions. In this study, we explored the long-term dynamics of macrophyte stands in a fluvial-wetland system and the influence of mechanical removal alongside environmental drivers. The Landsat imagery archive was used to analyze the areal coverage and canopy density of both autochthonous and allochthonous macrophytes in the Mantua lakes system (Northern Italy). Satellite derived data showed a substantial increase in the extent of the alien Nelumbo nucifera, and Ludwigia hexapetala, and the native Trapa natans over a timescale of decades, possibly caused by the temporary absence of macrophyte removal and altered hydrology. According to spectral proxies, N. nucifera recorded consistently the highest density in the system. T. natans density was found to respond to the maximum summer temperature and Eastern Atlantic climatic index, reflecting the role of regional climatic controls. This approach may be transferred to inland waters from regional to global scale exploiting satellite archives to obtain a time series on changing species dynamics essential for the conservation and management of aquatic habitats.
Writing, Imitation, and the Brain: Insights from Neuroscience Research

Referencing recent research in neuroscience, this chapter argues that Writing Studies teachers and scholars should reconsider imitation as a valid pedagogical and theoretical approach, because it can enable students to fulfil the requirements of academic writing tasks more successfully. It maintains that imitation can be used not only to help students perform the act of writing with greater insight, but also that if imitation is conceptualized as a type of performance, it can enable students to develop a sense of writerly identity that will contribute to their continued improvement. This interconnection between performance and identity is supported by current research in neuroplasticity that discusses the interaction between what one ‘does’ or performs and the neuronal brain activity that occurs as a result of that performance. This chapter consists of four sections. The first presents an overview of how the discipline of writing studies developed in terms of classroom pedagogy and the extent to which imitation corresponded to these perspectives. The second discusses recent ideas in neuroscience that support the conception of writing as performance. The third reports on a study that evaluated the use of imitation in several first-year writing classes, and the fourth suggests strategies for classroom use.
Creating Laos: The Making of a Lao Space Between Indochina and Siam, 1860-1945

The existence of Laos today is taken for granted. But the crystallization of a Lao national idea and ultimate independence for the country was a long and uncertain process.This book examines the pr ...
Transcriptional Control of the Galactose Operon by the capR (lon) and capT Genes

Mutations in capR or capT cause derepression of the enzymes of the gal operon. The gal-specific messenger ribonucleic acid is directly proportional to the gal enzyme levels in wild type, capR, and capT strains. These results indicate that capR and capT control the gal operon at the transcriptional level.
Conformational properties of isolated macromolecules

The properties of many kinds of solid material (e.g., ionic crystals, quartz, etc.) appear to have only a tenuous correlation with those of the isolated individual atoms or molecules of which they are made. In macromolecular substances, however, thanks primarily to the great strength of covalent bonds, such correlations are strong and indeed essential to fundamental understanding of structure-property relationships. With certain exceptions, such as polypeptides and polynucleotides with their remarkable helix-coil transformations, the conformational properties of macromolecules in liquid or amorphous environment are only secondarily dependent on the nature or concentration of diluents; and in many cases the molecular conformation observed in the crystalline state is also the most stable conformation of the isolated chain. There are also strong correlations between the rates of conformational change for isolated macromolecules in dilute solution and various non-equilibrium properties of polymeric substances in bulk. During the past decade, great progress has been made in the analysis and prediction of macromolecular conformations. Detailed accounts may be found in the books by VOLKENSTEIN, by BIRSTEIN and PTITSYN, and by FLORY. By combination of several types of experimental evidence with semi-empirical and theoretical considerations, it has been possible to construct fairly reliable potential energies governing the conformations of a wide variety of chain molecules. An important simplifying feature of the results is that for many purposes it is sufficient to focus attention on the various minima of the potential energy, corresponding to the so-called rotational-isomeric states. Another essential feature is that as a rule one finds strong interdependence of the rotational states of adjoining bonds in the chain backbone; a simple example is found in the “pentane effect” for paraffin chains, which renders highly improbable the occurence of two successive gauche rotations of opposite sense. An important exception is seen in polyamides, where the essentially rigid planarity of the amide link allows independence of the rotations of the immediately adjacent bonds. Inclusion of other rigid or semi-rigid elements in the chain backbone, such as the rings in cellulose and in terephthalate polyesters, leads to similar effects, but in detail each chain is sui generis. The conformations of chains bearing asymmetric centers (e.g., PVC, polypropylene) depends strongly on tacticity and stereoregularity. For the discussion of non-equilibrium properties at a fundamental level, the maxima (barriers between minima) of the conformational potential energy also play an essential role, but at present most theories of viscoelasticity, for example, are based on less realistic models, such as beads-and-springs, random-flight chain, KRATKY-POROD wormlike chain, etc. The elaboration of these models and their relation to the detailed molecular structure is currently an active field of study.
Mathematical developments arising from Hilbert problems

Part 1: Hilbert's first problem: The continuum hypothesis by D. A. Martin What have we learnt from Hilbert's second problem? by G. Kreisel Problem IV: Desarguesian spaces by H. Busemann Hilbert's fifth problem and related problems on transformation groups by C. T. Yang Hilbert's sixth problem: Mathematical treatment of the axioms of physics by A. S. Wightman Hilbert's seventh problem: On the Gelfond-Baker method and its applications by R. Tijdeman Hilbert's 8th problem: An analogue by E. Bombieri An overview of Deligne's proof of the Riemann hypothesis for varieties over finite fields (Hilbert's problem 8) by N. M. Katz Problems concerning prime numbers (Hilbert's problem 8) by H. L. Montgomery Part 2: Problem 9: The general reciprocity law by J. Tate Hilbert's tenth problem. Diophantine equations: Positive aspects of a negative solution by M. Davis, Y. Matijasevic, and J. Robinson Hilbert's eleventh problem: The arithmetic theory of quadratic forms by O. T. O'Meara Some contemporary problems with origins in the Jugendtraum (Hilbert's problem 12) by R. P. Langlands The 13-th problem of Hilbert by G. G. Lorentz Hilbert's fourteenth problem--the finite generation of subrings such as rings of invariants by D. Mumford Problem 15. Rigorous foundation of Schubert's enumerative calculus by S. L. Kleiman Hilbert's seventeenth problem and related problems on definite forms by A. Pfister Hilbert's problem 18: On crystalographic groups, fundamental domains, and on sphere packing by J. Milnor The solvability of boundary value problems (Hilbert's problem 19) by J. Serrin Variational problems and elliptic equations (Hilbert's problem 20) by E. Bombieri An overview of Deligne's work on Hilbert's twenty-first problem by N. M. Katz Hilbert's twenty-third problem: Extensions of the calculus of variations by G. Stampacchia.
A Review of “The New Geography of Jobs”

University of California, Berkeley, labor economist Enrico Moretti has written an important book on the relationship between economic prosperity, globalization, geography, and education. His main a...
Laser direct write deposition of copper and silver conductor lines from solution

Summary form only given. Liquid encapsulated Laser Chemical Vapor Deposition (LLCVD) of metal and insulator patterns has previously been demonstrated for neat liquids and volatile molecular precursors in solution. In LLCVD, the focused laser beam locally heats the substrate immersed in a liquid containing the precursor. In this paper we present an investigation of direct write laser deposition of Cu and Ag conductor lines from solutions of the corresponding salts in various solvents.
Cervical spine trauma: evaluation by multidetector CT and three-dimensional volume rendering

Multidetector-row computed tomography (CT) offers important advantages over conventional imaging modalities in the evaluation of the post-trauma cervical spine. It allows for faster scanning times, critical for triaging post-trauma patients as well as for eliminating motion artifacts, and allows for thinner collimation and the ability to achieve an isotropic data set which can be reformatted in any plane without loss of spatial resolution. In addition, three-dimensional volume-rendered reconstructions of images obtained using multidetector scanners can provide additional information in defining extent of injury, allowing neurosurgeons to see the fractures in any plane, simulating intraoperative views. 3D multidetector-row CT represents an advance in CT technology and can help ensure rapid, accurate evaluation of cervical spine injuries.
A Quadratic Sieve on the n-Dimensional Cube

Let N be a large odd integer. We show how to produce a long sequence {(X,, Y,)}t=12n of integers modulo N which satisfy Xi2 ? Yi modulo N, where Xi, > Nl/2 and | Yi | < cN1/2, Our sequence corresponds to a Hainiltonian path on the n-dimensiotial hypercube Cn, where n is ?(log N/ log log N). One application of these techniques is that, at each vertex of the hypercube, it is possible to search for equations of the form U2 ? V modulo N with V a product of small primes. The search is as in the quadratic sieve algorithm and therefore very fast. This yields a faster way of changing polynomials in the Multiple Polynomial Quadratic Sieve algorithm, since moving along the hypercube turns out to be very cheap.