cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermal Resistance Pavements and Thermal Properties

Thermal properties (i.e., thermal conductivity and heat capacity) are important parameters that influence the thermal behavior of pavement materials and the built environment. This chapter first develops a multidimensional transient model and an improved practical tool to simulate the transient temperature at any location on a beam or cylinder specimen of any size subject to convection heat transfer. Case studies verified that this model can be used, if the thermal properties are known, to simulate the transient temperature at any location for specimens of various shapes and sizes. Second, this chapter develops and validates a procedure for back-calculating the thermal properties of specimens of various shapes and sizes. The developed and validated procedure is employed to measure the thermal properties of pavement materials using cylinder specimens. The effects of thermal properties on the thermal behavior of thermal-resistance pavements are also discussed.
Egypt and the Arab Crescent

Geographically a part of Africa, Egypt has been throughout the ages historically and culturally a part of Western Asia. With greater Syria and al-‘Irāq it forms one Arab block, distinct from the North African block, on one hand, and from the Arabian block (peninsula), on the other.
Biostatistics course in postmaster doctor of nursing practice programs

Background : The number of doctor of nursing practice (DNP) programs in the United States has increased dramatically in the past few years. However, few studies have been done to provide a comprehensive view of program structures and curricula offered. Methods : This study explored differences in entry pathway, admission statistics skills requirement, and whether a program offered a Biostatistics course in its curriculum by investigating the websites of DNP programs listed on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) DNP directory. Results and conclusions : This study found no regional differences in these three areas: type of program offered, statistics course as a prerequisite, and whether Biostatistics is offered. Overall, more schools have started to require a graduate level statistic course in their admission requirement and more schools offered a Biostatistics course in their DNP curriculum. However, 25% of schools did not request for specific statistics skills prior to admission, nor did they incorporate a Biostatistics course in the program.
Massive Vulvar Linear Verrucous Epidermal Nevus Presenting at Menarche.

Abstract Background Epidermal nevi are benign hamartomatous growths of the skin that present at birth and develop in early childhood often linearly along the "lines of Blaschko." Verrucous linear epidermal nevi are the most common epidermal nevi and often are located on the trunk or extremities. There is minimal evidence regarding vulvar involvement and subsequent management of the associated cosmetic deformity in this anatomic location. Case An 11-year-old menarchal girl who underwent full-thickness dermal excision of a 9.6 × 4.5 × 3.2 cm left benign vulvar epidermal nevus (noninflammatory type) with primary reconstruction and closure using a mons rotational skin flap. Summary and Conclusion Surgical excision of large vulvar nevi can be achieved with desirable cosmetic outcomes with use of rotational skin flaps and primary closure.
Prospective molecular evaluation of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) utilizing the comprehensive mutation analysis program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC).

7600 Background: Oncogenic events in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell cancers of the lung are well described. In contrast, the repertoire of possible molecular targets in SCLC is still unclear. Recent studies using next generation sequencing on rare resected SCLC specimens have provided insights into the molecular heterogeneity of this disease. Comprehensive, prospective molecular profiling of patients with SCLC using the small biopsy specimens available in clinical practice has not been performed. Methods: Utilizing an IRB-approved protocol to prospectively test SCLC tumors (Small Cell Lung Cancer Mutation Analysis Program, “SC-MAP”), these biopsies are evaluated by: FISH for FGFR1 and MET amplification; immunohistochemistry for MGMT and PTEN loss; point mutation genotyping with Sequenom for PIK3CA (and others); and next-generation sequencing with our MSK-IMPACT assay (Integrated Mutation Profiling of Actionable Cancer Targets). MSK-IMPACT uses exon capture followed by massively parallel sequencing to pr...
Motor compensation and its effects on neural reorganization after stroke

Stroke survivors often adapt to the loss of upper-limb function by adopting compensatory strategies. Jones discusses evidence that these compensatory strategies may influence the neural remodelling processes that occur after the initial stroke and can have mixed effects on functional outcome of the paretic limb.
Water binding index of proteins as determined by differential microcalorimetry.

The functional and protective role of water in biological materials is critical and supposedly has an important relationship with its state and binding. The water binding aspects of muscle tissue have been reviewed by Hamm (1960). He states that the water binding of muscle proteins is dependent on the pH-value, the minimum being at the isoelectric point. Giese (1962) reports that an average molecule of living muscle protein is associated with some 17,000 water molecules.
Design and fabrication of Si 3 N 4 surface normal photonic crystal filters and reflectors

We present the design and fabrication of surface normal photonic crystal high Q Si 3 N 4 filter on quartz and high performance SI3N4 suspended reflectors at near infrared. We report a Si 3 N 4 filter on quartz with a quality factor of over 27000. We also report a 99% peak reflection from fabricated Si 3 N 4 reflectors with reflection band of 20 nm.
Effects of social support on the association between precollege sexual assault and college-onset victimization.

Objective: This study examined the moderating and mediating effects of perceived social support on the association between precollege sexual assault (SA) and college-onset SA. Participants: A repre...
AMO Forcing of Multidecadal Pacific ITCZ Variability

AbstractThe Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) has been shown to play a major role in the multidecadal variability of the Northern Hemisphere, impacting temperature and precipitation, includin...
Mechanistic evaluation of the combination effect of paclitaxel (Pac) and bevacizumab (Bev) in breast cancer xenografts

11007 Background: Chemosensitization is the ability to augment the effects of standard chemotherapy. One of the possible mechanisms for chemosensitization is improving intratumoral chemotherapy concentrations by increasing total or regional delivery of chemotherapy to the tumor. This mechanism potentially leads to a decreased tumor interstitial fluid pressure (IFP). This study evaluates the interaction between tumor IFP, intra-tumor drug accumulation and blood vessel perfusion. Methods: GILM2 human breast cancer (triple negative phenotype) cells were injected into the mammary fat pad of female nude mice. Mice were randomized to 4 arms: Control, Pac 24 mg/Kg, Bev 10 mg/Kg, and the same dose for the combination Pac + Bev, twice a week for 3 weeks. Tumor IFP was assessed using an ultraminiature catheter-tip technique (Ozerdem 2005). Concentration of Pac in tumor tissue was measured using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and blood vessel perfusion was assessed by dynamic contrast-enhanced magne...
Interval + Image = Wavelet: For Image Processing under Interval Uncertainty, Wavelets Are Optimal

In computer and electronic manufacturing, it is very important to be able to automatically check whether the surface mounted devices (SMD) are correctly placed on the printed circuit boards. The inspection of these boards has to be done on a shop floor, where statistical characteristics of the noise vary so much that, in essence, we only have interval estimates for this noise.
Lexical Phonology and Psychological Reality

As Noam Chomsky has stated on several occasions, the main thrust of the generative revolution in linguistics was the shift of focus from the conception of language as an external phenomenon to language as linguistic knowledge, which is a mental phenomenon. To Structuralists, linguistics was a branch of the study of human societies; to Chomsky, it is a branch of the study of the human mind. This shift of focus from the society (the set of conventions used by a speech community) to the individual was accompanied by a corresponding shift in the kinds of data that linguists examined: instead of concentrating on samples of recorded utterances (CORPUS, or the linguistic forms produced by a language community) as the data, generative linguists, like other psychologists, started examining speaker BEHAVIOUR in order to understand the mental phenomena that underlie behaviour. Evidence for the construction of linguistic descriptions was no longer what occurred or didn’t occur in the corpus, but how speakers behaved, when confronted with a linguistic form (speaker judgments on acceptability), when producing linguistic forms (language production), when understanding linguistic forms (language comprehension), etc.
Conflict, Health, and Well-Being

The impact of interpersonal conflict in the workplace is not limited to outcomes of organizational relevance, such as performance; it also has serious detrimental effects on the health and well-being of employees. In fact, conflict has been shown to be associated with employee depression, negative emotional states, psychosomatic complaints, life dissatisfaction, burnout, and psychiatric morbidity (e.g., Dormann & Zapf, 1999; Spector, Dwyer, & Jex, 1988). A diary study by Bolger, DeLongis, Kessler, and Schilling (1989) showed that interpersonal conflicts were considered the most upsetting stressor by a sample of married couples who were asked to report work and nonwork sources of stress. C. S. Smith and Sulsky (1995) reported that 25% of a large sample of employees from a wide range of occupations listed interpersonal issues as the most vexing stressors at work. In addition, negative social interactions with others at work accounted for three fourths of all work situations that employees described as detrimental (Schwartz & Stone, 1993). It is not surprising then that interpersonal conflict in the workplace is consistently cited as a leading source of stress for employees across cultures, age groups, and occupations. Consequently, occupational stress research has experienced a recent shift in focus from commonly studied role and workload variables to stress resulting from the social work environment, namely interpersonal conflict.
Patterns of leisure-time physical activity across pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes

Although leisure-time physical activity (PA) contributes to overall health, including pregnancy health, patterns across pregnancy have not been related to birth outcomes. We hypothesized that women with sustained low leisure-time PA would have excess risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and that changing patterns across pregnancy (high to low and low to high) may also be related to risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Nulliparous women (n = 10,038) were enrolled at 8 centers early in pregnancy (mean gestational age in weeks [SD] = 12.05 [1.51]. Frequency, duration, and intensity (metabolic equivalents) of up to three leisure activities reported in the first, second and third trimesters were analyzed. Growth mixture modeling was used to identify leisure-time PA patterns across pregnancy. Adverse pregnancy outcomes (preterm birth, [PTB, overall and spontaneous], hypertensive disorders of pregnancy [HDP], gestational diabetes [GDM] and small-for-gestational-age births [SGA]) were assessed via chart abstraction. Five patterns of leisure-time PA across pregnancy were identified: High (35%), low (18%), late decreasing (24%), early decreasing (10%), and early increasing (13%). Women with sustained low leisure-time PA were younger and more likely to be black or Hispanic, obese, or to have smoked prior to pregnancy. Women with low vs. high leisure-time PA patterns had higher rates of PTB (10.4 vs. 7.5), HDP (13.9 vs. 11.4), and GDM (5.7 vs. 3.1, all p < 0.05). After adjusting for maternal factors (age, race/ethnicity, BMI and smoking), the risk of GDM (Odds ratio 2.00 [95% CI 1.47, 2.73]) remained higher in women with low compared to high patterns. Early and late decreasing leisure-time PA patterns were also associated with higher rates of GDM. In contrast, women with early increasing patterns had rates of GDM similar to the group with high leisure-time PA (3.8% vs. 3.1%, adjusted OR 1.16 [0.81, 1.68]). Adjusted risk of overall PTB (1.31 [1.05, 1.63]) was higher in the low pattern group, but spontaneous PTB, HDP and SGA were not associated with leisure-time PA patterns. Sustained low leisure-time PA across pregnancy is associated with excess risk of GDM and overall PTB compared to high patterns in nulliparous women. Women with increased leisure-time PA early in pregnancy had low rates of GDM that were similar to women with high patterns, raising the possibility that early pregnancy increases in activity may be associated with improved pregnancy health. Registration number NCT02231398 .
Electrical Transport in Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

We review recent progress in the measurement and understanding of the electricalproperties of individual metal and semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes. Thefundamental scattering mechanisms governing the electrical transport in nanotubesare discussed, along with the properties of p–n and Schottky-barrier junctions insemiconductor tubes. The use of advanced nanotube devices for electronic,high-frequency, and electromechanical applications is discussed. We thenexamine quantum transport in carbon nanotubes, including the observation ofquantized conductance, proximity-induced supercurrents, and spin-dependentballistic transport. We move on to explore the properties of single and coupledcarbon-nanotube quantum dots. Spin and orbital (isospin) magnetic moments lead tofourfold shell structure and unusual Kondo phenomena. We conclude with adiscussion of unanswered questions and a look to future research directions.
The Role of the OSI Model

The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model is a conceptual framework for the streamlined transfer of information from one logical address in the network to another logical address in the network. When the addresses of the sender and receiver are not within the same network, then gateways are necessary to facilitate the transfer of information.
Sensorineural hearing loss in children with sickle cell disease.

Abstract Introduction Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) has been reported to occur at increased frequency in the pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD) population, likely secondary to ototoxic medication regimens and repeat sickling events that lead to end organ damage. Risk and protective factors of SNHL in this population are not fully characterized. The objective of this study was to describe audiology results in children with SCD and the prevalence and sequelae of SNHL. Methods A comprehensive clinical database of 2600 pediatric SCD patients treated at 1 institution from 2010-16 was retrospectively reviewed to identify all patients who were referred for audiologic testing. Audiologic test results, patient characteristics, and SCD treatments were reviewed. Results 181 SCD children (97 male, 153 HbSS) underwent audiologic testing, with 276 total audiology encounters, ranging 1–9 per patient. Mean age at first audiogram was 8.9 ± 5.2 years. 29.8% had prior cerebrovascular infarct and an additional 25.4% had prior abnormal transcranial Doppler screens documented at time of first audiogram. Overall, 13.3% had documented hearing loss, with 6.6% SNHL. Mean pure tone average (PTA) among patients with SNHL ranged from mild to profound hearing loss (Right: 43.3 ± 28.9, Left: 40.8 ± 29.7), sloping to more severe hearing loss at higher frequencies. Conclusions Hearing loss was identified in a significant subset of children with SCD and the hearing loss ranged from normal to profound. Though the overall prevalence of SNHL in SCD patients was low, baseline audiology screening should be considered.
Selective profiling of ribosomes associated with yeast Upf proteins

Ribosomes associated with nonsense-mediated decay factors Upf1, Upf2, or Upf3 were purified by immunoprecipitation, and enrichment and stoichiometry of Upf factors and ribosomal proteins were analyzed by western blot and mass spectrometry. Using a small RNA library preparation protocol that eliminates in-gel RNA and cDNA size selection and incorporates four random nucleotides on each side of the ribosome-protected RNA fragment allowed recovery, detection, and analysis of all size classes of protected fragments from a sample simultaneously.
Power quality improvement of a 2.8kVA single phase generator using a double-tune filter

Improving power quality plays a vital role in power distribution systems. Nonlinear loads generate harmonics that disturbs power supply. This paper presents a control strategy in which data collected from a single phase generator (2.8 kVA) using ‘Owon’ oscilloscope. A double-tune filter configuration was developed to analyze the harmonic contents associated with the non-linear loads on the single phase generator. MATLAB Simulation was carried on the data collected (voltage and frequency) from the power source using the double-tuned filter. It can be established from the frequency measured instead of the usual 50Hz on nameplate, the measured value was 46.160 Hz and the voltage values on Tables 1 and 2 that were transformed into waveforms and spectrum. Keywords: Harmonics, Total harmonic distortion, (V THD ), Matlab/Simulink, Filter
A High-Power-Density Electrolytic-Free Offline LED Driver Utilizing a Merged Energy Buffer Architecture

This paper presents a high-power-density high-efficiency single-phase electrolytic-free offline LED driver that utilizes a novel energy buffer architecture for twice-line-frequency energy buffering. The proposed LED driver comprises two stages: a front-end power factor correction stage, followed by a merged energy- buffering/dc-dc conversion stage. The proposed merged energy buffer architecture reduces the step-down voltage conversion ratio requirement of the second stage dc-dc converter, thus improving its efficiency. This buffer architecture also increases the energy utilization of the buffer capacitors, thus reducing the passive volume of the energy buffer. The PFC stage is realized using a four- switch buck-boost converter and an LLC resonant converter is used to realize the second stage dc-dc converter. A 150-W prototype LED driver utilizing the proposed merged energy buffer is designed, built and tested and the experimental results are presented. The PFC stage maintains a high power factor and achieves a peak efficiency of 97% while the LLC stage achieves a peak efficiency of 93%. The prototype LED driver achieves a power density of 50 W/inch3, while replacing electrolytic capacitors with much lower energy density ceramic capacitors.
Synthesis and evaluation of 2,5-furan, 2,5-thiophene and 3,4-thiophene-based derivatives as CXCR4 inhibitors.

Abstract The interaction between G-Protein coupled receptor CXCR4 and its natural ligand CXCL12 has been linked to inflammation experienced by patients with Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD). Blocking this interaction could potentially reduce inflammatory symptoms in IBD patients. In this work, several thiophene-based and furan-based compounds modeled after AMD3100 and WZ811—two known antagonists that interrupt the CXCR4-CXCL12 interaction—were synthesized and analyzed. Fifteen hit compounds were identified; these compounds exhibited effective concentrations (EC) lower than 1000 nM (AMD3100) and inhibited invasion of metastatic cells by at least 45%. Selected compounds (2d, 2j, 8a) that inhibited metastatic invasion at a higher rate than WZ811 (62%) were submitted for a carrageenan inflammation test, where both 8a and 2j reduced inflammation in the same range as WZ811 (40%) but did not reduce inflammation more than 40%. Select compounds were also modeled in silico to show key residue interactions. These preliminary results with furan-based and thiophene-based analogues contribute to the new class on heterocyclic aromatic-based CXCR4 antagonists.
The Science of Small Solar System Bodies

On February 15, 2013, the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia was struck by a small rocky body about 20 m in diameter. The body exploded at a height of about 30 km above the ground. The resulting shockwave broke windows in over 7000 buildings and injured more than 1500 people. Some of the body survived the trip through Earth’s atmosphere and made it to the surface.
The impact of the Oakland sugar-sweetened beverage tax on bottled soda and fountain drink prices in fast-food restaurants.

Abstract Beverage taxes are increasingly being implemented as an intervention aimed at reducing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and their associated adverse health outcomes. Whether these taxes achieve public health objectives depends, in part, on the extent to which beverage prices increase, known as tax pass-through. Fast-food restaurants are a significant source of SSBs and an environment where the effect of beverage taxes is less understood. This study evaluates the impact of an SSB tax on prices of beverage products sold in fast-food restaurants in Oakland, CA, which implemented a 1-cent per ounce excise tax on SSBs containing 25 or more calories per 12 fluid ounces in 2017. A pre-post intervention difference-in-differences (DID) research design with Sacramento, CA, serving as a comparison site was used to estimate the effect of the tax on fast-food restaurant beverage prices. A panel of fast-food restaurants were audited 1-month pre-tax and 6- and 12-months post-tax. DID regression models with restaurant and product fixed effects were used to estimate tax pass-through to prices of bottled regular (N = 150 observations from 39 restaurants) and diet (N = 106 observations from 32 restaurants) soda and fountain drinks (N = 501 observations from 73 restaurants). Statistically significant (p
Exercise and Nutrition Science Students' Perceptions of Blogging as a Required Course Component.

The growth of social media and websites for transmission of health-related information has increased in recent years, and development of online communication skills should be included in exercise science education. Incorporation of blogging into the higher education classroom may serve this professional development purpose, while also increasing student engagement and enhancing learning outcomes. Purpose The purposes of this study were to evaluate exercise and nutrition science students' perceptions of blogging on perceived learning, sense of community, and technical knowledge at the beginning and end of the semester, and to compare the perceptions of undergraduate (UG) and graduate (GRAD) students. Methods UG (pre, n = 78; post, n = 50) and GRAD (pre, n = 20; post, n = 17) students were enrolled in semester long seminar courses that required blogging. Perceptions of blogging were assessed using an anonymous Likert-scale survey at the beginning and end of the semester. T-tests were used to determine differences in perception on the survey subscales pre to post and between UG and GRAD students. Results Agreement that blogging could enhance learning or promote a sense of community was lower at the end of the semester compared with the beginning, but remained relatively high. Agreement with items related to technical knowledge increased from presemester to postsemester. The change in perception in the whole sample was driven by the UG students, as GRAD students' perceptions of blogging, although initially less positive than UG, were mainly unchanged from the start of the semester to the end. Conclusions Blogging as a required course component is viewed favorably by exercise and nutrition science students. Future research evaluating course characteristics and structure of blogging requirements that may enhance student' perceptions are warranted.
The structure and mechanical properties of Cu50Ni50 alloy nanofoams formed via polymeric templating

The authors demonstrate that multicomponent metallic alloy nanofoams can be synthesized by the polymeric templating method. The present approach enabled alloy compositions not accessible via commonly used dealloying or co-deposition methods. The authors report the synthesis of a Cu50Ni50 alloy nanofoam using electrospinning polymeric templating, which exhibits distinct polycrystallinity, process-driven segregation, and enhanced mechanical strength over pure Cu nanofoams. Transmission electron microscopy revealed microscopic grain formation and their variable compositions. The processing method is applicable to the synthesis of a wide range of multicomponent metal porous materials, creating new research opportunities for noble alloy foams not available through wet electrochemical routes.
Effects of Attentional Focus on Speech Motor Control in Adults Who Stutter and Its Relationship to Social Stress: A Pilot Project

Purpose The purpose of this pilot study was to assess speech motor variability in adults who stutter (AWS) compared to adults who do not stutter (ANS) when speaking under different attention focus ...
Post-concussion Vulnerability to Transient Global Amnesia

Few studies have investigated transient global amnesia (TGA) in the context of a concussion and the concussion sequelae following TGA. Here we review the case of a 43-year-old male with onset of transient global anterograde and retrograde amnesia 22 days after a sustained concussion. The patient's head CT, MRI of brain, and EEG were reported normal, and the patient regained full cognitive function 8 h after the TGA episode, with no recollection of the conspiring events. Following the TGA episode, the patient experienced notable worsening of concussive symptoms, including headache, head pressure, anxiety, neck pain, feeling slowed down, fogginess, not feeling right, difficulty remembering, and fatigue. The patient remained symptomatic for 32 days after the TGA episode. We suggest that a lingering window of post-concussion cerebral vulnerability, which may extend beyond clinical recovery, could lead to increased susceptibility to acute cognitive deficits, such as TGA.
Social Distancing and COVID-19: Randomization Inference for a Structured Dose-Response Relationship

Social distancing is widely acknowledged as an effective public health policy combating the novel coronavirus. But extreme social distancing has costs and it is not clear how much social distancing is needed to achieve public health effects. In this article, we develop a design-based framework to make inference about the dose-response relationship between social distancing and COVID-19 related death toll and case numbers. We first discuss how to embed observational data with a time-independent, continuous treatment dose into an approximate randomized experiment, and develop a randomization-based procedure that tests if a structured dose-response relationship fits the data. We then generalize the design and testing procedure to accommodate a time-dependent, treatment dose trajectory, and generalize a dose-response relationship to a longitudinal setting. Finally, we apply the proposed design and testing procedures to investigate the effect of social distancing during the phased reopening in the United States on public health outcomes using data compiled from sources including Unacast, the United States Census Bureau, and the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps Program. We rejected a primary analysis null hypothesis that stated the social distancing from April 27, 2020, to June 28, 2020, had no effect on the COVID-19-related death toll from June 29, 2020, to August 2, 2020 (p-value < 0.001), and found that it took more reduction in mobility to prevent exponential growth in case numbers for non-rural counties compared to rural counties.
Learning and Firm Dynamics in a Stochastic Equilibrium

Imperfect information and individual firm learning affect the cross-sectional firm size distribution and matters for social welfare and aggregate fluctuations. This paper finds a tractable setup to study firm entry, exit, growth, and distribution with heterogeneity in firm beliefs and aggregate uncertainty. A firm learns about its unknown profitability (type) over time. Aggregate uncertainty affects firms' beliefs about individual types. Firm learning results in a Pareto right tail in cross-sectional firm belief distribution, thereby shaping the firm size distribution. When firm value and household welfare are misaligned, slow learning brings additional welfare loss relative to the constrained efficiency under imperfect information. With aggregate uncertainty, transitory shocks have persistent impacts due to the learning mechanism's hangover effect.
Use Characteristics and Triage Acuity of a Digital Symptom Checker in a Large Integrated Health System: Population-Based Descriptive Study.

Background: Pressure on the US health care system has been increasing due to a combination of aging populations, rising health care expenditures, and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses to this pressure are hindered in part by reliance on a limited supply of highly trained health care professionals, creating a need for scalable technological solutions. Digital symptom checkers are artificial intelligence–supported software tools that use a conversational “chatbot” format to support rapid diagnosis and consistent triage. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new attention to these tools due to the need to avoid face-to-face contact and preserve urgent care capacity. However, evidence-based deployment of these chatbots requires an understanding of user demographics and associated triage recommendations generated by a large general population. Objective: In this study, we evaluate the user demographics and levels of triage acuity provided by a symptom checker chatbot deployed in partnership with a large integrated health system in the United States. Methods: This population-based descriptive study included all web-based symptom assessments completed on the website and patient portal of the Sutter Health system (24 hospitals in Northern California) from April 24, 2019, to February 1, 2020. User demographics were compared to relevant US Census population data. Results: A total of 26,646 symptom assessments were completed during the study period. Most assessments (17,816/26,646, 66.9%) were completed by female users. The mean user age was 34.3 years (SD 14.4 years), compared to a median age of 37.3 years of the general population. The most common initial symptom was abdominal pain (2060/26,646, 7.7%). A substantial number of assessments (12,357/26,646, 46.4%) were completed outside of typical physician office hours. Most users were advised to seek medical care on the same day (7299/26,646, 27.4%) or within 2-3 days (6301/26,646, 23.6%). Over a quarter of the assessments indicated a high degree of urgency (7723/26,646, 29.0%). Conclusions: Users of the symptom checker chatbot were broadly representative of our patient population, although they skewed toward younger and female users. The triage recommendations were comparable to those of nurse-staffed telephone triage lines. Although the emergence of COVID-19 has increased the interest in remote medical assessment tools, it is important to take an evidence-based approach to their deployment.
The Real Effect of Foreign Banks

Although foreign banks can act as catalysts for financial and economic development, their role remains controversial because they might displace local lending, thereby tightening firms’ overall access to credit. We study the economic channels through which domestic lending by foreign banks affects real economic activity in a large cross-section of developing and advanced countries. We find that foreign lending alleviates financial constraints and increases real growth net of the competitive reaction of local lenders. In addition to providing stable access to credit, foreign banks also mitigate the consequence of informational and legal obstacles to lending, especially in developing credit markets.
Crime and Punishment, Napoleon, and the Great Man Theory

One of the most hotly debated notions throughout Europe in the first decades of the nineteenth century was the idea of ‘the great man’. The cause, of course, was the dominating presence of Napoleon whose exploits and achievements many compared to those of Caesar and Alexander the Great. The debate did not diminish in importance during Napoleon’s exile or after his death. Quite the contrary, the status of Napoleon as modern history’s ‘great man’ or extraordinary individual increased after his death, kept alive not only by many of his supporters but even by those who were ambivalent about his achievements and character. In Crime and Punishment , Dostoevsky incorporated a devastating critique of the myth and legend of Napoleon as the modern era’s greatest man by presenting a double perspective on Napoleon as a great man – one explicit the other implied. Raskolnikov explicitly embraces the arguments in favor of Napoleon as a great man, whereas the implied author, Dostoevsky, subjects them to varying degrees of deflationary irony. Keywords : Crime and Punishment, Napoleon, "great man"'s idea
High-temperature reliable quantum-dot lasers on Si with misfit and threading dislocation filters

Direct epitaxial growth of III-V light sources on Si photonic chips is promising to realize low-cost and high-functionality photonic integrated circuits. Historically, high temperature reliability of such devices has been the major roadblock due to crystalline defects from heteroepitaxy. Here, by reducing the threading dislocation densities to ${\sim}{{1}} \times {{1}}{{{0}}^6}\;{\rm{c}}{{\rm{m}}^{- 2}}$ and efficiently removing misfit dislocations above and below the active region, 1.3 µm InAs quantum-dot lasers directly grown on industry standard on-axis Si (001) show record-breaking reliability at 80°C. The hero device shows minimum degradation after more than 1200 h of constant current stress. Statistical analysis shows an extrapolated lifetime of over 22 years for the median devices, bringing these devices one big step closer to real world applications.
The RNA-binding protein RBP42 regulates cellular energy metabolism in mammalian-infective Trypanosoma brucei

Abstract RNA-binding proteins are key players in coordinated post-transcriptional regulation of functionally related genes, defined as RNA regulons. RNA regulons play particularly critical roles in parasitic trypanosomes, which exhibit unregulated co-transcription of long arrays of unrelated genes. In this report, we present a systematic analysis of an essential RNA-binding protein, RBP42, in the mammalian-infective slender bloodstream form of African trypanosome, and we show that RBP42 is a key regulator of parasite’s central carbon and energy metabolism. Using individual-nucleotide resolution UV cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) to identify genome-wide RBP42-RNA interactions, we show that RBP42 preferentially binds within the coding region of mRNAs encoding core metabolic enzymes. Using global quantitative transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, we also show that loss of RBP42 reduces the abundance of target mRNA-encoded proteins, but not target mRNA, suggesting a plausible role of RBP42 as a positive regulator of target mRNA translation. Analysis reveals significant changes in central carbon metabolic intermediates following loss of RBP42, further supporting its critical role in cellular energy metabolism.
New Advances in Physician Assistant Admissions: The History of Situational Judgement Tests and the Development of CASPer.

ABSTRACT During the first 50 years of the physician assistant (PA) profession, admission to PA programs was based primarily on cognitive domains such as academic performance and standardized test scores. Many programs also considered other measurable factors, including patient care experience, community service, and extracurricular activities. While interviews were frequently conducted by the programs, it was not until the applicants had been "pre-screened" for the previously identified qualifications. As the PA profession continued to expand, PA programs began to realize that potentially strong applicants were being excluded from the admissions process because of this emphasis on mostly cognitive factors. In an attempt to reduce this disparity, PA programs have begun to expand their assessment of applicants to include assessment of noncognitive characteristics. This article outlines the history surrounding this change in the approach to admissions in medical education, reviews the development of situational judgement tests and other tools used to assess these noncognitive characteristics, and explores the relationship of these noncognitive characteristics to the development of program-defined competencies.
ReGARDD (Regulatory Guidance for Academic Research of Drugs and Devices): The evolution of a collaborative regional CTSA-funded forum and website for regulatory support

Availability of trained professionals to assist researchers navigating regulatory pathways for new drug and device development is limited within academic institutions. We created ReGARDD (Regulatory Guidance for Academic Research of Drugs and Devices), a regional forum initially involving regulatory professionals from four Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA)-funded institutions, to build and capitalize on local expertise and to develop a regulatory guidance website geared toward academic researchers. Since 2015, members organized 15 forums covering topics such as FDA premarket submissions, gene therapy, and intellectual property for devices and therapeutics. Through user feedback, targeted surveys, and ongoing iterative processes, we refined and maintained a shared regulatory website, which reached 6000+ users in 2019. Website updates improved navigation to drug versus device topic areas, provided new educational content and videos to address commonly asked questions, and created a portal for posting upcoming training opportunities. Survey respondents rated the website favorably and endorsed expanding ReGARDD as a centralized resource. ReGARDD strengthened the regional regulatory workforce, increased regulatory efficiency, and promulgated best organizational and operational practices. Broad-scale deployment of the ReGARDD model across the CTSA consortium may facilitate the creation of a network of regional forums and reduce gaps in access to regulatory support.
Mathematical Methods in Immunology

Any organism, to survive, must use a variety of defense mechanisms. A relatively recent evolutionary development is that of the adaptive immune system, carried to a quite sophisticated level by mammals. The complexity of this system calls for its encapsulation by mathematical models, and this book aims at the associated description and analysis. In the process, it introduces tools that should be in the armory of any current or aspiring applied mathematician, in the context of, arguably, the most effective system nature has devised to protect an organism from its manifold invisible enemies.
Exact surface solutions for semiconductors: The Dember effect and partial currents

Exact solution of the correct linearized equations for steady-state transport in semiconductors yields two modes that vary exponentially in space. One involves screening (without entropy production) and one involves diffusion and recombination (with entropy production), neither being quasineutral. They are applied to surface photoexcitation (the Dember effect) and to the adjustment of partial electron and hole currents from surface to bulk. Other transport situations are briefly discussed.
Chapter 51 Continuous ICU EEG monitoring

Publisher Summary Continuous intensive care unit (ICU) electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring is meant to observe and detect the nervous system impairment in the ICU. Such monitoring allows clinicians the opportunity to intervene promptly to reverse an adverse process. This chapter discusses the usefulness of EEG in continuous ICU monitoring is based on a number of facts about EEG. The number of channels monitored continuously has increased substantially. Mass storage media now allows the saving of all EEG tracings. Continuous ICU EEG can be combined with other monitoring modalities, such as evoked potentials, intracranial pressure, electrocardiogram (EKG), or oximetry. Surgical endarterectomy monitoring teaches us about the EEG changes and brain tolerance during ischemia. Long-term video-EEG monitoring for epilepsy provide a technical basis for monitoring over many days and the use of spike and seizure detectors. Multi-modality integration is similar to polysomnography displays of sleep architecture. Routine EEG provides the understanding of transients seen in the ICU, such as triphasic waves. In the UCLA model for these services, quantitative trending of relative alpha, total power and alpha/delta ratio displays and identifies gradual or abrupt EEG changes. Seizures show up as surges in total power. Automated seizure detectors could also be used. Changes in the symmetry and frequency content can be seen in these power and ratio trends. Continuous EEG monitoring help manage therapy in head injury, cerebral ischemia infarctions, and hemorrhage-related vasospasm. In other patients in coma, it can supplement routine clinical monitoring and help elucidate diagnoses in some cases. Deteriorating variability warns of complications after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Deterioration of variability can occur a day prior to clinically apparent deterioration in patients at risk for vasospasm. Therefore, monitoring can warn against premature ICU discharge.
HMP: a hierarchical multiprocessor computer architecture for multi-sensor based robotic tasks

A structure for sensory information organization and robot task planning is introduced, and HMP, a hierarchical multiprocessor computer architecture, is developed to support the real-time execution of the defined information structure. Queuing network analysis indicates that this hierarchical multiprocessor computer architecture, at least for the sets of loads defined, performs better than currently proposed systems based on single buses. All classes of data, except for large video data that have longer interarrival times, are transferred within 10 milliseconds, and most data are transferred at rates that are very close to their theoretical maximum speed. The gates, used for partitioning the buses, have also been successful; data transfers among processors inside the segment isolated by the gate have been speeded up while the transfer between clusters has either stayed the same or has been reduced slightly, compared to a system without gates. >
A log-logistic model-based interpretation of TF normalization of BM25

The effectiveness of BM25 retrieval function is mainly due to its sub-linear term frequency (TF) normalization component, which is controlled by a parameter k1. Although BM25 was derived based on the classic probabilistic retrieval model, it has been so far unclear how to interpret its parameter k1 probabilistically, making it hard to optimize the setting of this parameter. In this paper, we provide a novel probabilistic interpretation of the BM25 TF normalization and its parameter k1 based on a log-logistic model for the probability of seeing a document in the collection with a given level of TF. The proposed interpretation allows us to derive different approaches to estimation of parameter k1 based solely on the current collection without requiring any training data, thus effectively eliminating one free parameter from BM25. Our experiment results show that the proposed approaches can accurately predict the optimal k1 without requiring training data and achieve better or comparable retrieval performance to a well-tuned BM25 where k1 is optimized based on training data.
The case for application-specific operating systems

Recent evidence suggests that trends will require rethinking the traditional role of operating systems. The challenge to operating systems designers is to deliver to applications the performance available now only from dedicated hardware, combined with the ease of sharing resources and data among multiple applications and the simpler programming model found in general-purpose operating systems. An application-specific structure is proposed where as much of the operating system as possible is pushed into runtime library routines linked with each application. The operating system kernel is stripped to its bare minimum functionality. At a minimum, the kernel must adjudicate among application requests for physical resources, and it must enforce hardware protection boundaries by operating system code running as library routines in each application. The key is that the operating system must notify each application of changes in its resource allocation, to allow the application on the chance to adapt to make best use of whatever resources are available to it. >
An Enduring Somatic Threat Model of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Due to Acute Life‐Threatening Medical Events

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in 12-25% of survivors of acute life-threatening medical events such as heart attack, stroke, and cancer, and is associated with recurrence of cardiac events and mortality in heart attack survivors. This article reviews the current state of knowledge about PTSD after such events, and proposes an Enduring Somatic Threat (EST) model of PTSD due to acute life-threatening medical events to address underappreciated differences between PTSD due to past, discrete/external traumatic events (such as combat) and PTSD due to acute manifestations of chronic disease that are enduring/internal in nature (such as heart attack and stroke). The differences include the external versus internal/somatic source of the threat, the past versus present/future temporal focus of threatening cognitions, the different types and consequences of avoidance behavior, and the different character and consequences of hyperarousal. Although important differences between the two types of PTSD exist, the EST model proposes that the underlying fear of mortality maintains PTSD symptoms due to both discrete/external and ongoing/somatic events. Finally, this article offers a research agenda for testing the EST model, with a particular focus on areas that may improve cardiovascular prognosis and health behaviors in survivors of heart attack and stroke.
An efficient VLSI CORDIC array structure implementation of Toeplitz eigensystem solvers

A novel, efficient implementation of the Toeplitz eigensystem solver using a doubly pipelined VLSI CORDIC array processor is presented. First, a backward CORDIC angle recoding scheme is proposed which is able to reduce the number of internal CORDIC iterations by at least 50%. It is shown how to apply this scheme to a family of feedforward algorithms for solving general linear systems, especially the Toeplitz systems. This leads to the implementation of a Toeplitz eigensystem solver with CORDIC-based array processors. >