cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Randomized Trial of Risk Information Formats in Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertisements:

Background. Federal regulations specify that print advertisements for prescription drugs and biological products must provide a true statement of information “in brief summary” about each advertised product’s “side effects, contraindications, and effectiveness.” Some of the current approaches to fulfilling the brief summary requirement, although adequate from a regulatory perspective, result in ads that may be difficult to read and understand when used in consumer-directed promotion. Objective. To explore ways in which the brief summary might be improved. Design. The authors conducted an experimental study that examined 300 consumers’ (mall visitors ever told that they were overweight) understanding of and preference for 4 different brief summary formats: traditional (a plain-language version of the risk sections from professional labeling), question and answer (QA with headings framed in the form of questions), highlights (a summary section from revised professional labeling), and prescription drug fac...
Relationship between Song Repertoire and Age in the Canary, Serinus canarius

We recorded the song of six male canaries during their first and second year of life to see if we could detect systematic age-related changes. Soundspectrographic analysis revealed that many syllables from the previous year were omitted and many new ones were added. There was a significant increase in syllable repertoire during the second year. The proportion of single-element syllables increased between year 1 and year 2. These results indicate that neural pathways responsible for song learning in canaries remain plastic in adulthood. We suggest that the larger song repertoires of older ♂♂ confer a reproductive advantage by acting as a more potent stimulus on ♀♀.
Filled skutterudite antimonides: Validation of the electron-crystal phonon-glass approach to new thermoelectric materials

After a brief review of the transport and thermoelectric properties of filled skutterudite antimonides, we present resonant ultrasound, specific heat, and inelastic neutron scattering results that establish the existence of two low-energy vibrational modes in the filled skutterudite LaFe{sub 3}CoSb{sub 12}. It is likely that at least one of these modes represents the localized, incoherent vibrations of the La ion in an oversized atomic {open_quotes}cage.{close_quotes} These results support the usefulness of weakly bound, {open_quotes}rattling{close_quotes} ions for the improvement of thermoelectric performance.
Geometric perception in the classroom

Does a student's location in the classroom affect his/her ability to learn the material presented in class? Many researchers have approached this question from a student participation/communication point of view. This paper explores the same question using a different approach: by considering how a student's actual visual perception of material presented during a class depends upon the student's location in the room.
A student's perspective on PET/MR: technologies can merge, but can technologists?

In recent years, MR imaging and PET technologies have been merged to create a powerful diagnostic imaging modality known as PET/MR, a technology capable of superior lesion characterization with half the radiation exposure of PET/CT. PET uses radionuclides to provide metabolic and physiologic
Schematic concept formation as a function of constraint redundancy and knowledge of results

The present study assessed the joint effects of schematic redundancy (Rc) and knowledge of results (KR) on performance of a modified oddity task requiring the assignment of stimuli to categories corresponding to three different schema families. A high level of Rc (70%) facilitated schematic concept formation (SCF); a low level of Rc (40%) prevented the occurrence of SCF, but didactic concept learning did occur at this level if KR was provided.
Beliefs, attitudes and behaviour towards Web advertising

To examine Web users' beliefs, attitudes and behaviour towards Web advertising, Pollay and Mittal's (1993) belief model is tested via structural equation modelling. The results suggest the model is a robust Web advertising effectiveness measurement tool. Underlying the study are the hypotheses that Web users' attitudes towards Web advertising are a function of several belief factors and influence users' behavioural intention. Results indicate the belief factors—product information, hedonic pleasure, and social role and image—related positively to subjects' attitudes towards Web advertising. Web users' beliefs about materialism, falsity/no sense and value corruption related negatively to their attitudes towards Web advertising. Web advertising attitudes impacted on reported behaviour towards Web advertising such that the more positive Web users' attitudes were towards Web advertising, the greater the likelihood that they would respond favourably to Web ads. In addition, the higher the respondents' income a...
Aligning priorities in local budgeting processes

Citizen participation in local government processes is touted as an effective means to enhance responsiveness and accountability. The topic has received considerable attention in the normative literature, yet there is persistent evidence that citizen participation occurs infrequently and has little influence on decision making. This study compares the perspectives of three different groups of stakeholders: elected officials, administrators, and citizens. Examination of the perspectives of these three groups of actors is important because it provides insight into the relationships between the groups and expectations regarding how input is used and how it influences decisions. Attention to these items can make participation more valuable and can inform other governments as they ponder how to align the priorities of different actors in their budgeting processes.
A +10 dBm BLE Transmitter With Sub-400 pW Leakage for Ultra-Low Duty Cycles

A 2.4 GHz transmitter in 65 nm CMOS is optimized for extremely low duty-cycle regimes. Negative gate biasing of the main PA transistor in sleep mode achieves a 30× reduction in sleep-mode power without incurring on-performance degradation. The PA achieves a peak output power of +10.9 dBm and a total TX efficiency of 43.7%. A phase-locked loop is integrated, with direct modulation capability for the 1 Mbps GFSK modulation of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The transmitter also includes a digital baseband with BLE support. Low voltage operation down to 0.68 V results in savings of both active switching power and leakage. Extensive power gating of all the blocks results in a total leakage of 370 pW for an on/off power ratio of 7.4×107.
Depletion of Butyrate-Producing Clostridia from the Gut Microbiota Drives an Aerobic Luminal Expansion of Salmonella

The mammalian intestine is host to a microbial community that prevents pathogen expansion through unknown mechanisms, while antibiotic treatment can increase susceptibility to enteric pathogens. Here we show that streptomycin treatment depleted commensal, butyrate-producing Clostridia from the mouse intestinal lumen, leading to decreased butyrate levels, increased epithelial oxygenation, and aerobic expansion of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Epithelial hypoxia and Salmonella restriction could be restored by tributyrin treatment. Clostridia depletion and aerobic Salmonella expansion were also observed in the absence of streptomycin treatment in genetically resistant mice but proceeded with slower kinetics and required the presence of functional Salmonella type III secretion systems. The Salmonella cytochrome bd-II oxidase synergized with nitrate reductases to drive luminal expansion, and both were required for fecal-oral transmission. We conclude that Salmonella virulence factors and antibiotic treatment promote pathogen expansion through the same mechanism: depletion of butyrate-producing Clostridia to elevate epithelial oxygenation, allowing aerobic Salmonella growth.
Multiple Germ Cell Tumors: Report of 3 Cases, 1 with 3 Primary Lesions

AbstractTumors may develop in both testes, either concomitantly or sequentially. We herein report 3 cases of bilateral testicular neoplasms. One patient had concomitant seminomas of the testes and another had sequential germ cell tumors separated by an 11-year interval. The third patient is an unusual case in that he had bilateral testicular germ cell tumors diagnosed concomitantly 8 years after irradiation of an extragonadal, histologically proved, seminoma in the mediastinum. Evidence suggests that all 3 sites, each testis and the mediastinum, were primary lesions. Standard methods of therapy should be used in the treatment of malignancies
Classifying modeling and simulation as a scientific discipline

The body of knowledge related to modeling and simulation (M&S) comes from a variety of constituents: (1) practitioners and users, (2) tool developers and (3) theorists and methodologists. Previous work has shown that categorizing M&S as a concentration in an existing, broader disciple is inadequate because it does not provide a uniform basis for research and education across all institutions. This article presents an approach for the classification of M&S as a scientific discipline and a framework for ensuing analysis. The novelty of the approach lies in its application of machine learning classification to documents containing unstructured text (e.g. publications, funding solicitations) from a variety of established and emerging disciplines related to modeling and simulation. We demonstrate that machine learning classification models can be trained to accurately separate M&S from related disciplines using the abstracts of well-index research publication repositories. We evaluate the accuracy of our trained classifiers using cross-fold validation. Then, we demonstrate that our trained classifiers can effectively identify a set of previously unseen M&S funding solicitations and grant proposals. Finally, we use our approach to uncover new funding trends in M&S and support a uniform basis for education and research.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Pediatric perspective

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has emerged as a nosocomial pathogen of major importance in pediatric patients. This article describes problems of laboratory identification of methicillin resistance and discusses the epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of these infections.
Laboratory evaluation of the Chembio Dual Path Platform HIV-Syphilis Assay.

Background: Use of rapid diagnostic tests for HIV and syphilis has increased remarkably in the last decade. As new rapid diagnostic tests become available, there is a continuous need to assess their performance and operational characteristics prior to use in clinical settings. Objectives: In this study, we evaluated the performance of the Chembio Dual Path Platform (DPP®) HIV–Syphilis Assay to accurately diagnose HIV, syphilis, and HIV/syphilis co-infection. Method: In 2013, 990 serum samples from the Georgia Public Health Laboratory in Atlanta, Georgia, United States were characterised for HIV and syphilis and used to evaluate the platform. HIV reference testing combined third-generation Enzyme Immunoassay and Western Blot, whereas reference testing for syphilis was conducted by the Treponema pallidum passive particle agglutination method and the TrepSure assay. We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of the DPP assay on this panel by comparing results with the HIV and syphilis reference testing algorithms. Results: For HIV, sensitivity was 99.8% and specificity was 98.4%; for syphilis, sensitivity was 98.8% and specificity was 99.4%. Of the 348 co-infected sera, 344 (98.9%) were detected accurately by the DPP assay, but 11 specimens had false-positive results (9 HIV and 2 syphilis) due to weak reactivity. Conclusion: In this evaluation, the Chembio DPP HIV–Syphilis Assay had high sensitivity and specificity for detecting both HIV and treponemal antibodies. Our results indicate that this assay could have a significant impact on the simultaneous screening of HIV and syphilis using a single test device for high-risk populations or pregnant women needing timely care and treatment.
Engineering Faculty Indicate High Levels of Awareness and Use of the Library but Tend to Consult Google and Google Scholar First for Research Resources

A Review of: Zhang, L. (2015). Use of library services by engineering faculty at Mississippi State University, a large land grant institution. Science & Technology Libraries, 34(3), 272-286. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0194262X.2015.1090941 Objective – To investigate the engineering faculty’s information-seeking behaviour, experiences, awareness, and use of the university library. Design – Web-based survey questionnaire. Setting – The main campus of a state university in the United States of America. Subjects – 119 faculty members within 8 engineering departments. Methods – An email invitation to participate in a 16-item electronic survey questionnaire, with questions related to library use, was sent in the spring of 2015 to 119 engineering faculty members. Faculty were given 24 days to complete the survey, and a reminder email was sent 10 days after the original survey invitation. Main Results – Thirty-eight faculty members responded to the survey, representing a response rate of 32%. Overall, faculty had a high level of use and awareness of both online and physical library resources and services, although their awareness of certain scholarly communication services, such as data archiving and copyright advisory, was significantly lower. Faculty tend to turn to Google and Google Scholar when searching for information rather than turning to library databases. Faculty do not use social media to keep up with library news and updates. The library website, as well as liaison librarians, were cited as the primary sources for this type of information. Conclusions – The researcher concludes that librarians need to do a better job of marketing library resources, such as discipline-specific databases, as well as other library search tools. Because faculty use web search engines as a significant source of information, the author proposes further research on this behaviour, and suggests more action to educate faculty on different search tools, their limitations, and effective use. As faculty indicated a general lack of interest in integrating information literacy into their classes, the researcher notes that librarians need to find ways to persuade faculty that this type of integrated instruction is beneficial for students’ learning and research needs. Faculty were aware of the library liaison program, so this baseline relationship between faculty and librarian can serve as an opportunity to build upon current liaison services and responsibilities.
Anatomy of a globally recursive embedded LINPACK benchmark

We present a complete bottom-up implementation of an embedded LINPACK benchmark on iPad 2. We use a novel formulation of a recursive LU factorization that is recursive and parallel at the global scope. We be believe our new algorithm presents an alternative to existing linear algebra parallelization techniques such as master-worker and DAG-based approaches. We show a assembly API that allows us a much higher level of abstraction and provides rapid code development within the confines of mobile device SDK. We use performance modeling to help with the limitation of the device and the limited access to device from the development environment not geared for HPC application tuning.
Early EEG power predicts MRI injury in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Early identification of infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy who have adverse outcomes despite neuroprotection with therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is urgently needed. Recent studies have found limited value of amplitude integrated EEG (aEEG) for predicting short-term outcomes in this population. Other quantitative electroencephalography (EEG) variables reflecting EEG amplitude, such as EEG power, could provide early stratification of a high-risk cohort in this population. The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare early EEG power and aEEG as predictors of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) injury in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 78 encephalopathic infants treated with TH between January 2009 and April 2013. About 56 infants had no/mild injury on MRI (group A), whereas 22 had moderate/severe MRI injury (group B). Total EEG power (TEP) and aEEG were obtained soon after initiation of hypothermia and then compared for their ability to predict future MRI injury. TEP, calculated at a mean age of 8.9 h, was significantly higher in infants in group A as compared to group B (71.6±64.8 vs 26.9±65.3, P=0.02). Odds ratios for predicting moderate-severe MRI injury for TEP<10 μV2, TEP<20 μV2, burst Suppression or worse aEEG pattern were 55 (confidence interval (CI) 6.4 to 471), 12.5 (CI 3.8 to 40.7) and 6.7 (CI 2.0 to 19.8), respectively. Early TEP is a reliable predictor of moderate-severe MRI injury in encephalopathic infants undergoing TH and may enable early stratification of infants who may benefit from adjuvant therapeutic interventions.
Transcervical Extended Mediastinal Lymphadenectomy: Experience From a North American Cancer Center.

Background Accurate staging of the mediastinum is a critical element of therapeutic decision making in non-small cell lung cancer. We sought to determine the utility of transcervical extended mediastinal lymphadenectomy (TEMLA) in staging non-small cell lung cancer for large central tumors and after induction therapy. Methods A retrospective record review was performed of all patients who underwent TEMLA at our institution from 2010 to 2015. Clinical stage as assessed by positron emission tomography integrated with computed tomography (PET-CT), stage as assessed by TEMLA, final pathologic stage, lymph node yield, and clinical characteristics of tumors were assessed along with TEMLA-related perioperative morbidity. Accuracy of staging by TEMLA for restaging the mediastinum after neoadjuvant therapy was compared with that of PET-CT. Results Of 164 patients who underwent TEMLA, 157 (95.7%) were completed successfully. Combined surgical resection along with TEMLA was performed in 138 of these patients, with 131 (94.2%) undergoing a video-assisted thoracoscopic resection. The recurrent laryngeal nerve injury rate was 6.7%. TEMLA was performed in 118 of 164 patients for restaging after neoadjuvant therapy, and 101 of these patients were also restaged by PET-CT. Based on TEMLA, 7 patients did not go on to have resection. Of the 101 patients who did have a resection, TEMLA was more accurate than PET-CT in staging the mediastinum (95% vs 73%, p Conclusions TEMLA is a safe procedure and superior to PET-CT for restaging of the mediastinum after neoadjuvant therapy for non-small cell lung cancer. However, this increased accuracy comes with a high postoperative pneumonia rate.
Ex vivo comparison of single-layer and double-layer laparoscopic closure of equine bladders with 2 types of barbed sutures.

Objective To compare laparoscopic single-layer versus double-layer closure of experimental, full-thickness incisions in adult equine urinary bladders using unidirectional and bidirectional barbed suture. Study design Experimental, ex vivo, surgical study. Sample population Thirty adult equine cadaver urinary bladders. Methods Bladders were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 6): intact controls, bladders sutured with unidirectional or bidirectional barbed suture in a single-layer closure, and bladders sutured with unidirectional or bidirectional barbed suture in a double-layer closure. A 5-cm apical incision was created in each bladder assigned to a suture group, prior to closure in a laparoscopic trainer. After suturing, bursting pressures (BPs) were determined by filling the bladders with saline to failure. Continuous variables were compared among groups using generalized linear modeling with post hoc testing between groups, and categorical variables were compared using Fisher's exact test. Significance was set at P < .05. Results No difference in BP was detected between treatment groups, all failing at pressures lower than those of intact bladders. The 95% confidence interval for BPs exceeded a physiologically relevant threshold of 30 mm Hg after single-layer or double-layer closure. Irrespective of treatment group, surgical time decreased with experience, and the rate of reduction was greater for the single-layer than the double-layer closures. Conclusion In this ex vivo study, both closure techniques and both suture types appeared to be acceptable for laparoscopic closure of the urinary bladder in adult horses.
Descriptive Gender Representation and Legitimacy in U.S. Trial Courts

Do individuals ascribe greater legitimacy to decisions made by judges from their same demographic group? It is well established that the judiciary in the U.S. political system enjoys a much higher ...
Health Reform: The Barriers

It is our cultural fear of death and inability to discuss the limits of medicine to forestall death that enables the politics of health reform to be so potent.
Abstract P4-02-13: Can background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) predict the chance of multicentric/ bilateral breast cancer on staging breast MRI?

Purpose: Can background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) predict the chance of multicentric/ bilateral breast cancer on staging Breast MRI? Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of women diagnosed with breast cancer who underwent a breast MRI for staging of disease was performed at a single institution from October 2012 to September 2015. Results: Breast MRI for staging was done for 435 patients diagnosed with breast cancer. Ages ranging from 24 to 86 years old (median, 52 years); sizes ranging from 0.5 to 13.5 cm (mean, 3.5 cm). 29 patients (7 %) had biopsy-proven second tumors in the same breast but different quadrant as the primary tumor or in the contralateral breast. From the 435 patients, 304 had minimal/ mild BPE and 103 had moderate/marked BPE (28 missing). Of the patients with an invasive primary cancer and a second tumor in the same breast but different quadrant as the primary tumor or in the contralateral breast, 12 of 29 patients had discordance in subtypes between the primary and secondary tumors (41%) and 17 of 29 had concordance in the subtypes between the primary and secondary tumors (59%). 6.3% (19 out 304) of patients with minimal/ mild BPE had multicentric /bilateral disease and 9.7% (10 out 103) of patients with moderate/ marked BPE had multicentric/ bilateral breast cancer. Conclusion: 435 patients with recent diagnosis of breast cancer who underwent staging breast MRI for diagnosis of additional sites of disease, 7% was diagnosed with an additional site of cancer. From these group of patients, approximately 6% had other site of disease among patients who had minimal/ mild BPE in the breast MRI versus 10% of patients with moderate/marked BPE. BPE may play a role in the setting of multicentric/ bilateral breast cancer. Citation Format: Benveniste APA, Ebuoma LO, Jonna A, Sam K, Severs Jr. FJ, Roark A, Sepulveda KA, Tamara O-P, Sedgwick EE. Can background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) predict the chance of multicentric/ bilateral breast cancer on staging breast MRI? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-02-13.
Coefficient of friction testing parameters influence the prediction of human slips.

Abstract Measuring the available coefficient of friction (ACOF) of a shoe-floor interface is influenced by the choice of normal force, shoe-floor angle and sliding speed. The purpose of this study was to quantify the quality of slip prediction models based on ACOF values measured across different testing conditions. A dynamic ACOF measurement device that tests entire footwear specimens (Portable Slip Simulator) was used. The ACOF was measured for nine different footwear-contaminant combinations with two levels of normal force, sliding speed and shoe-floor angle. These footwear-contaminant combinations were also used in human gait studies to quantify the required coefficient of friction (RCOF) and slip outcomes. The results showed that test conditions significantly influenced ACOF. The condition that best predicted slip risk during the gait studies was 250 N normal force, 17° shoe-floor angle, 0.5 m/s sliding speed. These findings can inform footwear slip-resistance measurement methods to improve design and prevent slips.
Years of life lost due to encounters with law enforcement in the USA, 2015-2016.

Background To inform discussions on rates, burden and priority-setting in relation to police violence, we quantified the number and rate of years of life lost (YLLs) due to police violence by race/ethnicity and age in the USA, 2015–2016. Methods We used data on the number of deaths due to police violence from ‘The Counted’, a media-based source compiled by The Guardian. YLLs are the difference between an individual’s age at death and their corresponding standard life expectancy at age of death. Results There were 57 375 and 54 754 YLLs due to police violence in 2015 and 2016, respectively. People of colour comprised 38.5% of the population, but 51.5% of YLLs. YLLs were greatest among those aged 25–34 years, and the number of YLLs at younger ages was greater among people of colour than whites. Conclusions The number of YLLs due to police violence is substantial. YLLs highlight that police violence disproportionately impacts young people, and the young people affected are disproportionately people of colour. Framing police violence as an important cause of deaths among young adults provides another valuable lens to motivate prevention efforts.
The Prep statistic as a measure of confidence in model fitting

In traditional statistical methodology (e.g., the ANOVA), confidence in the observed results is often assessed by computing the p value or the power of the test. In most cases, adding more participants to a study will improve these measures more than will increasing the amount of data collected from each participant. Thus, traditional statistical methods are biased in favor of experiments with large numbers of participants. This article proposes a method for computing confidence in the results of experiments in which data are collected from a few participants over many trials. In such experiments, it is common to fit a series of mathematical models to the resulting data and to conclude that the best-fitting model is superior. The probability of replicating this result (i.e., Prep) is derived for any two nested models. Simulations and empirical applications of this new statistic confirm its utility in studies in which data are collected from a few participants over many trials.
SK1 of finite abelian groups. I

[G]) which can be used both for specific computations and to prove general theo- rems for certain classes of groups [D, St2]. In collaboration with Oliver we have greatly extended the power of our computational methods; the results of all computations as well as the ad- ditional methods leading to them will appear in the sequel [A-D-O-S] to this paper in a future issue of Inventiones. There we derive a very efficient algo- rithm for computing
A placebo-controlled randomized trial of D-cycloserine augmentation of cue exposure therapy for smoking cessation

Recent studies underscore the importance of studying d-cycloserine (DCS) augmentation under conditions of adequate cue exposure treatment (CET) and protection from reconditioning experiences. In this randomized trial, we evaluated the efficacy of DCS for augmenting CET for smoking cessation under these conditions. Sixty-two smokers attained at least 18 hours abstinence following 4 weeks of smoking cessation treatment and were randomly assigned to receive a single dose of DCS (n=30) or placebo (n=32) prior to each of two sessions of CET. Mechanistic outcomes were self-reported cravings and physiologic reactivity to smoking cues. The primary clinical outcome was 6-week, biochemically-verified, continuous tobacco abstinence. DCS, relative to placebo, augmentation of CET resulted in lower self-reported craving to smoking pictorial and in vivo cues (d = 0.8 to 1.21) in a relevant subsample of participants who were reactive to cues and free from smoking-related reconditioning experiences. Select craving outcomes were correlated with smoking abstinence, and DCS augmentation was associated with a trend toward a higher continuous abstinence rate (33% vs. 13% for placebo augmentation). DCS augmentation of CET can significantly reduce cue-induced craving, supporting the therapeutic potential of DCS augmentation when applied under appropriate conditions for adequate extinction learning.
Gender differences, UV exposure and risk of lentigo maligna in a nationwide healthcare population cohort study.

Background Our understanding of the relationship between ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure and lentigo maligna (LM) has been largely derived from epidemiologic/clinical studies based on invasive melanoma. Recent studies have shown gender differences in melanocytic tumours incidence. Objective To examine the association of UV light with LM by gender remains unclear. Methods Two prospective cohort study [Nurses' Health Study (1980-2012)] and [Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2010)] were analysed. All participants with LM or MIS, non-LM type were included in analysis. UV index at birth, age 15, and age 30 were calculated by gender. Lifetime UV flux was calculated. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated. Results A total of 110 485 women from NHS and 41 015 men from HPFS were examined. A total of 281 LM and 776 melanoma in situ (MIS), non-LM cases were reported. Risk of LM increased with increasing UV flux exposure in multivariate-adjusted models for men (P for trend = 0.04), but not for women (P for trend = 0.91). Conclusions UV flux may be associated with LM in men but not in women.
A Genome-Wide Analysis of Clinical Chorioamnionitis among Preterm Infants.

Objective To identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with clinical chorioamnionitis among preterm infants. Study Design We reanalyzed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) from preterm newborns at less than 30 weeks' gestation. Cases and control definitions were determined using administrative records. There were 213 clinical chorioamnionitis cases and 707 clinically uninfected controls. We compared demographic and clinical outcomes of cases and controls. We performed a GWAS and compared the distribution of SNPs from the background genes and from the immunome genes. We used a Wilcoxon's rank-sum test to compare the SNPs normalized odds ratio and used odds ratios and p-values to determine candidate genes. Results Infants affected by clinical chorioamnionitis were more likely to have periventricular leukomalacia, high-grade retinopathy, and high-grade intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). Although a GWAS did not identify SNPs associated with clinical chorioamnionitis at the genome-wide significance level, a direct test on the exonic variants in the human immunome revealed their significant increase of risk in clinical chorioamnionitis. Conclusion Among very preterm infants, clinical chorioamnionitis was associated with periventricular leukomalacia, high-grade retinopathy, and IVH. Our analysis of variants in the human immunome indicates an association with clinical chorioamnionitis in very preterm pregnancies.
The CRANK System—A Simple, Robust Apparatus for Measurement of Cherenkov Light at Open-Pool Reactor

AbstractRecently, techniques for qualitative inspections of spent fuel using Cherenkov light have advanced the International Atomic Energy Agency’s ability to perform defect verification measuremen...
Clinical Perspectives on Headache After Traumatic Brain Injury.

Background Headache after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is frequent and persistent over the first year after injury. Providers may need to focus on different symptom presentations depending on their patient's TBI severity. Objective We evaluated headache symptoms in patients with moderate-to-severe TBI compared to patients with mild TBI and examined our data from two perspectives: (1) from providers who treat individuals after TBI and manage multiple postinjury symptoms including headache, and (2) from headache specialists who see individuals after TBI to manage headache. Design Prospective enrollment of individuals after TBI with telephone follow-up at 1-year postinjury. Setting Enrollment from hospital and then community followup. Participants Three hundred forty-six individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI were enrolled during acute inpatient rehabilitation across seven TBI Model System Centers. One hundred eighty-nine individuals with mild TBI were enrolled within 1 week of injury at a single center. Intervention None. Main outcome measurements Headache frequency, headache type, pain intensity, Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6), and depressive symptoms measured 1 year after injury. Results Headache prevalence is high in both TBI groups. TBI providers are more likely to evaluate and treat headache from individuals sustaining a mild TBI versus moderate-to-severe TBI. Patients with mild TBI are most likely to report tension-type headache followed by migraine-type headache. The migraine-type headache has higher impact (HIT-6) and greater pain intensity. Headache specialists may encounter patients with moderate-to-severe TBI who report more frequent headache and higher average pain scores compared to patients with mild TBI. The severity of TBI was unrelated to depressive symptoms 1 year after injury, but patients with headache were significantly more likely to have higher scores. Conclusions TBI providers versus headache specialists should be aware of differences in patient symptom presentation to their respective clinics. Ongoing assessment of headache and depression over time is important following TBI of any severity.
Long-Term Outcomes of Anticoagulation for Bioprosthetic Valve Thrombosis

Abstract Background Early in the prevention and treatment of bioprosthetic valve thrombosis (BPVT), anticoagulation is effective, but the long-term outcome after BPVT is unknown. Objectives The goal of this study was to assess the long-term outcomes of patients with BPVT treated with anticoagulation. Methods This analysis was a matched cohort study of patients treated with warfarin for suspected BPVT at the Mayo Clinic between 1999 and 2017. Results A total of 83 patients treated with warfarin for suspected BPVT (age 57 ± 18 years; 45 men [54%]) were matched to 166 control subjects; matching was performed according to age, sex, year of implantation, and prosthesis type and position. Echocardiography normalized in 62 patients (75%) within 3 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.5 to 6 months) of anticoagulation; 21 patients (25%) did not respond to warfarin. Median follow-up after diagnosis was 34 months (IQR: 17 to 54 months). There was no difference in the primary composite endpoint between the patients with BPVT and the matched control subjects (log-rank test, p = 0.79), but the former did have a significantly higher rate of major bleeding (12% vs. 2%; p Conclusions BPVT was associated with re-BPVT and early prosthetic degeneration in a significant number of patients. Indefinite warfarin anticoagulation should be considered after a confirmed BPVT episode, but this strategy must be balanced against an increased risk of bleeding.
Using The Table Reading Test As An Indicator For Success in Pilot Training

The Table Reading Test (TRT) assesses an individual’s perceptual speed, or how rapidly one absorbs and processes visual search information. The focus of this study was to determine the validity of the TRT scores as a predictor of pilot training success. A total of 116 subjects enrolled in an aviation program at a major university in the southwest were tested between the Fall 2005 and Fall 2008 semesters, inclusive. Their TRT scores were tested for correlations to one of several flight/academic performance criterion. The results of the analyses found the TRT best predicts: Time to Solo (r = -0.228, p < 0.024), Time to Private (r = -0.754, p < 0.001), and GPA (r = 0.283, p < 0.002).
MC-Safe: Multi-channel Real-time V2V Communication for Enhancing Driving Safety

In a Vehicular Cyber Physical System (VCPS), ensuring the real-time delivery of safety messages is an important research problem for Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) communication. Unfortunately, existing work relies only on one or two pre-selected control channels for safety message communication, which can result in poor packet delivery and potential accident when the vehicle density is high. If all the available channels can be dynamically utilized when the control channel is having severe contention, then safety messages can have a much better chance to meet their real-time deadlines. In this article, we propose MC-Safe, a multi-channel V2V communication framework that monitors all the available channels and dynamically selects the best one for safety message transmission. During normal driving, MC-Safe monitors periodic beacons sent by other vehicles and estimates the communication delay on all the channels. Upon the detection of a potential accident, MC-Safe leverages a novel channel negotiation scheme that allows all the involved vehicles to work collaboratively, in a distributed manner, for identifying a communication channel that meets the delay requirement. MC-safe also features a novel coordinator selection algorithm that minimizes the delay of channel negotiation. Once a channel is selected, all the involved vehicles switch to the same selected channel for real-time communication with the least amount of interference. Our evaluation results both in simulation and on a hardware testbed with scaled cars show that MC-Safe outperforms existing single-channel solutions and other well-designed multi-channel baselines by having a 23.4% lower packet delay on average compared with other well-designed channel selection baselines.
The Effect of Billboards on Turnout in 4 States: A Randomized Experiment

This paper presents the design and results of a voter mobilization field-experiment conducted during the 2019 election in conjunction with Vote.org. To test the effect of non-partisan voter mobilization billboards fitted with Election Day information, maps of study areas in four states were overlaid with a grid (or “fishnet”) containing 3-mile by 3-mile cells. Cells were randomly selected to be in the treatment or control group. All available billboards in the treatment cells that met certain criteria were purchased and fitted with a reminder to vote. Across the four states, 207 billboards were treated and 142 served as control billboards for the weeks leading up to Election Day. Results indicated that registered voters living in treated cells had a probability of voting that was higher than those living in control cells. The effect size was similar in magnitude to comparable mobilization treatments and was strongest among mid-propensity voters.
Smartphone-based Distracted Pedestrian Localization using Bluetooth Low Energy Beacons

Distracted pedestrian behavior is a significant public health concern. Extensive observational and simulated research suggests that distracted pedestrians have a higher risk of injury compared to attentive pedestrians. In the United States alone, an estimated 6,480 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in 2017 (5,150 annual average for the past decade), and nearly 200,000 pedestrians were injured. These numbers have been increasing recently, with researchers hypothesizing that distraction by smartphone use may be a major contributor to the increase. One strategy to prevent pedestrian injuries and death would be through intrusive interruptions that warn distracted pedestrians directly on their smartphones. We developed a system, which combines a Bluetooth beacon-based system with a mobile app, to localize the distracted pedestrians when they approach a potentially dangerous traffic intersection.
Low-Complexity Direct and Iterative Volume Integral Equation Solvers With a Minimal-Rank ${\mathcal H}^2$-Representation for Large-Scale Three-Dimensional Electrodynamic Analysis

Low-complexity iterative and direct solvers are developed for the volume integral equation (VIE) based general largescale electrodynamic analysis. The dense VIE system matrix is first represented by a new cluster-based multilevel low-rank representation. In this representation, all the admissible blocks associated with a single cluster are grouped together and represented by a single low-rank block, whose rank is minimized based on prescribed accuracy. From such an initial representation, an efficient algorithm is developed to generate a minimal-rank H 2 -matrix representation. This representation facilitates faster computation, and ensures the same minimal rank's growth rate with electrical size as evaluated from singular value decomposition. For the minimal-rank representation whose rank grows with electrical size linearly for a prescribed accuracy, we develop linear-complexity H 2 -matrix-based storage and matrix-vector multiplication, and thereby an O(N) iterative VIE solver. Moreover, we develop an O(NlogN) matrix inversion, and hence a fast O(NlogN) direct VIE solver for large-scale electrodynamic analysis. Both theoretical analysis and numerical simulations of large-scale one-, two-, and three-dimensional structures on a single-core CPU, resulting in millions of unknowns, have demonstrated the low complexity and superior performance of the proposed VIE electrodynamic solvers.
New Design Principles for Cold Electronics

Josephson junctions, cryogenic CMOS, and adiabatic circuits were proposed as computing options decades ago, but never got traction due to competition from room-temperature CMOS. However, quantum computer control electronics naturally requires cryogenic temperatures, making a deeper investigation of these technologies timely.We argue that a technology hybrid and new system design principles are needed, which we illustrate with adiabatic cryo-CMOS circuits playing an unanticipated but very important role.Transistor redesign will lead to even further improvement beyond what’s illustrated in this paper, but more research will be needed to know how much.
Dynamic network connectivity influences the spread of a sub‐lineage of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

Swine production in the United States is characterized by dynamic farm contacts through animal movements; such movements shape the risk of disease occurrence on farms. Pig movements have been linked to the spread of a virulent porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), RFLP type 1-7-4, herein denoted as phylogenetic sub-lineage 1A [L1A]. This study aimed to quantify the contribution of pig movements to the risk of L1A occurrence on farms in the United States. Farms were defined as L1A-positive in a given 6-month period if at least one L1A sequence was recovered from the farm. Temporal network autocorrelation modelling was performed using data on animal movements and 1,761 PRRSV ORF5 sequences linked to 494 farms from a dense pig production area in the United States between 2014 and 2017. A farm's current and past exposure to L1A and other PRRSV variants was assessed through its primary and secondary contacts in the animal movement network. Primary and secondary contacts with an L1A-positive farm increased the likelihood of L1A occurrence on a farm by 19% (p = .04) and 23% (p = .03), respectively. While the risk posed by primary contacts with PRRS-positive farms is unsurprising, the observation that secondary contacts also increase the likelihood of infection is novel. Risk of L1A occurrence on a farm also increased by 3.0% (p = .01) for every additional outgoing shipment, possibly due to biosecurity breaches during loading and transporting pigs from the farm. Finally, use of vaccines or field virus inoculation on sow farms one year prior reduced the risk of L1A occurrence in downstream farms by 36% (p = .04), suggesting that control measures that reduce viral circulation and enhance immunological protection in sow farms have a carry-over effect on L1A occurrence in downstream farms. Therefore, coordinated disease management interventions between farms connected via animal movements may be more effective than individual farm-based interventions.
Flexion-extension standing radiographs underestimate instability in patients with single-level lumbar spondylolisthesis: comparing flexion-supine imaging may be more appropriate

Background Generally, most spine surgeons agree that increased segmental motion viewed on flexion-extension radiographs is a reliable predictor of instability; however, these views can be limited in several ways and may underestimate the instability at a given lumbar segment. Methods Consecutively collected adult (≥18 years old) patients with symptomatic single-level lumbar spondylolisthesis were reviewed from a two-surgeon database from 2015 to 2019. Routine standing lumbar X-rays (neutral, flexion, extension) and supine lumbar MRI (sagittal T2-weighted imaging sequence) were performed. Patients were excluded if they had prior lumbar surgery, missing radiographic data, or if the time between X-rays and MRI was >6 months. Results All 39 patients with symptomatic, single-level lumbar spondylolisthesis were identified. The mean age was 57.3±16.7 years and 66% were female. There was good intra- and inter-rater reliability agreement between measured values on the presence of instability. The slip percentage (SP) difference was significantly highest in the flexion-supine (FS) (5.7 mm, 12.3%) and neutral standing-supine (NS) (4.3 mm, 8.7%) groups, both of which were significantly higher compared with the flexion-extension (FE) group (1.8 mm, 4.5%, P 8% was observed more frequently in FS (79.5%) and NS (52.6%) groups compared with FE group (16.7%, P<0.001). No statistically significant correlation was found between SP and disc angle for all radiographic views. Conclusions Comparing standing lateral and flexion X-rays with supine MRIs provides higher sensitivity to assess instability than standard flexion-extension radiographs. The FS and NS comparisons also show greater slip percentage differences at higher slip grades, but not at different lumbar levels. These changes are not dependent on age or gender.
Fenamates as Potential Therapeutics for Neurodegenerative Disorders.

Neurodegenerative disorders are desperately lacking treatment options. It is imperative that drug repurposing be considered in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases. Fenamates have been studied for efficacy in treating several neurodegenerative diseases. The purpose of this review is to comprehensively present the past and current research on fenamates in the context of neurodegenerative diseases with a special emphasis on tolfenamic acid and Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, this review discusses the major molecular pathways modulated by fenamates.