cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Random Flow in Queueing Networks: A Review and Critique

Abstract This paper introduces basic properties of queueing networks. Networks are classified by their queue length vector processes as being Markov processes or not. In each case the relevant problems are exposed and the literature of each problem is surveyed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the results, and some points in need of further research are established.
Promoting further use of palliative care in cancer care centers

ABSTRACTPalliative care has changed since its inception with Dr Balfour Mount in 1976. It is moving slowly from the care of the dying (which is still an important part of palliative care) and crisis intervention to integrated care with oncology early in the course of advanced cancer. Several studies have demonstrated the advantages to this approach. In this review we will discuss indicators of structure process and outcomes, outcomes to integration, components to successful integration of care and barriers to integrated care. Family financial toxicity related to cancer care is a growing problem that will need to be measured as an outcome to integrated care
Kombis, Brothels, and Violence Against Women: Building Global Health Partnerships to Address Women’s Health and Empowerment

This chapter is a perspective on the author’s year as a Fogarty global health and clinical research fellow in Peru. In a colorful rendition she walks us through the trials and tribulations of getting accustomed to life in Lima as a medical student. She describes her participation in public health interventions in collaboration with Peruvian clinician-investigators and her experiences getting to know a particularly marginalized community, female commercial sex workers. As she works with members of this community in a specialized clinic at a community health center, Dr. Khan’s observations of the conditions where they work and the daily violence these women experience spark an interest in gender-based violence and women’s empowerment. She describes the process of developing and carrying out a qualitative research study with this vulnerable population. While the study results are reported elsewhere, Dr. Khan elaborates on the process of carrying out a research project in an international setting, including lessons learned on building rapport, adhering to ethical principles and human subjects regulations, and safety considerations. She concludes the piece with a reflection on the potential for global partnerships to address social inequities such as gender-based violence.
Mission Impossible? Blaming Primary Care Providers for Not Identifying the Unidentifiable.

* Abbreviation: ADHD — : attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder In this issue of Pediatrics , Nelson et al report that at 2 years of age, parental, social, and economic factors (including parental education levels below a bachelor’s degree, little or no shared reading at home, food insecurity, and fair/poor parental health), rather than direct developmental evaluation, best predict future low academic achievement scores and high problem behaviors at kindergarten entry.1 Previously, the predictive validity of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development—II performed at 20 months of age to predict IQ scores at 8 years of age has been shown to be only 37%.2 If such comprehensive developmental evaluation using gold-standard assessment measures perform so poorly in predicting learning and behavioral problems at school entry, is it time to stop blaming primary pediatric health care providers for not identifying these children? More than half a century ago, several well-controlled studies demonstrated weaknesses in pediatricians’ ability to assess children developmentally.3,4 Furthermore, in 1987, it was reported that only 28.7% of children who required special educational services in elementary school were identified … Address correspondence to Robert G. Voigt, MD, FAAP, Baylor College of Medicine, Director, Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Hospital, 8080 North Stadium Dr, Houston, TX 77054. E-mail: rgvoigt{at}texaschildrens.org
Birefringence as a feature of cerebral microvascular dilatations after cardiopulmonary bypass

Cerebral capillary and arteriolar dilatations have been observed post mortem in humans and dogs following cardiopulmonary bypass. These dilatations often display an unexplained birefringence that facilitates their quick localization and identification.
Ultra-wideband hybrid substrate integrated ribbon waveguides using 3D printing

A new wave guiding structure and fabrication technique is introduced for high speed, low loss, ultra-wideband interconnects. It is a hybrid between a dielectric ribbon and a substrate integrated waveguide design. In this structure, a high dielectric constant valued core is surrounded by a low dielectric constant valued cladding which in turn is surrounded by a metal layer. Both cylindrical and rectangular waveguide designs are presented. Simulation and measurement results show that ultra-wide band interconnects with low-dispersion can be designed using this hybrid approach. Fabrication of the cladding layer was carried out using 3D plastic printing. Simulated and measured results are discussed as well as fabrication techniques.
Advancing Judicial Review of Wetlands and Property Rights Determinations: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers v. Hawkes

This Article analyzes recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that enhance procedural protections for landowners alleging that stringent federal regulatory determinations threaten their Takings Clause rights. It uses as a focus the Court’s 2016 decision in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers v. Hawkes, involving the justiciability of “approved jurisdictional determinations” under the Clean Water Act. The Article reviews the practical difficulties resulting from the Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency’s sweeping definition of “Waters of the United States,” their demands involving wetlands, and landowners’ ability to meaningfully contest those demands in U.S. district court. The Article suggests how property owners might use the Court’s recent property rights and environmental holdings, and dicta, as guides to more effectively protect their property interests in the face of broad assertions of regulatory authority premised on very general statutory provisions.
Estimation of delivered dose in radiotherapy: the influence of registration uncertainty

We present a probabilistic framework to estimate the accumulated radiation dose and the corresponding dose uncertainty that is delivered to important anatomical structures, e.g. the primary tumor and healthy surrounding organs, during radiotherapy. The dose uncertainty we report is a direct result of uncertainties in the estimates of the deformation which aligns the daily cone-beam CT images with the planning CT. The accumulated radiation dose is an important measure to monitor during treatment, in particular to see if it significantly deviates from the planned dose which might indicate that either the patient was not properly positioned before treatment or that the anatomy has changed due to the treatment. In the case of the latter, the treatment plan should be adaptively changed to align with the current patient anatomy. We estimate the accumulated dose distribution, and its uncertainty, retrospectively on a dataset acquired during treatment of cancer in the neck and show the dose distributions in the form of dose volume histograms.
Time scale decomposition in complex reaction systems: A graph theoretic analysis

Abstract The formulation of a kinetic model for a complex reaction network typically yields reaction rates which vary over orders of magnitude. This results in time scale separation that makes the model inherently stiff. In this work, a graph-theoretic framework is developed for time scale decomposition of complex reaction networks to separate the slow and fast time scales, and to identify pseudo-species that evolve only in the slow time scale. The reaction network is represented using a directed bi-partite graph and cycles that correspond to closed walks are used to identify interactions between species participating in fast/equilibrated reactions. Subsequently, an algorithm which connects the cycles to form the pseudo-species is utilized to eliminate the fast rate terms. These pseudo-species are used to formulate reduced, non-stiff kinetic models of the reaction system. Two reaction systems are considered to show the efficacy of this framework in the context of thermochemical and biochemical processing.
A simple approach to spectrally resolved fluorescence and bright field microscopy over select regions of interest

A standard wide field inverted microscope was converted to a spatially selective spectrally resolved microscope through the addition of a polarizing beam splitter, a pair of polarizers, an amplitude-mode liquid crystal-spatial light modulator, and a USB spectrometer. The instrument is capable of simultaneously imaging and acquiring spectra over user defined regions of interest. The microscope can also be operated in a bright-field mode to acquire absorption spectra of micron scale objects. The utility of the instrument is demonstrated on three different samples. First, the instrument is used to resolve three differently labeled fluorescent beads in vitro. Second, the instrument is used to recover time dependent bleaching dynamics that have distinct spectral changes in the cyanobacteria, Synechococcus leopoliensis UTEX 625. Lastly, the technique is used to acquire the absorption spectra of CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskites and measure differences between nanocrystal films and micron scale crystals.
A novel Zika virus mouse model reveals strain specific differences in virus pathogenesis and host inflammatory immune responses

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito borne flavivirus, which was a neglected tropical pathogen until it emerged and spread across the Pacific Area and the Americas, causing large human outbreaks associated with fetal abnormalities and neurological disease in adults. The factors that contributed to the emergence, spread and change in pathogenesis of ZIKV are not understood. We previously reported that ZIKV evades cellular antiviral responses by targeting STAT2 for degradation in human cells. In this study, we demonstrate that Stat2-/- mice are highly susceptible to ZIKV infection, recapitulate virus spread to the central nervous system (CNS), gonads and other visceral organs, and display neurological symptoms. Further, we exploit this model to compare ZIKV pathogenesis caused by a panel of ZIKV strains of a range of spatiotemporal history of isolation and representing African and Asian lineages. We observed that African ZIKV strains induce short episodes of severe neurological symptoms followed by lethality. In comparison, Asian strains manifest prolonged signs of neuronal malfunctions, occasionally causing death of the Stat2-/- mice. African ZIKV strains induced higher levels of inflammatory cytokines and markers associated with cellular infiltration in the infected brain in mice, which may explain exacerbated pathogenesis in comparison to those of the Asian lineage. Interestingly, viral RNA levels in different organs did not correlate with the pathogenicity of the different strains. Taken together, we have established a new murine model that supports ZIKV infection and demonstrate its utility in highlighting intrinsic differences in the inflammatory response induced by different ZIKV strains leading to severity of disease. This study paves the way for the future interrogation of strain-specific changes in the ZIKV genome and their contribution to viral pathogenesis.
The Block Object Storage Service (bossDB): A Cloud-Native Approach for Petascale Neuroscience Discovery

Large volumetric neuroimaging datasets have grown in size over the past ten years from gigabytes to terabytes, with petascale data becoming available and more common over the next few years. Current approaches to store and analyze these emerging datasets are insufficient in their ability to scale in both cost-effectiveness and performance. Additionally, enabling large-scale processing and annotation is critical as these data grow too large for manual inspection. We propose a new cloud-native managed service for large and multi-modal experiments, providing support for data ingest, storage, visualization, and sharing through a RESTful Application Programming Interface (API) and web-based user interface. Our project is open source and can be easily and cost-effectively used for a variety of modalities and applications.
A lysosomal switch triggers proteostasis renewal in the immortal C. elegans germ lineage

Although individuals age and die with time, an animal species can continue indefinitely, because of its immortal germ-cell lineage. How the germline avoids transmitting damage from one generation to the next remains a fundamental question in biology. Here we identify a lysosomal switch that enhances germline proteostasis before fertilization. We find that Caenorhabditis elegans oocytes whose maturation is arrested by the absence of sperm exhibit hallmarks of proteostasis collapse, including protein aggregation. Remarkably, sperm-secreted hormones re-establish oocyte proteostasis once fertilization becomes imminent. Key to this restoration is activation of the vacuolar H+-ATPase (V-ATPase), a proton pump that acidifies lysosomes. Sperm stimulate V-ATPase activity in oocytes by signalling the degradation of GLD-1, a translational repressor that blocks V-ATPase synthesis. Activated lysosomes, in turn, promote a metabolic shift that mobilizes protein aggregates for degradation, and reset proteostasis by enveloping and clearing the aggregates. Lysosome acidification also occurs during Xenopus oocyte maturation; thus, a lysosomal switch that enhances oocyte proteostasis in anticipation of fertilization may be conserved in other species.
Method, Logic, and the Debate about Western Zhou Government: A Reply to Lothar von Falkenhausen

In response to Lothar von Falkenhausen’s contention that the Western Zhou government was hopelessly stuck in a kinship structure that operated in accordance with the order of aristocratic lineages, the present paper offers new theoretical grounds as well as new inscriptional evidence showing that the Western Zhou government was a bureaucracy invented precisely to allow the Zhou king to overcome or manipulate the restrictions imposed by a kinship structure, in order to achieve actual political and administrative goals. This is the central debate in the study of the Western Zhou government as the fountainhead of the long-standing Chinese political culture and institutions. To refute the ill-conceived “anthropological model” of the Western Zhou government, the paper carefully examines the logical confusions, the wrong methodological choice, and the misinformation about contemporaneous bronze inscriptions as well as about current archaeology exhibited in Falkenhausen’s review, thus reconfirming bases for a correct understanding of the Western Zhou government already offered in Bureaucracy and the State in Early China (Cambridge 2008). Furthermore, the paper discusses intellectual norms in book reviews in the West and China and offers new insights into the date of the Ling group of vessels, a central problem in the dating of Western Zhou bronzes. The paper provides an important cornerstone for future constructive studies of the Western Zhou government and the issue of bureaucracy in Chinese history.
Transthoracic Transatrial Approach

This strictly surgical approach allows the placement of endocardial pacer and defibrillator leads when other routes are not viable.
Characterization of Unijunction Transistors Fabricated on NTD-Silicon

The vertical planar diffused unijunction transistor (UJT) has two commonly referenced D.C. electrical parameters which can be employed to indicate local homogenity of impurity doping in silicon substrates. Specifically these parameters are: interbase resistance, which is a spreading resistance from a small diffused layer, and intrinisic standoff ratio. The first parameter, interbase resistance depends primarily on local silicon resistivity in the finished wafer, and diffusion geometry. The second parameter, intrinsic standoff ratio, depends primarily on diffusion geometry, so that local resistivity is easily obtainable from measurements of interbase resistance and intrinsic standoff ratio. Results of these measurements are presented, and are shown to point out fundamental differences between neutron transmutation doped (NTD) and float zone processed (FZ) silicon in the resistivity range of 50 to 70 ohm’cm. It is also presented how measurements of these parameters have, in turn, been used to improve the design and electrical yield of these devices, in particular, with the adaptation of the process to NTD silicon.
A Technique for the Anterolateral Approach to MIS Total Hip Replacement

An anterolateral mini-incision approach to total hip arthroplasty (THA) can be preformed on most patients. Patients with retained hardware, such as a dynamic hip screw, which must be removed with a longer incision, and patients with Crowe 4 hip dysplasia that requires a subtrochanteric osteotomy should not be done with this approach. As the surgeon embarks to learn how to preform a mini-incision total hip arthroplasty, start with a longer incision and gradually shorten the skin incision with improved confidence and skill. Incisions smaller than 4.5 in. require specialized retractors and instrumentation, which is now readily available. As with all new techniques, start with patients who are thinner, less muscular, have minimal deformity, and few osteophytes. Later, improved confidence and skill will allow the surgeon to expand the indications of mini-incision THA to almost all patients. Again, gradually decrease the incision size until you have achieved a true mini-incision THA (2.5 in. to 3.5 in.) on almost all patients. It is important to note that a mini-incision THA is not simply a standard approach done through a small incision; instead, it is a modified approach that transects less muscle and tendon in addition to a small incision. The following is a detailed description of how to perform an anterolateral mini-incision total hip arthroplasty.
On Chomsky’s appraisal of Skinner’s Verbal Behavior : A half century of misunderstanding

The history of the writing of Verbal Behavior (Skinner, 1957), Chomsky's review (1959), and MacCorquodale's rebuttal (1970) are briefly summarized. Chomsky's recent reflections on his review are analyzed: Chomsky's refusal to acknowledge the review's errors or its aggressive tone is consistent with his polemical style but comes at a minor cost in consistency and plausibility. However, his remarks about the place of Skinner's work in science reveal misunderstandings so great that they undercut the credibility of the review substantially. The gradual growth in the influence of Skinner's book suggests that its legacy will endure.
Overview of Plasma Diagnostic Techniques

Plasma diagnostics is a broad area of technology that encompasses a diverse, venerable field of experimental techniques designed to provide information about the characteristics of a plasma. Plasmas used in microelectronics processing fall into the broad category of low temperature plasmas. Typical plasma characteristics include electron densities between 109 and 1012 cm-3, electron temperatures from 0.1 to 10 eV, pressures of a few Torr to millitorr or below and excitation frequencies from dc to microwave. These parameters span a relatively wide range of conditions and make the selection of the best diagnostic tools challenging.
FOUR ELEMENTARY LINEAR ALGEBRA PROJECTS

ABSTRACT This note describes four projects the author has used in the sophomore level introductory linear algebra course at Lafayette College. The projects involve using computers to do repetitive calculations and computer graphics to visualize concepts.
Living with oligodendroglioma

Abstract In most brain tumor populations, current treatment options are not curative. Instead, medical teams focus on prolonging survival while trying to maintain or improve a patient’s quality of life. This is especially true for patients with longer expected survival such as those with oligodendroglioma’s. Quality of life is a multidimensional construct covering life domains such as physical, psychological, and social, as well as symptoms induced by disease and its treatment. This chapter discusses quality of life components specific to patients living with oligodendroglioma. Patient case reports along with charts/illustrations are provided for insight into the daily challenges of those living with oligodendroglioma. Physical, cognitive-behavioral, and psychosocial interventions which have been applied in brain tumor patients are also addressed.
Purification and characterization of thymol blue for spectrophotometric pH measurements in rivers, estuaries, and oceans.

Abstract Thymol blue (TB) is one of a suite of indicator dyes appropriate for spectrophotometric determinations of the pH of aqueous solutions. For measurements of seawater pH, meta-cresol purple (mCP) is most often used, but TB is especially well suited for measurements in surface or shallow waters where the pH may exceed the optimal indicating range of mCP (e.g., due to photosynthesis). This work presents flash chromatography procedures for purifying commercially available TB and describes physical–chemical characteristics of the purified dye, thus enabling the acquisition of spectrophotometric pH measurements over a wide range of practical salinities (SP) and temperatures (T). The essential TB characteristics for 0 ≤ SP ≤ 40 and 278.15 ≤ T ≤ 308.15 K are described by: pH T = − TB ( log ( K 2 T e 2 ) ) + log ( ( R − e 1 ) / ( 1 − R e 4 ) ) TB ( log K 2 T e 2 ) = 6.6942 - 0.001129 S p 0.5 T - 0.5926 T - 0.5 S p + 619.40/ T + 0.1441 S P - 0.02591 S p 1.5 + 0.0034 S p 2 - 0.0001754 S p 2.5 e1 = −0.00132 + 0.00001600T e4 = −0.005042 + 0.0002094T + 0.01916SP0.5/T where pHT is pH determined on the total hydrogen ion concentration scale; R is the ratio of TB absorbances (A) at 435 and 596 nm (596A/435A); K 2 T is the equilibrium constant for the second TB dissociation step on the total scale; and e1, e2, and e4 are TB molar absorptivity ratios. This characterization was developed in a manner that ensures consistency with the primary TRIS buffer standards used in previously published characterizations of mCP. With this characterization, TB joins mCP as a sulfonephthalein indicator that has been characterized over the ranges of salinity and temperature required to make high-quality pH measurements in rivers, estuaries, and the open ocean. The full characterization of purified TB reported here extends the upper range of pHT that can be accessed with precise spectrophotometric measurements by approximately 0.50 pH units.
Debate on Eminent Domain

On May 10, 2004, a debate took place between Walter E. Block, Harold E. Wirth Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair and Professor of Economics at Loyola University New Orleans, and Richard A. Epstein, James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Director, Law and Economics Program at the University of Chicago, and the Peter and Kirsten Senior Fellow of the Hoover Institution. The debate took place at the University of Chicago and was organized and moderated by J.H. Huebert, who was at that time a law student at the University of Chicago and is now a clerk at the US Court of Appeals. What follows is a very lightly edited transcript of the proceedings of that debate. All participants wish to acknowledge a debt of gratitude to Lew Rockwell, president of the Mises Institute, for financially supporting this event.
A Wearable Brain Machine Interface Architecture for Regulation of Energy in Hypercortisolism

Hypercortisolism is associated with tiredness and fatigue during the day and disturbed sleep at night. Our goal is to employ a wearable brain machine interface architecture to regulate one's energy in hypercortisolism. First, we present a state-space model to infer a hidden cognitive energy-related state from one's Cortisol secretion patterns. Particularly, we consider circadian upper and lower bound envelope curves on Cortisol levels, and timings of hypothalamic pulsatile activity underlying Cortisol secretion as observations. We then use Bayesian filtering to estimate the hidden cognitive energy-related state. Finally, we close the loop using a knowledge-based control approach. In a simulation study based on experimental data, we illustrate the feasibility of designing a wearable brain machine interface architecture for energy regulation in hypercortisolism. In this architecture, we infer one's cognitive energy-related state seamlessly rather than monitoring the brain activity directly and close the loop using fuzzy control. This simulation study is a first step towards the ultimate goal of managing hypercortisolism in real-world situations.
Surface Science Studies on The Mechanism for H-D Exchange of Methane Over Pt(111) Surfaces Under Vacuum

Abstract The mechanism for hydrogen-deuterium exchange in methane over platinum single crystal surfaces has been studied under ultrahigh vacuum conditions by using x-ray photoelectron (XPS), reflection-absorption infrared (RAIRS), and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) spectroscopies. Methyl groups were prepared by thermal decomposition of adsorbed methyl iodide; their formation was indicated both by a shift in the I 3d XPS signal and by the appearance of a characteristic C-D stretching frequency at 2092 cm −1 when using CD 3 I as the precursor molecule. When coadsorbed with deuterium, those methyl groups yield methane almost exclusively upon thermal activation, with a product distribution that indicates that multiple exchange takes place to a significant degree. Detailed analysis of the TPD data leads to the conclusion that there is a competition between two possible pathways for methyl conversion, namely, direct reductive elimination between methyl and atomic deuterium to form monodeuteriated methane, and dehydrogenation to methylene which then undergo rapid interconversion with methylidyne before hydrogenating back to methyl and then to methane.
Incidence of anterior cruciate ligament graft tears in high-risk populations: An analysis of professional athlete and pediatric populations.

Abstract Background Professional athletes are at increased risk of injury with high activity levels and additional pressure to return to sports quickly after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The purpose of this study was to determine ACL graft re-tear rates in National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Hockey League (NHL) athletes using publicly available databases and to compare these to general populations, National Football League (NFL) athletes, and the pediatric population to establish a baseline for those partaking in high-risk sporting activity. Methods A comprehensive online search was performed to identify athletes in the NBA, MLB, and NHL who had a reported ACL tear between 2007 and 2017. For each tear, the type of tear (initial or re-tear) and return to play data were documented. Comparisons of re-tear rates from these leagues to prior registry, meta-analyses, and epidemiologic studies were performed using Fisher's exact or Chi-squared tests. Results The aggregate re-tear rate was 11.9%. ACL re-tear rates by league did not statistically differ. Return to play rate after index surgery was 95.8%, whereas after a revision procedure was 92.3%. There was a statistically significant difference between the studied ACL re-tear rates (NBA, MLB, NHL) and those of national registries (P Conclusions Exposure to higher-risk sporting activity, common to pediatric patients and professional athletes, is a likely major influential factor in ACL re-tear.
A Computational Approach for Defining a Signature of β-Cell Golgi Stress in Diabetes.

The Golgi apparatus (GA) is an important site of insulin processing and granule maturation, but whether GA organelle dysfunction and GA stress are present in the diabetic β-cell has not been tested. We utilized an informatics-based approach to develop a transcriptional signature of β-cell GA stress using existing RNA sequencing and microarray datasets generated using human islets from donors with diabetes and islets where type 1(T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) had been modeled ex vivo. To narrow our results to GA-specific genes, we applied a filter set of 1,030 genes accepted as GA associated. In parallel, we generated an RNA-sequencing dataset from human islets treated with brefeldin A (BFA), a known GA stress inducer. Overlapping the T1D and T2D groups with the BFA dataset, we identified 120 and 204 differentially expressed genes, respectively. In both the T1D and T2D models, pathway analyses revealed that the top pathways were associated with GA integrity, organization, and trafficking. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to validate a common signature of GA stress that included ATF3, ARF4, CREB3, and COG6. Taken together, these data indicate that GA-associated genes are dysregulated in diabetes and identify putative markers of β-cell GA stress.
Mother Figures: On Becoming the Mother One Wishes One Had

“Women mother,” Chodorow begins The Reproduction of Mothering. It is true. It is also true that some women mother better than others. For daughters who were raised in “average, expectable” homes by “good-enough” mothers, the reproduction of mothering can seem full of promise. For daughters who were not so fortunate, however, the notion of reproduction can be terrifying. Such women may be afraid to become mothers or, more accurately, they may be afraid to become their mothers. In this chapter, Meg Jay—a clinical psychologist and former graduate student of Nancy Chodorow—addresses the courage that is often required to become a mother when the mothering one received has been problematic. Often this courage comes from the mothering one glimpses, or receives in bits and pieces, from “mother figures” outside of the family, such as teachers, mentors, relatives, friends, and therapists. Drawing on clinical work, empirical research, and her own experiences with Chodorow as a mentor, Jay’s message is hopeful about the possibility of “doing it differently” than one’s own mother. It is a message that allows any woman to claim the reproduction of mothering for herself.
Impact of Low-Dose Computed Tomography Screening for Primary Lung Cancer on Subsequent Risk of Brain Metastasis

Abstract Introduction Brain metastasis (BM) is one of the most common metastases from primary lung cancer (PLC). Recently, the National Lung Screening Trial revealed the efficacy of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening on LC mortality reduction. Nevertheless, it remains unknown if early detection of PLC through LDCT may be potentially beneficial in reducing the risk of subsequent metastases. Our study aimed to investigate the impact of LDCT screening for PLC on the risk of developing BM after PLC diagnosis. Methods We used the National Lung Screening Trial data to identify 1502 participants who were diagnosed with PLC in 2002 to 2009 and have follow-up data for BM. Cause-specific competing risk regression was applied to evaluate an association between BM risk and the mode of PLC detection—that is, LDCT screen-detected versus non-LDCT screen-detected. Subgroup analyses were conducted in patients with early stage PLC and those who underwent surgery for PLC. Results Of 1502 participants, 41.4% had PLC detected through LDCT screening versus 58.6% detected through other methods, for example, chest radiograph or incidental detection. Patients whose PLC was detected with LDCT screening had a significantly lower 3-year incidence of BM (6.5%) versus those without (11.9%), with a cause-specific hazard ratio (HR) of 0.53 (p = 0.001), adjusting for age at PLC diagnosis, PLC stage, PLC histology, and smoking status. This significant reduction in BM risk among PLCs detected through LDCT screening persisted in subgroups of participants with early stage PLC (HR = 0.47, p = 0.002) and those who underwent surgery (HR = 0.37, p = 0.001). Conclusions Early detection of PLC using LDCT screening is associated with lower risk of BM after PLC diagnosis on the basis of a large population-based study.
Flight Test Validation of Adaptive Collision Avoidance Algorithms Using Multiple Unmanned Aircraft

With the advent of the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) era, it is important that research be conducted into the reliable and safe operation of UAS in urban areas, where aircraft are flying over people and property in spatially constrained environments. A large focus in recent years has been on adaptable collision avoidance systems capable of avoiding fixed and airborne traffic. This paper presents flight test validation of an adaptive collision algorithm known as the morphing potential field algorithm. The morphing potential field algorithm has been modified to allow implementation of more advanced guidance logics such as $L_{2}^{+}$ guidance. The aim is to validate the morphing collision avoidance path planning algorithm in a complex scenario, with multiple aircraft–two fixed wing and two rotary wing–flying the same spatially constrained area. The aircraft were intentionally put in a collision course with each other and other obstacles. Validation flight tests were successfully conducted to assess performance of morphing potential field navigation algorithms and also to quantify the impact of possible communication delays on the safety of collision avoidance methods for high speed and high inertia aircraft.
Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on weight status and associated factors for obesity among Children in Massachusetts

Abstract Background This study aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on weight status, obesity and overweight among US children and identify associated factors. Methods: At a large safety net health system in Massachusetts, anthropometric measurements of 701 children were analyzed before and after the COVID-19 lockdown. Chi-square and paired t-test were computed for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with obesity and overweight. Results: Post-lockdown, the overall mean body mass index (BMI) increased from 21.07 to 21.57 kg/m2 (p
Secular Bioethics and Its Challenge to the Catholic Citizen

The author argues that the the promise of secular bioethics—moral guidance untethered to any philosophical anthropology—is impossible to sustain. His point of departure is the work of Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, O.P., Biomedicine and Beatitude: An Introduction to Catholic Bioethics (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2012)
Cluster Superalgebras and Stringy Integrals

We take some initial steps to explore physical applications of the cluster superalgebras recently defined by Ovsienko and Shapiro. Our primary example is a fermionic extension of the $A_2$ cluster algebra, having fifteen cluster supervariables instead of the usual five. We also explore an alternate definition of cluster superalgebras based on the promotion of cluster variables to superfields.
Relationship between a middle school band director's attire and incidences of student off-task behaviors in the classroom

OF THE THESIS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND DIRECTOR'S ATTIRE AND INCIDENCES OF STUDENT OFF-TASK BEHAVIORS IN THE CLASSROOM by Josephine Camacho Florida International University, 2005 Miami, Florida Professor Carolyn Fulton, Major Professor The purpose of this study was to examine whether a middle school band director's attire had an effect on off-task student behaviors in his classroom. One male middle school band director participated and three of his classes were observed. The study lasted twenty days and consisted of three treatments (casual attire, business casual attire, and formal business attire). A tally sheet was used to determine the number of off-task behaviors per student per minute. The results indicated that in this classroom, the students (of all three classes) were off-task less often when the band director wore business casual attire. This was the clothing that he wore consistently from the beginning of the school year. Straying from this consistency made off-task behaviors in the classroom rise. The most off-task behaviors occurred when the band director wore casual clothing. Off-task behaviors also rose when the band director wore business formal attire.
Wybrane Aspekty Zużywania Się Połączeń Wpustowych I Wielowypustowych W Procesie Eksploatacji

W artykule przedstawiono wybrane wady polączen wielowypustowych: mimośrodowości, przekoszenia, zwiekszonych luzow. Przedstawiono znaczenie tych wad dla poprawności funkcjonowania calego zespolu napedowego. Zaprezentowano swoisty katalog tych wad w formie: wizualnego zuzycia, pomiarow mechanicznych plaszczyzn przyporu, opisu matematycznego przebiegow dynamiki ruchu takiego polączenia, zobrazowan dla metod FAM-C i FDM-A. Zaznaczono skutki dlugotrwalej eksploatacji polączen wielowypustowych o nadmiernym zuzyciu dla bezpieczenstwa latania. Slowa kluczowe: przekoszenie polączen, wielowypust, polączenie wielowypustowe walow, diagnostyka techniczna, modulacja czestotliwości, zbior charakterystyczny, TTM (ang. tip timing method), TOA – czas przyjścia (ang. time of arrival), prądnica-przetwornik.
Quantifying Extreme Rainfall Events and Their Hydrologic Response in Southeastern Arizona

AbstractHydrologists are concerned with high-intensity rainfall and peak runoff rates for stormwater infrastructure designs, post-event assessments, and mitigation of environmental impacts. In the southwestern United States the need for accurate information about these rates is increasingly important as population growth and associated development are projected to exceed national averages. Design storm totals for various durations and return period frequencies are routinely derived from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Atlas 14 and are commonly used as input to hydrologic models to estimate peak runoff rates and runoff volumes. For the southwestern United States during the North American Monsoon, NOAA relies on sparse rain gauge networks to measure rainfall from limited area convective storms primarily at daily time steps and estimates of subdaily event intensities are derived by temporal downscaling from a few point locations. The USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Southwest W...
Optimal spatial-domain design of 2-D IIR filters

An algorithm is presented for optimal least-squares estimation of the numerator and denominator coefficients of a quarter-plane 2-D filter to match a given spatial response. The numerator and denominator estimation problems are decoupled leading to an iterative estimatation of the denominator and linear estimation of the numerator. Computer simulations of common filter designs bear out the superiority of the proposed method over existing ones.
The POZ/BTB protein NAC1 interacts with two different histone deacetylases in neuronal-like cultures.

NAC1 is a cocaine-regulated POZ/BTB (Pox virus and Zinc finger/Bric-a-brac Tramtrack Broad complex) protein. NAC1 is increased by cocaine selectively in the nucleus accumbens, a CNS region important for drug addiction. NAC1's role in the cell, however, is not known. Each of the two NAC1 isoforms, sNAC1 (short NAC1) and lNAC1 (long NAC1), may serve as corepressors for other POZ/BTB proteins. This study investigated whether sNAC1 and lNAC1 demonstrated protein–protein interactions with other corepressors. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition reversed sNAC1 and lNAC1 repression of Gal4 luciferase, but only in neuronal-like cultures. Because these inhibitors do not distinguish among histone deacetylases, two histone deacetylases were selected for further study. HDAC 3 and 4 both demonstrated protein–protein interactions with sNAC1 and lNAC1. This was shown using coimmunoprecipitations, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) pulldowns and mammalian two-hybrids. Importantly, either the POZ domain or NAC1 without the POZ domain can bind these two HDACs. Other corepressors, specifically NCoR (nuclear receptor corepressor), SMRT (silencing mediator for retinoid and thyroid hormone receptor) and mSin3a, do not exhibit protein–protein interactions with sNAC1 and lNAC1. None showed protein–protein interactions in GST pulldowns or mammalian two-hybrids. Taken together, the results of these experiments indicate sNAC1 and lNAC1 recruit histone deacetylases for transcriptional repression, further enhancing POZ/BTB protein mediated repression.
Using Masturbation in Sex Therapy: Relationships Between Masturbation, Sexual Desire, and Sexual Fantasy

Abstract Masturbation may be useful in treating hypoactive sexual desire disorder. To examine this possibility, the current study examined the relationships between masturbation, sexual desire, sexual fantasy, and dyadic sexual activity. The relationships between masturbation and other constructs were also examined: overall sexual dysfunction, relationship satisfaction, life stress, and sexual attitudes. Mediational analyses suggest several causal pathways between masturbatory desire, masturbatory frequency, sexual fantasy, sexual desire, and sexual activity. Developing a model of masturbation may help illustrate its role in sexual functioning and highlight its potential role in sex therapy.
Formaldehyde kills spores of Bacillus subtilis by DNA damage and small, acid‐soluble spore proteins of the ααααααα/βββββββ‐type protect spores against this DNA damage

Killing of wild-type spores of Bacillus subtilis with formaldehyde also caused significant mutagenesis; spores (termed α−β−) lacking the two major α/β-type small, acid-soluble spore proteins (SASP) were more sensitive to both formaldehyde killing and mutagenesis. A recA mutation sensitized both wild-type and α−β− spores to formaldehyde treatment, which caused significant expression of a recA-lacZ fusion when the treated spores germinated. Formaldehyde also caused protein–DNA cross-linking in both wild-type and α−β− spores. These results indicate that: (i) formaldehyde kills B. subtilis spores at least in part by DNA damage and (b) α/β-type SASP protect against spore killing by formaldehyde, presumably by protecting spore DNA.
Intrauterine transfusion and fetal death: Relationship of intraperitoneal pressure to umbilical vein blood flow

Abstract In this report, the hypothesis is advanced that fetal intraperitoneal transfusion may elevate intraperitoneal pressure above that in the umbilical vein and produce fetal death by anoxia. Three experiments are described in which dye-containing fluid was infused intraperitoneally into fetal baboons. Umbilical vein pressure was measured directly at 14.5 mm. Hg. Infusion of 23 and 25 ml. fluid was required to elevate the intraperitoneal pressure above 15 mm. Hg in 2 fetuses. At that pressure, umbilical flow ceased. In the third fetus 65 ml. was required to elevate intraperitoneal pressure to 13 mm. Hg. At that pressure umbilical flow ceased. In the latter fetus, the infusion was continued and the fetus died. On the basis of three experiments, the hypothesis is confirmed. It is recommended that fetal intraperitoneal pressure be monitored during human intrauterine fetal transfusion.
The design and assessment of the Learning Commons at the University of Iowa

Abstract The academic library has become a nexus of collaboration and engagement with university resources, and, increasingly, academic librarians in higher education institutions are creating flexible environments that can accommodate a range of activities. The University of Iowa designed and built the Learning Commons on the first floor of the Main Library with a variety of group study rooms, open study areas, and computing resources. The results of the assessment suggest that approximately 75% of first-year students had used the Learning Commons. Compared with students in engineering and business, a greater percentage of students in the liberal arts reported using the Learning Commons, suggesting that the informal learning environment was more suitable to students in these disciplines. Indeed, the most commonly cited reason for non-usage of the Learning Commons was already having a preferred place to study. The more students believed they could use their laptops in the Learning Commons and the more they believed they could concentrate, the more satisfied they were overall with the Learning Commons. The authors discuss the implications of this research for other institutions who are seeking to implement similar learning environments.
Further antigenic similarities of Neisseria gonorrhoeae lipooligosaccharides and human glycosphingolipids

Abstract Anticarbohydrate monoclonal antibodies were tested for their ability to bind to various strains of Neisseria. A monoclonal antibody that binds to the ganglio-series glycosphingolipid, ganglio-N-triaosylceramide, also bound to strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae but not to other species of Neisseria. An antibody specific for the globo-series glycosphingolipid, globotriaosylceramide, also bound to strains of N. gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis, Neisseria lactamica, and Branhamella catarrhalis but not to any other strains of nonpathogenic Neisseria.
Bioarcheology has a "health" problem: conceptualizing "stress" and "health" in bioarcheological research.

This article provides a critical historical overview of the stress concept in bioarcheological research and critically evaluates the term “health” in reference to skeletal samples. Stress has a considerable history in 20th century physiological research, and the term has reached a critical capacity of meaning. Stress was operationalized around a series of generalized physiological responses that were associated with a deviation from homeostasis. The term was incorporated into anthropological research during the mid-20th century, and further defined in bioarcheological context around a series of skeletal indicators of physiological disruption and disease. Emphases on stress became a predominate area of research in bioarcheology, and eventually, many studies utilized the terms “health” and “stress” interchangeably as part of a broader, problem-oriented approach to evaluating prehistoric population dynamics. Use of the term “health” in relation to skeletal samples is associated with the intellectual history of bioarcheological research, specifically influences from cultural ecology and processualist archeology and remains problematic for two reasons. First, health represents a comprehensive state of well-being that includes physiological status and individual perception, factors that cannot be readily observed in skeletal samples. Second, the categorization of populations into relative levels of health represents a typological approach, however unintentional. This article advocates for the integration of methodological and theoretical advances from human biology and primatology, while simultaneously incorporating the theoretical constructs associated with social epidemiology into bioarcheological research. Such an approach will significantly increase the applicability of bioarcheological findings to anthropological and evolutionary research, and help realize the goal of a truly relevant bioarcheological paradigm. Am J Phys Anthropol 155:186–191, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.