cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stress Waves Propagating Through Bolted Joints

This paper examines the mechanical response of a simple bolted joint, the Brake–Reu\(\ss\) beam, under shock loading. This is done by creating a high-fidelity finite element model of the beam and subjecting it to a quasi-static bolt load followed by a dynamic shock load. The influence of several parameters on the beam’s response is studied, which include impact force, impact duration, impact location, and residual stress. The results indicate that when the energy input into the beam is held constant, the most influential parameter is the shock’s frequency and that increasing its frequency significantly increases dissipation. The next most influential parameter is the impact location, though its effect is frequency dependent and becomes stronger for higher frequencies. Finally, the results show that while residual stresses can significantly modify the contact-pressure distribution, they have minimal influence on the energy dissipated due to friction resulting from shock loading.
Feminine Reproductive Behavior and Physiology in Rodents: Integration of Hormonal, Behavioral, and Environmental Influences

Feminine sexual behavior has been used extensively as a model behavior for understanding the mechanisms by which hormonal and afferent neural signals from the environment interact at the cellular level to modulate behavior. This model has tremendous advantages, because of the well-characterized influences of hormones, behavior, and the environment. Some of the most interesting aspects of this model are the many ways in which behavioral response is shaped by environmental stimuli, as well as the ways in which behavioral output changes physiology. Although various components of these complex interactions can be studied in a reductionistic manner, they also lend themselves to analysis at all levels from organismic to cellular and molecular. This review offers a synthesis of behavioral and neuroendocrine research with cellular work and provides a theoretical framework with which to approach the study of feminine sexual behavior from multiple directions and at multiple levels. Collectively, the studies discussed demonstrate the myriad ways in which hormonal information and afferent, neuronal sensory inputs received during mating are orchestrated to alter the brain, to regulate the expression of a particular behavior and reproductive physiology.
“What is the use of plantation archaeology?” no use at all, if no one else is listening!

This essay is a brief response to the commentary by Parker Potter, Jr. (1991) addressing the lack of self-reflection in plantation archaeology. While plantation archaeologists should seriously consider much of Potter’s discussion, it is argued here that Potter is wrong in assuming that African Americans are the main audience for plantation archaeology and that the only way information from plantation archaeology reaches the general public is through direct communication, such as public presentations and museum exhibits. The audience for plantation archaeology divides not along racial lines but intellectual lines. The primary audience is scholars, who then pass on the results of scholarly research to the general public through their teaching activities at universities, colleges, and museums. Therefore, the question that needs to be addressed is, Has plantation archaeology made any contribution to wider scholarship? It is argued here that scholars in other disciplines have found nothing of use to them in plantation archaeology and have, by and large, ignored this research. Plantation archaeologists can make a significant contribution to broader scholarship, but to do this, they need to make their research relevant to other scholars, incorporate the theoretical and substantive developments in other disciplines, and address the questions that no other discipline can answer. Only then will the full potential of plantation archaeology be realized.
Formation of manganese nanoclusters in a sputtering/aggregation source and the roles of individual operating parameters

We describe the production of size selected manganese nanoclusters using a dc magnetron sputtering/aggregation source. Since nanoparticle production is sensitive to a range of overlapping operating parameters (in particular, the sputtering discharge power, the inert gas flow rates, and the aggregation length) we focus on a detailed map of the influence of each parameter on the average nanocluster size. In this way it is possible to identify the main contribution of each parameter to the physical processes taking place within the source. The discharge power and argon flow supply the atomic vapor, and argon also plays the crucial role in the formation of condensation nuclei via three-body collisions. However, neither the argon flow nor the discharge power have a strong effect on the average nanocluster size in the exiting beam. Here the defining role is played by the source residence time, which is governed by the helium supply and the aggregation path length. The size of mass selected nanoclusters was verified by atomic force microscopy of deposited particles.
Youth and Adult Perceptions of a New Technology in California 4-H: The Online Record Book

Youth development research suggests that adult volunteers have the potential to influence the how and when youth engage with technology as a legitimate form of program participation. The adults’ comfort levels with technology, coupled with the historical structure of the youth development organization itself, shapes which technologies are made available to, adopted by, or perceived as relevant or useful to youth. This study explores how adults and youth members of California 4-H perceived the 4-H Online Record Book (ORB), an electronic version of the traditional 4-H record book. Survey data from 236 self-identified users and non-users of ORB provided feedback about their use of and feelings towards ORB, with youth expressing more positive feelings towards ORB and adults feeling more negative about the system. Youth however, felt supported by adults to use ORB.
RF inductors with sputtered nanomagnetic films on glass substrates

Inductors utilize spiral or helical designs to enhance magnetic flux and inductance. Spiral inductors require large footprint while solenoid inductors require thick substrates to achieve adequate flux coupling. As such, both these designs impose trade offs in inductance density, Q, and frequency stability. Nanomagnetic films with stable and high permeability can enhance inductance density and correspondingly the Q factor. However, nanomagnetic films suffer from two disadvantages. They have high losses beyond 1.0 GHz. They are also sputter-deposited as thin films that are less than five microns. Therefore, the benefits of nanomagnetic films in RF inductors are not clear. Performance improvements and trade-offs in RF inductors with nanomagnetic films are analyzed through material and component-level modeling. In the first part of the paper, nanomagnetic films and properties are modeled. The inductance density and Q trade-offs with nanomagnetic films are simulated after imposing their constraints: frequency dependence and thickness of five microns. Both helical and spiral inductors are considered with and without the nanomagnetic films. The simulations show enhancement in inductance by 5× with mild degradation in Q for spiral inductors. However, the Q degraded more with solenoid inductors. Higher resistivity and ferromagnetic resonance frequency are critical to improve the performance of nanomagnetic film inductors.
An Efficient Dynamic Substructuring and Application to Reliability Analysis

Abstract This work presents an efficient substructure coupling technique that considers interface reduction. The dynamic behavior of the substructures is characterized by dominant and residual fixed interface normal modes. Interface reduction is accomplished by using a reduced number of characteristic constraint modes. The effectiveness of the proposed model reduction technique is demonstrated by means of a numerical example involving the reliability analysis of a structural system under stochastic excitation.
Molecular Motor Dnm1 Synergistically Induces Membrane Curvature To Facilitate Mitochondrial Fission.

Dnm1 and Fis1 are prototypical proteins that regulate yeast mitochondrial morphology by controlling fission, the dysregulation of which can result in developmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases in humans. Loss of Dnm1 blocks the formation of fission complexes and leads to elongated mitochondria in the form of interconnected networks, while overproduction of Dnm1 results in excessive mitochondrial fragmentation. In the current model, Dnm1 is essentially a GTP hydrolysis-driven molecular motor that self-assembles into ring-like oligomeric structures that encircle and pinch the outer mitochondrial membrane at sites of fission. In this work, we use machine learning and synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to investigate whether the motor Dnm1 can synergistically facilitate mitochondrial fission by membrane remodeling. A support vector machine (SVM)-based classifier trained to detect sequences with membrane-restructuring activity identifies a helical Dnm1 domain capable of generating nega...
Stabilizing Energies: Intersections Between Energy Promotion Texts and Rhetorical Theory

Rhetorical theory often deploys an energy trope to name how rhetorical action occurs. This chapter details how rhetorical scholarship uses this trope to explain the rhetorical power of fossil fuel promotional texts. Cozen focuses analysis on ExxonMobil’s Energy Lives Here campaign, in﻿ which the company﻿ prepares and maintains the infrastructure through which individuals activate their energetic potential. By arguing that fossil fuel systems set the conditions for human potential, or that human activity and vitality emanates through these systems, such texts endorse the permanence of current energy practices. While naming the fossil fuel system as the source of energetic potential helps legitimate current energy practices, politicizing the energy trope in rhetorical scholarship can inform how to conceive social transformation beyond these systems.
Mining data on traumatic brain injury with reconstructability analysis

This paper reports the analysis of data on traumatic brain injury using a probabilistic graphical modeling technique known as reconstructability analysis (RA). The analysis shows the flexibility, power, and comprehensibility of RA modeling, which is well-suited for mining biomedical data. One finding of the analysis is that education is a confounding variable for the Digit Symbol Test in discriminating the severity of concussion; another — and anomalous — finding is that previous head injury predicts improved performance on the Reaction Time test. This analysis was exploratory, so its findings require follow-on confirmatory tests of their generalizability.
“I don’t mean to be a dick, but”: Paralipsis, affective excess, and the reproduction of sexual hierarchies in university classrooms

This article explores the significance of paralipsis to analyses of affect and sociopolitical formation. Taking attested utterances from undergraduate anthropology courses as a point of departure, I examine how one White and female-identified student engaged in a sexualized form of paralipsis to claim distance from her own negative construal of the object-category “girls [that brag about community service].” Deploying what I term dick-rhetoric, in combination with strong affect and assertions of ideological common-sense, this student’s performance was effective at garnering stance ratification and “uptake” from classmates ( Jaffe 2009 ), and facilitating the reproduction of gender and sexual hierarchies. Drawing on Browne’s (2015) examination of denied racial subjectivity or “dark matter,” I argue that “dick matter” renders genderism and sexual objectification acceptable in university classrooms (among regimes, e.g., racial) – particularly for settings where professors do not engage students in critical exploration of dominant hierarchies and normalization processes. Discussion emphasizes the salience of engaging (ourselves and) students in examination of uses of paralipsis and dick-rhetoric for addressing gender and sexual inequalities.
An intuitive two-fluid picture of spontaneous 2D collisionless magnetic reconnection and whistler wave generation

An intuitive and physical two-fluid picture of spontaneous 2D collisionless magnetic reconnection and whistler wave generation is presented in the framework of 3D electron-magnetohydrodynamics. In this regime, canonical circulation (Q=me∇×u+qeB) flux tubes can be defined in analogy to magnetic flux tubes in ideal magnetohydrodynamics. Following the 3D behavior of these Q flux tubes provides a new perspective on collisionless reconnection—a perspective that has been hard to perceive via examinations of 2D projections. This shows that even in a 2D geometry with an ignorable coordinate, a 3D examination is essential for a full comprehension of the process. Intuitive answers are given to three main questions in collisionless reconnection: why is reconnection spontaneous, why do particles accelerate extremely fast, and why are whistler waves generated? Possible extensions to other regimes are discussed.
Letter by Lapin et al Regarding Article, "PROMIS GH (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global Health) Scale in Stroke: A Validation Study".

We recently conducted a validation study of the PROMIS GH (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global Health) in patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.1 The PROMIS GH consists of 10 global health items and are summarized in mental global health (MGH) and physical global health (PGH) component scores. Both the individual global items and component scores can be used to assess patients’ perceptions of their health. Since our study was published in Stroke , a new version of the PROMIS GH, version 1.2, was constructed to enable automatic item response theory scoring of MGH and PGH component scores, available through the HealthMeasures Scoring Service (www.assessmentcenter.net/ac_scoringservice). Changes became available September 22, 2017. These item-level calibrations, or response pattern scoring, are more accurate than the use of raw score to T score cross-walk tables, which we used in the …
Effect of Carbon Fiber Properties on Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic Strength

Mechanical Proderties of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) are Considered in the Form of Functional Dependecies of Carbon Fibers Properties. Structural Properties of CFRP and their Fracture Character are in Tight Connection with Fiber Properties, their Stability and Structure of Reinforcement. The Requirements to Carbon Fiber Properties Should be Formulated with Taking into Account Whole Body of Factors Determinative the Performance of Composite Material in Structure under Appropriate Kinds of Loading.
Oxygen Gradients In Vivo Seen by a High Oxygen Affinity HB Polymer

Cell-free hemoglobin based oxygen carriers (HBOC) wet the endothelial surfaces and deliver oxygen directly to tissues, bypassing plasma. Simulations show that carriers with oxygen affinity higher than blood would best deliver oxygen to tissues, although good delivery is produced within a large range of affinities. We tested this hypothesis using a solution of either a high oxygen affinity polymer (ZL-HbBv, P50 = 4mmHg) or of sebacoyl crosslinked hemoglobin, DECA, with P50 = 30mmHg. The polymer does not extravasate and does not produce a pressor response in infused animals. ZLHbBv decreased the volume of cerebral infarct by 40% in mice, while in the cat the lower affinity DECA failed to reduce the infarct volume. At reduced plasma viscosity ZL-HbBv produced a cerebral vasoconstriction due to excessive oxygen delivery, while at high plasma viscosity it produced a compensating vasodilation. In rabbit jejunum membranes, superfused under hypoxic conditions, the presence of the DECA allowed metabolites transport across the mucosa. Equivalent suspensions of red cells failed to allow transport. It is suggested that non-extravasating HBOC with high oxygen affinity can still deliver oxygen to ischemic tissues. Under nonischemic conditions with reduced blood viscosity cerebral vasoconstriction appears to occur in response to hyperoxygenation of tissues.
Intraprocedural Techniques: Angioscopy and Optical Imaging

The treatment of electrical disorders of the heart has evolved enormously over the past two decades. New technologies have been developed to treat the range of bradyarrhythmias, supraventricular arrhythmias, ventricular arrhythmias, and heart failure. These treatments largely have been developed in two general categories: implantable heart rhythm devices and intracardiac procedures such as catheter ablation. Imaging has played a major role in these procedures, and new technologies exhibit considerable promise in aiding the advancement of these procedures. New imaging technologies may overcome previously insurmountable challenges such as directly assessing lesion formation and guiding catheters and leads into specific anatomic structures such as the coronary sinus.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS INVOLVING STUDIES OF PESTICIDES AND OTHER XENOBIOTICS IN MAN

Abstract The existence of species differences means that the safety of a compound cannot be known until it has been studied in man. These human studies may involve poisoned patients, treated patients, workers, or volunteers. The four different kinds of study in man offer different advantages and present different constraints. For nontherapeutic compounds, studies in volunteers are the only kind that can reveal a clear relationship between effects and dosages likely to be encountered in practical use. Much valuable information can be obtained from studies of workers, but their dosage is not predetermined and must be estimated by more or less indirect methods. This means that for nontherapeutic compounds there is real scientific advantage in studies in volunteers that cannot be matched by any other kind of study. At least 92 pesticides or related compounds have been studied in volunteers. Of these, 26 also have been used therapeutically, and 26 additional pesticides have been administered as drugs. It is unfortunate that the number of studies of pesticides in volunteers has declined relentlessly since about 1973. Potential benefit to the individual patient is the oldest objective of studying new compounds in man. The development of modern scientific medicine required a new objective: benefit to future patients or to the community in general. In the absence of personal benefit, participation in a study requires altruism. The doctrine of informed consent is society's affirmation of the ethical right of a volunteer to undertake an act of altruism. Many constraints on investigators, including the requirement for consultation or group review, ensure that the risks will be minimal, even though the limitations of human knowledge make it impossible to exclude risk absolutely. The codes for conducting studies in man that have been propounded since 1803 and especially since 1901 are characterized by their consistency. The only thing new is consideration of the application of the recognized codes to the special problems of developing countries. The most neglected part of the ethical fabric is the responsibility of toxicologists to ensure the best possible evaluation of the safety of all the compounds used by our society. Toxicologists should insist much more on the ethical requirement that new compounds be introduced or old compounds be given significantly new uses only under conditions that guarantee and facilitate their scientific study in man.
The desirability of a Ph.D. program in forensic science.

The results of a national survey to determine the need for and desirability of a Ph.D. program in forensic science revealed that crime laboratory scientists and administrators favor the establishment of such a program by a margin of almost three to one. Seventy-nine percent of laboratory personnel who had already received doctoral degrees also favored establishment of a Ph.D. program. Forty-five percent of all those responding to the questionnaire who do not already hold a Ph.D. indicated interest in such a program, but only 6.1% would consider leaving their present positions to matriculate.
Fine structure of degenerating taste buds after denervation

It is well known that taste buds are dependent on an intact nerve supply, and when experimentally denervated they degenerate and disappear (von Vintschgau & Honigschmied, 1877; von Vintschgau, 1880; Griffini, 1887; Meyer, 1897; Olmsted, 1920 a, b , 1921, 1922; May, 1925; Whiteside, 1927; Torrey, 1934, 1936; Wagner, 1953; Guth, 1957, 1958, 1963; Beidler, 1962, 1963). Olmsted (1920 b ) has suggested that the degenerating taste bud cells are cleared away by macrophages invading the epithelium; Guth (1957, 1958, 1963) has demonstrated sloughing of degenerating taste buds from the epithelial surface, and others believe that taste bud cells dedifferentiate to become lining epithelium (Meyer, 1897; Wagner, 1953). Because of this disagreement and because recent evidence for cell turnover in taste buds has indicated that cell death and replacement is a normal occurrence (Beidler, 1962, 1963; DeLorenzo, 1963; Beidler & Smallman, 1965), it is pertinent to study the fine structure of degenerating taste buds in the hope of elucidating the process by which taste bud cells and nerve terminals degenerate.
The Unintegrated Economics of Corporate Tax Integration

NOTE: This paper is an unfinished work of William D. Andrews, who was the Eli Goldston Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and a premier tax scholar of his generation. This substantial but not fully completed manuscript was found among his papers after his death on May 20, 2017. It examines significant details of the economic analysis contained in the 1992 Treasury Corporate Integration Report. Although that report is now more than twenty-five years old and this draft was written nearly two decades ago, the problems Andrews identifies in the report remain relevant today. We have chosen to publish the work unedited except for minor formatting changes (due in part to the conversion of a photocopy to Word) and a handful of minor corrections. Bill did not write an abstract, so the one appearing below is our description of his paper. This paper examines the economic analysis of the effects of corporate integration contained in the 1992 Treasury report on corporate integration. The core argument is that the central computable general equilibrium (CGE) models used to estimate the effects of the corporate tax (and the benefits of integration) assume free flows of funds between the corporate and non-corporate sectors whereas the Traditional View arguments for integration that are relied on by the Treasury assume the opposite, that the dividend tax imposes a charge on shifting funds out of corporate solution. After examining the structure of the CGE models in detail (using the Harberger two-sector model as an example), the paper shows how the assumptions made in these models are inconsistent with the assumptions made in the models of the tax effects of the financing decisions of corporations. The paper then considers some ways of potentially reconciling the two approaches.
Exploring the complexity of hair and identity among African American female adolescents in foster care

Abstract African American children are disproportionately overrepresented in the child welfare system. Many of these children linger in the system and experience disconnection from their biological families, communities, cultural beliefs, values and practices. Familial socialization and cultural exposure are essential to developing a positive ethnic identity and self-concept. For African American female adolescents, hair and hair care are critical areas for such socialization and support. This exploratory qualitative study examined the hair and hair care experiences and perceptions of African American female adolescents in foster care. The goal was to examine hair and hair's connection to, and influence on, sense of self and self-esteem for African American female adolescents in foster care. Eleven African American female adolescents participated in individual interviews, and grounded theory was used to analyze the data. Four major themes emerged: perceptions of hair and identity as an African American female; hair care experiences/support and perspectives; societal influences on self-awareness; and influence of the foster care system. Results from the study indicated African American female adolescents in foster care identify hair as important. Participants noted hair was connected to appearance and shaped who they are and how they viewed themselves as African American females. Participants addressed the complexity of hair and politics associated with hair. The findings further emphasized the role of racial socialization and the importance of a supportive hair care environment. Participants also discussed their awareness of societal influences on their perception of African American women. They offered recommendations for improving the hair care experiences of African American children in foster care, for supporting positive development of identity and self-esteem, and for implementing standards of practice that will ensure these youths' cultural needs are addressed in the child welfare system.
"Teaching old dogs new tricks": targeting neural extracellular matrix for normal and pathological aging-related cognitive decline.

Cognitive decline is a feature of normal and pathological aging. As the proportion of the global aged population continues to grow, it is imperative to understand the molecular and cellular substrates of cognitive aging for therapeutic discovery. This review focuses on the critical role of neural extracellular matrix in the regulation of neuroplasticity underlying learning and memory in another under-investigated “critical period”: the aging process. The fascinating ideas of neural extracellular matrix forming a synaptic cradle in the tetrapartite synapse and possibly serving as a substrate for storage of very long-term memories will be introduced. We emphasize the distinct functional roles of diffusive neural extracellular matrix and perineuronal nets and the advantage of the coexistence of two structures for the adaptation to the ever-changing external and internal environments. Our study of striatal neural extracellular matrix supports the idea that chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan-associated extracellular matrix is restrictive on synaptic neuroplasticity, which plays important functional and pathogenic roles in early postnatal synaptic consolidation and aging-related cognitive decline. Therefore, the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan-associated neural extracellular matrix can be targeted for normal and pathological aging. Future studies should focus on the cell-type specificity of neural extracellular matrix to identify the endogenous, druggable targets to restore juvenile neuroplasticity and confer a therapeutic benefit to neural circuits affected by aging.
Professionalism and Quality Assurance

The principles for both the ethical treatment of study subjects and the professional care for patients arise from the expectation that the treatment offered by the physician be applied with respect for the individual, beneficence toward that individual, and for the benefit of society and/or the individual. These principles legally enforced for the treatment of study patients and study data apply equally well to good clinical practice and the confidential management of clinical records.
The brighter side of climate change: How local oceanography amplified a lobster boom in the Gulf of Maine

Ocean warming can drive poleward shifts of commercially important species with potentially significant economic impacts. Nowhere are those impacts greater than in the Gulf of Maine where North America's most valuable marine species, the American lobster (Homarus americanus Milne Edwards), has thrived for decades. However, there are growing concerns that regional maritime economies will suffer as monitored shallow water young‐of‐year lobsters decline and landings shift to the northeast. We examine how the interplay of ocean warming, tidal mixing, and larval behavior results in a brighter side of climate change. Since the 1980s lobster stocks have increased fivefold. We suggest that this increase resulted from a complex interplay between lobster larvae settlement behavior, climate change, and local oceanographic conditions. Specifically, postlarval sounding behavior is confined to a thermal envelope above 12°C and below 20°C. Summer thermally stratified surface waters in southwestern regions have historically been well within the settlement thermal envelope. Although surface layers are warming fastest in this region, the steep depth‐wise temperature gradient caused thermally suitable areas for larval settlement to expand only modestly. This contrasts with the northeast where strong tidal mixing prevents thermal stratification and recent ocean warming has made an expansive area of seabed more favorable for larval settlement. Recent declines in lobster settlement densities observed at shallow monitoring sites correlate with the expanded area of thermally suitable habitat associated with warmer summers. This leads us to hypothesize that the expanded area of suitable habitat may help explain strong lobster population increases in this region over the last decade and offset potential future declines. It also suggests that the fate of fisheries in a changing climate requires understanding local interaction between life stage‐specific biological thresholds and finer scale oceanographic processes.
Effectiveness of an Interdisciplinary, Nurse Driven In-Hospital Code Stroke Protocol on In-Patient Ischemic Stroke Recognition and Management.

Abstract Background: In-hospital strokes account for up to nearly 1 in 5 strokes. Clinical outcomes, such as length of stay, disability, and mortality are worse for in-hospital strokes than for those that occur in the community. For a variety of reasons, stroke can be more difficult to recognize and treat in hospitalized patients. Earlier recognition of stroke results in better clinical outcomes, presumably due to faster diagnosis and subsequently, prompt treatment. Methods: This investigation was a retrospective, interrupted time series, observational study of all in-hospital stroke patients between 2008 and 2017. This investigation was a quality improvement project, and a waiver was granted from the institutional review board. We used Lean methodologies to standardize our stroke protocol and optimize skill-task alignment to improve the time from onset of symptoms to brain imaging (primary outcome). Results: Overall, we observed significant improvement in the time from onset of symptoms to brain imaging from a median of 69 minutes to 37 minutes (P = .002). Conclusions: If successfully implemented, this approach may be useful in other care settings with potential to improve stroke outcomes, and decrease associated complications of stroke.
Reaching People With Disabilities in Underserved Areas Through Digital Interventions: Systematic Review.

Background: People with disabilities need rehabilitation interventions to improve their physical functioning, mental status, and quality of life. Many rehabilitation interventions can be delivered electronically ("digitally") via telehealth systems. For people with disabilities in underserved areas, electronically delivered rehabilitation interventions may be the only feasible service available for them. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the current status of digital interventions for people with disabilities in remote and underserved areas. Methods: A systematic review was conducted on this topic. Keyword searches in multiple databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and Inspec) were performed to collect articles published in this field. The obtained articles were selected based on our selection criteria. Of the 198 identified articles, 16 duplicates were removed. After a review of the titles and abstracts of the remaining articles, 165 were determined to be irrelevant to this study and were therefore removed. The full texts of the remaining 17 articles were reviewed, and 6 of these articles were removed as being irrelevant to this study. The 11 articles remaining were discussed and summarized by 2 reviewers. Results: These 11 studies cover a few types of disabilities, such as developmental disabilities and mobility impairments as well as several types of disability-causing disorders such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and facio-scapulo-humeral muscular dystrophy. Most of these studies were small-scale case studies and relatively larger-scale cohort studies; the project evaluation methods were mainly pre-post comparison, questionnaires, and interviews. A few studies also performed objective assessment of functional improvement. The intervention technology was mainly videoconferencing. Moreover, 10 of these studies were for people with disabilities in rural areas and 1 was for people in urban communities. Conclusions: A small number of small-scale studies have been conducted on digital interventions for people with disabilities in underserved areas. Although the results reported in these studies were mostly positive, they are not sufficient to prove the effectiveness of telehealth-based digital intervention in improving the situation among people with disabilities because of the small sample sizes and lack of randomized controlled trials.
Perturbing Hemostasis by Altering the Kinetics of the Interactions between GPIb Apha and the A1 Domain of VWF: A Mouse Tale.

Effective hemostasis relies on ability of circulating platelets to be rapidly deposited at sites of vascular injury. Critical to this process is the formation of adhesive bonds between the platelet receptor GPIb alpha and the A1 domain of VWF, an interaction that is rapid and reversible due to the relatively high rate of bond formation and dissociation. The importance of maintaining the kinetic properties of this interaction within a critical range is suggested by the bleeding phenotype that results from gain- or loss-of function points mutations associated with VWD. To demonstrate the an alteration in bond kinetics can have a dramatic effect of hemostasis, we generated a mouse in which a single point mutation was introduced into the vWF-A1 domain that results in a shortening of the time it can maintain contact with GPIb alpha (aka - increase in off-rate). The mutation was chosen based on our crystal structure data of the recombinant mouse A1 domain protein and its effect on mouse platelet adhesion to the immobilized mutant protein under flow conditions. Homozygous animals were viable and exhibited normal Mendelian ratios. Both VWF antigen levels as determined by ELISA and multimer banding pattern were identical to WT littermate controls. Moreover, transcription of the A1-A2-A3 region of VWF was comparable to controls as determined by RT-PCR. Despite the similarities in biochemical and molecular parameters to WT littermates, mutant A1 domain mice had a significant prolongation in bleeding time as measured by severing a small portion of their tail. Moreover, perfusion of whole blood from these animals over surface-immobilized collagen resulted in >50% reduction in platelet accumulation at 1600 s-1. This abnormality in platelet adhesion was also observed in vivo. Although mutant A1 domain mice were able to form thrombi upon laser-induced injury to arterioles located within the cremaster muscle, these thrombi were unstable and rapidly dissolved. In conclusion, we are the first to demonstrate that an alteration in the kinetic properties of a receptor-ligand bond can have a significant effect on biological processes such as hemostasis. Our results also provide insight into mechanisms by which point mutations associated with certain types of VWD may result in bleeding in afflicted individuals.
A mathematical investigation of the impact of gridline and busbar patterns on commercial silicon solar cell performance

The cost and efficiency of solar generation are two parameters that must be optimized if it is to replace fossil-fuel sources in the electricity production market. Since the single-junction cell structure still holds the promise of cost-effectiveness and simple production, it is imperative to find ways to increase the efficiency above 20% in production. A comprehensive empirical grid model is first established herein to investigate front grid designs with three, four, and five busbars, the results of which are compared with numerical analysis using Griddler 2-D modeling software. It is found that a combination of segmented tapered metal grids (SG) and uneven busbars (UEB) leads to an increased short-circuit current density (JSC) and open-circuit voltage (VOC) without sacrificing the fill factor. The five-busbar SG–UEB combination results in efficiency above 20% for industrial-sized solar cell without an additional step or layer. The improvement in the cell efficiency obtained using the uneven busbar design is attributed not only to the decreased shading but also to reduced contact recombination underneath the busbars. In addition to increasing the efficiency, the results show that the cost of the front Ag metallization for each cell can be reduced by 1.4¢ per cell by using the presented segmentation method.
Effect of Chronic Vitamin D Deficiency on the Development and Severity of DSS-Induced Colon Cancer in Smad3-/- Mice.

Both human epidemiologic data and animal studies suggest that low serum vitamin D increases the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and consequently IBD-associated colorectal cancer. We tested the hypothesis that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk for colitis-associated colon cancer (CAC) by using an established CAC mouse model, 129-Smad3tm1Par/J (Smad3-/-) mice, which have defective transforming growth factor β-signaling and develop colitis and CAC after the administration of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). After determining a dietary regimen that induced chronic vitamin D deficiency in Smad3-/- mice, we assessed the effects of vitamin D deficiency on CAC. Decreasing dietary vitamin D from 1 IU/g diet (control diet) to 0.2 IU /g diet did not decrease serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels in Smad3-/- mice. A diet devoid of vitamin D (< 0.02 IU/g diet [no added vitamin D]; vitamin D-null) significantly decreased serum 25(OH)D levels in mice after 2 wk (null compared with control diet: 8.4 mg/mL compared with 12.2 ng/mL) and further decreased serum levels to below the detection limit after 9 wk but did not affect weight gain, serum calcium levels, bone histology, or bone mineral density. In light of these results, Smad3-/- mice were fed a vitamin D-null diet and given DSS to induce colitis. Unexpectedly, DSS-treated Smad3-/- mice fed a vitamin D-null diet had improved survival, decreased colon tumor incidence (8% compared with 36%), and reduced the incidence and severity of colonic dysplasia compared with mice fed the control diet. These effects correlated with increased epithelial cell proliferation and repair early in the disease, perhaps reducing the likelihood of developing chronic colitis and progression to cancer. Our results indicate that vitamin D deficiency is beneficial in some cases of CAC, possibly by promoting intestinal healing.
Exposure to adverse childhood experiences and early initiation of electronic vapor product use among middle school students in Nevada.

Abstract Introduction The use of electronic vapor products (EVPs) among youth has increased significantly in recent years, yet little is known about factors associated with initiation of EVPs during early adolescence. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between chronic exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and early initiation of EVPs in a representative sample of middle school students. Methods 5,464 students from 113 middle schools (grades 6–8) completed the Nevada Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) in the spring of 2017. Six abuse and household dysfunction measures were used to calculate a cumulative ACE score (range 0–6). Initiation of EVPs (e-cigarettes, e-cigars, e-pipes, vape pipes, vaping pens, e-hookahs, and hookah pens) before age 11 was considered early initiation. Weighted logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between cumulative ACE exposure and early initiation of EVPs after controlling for sex, age, race/ethnicity, rurality, free or reduced lunch status, and military family involvement. Results Nearly 1 in 5 middle school students (18.6%) reported using EVPs, 6.7% had used EVPs during the past 30 days, and 5.1% started using EVPs before age 11. After controlling for sociodemographics, a strong graded relationship between cumulative ACE exposure and early initiation of EVPs was observed: 1 ACE (AOR = 1.60; 95% CI = 0.99–2.59), 2 ACEs (AOR = 2.29; 95% CI = 1.33–3.93), and 3–6 ACEs (AOR = 3.43, 95% CI = 2.20–5.36) compared to no ACEs. Conclusions Screening for ACEs in school-based settings may be a feasible approach for identifying students who may be at-risk for early initiation of EVPs.
Strongly coupled transmembrane mechanisms control MCU-mediated mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake

Ca2+ uptake by mitochondria regulates bioenergetics, apoptosis, and Ca2+ signaling. The primary pathway for mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake is the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU), a Ca2+-selective ion channel in the inner mitochondrial membrane. MCU-mediated Ca2+ uptake is driven by the sizable inner-membrane potential generated by the electron-transport chain. Despite the large thermodynamic driving force, mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake is tightly regulated to maintain low matrix [Ca2+] and prevent opening of the permeability transition pore and cell death, while meeting dynamic cellular energy demands. How this is accomplished is controversial. Here we define a regulatory mechanism of MCU-channel activity in which cytoplasmic Ca2+ regulation of intermembrane space-localized MICU1/2 is controlled by strongly-coupled Ca2+-regulatory mechanisms localized across the membrane in the mitochondrial matrix. Ca2+ that permeates through the channel pore regulates Ca2+ affinities of coupled inhibitory and activating sensors in the matrix. Ca2+ binding to the inhibitory sensor within the MCU amino-terminus closes the channel despite Ca2+ binding to MICU1/2. Conversely, disruption of the interaction of MICU1/2 with the MCU complex abolishes matrix Ca2+ regulation of channel activity. Our results demonstrate how Ca2+ influx into mitochondria is tuned by coupled Ca2+-regulatory mechanisms on both sides of the inner mitochondrial membrane.
Proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) for targeted protein degradation and cancer therapy

Proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) has been developed to be a useful technology for targeted protein degradation. A bifunctional PROTAC molecule consists of a ligand (mostly small-molecule inhibitor) of the protein of interest (POI) and a covalently linked ligand of an E3 ubiquitin ligase (E3). Upon binding to the POI, the PROTAC can recruit E3 for POI ubiquitination, which is subjected to proteasome-mediated degradation. PROTAC complements nucleic acid-based gene knockdown/out technologies for targeted protein reduction and could mimic pharmacological protein inhibition. To date, PROTACs targeting ~ 50 proteins, many of which are clinically validated drug targets, have been successfully developed with several in clinical trials for cancer therapy. This article reviews PROTAC-mediated degradation of critical oncoproteins in cancer, particularly those in hematological malignancies. Chemical structures, cellular and in vivo activities, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of these PROTACs are summarized. In addition, potential advantages, challenges, and perspectives of PROTAC technology in cancer therapy are discussed.
User's Role in Platform Infrastructuralization: WeChat as an Exemplar

Recent years have witnessed the rise of platforms such as Facebook and Google. Gigantic in scope and becoming omnipresent, these platforms are acquiring qualities of infrastructure, which is large-scale connected systems that support people's activities invisibly. Recent scholarship has identified WeChat, the most popular mobile social platform in China, as infrastructure. WeChat follows a platform logic to expand, and by conforming to the Chinese government's techno-nationalist focus, it has gradually become an infrastructure in China. We contribute to the understanding of platform infrastructuralization by taking WeChat as a case, highlighting the user's role in this process. We find user contributes to WeChat's infrastructuralization through a three-level interaction process: to practice, to appropriate, and to create. By calling out the user's role in platform infra-structuralization, we discuss how the CHI community can contribute to a better understanding of this phenomenon.
Quantifying Capsaicinoids from Chili Pepper and Motor Oil Mixtures Used in Elephant Deterrent Fences

Human–elephant conflicts continue to escalate as African elephants (Loxodonta africana) attempt to forage on cultivated crops. Chili pepper fencing is used as a deterrent but has varying success rates. These fences are constructed with crushed chili peppers, typically mixed in motor oil, placed on cloths, and strung around crop fields. This mixture is made using different formulas involving oil and sometimes water, but each takes advantage of the “heat” and discomfort produced from capsaicinoids, the active ingredients in chili peppers. Using LC–MS technology, we examined some of these formulas and preparation methods. The development of this methodology is to our knowledge the first time this type of analysis has been conducted with chili and motor oil mixtures. By examining the differences in Scoville Heat Units (SHU), we confirmed that mixing with oil played an important role and that the SHU was no different by boiling crushed chilis in water before combining with oil compared to directly combining the crushed peppers with oil. Allowing the crushed peppers to remain in the mixture rather than filtering before mixing showed only a slight benefit. This LC–MS methodology provides a new tool for conservationists to compare the efficacy of chili fence formulas, which may allow for improvement of this deterrent method via further field testing.
The Use of New Technology for Wound Management Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: Implications for the COVID-19 Crisis

With constantly evolving materials and techniques used in wound closure management for total knee arthroplasty (TKA), it is imperative that we continuously evaluate new modalities and techniques to optimize healing. This article provides a concise review of the current closure and wound management methods for each of the following three layers and dressing: 1) deep fascia layer, or arthrotomy; 2) subdermal layer or subcutaneous layer; 3) skin and subcuticular layer; and 4) dressing application. By introducing a comprehensive and systematic approach to TKA wounds, this report also incorporates newer modalities such as barbed sutures and adhesive dressings, which have increasingly replaced traditional suture and staple methods. Furthermore, we examine how various layers of modern wound closure compare to conventional methods while discussing both the clinical and economic impacts of each. Newer wound management methods, such as the adhesive and occlusive dressings with varying monofilament subcuticular sutures, can eliminate the need for staple and suture removal, increase the value of care provided, limit unnecessary postoperative visits, and potentially address wound issues by communicating safely with patients via telemedicine, an ever-relevant discussion in the era of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).