cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Interest Rate Effect of Dutch Money in Eighteenth-Century Britain

It is generally recognized that the Dutch played a major part in financing British government deficits from the 1720s to the late 1770s. This article argues that even though the Dutch continued to hold large amounts of British debt after 1780, they stopped supplying new capital to the British and started a modest repatriation of some of their previous investments. A comparative econometric study of 3 percent consol yields during the two deficit-inducing wars Britain fought between 1750 and 1795 shows that as a result British interest rates became much more sensitive to increases in government borrowing. Tr he extent of the capital flows from the Republic of the Seven United . Provinces of the Netherlands to the United Kingdom in the eighteenth century baffled contemporary observers. Many a book and pamphlet was written on the cause of the outflow and its effects on the decline of the Dutch economy. More recently, Dutch investments in Britain during the eighteenth century have attracted attention in the debate on crowding out in Britain during the Napoleonic Wars.' Part of the controversy in this debate has been-and continues to be-about the part of British government debt held by foreigners. It has been well established, by C. Wilson, A. Carter, J. C. Riley, and others, that the Dutch invested heavily in British securities throughout the eighteenth century and ended up holding a large part of the British national debt by the 1770s.2 Much less is known about Dutch involvement in British finance after 1780. N. F. R. Crafts, Joel Mokyr, and Larry Neal have argued that foreigners (that is, the Dutch) financed a large part of British government deficits even after 1795, to counter Jeffrey Williamson's claim that British growth up to 1820 was hampered by large war-induced government deficits.3 Most recently, Neal has reported important
Procedures and Problems in Conducting a Psychological Autopsy

The psychological autopsy is an investigative technique used by behavioral scientists in cases of equivocal death. Data is gathered from interviews, documents, and other materials to determine the mode of death: natural, accident, suicide, or homicide. This paper examines procedures and problems in conducting a psychological autopsy and offers a case study as illustration.
UHF Nickelmicromechanical Spoke-Supported Ring Resonators

A micromechanical vibrating spoke-supported ring resonator fabricated in a low deposition temperature nickel metal material has been demonstrated in two vibration modes spanning frequencies from HF (18 MHz) to UHF (425.7 MHz) with Q's as high as 6,405 and 2,467, respectively. The use of an anchor isolating spoke-supported ring geometry along with notched support attachments between the ring structure and supporting beams contributes to demonstration of the highest reported vibrating frequency to date for any macro or macro-scale metal resonator, making this the first metal micromechanical resonator suitable for RF applications. Because the nickel structural material is deposited at 50degC, the fabrication process for this resonator is quite amenable to post-processing over finished foundry CMOS wafers, even ones with gate lengths below 65 nm slated to use advanced low-k (but low melting point from 300-400degC) dielectric material around their metals. This makes nickel structural material an attractive choice for low cost post-transistor single-chip integration of high Q vibrating passives with transistor circuits for wireless applications.
Odds on the FAST gene.

Racehorse genetics has not been a traditional topic considered in research laboratories; however, the development of molecular tools could provide new opportunities. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s Banbury Center hosted a conference March 8–11, 1998, entitled ‘‘Horse Genomics and the Genetics of Factors Affecting Horse Performance.’’ Participants included scientists studying the genetics of the horse, horsemen, veterinarians, and scientists working in re-
α-Lactalbumin Regulation and Its Role in Lactation

In most, if not all milks, α-lactalbumin is a protein of relatively low abundance. In cow’s milk it represents only about 3% of the total protein. In contrast to the other high abundance proteins whose function is to provide the amino acid and mineral sources for the young growing animal, α-lactalbumin plays a critical role in the process of milk secretion per se. It is a subunit of the enzyme lactose synthase. It forms a complex with galactosyl transferase in the Golgi and changes the affinity of this enzyme for glucose. The result is the synthesis of lactose. In this paper, I will review mainly the work from my laboratory. For further background the reader is referred to reviews by Tucker (1987, 1988).
Performing a Right Hemihepatectomy Sequentially After Deceased Donor Liver Transplantation--The Solution for a Large-for-size Graft: A Case Report.

Abstract Background Large-for-size (LFS) is a serious problem that can develop during liver transplantation (LT) and is related to morbidities such as insufficient blood supply causing graft dysfunction or impractical closure of the abdominal wall leading to graft compression. LFS is usually discussed in pediatric LT and is often managed by reducing the size of the graft before implantation. In contrast, only a few cases about managing unexpected LFS during adult LT have been reported, and no case after the vascular anastomosis has been completed has been reported. Case Report A 36-year-old, 43-kg woman underwent an emergency LT using a deceased donor, although the estimated graft/recipient weight ratio was 3.98%. After completing the vascular anastomosis, a severe hepatic venous outflow obstruction from the graft developed due to compression of the inferior vena cava from the hypertrophied right posterior lobe of the graft. We performed a right hemihepatectomy sequentially after LT, and hepatic blood flow recovered sufficiently based on a Doppler sonogram. The postoperative clinical course was uneventful without vascular or ductal complications, and the primary abdominal wall closure was successfully achieved without wound complications. Conclusions Performing a right hemihepatectomy sequentially after completing the vascular anastomosis during LT could be a very simple and effective solution for unexpected LFS during LT.
Multimode charge transport in electron implanted PMMA

Energetic electrons directed toward an insulating target material penetrate to the interior where they progressively loose their energy through multiple atomic collisions and eventually come to rest. They therefore cause an internal charge deposition with spatial distribution largely associated with their entrance energy. An investigation of the charge deposition caused by 2 MeV incident energy electrons implanted into polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) in air at room temperature was made by measurement of the internal charges accumulated according to the applied implantation doses, up to 500 Gy. The internal charges were measured using the electrically stimulated acoustic wave (ESAW) method and initial volume charges were 90% of the applied charge implant, and were very persistent in some cases taking months to decay. Charge transport models were compared to measured charge decay and two processes, conduction and charge drift, appear to be active simultaneously. However implantation also caused changes in the material conductivity as observed by an increase in net charge decay rates according to increased implantation levels. Because of the well-defined charge deposition process in PMMA and slow decay rates, charge accumulation can be used as a diagnostic for electron radiation exposure.
Why old age: Non -material contributions and patterns of aging among older adult Tsimane'

Little is known about why humans have an extended juvenile development and long post-reproductive lifespan. While older adults’ non-material contributions to younger generations can help explain human life history, even less is known about development of skills and abilities in small-scale society, and whether older adults suffer from social depreciation as traditional skills become replaced with novel skills related to market interactions. As the relative size of older aged populations burgeons across cultures, so does prevalence of increased health risk, abuse, neglect, and discrimination. Solutions to these problems are not well understood. This study among the Tsimane' of the Bolivian Amazon, focusing on development of special skills and older adults’ roles in the enculturation process, provides evidence of positive intergenerational contributions and the circumstances that both threaten and contribute to wellbeing of older adults. Three components of these contributions have been investigated: a) knowledge and expertise; b) development and transmission of important skills over the lifecourse; c) roles as social mediators, child-rearers, skill transmitters, and informal leaders. Data has also been collected on psychological well-being, social support, and health of older adults, to see if those who contribute more are better off. Results indicate that complex skills essential to survival take decades to learn. Wellbeing of older Tsimane' is contingent on their roles in culture transmission; they specialize in storytelling, increase involvement in kin affairs, and are most identified as experts and transmitters. Variance in market acculturation found among study villages shows that adults in more acculturated villages are valued less, as difficult traditional skills become replaced with convenient novel skills. These findings, which help explain when and why older Tsimane' are supported, also support the hypothesis that large brains and delayed development, with relatively late onset of adult productivity, enable the long and slow life history that characterizes humans. Payoffs of sustained early life learning among foragers are realized only later in life, but such an investment is only worthwhile given the long lifespan, health improvements, and important cultural transmission contributions to younger kin made by older adults in the context of a kin-based society with relatively stable traditions.
Evaluation of a New Tool for Exploring Podocyte Biology: Mouse Nphs1 5′ Flanking Region Drives LacZ Expression in Podocytes

Study of podocyte biology has been hampered by limitations in available experimental models that both recapitulate the in vivo phenotypes of this cell and can be readily and specifically manipulated at the molecular level. Transgenic manipulation of the podocyte represents one approach that might circumvent these limitations. The purpose of this study was to identify a promoter-enhancer that would direct the expression of transgenes in a podocyte-specific manner. The nephrin (Nphs1) promoter was considered a good candidate for this purpose, because nephrin was thought to be expressed exclusively in podocytes. Two independent BAC clones that contained the murine Nphs1 gene were identified. An 8.3-kb and a 5.4-kb fragment containing the 5' flanking promoter sequence were identified and characterized. Two constructs were generated by placing a bacterial lacZ reporter with a nuclear localization signal under the control of these two DNA fragments. Mice transgenic for both constructs were generated. Using a chemiluminescence assay, beta-galactosidase activity significantly above control was detected only in tissue homogenates of kidneys and brain of transgenic mice. In X-gal stained sections of transgenic adult kidneys, only podocyte nuclei expressed beta-galactosidase. In adult brain examined by tissue sectioning, beta-galactosidase activity was confined to a discrete area in the medulla. Identical patterns of beta-galactosidase expression were observed in multiple transgenic founders, suggesting that the expression pattern observed was independent of the site of transgene integration. The developmental expression of beta-galactosidase in transgenic embryos was also analyzed. Transgenes regulated by this promoter should be useful for studying the biology of gene products that regulate podocyte phenotype and function.
Local structure in perovskite ( Ba , Sr ) TiO 3 : Reverse Monte Carlo refinements from multiple measurement techniques

Local and average structures of ceramic ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Sr${}_{x}$${\text{TiO}}_{3}$ solid solutions have been reconciled using Reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) refinements of atomic positions that employ simultaneous fitting of neutron total scattering data, x-ray absorption fine structure, and patterns of diffuse scattering in electron diffraction. These refinements enable explicit reconstruction of three-dimensional atomic configurations without any effective parameters. The results reveal cube- and parallelepiped-shaped probability density distributions for Ti atoms in the cubic and tetragonal phases of BaTiO${}_{3}$, respectively. These distributions are consistent with the split Ti sites (eight for the cubic and four for the tetragonal polymorphs) separated by \ensuremath{\approx}0.2 \AA{}. The characters of Ti distributions are retained in the solid solutions, but the magnitude of Ti off-centering decreases as $x$ increases. The Ti displacements remain correlated along the octahedral chains, at least up to $x$ = 0.5, as manifested in the sheets of diffuse scattering in electron diffraction patterns; the correlation parameters and lengths have been quantified using RMC analyses. The ion-size difference between Ba and Sr is accommodated through the approximately isotropic relaxation of the oxygen atoms, which shift toward Sr; a similar relaxation is observed for the Ti atoms. Local Ti off-centering diminishes as the number of Sr atoms in the coordination groups [TiO${}_{x}$Ba${}_{8\ensuremath{-}n}$Sr${}_{n}$] increases.
Amino acid composition of feather barbs and rachises in three species of pygoscelid penguins : nutritional implications

To evaluate the nutritional challenge faced by molting penguins we studied the composition of contour feathers of three species of penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae, P. antarctica, and P. papua. The feathers of these species are nearly identical in structure and chemical composition. They have a unique broad, flat rachis that accounts for 60 to 70% of the total feather mass. Their barbules are pennaceous and able to interlock tightly, which probably accounts for the shedding of plumage in sheets rather than as individual feathers. Compositionally, the penguin feathers are remarkably similar to feathers of other species of birds representing six different orders and varied life-styles. Whole penguin feathers averaged 8-10% water. Ash contents of P. adeliae and P. antarctica feathers averaged less than 1%, but P. papua averaged 2.6%. The nitrogen contents of the barbs were nearly identical in the three species and averaged 16.4%. The nitrogen content of the rachises of P. adeliae and P. antarctica feathers averaged 16.4%, but was slightly less in P. papua (15.5%), probably due to the higher ash content and slightly higher pigment content in this species. The most abundant amino acids in barbs and rachises were gly, pro, ser, cys/2, val, and leu. Six nonessential amino acids (ala, asp, glu, gly, pro, ser) made up 52.5 and 54.3% of the barbs and rachises, respectively. The basic amino acids (lys, his, arg) were among the least concentrated amino acids. This amino acid profile is typical of mixed feather keratins. The high cys/2 contents of feather proteins results in a large mismatch between nonkeratinous mixed tissue proteins and feathers that could result in highly inefficient reutilization of tissue amino acids in feather synthesis during the molt fast. Some compensatory mechanisms that penguins might use to minimize this inefficiency are discussed.
Direct Sonochemical Synthesis of Manganese Octahedral Molecular Sieve (OMS-2) Nanomaterials Using Cosolvent Systems, Their Characterization, and Catalytic Applications

A rapid, direct sonochemical method has successfully been developed to synthesize cryptomelane-type manganese octahedral molecular sieve (OMS-2) materials. Very high surface area of 288 ± 1 m2/g and small particle sizes in the range of 1–7 nm were produced under nonthermal conditions. No further processing such as calcination was needed to obtain the pure cryptomelane phase. A cosolvent system was utilized to reduce the reaction time and to obtain higher surface areas. Reaction time was reduced by 50% using water/acetone mixed phase solvent systems. The cryptomelane phase was obtained with 5% acetone after 2 h of sonication at ambient temperature. Reaction time, temperature, and acetone concentration were identified as the most important parameters in the formation of the pure cryptomelane phase. OMS materials synthesized using the above-mentioned method were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen sorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier...
On Large-Eddy Simulation of Compressible Flows

This paper provides a brief retrospective view of largeeddy simulation (LES) of turbulent flows with particular reference to compressible flows. It describes the formalism of filters in the context of LES as well as the various filters which are in vogue. It reviews the selfconsistency conditions for LES and the extent to which they are satisfied in practice. Subgrid-scale model validation strategies are discussed. The potential of the eddydamped quasi-normal Markovian theory is examined for possible comparison with large-eddy simulations at high values of the Reynolds number. The relation between LES and Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes solutions is discussed and a strategy to meld the two approaches is presented.
Maize supply response to price and nonprice determinants in Nigeria: bounds testing approach

This paper estimates the responses of maize supply to own price, price of yam, price of cassava, rainfall, and fertilizer use in Nigeria using a fully modified ordinary least squares and ordinary least squares estimators. I find that in the long run, maize supply responds significantly and positively to own price and yam price, rainfall, and fertilizer use, but negatively to the price of cassava. I observe that the short-run supply responds only to the fertilizer use and rainfall, which are positive and negative, respectively.
An Analysis of Antibody Level against Neisseria Meningitis Serogroup W135 among Healthy Population in Zhuji

Objective To understand the infection status and immune levels among healthy population by testing antibody levels against Neisseria meningitis serogroup W135.Methods A total of 1084 healthy people aged 0 ~ 74 years were selected with age-stratified random sampling from October,2011 to March,2012.The polysaccharide antibody IgG level of Neisseria meningitis serogroup W135 was detected by ELISA.The antibody concentration ≥ 2 μg / mL was identified as positive.Results The W135-antibody positive rate of the population was 11.81%,and the geometric mean concentration(GMC) was 1.49 ± 0.80 μg / mL.And GMC of the positive population was 3.09 ± 0.91 μg / mL.The positive rates of antibody were 6.15%,3.24%,9.48%,18.60%,18.99% and 13.17% for age groups 0,1 ~,10 ~,20 ~,30 ~,and 40 ~ years,respectively.The positive rate of antibody in the age group 20 ~ 39 was the highest.There was a significant difference between antibody positive rate and antibody GMC among age groups(P 0.01).Conclusion The population is susceptible to serogroup W135 of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis.Measures should be taken to strengthen the monitoring of Neisseria meningitis and strictly prevent outbreak of the serogroup W135 of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis.
Modeling Epoxidation of Drug-like Molecules with a Deep Machine Learning Network

Drug toxicity is frequently caused by electrophilic reactive metabolites that covalently bind to proteins. Epoxides comprise a large class of three-membered cyclic ethers. These molecules are electrophilic and typically highly reactive due to ring tension and polarized carbon–oxygen bonds. Epoxides are metabolites often formed by cytochromes P450 acting on aromatic or double bonds. The specific location on a molecule that undergoes epoxidation is its site of epoxidation (SOE). Identifying a molecule’s SOE can aid in interpreting adverse events related to reactive metabolites and direct modification to prevent epoxidation for safer drugs. This study utilized a database of 702 epoxidation reactions to build a model that accurately predicted sites of epoxidation. The foundation for this model was an algorithm originally designed to model sites of cytochromes P450 metabolism (called XenoSite) that was recently applied to model the intrinsic reactivity of diverse molecules with glutathione. This modeling algor...
A review of astronomical science with visible light adaptive optics

We review astronomical results in the visible (λ 15 objects/hr, which has enabled large (>3000 discrete targets) companion star surveys and has resulted in 23 refereed science publications. The most productive large telescope visible AO system is the D=6.5m Magellan telescope AO system (MagAO). MagAO is an advanced Adaptive Secondary Mirror (ASM) AO system at the Magellan 6.5m in Chile (Morzinski et al. 2016). This ASM secondary has 585 actuators with 10m) diameter telescopes in the infrared.
Bullous Skin Diseases: Pemphigus Pemphigoid

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the current clinical, histologic, and immunologic features of the most common forms of autoimmune bullous diseases. Autoimmune bullous diseases are rare disorders affecting skin and mucous membranes and are mediated by pathogenic autoantibodies against desmosomal or hemidesmosomal antigens of squamous epithelium. In the epidermis, neighboring keratinocytes adhere to each other through organelles known as desmosomes, whereas at the dermoepidermal junction hemidesmosomes anchor the epidermis to the dermis. The majority of these antigens recognized by these autoantibodies are desmosomal and hemidesmosomal transmembrane glycoproteins involved in epidermal cell–cell and epidermal–dermal adherence. The pemphigus syndromes include diseases that are characterized by loss of epidermal cell–cell cohesion and autoantibodies against desmosomal cadherins. This group comprises the two classical forms of pemphigus: pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and pemphigus foliaceus (PF). PV is characterized by suprabasilar acantholysis and anti-Dsg3 IgG autoantibodies, whereas PF is characterized by subcorneal acantholysis and anti-Dsg1 IgG autoantibodies. Other infrequent forms of pemphigus include paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP), drug-induced pemphigus, and IgA pemphigus are also discussed.
Why Study Inequalities

There are three reasons for the study of inequalities: practical, theoretical, and aesthetic.
Distributive Negotiation Strategies

This entry outlines the issues faced in a distributive bargaining situation and describes some of the principles and research. The assumptions about bargaining and the description of various aspects of the negotiation situation (zero sum, prisoner's dilemma, multiple parties, threats, existence of direct communication) all provide a basis for understanding the role of communication on the outcome. Keywords: bargaining; mediation; negotiation
ALPINE AND SUBALPINE SOIL PROPERTIES AS PALEOENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS

This paper discusses the use of soils as indicators of environmental change in the alpine and sub-alpine zones of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Textural, miner-alogical, and chemical properties of soils developed on Quaternary glacial moraines are examined. A clear discontinuity in soil properties is observed between surface and subsurface horizons. Surface horizons are commonly finer grained and less strongly weathered than subsurface horizons. The soil-property discontinuity is interpreted to be a reflection of parent-material change. Surface horizons are interpreted to have developed in eolian sediments, while subsurface horizons have developed in glacial till. The duplex soils are believed to reflect alternating changes from cold moist climates and glacial advance to cold dry climates and loess deposition. [Key words: alpine soils, alpine weathering, alpine loess, climate change.]
JAK3-mediated phosphorylation of EZH2: a novel mechanism of non-canonical EZH2 activation and oncogenic function.

The enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) is the catalytic subunit of polycomb-repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and promotes the trimethylation of the histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) acting as an epigenetic repressor of gene expression (1). Recent studies have shown that EZH2 is upregulated in various solid and hematologic malignancies and its expression is associated with disease progression and poor prognosis. Numerous studies have demonstrated the presence of EZH2 gain of function mutations in a variety of cancers including B cell lymphomas (2), and activation of upstream oncogenic pathways including RAS, MEK-ERK and Rb-E2F (3) being involved in the activation of EZH2 in cancer cells.
The "Nonexceptionalism" of Social Media Used for Subject Recruitment.

Gelinas and colleagues (2017) assert that a nonexceptionalist view of the use of social media for subject recruitment is the preferred approach to maximize ethical principles and standards generall...
Radiofrequency vs Microwave Ablation After Neoadjuvant Transarterial Bland and Drug-Eluting Microsphere Chembolization for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Aim To retrospectively compare the initial response, local recurrence, and complication rates of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) vs microwave ablation (MWA) when combined with neoadjuvant bland transarterial embolization (TAE) or drug-eluting microsphere chemoembolization (TACE) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods A total of 35 subjects with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) very early and early-stage HCC (range: 1.2-4.1cm) underwent TAE (23) or TACE (12) with RFA (15) or microwave ablation (MWA) (20) from January 2009 to June 2015 as either definitive therapy or a bridge to transplant. TAE and TACE were performed with 40-400μm particles and 30-100μm plus either doxorubicin- or epirubicin-eluting microspheres, respectively. Initial response and local progression were evaluated using modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors. Complications were graded using common terminology criteria for adverse events version 5.0. Results Complete response rates were 80% (12/15) for RFA + TAE/TACE and 95% (19/20) for MWA + TAE/TACE ( P = 0.29). Local recurrence rate was 30% (4/12) for RFA + TAE/TACE and 0% (0/19) for MWA + TAE/TACE. Durability of response, defined as local disease control for duration of the study, demonstrated a significant difference in favor of MWA ( P = 0.0091). There was no statistical difference in complication rates (3 vs 2). Conclusions MWA and RFA when combined with neoadjuvant TAE or TACE have similar safety and efficacy in the treatment of early-stage HCC. MWA provided more durable disease control in this study; however, prospective data remain necessary to evaluate superiority of either modality.
Associations among plasma adiponectin, leptin, folate, and IGF-1 and age and BMI in women undergoing reduction mammoplasty

3096 Background: Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) play a role in the normal development of the human breast and potentially increase breast cancer risk. Adipokines, specifically adiponectin and leptin may also increase breast cancer risk. This study investigates the associations among plasma concentrations of adiponectin, leptin, and IGF-1 and their associations with age and BMI. Study Design: These associations were investigated in a population of women (who have never been diagnosed with breast cancer) undergoing reduction mammoplasty at Georgetown University Medical Center. Plasma as well as age and BMI data were available for 115 of these study participants. Methods: Plasma adiponectin and leptin concentrations were quantified using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Plasma folate and IGF-1 concentrations were quantified using the Immulite 1000 system. Assay results were highly reproducible and intra-assay variation was minimal. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to describe the associations. Results: We observed correlation coefficients ranging from r=-0.38 to 0.70. We found statistically significant associations between BMI and adiponectin (P=0.002), leptin (P
PiPS: Planning in perception space

Path planning for mobile robots requires rapidly finding collision-free trajectories in an uncertain and changing environment. Full collision checking with detailed, online-revised representations of the robot and world imposes a delay that undermines reactive obstacle avoidance. As a result, reactive vision-based approaches make various assumptions to arrive at simplified representations, such as circular or spherical robot shapes reducible to point masses, or obstacles that always rise from the ground. We seek to avoid these problems by modeling the robot directly in perception space so that collisionfree trajectories can be sought in a consistent representation with minimal processing needs. Here perception space refers to the depth space image measurements available by modern consumer range sensors. We hallucinate a robot navigating through the world and synthesize depth images of its path for comparison against the directly sensed depth images of the local world. The approach performs collision checking in a 3D volume but only requires 2D image comparisons. Experiments show that an implementation is able to negotiate an obstacle course consisting of miscellaneous objects in real-time.
Persistent Lower Respiratory Symptoms in the World Trade Center (WTC) Survivor Program, a Treatment Program for Community Members

Hundreds of thousands of community members (local residents, local workers, cleanup workers, students, and passersby) were exposed to the massive dust cloud released by the collapse of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001. Many also had chronic exposures to settled and resuspended dust in indoor and outdoor spaces and to fumes from fires that burned for months. Although funding for treatment and monitoring of this population lagged behind that of rescue and recovery workers, local communities and physicians were concerned early on about the potential adverse health effects of this group’s complex and varied WTC exposures, and the Bellevue Hospital Asthma Clinic began treating community members with respiratory symptoms soon after the disaster. Over the years, the program has evolved and grown and, with the passing of the Zadroga Act in 2010, earned ongoing federal funding as part of the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), which provides comprehensive treatment and monitoring to both “responders” and “survivors” (community members). The World Trade Center Environmental Health Center (WTC EHC) at Bellevue Hospital, the flagship Center of Excellence for the Survivor Program, provides multidisciplinary medical and mental health treatment to symptomatic WTC-exposed community members. Mirroring findings in rescue and recovery populations, studies from the WTC EHC, World Trade Center Health Registry, and others have documented persistent lower respiratory symptoms, mental health symptoms, and abnormalities of distal airway function in community members exposed to WTC dust, gas, and fumes. Ongoing monitoring, treatment, and research are essential to detect emerging health effects, improve treatment, and prevent adverse outcomes to communities affected by environmental disasters.
Genesis of the wire cable bridge

In the early autumn of 1822, Marc Auguste Pictet received an unusual letter from one of the regular correspondants of his journal, the Bibliotheque Universelle. Pastor Chaponniere informed him of a small wire test bridge hung between two rocks over a brook called the Cance, just outside the town of Annonay, in Savoy, about 170 km south of Geneva. It so happened that Pictet was preparing an editorial on the building of Telford’s Menai Bridge in Wales based on information supplied by another correspondant in Britain. He had planned to accompany this with a translation of Robert Stevenson’s article ‘Description of Bridges of Suspension’, the first overview of the new chain bridges which had appeared in the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal the year before. Pictet had also undertaken a series of experiments on the elasticity of iron, and therefore had an immediate interest in examining a variant type using wire. He immediately journeyed south to examine the structure at first hand accompanied by the botanist, Augustin Pyramus de Candolle.
Differentiating abdominal procedures in pediatric surgery: The inadequacy of current procedural terminology codes

Abstract Introduction The ability to use detailed, accurate current procedural terminology (CPT) codes is a key component of effective research. We examined the effectiveness of CPT codes to accurately reflect care in patients undergoing surgery for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Methods A multicenter retrospective analysis of operations on patients with NEC was conducted across 4 institutions between 2011 and 2016. Correlation between operative dictation and CPT coding was analyzed. Results A total of 124 patients with NEC diagnosis undergoing exploratory abdominal operations were identified. NEC was improperly diagnosed in 25 patients, who were excluded from further analysis. Of the 99 patients reviewed, the initial exploratory abdominal operation was coded inaccurately in 58 cases (59%). Within these, 15 (26%) had multiple coding errors such that the nature of the original operation was not discernable from the applied codes. Inaccurate codes often did not describe the presence of a mucous fistula (n=27, 44%), ostomy (n=24, 39%), or extra segments of bowel resected (n=9, 16%). The length of bowel resected is not currently described by any CPT codes. Conclusion CPT coding for abdominal operations does not sufficiently reflect complexity of pediatric surgeries. This study highlights the significance of this inadequacy and its implications in future database studies in the era of electronic medical records. Level of evidence Level IV. Type of study Clinical research study.
Mechanical effects of Cisplatin on Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma in a transgenic mouse model using Harmonic Motion Imaging

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDA) is one of the most lethal cancers with a 5-year survival rate of 8% and 2% for late stage diagnosis. This is due to the dense stroma of PDA at distal stages and increasing drug resistance. Cisplatin, a platinum-based chemotropic drug, is used to treat PDA by damaging DNA of cells through mutation of the Brca gene. In this study, Harmonic Motion Imaging (HMI) which is an all ultrasound based elastography imaging technique, is used to monitor the mechanical effect of Cisplatin on genetically-engineered transgenic mice. HMI generates oscillatory displacements at the focus and is used to measure the viscoelastic properties of wide range of tissues. The high power output of HMI makes it appropriate for characterizing PDA due to the highly stiff nature of PDA and the fact that it is deeply laid in the body.
Circuit-specific and neuronal subcellular-wide E-I balance in cortical pyramidal cells

We used ChR2-assisted circuit mapping (CRACM) to examine neuronal/compartmental excitatory and inhibitory synaptic balance (E-I balance) in pyramidal cells (PCs) located in several brain regions (including both neocortices and paleocortices). Within the vS1, different inputs on the same neurons, or the same inputs formed on different targets, induced different E/I ratios. E/I ratios in PCs from different regions were largely different. Chemogenetic silencing of somatostatin (SOM)- or parvalbumin (PV)-containing interneurons (INs) while optogenetically activating long-range M1 inputs demonstrated differential contribution of PV and SOM INs to the E/I ratios in a layer-specific manner in S1. Our results thus demonstrate that there are both universal subcellular-wide E-I balance within single PC and high specificity in the value of E/I ratios across different circuits (i.e. visual, somatosensory, piriform and hippocampal). Specificity of E/I balance are likely caused by unique glutamatergic innervation of interneurons. The dichotomy of high specificity and generalization of subcellular E-I balance in different circuits forms the basis for further understanding of neuronal computation under physiological conditions and various neuro-psychiatric disease-states.
Consideration of Reliability in System Design for Ground Water Remediation

A remedial action design system is described that may be used to evaluate candidate remediation systems and select the preferred alternative under conditions of uncertainty. The remedial action design method is based on the ability to evaluate system alternatives within the framework of a multiple-objective decision making scheme. The methodology considers uncertainty in system performance as an element of the decision making process by using geostatistical conditional simulation to generate model input. A two-dimensional computer modeling of candidate remediation schemes is used to model the transport of contaminants, and predict the performance of each candidate system.
Spectral Entropy as a Measure of Self-Organization in Transition Flows

We employ the spectral entropy of Powell and Percival to analyze and reduce numerical and experimental transition flow data. As dissipative structures form, the spectral entropy decreases from its equilibrium value. The convection cells in the Rayleigh-Benard problem as modeled by the Lorenz equations possess a lower spectral entropy than both the equilibrium and turbulent states. Vortex structures produced along steep velocity gradients in a free shear layer in an internal cavity have a lower spectral entropy than the surrounding laminar flow. The spectral entropy algorithms can be applied to either time-series or power spectra data.
Identity fusion and fitness interdependence

Fitness interdependence is the degree to which two or more organisms influence each other's success in replicating their genes. Identity fusion may be a proximate mechanism that aligns behavior with fitness interdependence. Although identity fusion may usually lead to behaviors that are fitness enhancing, in evolutionarily novel environments, it may be hijacked in ways that are highly detrimental to fitness.
Land Use Change and Human Health

Human activity is dramatically changing the global landscape. These changes in land use and cover are, in turn, altering the dynamics of infectious disease transmission in numerous ways. They are creating new habitat and breeding sites for disease vectors that, in many cases, favor disease transmission. They are leading to direct exposure to pathogens by changing water quality and runoff patterns. They are altering the nature of human–wildlife interactions and creating new exposure routes. Not surprisingly, these changes are occurring coincident with a rise in new or reemerging infectious diseases. These are not merely academic concerns. The diseases impacted by these changes represent a large percentage of the total global burden of disease.
WIDE COMPLEX TACHYCARDIA: SAME RATE, SAME RHYTHM

Wide complex tachycardia has a broad differential and it is often challenging to identify the underlying rhythm. A 66 year old male with history of persistent atrial fibrillation status post multiple failed ablations on flecainide therapy, presented for an elective cardioversion for new onset
An analysis of growth patterns of targeted therapies (TTs) using keywords from ASCO annual meeting abstracts.

e18084Background: The number of TTs approved to treat cancer patients has increased dramatically in the past decades. We analyzed how frequently 27 oncology targets (and associated therapies) appea...
Maintaining Grasps within Slipping Bounds by Monitoring Incipient Slip

In this paper, we propose an approach to detect incipient slip, i.e. predict slip, by using a high-resolution vision-based tactile sensor, GelSlim. The sensor dynamically captures the tactile imprints of the grasped object and their changes with a soft gel pad. The method assumes the object is mostly rigid and expects the motion of object’s imprint on the sensor surface to be a 2D rigid-body motion. We use the deviation of the true motion field from that of a 2D planar rigid transformation as a measure of slip. The output is a dense slip field which we monitor in real time to detect when small areas of the contact patch start to slip (incipient slip). The method can detect incipient slip in any direction without any prior knowledge of the object at 24 Hz. We test the method on 10 objects for 240 times and achieve 86.25% detection accuracy with the vast majority of failure cases occurring when grasping highly deformable objects. We further show how the slip feedback can be used to adjust the gripping force to avoid slip with a closed-loop bottle-cap screwing and unscrewing experiment. The method can be used to enable many manipulation tasks in both structured and unstructured environments.
Compensation for Financial Performance

In order for a firm to have a fair, optimal, and the best-suited compensation structure, the first factor that has to be taken into account is “compensation for financial performance”. It means analysing the CEO’s performance by comparing it with the value creation for the shareholders of the firm. If we consider that the shareholders are the owners of the company and one of the salient parties in the stakeholder group, then it makes sense to align the CEO compensation with a firm’s financial performance (pay-for-performance).
Associations of serum biomarkers of stress and inflammation measured at arrival with bovine respiratory disease incidence, mortality, and growth of calves transported within the first 4 days of life

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is 1 of the major causes of mortality and growth delay in pre-weaned calves. Stressful events, such as commingling and transportation, are predisposing factors to BRD. Elevation in circulating concentrations of the inflammatory biomarker haptoglobin (Hp), and stress biomarkers cortisol and l-lactate, have been observed in calves after long-distance transportation. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the association between circulating levels of Hp, cortisol, and lactate at day of arrival and BRD incidence, mortality, and growth of calves transported within the first 4 days of life. We hypothesized that higher levels of Hp, cortisol, and lactate are associated with higher BRD incidence and mortality, and with delayed growth during the pre-weaning period.
Targeting Viral RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases as an Antiviral Therapy.

Progressive globalization of our society brings not only worldwide integration, it increases and promotes our exposure to new viral pathogens with evident impacts on our global health. Especially with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, our biomedical research infrastructure has never been more compelled to rapidly develop antiviral regimens that demonstrate improved efficacy against these pathogens. Here we showcase 3 poignant antivirals against the lucrative target, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) of RNA viruses - a timely and relevant topic given the present efforts against COVID-19. While effective drug designs against RdRP are important, their benefit and potential as a standard of care truly relies on them standing out in well-designed clinical trials.
Inculcating curiosity: pilot results of an online module to enhance undergraduate intellectual virtue

There has recently been a great deal of theoretical interest in the relevance of the intellectual virtues for education, including undergraduate education. This study introduces a novel online modu...
Health Technology @ Illinois: Innovating for Health:

This panel provided an overview of the MS Health Technology program and included the experiences of the students in the program. We provided an overview of the simulation spaces on campus that supp...
Impact of delay in adjuvant chemotherapy administration for patients with advanced-stage epithelial ovarian carcinoma undergoing primary debulking surgery with bowel resection

Objectives: Patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) undergoing primary debulking surgery (PDS) with small or large bowel resection have a higher risk of postoperative complications that could delay administration of adjuvant chemotherapy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of chemotherapy delay in the survival of patients with EOC undergoing bowel resection using a hospital-based database. Methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was accessed and patients diagnosed between 2004-2015 with stage III-IV EOC without a history of another tumor who underwent PDS that included small or large bowel resection with known surgery-chemotherapy interval and at least one month of follow-up were identified. Overall survival (OS) was compared between patients who received multi-agent chemotherapy 2-6 week (group 1), 7-9 weeks (group 2) and 10-12 weeks (group 3) from surgery with the log-rank test. A Cox multivariate model was constructed to control for confounders. Impact of chemotherapy delay was also evaluated among patients who achieved complete gross resection (CGR) and those who had macroscopic disease. Results: A total of 9274 patients who met the inclusion criteria were identified; 69.8% received adjuvant chemotherapy 2-6 weeks from surgery while 24.5% and 5.7% received chemotherapy 7-9 weeks and 10-12 weeks respectively. Patients in group 2 (30.2%) and 3 (36.6%) were more likely to experience a prolonged hospital stay (>10 days) following PDS compared to those in group 1 (19.4%), p Conclusions: For patients with advanced stage EOC undergoing PDS with bowel resection extreme delay in adjuvant chemotherapy administration over 10 weeks from surgery may be associated with a negative impact on the survival of those who achieve CGR.
Resilience in Higher Education During Collective Trauma

This chapter presents findings describing how the collective medical and cultural traumas of 2020 resulted in hope, resilience, and growth amongst social work faculty and staff at a large university in the Western United States. While analyzing qualitative, participatory action data on trauma-informed teaching and learning for a manuscript on education during the pandemic, the authors noticed additional themes that were not part of the initial coding framework: study participants appeared to be painting a picture of a resilient and growth-centered academic community who, while under intense stress, created an environment that supported teaching and learning. The authors infuse the findings with real-life examples from faculty and staff. Findings provide support for the use of trauma-informed care (TIC) as a pathway for navigating collective crises.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Affirmative Action

Fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, race is still a serious issue in this country. Fortunately, we no longer debate whether it is legal for the government to operate segregated schools or to treat blacks as second-class citizens. We finally answered that question correctly—it is unconstitutional for the law to segregate and to treat blacks worse than whites. Today, we face the more difficult question of ascertaining the constitutionality of “affirmative action” or “benign discrimination” programs. The Supreme Court first addressed this issue in 1978 in