cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Window of Opportunity: Postpartum Screening of Women with Gestational Diabetes for Early Detection of Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a condition characterized by glucose intolerance during pregnancy, with defined approaches for screening, treatment, and follow-up. It is associated with a variety of adverse birth outcomes, including excessive fetal weight gain and related increases in the rate of cesarean delivery and perinatal injury as well as increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes for women who have had gestational diabetes. A diagnosis of gestational diabetes may also be a manifestation of pre-existing type 2 diabetes. Nonetheless, a substantial proportion of women with a history of gestational diabetes fail to receive the recommended postpartum glucose screening. This failure to conduct follow-up screening of women with gestational diabetes after delivery represents a missed opportunity for earlier diagnosis of diabetes, and chance to increase the awareness of women of their future risk for developing diabetes. This paper explores the barriers contributing to the lack in follow-up screening and makes recommendations about addressing these problems.
A new multi-harmonic statistic for the detection of steady-state evoked potentials

We consider the problem of detecting visual evoked potentials (VEPs) obtained at near-threshold stimulus levels. A new multi-harmonic based statistic (Generalized T/sub circ//sup 2/) is derived. This statistic, denoted by GT/sub circ//sup 2/, is based on the same assumptions concerning the variability of a Fourier component that are made in the use of the T/sub circ//sup 2/ statistic. However, unlike the T/sub circ//sup 2/ statistic which only treats a single harmonic, the GT/sub circ//sup 2/ statistic performs a multi-harmonic analysis which is more suitable for detecting multi-harmonic VEPs. A complete theoretical analysis for the derivation of the (GT/sub circ//sup 2/) statistic is presented as a function of the likelihood ratio criterion, and its distribution is found under the H/sub 0/ hypothesis.
Visual acuity and higher-order aberrations with wavefront-guided and wavefront-optimized laser in situ keratomileusis.

Purpose To compare visual acuity and higher-order aberrations (HOAs) after wavefront-guided and wavefront-optimized laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Methods This retrospective study comprised refraction-matched myopic eyes that had wavefront-guided (Visx Star S4 laser) or wavefront-optimized (WaveLight Allegretto Wave laser) LASIK targeted for emmetropia. Preoperative and postoperative manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE), uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuities, and preoperative and postoperative HOAs were compared. Results Preoperatively, there were no significant differences between the wavefront-guided and wavefront-optimized groups in age, sex, corneal thickness, MRSE, or HOAs (all P >.05). The mean MRSE was −2.88 diopters (D) ± 2.6 (SD) and −2.96 ± 2.6 D, respectively, preoperatively and −0.01 ± 0.25 D and −0.02 ± 0.33 D, respectively, postoperatively; 96% of all eyes were within ±0.50 D of emmetropia postoperatively. There were no differences in UDVA, CDVA, MRSE, or HOAs between groups (all P >.05). The UDVA was 20/20 or better in 85% of eyes in the wavefront-guided group and 86% of eyes in the wavefront-optimized group. All eyes had 20/25 or better CDVA postoperatively; no eye lost 2 lines of CDVA. Fourteen eyes were converted from wavefront-guided to wavefront-optimized treatment because of poor limbal ring alignment (8 eyes), a wave scan not consistent with the manifest refraction (5 eyes), and no iris registration (1 eye). Conclusions Wavefront-guided LASIK and wavefront-optimized LASIK produced equivalent visual outcomes and no differences in HOAs. Wavefront-guided treatment could not be performed in many eyes because of difficulties during wavefront measurement. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. Additional disclosures are found in the footnotes.
Towards self-configuring networks

Current networks require ad-hoc operating procedures by expert administrators to handle changes. These configuration management operations are costly and error prone. Active networks involve particularly fast dynamics of change that cannot depend on operators and must be automated. This paper describes an architecture called NESTOR that seeks to replace labor-intensive configuration management with one that is automated and software-intensive. Network element configuration state is represented in a unified object-relationship model. Management is automated via policy rules that control change propagation across model objects. Configuration constraints assure the consistency of model transactions. Model objects are stored in a distributed repository supporting atomicity and recovery of configuration change transactions. Element adapters are responsible for populating the repository with configuration objects, and for pushing committed changes to the underlying network elements. NESTOR has been implemented in two complementary versions and is now being applied to automate several configuration management scenarios of increasing complexity, with encouraging results.
Critical Issues In Software Quality Assurance: An Exploratory Study

Recent reviews of the Software Quality Assurance (SQA) literature expose that in most organizations, systems development is characterized by recurrent problems, such as poor system quality. The conclusions of these reviews is that SQA efforts have failed due primarily to their failure to adequately address the linkages between the organizational and process aspects of quality assurance in software development projects. As an initial step in identifying and understanding the linkages between the organizational and process aspects of SQA, the authors conducted an exploratory study to elicit a set of issues critical to the assurance of delivering reliable software.
Mississippi Valley-Type Deposits in Continental Margin Basins: Lessons from the Appalachian-Caledonian Orogen

One of the major questions concerning Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits at continental margins is the mechanism by which mineralizing brines were expelled from their source basins. Possible mechanisms, listed in order of the intensity of regional deformation with which they are associated, include basinal overpressuring, regional tilting, hinterland recharge of foreland basins, and destruction of source basins by regional thrusting. MVT mineralization in the Caledonian-Appalachian orogen provides an excellent opportunity to compare the effectiveness of these four brine expulsion processes. In general, the largest MVT deposits are found in areas of most intense regional thrusting, suggesting that hinterland recharge or basin deformation is the important brine expulsion mechanism. The fact that widespread MVT mineralization in the East Tennessee area of the southern Appalachians is adjacent to overlapping Taconic and Acadian foreland basins and metamorphic maxima suggests that basin deformation is the dominant process for brine expulsion.
The Nuclear Spectra of Sb 125 , Te 1 2 5 * , Cr 51 , and I 131

The nuclear spectra of ${\mathrm{Sb}}^{125}$, ${\mathrm{Te}}^{125*}$, ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{51}$, and ${\mathrm{I}}^{131}$ have been measured with a magnetic lens spectrometer. ${\mathrm{Sb}}^{125}$ has a beta-ray end point at 0.621 Mev, a lower energy group at 0.288 Mev, and perhaps some groups of still lower energy. The gamma-rays of ${\mathrm{Sb}}^{125}$ are at 0.125 (I.C.), 0.174 (I.C.), 0.431 (I.C.), 0.466, 0.609 (I.C.), and 0.646 Mev. Those marked with the notation (I.C.) are internally converted. The metastable state of ${\mathrm{Te}}^{125}$, daughter of ${\mathrm{Sb}}^{125}$, is characterized by the emission of an internally converted gamma-ray of energy 0.110 Mev. ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{51}$ emits no positrons but decays by $K$-capture accompanied by two gamma-rays of energies 0.323 and 0.267 Mev, the latter being entirely internally converted. ${\mathrm{I}}^{131}$ has a beta-ray end point of 0.605 Mev with a lower energy group at 0.250 Mev. Gamma-rays at 0.080, 0.282, 0.363, and 0.637 Mev are observed. The disintegration schemes of ${\mathrm{Sb}}^{125}$, ${\mathrm{Te}}^{125*}$, and ${\mathrm{I}}^{131}$ are discussed.
Properties of the Etiologic Agent of Infectious Hepatitis.

SummaryAn experiment on the transmission of the naturally occurring disease, injectious hepatitis, to human volunteers has demonstrated certain properties of the etiologic agent. As in homologous s...
Assessing Racial Microaggression Distress in a Diverse Sample

Racial microaggressions are everyday subtle or ambiguous racially related insults, slights, mistreatment, or invalidations. Racial microaggressions are a type of perceived racism that may negativel...
Management of CT screen-detected lung nodule: the thoracic surgeon perspective

Implementation of lung cancer CT screening programs will increase the incidence of pulmonary nodules and require multidisciplinary efforts for devising appropriate treatment plans. The role of the thoracic surgeon is paramount in leading the discussion and shaping the treatment strategies. Management of CT screen-detected lung nodules differ from conventional lung cancer nodules given their smaller size, varied histologies and potentially indolent growth. Here we present a brief overview of the thoracic surgeon’s perspective on the clinical evaluation, diagnostic tests and surgical approach to these nodules in the setting of a comprehensive lung cancer screening program.
Magnesium Phosphate Cement Systems for Hard Tissue Applications: A Review

In the search for more ideal bone graft materials for clinical application, the investigation into ceramic bone cements or bone void filler is ongoing. Calcium phosphate-based materials have been widely explored and implemented for medical use in bone defect repair. Such materials are an excellent choice because the implant mimics the natural chemistry of mineralized bone matrix and in injectable cement form, can be implemented with relative ease. However, of the available calcium phosphate cements, none fully meet the ideal standard, displaying low strengths and acidic setting reactions or slow setting times, and are often very slow to resorb in vivo. The study of magnesium phosphates for bone cements is a relatively new field compared to traditional calcium phosphate bone cements. Although reports are more limited, preliminary studies have shown that magnesium phosphate cements (MPC) may be a strong alternative to calcium phosphates for certain applications. The goal of the present publication is to rev...
Primary Grade 1 Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Renal Pelvis and Ureter

AbstractDuring a 22-year period 224 patients were seen for treatment of transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis or ureter. Of these patients 49 (22 per cent) had grade 1 lesions. Followup ranged from 5 to 25 years. The most common symptom was hematuria. In only 54 per cent of the 49 patients was a filling defect noted on excretory urography. Forty-seven patients (96 per cent) had stage I disease. Treatment included total nephroureterectomy, nephrectomy or segmental resection. In 11 patients (23 per cent) evidence of bladder tumor developed 8 months to 12 years (average 4 years) after the diagnosis of tumor of the upper urinary tract and 73 per cent of these recurrences were noted within the first 3 years. In 1 patient a tumor developed in the opposite upper urinary tract. In only 1 of 15 patients who had had partial ureterectomy or local excision tumor developed in the ipsilateral ureter. Patient survival time was identical to that in an age-matched control group. We conclude that the most signifi...
Experience with 1-stage repair of hypospadias and chordee using free graft of prepuce.

AbstractFrom August 1978 to September 1987 a total of 103, 1-stage hypospadias-chordee operations was performed using a free graft of prepuce by the method of Devine and Horton. There were 94 primary cases and 9 secondary cases in which prior operations had been done. Chordee was mild in 11 patients, moderate in 67 and severe in 25. The meatus was at the distal shaft in 56 patients, midshaft in 34 and penoscrotal in 13.All patients underwent temporary perineal urethrostomy diversion of the urine. Postoperative complications included 6 fistulas that required closure and 3 meatal stenoses treated by meatotomy but no strictures, residual chordee or other complications. We found that the Devine-Horton technique gave an essentially normal-appearing penis with a low over-all complication rate.
Treatment of stable partial cruciate rupture (Grade 1 sprain) in five dogs with tibial plateau levelling osteotomy

Tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO) is increasingly being used for treatment of stable partial cruciate ligament rupture (CR) in dogs. Medical records for TPLO-treated dogs from 2003 to 2014 were reviewed and five cases were identified. Data retrieved included physical examination, diagnostic imaging and treatment. At long-term follow-up, the outcome was evaluated by clinical examination, stifle radiographs and force platform gait analysis. The time to follow-up examination was 892±673 days for six stable stifle TPLO treatments in five dogs. Stifles with partial CR remained cranial drawer and cranial tibial thrust negative at follow-up, with little progression of stifle osteoarthritis (OA). These observations suggest that TPLO is an effective clinical treatment for dogs with lameness because of partial CR. TPLO treatment reduces cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) strain, based on ex vivo model studies. Clinically, TPLO may act to block fibre tearing in the CrCL and associated progression of stifle OA in dogs with partial CR.
OpenWoZ: A Runtime-Configurable Wizard-of-Oz Framework for Human-Robot Interaction

Wizard-of-Oz (WoZ) is a common technique enabling HRI researchers to explore aspects of interaction not yet backed by autonomous systems. A standardized, open, and flexible WoZ framework could therefore serve the community and accelerate research both for the design of robotic systems and for their evaluation. This paper presents the definition of OpenWoZ , a Wizard-of-Oz framework for HRI, designed to be updated during operation by the researcher controlling the robot. OpenWoZ is implemented as a thin HTTP server running on the robot, and a cloud-backed multi-platform client schema. The WoZ server accepts representational state transfer (REST) requests from a number and variety of clients simultaneously. This "separation of concerns" in OpenWoZ allows addition of commands, new sequencing of behaviors, and adjustment of parameters, all during run-time.
Advanced Terahertz Sensing and Imaging Systems Based on Integrated III-V Interband Tunneling Devices

Owing to the unprecedented development in terahertz (THz) sources and detectors in the last decade, technologists and researchers have intensified their efforts to develop advanced THz sensing and imaging systems with superior performance and unique functionalities. One of the key elements to realize such systems is the ability to monolithically integrate high-performance semiconductor devices with THz antennas and other passive structures. In recent years, devices based on interband tunneling in III-V heterostructures have emerged as promising candidates for THz detection that offer extremely high nonlinearity, high sensitivity, low noise, fast response, and room temperature operation. In this paper, we first review the development of heterostructure backward tunnel diodes (HBDs) in the InAs/AlSb/AlGaSb material system that have been demonstrated with detection sensitivity that outperforms the current state of the art (e.g., the fundamental limit of Schottky diodes) and with noise-equivalent power (NEP) below 0.2 pW/Hz½. We then present the monolithic integration of HBDs with planar folded dipole antennas (FDAs) using submicrometer-scale airbridges to achieve optimized impedance matching for high-performance and compact THz detectors and focal-plane array (FPA) imaging systems. In addition, the potential of using HBDs for realizing THz systems with advanced functionalities such as spectroscopic FPAs (using frequency-tunable THz antennas) and polariametric detection/imaging systems will be discussed. Finally, the integration of HBDs into waveguides for more advanced THz sensing and imaging (e.g., a six-port reflectometer for near-field imaging) will be discussed.
A review of fossil spider flies (Diptera: Acroceridae) with descriptions of new genera and species from Baltic Amber

Spider flies are a remarkable lineage of Diptera that develop exclusively as endoparasitoids of spiders; the only exception is found in the Chilean genus Carvalhoa (= Sphaerops), which remains ectoparasitic on the host for weeks after leaving its body. The group is relatively well represented in the fossil record, with some species being quite common in Baltic and Dominican amber deposits. Here we present the first comprehensive review of fossil spider flies (Diptera: Acroceridae), with morphological diagnoses and descriptions performed using modern cybertaxonomic tools. The identity of Burmacyrtus is reassessed and the genus is not considered an acrocerid. Furthermore, based on recent examinations of the type specimens of Archocyrtus gibbosus and Juracyrtus kovalevi, the latter is formally transferred to Archocyrtus (as A. kovalevi comb. nov.). Two new genera and three new species of fossil spider flies in Baltic amber are described. Cyrtinella flavinigra gen. et sp. nov. is placed in Acrocerinae, while ...
Testimonio Praxis in Educational Spaces: Lessons from Mujeres in the Field

Drawing from their educational testimonios , in this article the authors explore the notion of leadership via testimonio tenets. The authors share their positionalities as testimonialistas and delve into testimonio as methodology, epistemology, and pedagogy. The authors focus on what mujerista leadership looks like for them inside the classroom and in the community. A reconceptualization of leadership in higher education is discussed.
Review article: next‐generation transformative advances in the pathogenesis and management of autoimmune hepatitis

SummaryBackground Advances in autoimmune hepatitis that transform current concepts of pathogenesis and management can be anticipated as products of ongoing investigations driven by unmet clinical needs and an evolving biotechnology. Aim To describe the advances that are likely to become transformative in autoimmune hepatitis, based on the direction of current investigations. Methods Pertinent abstracts were identified in PubMed by multiple search terms. Full-length articles were selected for review, and a secondary bibliography was developed. The discovery process was repeated, and a tertiary bibliography was identified. The number of abstracts reviewed was 2830, and the number of full-length articles reviewed exceeded 150. Results Risk-laden allelic variants outside the major histocompatibility complex (rs3184504, r36000782) are being identified by genome-wide association studies, and their gene products are potential therapeutic targets. Epigenetic changes associated with environmental cues can enhance the transcriptional activity of genes, and chromatin re-structuring and antagonists of noncoding molecules of ribonucleic acid are feasible interventions. The intestinal microbiome is a discovery field for microbial products and activated immune cells that may translocate to the periphery and respond to manipulation. Epidemiological studies and controlled interview-based surveys may implicate environmental and xenobiotic factors that warrant evidence-based changes in lifestyle, and site-directed molecular and cellular interventions promise to change the paradigm of treatment from one of blanket immunosuppression. Conclusions Advances in genetics, epigenetics, pathophysiology, epidemiology, and site-directed molecular and cellular interventions constitute the next generation of transformative advances in autoimmune hepatitis.
Letter by Adabag et al Regarding Article, “Age and Outcomes of Primary Prevention Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators in Patients With Nonischemic Systolic Heart Failure”

Elming et al1 report that the efficacy of primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy is diminished among older participants of the DANISH trial (Danish Study to Assess the Efficacy of ICDs in Patients With Nonischemic Systolic Heart Failure on Mortality), which randomized patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy to ICD versus optimal medical therapy.2 In this secondary data analysis of the DANISH trial, ICD implantation was associated with a statistically significant improvement in survival among patients ≤70 years of age but not in those >70 years of age. This area of study is important because …
Poorer Visual Acuity Is Associated with Declines in Cognitive Performance Across Multiple Cognitive Domains: The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study.

Objectives Prior studies have found associations between visual acuity (VA) and cognitive function. However, these studies used a limited range of cognitive measures and did not control for cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVD-RFs) and baseline function. The primary objective of this study was to analyze the associations of VA and cognitive performance using a thorough neuropsychological test battery. Methods This study used community-dwelling sample data across the sixth (2001-2006) and seventh (2006-2010) waves of the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study (n=655). Wave 6 VA as measured by the Snellen Eye Test was the primary predictor of wave 6 and wave 7 Global cognitive performance, Visual-Spatial Organization and Memory, Verbal Episodic Memory, Working Memory, Scanning and Tracking, and Executive Function. Additionally, VA was used to predict longitudinal changes in wave 7 cognitive performance (wave 6 performance adjusted). We analyzed these relationships with multiple linear and logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, education, ethnicity, depressive symptoms, physical function deficits in addition to CVD-RFs, chronic kidney disease, homocysteine, continuous systolic blood pressure, and hypertension status. Results Adjusted for demographic covariates and CVD-RFs, poorer VA was associated with concurrent and approximate 5-year declines in Global cognitive function, Visual-Spatial Organization and Memory, and Verbal Episodic Memory. Discussion VA may be used in combination with other screening measures to determine risk for cognitive decline. (JINS, 2018, 24, 746-754).
Chapter 7: The State as a Partner

The changing role of the state may be the most characteristic sign of the transformation of modern society. The state is no longer the sole bearer of power as it was in the past—it is becoming a partner whose cooperation with other social subsystems ensures general conditions, social conditions, and internal relations for the survival of society. Numerous conditions for the survival of society can only be guaranteed by the state, such as general and legal security, the level of education that must increasing constantly, health protection, environmental protection, and a range of goods and services that are not interesting for private businesses but contribute the social infrastructure necessary for their activities. The state, albeit mostly indirectly, participates in all of these areas regardless of the type and size of the venture.
Prior cigarette smoking initiation predicting current alcohol use: evidence for a gateway drug effect among California adolescents from eleven ethnic groups.

Gateway drug theory provides a useful framework for understanding drug use among adolescent populations. Studies have reported a gateway effect of cigarette smoking on alcohol use among adolescents; but there is a lack of knowledge regarding ethnic differences in this effect. Using data from a cross-sectional survey in California, 11,239 subjects (46.3% male) from 31 high schools with at least 25% of total enrollment of Asian and at least 200 students with Asian ancestry entered the analysis. Among them, 6016 were ninth graders (mean age=14.3, S.D.=0.49) and 5223 were twelfth graders (mean age=17.3, S.D.=0.54). After controlling for seven variables, the risk ratio of last 30-day alcohol use among prior smoking initiators vs. noninitiators was 5.82 for non-Hispanic Whites, 4.25 for Blacks, 8.37 for Asian Indians, 3.99 for Chinese, 3.45 for Filipinos, 3.48 for Japanese, 5.41 for Koreans, 7.57 for Vietnamese, 4.02 for Mexicans, 2.64 for South/Central Americans, and 5.95 for adolescents with multiethnic background. Comparison of the 11 ethnic groups indicated that adolescents from different ethnic groups but with similar cultural background had a similar risk level; such pattern existed after controlling for acculturation, parents' monitoring, and school performance. The risk ratio did not differ by gender and grade. There is an association between prior cigarette smoking initiation and current alcohol use among adolescents from different ethnic backgrounds, including those of multiethnicity, which supports the generalizability of gateway drug effect of cigarette smoking on alcohol use. Studies should be conducted to investigate factors attributable to the ethnic variations of this association.
Applying the pragmatic-explanatory continuum indicator summary to the implementation of a physical activity coaching trial in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Abstract Background Observational studies show that physical inactivity is associated with worse outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Despite practice guidelines recommending regular physical activity (PA), there are no large-scale experimental studies to confirm that patients at high risk for COPD exacerbations can increase their PA and consequently, have improved outcomes. Purpose The purpose of this case study is to describe the use of a widely accepted pragmatic trials framework for the design and implementation of a pragmatic clinical trial (PCT) of PA coaching for COPD in a real-world setting. Method The aim of the trial was to determine the effectiveness of a 12-month PA coaching intervention (Walk On!) compared to standard care for 2,707 patients at high risk for COPD exacerbations from a large integrated health care system. The descriptions of our implementation experiences are anchored within the pragmatic-explanatory continuum indicator summary (PRECIS-2) framework. Discussion Facilitators of PCT implementation include early and ongoing engagement and support of multiple stakeholders including patients, health system leaders, administrators, physician champions, and frontline clinicians, an organizational/setting that prioritizes positive lifestyle behaviors, and a flexible intervention that allows for individualization. Pragmatic challenges include reliance on electronic data that are not complete or available in real-time for patient identification, timing of outreach may not synchronize with patients’ readiness for change, and high turnover of clinical staff drawn from the existing workforce. Discussion PRECIS-2 is a useful guide for organizing decisions about study designs and implementation approaches to help diverse stakeholders recognize the compromises between internal and external validity with those decisions.
Cardiovascular factors moderate the association of infection burden with cognitive function in young to middle-aged U.S. adults.

Background Infectious diseases might affect cognitive aging and dementia risk, possibly via neuroinflammation. Similarly, risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are associated with cognitive function and dementia. We hypothesized that cardiovascular risk factors moderate the association of exposure to infectious diseases with cognitive function. Methods We studied 5662 participants aged 20 to 59 years from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988–1994) in the United States. We used linear regression to investigate whether the Framingham general cardiovascular risk index moderated the association of infection burden based on exposure to eight different infectious diseases with cognitive functioning as measured by the Symbol Digit Substitution, Serial Digit Learning, and Reaction Time tests. Results The multiplicative interaction between the infection-burden index and the cardiovascular-risk index was associated with performance on the Symbol Digit Substitution (B = .019 [95% CI: .008, .031], p < .001) but not on the Serial Digit Learning (B = .034 [95% CI: -.025, .094]) or for Reaction Time (B = -.030 [95% CI: -.848, .787]). Participants with a lower cardiovascular risk appeared to be more resilient against the potential adverse effects of higher infection burden on the Symbol Digit Substitution task. Conclusions Participants at zero risk for a cardiovascular event in the next 10 years had no differences in processing speed with increasing exposure to infectious disease, whereas participants with higher risk for a cardiovascular event had worse processing speed with increased exposure to infectious disease.
Multistep wettability gradient in bioinspired triangular patterns for water condensation and transport

Water scarcity is becoming increasingly worse in the world. To address water shortages, the water supply needs to be supplemented. In arid regions, flora and fauna use fog or the moisture in air as a source of water. An important consideration in efficient water collection is transport of water droplets collected as rapidly as possible to storage/use before they are evaporated. Wettability gradient on a surface is expected to increase the rate of transportation. In this study, a bioinspired triangular surface with multistep wettability gradient was fabricated. Water condensation and transport studies were carried out on triangular surfaces with wettability gradient in ambient air. Wettability gradient is found to accelerate the water transport. The droplets can climb even if a surface is mounted on an inclined plane.
Formal Assurances for Autonomous Systems Without Verifying Application Software

Our ability to ensure software correctness is especially challenged by autonomous systems. In particular, the use of artificial intelligence can cause unpredictable behavior when encountering situations that were not included in the training data. We describe an alternative to static analysis and conventional testing that monitors and enforces formally specified properties describing a system’s physical state. All external inputs and outputs are monitored by multiple parallel automata synthesized from guards specified as linear temporal logic (LTL) formulas capturing application-specific correctness, safety, and liveness properties. Unlike conventional runtime verification, adding guards does not impact application software performance since the monitor automata are implemented in configurable hardware. In order to remove all dependencies on software, input/output controllers and drivers may also be implemented in configurable hardware. A reporting or corrective action may be taken when a guard is triggered. This architecture is consistent with the guidance prescribed in ASTM F3269-17, Methods to Safely Bound Behavior of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Containing Complex Functions. The monitor and input/output subsystem’s minimal and isolated implementations are amenable to model checking since all components are independent finite state machines. Because this approach makes no assumptions about the root cause of deviation from specifications, it can detect and mitigate: malware threats; sensor and network attacks; software bugs; sensor, actuator and communication faults; and inadvertent or malicious operator errors. We demonstrate this approach with rules defining a virtual cage for a commercially available drone.
Combining partial information from speech and text

The current study investigated how partial speech and text information, distributed at various interruption rates, is combined to support sentence recognition in quiet. Speech and text stimuli were interrupted by silence and presented unimodally or combined in multimodal conditions. Across all conditions, performance was best at the highest interruption rates. Listeners were able to gain benefit from most multimodal presentations, even when the rate of interruption was mismatched between modalities. Supplementing partial speech with incomplete visual cues can improve sentence intelligibility and compensate for degraded speech in adverse listening conditions. However, individual variability in benefit depends on unimodal performance.
Chapter 6 – Initial-Rate Kinetics of Multi-Substrate Enzyme-Catalyzed Reactions

Publisher Summary In enzyme kinetics, the terms two-substrate and three-substrate mechanisms refer to those for which the reaction rate v depends on the concentrations of two and three substrates, respectively. Most enzymes actually catalyze reactions involving two or more substrates, and, with the obvious exception of isomerases, many “one-substrate” enzymes actually have two substrates. Tightly bound cofactors that fail to dissociate after each catalytic cycle or are released only after multiple catalytic cycles are likewise kinetically indiscernible as a second substrate. This chapter focuses on the initial-rate behavior of multisubstrate enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Most enzymes utilize two or more substrates, especially those reactions involving reversibly bound coenzymes. Given the number and variety of two- and three-substrate kinetic mechanisms, experiments exclusively based on initial-rate measurements are frequently ambiguous. For this reason, enzyme kineticists must rely on other approaches, including the use of reversible competitive inhibitors, alternative substrates, isotope exchange rate measurements at or away from thermodynamic equilibrium, as well as analysis of the stereochemical course of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. The order of substrate binding determines the kinetic properties of multisubstrate reactions to such an extent that, to investigate other important aspects of catalysis, the substrate binding order must first be determined, along with their respective composite kinetic parameters Km, Vm, and Vm/Km. Compulsorily ordered kinetic mechanisms suggest the likely involvement of substrate-induced conformational changes. The kinetic mechanism for substrate addition and product release also greatly influences the way in which reaction products inhibit a given enzyme.
Sexing Mammalian Sperm – Where Do We Go from Here?

The only commercially viable method of sexing mammalian sperm is to use a flow cytometer to measure sperm DNA content via fluorescence of the DNA-bound fluorophore Hoechst 33342, and then sort sperm into three populations, probably X, probably Y, and undetermined. Millions of insemination doses of sexed sperm are produced annually by this procedure. Although accuracy of sexing usually exceeds 90%, this procedure of sexing one sperm at a time has serious limitations, including cost, sort rates, and damage to sperm resulting in lowered fertility, but not abnormalities in offspring. Suggested areas for research include determining how sperm are damaged and where in the process of fertilization and embryonic development the infertility is manifest. Pre and post sorting procedures are done in approximately hourly batches, and these might be changed to continuous procedures. Numerous genetic, physical, and immunological procedures for sexing millions of sperm in parallel have been proposed, but none appears to be suitable for commercialization at this time due to issues of accuracy, repeatability, damage to sperm, and other problems. However, increasing numbers of reports are appearing concerning improvements in these procedures, and it appears inevitable that one or more of them eventually will prove to be efficacious. In developing such procedures, it is critical to monitor sexing accuracy regularly by rapid and inexpensive procedures such as fluorescence in situ hybridization, quantitative PCR, or sort reanalysis by flow cytometry. Furthermore, monitoring fertility of sexed sperm such as in vitro fertilization should be integral to the development process. Intellectual property issues could be substantive.
Be Open and See Where Your Path Leads: Dr. Judy Voress

Dr. Judy Voress is the former periodicals director of PRO-ED; is Executive Director and a member of the Board of Directors of the Hammill Institute on Disabilities; and currently serves as Presiden...
Associations between network-level acculturation, individual-level acculturation, and substance use among Hispanic adolescents

Acculturation is associated with substance use behaviors in Hispanic adolescents. However, there is limited research determining whether the individual’s friends’ acculturation patterns also influe...
Evading evolution of resistance to gene drives

Gene drives offer the possibility of altering and even suppressing wild populations of countless plant and animal species, and CRISPR technology now provides the technical feasibility of engineering them. However, population-suppression gene drives are prone to select resistance, should it arise. Here we develop mathematical and computational models to identify conditions under which suppression drives will evade resistance, even if resistance is present initially. We show that linkage between the resistance and drive loci is critical to the evolution of resistance and that evolution of resistance requires (negative) linkage disequilibrium between the two loci. When the two loci are unlinked or only partially so, a suppression drive that causes limited inviability can evolve to fixation while causing only a minor increase in resistance frequency. Once fixed, the drive allele no longer selects resistance. Our analyses suggest that among gene drives that cause moderate suppression, toxin-antidote systems are less apt to select for resistance than homing drives. Single drives of this type would achieve only partial population suppression, but multiple drives (perhaps delivered sequentially) would allow arbitrary levels of suppression. The most favorable case for evolution of resistance appears to be with suppression homing drives in which resistance is dominant and fully suppresses transmission distortion; partial suppression by resistance heterozygotes or recessive resistance work against resistance evolution. Given that it is now possible to engineer CRISPR-based gene drives capable of circumventing allelic resistance, this design may allow for the engineering of suppression gene drives that are effectively resistance-proof.
The Resistivity Bottleneck: The Search for New Interconnect Metals

The resistivity increase of Cu interconnects with decreasing line width is a major challenge for the continued downscaling of integrated circuits. Various approaches can be employed to mitigate this resistivity bottleneck including (a) facilitating specular interface scattering by using an insulating lattice-matched liner, (b) increasing the grain size or the grain boundary transmission through Fermi surface matching, and (c) choosing a metal with a low product of the bulk resistivity times the bulk electron mean free path. Electron transport measurements on epitaxial metal layers in combination with first-principles simulations are used to quantify the resistivity scaling for a series of metals including Cu, W, Ru, Mo, Co, Rh, and Ir, and to provide insight into the interface structure and chemistry requirements that lead to specular electron scattering and therefore a low resistivity for narrow interconnects.
Treatment of Patients with Prediabetes in a Primary Care Setting 2011-2018: an Observational Study.

Over one third of American adults are at high risk for developing diabetes, which can be delayed or prevented using interventions such as medical nutrition therapy (MNT) or metformin. Physicians’ self-reported rates of prediabetes treatment are improving, but patterns of actual referral, prescription, and MNT visits are unknown. To characterize treatment of prediabetes in primary care. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using electronic health record data. We described patterns of treatment and used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association of patient factors and PCP-specific treatment rate with patient treatment. We included overweight or obese outpatients who had a first prediabetes-range hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) during 2011–2018 and had primary care provider (PCP) follow-up within a year. We collected patient characteristics and the following treatments: metformin prescription; referral to MNT, diabetes education, endocrinology, or bariatric medicine; and MNT visit. We did not capture within-visit physician counseling. Of 16,713 outpatients with prediabetes, 20.4% received treatment, including metformin prescriptions (7.8%) and MNT referrals (11.3%), but only 7.4% of referred patients completed a MNT visit. The strongest predictor of treatment was the patient’s PCP’s treatment rate. Some PCPs never treated prediabetes, but two treated more than half of their patients; 62% had no patients complete a MNT visit. Being younger or female and having higher body mass index or HbA1c were also positively associated with treatment. Compared to white patients, black patients were more likely to receive MNT referral and less likely to receive metformin. Almost 80% of patients with new prediabetes never received treatment, and those who did receive referrals had very poor visit completion. Treatment rates appear to reflect provider rather than patient preferences.
School Psychology Practice in a Department of Neurology

Although there is little consensus as to what services school psychologists should provide, they have long been viewed as diagnostic specialists. Such an actuarial based perspective can add valuabl...
Characterization of H2O transport through Johnson Space Center number 1A lunar regolith simulant at low pressure for in-situ resource utilization

H2O transport through a packed bed of Johnson Space Center number 1A (JSC-1A) lunar regolith simulant was examined at relevant temperatures and pressures for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on the Moon. Experimentation was conducted over a range of pressures from 50 to 2065 Pa at ∼350 K, corresponding to Knudsen numbers of 0.3 < Kn < 11. Pressure and temperature conditions were relevant toward ISRU technologies. A piecewise function was used to evaluate transition and Knudsen regime flows. The piecewise model utilized a Knudsen number that predicted the transition point between advective and Knudsen flows. A transition Knudsen number of 1.66 ± 0.61 and a tortuosity shape parameter of 0.736 ± 0.13 were determined from non-linear regression, and Knudsen diffusivities of 10.62 cm2·s−1, 10.40 cm2·s−1, and 9.04 cm2·s−1 for packed beds of JSC-1A with porosities of 0.388, 0.385, and 0.365, respectively. The experimental measurements, methodology, and modeling provide useful information for ISRU technologies involving the transport of volatiles (e.g., thermal extraction of H2O).
On the Left-/Right-Branching Asymmetry in Mandarin Tone 3 Sandhi

In Mandarin, a left-/right-branching asymmetry is observed when the Tone 3 Sandhi (T3S) process interacts with the syntactic structure of an expression: while expressions that have a left-branching syntactic structure only have a non-alternating sandhi pattern in which all but the rightmost T3 is changed to the sandhi tone, for expressions that have a right-branching syntactic structure various sandhi patterns are possible. This paper proposes that T3S applies cyclically bottom-up on a prosodic structure matched from the syntactic structure of an expression, along the lines of the Match Theory of syntactic-prosodic constituency correspondence (Selkirk 2011). The interaction of Match Phrase constraints and Strong Strong Start, which is a more restricted version of Selkirk’s (2011) Strong Start constraint, predicts that different prosodic structures are possible outputs for a right-branching expression, while for a left-branching expression the only possible output is a left-branching prosodic structure. The various possible sandhi patterns for a right-branching expression and the non-alternating sandhi pattern for a left-branching expression are derived when T3S applies cyclically bottom-up on the proposed prosodic structures.
An algorithm for computing a supercharacter theory generated from a given partition

Let G be a finite group. The set of all supercharacter theories of G forms a lattice, where the join operation coincides with the join operation on the lattice of partitions of G, with partial orde...
Running Biomechanics of Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Research examining gait biomechanics of persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has grown significantly in recent years and has demonstrated that persons with ASD walk at slower self-selected speeds and with shorter strides, wider step widths, and reduced lower extremity range of motion and moments compared to neurotypical controls. In contrast to walking, running has yet to be examined in persons with ASD. The purpose of this study was to examine lower extremity running biomechanics in adolescents (13-18-year-olds) with ASD and matched (age, sex, and body mass index (BMI)) neurotypical controls. Three-dimensional kinematics and ground reaction forces (GRFs) were recorded while participants ran at two matched speeds: self-selected speed of adolescents with ASD and at 3.0 m/s. Sagittal and frontal plane lower extremity biomechanics and vertical GRF waveforms were compared using two-way analyses of variances (ANOVAs) via statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Adolescents with ASD ran with reduced stride length at self-selected speed (0.29 m) and reduced vertical displacement (2.1 cm), loading-propulsion GRFs (by 14.5%), propulsion plantarflexion moments (18.5%), loading-propulsion hip abduction moments (44.4%), and loading knee abduction moments (69.4%) at both speeds. Running at 3.0 m/s increased sagittal plane hip and knee moments surrounding initial contact (both 10.4%) and frontal plane knee angles during midstance (2.9 deg) and propulsion (2.8 deg) compared to self-selected speeds. Reduced contributions from primarily the ankle plantarflexion but also knee abduction and hip abduction moments likely reduced the vertical GRF and displacement. As differences favored reduced loading, youth with ASD can safely be encouraged to engage in running as a physical activity.
Done Deal?: The Politics of the 1997 Budget Agreement

The puzzle of budget politics budget choices and deficit politics - 1980-96 aligning the stars - governing, policy and leadership tug-of-war bipartisan deal making under divided government "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good" reconciliation medley the politics of tax policy conference politics - staking out positions and restoring bipartisanship the 1997 Budget Agreement in realist perspective.
Nephron Sites of Adaptation to Changes in Dietary Phosphate

Studies of the renal adaptation to changes in the dietary intake of phosphate have provided important insights into the mechanisms of regulation of phosphate transport by the renal tubule, Troehler, Bonjour and Fleisch (1) and Steele and DeLuca (2) showed that phosphate deprivation results in marked increases in phosphate transport which were independent of plasma phosphate and parathyroid hormone. Further, rats fed a low phosphate diet provide a model of resistance to the Phosphaturic response to PTH (3). Whereas the expected increase in cAMP generation and hypocalciuria occur, there is no increase in phosphate excretion. Studies utilizing several different approaches support the concept that adaptive changes in phosphate transport occur in the proximal tubule. In vivo microperfusion, isolated tubule and isolated renal brush border vesicle studies of proximal tubules all illustrate enhanced phosphate transport in animals fed a low phosphate diet (4, 5, 6, 7). Micropuncture studies in dogs also show enhanced phosphate reabsorption in the proximal tubule in phosphate deprivation (8, 9). Accordingly, adaptation of proximal tubule phosphate transport is very likely. However, the contribution of this altered transport to the urinary excretion of phosphate remains controversial.