cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calculation of the Magnetic Properties of Iron and Nickel by the Functional Integral Method

This talk will review the application of the functional integral method to the theory of magnetic systems from a somewhat personal point of view. Some effort is made to discuss the technical difficulties and developments and to compare alternative approaches. The strength of the method is that it provides a mathematical formalism to describe a physical model discussed in section 2. The method is formulated in section 3 and an inherent ambiguity is discussed. The role of Coulomb interactions is described. Section 4 deals briefly with the coherent potential approximation (CPA) approach to the associated problem of electron motion in random fields. Some alternative approaches are mentioned. In section 5 the results of calculations on iron and nickel are reported and in section 6 some conclusions are drawn.
RegB/RegA, A Global Redox-Responding Two-Component System

The RegB-RegA regulon from Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodobacter sphaeroides encodes proteins involved in numerous energy-generating and energy-utilizing processes such as photosynthesis, carbon fixation, nitrogen fixation, hydrogen utilization, aerobic and anaerobic respiration, denitrification, electron transport and aerotaxis. The redox signal that is detected by the membrane-bound sensor kinase, RegB, has been identified to be the ubiquinone pool in the membrane. Regulation of RegB autophosphorylation also involves a redox-active cysteine that is present in the cytosolic region of RegB. Both phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of the cognate response regulator RegA are capable of activating or repressing a variety of genes in the regulon. Highly conserved homologues of RegB and RegA have been found in a wide number of photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic bacteria with evidence suggesting that RegB/RegA have a fundamental role in the transcription of redox-regulated genes in many bacterial species.
Some Alternatives for the Public Library

The public library has more users and more money today than ever before, but it lacks a purpose. It is trying to do some things that it probably cannot do, and it is doing others that it probably should not do. At the same time, it is neglecting what may be its real opportunities. What the library needs is, first, a purpose that is both in accord with the realities of present-day city life and implied by some general principles and, second, a program that is imaginatively designed to carry its purpose into effect.
Lowered oxygen supply and calcium (Ca) accumulation in rabbit proximal tubules.

Most ischemia studies in intact animals have been performed by clamping the arteries, and there are some discrepancies as to the Ca accumulation caused by ischemia. We measured Ca contents and redox states of cytochrome aa3 (cyt aa3) in the suspension of rabbit proximal tubules to investigate a relationship between the degree of lowered oxygen supply and the degree of Ca accumulation in the tubule cells at the initial phase of hypoxic insult. “Initial phase of hypoxia” is used as the hypoxia within 30 min in the present study.
Resource Utilization and Outcomes of Medicare Recipients With Chronic Hepatitis B in the United States.

GOALS To assess the outcomes and resource utilization of chronic hepatitis B (CH-B) among Medicare beneficiaries. BACKGROUND CH-B is highly prevalent among immigrants from endemic areas. Although incidence of CH-B is stable in the United States, CH-B patients have become Medicare eligible. STUDY We used the inpatient and outpatient Medicare database (2005 to 2014). Adult patients with CH-B diagnosis were included. One-year mortality and resource utilization were assessed. Independent associations with resource utilization and mortality were determined using multivariate analysis. RESULTS Study cohort included 18,603 Medicare recipients with CH-B. Between 2005 and 2014, number of Medicare beneficiaries with CH-B increased by 4.4% annually. The proportion of beneficiaries with CH-B who were whites decreased while those who were Asians increased (P<0.05). Furthermore, 7.4% of CH-B Medicare cohort experienced decompensated cirrhosis, 2.9% hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 11.9% 1-year mortality. Although the number of inpatients with CH-B remained stable, the number of outpatient encounters increased. Annual total inpatient charges increased from $66,610 to $94,221 while these charges for outpatient increased from $9257 to $47,863. In multivariate analysis, age [odds ratio (OR), 1.05; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-1.05], male gender [OR, 1.24 (95% CI, 1.12-1.38)], decompensated cirrhosis [OR, 3.02 (95% CI, 2.63-3.48)], HCC [OR, 2.64 (95% CI, 2.10-3.32)], and higher Charlson comorbidity index [OR, 1.24 (95% CI, 1.21-1.27)] were independently associated with increased 1-year mortality. HCC and higher Charlson comorbidity index were also associated with higher inpatient and outpatient charges, and inpatient length of stay (all P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS CH-B infection has been rising in Medicare population and is responsible for significant mortality and resource utilization.
Modeling and Performance Analysis for Service Function Chaining in the SDN/NFV Architecture

Service function chaining (SFC) in the SDN/NFV architecture offers a flexible approach to end-to-end service provisioning in future networks. Analysis on the quality of service (QoS) guaranteed by SFC becomes an important research topic. The resource abstraction and dynamic elastic service provisioning enabled by SDN/NFV bring in new challenges to SFC performance evaluation that have not been fully addressed by existing approaches. In order to face such challenges, a novel modeling and analysis method is proposed in this paper for evaluating end-to-end service performance of SFC in the SDN/NFV architecture. Application of network calculus-based techniques in this paper makes the proposed modeling and analysis method agnostic to VNF implementations and adaptive to service capacity scaling; thus applicable to performance evaluation of SFC in SDN/NFV for dynamic elastic service provisioning.
Point of Care Testing Using Remote Dielectric Sensing Reduces Heart Failure Readmission

Introduction One strategy to reduce 30-day hospital readmission is to provide outpatient follow up to all heart failure patients in a dedicated clinic within 7 days of discharge. We hypothesized that the use of remote dielectric sensing (ReDS) technology to measure percent lung water volume in this setting would improve diuretic dosing and further reduce heart failure readmission. Methods Heart failure patients cared for in rapid follow-up (RFU) clinic staffed by a nurse practitioner (NP) with indirect physician oversight had a standard assessment including vital signs, electrocardiogram and basic chemistry analysis. Additionally, a trained NP properly fitted the ReDS system and obtained lung fluid readings. Diuretics were adjusted based upon these readings: 46% = consider outpatient intravenous loop diuretic infusion or hospitalization. Results Over a 6-month period, 209 patients were scheduled for RFU. Of these, 178 patients were seen and completed follow up. Twenty-seven patients (15.2%) were re-hospitalized within 30-days for any cause as compared to 7/31 (22.6%) of those who failed to keep their appointments. A total of 56/178 (31.5%) of RFU patients had successful ReDS readings. The usual time to obtain a reading was 3 minutes. Common reasons for not obtaining a reading included: excessive BMI, presence of an indwelling catheter, concurrent use of a LifeVest and temporary loss of wifi signal. The 30-day all-cause readmission rate for those patients managed with ReDS was 10.7% as compared to 17.2% for those managed in RFU without ReDS. Thirty-three of fifty-six (59.0%) had diuretics increased as a result of the ReDS reading. No patient received intravenous diuretic and no patient had diuretics withdrawn. Conclusions Preliminary results from this study show that early follow up in an NP clinic is associated with lower rates of 30-day all-cause re-hospitalization. The use of the ReDS system may further lower re-hospitalization rates presumably due to greater use of loop diuretics. Further experience with this point of care testing should provide insights into the frequency of congestion early after heart failure discharge, reductions in hospital readmission and the optimization of GDMT.
A Qualitative Study of Korean Men Experiencing Stress Due to Nonprestigious Hakbeol

Hakbeol refers to one’s place in a hierarchical undergraduate pedigree system in South Korea. This qualitative study explored 12 Korean men’s experiences with societal prejudices associated with no...
Projects with Underserved Communities: Case Study of an International Project-Based Service-Learning Program

AbstractMany universities are embracing service learning due to the demand by the current generation of students for these types of programs and the opportunity to provide experience with team-buil...
Direct Epoxidation of Glycals: Application of a Reiterative Strategy for the Synthesis of β-Linked Oligosaccharides.

The first general, high-yield, one-step conversion of glycals such as (I) into 1,2-anhydro sugars such as (II) is described using dimethyldioxirane as epoxidation reagent.
Operations in an Omnichannel World: Introduction

The world of retailing has changed dramatically in the past decade. Sales originating at online channels have been increasing an average 15% every year since 2010, and are expected to reach 25% of US retail sales by 2024. A much larger fraction of sales is affected by online channels in different touch points during the customer path to purchase. Omnichannel customers increasingly expect to be able to use a combination of channels in their interactions with retailers, and retailers are trying to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience across multiple touch points. This book presents state-of-the-art research in omnichannel retail from various contributing authors who are recognized field experts in this area. Readers will find a deep discussion of these issues through the lenses of operations management, emphasizing the changes in the marketing and operations interface associated with serving an omnichannel demand. This chapter serves as an introduction to the book and presents the structure of its three parts: “Omnichannel Business Models”, “Data-Driven Decisions in an Omnichannel World”, and “Case Studies in Omnichannel Retailing”.
Teaching Comparative Political Behavior in the Era of Digital Activism

As a contribution to the Teaching & Learning Symposium on Comparative Politics organized by APSA, this short article discusses the challenges in Introduction to Comparative Politics classes when co...
Temporal and spatial variation of infiltration in urban green infrastructure

Infiltration is the primary mechanism in green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) systems to reduce the runoff volume from urbanized areas. Soil hydraulic conductivity is most important in influencing GSI infiltration rates. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) is a critical parameter for GSI design and post‐construction performance. However, Ksat measurement in the field is problematic due to temporal and spatial variability and measurement errors. This review paper focuses on a comparison of methods for in‐situ Ksat measurement and the causes of temporal and spatial variations of Ksat within GSI systems. Automated infiltration testing methods, such as the Modified Philip–Dunne (MPD) and SATURO infiltrometers, show promise for efficient Ksat measurements. Soil Ksat values can change over time and substantially vary throughout a GSI, which can be attributed to multiple factors, including but not limited to temperature changes, soil composition and properties, soil compaction level, plant root morphology and distribution, biological and macrofauna activities in the soil, inflow sediment characteristics, quality of infiltrating water, and measurement errors. There is evidence that infiltration rates in vegetated urban GSI systems are sustained given an appropriate GSI design, reasonable concentration of suspended sediments in the inflow runoff, and routine maintenance procedures. These observations indicate that clogging can be counteracted by processes that tend to increase the soil hydraulic conductivity (e.g., plant root and biological activities). This self‐sustainability underlines that infiltration‐based GSI systems are a reliable long‐term stormwater management solution. Recommendations on how to incorporate the temporal changes of Ksat in GSI design and on obtaining a spatially‐representative Ksat for the GSI design are presented.
Comparison of Imputation Methods for Race and Ethnic Information in Administrative Health Data

In the United States of America where there is no national health care, All-Payer Claims Databases provide great resources to investigate and address disparities in access to, utilization, and outcomes of care. Race/ethnicity being missing, however, is a bottleneck on its usage. In most health claim databases Race/ethnicity only observed to 3-5% of the observations, causing a great missing data problem. We try to recover race/ethnicity information for incomplete observations based on studies of the (3%) complete observations. To emulate the data structure, an analysis of birth records from Connecticut is done where the race/ethnicity information is complete, in order to assess competing models performances. While the Connecticut-based full model based on logistic model proposed achieves over 80% prediction accuracy, we are interested in comparing this model performance to more complex machine learning methods and evaluate prediction. An empirical study is presented.
The Function of Pain

Various prominent theories of pain assume that it is pain’s biological function to inform organisms about damage to their bodies. I argue that this is a mistake. First, there is no biological evide...
Understanding fear of childbirth among underrepresented populations in the United States.

The purpose of this study was to expand our understanding of fear of childbirth (FOC) by examining the interplay between individual, provider, identity, and culture among women historically underre...
Engaging Theatre, Activating Publics: Theory and Practice of a Performance on Darwin

The Theatre Workshop in Science, Technology and Society (TWISTS) is a unique public engagement project. Theoretically, TWISTS seeks to activate publics around contemporary science and technology issues by producing agonistic cultural spaces in which participants are confronted with and engaged by multiple perspectives. It thus seeks to enact a model of Public Engagement with Science and Technology (PEST) that is oriented toward neither individualized educational models nor policy deliberation and consensus. Its engaged STS performance model instead merges expanded notions of expertise with challenges and techniques derived from critical performance theory, such as recentering participants, rethinking purpose and evaluation, and reworking narrative structure. Practically, TWISTS’ four existing performance cycles have been sites for both extending and challenging the theory. Using a unique system of expert interviews, writing, and theater games, these performances were collaboratively derived by a range of participants. The “Living Darwin” performance serves as a case study for exploring the tensions of this collaboration. Negotiating a set of different perspectives over the place of Darwin in contemporary life, and the proper way to represent him and his influence, was challenging, but proved productive in developing a performance that raised these issues for the audience within an agonistic space.
Machine learning for forward and inverse scattering in synthetic aperture radar

We present a study that uses machine learning to solve the forward and inverse scattering problems for synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Using a training set of known reflectivities as inputs and the resulting SAR measurements as outputs, the machine learning method produces an approximation for the sensing matrix of the forward scattering problem. Conversely, employing that same training set but with the SAR measurements used as inputs and the reflectivities as outputs, the machine learning method produces an approximate inverse of the sensing matrix. This learned approximate inverse mapping allows us to solve the inverse scattering problem as it maps SAR measurements to an estimate of the reflectivity. To interpret these results, we restrict our attention to a neural network arranged as a single, fully-connected layer. By doing so, we are able to interpret and evaluate the mappings produced by machine learning in addition to the results of those mappings. Employing a training set made up of 50,000 of the CIFAR-10 dataset as the reflectivities, we simulate SAR measurements using a physical model for the sensing matrix. With this training set of reflectivities and corresponding SAR measurements, we find that the results of machine learning accurately approximate the sensing matrix and provide a better answer to the inverse scattering problem than the standard SAR inversion formula. We also test the performance of the proposed methodology on a dataset with high resolution images while training with a lower resolution data set. The results are very promising showing again a superior performance for the learned approximate inverse mapping.
Discrepancies between brown carbon light-absorption properties retrieved from online and offline measurements

We compared the imaginary part of the refractive indices (k) of brown carbon (BrC) retrieved from online and solvent-extraction offline light-absorption measurements. BrC with variable light-absorp...
The implications of vitamin D deficiency on COVID-19 for at-risk populations.

Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to > 10 000 000 individuals in a short time. With no pharmacological agents successfully implemented to control the outbreak, the use of less invasive nonpharmacological agents, such as vitamin D, are increasingly being studied. This purpose of this article is to determine the current knowledge about the risk of COVID-19 development for populations at risk for vitamin D deficiency, including individuals living with overweight and obesity, those of older age, and racial or ethnic minorities. Despite the documented impact of vitamin D on viral disease prevention, many subgroups at risk for contracting COVID-19 are also known to have increased rates of vitamin D deficiency. Because vitamin D is most commonly obtained from sunlight, when interpreted alongside the stay-at-home orders, the importance of identifying safe approaches to obtain sufficient vitamin D is apparent. Furthermore, elucidating the cause-and-effect relationship between vitamin D and COVID-19, including optimal dosing for COVID-19 outcomes, is also warranted for immediate investigation.
Causal discovery identifies posttraumatic stress as a driver of internalizing symptoms across independent veteran and civilian populations

Background: Approximately half of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also meet criteria for internalizing disorders, yet few studies assess reciprocal longitudinal relations among these symptoms. Methods: We used longitudinal causal discovery in a veteran cohort for hypothesis-generation about PTSD and internalizing symptom drivers (n=240), followed by hypothesis-testing in two independent civilian cohorts with similar symptom assessments over time (n=79 and n=116). Results: In the veteran cohort, causal discovery revealed PTSD symptoms drove internalizing symptoms, which subsequently impacted social functioning; all independent of problematic alcohol use. This replicated in treatment-seeking anxiety disorders (AD, n = 79) and substance abuse (SA, n = 116) samples with significantly better model fit for PTSD symptoms driving internalizing symptoms, versus internalizing symptoms driving PTSD symptoms (BIC change for AD sample = 175.1, p<.001; BIC change for SA sample = 571.6, p<.001). We also found better model fit with PTSD symptoms driving anxiety symptoms, versus anxiety symptoms driving PTSD symptoms (BIC change for AD sample = 71.8, p < .001; BIC change for SA sample = 568.9, p < .001). Posthoc analysis in the veteran sample revealed that hyperarousal and cognitive and affective disturbance bridged between other PTSD symptoms and internalizing symptoms. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that internalizing symptoms that emerge in the context of PTSD are more likely to be driven by PTSD symptoms. These results highlight the need for a PTSD- and trauma-informed approach to treating internalizing symptoms, and provide preliminary evidence for cognition and mood disruption as a factor driving comorbidity.
Outcomes after Thrombectomy for Minor Stroke: A Meta-Analysis.

Purpose To determine the outcomes after mechanical thrombectomy (MT) versus medical management in patients with minor stroke symptomatology. Methods A meta-analysis was performed for studies reporting outcomes after MT, either as stand-alone therapy or with intravenous thrombolysis in patients with minor stroke and large-vessel occlusion. Results Fourteen studies with 2134 patients met the selection criteria and were included. Two studies compared immediate thrombectomy versus best medical management (with rescue thrombectomy) and the odds ratios of excellent outcomes, good outcomes, mortality and incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) after immediate thrombectomy versus best medical management were 1.07 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93–1.22%), 1.15 (95% CI 1.05–1.25), 0.65 (95% CI 0.30–1.38), and 2.89 (95% CI 0.82–10.13), respectively. Among the 8 studies that compared MT outcomes versus medical management (without thrombectomy), odds ratios of excellent outcomes, good outcomes, mortality, and incidence of sICH after MT versus medical management were 0.98 (95% CI 0.89–1.07), 0.94 (95% CI 0.89–1.00), 1.61 (95% CI 1.08–2.41), and 2.59 (95% CI 1.35–4.96), respectively. Among all 14 studies, pooled proportions of excellent outcomes, good outcomes, mortality, and sICH after thrombectomy were 58.7%, 76.2%, 6.82%, and 3.23%, respectively. Conclusions Our study shows significant selection bias and heterogeneity in the literature with differences in baseline characteristics (age, stroke severity, prestroke modified Rankin Scale score, side of infarct, vessel and site of occlusion, use of intravenous thrombolysis, criteria for clinical deterioration, and selection bias for rescue MT and rates of reperfusion), emphasizing the need for a randomized controlled trial.
Utilization of epidural volume extension technique for external cephalic version.

External cephalic version (ECV) has been successfully utilized to reduce breech presentations at term and offers an alternative to elective cesarean delivery. Unfortunately, there is not a consensu...
Intracranial Pressure Monitoring

Intracranial hypertension (IC-HTN) is a common neurologic complication in critically ill patients. Intractable IC-HTN (persistent intracranial pressure above 20–25 mmHg) can lead to death or severe neurologic damage. Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitors if placed in a timely fashion can improve mortality and neurologic outcomes. Patients who have or at risk of having IC-HTN should be considered for ICP monitor placement. This is especially true for patients where a proper neurologic exam cannot be performed due to coma (even if medically induced). Compared to the more invasive external ventricular drain (EVD), a parenchymal ICP catheter can be safely placed at the bedside with a lower rate of hemorrhagic and infectious complications. If performed correctly, these devices can be placed efficiently and safely in the ICU by Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) (i.e., physician assistants and nurse practitioners), providing the severely brain injured patients the appropriate care they need in a timely fashion.
SPME-GC–MS for the off-gassing analysis of a complex museum object

Abstract The identification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by a complex museum object, composed of materials of different nature, has been optimized by solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC–MS). The performance of two fiber coatings and four sampling times were tested and compared in order to define the best sampling conditions. The method allowed a fair extraction of volatile and semivolatile compounds emitted naturally by the object, without any type of accelerating aging. In addition, on-fiber derivatization was applied to improve the extraction efficiency and reduce the sampling time of harmful carboxylic acids emitted by the object. The results obtained are of prime importance to show the off-gassing activity of a valuable museum object in order to take further decisions related with its storage and display conditions.
Search Algorithms for Automated Hyper-Parameter Tuning.

Machine learning is a powerful method for modeling in different fields such as education. Its capability to accurately predict students' success makes it an ideal tool for decision-making tasks related to higher education. The accuracy of machine learning models depends on selecting the proper hyper-parameters. However, it is not an easy task because it requires time and expertise to tune the hyper-parameters to fit the machine learning model. In this paper, we examine the effectiveness of automated hyper-parameter tuning techniques to the realm of students' success. Therefore, we develop two automated Hyper-Parameter Optimization methods, namely grid search and random search, to assess and improve a previous study's performance. The experiment results show that applying random search and grid search on machine learning algorithms improves accuracy. We empirically show automated methods' superiority on real-world educational data (MIDFIELD) for tuning HPs of conventional machine learning classifiers. This work emphasizes the effectiveness of automated hyper-parameter optimization while applying machine learning in the education field to aid faculties, directors', or non-expert users' decisions to improve students' success.
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on emergency psychiatry-Millcreek community hospital, Erie, PA

Abstract Objective Evidence suggested that traumatic events, including pandemics, can be associated with psychiatric symptoms like increased anxiety and depression. However, there were many unknowns concerning the emergent global coronavirus-19 (COVID-19), including its impact on psychiatric health within the United States. Our study aimed to track trends of mental health problems in individuals who presented with psychiatric complaints in an emergent setting. Methods A total of 1776 patients and 1610 patients presented to Emergency Department (ED) with psychiatric complaints between January 1 – July 9 of the years of 2019 and 2020, respectively, in Millcreek Community Hospital (MCH) Erie, PA. This study was an electronic medical record review (EMR), therefore the data were collected exclusively from EMR over the two-year span. ED prevalence was calculated as the number of total psychiatric MCH ED cases divided by the total number of all MCH ED patients, and prevalence ratio (PR) between 2019 and 2020 was used to reflect change of overall ED psychiatric prevalence. Results Clinical notes revealed increased ED psychiatric chief complaint prevalence, as indicated by a PR greater than one, in multiple categories in comparison to before the COVID-19 outbreak. Concerning primary psychiatric disorders, there was increased ED prevalence in chief complaint of total mood disorders (PR = 1.21) with major depressive disorder (PR = 1.23) and bipolar disorder (PR = 1.47), neurodevelopment disorders (PR = 1.25) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (PR = 1.19) and intellectual disability (PR = 1.52), trauma- and stressor-related disorders (PR = 1.56) with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (PR = 1.39) and adjustment disorder (PR = 1.73), substance abuse and addiction disorders (PR = 1.29), and personality disorders (PR = 1.56). Conclusions The pandemic outbreak dramatically impacted mental health in an ER setting. Further research on mental health disparities in conjunction with the COVID-19 pandemic is critical to help predict and address risk for chronic symptoms and sequela to help anticipate and improve psychiatric patient care and well-being during potential future pandemics.
Self-removal of long-acting reversible contraception: A content analysis of YouTube videos.

Abstract Objective To explore publicly available information about the self-removal of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) on a popular video-sharing website. Study design We conducted a comprehensive keyword search of YouTube videos related to self-removal of LARC—namely intrauterine devices and implants. We analyzed video content to explore demographic characteristics, method and duration of LARC use, and motivations and experiences of self-removal. Results Our keyword search identified 58 videos that met the criteria for inclusion, including 48 videos that featured individuals who removed an intrauterine device and 10 who removed an implant. Collectively, videos had over 4 million views. We identified most video creators as white (53%), 31% as Black, and 14% as Latinx. Users were motivated to remove their own device by both preferences and barriers to formal care. Most individuals in our sample (n = 56/58) successfully removed their device and described their experience in positive terms related to the ease of removal. Reasons for LARC discontinuation included negative side effects, fear of potential side effects, and desire for pregnancy. Conclusion This study builds upon prior research by describing publicly available information about LARC self-removal. The over representation of Black women in our sample may reflect a higher prevalence of LARC self-removal among this population. Positive experiences of self-removal and high levels of viewer engagement with online videos suggest a need for provider counseling on LARC removal at the time of insertion. Implications Prior to LARC insertion, patients should be made aware of any financial requirements for discontinuation. Provider counseling for self-removal at the time of insertion will likely minimize health risks and affirm patient reproductive autonomy.
Effect of Peer Benchmarking on Specialist Electronic Consult Performance in a Los Angeles Safety-Net: a Cluster Randomized Trial.

Since the advent of COVID-19, accelerated adoption of systems that reduce face-to-face encounters has outpaced training and best practices. Electronic consultations (eConsults), structured communications between PCPs and specialists regarding a case, have been effective in reducing face-to-face specialist encounters. As the health system rapidly adapts to multiple new practices and communication tools, new mechanisms to measure and improve performance in this context are needed. To test whether feedback comparing physicians to top performing peers using co-specialists’ ratings improves performance. Cluster-randomized controlled trial Eighty facility-specialty clusters and 214 clinicians Providers in the feedback arms were sent messages that announced their membership in an elite group of “Top Performers” or provided actionable recommendations with feedback for providers that were “Not Top Performers.” The primary outcomes were changes in peer ratings in the following performance dimensions after feedback was received: (1) elicitation of information from primary care practitioners; (2) adherence to institutional clinical guidelines; (3) agreement with peer’s medical decision-making; (4) educational value; (5) relationship building. Specialists showed significant improvements on 3 of the 5 consultation performance dimensions: medical decision-making (odds ratio 1.52, 95% confidence interval 1.08–2.14, p<.05), educational value (1.86, 1.17–2.96) and relationship building (1.63, 1.13–2.35) (both p<.01). The pandemic has shed light on clinicians’ commitment to professionalism and service as we rapidly adapt to changing paradigms. Interventions that appeal to professional norms can help improve the efficacy of new systems of practice. We show that specialists’ performance can be measured and improved with feedback using aspirational norms. clinicaltrials.gov NCT03784950
Microscopic morphology and the origins of the membrane maturation model of golgi apparatus function

The membrane maturation (flow differentiation) model of Golgi apparatus function embodies concepts of saccule formation at one face of the Golgi apparatus from membranes derived from endoplasmic reticulum and utilization of saccules in vesicle formation at the opposite face for delivery to the plasma membrane as existing saccules are displaced from one position within the stack to another. Derivation of the model came almost entirely from light and electron microscopy. Especially important were observations that passage through the Golgi apparatus was accompanied by differentiation of membranes from endoplasmic reticulum-like to plasma membrane-like across the polarity axis of the stacked saccules. The concept of coparticipation of endoplasmic reticulum and/or nuclear envelope, transition, and secretory vesicles and other pre- and post-Golgi apparatus structures through the operation of an integrated endomembrane system was essential to the model. Dynamic aspects confirmed initially by autoradiographing and cell fractionation studies have been corroborated in newer approaches of fluorescent labeling and with living cells.
Type 1 diabetes: molecular, cellular and clinical immunology.

Introduction. 1: Primer immunology/autoimmunity. 2: The target organ: Embryology, biochemistry and physiology. 3: NOD Mouse and BB Rat: Genetic and immunologic function. 4: The role of T cells in beta cell damage in NOD mice and humans. 5: Inflammatory mediators and development of autoimmune diabetes. 6: The immunobiology of pancreatic islet transplantation. 7: Type I diabetes mellitus of man: Genetic susceptibility and resistance. 8: Autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes. 9: Epidemiology of Type I diabetes. 10: Humoral autoimmunity. 11: Natural history of pre-diabetes. 12: Clinical trials for the prevention of Type I diabetes. 13: Selected Type I diabetes research resources. 14: Essays on disease pathogenesis
Fallacy and Fact of Sampled Imagery Displays

Factors long considered to be of primary importance to the visual performance of observers of displays of sampled imagery have been shown to be dependent upon, subordinate to, or no more important than other factors largely overlooked. In TV displays, for example, sharp raster lines, thought by many to be the hallmark of a good display, have been shown to interfere with the true image to form false images, and “shades of gray” and “resolution”, often treated as independent variables, have been shown to depend directly upon the signal-to-noise ratio in the imagery as a function of spatial frequency. Experimental and theoretical work in the area is briefly reviewed, and some implications for system design criteria are pointed out.
Distributed communication: Implications of cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) for communication disorders.

Abstract This article proposes distributed communication as a promising theoretical framework for building supportive environments for child language development. Distributed communication is grounded in an emerging intersection of cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) and theories of communicative practices that argue for integrating accounts of language, cognition and culture. The article first defines and illustrates through selected research articles, three key principles of distributed communication: (a) language and all communicative resources are inextricably embedded in activity; (b) successful communication depends on common ground built up through short- and long-term histories of participation in activities; and (c) language cannot act alone, but is always orchestrated with other communicative resources. It then illustrates how these principles are fully integrated in everyday interactions by drawing from my research on Cindy Magic, a verbal make-believe game played by a father and his two daughters. Overall, the research presented here points to the remarkably complex communicative environments and sophisticated forms of distributed communication children routinely engage in as they interact with peer and adult communication partners in everyday settings. The article concludes by considering implications of these theories for, and examples of, distributed communication relevant to clinical intervention. Learning outcomes: Readers will learn about (1) distributed communication as a conceptual tool grounded in an emerging intersection of cultural-historical activity theory and theories of communicative practices and (2) how to apply distributed communication to the study of child language development and to interventions for children with communication disorders.
Enhancing the oxidation resistance of copper by using sandblasted copper surfaces

Abstract We show that sandblasting can be employed to effectively enhance the oxidation resistance of copper by suppressing the interfacial delamination between copper and its oxide by modifying the surface roughness of Cu. Increasing sandblasting treatment time from 0 to 120 s increases the surface roughness of Cu from 0.12 ± 0.003 μm to 2.89 ± 0.176 μm, which results in improved oxidation resistance of the Cu surfaces and enhances the oxide/substrate interfacial fracture energy from 0.035 J/m 2 to 3.1 J/m 2 determined using nanoindentation. The sandblasting treatment has no appreciable effect on the Young's moduli of the Cu oxide film, which remain nearly constant at around 36 GPa. The improved oxidation resistance is ascribed to the enhanced interfacial adhesion of the sandblasted copper owing to the concave shape of craters generated by sandblasting, which results in a net downward force from the compressive stresses in the oxide film that forces the film to adhere to the Cu substrate.
A quantitative analysis of muscle microvasculature in areas of perifascicular fiber atrophy (PFA) and adjacent unaffected fascicular areas (UFA) in dermatomyositis (DM). (S17.001)

Objectives: To determine (1) whether microvascular (capillary and transverse vessel) depletion is confined to areas of PFA (PFAA), (2) assess the frequency of complement membrane attack complex (MAC) and IgG deposits in PFAAs and UFAs. (3) Examine the position of inflammatory exudates relative to the PFAA. (4) Search for loss of larger perimysial blood vessels. Background: The relationship of PFA and microvascular injury in DM has not been fully elucidated. The proposed mechanisms include ischemia due to immune mediated microvascular injury, microvascular damage secondary to type 1 interferon (IFN1) upregulation, and occlusion of larger perimysial blood vessels. Methods: 5 childhood and 5 adult DM patients and 10 age-matched controls were investigated. Capillary and precapillary transverse vessel densities were quantitatively analyzed in randomly selected PFAAs and UFAs. MAC and IgG were colocalized with specific markers for capillary endothelium and basal lamina by paired immunofluorescence. Transverse vessel density and MAC reactivity were tracked in 50 consecutive 10-μm-thick sections. The number of PFAAs adjacent to perimysial inflammatory exudates were counted directly. Results: The mean capillary and transverse vessel densities were 47[percnt] and 42[percnt], respectively in PFAAs compared to UFAs (p <0.001). In all patients, MAC-positive capillaries, capillary remnants, and transverse vessels appeared in the PFA areas; in 3 patients few MAC-positive capillaries also appeared in non-PFAAs. Inflammatory exudates abutted on PFAAs in only 2 patients. We found no evidence for loss of larger perimysial blood vessels. Conclusions: (1) Reduction of capillary and transverse vessel density in DM invariably accompanies PFA. (2) The PFA is attributed to ischemia. (2) The microvascular MAC deposits are attributed to activation of the alternative complement pathway by necrotic endothelial cells. (3) The overall findings are compatible with the notion that capillary and transverse vessel necrosis is caused by enhanced secretion of type 1 interferons. Disclosure: Dr. Lahoria has nothing to disclose. Dr. Engel has nothing to disclose.
Chapter 4 Genetic regulation of expression of intestinal biomembrane transport proteins in response to dietary protein, carbohydrate, and lipid

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the genetic regulation of expression of intestinal biomembrane transport proteins in response to dietary protein, carbohydrate, and lipid. Nutrients may act directly on enterocytes to influence biomembrane transport, or their effects may be indirect or even circuitous. The regulation involves changes in other cells that lead to alterations in enterocyte biomembrane transport. The results discussed in the chapter are consistent with the conclusion that dietary constituents affect genetic regulation of the expression of enterocyte biomembrane transport proteins directly, although it appears that indirect or circuitous effects occur in some cases. The diets of vertebrates contain the mixtures of mono-, di-, and polysaccharides that may vary in the proportion of different carbohydrates and the proportion of total kilocalories supplied by this category of nutrients. Dietary regulation of fatty-acid biomembrane transport per se has been studied much less extensively in enterocytes than has the regulation of monosaccharide, amino acid, and peptide transport in these cells. Nevertheless, more is known about the possible mechanism of dietary regulation of the genes encoding FAT and L-FABP c than of those encoding the transporters of these other nutrients. This circumstance has arisen, in part, because only recently it has been documented that fatty-acid biomembrane transport requires catalysis by transport proteins and because fatty-acid absorption from the lumen of the small intestine is more complex than the absorption of other kilocalorie-containlng nutrients.
A value-based process for achieving software dependability

Since different systems have different success-critical stakeholders, and these stakeholders depend on the system in different ways, using traditional one-size-fits-all dependability metrics to drive the system and software development process is likely to lead to delivered systems that are unsatisfactory to some stakeholders. This paper proposes a Value-Based Software Dependability Achievement (VBSDA) process generated from the WinWin Spiral Model’s risk-driven approach coupled with a set of value-based dependability analysis frameworks, methods, and models for reasoning about software and system dependability. It helps project success-critical stakeholders define, negotiate and develop mission-specific combinations of dependability attributes. The NASA/USC Inspector SCRover (ISCR) project is used as a case study to elaborate the process.
Detecting the effects of land use/land cover on mean annual streamflow in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, USA

Summary The effects of land use/land cover (LULC) along with other climate and geomorphologic factors on mean annual streamflow in the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB) were explored using a nonlinear model applied to a spatial dataset of more than 180,000 catchments. The model was linearized and solved via a geospatial regression model to deal with spatial dependency in data. Results show that LULC is a very important agent with respect to its impact on mean annual streamflow in UMRB. Compared with other climate and geomorphologic factors, the signature of LULC on streamflow which was shown through various measures in this study is evident and significant. The magnitude of the impact on streamflow varies from one LULC to another. It is not a simple function of a LULC’s spatial extent but arguably a result of complex interactions among various LULCs as well as other climate and geomorphologic factors. Our analysis indicates that caution needs to be taken in comparing different studies or in generalization across scales regarding the impact of LULC on streamflow. It is because the result of a study is not only the outcome of the geophysical processes observed at a particular spatial and temporal scales but also a product of the approach, model, variables, and/or measures used in the study. Methodologically the proposed model provided an effective way to utilize an extensive spatial dataset of various climatic, geomorphologic, and LULC variables for a large region like UMRB to assess and compare the impact of various factors on mean annual streamflow at regional scale. Furthermore, the model was able to handle spatial dependency in data while avoiding the common problem of nested input in hydrologic modeling.
U.S. insurance coverage of contraceptives and the impact of contraceptive coverage mandates, 2002.

In 1993 coverage of reversible contraception by U.S. health insurance plans was extremely low. Little is known about how coverage has changed since then particularly in response to state mandates. In 2001-2002 a nationally representative sample of 205 health care insurers responded to a survey about coverage of reproductive health care services in "typical" employment-based managed care plans (excluding self-insured plans). Data were analyzed to compare coverage in states with and without contraceptive coverage mandates and to show trends in coverage between 1993 and 2002. In 2002 almost every reversible contraceptive service and supply studied was covered by at least 89% of typical plans; 86% of plans covered the five leading prescription methods (the diaphragm one- and three-month injectables the IUD and oral contraceptives). Coverage of each contraceptive service and supply studied was higher in 2002 than in 1993 (78-97% vs. 32-59%). Plans in states with mandates were significantly more likely to cover the five leading prescription methods (87-92% depending on type of plan) than were those designed locally in states without mandates (47-61%). Between 1993 and 2002 state mandates were estimated to account for 30% and 40% of the increase in coverage of oral contraceptives and the three-month injectable respectively. Coverage of reversible contraception—and by extension choice within a range of covered methods—has increased substantially since 1993 in part because of state mandates. This state-by-state approach however has inherent limitations that can best be dealt with at the federal level. (authors)
ALPHAVIRUSES AND APOPTOSIS

Many reports have indicated that infection with SV or SFV induces apoptosis both in cultured cells and in the CNS of mice. In general, the ability of virus strains to induce apoptosis correlates with their neurovirulence, although both apoptosis and neurovirulence are age dependent, i.e., resistance increases with age. SV can induce apoptosis simply by the process of membrane fusion and entry, by the expression of the envelope proteins, or by the expression of the nonstructural protein, nsP2. However, viral particles are not necessary to activate apoptosis, since transfection with viral RNA or even viral RNA expressing only the nonstructural proteins will result in apoptosis.The cellular pathways involved in alphavirus-induced apoptosis are complex, and much remains poorly understood. Experimental results point to the involvement of both the mitochondrial and the death receptor pathways. To date, there are no reports implicating the ER stress pathway.