cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New diagnostic imaging techniques

Improvements in results after vascular intervention are partly due to advances in diagnostic imaging. The trend toward noninvasive diagnosis has also reduced patient exposure to undue risk. Normal and pathologic aortic, carotid, and lower-extremity vasculature can be imaged precisely by using a combination of ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging techniques before definitive open or minimally invasive reconstruction of occlusive or aneurysmal disease. These same imaging modalities, which were developed for the clinical management of patients, are also helping investigators study the biology of atherosclerosis in vivo in ways never before imagined.
Some Implications of Mass Extinction for the Evolution of Complex Life

Extinction has the destructive effect of eliminating established lineages from an evolutionary system and the constructive effect of vacating ecospace into which new lineages can evolve. Mass extinctions, which are times of unusually intense extinction, have been consistently followed by major radiations of new lineages. Extraterrestrial impacts associated with extinction events and a periodic recurrence of these events implicates an extraterrestrial forcing mechanism as the ultimate cause of mass extinction. This suggests that the extraplanetary environment has played an important, active role in the development of complex life on Earth.
Trading Private and Public Spaces @ HGTV and TLC: On New Genre Formations in Transformation TV

This article considers the amazing commercial success of the HGTV cable TV network, its tremendous influence on shows produced for the Discovery network’s The Learning Channel (TLC), the Arts and Entertainment (A&E) network, Bravo and BBC America, and their collective contributions to reality TV’s new global programming gold rush. Of particular interest in this analysis are the innovative ways that the HGTV network and its progeny remake key elements of traditional women’s media genres, reconfigure audience participation, and recode familiar televisual structures and narratives featuring identity politics vis-a-vis race, class, gender and sexuality.
Roman neighbourhoods by the numbers: A space syntax view on ancient city quarters and their social life.

Neighbourhoods and the social use of urban space are areas of growing interest that concern both contemporary city planners and archaeologists. The latter focus on the built space of the past and can offer a long-term perspective on spatial trends and patterns in urban development. Based on a detailed examination of the archaeological remains of two distinct city blocks (IV ii and iv) from Ostia (Imperial Rome’s principal port city), the article explores the spatial properties of these urban quarters and seeks to identify spaces which potentially fostered social cohesion and community building. By combining archaeological and syntactical methods of spatial analysis (space syntax), novel insights have been generated regarding the physical environment in which Roman city dwellers lived their daily lives. The shared courtyards and passage spaces of Block IV ii suggest a continuity of community focus over a period of almost four hundred years. In contrast, Block IV iv appears to lack shared spaces and revealed a spatial organisation of self-contained buildings focused on individual access to public space. Block IV ii is characterised by shared internal courtyards suggestive of collective use within its own perimeter; Block IV iv looks outward toward external community building with activities centred on the street confining the block. The combined results reveal insights into the flexibility of ancient Roman urban structures and allows for several suggestive glimpses into the urban community that sustained these blocks and the wider city in the long-term.
Protective Effects of Adolescent–Adult Connection on Male Youth in Urban Environments

Abstract Purpose Positive adult connection has been linked with protective effects among U.S. adolescents. Less is known about the impact of adult connection across multiple health domains for youth in low-resource urban environments. We examined the associations between adult connection and school performance, substance use, and violence exposure among youth in low-resource neighborhoods. Methods We recruited a population-based random sample of 283 male adolescents in Philadelphia. Age-adjusted logistic regression tested whether positive adult connection promoted school performance and protected against substance use and violence exposure. Results Youth with a positive adult connection had significantly higher odds of good school performance (odds ratio [OR], 2.8; p p p p Conclusions Promoting adult connection may help safeguard youth in urban contexts. Youth-serving professionals should consider assessing adult connection as part of a strengths-based approach to health promotion for youth in low-resource neighborhoods.
Release-Modulated Antioxidant Activity of a Composite Curcumin-chitosan Polymer

Curcumin is known to have immense therapeutic potential but is hindered by poor solubility and rapid degradation in solution. To overcome these shortcomings, curcumin has been conjugated to chitosan through a pendant glutaric anhydride linker using amide bond coupling chemistry. The hybrid polymer has been characterized by UV-visible, fluorescence, and infrared spectroscopies as well as zeta potential measurements and SEM imaging. The conjugation reactivity was confirmed through gel permeation chromatography and quantification of unconjugated curcumin. An analogous reaction of curcumin with glucosamine, a small molecule analogue for chitosan, was performed and the purified product characterized by mass spectrometry, UV-visible, fluorescence, and infrared spectroscopies. Conjugation of curcumin to chitosan has greatly improved curcumin aqueous solubility and stability, with no significant curcumin degradation detected after one month in solution. The absorbance and fluorescence properties of curcumin are minimally perturbed (λmax shifts of 2 and 5 nm, respectively) by the conjugation reaction. This conjugation strategy required use of one out of two curcumin phenols (one of the main antioxidant functional groups) for covalent linkage to chitosan, thus temporarily attenuating its antioxidant capacity. Hydrolysis-based release of curcumin from the polymer, however, is accompanied by full restoration of curcumin's antioxidant potential. Antioxidant assays show that curcumin radical scavenging potential is reduced by 40% after conjugation, but that full antioxidant potential is restored upon hydrolytic release from chitosan. Release studies show that curcumin is released over 19 days from the polymer and maintains a concentration of 0.23 ± 0.12 μM curcumin/mg polymer/mL solution based on 1% curcumin loading on the polymer. Release studies in the presence of carbonic anhydrase, an enzyme with known phenolic esterase activity, show no significant difference from nonenzymatic release studies, implying that simple ester hydrolysis is the dominant release mechanism. Conjugation of curcumin to chitosan through a phenol ester modification provides improved stability and solubility to curcumin, with ester hydrolysis restoring the full antioxidant potential of curcumin.
Economic Impact of Sugarbeet Root Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) on Sugarbeet Yield and Quality in Southern Minnesota

The economic impact of sugarbeet root aphid, Pemphigus betae Doane, infestations on sugarbeet yield and quality was studied during 1990 and 1991 in 11 commercial sugarbeet fields in southwestern Minnesota. Fields with one or more obvious infestation foci were selected for study. Severe aphid infestations were characterized by elliptical-shaped foci of stunted or wilted plants that averaged 14.8 m long and 9.0 m wide; average foci area was 104.6 m2 (0.0105 ha). Lengths of infestation foci were always parallel with row direction. An at-harvest, beet root rating system was developed to measure the impact of P. betae on yield and quality. Though gross yields were variable, sugar content and recoverable sugar per hectare were significantly reduced in 64% (seven of eleven) and 73% (eight of eleven) of the fields studied, respectively. Aphid-induced effects on quality parameters, other than sucrose, were characterized by lower levels of harmful amino nitrogen and potassium. No consistent relationship was observed for sodium. Negative effects of these factors, however, proved minimal when computing total sucrose losses to molasses (average 1-2%). Loss to molasses actually was less for aphid-infested beets in seven of eleven infestation foci. Therefore, sucrose content was the primary source of quality loss in this study. Losses in sucrose content and final recoverable sugar per hectare during the 2-yr study averaged 31 and 54%, respectively. In contrast to the 1990 season, maximum recoverable sucrose yields were significantly higher in 1991, and the rate of yield loss was initially lower (where root rating ≤2.0). Final yield loss rates for heavily infested beets (i.e., root rating ≥4.0), however, were similar. Results between years partially were explained by differences in precipitation (83 cm in 1991 versus 62 cm in 1990). Thus, separate yield loss formulas were developed to estimate monetary losses and an approximate economic injury level for P. betae .
RANS Simulation of Circulation Control on a Circular Planform Wing

Circulation control via Coanda effect provides simplification of actuation, reduction in weight and number of parts as compared to mechanical means of circulation control. A tangentially injected jet sheet over a rounded wing trailing edge remains attached further along the curved surface due to the balance of pressure gradient and centrifugal acceleration (Coanda effect). The down turning of the flow around the trailing edge induces global effects that increase the circulation around the wing, and hence lift augmentation. The location at which the jet sheet separates from the Coanda surface controls the circulation. Correct prediction of that location is essential, ad it depends strongly on the turbulence model used in the simulation. The model must account for the anisotropy of turbulence induced by streamline curvature in the confluent jet-wake mixing region. In this work we simulate the subsonic flow field around the Coanda disc model designed and tested by Imber and Rogers in their experimental investigation. We use commercial software Fluent6.3 to determine the flow field around the disc and aerodynamic loads. We use a structured mesh which is fine enough in the regions of high momentum exchange between wall jet and free shear layers. We tested different turbulence models including Spalart-Allmaras and full Reynolds stress models. Good agreement with available experimental data has been obtained only with the Reynolds stress model. Figure (1) shows the pressure coefficient contours and streamlines in the plane of symmetry of the disc with 180 blowing angle. Figure (2) shows the comparison with experimental data (Imber and Rogers, Ref 1) of the pressure coefficient distribution on the disc surface at the plane of symmetry.
A Freezing-tolerance Test of Four Lily Cultivars

The effects of freezing temperatures (-1℃,-2℃,and -3.5℃)on the relative vigor,germination,growth of young seedlings,and flowering of the four cold-stored (0~2℃) lily bulbs (‘Pollyanna’,‘Siberia’,‘Star Garer’ and ‘Elite’) from Holand were tested in this study.The results showed that the ability of freezing tolerance of four lily bulbs was in order as:‘Pollyanna’‘Siberia’‘Star Garer’‘Elite’. All lily bulbs could survive at the temperature of -1℃ and-2℃.However,‘Elite’ and ‘Star Garer’ bulbs were severely damaged by -3.5℃ freezing treatment while ‘Pollyanna’ and ‘Siberia’ bulbs maintained still alive.This indicated that it was very important to store the lily bulbs at a reasonable low temperature for the quality of cut lily.
Role of Rotors in the Ablative Therapy of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is increasingly used to maintain sinus rhythm yet its results are sub-optimal, especially in patients with persistent AF or prior unsuccessful procedures. Attempts at improvement have often targeted substrates that sustain AF after it is triggered, yet those mechanisms are debated. Many studies now challenge the concept that AF is driven by self-sustaining disordered wavelets, showing instead that localised drivers (rotors) may drive disorder via a process known as fibrillatory conduction. Novel mapping using wide-area recordings, physiological filtering and phase analysis demonstrates rotors in human AF. Contact mapping with focal impulse and rotor modulation (FIRM) shows that localised ablation at sources can improve procedural success in many populations on long-term follow up and some newer approaches to rotor mapping are qualitatively similar. This review critically evaluates the data on rotor mapping and ablation, which advances our conceptual understanding of AF and holds the promise of substantially improving ablative outcomes in patients with persistent AF.
Periaortic to right atrial shunt for severe aortic root bleeding

A 33-year-old man previously underwent replacement of a stenotic bicuspid aortic valve with a pulmonary autograft (Ross procedure) as a teenager with subsequent development of severe neoaortic valve regurgitation and ascending neoaorta aneurysm. During performance of a modified Bentall procedure, adhesions of the aneurysmal ascending neoaorta prevented safe dissection and re-resection of …
Good manufacturing practice requirements for the production of tissue vitrification and warming and recovery kits for clinical research

Products that are manufactured for use in a clinical trial, with the intent of gaining US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for clinical use, must be produced under an FDA approved investigational new drug (IND) application. We describe work done toward generating reliable methodology and materials for preserving ovarian cortical tissue through a vitrification kit and reviving this tissue through a warming and recovery kit. We have described the critical steps, procedures, and environments for manufacturing products with the intent of submitting an IND. The main objective was to establish an easy-to-use kit that would ensure standardized procedures for quality tissue preservation and recovery across the 117 Oncofertility Consortium sites around the globe. These kits were developed by breaking down the components and steps of a research protocol and recombining them in a way that considers component stability and use in a clinical setting. The kits were manufactured utilizing current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) requirements and environment, along with current good laboratory practices (cGLP) techniques. Components of the kit were tested for sterility and endotoxicity, and morphological endpoint release criteria were established. We worked with the intended down-stream users of these kits for development of the kit instructions. Our intention is to test these initial kits, developed and manufactured here, for submission of an IND and to begin clinical testing for preserving the ovarian tissue that may be used for future restoration of fertility and/or hormone function in women who have gonadal dysgenesis from gonadotoxic treatment regimens or disease.
Abstract 16683: Pretreatment With Clopidogrel In ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction. Evidence From a Meta-analysis

Background: Current ACC/AHA guidelines recommend a P2Y12 inhibitor in addition to aspirin in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients either on presentation or in the cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL). In contrast, European guidelines recommend P2Y12 inhibitor administration as soon as possible, but acknowledge that there is no enough evidence to support this class I recommendation. Aim: Perform a meta-analysis to examine the hypothesis that pretreatment with clopidogrel in STEMI patients is superior to no pretreatment and CCL administration. Methods: We performed a literature search for full length articles comparing clopidogrel administration on presentation (pretreatment) compared with CCL administration in STEMI patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We used odds ratio (OR) and random effects model for comparisons. We report mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), major bleeding and reinfarction at 30 days. Results: A total of 8 studies with 32,509 STEMI patients were included in the analysis. 30 day mortality was significantly lower with pretreatment compared to CCL administration, 4% vs 5% (OR 0.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.46, 0.83]; P=0.002). MACE was significantly lower with pretreatment compared to CCL administration, 6.8% vs 6.3% (OR 0.69, 95% CI [0.58, 0.83]; P<0.0001). Major bleeding was also lower in the pretreatment group (OR 0.80, 95% CI [0.65, 0.97]; P=0.03) that was driven by one study which used more glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors and more 600 mg loading dose of clopidogrel in the no pretreatment arm. There was no significant difference in reinfarction rates between the groups, 2.6% vs 3.1%. Conclusion: Clopidogrel administration at presentation for STEMI patients undergoing PCI decreases 30 day major adverse cardiovascular events and improves mortality. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
District Court Opinions that Remain Hidden Despite a Longstanding Congressional Mandate of Transparency – The Result of Judicial Autonomy and Systemic Indifference

The E-Government Act of 2002 directed the federal courts to provide access to all their written opinions, in text-searchable format, via a website. Ten years later the Judicial Conference of the United States approved national implementation of a comprehensive database of those opinions through a joint venture between the courts and the Government Publishing Office (GPO). Despite the promise implicit in these initiatives, public access to many thousands of federal district court decisions each year remains blocked. They are effectively hidden. Many court websites lack a clear link to opinions, only a bare majority of district courts transmit decisions to the GPO, and far too many courts and judges fail to take the steps necessary for opinion distribution beyond the parties. Using the large volume of district court Social Security litigation to measure and illustrate these failures, the article examines their dimensions, consequences, and causes. It concludes that the problem is a large one, that it poses a major challenge to those carrying out empirical studies and judicial analytics, and that the courts' radical decentralization combined with judicial autonomy will continue to frustrate goals of public access unless serious measures are taken at the national level. Finally, it argues that inclusion in the GPO database of federal judicial opinions should cease being optional.
High mortality and enhanced recovery: modelling the countervailing effects of disturbance on population dynamics

Disturbances cause high mortality in populations while simultaneously enhancing population growth by improving habitats. These countervailing effects make it difficult to predict population dynamics following disturbance events. To address this challenge, we derived a novel form of the logistic growth equation that permits time-varying carrying capacity and growth rate. We combined this equation with concepts drawn from disturbance ecology to create a general model for population dynamics in disturbance-prone systems. A river flooding example using three insect species (a fast life-cycle mayfly, a slow life-cycle dragonfly and an ostracod) found optimal tradeoffs between disturbance frequency vs. magnitude and a close fit to empirical data in 62% of cases. A savanna fire analysis identified fire frequencies of 3–4 years that maximised population size of a perennial grass. The model shows promise for predicting population dynamics after multiple disturbance events and for management of river flows and fire regimes.
Upgrading of pinyon-juniper catalytic pyrolysis oil via hydrodeoxygenation

Abstract In this study we discuss hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of pinyon juniper (PJ) catalytic pyrolysis oil over Ni/SiO2 Al2O3 catalyst in a batch reactor to improve the physicochemical properties of the oil. The influence of temperature (350–500 °C), reaction time (15–90 min), and initial hydrogen pressure (3.5–10 MPa), on hydrodeoxygenation of PJ pyrolysis oil was investigated. After hydrogenation was completed, gas, coke, and a liquid product of two immiscible phases (aqueous and organic), were obtained. Maximum HDO of bio-oil was achieved at 450° C while the initial hydrogen pressure was 7 MPa and the reaction time was 30 min. Under these conditions, the H/C and O/C atomic ratios changed from 1.29 to 0.29 respectively for bio-oil to 2.36 and 0 for HDO oil respectively. The higher heating value increased from 27.64 MJ/kg of bio-oil to 45.58 MJ/kg of upgraded oil. The water content of organic liquid product was less than 0.05 wt% while it was 1.63 wt% in the feed. The viscosity of upgraded oil was 1.26 cP compared to119 cP for the crude bio-oil.
Neuronal activity determines distinct gliotransmitter release from a single astrocyte

Accumulating evidence indicates that astrocytes are actively involved in brain function by regulating synaptic activity and plasticity. Different gliotransmitters, such as glutamate, ATP, GABA or D-serine, released form astrocytes have been shown to induce different forms of synaptic regulation. However, whether a single astrocyte may release different gliotransmitters is unknown. Here we show that mouse hippocampal astrocytes activated by endogenous (neuron-released endocannabinoids or GABA) or exogenous (single astrocyte Ca2+ uncaging) stimuli modulate putative single CA3-CA1 hippocampal synapses. The astrocyte-mediated synaptic modulation was biphasic and consisted of an initial glutamate-mediated potentiation followed by a purinergic-mediated depression of neurotransmitter release. The temporal dynamic properties of this biphasic synaptic regulation depended on the firing frequency and duration of the neuronal activity that stimulated astrocytes. Present results indicate that single astrocytes can decode neuronal activity and, in response, release distinct gliotransmitters to differentially regulate neurotransmission at putative single synapses.
Laser-Induced Chemical Reactions: Survey of the Literature, 1965-1979

One of the basic tools of the practising chemist is an awareness of the body of reported work pertaining to a particular class of reactions or compounds. For this purpose, a number of compilations of such reaction data have been established and are now a standard part of the chemical literature. Such a compilation is not yet available for that class of reactions that are induced by laser excitation; while many specialized review articles and introductory surveys in this field have appeared, there is still no convenient tabulation of data for individual reactions. The present survey attempts to fill this need. In addition to a listing of reactions, tabulated by reactant, product, excitation source, and literature citation, which should be of use to active researchers, we also include a bibliography of the aforementioned review articles for the benefit of those who wish to begin learning about this field. Cited literature references are given, arranged alphabetically by author.
HETEROGENEITY OF LACTIC DEHYDROGENASE IN AVIAN MALARIA DEMONSTRATED BY THE USE OF COENZYME ANALOGS

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the heterogeneity of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) in avian malaria demonstrated by the use of coenzyme analogs. Enzymatic heterogeneity of LDH in the host–parasite complex, P. lophuraeduck erythrocyte has been further extended by employing analogs of coenzyme diphosphopyridine nucleotide (DPN). The studies discussed in the chapter show that the LDHs of host and parasite are distinguishable by their different affinities for the reduced form of the analog deamino-DPN and the lophurae LDH can be kinetically characterized by the use of the analogs 3-acetylpyridine DPN (APDPN), 3-thionicotinamide DPN, 3-ethylpyridyl ketone DPN with varying concentrations of lactate (0.013 M to 0.2 M). The investigations provide further evidence for the enzymatic advantage of the P. lophurae LDH when compared to that of duck red blood cell as it is not only catalytically more active at pH 7, but in turn can effectively handle substrate over a wider range of concentrations than can its host cell.
Learning and Memory in Invertebrates: Hermissenda

Pavlovian conditioning of Hermissenda results in the acquisition of two conditioned responses (CRs): conditioned stimulus-elicited foot-shortening and inhibition of light-elicited locomotion. The neural circuitry for one of the CRs, inhibition of light-elicited locomotion, has been identified and modifications in synaptic efficacy and intrinsic enhanced excitability have been localized to components of the neural circuit. Intrinsic enhanced excitability in sensory neurons of the conditioned stimulus pathway and synaptic facilitation between sensory neurons and interneurons result in inhibition of motor neuron activity elicited by the conditioned stimulus in conditioned animals. The neural circuit responsible for the generation of the CR consists of primary sensory neurons and three levels of interneurons that project to the motor neurons responsible for the generation of light-elicited locomotion.
Degrees of reproductive isolation between closely related species of Hawaiian Drosophila

It is a basic tenet of evolutionary thought that the gene pool of every fully differentiated species is discretely isolated from that of any other species (Dobzhansky 1970; Mayr 1970). Diverging populations must therefore acquire some means of reproductive or genetic isolation from one another in the course of species formation. If such isolation is to be fully effective, the mechanisms responsible must be an inherent property of the species: this means that they must be genetically based, rigidly canalized, and preferably operative at several levels. Further, unless the genes which guarantee reproductive isolation are fixed into the genotype of every individual of the species, gene flow between the diverging entities remains possible, and any genetic differentiation which may have arisen is potentially reversible. The acquisition of substantial reproductive isolation is thus a critical point in the speciation process, and one which determines to some extent whether speciation progresses to completion. Obviously, this is not an instantaneous event, any more than that involved in the acquisition of morphological or other differences associated with species divergence. It should therefore be possible to study the evolution of reproductive barriers, and this might best be done in an actively evolving group which includes forms at various levels and stages of divergence. Furthermore, the results of such a study should provide a direct means of assessing the mode or modes of speciation involved in the radiation of the group of organisms concerned.
Halo’s trotz durchgängiger YAG-Iridotomie

Eine 54-jahrige Frau weist sich selbst als Notfall wegen seit dem Vorabend persistierenden invalidisierenden Kopfschmerzen und Visusverlust am linken Auge zu, nachdem sie am Abend Fernsehen geschaut hat und dann mit ihrem Mann intim war. In der Anamnese gibt die Patientin an, seit 6 Jahren beim Lesen und bei der Arbeit am Computer unter intermittierenden Kopfschmerzen und Verschwommensehen an beiden Augen (links > rechts) gelitten zu haben. Der betreuende Augenarzt hatte vor 6 Jahren wegen flacher Vorderkammer beidseits eine YAG-Laser-Iridotomie durchgefuhrt. In den letzten 2 Monaten kam es zu einer Zunahme der Beschwerden mit quasi taglichen Attacken von Kopfschmerzen und Halo’s, die nun seit dem Vorabend persistieren.
Summary and Future Perspectives

The process of intracellular cholesterol trafficking is involved in many physiological events, including lipoprotein synthesis and secretion in hepatocytes and intestinal enterocytes, steroidogenesis in steroid hormone-producing cells, cholesterol accumulation in macrophages, synthesis and maintenance of neuronal cell membranes. It is also involved in embryogenesis and development. Abnormalities in these events often lead to diseases in animals and humans. As editors of this book, Dale Freeman and I are grateful to have had many leading scientists contributing chapters and furthering the advancement of this field. It is clear that this area of research will continue to grow during the next decade, and I wish to recommend the following topics as key areas for future investigations.
Efficient Asynchronous Communication Progress for MPI without Dedicated Resources

The overlap of computation and communication is critical for good performance of many HPC applications. State-of-the-art designs for the asynchronous progress require specially designed hardware resources (advanced switches or network interface cards), dedicated processor cores or application modification (e.g. use of MPI_Test). These techniques suffer from various issues like increasing code complexity/cost and loss of available compute resources for end applications. In this paper, we take up this challenge and propose a simple yet effective technique to achieve good overlap without needing any additional hardware or software resources. The proposed thread-based design allows MPI libraries to self-detect when asynchronous communication progress is needed and minimizes the number of context-switches and preemption between the main thread and the asynchronous progress thread. We evaluate the proposed design against state-of-the-art designs in other MPI libraries including MVAPICH2, Intel MPI, and Open MPI. We demonstrate benefits of the proposed approach at microbenchmark and at application level at scale on four different architectures including Intel Broadwell, Intel Xeon Phi (KNL), IBM OpenPOWER, and Intel Skylake with InfiniBand and Omni-Path interconnects. Compared to other state-of-the-art designs, our proposed approach shows upto 46%, 37%, and 49% improvement for All-to-one, One-to-all, and All-to-all communication patterns respectively collectives on 1,024 processes. We also show 38% performance improvement for SPEC MPI compute-intensive applications on 384 processes and 44% performance improvement with the P3DFFT application on 448 processes.
Open surgical ligation of a symptomatic mycotic aneurysm of the peroneal artery.

Abstract A mycotic peroneal artery aneurysm (MPAA) is a rare diagnosis. We describe a case of a patient with active fungal endocarditis who developed right lower extremity pain. Imaging demonstrated that this patient had an MPAA. This was treated with open ligation of the peroneal artery, and decompression of the aneurysm sac was performed for symptom relief. Although a rare diagnosis, MPAA should be considered in patients with a history of endocarditis who present with leg pain.
Intranasal Drug Delivery After Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accounts for 10–15% of strokes and is associated with high mortality and disability rates. Studies in animal models suggest a complex pathophysiology mediated by multiple injury cascades that are initiated in the hours after hemorrhage. Effective neuroprotection will therefore likely require rapid delivery of a combination of therapies to perihematomal tissue at risk while minimizing adverse systemic effects. These aims are unlikely to be accomplished by exclusive reliance on intravenous drug administration due to delays in blood-brain barrier penetration and the additive toxicities of multiple agents. In the prehospital and emergency department settings, intranasal drug delivery is the only method currently available that may offer any selective brain targeting. Intranasal administration of recombinant proteins, small molecules and mesenchymal stem cells has improved outcome in both collagenase and blood injection ICH models. These results and the potential utility of intranasal therapies after ICH are reviewed and discussed in this chapter.
2412. Oral Vancomycin Prophylaxis Against Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Infection: Efficacy and Side-effects: Two Hospitals Experience

Background Clostridioides difficile is the most common hospital-acquired pathogen with an unchanged infection prevalence between 2011–2015. The data regarding the effectiveness of chemical prophylaxis to prevent recurrent C. difficile infection (CDI) are conflicting.
Autoimmune diseases: Are markers ready for prediction?

An increasing number of individuals throughout the world are affected by autoimmune disease, a large and diverse group of disorders that are categorized by tissue injury or pathology. In general, these diseases are associated with humoral or cell-mediated immune reactions against one or more of the body’s own constituents, but it has been customary to divide autoimmune diseases into two categories — systemic, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, and organ-specific, such as autoimmune thyroiditis. The Perspective series beginning in this issue will address the ways in which autoantigen-specific responses arise, and the mechanisms by which they provoke cell type‐ and organ-specific pathologies. In addition, given our growing knowledge of etiologically significant autoantigens, one can envision that the occurrence of these diseases may soon be predictable in a clinical setting. How close are we, in fact, to taking this crucial step toward the management or prevention of autoimmune disorders?
Mitochondrial apoptosis and proteolytic changes of myofibrillar proteins in two different pork muscles during aging

Abstract This study aims to investigate the changes in mitochondrial apoptotic factors and proteolysis of two porcine muscles (psoas major – PM and longissimus dorsi – LD) during aging. Results found that during 2–168 h postmortem mitochondrial membrane permeability, mitochondrial lipid peroxidation, Ca2+ levels were increased, while the reduction level and abundance of cytochrome c were decreased (P
Flow-Induced Phase Separation and Crystallization in Entangled Polyethylene Solutions under Elongational Flow

Flow-induced phenomena in entangled solutions of linear C1000H2002 polyethylene dissolved in n-hexadecane and benzene solvents were simulated via nonequilibrium molecular dynamics at concentrations...
Vacuum energy in a noncommutative-geometry setting

It has recently been proposed that vacuum energy is zero in spite of the quantum-field fluctuations that occur everywhere, even at absolute zero. The implication is that dark energy must have a different origin, unrelated to vacuum energy. It is proposed in this paper that noncommutative geometry, an offshoot of string theory, may provide such an origin due to its ability to account for the accelerated expansion.
Gun Control, Mental Illness, and Black Trans and Lesbian Survival

Those concerned with racial, gender, sexual, economic, or disability justice should be concerned about the direction and focus of national conversations in the wake of Newtown. Controversies over gun control and mental health treatment have a profound impact on those marginalized based on race, gender, sexuality, class, and disability. Gun control laws endanger trans people of color and queer women of color, as well as those labeled mentally ill, by failing to reduce interpersonal violence while increasing the violence of the criminal legal system. Instead of increasing incarceration of people in marginalized communities who choose to carry guns, we should consider true disarmament. This disarmament would involve demilitarizing police, decreasing incarceration, keeping cops out of schools, no longer investing in the armed forces, and instead investing in communities. Expanded power to commit people based on mental illness, whether on an outpatient or inpatient basis, also harms marginalized communities, especially queer women of color and trans people of color who are already highly vulnerable to pathologization, disablement, institutionalization, and abuse. Instead, we should consider investing more deeply in holistic, community-directed services for mentally ill people that support self-determination and social change, including fighting state and interpersonal violence against people with mental illness.
Causative Cyberattacks on Online Learning-Based Automated Demand Response Systems

Power utilities are adopting Automated Demand Response (ADR) to replace the costly fuel-fired generators and to preempt congestion during peak electricity demand. Similarly, third-party Demand Response (DR) aggregators are leveraging controllable small-scale electrical loads to provide on-demand grid support services to the utilities. Some aggregators and utilities have started employing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to learn the energy usage patterns of electricity consumers and use this knowledge to design optimal DR incentives. Such AI frameworks use open communication channels between the utility/aggregator and the DR customers, which are vulnerable to causative data integrity cyberattacks. This paper explores vulnerabilities of AI-based DR learning and designs a data-driven attack strategy informed by DR data collected from the New York University (NYU) campus buildings. The case study demonstrates the feasibility and effects of maliciously tampering with (i) real-time DR incentives, (ii) DR event data sent to DR customers, and (iii) responses of DR customers to the DR incentives.
Fault zone heterogeneities explain depth-dependent pattern and evolution of slow earthquakes in Cascadia.

Slow earthquakes including tremor and slow-slip events are recent additions to the conventional earthquake family and have a close link to megathrust earthquakes. Slow earthquakes along the Cascadia subduction zone display a diverse behavior at different spatiotemporal scales and an intriguing increase of events frequency with depth. However, what causes such variability, especially the depth-dependent behavior is not well understood. Here we build on a heterogeneous asperities-in-matrix fault model that incorporates differential pore pressure in a rate-and-state friction framework to investigate the underlying processes of the observed episodic tremor and slow-slip (ETS) variability. We find that the variations of effective normal stress (pore pressure) is one important factor in controlling ETS behavior. Our model reproduces the full complexity of ETS patterns and the depth-frequency scaling that agree quantitatively well with observations, suggesting that fault zone heterogeneities can be one viable mechanism to explain a broad spectrum of transient fault behaviors. Here, the authors combine the geological and seismological constraints of the Cascadia Subduction Zone and develop a 3D rate and state friction model. By considering depth-dependent variations of differential pore pressure following a simple linear profile, the model reproduces the full spectrum of the observed ETS complexity.
Active video games in fully immersive virtual reality elicit moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and improve cognitive performance in sedentary college students.

Abstract Background Active video games are a new method for increasing physical activity (PA). Fully immersive virtual reality (VR) is a hardware device on which an active video game can run. Active (video games in) VR (AVR), might increase immersion, game engagement, and MVPA, thereby yielding greater exercise-related benefits, e.g., cognitive performance. Methods We examined the induction of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) via an AVR and a sedentary VR (SVR) as well as the effects of VR play on cognitive performance, which was monitored using 2 different methods. Each of 29 sedentary college students attended three 20-min laboratory sessions (AVR, SVR, or control) in a randomized order; during the control session, they sat quietly doing nothing. A fully immersive headset was used for the 2 video game sessions. We monitored and computed participants’ PA using hip-worn accelerometers (wGT3x-bt; ActiGraph, Pensacola, FL, USA) and a heart rate band (Polar H7; Polar, Kempele, Finland). After each session, the participants completed a mnemonic similarity test (MST) to measure recognition memory. They also filled out a motion sickness questionnaire and an abbreviated game experience questionnaire. Results The AVR session induced a significantly greater heart rate and more time spent in MVPA than did either of the other 2 sessions regardless of the PA monitoring method. AVR elicited greater game experience questionnaire-assessed sensory and imaginative immersion, challenge, and positive affect than did SVR. The mnemonic similarity test recognition score was marginally higher post-AVR session than it was post-SVR session. Conclusion AVR elicited MVPA without a significant increase in motion sickness and induced a better game experience and better borderline cognitive performance than did SVR.
Work Patterns of Women Physicians During Vacation: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Burnout and poor work-life integration (WLI) are prevalent among women physicians. Vacation may help alleviate burnout and improve WLI but working while on vacation may negate these potential benefits. Little is known about the work patterns of women physicians on vacation, and we attempted to further characterize it in this study. Methods: In this online cross-sectional study of 498 members of the Physician Women in Leadership Facebook Group, we collected demographic information, information regarding burnout/WLI, self-reported work patterns while on vacation, and perceived impact of working during vacation on burnout/WLI. We also asked about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these behaviors. Results: At baseline, 37.5% of respondents reported burnout and 58.4% reported lack of satisfaction with WLI. About 94.4% of respondents reported engaging in some level of work-related behavior while on vacation (primarily answering work-related emails and participating in work-related meetings), but 73.3% reported that such engagement was detrimental to their mental health and WLI. About 66.3% reported an increase in at least one work-related behavior on vacation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents identified and/or endorsed multiple strategies to reduce work-related engagement on vacation, many involving good modeling by leadership and/or national associations. Conclusions: Engagement in work-related behavior while on vacation is almost universal among women physicians, but most feel that it has negative effects on mental health and WLI. Strategies to encourage reduced engagement should be developed/strengthened and endorsed/modeled by those in leadership.
Bliss: auto-tuning complex applications using a pool of diverse lightweight learning models

As parallel applications become more complex, auto-tuning becomes more desirable, challenging, and time-consuming. We propose, Bliss, a novel solution for auto-tuning parallel applications without requiring apriori information about applications, domain-specific knowledge, or instrumentation. Bliss demonstrates how to leverage a pool of Bayesian Optimization models to find the near-optimal parameter setting 1.64× faster than the state-of-the-art approaches.
Storming the Castle: Non-Secular Subversion of the Pas D'Armes in The Castle of Perseverance

STORMING THE CASTLE: NON-SECULAR SUBVERSION OF THE PAS D’ARMES IN THE CASTLE OF PERSEVERANCE By John Robert Moss, Bachelor of Arts A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2008 Major Director: Dr. Noreen C. Barnes Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Theatre It is important to remember that the categories of medieval performance were established far removed from their period in history. As a genre, the morality play includes a wide diversity of time, geography, content and performance styles. Such disparities have made it difficult to develop a comprehensive definition, without which comparisons between works cannot be consistent. As scholarship continues to explore
Retrieval of pictures using approximate matching

In this paper, we describe a general-purpose picture retrieval system based on approximate matching. This system accommodates pictorial databases for a broad class of applications. It consists of tools for handling the following aspects—user interfaces, reasoning about spatial relationships, computing degrees of similarity between queries and pictures. We briefly describe the model that is used for representing pictures/queries, the user interface, the system for reasoning about spatial relationships, and the methods employed for computation of similarities of pictures with respect to queries.
Psychological Foundations of the Behavioral Theory of Negotiation

Walton and McKersie's Behavioral Theory of Labor Negotiation sought to provide a descriptive theory of the process by which union and management negotiators reached settlements. Their paper drew on existing psychology, behavioral decision theory, and game theory. The basic psychological model of the negotiator was essentially the same as that used in most rational choice theory. Since then descriptive research on negotiation has branched into numerous subfields. Thompson recently characterized the state of research as a many sided prism. In this paper we use recent developments in evolutionary psychology to suggest an alternative psychological foundation for a general behavioral theory of negotiation. Such a theory would not be wedded to the particular institutional structure of collective bargaining. It may begin to synthesize the empirical regularities regarding different aspects of negotiation that have been discovered since the work of Walton and McKersie.
Hints: is it better to give or wait to be asked?

Many tutoring systems allow students to ask for hints when they need help solving problems, and this has been shown to be helpful. However, many students have trouble knowing when to ask for help or they prefer to guess rather than ask for and read a hint. Is it better to give a hint when a student makes an error or wait until the student asks for a hint? This paper describes a study that compares giving hints proactively when students make errors to requiring students to ask for a hint when they want one. We found that students learned reliably more with hints-on-demand than proactive hints. This effect was especially evident for students who tend to ask for a high number of hints. There was not a significant difference between the two conditions for students who did not ask for many hints.
Truancy Prosecutions of Students and the Right [To] Education

Nationally, the high volume of prosecutions of students for truancy has constituted a perennial low visibility corner of the juvenile system. Rarely represented by counsel, students who are convicted often suffer serious sanctions, including incarceration, fines, unachievable conditions of probation, loss of driving privileges, and other burdensome restrictions. Although the process of truancy prosecutions differs state-by-state, and often court-by-court, the transparency and legality of these systems is subject to several on-going legal challenges asserting that, as a constitutional matter, the rule of law - embodying fairness, consistency, and the right to be heard - is systematically abused in truancy courts. This article constructs a right to education that students can assert in truancy prosecutions or in systemic challenges to truancy systems. This right is based largely on state education constitutional provisions (the bases for the decades old legal campaigns to assure students adequate educational opportunities), state schemes that attempt to place heavy burdens on school systems meaningfully to justify filing truancy prosecutions, and on a Fourteenth Amendment right to “treatment.” The model for the right is rooted in the intensive, individual services guaranteed to students with disabilities under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The article concludes with a call to decriminalize truancy for students.