cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quality Control of Screw Connector in Powertrain Assembling

It is necessary to perform an effective control of screw connector in manufacturers which are characterized by mass production for ensuring the assembling quality of products.Based on a series of standards and analyzing key procedures,a scientific and reasonable method was established.This article points out: it is very important for monitoring automatic and semi-automatic electric tightening gun and its tightening process,as well as setting adaptive monitor windows for electric tightening gun.Finally it is also requisite to perform proper after-assembling inspecection for screw connector of products.Car powertrain is used as an example.
Acute paraplegia in a patient with repaired coarctation of aorta.

A 77-year-old neurologically intact woman presented in hypertensive crisis (blood pressure [BP] 220/110 mm Hg) resulting in pulmonary edema. The patient had a history of remote (over 40 years) repaired aortic coarctation, breast cancer in remission, hypertension managed with 6 antihypertensive medications, and allergy to iodinated contrast. Her BP was reduced to as low as 134/26 mm Hg. Subsequently she developed acute paraplegia. Examination revealed nonlocalizing lower back and abdominal pain. Tibial pulses were absent, but extremities remained warm to touch. On neurologic examination, the abnormal findings were present only in the lower extremities, which were both flaccid with 0/5 strength and 0/4 deep tendon reflexes. Plantar responses were mute. Sensory perception to all primary sensory modalities was absent with a sensory level to pinprick at L1 dermatome. She was unable to generate rectal sphincter tone. Bladder dysfunction could not be assessed due to Foley catheter in place.
Measurement classification using hybrid weighted Naive Bayes

This paper presents an algorithm for classifying measurement variables within airborne measurement data files collected by NASA. The proposed solution utilizes a combination of decision tree and Naive Bayes classifiers. In order to mitigate the independence assumption of Naive Bayes, we apply a weight vector to the feature set based on each feature's role in the classification process. The Analytic Hierarchy Process is selected to calculate the weight vector, after an investigation of various weight calculation techniques. The assessment of the algorithm with recent NASA data shows that the algorithm delivers robust results, and exceeds the performance expectation in the presence of inconsistencies and inaccuracies among measurement data.
Dynamic scaling based adaptive controllers for aeroelastic systems

This paper formulates a new dynamic scaling based adaptive control design for a class of mth-order cascade integrator systems. In order to circumvent the integrability obstacle, often inherent to the Immersion and Invariance (I&I) scheme, a scaled off-the-manifold coordinate is introduced. This scalar factor is designed such that its dynamics are driven by the system states and known reference signals. Then, controllers with and without state filters are proposed such that the states track predefined reference trajectories and the scaling factor is both bounded and nonzero for all time. The proposed method has a simple closed-loop structure and requires a lower-order dynamic extension than other existing methods. An important feature is that the dynamic gain no longer monotonically increases but instead converges, often in the vicinity of the initial value. Numerical simulations are carried out to demonstrate the performance of the proposed controller using a model of an aircraft wing's aeroelastic behavior.
Script Identification of Handwritten Images

This paper describes a system for script identification of handwritten word images. The system is divided into two main phases, training and testing. The training phase performs a moment based feature extraction on the training word images and generates their corresponding feature vectors. The testing phase extracts moment features from a test word image and classifies it into one of the candidate script classes using information from the trained feature vectors. Experiments are reported on handwritten word images from three scripts: Latin, Devanagari and Arabic. Three different classifiers are evaluated over a dataset consisting of 12000 word images in training set and 7942 word images in testing set. Results show significant strength in the approach with all the classifiers having a consistent accuracy of over 97%.
Beam divergence reduction using dielectric lens for orbital angular momentum wireless communications

In wireless communication systems that use radio beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM), beam divergence reduces the receiving signal power. To address this problem, we propose an antenna and dielectric lens arrangement method based on well-known optical imaging theory. We show the effectiveness of the proposed method by numerical analysis of the diffraction pattern for a finite aperture lens.
Towards a neurobiological understanding of alexithymia

Although the specialized literature on the etiology of alexithymia is controversial, neurobiological research has shown relevant advances. The aim of this review is to analyze the available evidence regarding the neurophysiological bases of alexithymia. A comprehensive review of available articles from Medline/PubMed, EBSCO and SciELO was conducted. Previously, alexithymia was linked to a reduced interhemispheric brain connection. From a childhood traumatic perspective, the right prefrontal cortex and the default mode network would experience alterations, first hypermetabolic (dopaminergic and glutamatergic dysregulation) and then hypometabolic-dissociative (serotonergic and opioid dysregulation), resulting in a distorted interoceptive and emotional awareness. Mirror neurons are the essential neurobiological substrate of theory of mind and social cognition, intrinsically linked to alexithymia, involving parietal, temporal, premotor, and cingulate cortices, and inferior frontal gyrus. Other structures involved are the amygdala (facial expression and emotional reactivity), the insula (interoception, emotional integration and empathy) and the cerebellum (limbic cerebellum and somatosensory awareness). Molecular genetics has detected polymorphisms in genes of the serotonin transporter, in the enzyme genes of dopaminergic metabolism and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, while the role of oxytocin is controversial. To sum up, we found several studies demonstrating the overwhelming evidence of a neurobiological basis underlying alexithymia; nevertheless, research is still inconclusive and must include environmental, traumatic, social, and psychological factors that contribute to the origin of the alexithymia.
LITE Kernel RDMA Support for Datacenter Applications

Recently, there is an increasing interest in building data-center applications with RDMA because of its low-latency, high-throughput, and low-CPU-utilization benefits. However, RDMA is not readily suitable for datacenter applications. It lacks a flexible, high-level abstraction; its performance does not scale; and it does not provide resource sharing or flexible protection. Because of these issues, it is difficult to build RDMA-based applications and to exploit RDMA's performance benefits. To solve these issues, we built LITE, a Local Indirection TiEr for RDMA in the Linux kernel that virtualizes native RDMA into a flexible, high-level, easy-to-use abstraction and allows applications to safely share resources. Despite the widely-held belief that kernel bypassing is essential to RDMA's low-latency performance, we show that using a kernel-level indirection can achieve both flexibility and low-latency, scalable performance at the same time. To demonstrate the benefits of LITE, we developed several popular datacenter applications on LITE, including a graph engine, a MapReduce system, a Distributed Shared Memory system, and a distributed atomic logging system. These systems are easy to build and deliver good performance. For example, our implementation of PowerGraph uses only 20 lines of LITE code, while outperforming PowerGraph by 3.5x to 5.6x.
The Average Long Take

The films of Otto Preminger are marked by average shot lengths (ASLs) that are two or even three times greater than the normal range for films of the classical period. These high ASLs are partly because, instead of following the dominant style’s wide-shot/medium-shot/close-up progression, Preminger’s scenes are composed with only one or two carefully placed cuts, or what Brian Henderson calls “intrasequence cuts”—“the crucial cut between related long takes.” This chapter explores Preminger’s use of the intra-sequence cut by offering an analysis of a scene from the director’s 1945 film Fallen Angel.
Teaching Ethics in Higher Education Using the Values – Issues – Action (VIA) Model

Ethics content within higher education graduate programs can help higher education students as emerging leaders become more thoughtful about the decision making process. The purpose of the present manuscript is to explore one vehicle through which current and future higher education leaders can actively contemplate their values and how their values influence their actions when faced with an ethical challenge. The Values – Issue – Action (VIA) Model for Ethical Decision Making is a tool for both classroom use and professional reflection through which one can reflect on their values (V) and how those values shape how they perceive issues (I), and in turn shape their actions (A). Implications for teaching, learning, and practice are discussed.
Using smartphones to collect daily sexual behavior data from college students.

Objective: Our objectives were to measure reporting differences between sexual behavior data from daily diary and retrospective estimates and to assess the utility of using smartphones to collect sexual behavior data from a college student population. Participants: Eighty-six participants (68 women, 18 men) completed the study. Methods: For 30 days during the Spring 2017 semester, participants received prompts to participate in daily diaries about their previous day's sexual behavior on their smartphones. Participants then retrospectively reported their past 30 days of sexual behavior and provided feedback on the process of receiving daily diaries on their smartphones. Results: We found that college students overreported their sexual behavior on the retrospective survey compared to their daily diary reports (ps < .001; Cohen's ds ≥ 1.51). Participants provided positive and constructive feedback. Conclusions: Using smartphones to administer daily diaries is a promising technique for obtaining reliable sexual behavior data from college students.
Efficacy of the fun for wellness online intervention to promote well-being actions: A secondary data analysis

Abstract Objective: Fun For Wellness (FFW) is a new online intervention designed to promote growth in well-being by providing capability-enhancing learning opportunities (e.g., play an interactive game) to participants. The purpose of this study was to provide an initial evaluation of the efficacy of the FFW intervention to increase well-being actions. Materials and Methods: The study design was a secondary data analysis of a large-scale prospective, double-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Data were collected at baseline and 30 and 60 days postbaseline. A total of 479 adult employees at a major university in the southeast of the United States of America were enrolled. Participants who were randomly assigned to the FFW group were provided with 30 days of 24-hour access to the intervention. A two-class linear regression model with complier average causal effect estimation was fitted to well-being actions scores at 30 and 60 days. Results: Intent-to-treat analysis provided evidence that the...
Fast Multiresolution Reads of Massive Simulation Datasets

Today's massively parallel simulation codes can produce output ranging up to many terabytes of data. Utilizing this data to support scientific inquiry requires analysis and visualization, yet the sheer size of the data makes it cumbersome or impossible to read without computational resources similar to the original simulation. We identify two broad classes of problems for reading data and present effective solutions for both. The first class of data reads depends on user requirements and available resources. Tasks such as visualization and user-guided analysis may be accomplished using only a subset of variables with a restricted spatial extent at a reduced resolution. The other class of reads requires full resolution multivariate data to be loaded, for example to restart a simulation. We show that utilizing the hierarchical multiresolution IDX data format enables scalable and efficient serial and parallel read access on a variety of hardware from supercomputers down to portable devices. We demonstrate interactive view-dependent visualization and analysis of massive scientific datasets using low-power commodity hardware, and we compare read performance with other parallel file formats for both full and partial resolution data.
Determination of Immunophenotypic Changes by CyTOF, Epigenetics and Component Resolved Diagnostics During Successful Desensitization in Multi-food Oral Immunotherapy

Participants (n=44, age 4-15 yrs) with double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge proven food allergy to multiple foods, were administered omalizumab (anti-IgE, n=40) or placebo (n=4) for 16 weeks with oral immunotherapy (OIT) for 2-5 foods, starting 8 weeks after the beginning of omalizumab or placebo (clinical outcomes of this trial in \citeANDORF2018 ). To better understand the immunophenotypical changes leading to successful desensitization, we interrogated changes in immune cell subtypes in PBMCs before and after successful OIT using mass cytometry (CyTOF) on unstimulated as well as PMA/Ionomycin stimulated samples. The first step in this analysis was an unsupervised clustering across the markers within the CyTOF panel used for cell type identification (lineage markers) of a pooled dataset of all cells of the samples of the two time points. This was done through FlowSOM \citeVanGassen2015, using self-organizing maps followed by hierarchical consensus meta-clustering. The immune cell subtype of each cluster was determined based on the expression level of the lineage markers of the cells within that cluster. The median level of various functional markers within each cluster were individually determined for each sample. Subsequently we tested whether the median level for each functional marker in each cell type (cluster) was significantly different between baseline and post-OIT. Further mechanistic experiments included epigenetics (pyrosequencing of bisulfite treated genomic DNA purified from participant's PBMCs) and component resolved diagnostics (ThermoFisher). Our preliminary results indicated a significant decrease (FDR-adjusted P
Exploring Relationships Between CARE Program Fidelity, Quality, Participant Responsiveness, and Uptake of Mindful Practices

As the demand for mindfulness-based interventions grows, so does the need to monitor implementation to ensure effective delivery. Research has shown that the fidelity and quality of program implementation can impact intervention outcomes. This study reports on the development and use of implementation monitoring measures for the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) professional development program. Three facilitator-focused observer-rated measures of fidelity and quality of intervention delivery and three participant-focused measures that examined responsiveness and attendance to the program were used. Data were evaluated from six intervention implementations including 166 teachers from 36 schools in New York; 80% of participants provided follow-up data on engagement in mindful practices. We report on regression analyses that examined relationships between implementation monitoring measures and follow-up teacher outcomes related to uptake and sustainment of mindful awareness practices. Results indicated significant positive relationships with an alternative measure of adherence focused on completion of participant objectives and facilitation quality with follow-up teacher reports of continued practice (mindfulness practices used weekly, length of practices, extent that practices helped with stress). Further, participants’ perceived usefulness of the material demonstrated a strong positive relationship with length of practice and whether practices helped to reduce stress. Finally, interactions were found between attendance and adherence, and between facilitation quality and participant knowledge on practice outcomes. We explore the way these measures were used to support program delivery and facilitator training, and discuss the utility of an alternative measure of adherence focused on completion of participant learning objectives.
Activity of paricutin volcano from July 1 to December 31, 1949

The activity of Paricutin Volcano, State of Michoacan, Mexico, during the second half of 1949 is represented diagrammatically in Figures 1, 2, and 3. An explanatory discussion of these diagrams of eruptive characteristics and a description of the lettered noise types shown on them appeared in an earlier report on this Volcano [Wilcox, 1947], to which the reader is referred. Photographs of two common types of eruptive activity are shown as Figures 4 and 5, and a map outlining the monthly advance of lava during the period covered is given as Figure 6. Altitudes of different points on Paricutin cone are listed in Table 1, and weather data are summarized in Table 3.
WNT pathway signaling is associated with microvascular injury and predicts kidney transplant failure.

Microvascular injury is associated with accelerated kidney transplant dysfunction and allograft failure. Molecular pathology can identify new mechanisms of microvascular injury while improving on the diagnostic and prognostic capabilities of traditional histology. We conducted a case-control study of archived kidney biopsy specimens stored up to 10 years with microvascular injury (n = 50) compared with biopsy specimens without histologic injury (n = 45) from patients of similar age, race, and sex. We measured WNT gene expression with a multiplex quantification platform by using digital barcoding, given the importance of WNT reactivation to the response to wounding in the kidney microvasculature and other compartments. Of 210 genes from a commercial WNT panel, 71 were associated with microvascular injury and 79 were associated with allograft failure, with considerable overlap of genes between each set. Molecular pathology identified 46 biopsy specimens with molecular evidence of microvascular injury; 18 (39%) were either C4d negative, donor-specific antibody negative, or had no microvascular injury by histology. The majority of cases with molecular evidence of microvascular injury had poor long-term outcomes. We identified novel WNT pathway genes associated with microvascular injury and allograft failure in residual clinical biopsy specimens obtained up to 10 years earlier. Further mechanistic studies may identify the WNT pathway as a new diagnostic and therapeutic target.
Acyclic Stereocontrol in the Additions of Nucleophilic Alkenes to α‐Chiral N‐Sulfonyl Imines

Diastereoselective Lewis acid-mediated additions of nucleophilic alkenes to N-sulfonyl imines are reported. The canonical polar Felkin-Anh model describing additions to carbonyls does not adequately describe analogous additions to N-sulfonyl imines. Herein, we describe the development of conditions to produce both syn and anti products with high diastereoselectivity and good yields. A stereoelectronic model consistent with experimental outcomes is also proposed.
Evaluation of the potential of supplements to substitute for low-quality, tallgrass-prairie forage.

Thirteen ruminally fistulated steers (260 +/- 15 kg) were used in an incomplete Latin square with 13 treatments and four periods to evaluate the potential for different supplements to substitute for intake of low-quality, tallgrass-prairie forage. Steers were given ad libitum access to forage and received either no supplement (control = CTL) or one of four supplements, each fed at three different levels of intake. Supplements included 1) moderate CP (17.5%) concentrate (MCP-CON), 2) high CP (32.7%) concentrate (HCP-CON), 3) long-stem alfalfa hay (LSAH; 17.2% CP), and 4) alfalfa pellets (AP; 16.3% CP). Concentrates were mixtures of sorghum grain and soybean meal. Supplements were fed to supply .05, .10, and .15% BW of CP/d. Forage intake and digestible DMI were increased (P < .01) for supplemented steers compared with CTL (22 and 96%, respectively). Steers receiving increasing MCP-CON exhibited a quadratic (P = .03) forage intake response. Offering MCP-CON higher than .10% BW of CP/d (approximately .59% BW of DM) resulted in a substitution rate of -.56 g of forage/g of supplement. Although effects were not significant for steers receiving LSAH, the decline in forage intake at the high level of supplementation (-.48 g of forage/g of supplement) was similar in magnitude to that for MCP-CON. Forage intake increased linearly (P < .01) across supplementation levels for HCP-CON and AP supplements. Passage rates were faster (P < .01) for supplemented steers. However, passage rates for HCP-CON and AP groups increased linearly (P < .01) with increasing supplement, whereas they declined at the highest supplementation rate for MCP-CON and LSAH (quadratic, P < or = .05). Most fermentation variables displayed positive responses to supplementation per se and to increasing amount of supplements offered. In conclusion, although supplementation effectively enhances the use of low-quality forage, supplement type may affect the likelihood of observing substitution effects.
Provider Attitudes toward the Use of Hepatitis C Virus-Positive Organs in Kidney Transplantation.

Background: Direct-acting antivirals have changed the landscape of hepatitis C virus (HCV) care. While transplantation with HCV-positive donor organs is increasing, little is known about providers’ attitudes toward this topic. The aim of this study is to determine providers’ attitudes toward HCV-positive kidney transplantation. Methods: Willing transplant and nontransplant nephrologists, transplant surgeons, and mid-level providers completed an online survey from April through May 2018. The survey asked about HCV knowledge and willingness to transplant HCV-positive antibody, nucleic acid testing-positive kidneys into HCV-negative recipients. Descriptive analyses including mean and median for continuous variables and frequencies for categorical variables were calculated. Results: Seven-hundred surveys were emailed and 99 providers (62 transplant nephrologists, 28 nontransplant nephrologists, 7 transplant surgeons, and 2 advanced practice providers) completed the survey (participation rate 14.1%). All providers knew that HCV was curable, with 60% believing that it had no effect on transplant success and 32% thinking it reduced transplant success. Providers were significantly more likely to offer a HCV-positive organ to HCV-positive recipients compared to HCV-negative recipients in all queried circumstances (p 50 years old, or had died from a cardiac arrest were significantly more likely to reduce the likelihood of a successful transplant 1-year posttransplant when compared with a HCV-positive organ (p < 0.005 in all cases). Eighty-six percent of providers had concerns about HCV curability posttransplant. Conclusion: Although 92% of providers were willing to offer a HCV-positive kidney for transplant as patient waitlist time increases, less than half supported offering HCV-positive transplantation for routine care rather than for research. The results underscore the need for further education and data about the efficacy and safety of HCV-positive kidney transplantation.
Does Self-Efficacy Mediate the Link Between Impulse Control and Diabetes Adherence?

Objective The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that diabetes self-efficacy mediates the relationship between impulse control and type 1 diabetes (T1D) management from ages 8 to 18 years, using multilevel modeling. Methods Participants included 117 youth with T1D and their parents. Youth (aged 8-16 years at baseline) and parents were assessed 5 times over 2 years. Using a cohort sequential design, we first estimated the growth trajectory of adherence from age 8 to 18 years, then specified a multilevel mediation model using impulse control as the main predictor, diabetes self-efficacy as the mediator, and changes in adherence (both within- and between-individuals) as the outcome. Results According to youth-reported adherence only, self-efficacy partially mediated the within-person effect of impulse control on adherence. On occasions when youth reported increases in impulse control, they tended to report higher adherence, and this was, in part, due to increases in youths' perceived self-efficacy. Self-efficacy accounted for approximately 21% of the within-person relationship between impulse control and youth-reported adherence. There was no association between impulse control and adherence between-individuals. Impulse control and self-efficacy were not related to parent-reported adherence. Conclusion Environments that enrich youth with confidence in their own diabetes-related abilities may benefit self-care behaviors in youth with T1D, but such increases in youths' perceived competence do not fully account for, or override, the behavioral benefits of impulse control. Efforts to improve adherence in youth with T1D will benefit from consideration of both impulse control and self-efficacy.
The significance of truth and love in authentic racial reconciliation: A black evangelical’s appreciation of the theological contributions of James Cone:

Racial reconciliation, far from being about civil conversation, requires whites to listen to the painful truths blacks have to tell about race in the United States. James Cone’s critique of the whi...
A non-local continuum poro-damage mechanics model for hydrofracturing of surface crevasses in grounded glaciers

Hydrofracturing can enhance the depth to which crevasses propagate and, in some cases, allow full depth crevasse penetration and iceberg detachment. However, many existing crevasse models either do not fully account for the stress field driving the hydrofracture process and/or treat glacier ice as elastic, neglecting the non-linear viscous rheology. Here, we present a non-local continuum poro-damage mechanics (CPDM) model for hydrofracturing and implement it within a full Stokes finite element formulation. We use the CPDM model to simulate the propagation of water-filled crevasses in idealized grounded glaciers, and compare crevasse depths predicted by this model with those from linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) and zero stress models. We find that the CPDM model is in good agreement with the LEFM model for isolated crevasses and with the zero stress model for closely-spaced crevasses, until the glacier approaches buoyancy. When the glacier approaches buoyancy, we find that the CPDM model does not allow the propagation of water-filled crevasses due to the much smaller size of the tensile stress region concentrated near the crevasse tip. Our study suggests that the combination of non-linear viscous and damage processes in ice near the tip of a water-filled crevasse can alter calving outcomes.
Factors associated with retained tympanostomy tubes a case-controlled study.

Abstract Objective To determine factors associated with retained tympanostomy tubes in order to improve parent counseling on procedure risks and outcomes. Methods This is a case-control study; we conducted a retrospective chart review from 2012 to 2019 of cases of retained tympanostomy tubes compared to controls with confirmed tympanostomy tube extrusion. The study was conducted at a single tertiary care center, Boston Medical Center. A retained tympanostomy tube was defined as in place for more than two years requiring removal in the operating room. Cases were matched to two controls and assessed for the following factors: indication for tympanostomy tube insertion, frequency of otitis media and otorrhea after tympanostomy tube insertion, duration tympanostomy tubes were in place, numbered set of tympanostomy tubes, sinopulmonary conditions, and adenoidectomy status prior to tympanostomy tube removal or extrusion. Results 46 cases were identified and matched to 92 controls. Cases had a significantly longer tympanostomy tube duration (3.273, IQR 1.099 vs 1.611, IQR 0.894 years, p Conclusion Patients whose only indication for surgery is recurrent otitis media are possibly at higher risk for retained tympanostomy tubes that require removal in the operating room.
Energy for Capital Creation

Capital creation is dependent on energy. Thus, civilization has long sought to find ways of increasing energy efficiency in order to raise capital productivity. Eʹ is a critical input to the quality of human life.
People with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy have altered thalamo-occipital brain networks.

Abstract While temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a focal epilepsy, previous work demonstrates that TLE causes widespread brain-network disruptions. Impaired visuospatial attention and learning in TLE may be related to thalamic arousal nuclei connectivity. Our prior preliminary work in a smaller patient cohort suggests that patients with TLE demonstrate abnormal functional connectivity between central lateral (CL) thalamic nucleus and medial occipital lobe. Others have shown pulvinar connectivity disturbances in TLE, but it is incompletely understood how TLE affects pulvinar subnuclei. Also, the effects of epilepsy surgery on thalamic functional connectivity remains poorly understood. In this study, we examine the effects of TLE on functional connectivity of two key thalamic arousal-nuclei: lateral pulvinar (PuL) and CL. We evaluate resting-state functional connectivity of the PuL and CL in 40 patients with TLE and 40 controls using fMRI. In 25 patients, postoperative images (>1 year) were also compared with preoperative images. Compared to controls, patients with TLE exhibit loss of normal positive connectivity between PuL and lateral occipital lobe (p 0.05, ANOVA, post hoc Fischer’s LSD). In conclusion, thalamic arousal nuclei exhibit abnormal connectivity with occipital lobe in TLE, and some connections may improve after surgery. Studying thalamic arousal centers may help explain distal network disturbances in TLE.
Second COVID-19 infection in a patient with granulomatosis with polyangiitis on rituximab.

Observational data suggest there may be an association between rituximab and severe COVID-19 outcomes.1–3 Anti-CD20 therapies impair humoral response, theoretically increasing the risk of prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection and shedding, as well as subsequent reinfection. Here, we report a patient with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) being treated with rituximab who appears to have developed recurrent SARS-CoV-2 infections in the setting of high-risk employment and on recovery ultimately had no detectable SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. This case highlights a potential risk of rituximab in patients with rheumatic disease, which will become especially relevant as rituximab may impair the immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. A woman in her 30s with a history of limited GPA on rituximab developed COVID-19 twice (figure 1). GPA manifestations have included erosive sinusitis, otitis, saddle nose deformity and orbital pseudotumour. She started rituximab in February 2019. The most recent dose of rituximab 1000 mg was given on 28 September 2020. On 14 August, a disease flare was treated with a 3-week prednisone taper, which completed approximately 4 weeks before COVID-19 infection. She works in an assisted living facility with ongoing staff and resident COVID-19 …
Impact of the Paraglottic Space on Voice Production in an MRI-Based Vocal Fold Model.

Summary Objective While the vocal fold is in direct contact anteriorly with the thyroid cartilage, posteriorly the vocal fold connects to the thyroid cartilage through a soft tissue layer in the paraglottic space. Currently the paraglottic space is often neglected in computational models of phonation, in which a fixed boundary condition is often imposed on the lateral surface of the vocal fold. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of the paraglottic space on voice production in an MRI-based vocal fold model, and how this effect may be counteracted by vocal fold stiffening due to laryngeal muscle activation. Methods Parametric simulation study using an MRI-based computational vocal fold model. Results The results showed that the presence of the paraglottic space increased the mean and amplitude of the glottal area waveform, decreased the phonation frequency and closed quotient. For the particular vocal fold geometry used in this study, the presence of the paraglottic space also reduced the occurrence of irregular vocal fold vibration. These effects of the paraglottic space became smaller with increasing paraglottic space stiffness and to a lesser degree with vocal fold stiffening. Conclusions The results suggest that the paraglottic space may be neglected in qualitative evaluations of normal phonation, but needs to be included in simulations of pathological phonation or vocal fold posturing.
Laser-perforated anode gas diffusion layers for direct methanol fuel cells

Abstract Novel anode gas diffusion layers (AGDLs) with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic pathways are created to enhance transfer of both methanol and CO2. Such AGDLs are created by perforating PTFE-treated AGDLs with laser, so that the original pores/pathways in the AGDL are hydrophobic and the laser perforations are hydrophilic, thus providing easy transport paths for both the liquid methanol solution and CO2. One of the novel AGDLs has increased the cell performance by 32% over the non-perforated AGDL. Results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) show that the main reason for the performance enhancement is due to the reduction in mass transfer resistance. Additionally, there is a reduction in charge transfer resistances due to the enhanced methanol transfer to the catalyst layer. The results of linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) show that the perforations increase methanol crossover, thus if perforation density of the AGDL is too high, the cell performances are lower than that of the virgin AGDL.
Civic Development within the Peer Context: Associations between Early Adolescent Social Connectedness and Civic Engagement

Social connectedness is theorized to contribute to civic development and in turn, civic engagement is thought to cultivate social connectedness. Little research has examined how social connectedness is linked with early adolescent civic engagement. The current study used a social network research design to examine associations between early adolescent social connectedness via their position within their peer network and their civic engagement. Middle-school students (N = 213) aged 11–15 years (M = 12.5; 57% female) were recruited from a remote US community and provided nominations for peer connections and reported on multiple aspects of civic engagement. Early adolescents who had identified more peer nominations had higher civic efficacy. Youth who had fewer connections with different peer groups and fewer connections with popular peers were more engaged in political behavior. Greater popularity was associated with higher political engagement for boys, but not girls. Greater connections with different peer groups was associated with greater environmentalism for younger but not older teens. These findings highlight the need to consider adolescent civic development within the peer context.
RESCOT: Restriction enzyme set and combination optimization tools for rNMP capture techniques

Abstract The incorporation of ribonucleoside monophosphates (rNMPs) in genomic DNA is a frequent phenomenon in many species, often associated with genome instability and disease. The ribose-seq technique is one of a few techniques designed to capture and map rNMPs embedded in genomic DNA. The first step of ribose-seq is restriction enzyme (RE) fragmentation, which cuts the genome into smaller fragments for subsequent rNMP capture. The RE selection chosen for genomic DNA fragmentation in the first step of the rNMP-capture techniques determines the genomic regions in which the rNMPs can be captured. Here, we designed a computational method, Restriction Enzyme Set and Combination Optimization Tools (RESCOT), to calculate the genomic coverage of rNMP-captured regions for a given RE set and to optimize the RE set to significantly increase the rNMP-captured-region coverage. Analyses of ribose-seq libraries for which the RESCOT tools were applied reveal that many rNMPs were captured in the expected genomic regions. Since different rNMP-mapping techniques utilize RE fragmentation and purification steps based on size-selection of the DNA fragments in the protocol, we discuss the possible usage of RESCOT for other rNMP-mapping techniques. In summary, RESCOT generates optimized RE sets for the fragmentation step of many rNMP capture techniques to maximize rNMP capture rate and thus enable researchers to better study characteristics of rNMP incorporation.
Inter-island local adaptation in the Galápagos Archipelago: genomics of the Galápagos blue-banded goby, Lythrypnus gilberti

The Galapagos Archipelago is a place where terrestrial adaptive radiations of finches, mockingbirds, and tortoises have been studied extensively. In contrast, little is known about the potential for marine species to diverge among islands. The overall degradation of coral reefs in the Galapagos makes understanding the mechanisms and factors of speciation, the engine of biodiversity, important, and timely. While speciation in marine archipelagos has been described in the past, such as for cone snails in Cabo Verde Archipelago and limpets in Hawaii, adaptive radiations in the marine environment are still rare and poorly understood. In this study, we focused on the Galapagos blue-banded goby, Lythrypnus gilberti, a small endemic fish that is found in shallow subtidal rocky habitats. Using RAD sequencing, we analyzed 19,504 loci that were either neutral, or potentially under directional selection. As expected, considering the small geographic range, population structure based on neutral markers was weak. For loci under directional selection, however, marked differences between islands suggested potential for local adaptation. Our data suggest that for marine species, where dispersal barriers are less apparent, mechanisms of local adaptation may also be at play in the Galapagos Archipelago.
Decentralization in Indonesia

This article explains about the background of the implementation of decentralization in Indonesia and its impact on poverty alleviation programs and the delivery of essential services at the local level.
The Word and the World: The Cultural Politics of Literacy in Brazil

Why do international literacy policies, Freirean critical literacy teachers, and literacy students hold markedly dissimilar beliefs about literacy, and what difference does that divergence make in a literacy classroom? How are the supposed "consequences" of literacy, such as economic development, political empowerment, and human development more broadly, shaped by these understandings, as well as other factors? What are the contradictions and limitations of Freirean, critical literacy philosophies and pedagogies. Drawing on two years of ethnographic research of Brazil, this book examines how cultural politics shape the teaching, learning and uses of literacy. Drawing on the fields of anthropology, comparative and international education, and literacy studies, the author offers a powerful critique of development discourses surrounding literacy even as she contributes a constructive re-imaging of critical literacy and critical pedagogy.
Transnasal jet ventilation is a useful adjunct to teach fibreoptic intubation: a preliminary report.

Purpose Fibreoptic intubation (FOI) has become an essential technique in the anesthetic management of patients with difficult airways. Unfortunately, residents may graduate from anesthesiology training programs with insufficient skills in FOI. To enhance resident proficiency at FOI without compromising patient comfort or safety, the technique of transnasal jet ventilation-assisted FOI was developed. This report describes our initial experience with this technique.
Resolvin D1 controls inflammation initiated by glutathione-lipid conjugates formed during oxidative stress

Background and purpose: Inflammation is associated with oxidative stress and local generation of lipid peroxidation-derived aldehydes, such as 4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal (HNE). In most tissues, HNE is readily conjugated with glutathione and presently it is unknown whether glutathionyl-HNE (GS-HNE) plays a functional role in inflammation. Here, we sought to determine whether GS-HNE is a mediator of oxidative stress-initiated inflammation and if its actions can be regulated by the anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving lipid mediator, resolvin D1 (RvD1). Experimental approach: GS-HNE was administered intraperitoneally to mice and peritoneal lavages were assessed for leukocyte infiltration and lipid mediators were targeted by mediator-lipidomics. RvD1 was administered to mice treated with GS-HNE and leukocyte infiltration was assessed in the peritoneum. Superoxide production and CD11b modulation were measured in isolated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes incubated with GS-HNE. Key results: GS-HNE (1–10 µg) evoked infiltration of Gr-1+ leukocytes into the peritoneum to form an inflammatory exudate. With isolated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes, GS-HNE stimulated both superoxide generation and CD11b expression. Among the lipid mediators, both cyclooxygenase- and lipoxygenase-derived pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, including prostaglandin E2, leukotriene B4 and cysteinyl leukotrienes, were generated in exudates of mice injected intraperitoneally with GS-HNE. RvD1, given i.v. in doses as low as 0.01–10.0 ng, sharply reduced GS-HNE-stimulated leukocyte infiltration (∼30–70%). Conclusions and implications: Glutathione conjugates of HNE, derived during oxidative stress, are pro-inflammatory in vivo. RvD1 protects against this oxidative stress-initiated inflammation. This article is part of a themed issue on Mediators and Receptors in the Resolution of Inflammation. To view this issue visit http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121548564/issueyear?year=2009
The antennal system and cockroach evasive behavior. II. Stimulus identification and localization are separable antennal functions

Cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) orient their antennae toward moving objects based on visual cues. Presumably, this allows exploration of novel objects by the antennal flagellum. We used videographic and electrophysiological methods to determine if receptors on the flagellum are essential for triggering escape, or if they enable cockroaches to discriminate threatening from non-threatening objects that are encountered. When a flagellum was removed, and replaced with a plastic fiber, deflection of a "prosthetic flagellum" still activated the descending mechanosensory interneurons associated with escape and produced typical escape responses. However, escape was essentially eliminated by constraining the movement of the scape and pedicel at the antennal base. When cockroaches approached and briefly explored the surface of a spider or another cockroach with the flagellum, they produced escape significantly more often in response to subsequent controlled contact from a spider than from a cockroach. This discrimination did not depend on visual or wind-sensory input, but required flagellar palpation of the surface. The crucial sensory cues appear to involve texture rather than surface chemicals. These results indicate that cockroaches acquire basic information on stimulus identity during exploration of surfaces with flagellar receptors, but that basal receptors are triggers for escape behavior.
Synthesis, Spectroscopic Studies and X-Ray Crystal Structure Analysis of Cobalt Nitroprusside, Co[Fe(CN)5NO]·5H2O

Abstract Slow diffusion of cobalt chloride with Na2[Fe(CN)5NO]-5H2O in aqueous solution produced crystals of Co[Fe(CN)5NO]-5H2O suitable for analysis by three-dimensional, single-crystal X-ray diffractometry. This polynuclear transition metal cyanide crystallized in the cubic space group Fm3m (No. 225, O5 h), a = 10.28 I (2)A, with three formula units per cell. D m = 1.67(1) Mg m−3 and D x = 1.673 Mg m−3. Final full-matrix least-squares refinement of 102 unique reflections converged to R = 0.020 and R w = 0.019. The iron nucleus is octahedrally coordinated to five cyanide ligands and a nitrosyl group and the cobalt nucleus is octahedrally coordinated to five cyanide ligands and one water molecule. Cyanide bridging (Fe-C≡N-Co) links the metal centers, providing a cubic framework within which uncoordinated water molecules occupy three crystallographically distinct environments. These uncoordinated water molecules are held in position by hydrogen bonding and/or van der Waals forces. The crystal lattice of co...
The fabrication of high density nanochannel organic light emitting diodes with reduced charge spreading.

This study reports fabrication and characterization of nanoscale organic light emitting diodes with reduced charge spreading. Nanoimprint lithography is used to make SU-8 nanochannels with ~90° sidewalls into which N'-bis(naphthalen-1-yl)-N,N'-bis(phenyl)benzidine (NPB) and tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) are thermally evaporated, to avoid charge spreading. Micron grating devices are fabricated for comparison. Device characteristics show that performance is retained while scaling down to nanochannels, as no geometry dependent trend is observed. Surface potential microscopy (SPM) measurements reveal an identical periodic difference in surface potential for nanochannel and microscale grating devices. The SPM results, together with cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy observation of the physical separation of nanoscale organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), indicate electrical separation and isolated light emission from nanoscale confined OLEDs with minimized charge spreading.
Thermal and Electrical Conductivities of Nanocrystalline Nickel Microbridges

DC electrical self-heating (Joule heating) is exploited to characterize the thermal behavior of Ni microbridges. The temperature rise of the devices due to self-heating is monitored using an infrared microscope for current densities up to 105 A/cm2. The obtained temperature profiles reveal significant heating at the bases of the microbridges. Simulations are performed in order to extract the thermal conductivity of the electroplated Ni thin film from the experimental data. The thermal conductivity is found to be 78.8 W/m · K or 13% less than that of bulk Ni. As current flows through the microbridges, they deflect upward, significantly changing the system response and pull-in voltage required for actuation. Additionally, the electrical resistivity and specific electrical contact resistances between the microbridges and the anchor points are reported. The electroplated Ni is found to have an electrical resistivity of 9.7 μΩ · cm which agrees with other values in the literature for thin-film Ni. By combining the electrical and thermal measurements, it is possible to determine the phonon and electron contributions to thermal conductivity. Although demonstrated on Ni films, this technique can be applied to any metallic film without modification. Such characterization of transport properties of constituent materials is important in the modeling of microelectromechanical systems and enables device performance to be predicted with improved accuracy.
Menstrual versus Clinically Estimated Gestational Age on Computerized Birth Certificates: What to believe? 538

Menstrual versus Clinically Estimated Gestational Age on Computerized Birth Certificates: What to believe? 538