cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drivers of routine immunization coverage improvement in Africa: findings from district-level case studies

There is limited understanding of why routine immunization (RI) coverage improves in some settings in Africa and not in others. Using a grounded theory approach, we conducted in-depth case studies to understand pathways to coverage improvement by comparing immunization programme experience in 12 districts in three countries (Ethiopia, Cameroon and Ghana). Drawing on positive deviance or assets model techniques we compared the experience of districts where diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis (DTP3)/pentavalent3 (Penta3) coverage improved with districts where DTP3/Penta3 coverage remained unchanged (or steady) over the same period, focusing on basic readiness to deliver immunization services and drivers of coverage improvement. The results informed a model for immunization coverage improvement that emphasizes the dynamics of immunization systems at district level. In all districts, whether improving or steady, we found that a set of basic RI system resources were in place from 2006 to 2010 and did not observe major differences in infrastructure. We found that the differences in coverage trends were due to factors other than basic RI system capacity or service readiness. We identified six common drivers of RI coverage performance improvement—four direct drivers and two enabling drivers—that were present in well-performing districts and weaker or absent in steady coverage districts, and map the pathways from driver to improved supply, demand and coverage. Findings emphasize the critical role of implementation strategies and the need for locally skilled managers that are capable of tailoring strategies to specific settings and community needs. The case studies are unique in their focus on the positive drivers of change and the identification of pathways to coverage improvement, an approach that should be considered in future studies and routine assessments of district-level immunization system performance.
North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment: From Prehistory to the Present

North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment: From Prehistory to the Present. Lois Sherr Dubin. New York: Harry N. Abrams. 1999 608 pp.
PIST: a novel PDZ/coiled-coil domain binding partner for the rho-family GTPase TC10.

TC10 is a member of the Rho family of GTPases, most closely related to Cdc42. This family of proteins mediates cytoskeletal rearrangements, activation of signal transduction cascades, and activation of gene transcription. A current focus is to identify and characterize the GTPase effectors that are involved in these cellular events. Many specific effectors for Cdc42 have been identified, most of which bind equally well to TC10, though a subset has only a low affinity for TC10. No protein that specifically interacts with TC10 has yet been described. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of PIST, a TC10-specific interacting protein. PIST possesses a PDZ domain and two, putative, coiled-coil domains, one of which contains a leucine zipper. It interacts directly and specifically with TC10:GTP, though with low affinity, and a mutation within the effector binding domain of TC10 disrupts the interaction. PIST also forms homodimers. The first coiled-coil and PDZ domains are not necessary for these interactions, but deletion of the N-terminal portion of the leucine zipper abolishes dimerization. PIST may function as a scaffolding protein to link TC10 to signaling pathways.
Insect Communities Associated with Beneficial Insect Habitat Plants in North Carolina

Abstract This study recorded the arthropod communities present in three commercially available beneficial insect habitat seed mixes (Peaceful Valley’s Good Bug Blend, Clyde Robin’s Border Patrol, and Heirloom Seed’s Beneficial Insect Mix) and three commonly grown cut flower/herb plantings (Zinnia, Celosia, and fennel). Communities were sampled three ways: (1) foliar and floral collections were made using a D-Vac and aerial nets, and insects were identified to family and assigned to feeding groups; (2) pitfall traps were used to collect ground beetle and ground-dwelling spider populations; and (3) evening observations recorded visits by noctuid (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and hawk moths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) to flowers. Overall, Good Bug Blend had the highest abundance and diversity of beneficial parasitoids, predators, and ground beetles. However, along with Border Patrol, it also harbored the highest diversity and abundance of crop-feeding herbivores. The Border Patrol plantings had the highest diversit...
Adaptively Compressed Exchange Operator.

The Fock exchange operator plays a central role in modern quantum chemistry. The large computational cost associated with the Fock exchange operator hinders Hartree–Fock calculations and Kohn–Sham density functional theory calculations with hybrid exchange-correlation functionals, even for systems consisting of hundreds of atoms. We develop the adaptively compressed exchange operator (ACE) formulation, which greatly reduces the computational cost associated with the Fock exchange operator without loss of accuracy. The ACE formulation is not dependent on the size of the band gap, and thus can be applied to insulating and semiconducting systems, as well as metallic systems. In an iterative framework for solving Hartree–Fock-like systems, such as that observed in planewave-based methods, the ACE formulation only requires moderate modification of the code. The ACE formulation can also be advantageous for other types of basis sets, especially when the storage cost of the exchange operator is expensive. Numeric...
Superior Vena Cava Obstruction in Hemodialysis Patients: Symptoms, Clinical Presentation and Outcomes Compared to Other Etiologies

The incidence of superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction associated with non-malignant diseases is on the rise, and a large percentage of these patients are on hemodialysis (HD). The objective was to characterize the presentation, symptoms and outcomes of HD patients with SVC obstruction identified on computerized tomography (CT) compared to patients with other etiologies such as neoplasm. A search was performed through the PACS system using key words to identify patients with SVC obstruction. The CT scans and charts were reviewed for degree of obstruction, signs, symptoms and outcomes. Thirty-six patients were included in the study. Thirteen were on HD and of these, five had symptoms associated with SVC obstruction and one had concordant findings on physical exam. In comparison, thirteen patients with a chest neoplasm had symptoms and four had concordant findings on physical exam. On follow up, 31% of the HD patients died and of these 60% were symptomatic and died within 2 years. 29% of lung cancer patients died within 16 months. The majority of the HD patients had complete SVC obstruction (85%) as opposed to those with a chest neoplasm who mostly had partial SVC occlusion (67%). In conclusion, patients on HD with SVC obstruction are less often symptomatic than those with a neoplasm. However, these HD patients had a death rate similar to the patients with cancer. This risk seems to increase in those who are symptomatic. Diagnosis of SVC obstruction by CT in HD patients may help identify those with less favorable prognosis.
Robust Intratumor Partitioning to Identify High-Risk Subregions in Lung Cancer: A Pilot Study.

Purpose To develop an intratumor partitioning framework for identifying high-risk subregions from 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and computed tomography (CT) imaging and to test whether tumor burden associated with the high-risk subregions is prognostic of outcomes in lung cancer. Methods and Materials In this institutional review board–approved retrospective study, we analyzed the pretreatment FDG-PET and CT scans of 44 lung cancer patients treated with radiation therapy. A novel, intratumor partitioning method was developed, based on a 2-stage clustering process: first at the patient level, each tumor was over-segmented into many superpixels by k-means clustering of integrated PET and CT images; next, tumor subregions were identified by merging previously defined superpixels via population-level hierarchical clustering. The volume associated with each of the subregions was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis regarding its prognostic capability in predicting overall survival (OS) and out-of-field progression (OFP). Results Three spatially distinct subregions were identified within each tumor that were highly robust to uncertainty in PET/CT co-registration. Among these, the volume of the most metabolically active and metabolically heterogeneous solid component of the tumor was predictive of OS and OFP on the entire cohort, with a concordance index or CI of 0.66-0.67. When restricting the analysis to patients with stage III disease (n=32), the same subregion achieved an even higher CI of 0.75 (hazard ratio 3.93, log-rank P =.002) for predicting OS, and a CI of 0.76 (hazard ratio 4.84, log-rank P =.002) for predicting OFP. In comparison, conventional imaging markers, including tumor volume, maximum standardized uptake value, and metabolic tumor volume using threshold of 50% standardized uptake value maximum, were not predictive of OS or OFP, with CI mostly below 0.60 (log-rank P >.05). Conclusion We propose a robust intratumor partitioning method to identify clinically relevant, high-risk subregions in lung cancer. We envision that this approach will be applicable to identifying useful imaging biomarkers in many cancer types.
Detecting Autoantibodies to Small Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins: Comparison of Three Methods

Three techniques were compared for the analysis of autoantibodies to two small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs): the Smith antigen (Sm) and ribonucleoprotein (RNP). Hemagglutination, immunodiffusion, and immunoblotting methods were used to analyze serum specimens from 5,000 patients for autoantibodies to extractable nuclear antigen (ENA), Sm, RNP, and small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) polypeptides. Hemagglutination was the most sensitive test of the three, showing positive results in 510 (10%) specimens. The three methods showed good correlation, with some exceptions. Immunoblotting was a sensitive, specific method for detecting autoantibodies to specific snRNP polypeptides. The immunodiffusion test was less sensitive and may not detect low-titer autoantibodies to the Sm antigen. Although the hemagglutination test was extremely sensitive, the specificity of anti-ENA antibodies often cannot be determined when the titer is less than 1:128.
Synthesizing Psychoanalytic and Biological Approaches to Trauma: Some Theoretical Proposals

This paper offers some theoretical possibilities for synthesizing psychoanalytic and neurobiological approaches to understanding the effects of severe psychic trauma. The paper argues that biological and psychoanalytic perspectives can enrich and enhance each other in our attempt to understand and ameliorate the damaging consequences of trauma. The findings of biological researchers and the observations of psychoanalysts are integrated, as they apply to two functions that are damaged by trauma: the capacity for representation and the capacity for self-regulation. These capacities are interdependent and interactive. Disrupting either will affect the other. The combined result of this disruption can profoundly alter subjective experience. The paper discusses how helping patients to symbolize traumatic experiences, affect, and other mental states and helping patients regulate physiology and affect through nonverbal, affect-regulating interactions, and through the use of medication, lead to an improved capaci...
An Experimental Investigation of Density Gradient Fluctuations in High-Speed Jets Using Optical Deflectometry

*† ‡ An optical deflectometry system is used to provide both qualitative and quantitative flowfield analyses in the jet shear layers exhausted from beveled and circular nozzles. Experiments are conducted for pure air jets as well as helium/air mixture jets (to simulate the properties of heated jets) at subsonic and supersonic Mach numbers. Applying this nonintrusive technique to obtain measurements detailing the level of correlation, spectral content, and convection velocity in jet flows is especially important to better understand the physical mechanisms associated with the turbulence large-scale structures that develop in the jet plume. Schlieren images and deflectometry measurements show good agreement with data from the literature for the pure air jet cases. However, helium/air mixture jets display much lower levels of correlation and little evidence of large-scale structures in the measured spectra. Convection velocities with helium addition are also significantly reduced. These results are being addressed with ongoing experiments. Finally, density gradient fluctuation signals acquired across the jet shear layer for supersonic, cold cases exhibit skewness variations that show some consistency with the vortex-street pattern suggested by Lau and Fisher for subsonic jets.
Translational advances in reflectance confocal microscopy of skin cancer: machine learning-based image classification, and tumor mapping in shave biopsy wounds

Translational advances in reflectance confocal microscopy of skin cancers include automated methods to localize the dermo-epidermal junction, and imaging of residual tumor with a contrast agent in shave biopsy wounds toward intra-operative mapping. Article not available.
Endoscopic treatment of colonic diverticular bleeding using an over-the-scope clip

A 73-year-old woman who was receiving dual antiplatelet therapy (acetylsalicylic acid and prasugrel) after coronary stenting presented with severe hematochezia. Immediate colonoscopy without bowel preparation, using a CF-HQ190I colonoscope (Olympus Medical Systems, Tokyo, Japan) with a transparent cap (D-20114304, Olympus), revealed active and sustained bleeding from a diverticulum in the sigmoid colon (●" Fig.1a). After the bleeding site had been marked with an endoclip (●" Fig.1b), the colonoscope was removed. An over-the-scope clip (OTSC system set 12/6t, length 1650mm; Ovesco Endoscopy, Tubingen, Germany) was attached onto a gastroscope (GIF-1TQ160; Olympus), which was then reinserted. This change of scope was necessary because of the scope diameter needed for the OTSC system. The bleeding diverticulum was suctioned into the transparent cap of the OTSC system and the clip was released, which led to immediate cessation of the bleeding (●" Fig.1c; ●" Video 1). The procedure time was 15 minutes and the patient’s further course was uneventful. Diverticular bleeding is the most common cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). The identification of a bleeding diverticulum as the source is possible in about 20% of cases and makes endoscopic therapy possible [1]. Several endoscopic treatment methods, such as epinephrine injection, coagulation therapy, clipping, or band ligation, have been used. Treatment failures, complications, and episodes of rebleeding have been reported for all of these techniques and the ideal treatment method has not yet been defined [1–3]. The OTSC system has been developed for closure of perforations, leaks, and fistulas. Recently OTSCs have also been shown to be a highly effective treatment option for patients with severe GIB as a rescue therapy, but also for first-line treatment. Data are mainly restricted to nonvariceal upper GIB with limited data available on lower GIB [4]. Only a few case reports have described the use of OTSCs for diverticular bleeding in the duodenum and the colon [4,5]. Our case demonstrates that the OTSC system is an effective and easy-tohandle first-line treatment for severe colonic diverticular hemorrhage.
Design and Simulation of PID Neural Network Controller in Oilfield Sewage Water Treatment System

In oilfield sewage water treatment system, it is difficult to meet the process requirements with traditional feedlorward + feedback controlling system. For this reason, a PID neural network controller is designed, of which by combining neural network with PID controller, the PID neural network controller has the advantages of simple structure, clear physical meanings of parameters, as well as tile functions of self-learning and self-adapting of the neural networks, which would meet the controlling requirements of the sewage treatment system.
Clinical Significance of Cerebrospinal Fluid Bilirubin and Craniocerebral Magnetic Resonance Imaging Measurements in Newborns with Bilirubin Encephalopathy

Objective To explore the clinical significance of changes in cerebrospinal fluid bilirubin levels and craniocerebral magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)features in newborns with bilirubin encephalopathy. Methods Total bilirubin levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid were determined using vanadate oxidation method with automatic biochemical analyzer in 44 newborns with bilirubin encephalopathy(bilirubin encephalopathy group)and 79 newborns without bilirubin enceph-alopathy(non-bilirubin encephalopathy group).In addition,craniocerebral MRI was performed in both groups.Results Total bilirubin levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid in bilirubin encephalopathy group were significantly higher than those in non-bilirubin encephalopathy group(P0.01).In bilirubin encephalopathy group,MRI showed symmetrical high signal intensity in the globus pallidus on T1WI in 33newborns,abnormal signal in lateral side of posterior limb of internal capsule in the right basal ganglion region in 1 newborn,high signal intensity in the head of the right caudate nucleus on T1WI in 1newborn, abnormal signal in the lateral ventricle in 3 newborns,abnormal signal in the bilateral frontal lobes in 1 newborn, short T1T2signal in the torcular herophili in 1 newborn,and normal signal in 4newborns. In non-bilirubin encephalopathy group,MRI showed symmetrical high signal intensity in the globus pallidus on T1WI in 3 newborns, abnormal signal in the right side of top occipital in 1 newborn,and normal signal in 75 newborns. The incidence of symmetrical high T1WI signal intensity in the globus pallidus in bilirubin encephalopathy group was significantly higher than that in non-bilirubin encephalopathy group(P 0.01).Conclusion Cerebrospinal fluid bilirubin can be used as a reliable indicator for the early diagnosis of bilirubin encephalopathy. The symmetrical high signal intensity in the globus pallidus on T1WI is the main feature of bilirubin encephalopathy in newborns. Regular follow-up and early intervention treatment should be performed in newborns with bilirubin enceph-alopathy.
Increased Prevalence of Moderate and Severe Peripheral Arterial Disease in the American Indian (AI)/Alaskan Native (AN) Population; a Study of 96,000 AI/AN.

Background Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) disproportionally affects racial groups in the United States. Few studies have analyzed the rates of PAD in the American Indian (AI)/Alaskan Native (AN) population. In this article, we compare the prevalence of PAD in the AI/AN as compared with white and nonwhite Americans. Methods The study data were provided by Life Line Screening (Independence, OH). The cohort consists of self-referred individuals who paid for vascular screening tests. Mild-to-moderate and severe PAD were defined as having an ankle-brachial index (ABI) in at least one extremity of Results The original sample for which this study was obtained included 3,444,272 people. Of this group there was a predominance of females 64.5% (2,221,555) compared with 35.5% (1,222,716) males. The Native American/AN population was 2.8% of the sample (96,440). In our univariate analysis AI/AN had the highest rates of mild–moderate and severe PAD when compared with whites (odds ratio [OR] 1.78 and 2.14, respectively) and nonwhites (OR 1.52 and 1.82, respectively). We then controlled for atherosclerotic risk factors in our multivariate analysis, and the AI/NA cohort had persistently higher rates of both moderate and severe PAD compared with whites (OR 1.32 and 1.40) but not compared with nonwhites (OR 0.95 and 0.92). Conclusions Here we present the largest epidemiology study of PAD in AI/AN to date. AI/NA people have disproportionately high rates of both mild to-moderate and severe PAD when compared with whites and nonwhite Americans. After controlling for atherosclerotic risk factors the rates of PAD remain high for AI/NA when compared with whites but not when compared with nonwhites. While it is possible that a combination of diet and lifestyle choices are responsible for the high rates of PAD in this population, genetic factors may be involved as well, and deserve further investigation. Optimal medical management may help to prevent the complications of PAD in this patient population.
Genomics of Ovarian Cancer Progression Reveals Diverse Metastatic Trajectories Including Intraepithelial Metastasis to the Fallopian Tube.

Accumulating evidence has supported the fallopian tube rather than the ovary as the origin for high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). To understand the relationship between putative precursor lesions and metastatic tumors, we performed whole-exome sequencing on specimens from eight HGSOC patient progression series consisting of serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas (STIC), invasive fallopian tube lesions, invasive ovarian lesions, and omental metastases. Integration of copy number and somatic mutations revealed patient-specific patterns with similar mutational signatures and copy-number variation profiles across all anatomic sites, suggesting that genomic instability is an early event in HGSOC. Phylogenetic analyses supported STIC as precursor lesions in half of our patient cohort, but also identified STIC as metastases in 2 patients. Ex vivo assays revealed that HGSOC spheroids can implant in the fallopian tube epithelium and mimic STIC lesions. That STIC may represent metastases calls into question the assumption that STIC are always indicative of primary fallopian tube cancers. Significance: We find that the putative precursor lesions for HGSOC, STIC, possess most of the genomic aberrations present in advanced cancers. In addition, a proportion of STIC represent intraepithelial metastases to the fallopian tube rather than the origin of HGSOC. Cancer Discov; 6(12); 1342–51. ©2016 AACR. See related commentary by Swisher et al., p. 1309. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1293
Number of Equivalent Stress Cycles for Liquefaction Evaluations in Active Tectonic and Stable Continental Regimes

AbstractThe number of equivalent cycles (neq) concept plays an important role in geotechnical earthquake engineering and underlies the accounting for ground-motion duration in simplified liquefacti...
What makes a good pediatric transplant lung: Insights from in vivo lung morphometry with hyperpolarized 3 He magnetic resonance imaging.

Obtaining information on transplanted lung microstructure is an important part of the current care for monitoring transplant recipients. However, until now this information was only available from invasive lung biopsy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of an innovative non-invasive technique, in vivo lung morphometry with hyperpolarized ³He MRI—to characterize lung microstructure in the pediatric lung transplant population. This technique yields quantitative measurements of acinar airways’ (alveolar ducts and sacs) parameters, such as acinar airway radii and alveolar depth. Six pediatric lung transplant recipients with cystic fibrosis underwent in vivo lung morphometry MRI, pulmonary function testing, and quantitative CT. We found a strong correlation between lung lifespan and alveolar depth—patients with more shallow alveoli were likely to have a negative outcome sooner than those with larger alveolar depth. Combining morphometric results with CT, we also determined mean alveolar wall thickness and found substantial increases in this parameter in some patients that negatively correlated with DLCO. In vivo lung morphometry uniquely provides previously unavailable information on lung microstructure that may be predictive of a negative outcome and has a potential to aid in lung selection for transplantation.
The Bantu Authorities System: Removals in Mthunzini District during Apartheid

In Mthunzini district, KwaZulu, the apartheid system of Bantu Authorities (BA), created by the Bantu Authorities Act No. 68 of 1951 and enhanced by the Promotion of Bantu Self-Government Act No. 46 of 1959, played a decisive role in forced removals. Each removal involved Commissioners and traditional rulers in this collaborative system responsible for the implementation of separate development. It is generally accepted that the system of Bantu Authorities was the mechanism that gave apartheid control in the rural areas, and, with the required listing of homeland citizenship on reference books, indirect control in the urban areas. Except for the studies of Ivan Evans and Robert McIntosh, which engage with the bureaucracy of the Department of Bantu Administration and Development, scant literature exists on the administrative aspects of the system of Bantu Authorities, although there have been studies of the system’s effect on the supply of labour. To fill this gap, this article seeks to explore the system o...
The role of pregnancy health problems on maternal smoking behaviours

ABSTRACTTo explore the effects of pregnancy health problems (PHPs) on smoking behaviours during and after pregnancy (‘smoking-inducing’ effect), we estimate a two-period model that jointly determines prenatal and postnatal smoking decisions, taking into consideration the presence of PHPs. While PHPs are likely to reduce prenatal (except for heavy smokers) and postnatal smoking propensity, we still observe considerable postnatal relapse in the sample, which can be attributed to smoking addiction, as well as information asymmetries and maternal stress associated with PHPs. Thus, we advocate for smoking cessation policies and programmes throughout and beyond pregnancy to avoid potential intertemporal substitution between prenatal and postnatal cigarette consumption.
Intracarotid amobarbital disrupts synchronous and nested oscillatory activity ipsilateral to injection.

Abstract The mechanism of amobarbital action during the intracarotid amobarbital procedure is poorly understood. We report a patient case who underwent IAP while implanted with bilateral stereo-EEG. We analyzed the spectral power, phase amplitude coupling, and cluster-phase group synchrony during the procedure. Delta and gamma power increased bilaterally. By contrast, phase amplitude coupling increased only ipsilateral to the injection. Similarly, 4–30 Hz cluster-phase group synchrony declines and gamma cluster-phase group synchrony increases only ipsilateral to the injection. These results suggest that a possible additional mechanism for amobarbital action in the IAP is by altering the precise timing of oscillatory activity.
Research on Health Services Management: The Search for Structure

Health services management research (HSMR) has been described as an iterative process, which compiles data, generates pertinent managerial information, and influences the delivery of health care services. This field of inquiry examines the effects of organization, financing, management, and market forces on the performance of health care organizations in the delivery, quality and cost of, access to, and outcomes of health services. The inquiry encompasses a variety of disciplines: social and behavioral sciences, statistics, economics, sociology, political science, anthropology, psychology, operations research, epidemiology, and biostatistics, as well as medicine and nursing. Responsibilities of HSMR include: 1. Collection and diffusion of health care information and statistics. 2. Design, development, and evaluation of new health services systems and processes. 3. Improvement of health services through quality assessment, improvement and management. 4. Research and theory building in management. 5. Policy impact analysis.
Variation in Mate Fidelity in Monogamous Birds

Ornithologists recently have devoted considerable attention to avian mating systems. However, the primary focus of both theoretical papers and field studies has been on the exceptional systems and species, namely the various forms of polygamy and cooperative breeding. Monogamy, the predominant avian mating system (Lack, 1968), and “typical” monogamous species have received comparatively little attention, especially in the theoretical papers. Exceptions to the above are the many studies of monogamous colonial birds, the recent paper by Wittenberger and Tilson (1980) on the evolution of monogamy, the review of avian mating systems by Oring (1982), and two reviews of extrapair copulations in monogamous species (Gladstone, 1979; McKinney et al., in press). The purpose of this review is to extend our knowledge of monogamous birds by examining the extent to which individuals of monogamous species practice various strategies of mate infidelity as a means to increase their reproductive success.
Structure of the Human cGAS-DNA Complex Reveals Enhanced Control of Immune Surveillance.

Summary Cyclic GMP–AMP synthase (cGAS) recognition of cytosolic DNA is critical for immune responses to pathogen replication, cellular stress, and cancer. Existing structures of the mouse cGAS–DNA complex provide a model for enzyme activation but do not explain why human cGAS exhibits severely reduced levels of cyclic GMP–AMP (cGAMP) synthesis compared to other mammals. Here, we discover that enhanced DNA-length specificity restrains human cGAS activation. Using reconstitution of cGAMP signaling in bacteria, we mapped the determinant of human cGAS regulation to two amino acid substitutions in the DNA-binding surface. Human-specific substitutions are necessary and sufficient to direct preferential detection of long DNA. Crystal structures reveal why removal of human substitutions relaxes DNA-length specificity and explain how human-specific DNA interactions favor cGAS oligomerization. These results define how DNA-sensing in humans adapted for enhanced specificity and provide a model of the active human cGAS–DNA complex to enable structure-guided design of cGAS therapeutics.
Influence of Isolation Condensers on Boiling Water Reactor Performance During an Anticipated Transient Without Scram

The purpose of isolation condensers (ICs) in a boiling water reactor (BWR) is to passively control the reactor pressure by removing heat from the system during abnormal reactor operation. This type of control is expected to reduce the frequency of opening and closing of the safety relief valves (SRVs). In addition, the ICs are designed to remove the decay heat of the reactor system after reactor shutdown in case of a loss of coolant accident. Transient calculations of an anticipated transient without scram for a main steam isolation valve (MSIV) closure event were performed using the RAMONA-4B code with prescribed pressure setpoints for the SRVs and given time settings for the MSIV closure. It is demonstrated that the effect of the ICs is to reduce the rate of pressure rise and thereby decrease the cycling frequency of the SRVs. The onset of high-pressure coolant injection is delayed if an IC is functional. An analysis for natural circulation flow in a BWR indicates that the effect of an IC on the transient performance is similar to that for the forced circulation system. In this case, the MSIV closure results in a lower peak pressure because of the lower power level
Glycemic control and 10-year odds of all-cause fractures in elderly veterans with type 2 diabetes.

Abstract Aims To investigate the relationship of average level of glycemic control and fractures in elderly Veterans. Methods Retrospective cohort of Veterans (age ≥65) grouped as follows: no diabetes, HbA1c ≤7.0% [≤53 mmol/mol], HbA1c 7.1–8.0% [54–64 mmol/mol], HbA1c 8.1–9.0% [65–75 mmol/mol], and HbA1c >9% [>75 mmol/mol]. Data from January 1, 2010 – January 1, 2017 from the Veteran’s Affairs Corporate Data Warehouse was analyzed using Chi-square and Cox regression analysis. Results 3434 fractures occurred from the 36,744 Veterans included. The fracture incidences were 14.4, 11.7, 7.9, 8.2, and 10.8 events per 1000 patient years and the hazard ratios were 1.233 (1.130–1.345); p 9% [>75 mmol/mol] groups after accounting for covariates in the final model. Conclusion In elderly Veterans with type 2 diabetes the average HbA1c 7.1–8.0% [54–64 mmol/mol], and 8.1–9% [65–75 mmol/mol] have the lowest fracture incidence and those without diabetes showing the highest incidence rate; however, due to the overall low rate of fracture, the absolute difference in incidence of fracture was very small at 2–5 per 1000 patient years. Beyond limiting the risk factors identified these results don’t support altering diabetes treatment goals to reduce fracture risk.
An agro-economic approach to framing perennial farm-scale water resources demand management for water rights markets.

Abstract Water rights and corresponding markets work to address water scarcity by establishing tradable, limited-access permits to water resources. Under certain water rights law, rights holders face uncertainty in terms of right allocation value, which is set annually based on reservoir storage, expected inflow, and expected future conditions. Such is the case in the Elqui Valley, Chile, where the economy is driven by agriculture, which requires water rights to ensure profitable yields due to a mismatch between the season of precipitation (May-August) and growing season (September-April). Perennial crop farmers address allocation uncertainty by securing additional water. A farm-scale agro-economic demand modelling framework is developed which utilizes the temporary transferability of rights to describe how grape famers may engage optimally in water markets to maximize annual profits (2000–2015), and produces an upper bound on grape farmer price negotiation space for desired allocation transactions. The results show grape farmers holding 1.0 and 2.25 water rights per-hectare could increase expected profits by 98% and 27%, respectively by engaging optimally in the temporary water market. Over the period evaluated, a grape farmer holding a single water right may expect to engage in market activity 80% of years; two rights require farmers to engage during 30% of years; with seven rights market engagement is avoided. The broader insights of the research suggest where rights holders accurately assess the value of water, optimal engagement strategies can be developed that add to farm-scale profitability, and act as an assessment of whether existing rights ownership matches risk tolerance.
Daily variation in post traumatic stress symptoms in individuals with and without probable post traumatic stress disorder

Little is known about the extent to which post traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) vary from day to day in individuals with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examined the variation of PTSS by day of the week, and whether daily or day of week variation differs between individuals with and without probable PTSD. Subjects (N = 80) were assessed for probable PTSD at enrollment. Using an ecological momentary assessment methodology, PTSS were assessed four times daily by self-report for 15 days. Linear mixed models were used to assess the relationship of PTSS and day of the week. PTSS varied across the seven days of the week among participants with PTSD (p = .007) but not among those without PTSD (p = .559). Among those with PTSD, PTSS were lowest on Saturday. PTSS were higher on weekdays (Monday through Friday) versus weekends (Saturday and Sunday) in those with PTSD (p = .001) but there were no weekday/weekend differences among those without PTSD (p = .144). These variations were not explained by sleep medication, caffeine or alcohol use. Among individuals with probable PTSD, post traumatic stress symptoms vary by the day of the week, with more symptoms on weekdays compared to weekends. Determination of the factors associated with the daily variation in PTSD symptoms may be important for further developing treatments for PTSD.
Bursting the Filter Bubble: Fairness-Aware Network Link Prediction

Link prediction is an important task in online social networking as it can be used to infer new or previously unknown relationships of a network. However, due to the homophily principle, current algorithms are susceptible to promoting links that may lead to increase segregation of the network—an effect known as filter bubble. In this study, we examine the filter bubble problem from the perspective of algorithm fairness and introduce a dyadic-level fairness criterion based on network modularity measure. We show how the criterion can be utilized as a postprocessing step to generate more heterogeneous links in order to overcome the filter bubble problem. In addition, we also present a novel framework that combines adversarial network representation learning with supervised link prediction to alleviate the filter bubble problem. Experimental results conducted on several real-world datasets showed the effectiveness of the proposed methods compared to other baseline approaches, which include conventional link prediction and fairness-aware methods for i.i.d data.
Integration of Graphene Electrodes with 3D Skeletal Muscle Tissue Models

Integration of conductive electrodes with 3D tissue models can have great potential for applications in bioelectronics, drug screening, and implantable devices. As conventional electrodes cannot be easily integrated on 3D, polymeric, and biocompatible substrates, alternatives are highly desirable. Graphene offers significant advantages over conventional electrodes due to its mechanical flexibility and robustness, biocompatibility, and electrical properties. However, the transfer of chemical vapor deposition graphene onto millimeter scale 3D structures is challenging using conventional wet graphene transfer methods with a rigid poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) supportive layer. Here, a biocompatible 3D graphene transfer method onto 3D printed structure using a soft poly ethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) supportive layer to integrate the graphene layer with a 3D engineered ring of skeletal muscle tissue is reported. The use of softer PEGDA supportive layer, with a 105 times lower Young's modulus compared to PMMA, results in conformal integration of the graphene with 3D printed pillars and allows electrical stimulation and actuation of the muscle ring with various applied voltages and frequencies. The graphene integration method can be applied to many 3D tissue models and be used as a platform for electrical interfaces to 3D biological tissue system.
Gender Stereotypes in Professor-Student Interactions

While third-party evaluators' gender biases have been shown to exacerbate labor market inequities, the role of gender stereotypes in subtly shaping interactions between students and their teachers and mentors remains largely unexplored outside of laboratories. In this study, I analyze a novel dataset of more than 1.2 million student evaluations written by UC Santa Cruz professors spanning 1965-1979 and 1999-2009, combined with detailed student transcript records, to identify professors' gender stereotypes and estimate their impact on students' educational decisions. I estimate each evaluation's genderedness by comparing the adjectives and adverbs used to describe different-gendered students who received the same letter grade in the same class, and characterize professors by the degree to which they tend to employ more male- and female-valence vocabulary in describing male and female students (G). I then exploit plausibly-random professor assignments to students' first-quarter courses to quantify small but precisely-estimated effects of high-G professors on their students: students who take courses with high-G professors become more likely to take additional courses with that professor, take more courses in that field, and are more likely to earn a major in that field. These findings are highly robust to alternative specifications; persist in the presence of additional covariates measuring professors' gender, evaluative positivity, explicit gender bias, and attentiveness to students; and exhibit minimal heterogeneity by discipline, time, or other characteristics. The results suggest that both male and female students are encouraged by teachers whose presentation of constructive feedback adapts to the student's gender.
Are pre- and postoperative true translational and angular displacement predictive of nonunion after intramedullary nail fixation of tibial shaft fractures?

To determine if there is an association between pre-/postoperative translational and angular displacement with nonunion after intramedullary nail (IMN) fixation of tibial shaft fractures. Retrospective review of 120 patients with tibial shaft fractures undergoing IMN at an urban level-one trauma center was performed. Demographics, injury characteristics, and pre-/postoperative translational and angular fracture displacement in the coronal and sagittal planes were recorded. True fracture translational and angular displacement (TTD and TAD) were calculated by combining sagittal and coronal displacement utilizing the Pythagorean theorem. 10.8% of patients (n = 13) developed nonunion with remaining patients serving as the control. Groups were similar across age, sex, and BMI. Univariate analysis revealed no difference in pre-/postoperative TAD between nonunion and union groups and an increased preoperative TTD (median difference (MD): 6.2 mm, CI: 1.4–10.8 mm) and postoperative TTD (MD: 1.8 mm, CI: 0–3.7 mm) in the nonunion group. On multivariate analysis, however, only tobacco use and type 2 or 3 open fractures were associated with nonunion (OR: 5.1, CI: 1.2–22.8 and OR: 4.9, CI: 1.2–19.2, respectively). True translational and angular displacement of tibial shaft fractures before and after IMN fixation were not independently associated with nonunion. Tobacco use and type 2 or 3 open fracture are independent factors for nonunion.
Plasma etch endpoint via interferometric imaging

We describe a full wafer interferometric imaging technique to provide spatial and time resolved etch rate and endpoint information in plasma etch processes. We discuss models and simulations of key effects and non-idealities that complicate the estimation of etch rate and endpoint via interferometry signals. These include multilayer structures, patterned areas, steps in underlying films, transition layers between films, index of refraction dependencies, and etched film uniformity. A series of full wafer images for the etching of 5100 /spl Aring/ thick polysilicon test patterns over 1100 /spl Aring/, 450 /spl Aring/, 250 /spl Aring/, and 120 /spl Aring/ oxide were collected using a high resolution CCD camera operating at 1.5 Hz. We demonstrate that, with adequate models of these effects, etch rate and time-to-endpoint as a function of spatial position can indeed be extracted. Full wafer interferometric imaging enables the control of plasma endpoint based on new criteria, including clearing at sets of specific locations or percentage wafer cleared. Future applications include in-situ control of plasma etch rate uniformity.
Tools for Computer-Aided Design of Experiments

Computer packages have long been available to aid in the analysis of data. Only recently has the value of the computer in the data collection phase been recognized. This recognition has led to a proliferation of programs for the design of experiments. I..
RSVP: Remote Sensing Visualization Platform for Data Fusion

Remote sensing involves the acquisition of data in terms of images, point clouds and so on. One of the major challenges with remote sensing datasets is managing and understanding the massive amounts of data that is collected. In many instances, scientists acquire data for the same region using varied sensing devices. Scientists would like to fuse and examine this data acquired from different sensing devices to further explore the region under investigation. Immersive visualization has emerged as an ideal solution for three-dimensional exploration of multimodal remote sensing data. The ability to manipulate data interactively in true 3D (using stereo) with interfaces designed specifically for the immersive environment can significantly speed up the exploration process. We have developed a visualization platform that facilitates the fusion of multiple modalities of remote sensing data and allows a scientist to learn more about the data obtained from different sensing devices. It is currently being used in research labs at Idaho State University and at the Idaho National Labs.
Perceptions of Caregiving Role by Son's Caring for a Parent with Alzheimer's Disease

In this qualitative study, 18 sons were interviewed about the factors that led them to assume the role of primary caregiver for a parent with progressive memory loss, such as Alzheimer's disease, a...
Knowledge Acquisition on Neural Networks

A knowledge acquisition system is implemented on the IBM PAN (Parallel Associative Networks) system. This is an iterative process that reduces the uncertainty of a body of knowledge and information at each time step and produces a convergent result which provides certainty to this body. This scheme of uncertainty management is similar to human thinking and decision making processes. The characteristics of noncrisp (or fuzzy) and multi-valued reasoning and gradual improvement of understanding are captured by a mathematically rigorous model which is implemented conveniently on a neural network processor.
Are GMO's Predictions Prescient? Using them to predict Vanguard's Mutual Fund Returns

Each month, GMO publishes on the web its predictions of the real rate of return for various asset styles over the next seven years. Its web library also retains its quarterly predictions, dating back to the end of the second quarter of 2000. I ask whether these predictions are accurate. My technique is to compare the predictions with the performance of the Vanguard mutual funds that invest in these styles.
The Accountability Implications of Presidential Campaign Tone: Hearing Campaign Appeals

The effect of campaign tone, in particular negative campaigns, have been studied extensively of late. One aspect that has been largely neglected is the effect of campaign tone on citizen understanding of a candidate's message. Citizen understanding of candidate priorities is highly consequential for both elections and post-election accountability, and is especially key to the office of the presidency. I examine the impact of campaign advertising tone on citizen understanding in the context of the 2000 presidential election. Merging data on political ads from the Wisconsin Advertising Project with individual survey data, I test whether citizens are more likely to accurately hear a positive campaign theme. The analysis provides empirical support for this benefit of positivity.
13.7 A +10dBm 2.4GHz transmitter with sub-400pW leakage and 43.7% system efficiency

Extreme energy constraints inherent in many exciting new wireless sensing applications (such as [1-3]) virtually dictate that such systems operate with extremely low duty cycles, harvesting and storing energy over long periods of time before waking up to perform brief measurement and communication tasks. However, such duty cycling only works if the sleep power of the system is less than the average power available from the power source, which may only be as much as a few nA. In this work, we present an RF transmitter designed to operate in an extremely-low-duty-cycle industrial monitoring system. The primary challenges are achieving high efficiency in the active mode while transmitting as high as +10dBm and simultaneously minimizing the leakage during the sleep mode. We address these in a +10dBm Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transmitter test-chip through 1) low voltage design (0.68V) for switching power and short-circuit power reduction, 2) extensive power gating of unused blocks and 3) a negative-V GS biasing technique for PA leakage reduction without affecting its on-performance.