cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detailed Analysis of High Frequency Auditory Brainstem Response in Patients with Tinnitus: A Preliminary Study.

Increased spontaneous activity and aberrant neural synchrony is thought to be the underlying cause of tinnitus. The perceived pitch of tinnitus may be dictated by frequency specific neural fibers of the subcortical pathway, or the projection of altered cortical activity by-way-of tonotopic reorganizations. Subcortical neural activity in relation to tinnitus was characterized using ABR measurements. In the present study, 11 patients (21 ears) with constant tonal tinnitus underwent a two-part experiment. Experiment 1 involved click ABR measurements and included two experimental groups: tinnitus with normal hearing from 2000-4000 Hz (GI) and tinnitus with hearing loss within the range of 2000-4000 Hz (GII). Experiment 2 utilized tone burst ABRs matched to each participant’s perceived tinnitus pitch and included two experimental groups: tinnitus with normal hearing at the tinnitus pitch (GIa) and tinnitus with hearing loss at the tinnitus pitch (GIIa). These groups were compared to a control group (GIII) of ten monaurally tested (10 ears) participants with normal hearing thresholds at 250-20000 Hz and no tinnitus. Click ABR results indicate significantly prolonged V-III IPLs for GI and GII and a significantly extended absolute V latency for GII only. Tone burst ABRs matched to tinnitus pitch revealed significantly prolonged absolute latencies and IPLs at three of the seven frequencies for GIIa. ABR threshold seeking was completed and revealed negative eHL values for two of the four different stimuli for GI and GIa and four of the eight stimuli for GII and GIIa. Click ABRs results are suggestive of upper brainstem abnormalities for both groups. While GI demonstrated prolonged V-III IPLs, no significant differences were found for GIa. This suggests that there is no frequency specific subcortical characteristic associated with tinnitus with normal hearing. Frequency specific properties for subcortical activity could not be characterized due to varying results of GIIa.
Systemic Therapies for Locally Recurrent or Metastatic Disease

Abstract Chordomas and chondrosarcomas that cannot be controlled by local therapies are a pressing medical challenge because the efficacy of available systemic therapy is limited and unproven. Cytotoxic chemotherapy has no established role in the treatment of recurrent and/or metastatic chordoma and conventional chondrosarcoma. Molecularly targeted agents, notably multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitors, have shown some promise in case series and in phase II clinical trials in chordoma but require randomized, controlled study to prove efficacy. Additional strategies using emerging findings on the underlying pathogenesis of these tumors are being identified and developed. In the early evaluation of drug activity in chondrosarcoma and chordoma, alternate surrogate measures of tumor response using multiparameter (e.g., tumor size and density) or functional (e.g., fluorodeoxyglucose [FDG] uptake) criteria may be superior to the current response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST). Confirmation of drug efficacy in these very rare tumors will require randomized, comparative trials conducted with national or international collaboration.
Psychometric Tools to Study Cognition, Sensory Functioning, and Social Behavior in Infant and Adolescent Nonhuman Primates

Abstract The behavioral repertoire of nonhuman primates is highly evolved and includes advanced problem-solving capabilities, complex social relationships, and sensory acuity equal or superior to humans. For some potential neurotoxicants, nonhuman primate models have provided valuable data that are helpful in identifying the likely effects of developmental exposures on human infants and children. The ability to identify subtle effects of neurotoxicant exposure is highly dependent on the selection of measurement tools that can identify meaningful individual differences in performance. This chapter provides brief descriptions of assessment measures that have been developed for young monkeys, both infants and adolescents, to investigate emerging cognitive skills, sensory functioning, and social behaviors. Examples of how these tests have been used in previous research investigating the developmental effects of neurotoxicants are provided to illustrate the contribution of this research to our knowledge regarding important environmental determinants of behavior.
Met receptor inhibitor SU11274 localizes in the endoplasmic reticulum

Abstract We discovered that SU11274, a class I c-Met inhibitor, fluoresces when excited by 488 nm laser light and showed rapid specific accumulation in distinct subcellular compartments. Given that SU11274 reduces cancer cell viability, we exploited these newly identified spectral properties to determine SU11274 intracellular distribution and accumulation in human pancreatic cancer cells. The aim of the studies reported here was to identify organelle(s) to which SU11274 is trafficked. We conclude that SU11274 rapidly and predominantly accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum.
Flux pinning in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ single crystals: Neutron irradiation and annealing

Results of dc magnetization on neutron (n) -irradiated ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ single crystals are presented. The crystals were irradiated to a fluence of 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{17}$ n/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ (Eg0.1 MeV). The magnetization has been measured at 10, 40, and 70 K for both field orientations. The magnetization is thereby obtained by cooling the sample in zero field to the desired temperature. Then the field is ramped in steps of 0.25 T up to 5 T and reversed in the same steps. At each field the magnetization is measured. The hysteresis \ensuremath{\Delta}M is defined as the difference in magnetization between descending and ascending branches in the hysteresis loop. At 10 K, we observe an increase of the hysteresis by a factor of 3 for H\ensuremath{\parallel}c and by a factor of 10 for H\ensuremath{\parallel}a,b due to n irradiation. After irradiation, some of the crystals were annealed at 100, 200, and 300 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C for 8 h each. After each annealing step, the critical current densities and the transition temperatures were determined again. We observe that following the 300 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C annealing, the magnetization hysteresis for H\ensuremath{\parallel}a,b is almost reduced to the preirradiation level (a reduction in ${\mathit{J}}_{\mathit{c}}$ of 90%), in contrast to the H\ensuremath{\parallel}c case, in which the decrease in hysteresis due to annealing is much less (a reduction in ${\mathit{J}}_{\mathit{c}}$ of 30%). Crystals irradiated under the same conditions were used for transmission-electron-microscopy (TEM) studies. By comparison between TEM and magnetization measurements, the role of the cascade defects in pinning was determined. It is furthermore shown by TEM that the cascade defects do not anneal for comparable annealing temperatures. We find that the hysteresis for H\ensuremath{\parallel}c is governed by both the cascade defects which do not anneal and point defects or their clusters on the Y layers or ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ planes which do anneal, whereas for H\ensuremath{\parallel}a,b, pinning is determined by oxygen defects in the CuO chains which anneal due to oxygen diffusion.
Performance Evaluation of Phase-Only Technique for High-Resolution Holographic Imaging

Phase-only image reconstruction is a widely used technique in holography. It utilizes only the phase information of the complex amplitude of the resultant wave-field for image formation. In many cases, the phase-only approach is advantageous over conventional methods in terms of data acquisition, storage, and computation complexity. In addition, it is capable of high-resolution imaging at extremely low bit-rates.
Modular finite state machines for logic control

Abstract This paper presents a framework developed for logic control of manufacturing systems based on finite state machines. The framework is modular; FSMs are encapsulated into modules with well-defined communication between them. Events in the finite state machines are of two types, triggers and responses, allowing FSMs to react to and to force events to occur. A simple example is presented to illustrate the theory, and the application of the framework to two manufacturing system testbeds is described.
Inhibition of focal adhesion kinase increases adult olfactory stem cell self-renewal and neuroregeneration through ciliary neurotrophic factor

Constant neuroregeneration in adult olfactory epithelium maintains olfactory function by basal stem cell proliferation and differentiation to replace lost olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). Understanding the mechanisms regulating this process could reveal potential therapeutic targets for stimulating adult olfactory neurogenesis under pathological conditions and aging. Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) in astrocytes promotes forebrain neurogenesis but its function in the olfactory system is unknown. Here, we show in mouse olfactory epithelium that CNTF is expressed in horizontal basal cells, olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) and a small subpopulation of OSNs. CNTF receptor alpha was expressed in Mash1-positive globose basal cells (GBCs) and OECs. Thus, CNTF may affect GBCs in a paracrine manner. CNTF-/- mice did not display altered GBC proliferation or olfactory function, suggesting that CNTF is not involved in basal olfactory renewal or that they developed compensatory mechanisms. Therefore, we tested the effect of increased CNTF in wild type mice. Intranasal instillation of a focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor, FAK14, upregulated CNTF expression. FAK14 also promoted GBC proliferation, neuronal differentiation and basal stem cell self-renewal but had no effective in CNTF-/- mice, suggesting that FAK inhibition promotes olfactory neuroregeneration through CNTF, making them potential targets to treat sensorineural anosmia due to OSN loss.
Deep Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning for Autonomous Driving with Distinct Behaviors

Deep reinforcement learning has achieved great progress recently in domains such as learning to play Atari games from raw pixel input. The model-free characteristics of reinforcement learning free us from hand-encoding complex policies. However, for real world tasks such as autonomous driving, there are some complex sequential decision making processes that contain distinct behaviors. Due to the delayed rewards and the averaged gradient, it is pretty difficult for a flat deep reinforcement learning algorithm to learn a good policy. In this paper, we design a hierarchical neural network policy and propose a hierarchical policy gradient method to train the network with the semi markov decision process (SMDP) temporal abstraction formulation. We apply this method to a traffic light passing scenario in autonomous driving, where the vehicle has two distinct behaviors (e.g., pass and stop) and its primitive actions (e.g., acceleration) should follow the corresponding behavior. We show via simulation that our method is able to select correct decision and acts appropriately when the traffic light turns yellow. On the contrary, the flat reinforcement learning algorithm is not able to achieve a good performance and exhibits a large variance. Furthermore, the trained neural network modules are reusable in the future to cover more scenarios.
Paralinguistic recommendations for affective word clouds

Word clouds are widely used for non-analytic purposes, such as introducing a topic to students, or creating a gift with personally meaningful text. Surveys show that users prefer tools that yield word clouds with a stronger emotional impact. Fonts and color palettes are powerful paralinguistic signals that may determine this impact, but, typically, the expectation is that they are chosen by the users. We present an affect-aware font and color palette selection methodology that aims to facilitate more informed choices. We induce associations of fonts with a set of eight affects, and evaluate the resulting data in a series of user studies both on individual words as well as in word clouds. Relying on a recent study to procure affective color palettes, we carry out a similar user study to understand the impact of color choices on word clouds. Our findings suggest that both fonts and color palettes are powerful tools contributing to the affect associated with a word cloud. The experiments further confirm that the novel datasets we propose are successful in enabling this. Based on this data, we implement a prototype that allows users to specify a desired affect and recommends congruent fonts and color palettes for the word cloud.
Understanding CS Undergraduate Students' Professional Development through the Lens of Internship Experiences

Professional development is critical for preparing undergraduate CS students for their future careers. Industry internships offer students pathways for professional development. However, little is empirically known about the impact industry-based internships have on CS students' career paths as well as the effectiveness of CS degree programs in preparing students for these professional development opportunities. In this paper, we present a thematic analysis of open-ended survey responses of 40 CS undergraduate students in the US who participated in an internship. This study aimed to understand the impact that professional internships have on: CS students' career goals, students' perceptions of the gaps between academia and industry, and students' strategies for professional success. We found four themes that describe the impact of internships on CS students. Internships (1) strengthened students' commitment to CS degrees and careers; (2) encouraged exploration of CS careers and industries; (3) promoted personal/professional growth; and (4) developed awareness of professional expectations. We also analyzed students' perception of the curriculum's effectiveness and found that students were strategically working to improve their technical skills outside of coursework to secure employment. These findings have the potential to retain students in computing and reduce the gaps between academia and industry, thereby increasing CS students' competitiveness in the workforce.
Young Love at Work: Perceived Effects of Workplace Romance among Millennial Generation Organizational Members

This study examined workplace romance perceptions among Millennial employees who had participated in a workplace romance and those who had observed one. Two samples (workplace romance partners and coworkers) of 18- to 29-year-old employees completed questionnaires in which they reported their perceptions of workplace romance's positive and negative effects. The relationships between the effects and respondent role (partner/coworker), sex (male/female), and the romance's status dynamic (peer-peer/hierarchical) were also examined. Results indicate Millennial workplace romance partners focused on personal benefits and difficulties, whereas coworkers tended to identify organizational impacts. Women were more likely than men to identify drawbacks of workplace romance, and employees reporting on hierarchical versus peer-peer romances were more likely to identify the partners gaining workplace advantages. Implications for work-life blending and workplace romance policies geared toward Millennial organizational members are discussed.
Why So Late? AMS Radiocarbon Evidence of a Late Holocene Appearance of Shell Fishhooks in Alta California

Fishing is one of the most important subsistence pursuits for coastal peoples around the world, providing a resource that is often a driver of social and cultural change (Des Lauriers et al. 2017; ...
Euploidy rates between cycles triggered with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and human chorionic gonadotropin

Objective To evaluate differences in euploidy rates between IVF cycles triggered with either GnRH agonist (GnRHa) or hCG. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting University-affiliated fertility center. Patient(s) A total of 366 patients performing 539 IVF cycles utilizing preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A). Intervention(s) Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or hCG trigger of oocyte maturation during IVF cycles. Main Outcome Measure(s) Rate of euploid embryos. Result(s) Patients in the GnRHa trigger arm were younger, with a lower body mass index and higher antimullerian hormone level, and they had a higher number of oocytes retrieved and embryos biopsied. Euploid rate per embryo biopsied was higher after GnRHa trigger than after hCG trigger (37.8% ± 2.1% vs. 30.3% ± 1.8%), but multivariate regression analysis controlling for potential confounding factors did not show any differences between the two groups. Moreover, the euploid rate per oocyte retrieved was not significantly different overall (GnRHa vs. hCG: 33.9% ± 2.2% vs. 28.0% ± 1.9%). The anticipated decline in the rate of euploid embryos per oocyte retrieved went from 15.8% ± 1.2% for age Conclusion(s) Both GnRHa and hCG trigger result in comparable euploid rates. Trigger with GnRHa should therefore be considered a valid option for trigger modality in freeze-all PGT-A cycles, in view of its demonstrated effectiveness and known safety enhancement.
"Stealthing": Factors associated with young men's nonconsensual condom removal.

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the rates, predictors, and associated sexual risk indices of young men's nonconsensual condom removal (also known as stealthing). Methods Participants were 626 male inconsistent condom users aged 21-30 years recruited from an urban area in the Pacific Northwest. Participants completed survey measures assessing sexual aggression history, sexual aggression-related attitudes, sexually transmitted infection history, unplanned pregnancies, and nonconsensual condom removal experiences. Results Almost 10% of the participants (n = 61) reported engaging in nonconsensual condom removal since the age of 14 years, with an average of 3.62 times (SD = 3.87) and range of 1-21 times (maximum possible). After controlling for condom use self-efficacy, men with greater hostility toward women (odds ratio = 1.47) and more severe sexual aggression history (odds ratio = 1.06) had significantly higher odds of engaging in nonconsensual condom removal behavior. χ2 analyses demonstrated that men who had a history of nonconsensual condom removal were significantly more likely to have had a sexually transmitted infection diagnosis (29.5% vs. 15.1%) or have had a partner who experienced an unplanned pregnancy (46.7% vs. 25.8%). Conclusions Nonconsensual condom removal, which involves elements of both sexual risk and sexual aggression, confers multiple sexual risks to its recipients, thus meriting increased clinical and research attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
MABE 2.0: an introduction to MABE and a road map for the future of MABE development

MABE (Modular Agent-based Evolver) is an open-source evolutionary computation (EC) research platform designed to be used by biologists, engineers, computer scientists, and other researchers. MABE's primary goal is to reduce the time between thinking up a new hypothesis and generating results. The design assumes that there are common elements in many EC research projects. MABE improves efficiency by allowing for the reuse of these common elements and standardizing of interfaces for non-common elements so that they can be used interchangeably. As of the writing of this paper, the MABE framework is five years old. Here, we reflect on the current version of MABE, including its successes and shortcomings, and propose upgrades for the next release.
Purification and HPLC Analysis of Cell Wall Muropeptides from Caulobacter crescentus

The peptidoglycan sacculus, or cell wall, is what defines bacterial cell shape. Cell wall composition can be best characterized at the molecular level by digesting the peptidoglycan murein polymer into its muropeptide subunits and quantifying the abundance of muropeptides using high-pressure liquid chromatography. Certain features of the cell wall including muropeptide composition, glycan strand length, degree of crosslinking, type of crosslinking and other peptidoglycan modifications can be quantified using this approach. Well-established protocols provide us with highly-resolved and quantitatively reproducible chromatographic data, which can be used to investigate bacterial cell wall composition under a variety of environmental or genetic perturbations. The method described here enables the purification of muropeptide samples, their quantification by HPLC, and fraction collection for peak identification by mass spectrometry. Although the methods for peptidoglycan purification and HPLC analysis have been previously published, our method includes important details on how to re-equilibrate the column between runs to allow for automated analysis of multiple samples.
Identification of the leptin receptor sequences crucial for the STAT3-Independent control of metabolism.

Abstract Background Leptin acts via its receptor, LepRb, on specialized neurons in the brain to modulate energy balance and glucose homeostasis. LepRb→STAT3 signaling plays a crucial role in leptin action, but LepRb also mediates an additional as-yet-unidentified signal (Signal 2) that is important for leptin action. Signal 2 requires LepRb regions in addition to those required for JAK2 activation but operates independently of STAT3 and LepRb phosphorylation sites. Methods To identify LepRb sequences that mediate Signal 2, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate five novel mouse lines containing COOH-terminal truncation mutants of LepRb. We analyzed the metabolic phenotype and measures of hypothalamic function for these mouse lines. Results We found that deletion of LepRb sequences between residues 921 and 960 dramatically worsens metabolic control and alters hypothalamic function relative to smaller truncations. We also found that deletion of the regions including residues 1013–1053 and 960–1013 each decreased obesity compared to deletions that included additional COOH-terminal residues. Conclusions LepRb sequences between residues 921 and 960 mediate the STAT3 and LepRb phosphorylation-independent second signal that contributes to the control of energy balance and metabolism by leptin/LepRb. In addition to confirming the inhibitory role of the region (residues 961–1013) containing Tyr985, we also identified the region containing residues 1013–1053 (which contains no Tyr residues) as a second potential mediator of LepRb inhibition. Thus, the intracellular domain of LepRb mediates multiple Tyr-independent signals.
Cross-cultural whistle-blowing in an emerging outbreak: revealing health risks through tactic communication and rhetorical hijacking

How do whistleblowers reveal critical issues unknown to the public during emerging epidemics to push for policy changes? Using a case study about a medical care worker (MCW) whistleblower in China during the SARS outbreak of 2003, this paper examines the ways whistleblowers navigate through complicated networks of power and mediascape to disseminate critical risk messages and call for changes.
Association of Obesity with Disease Severity Among Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Objective The aim of this study was to explore the potential association of obesity and other chronic diseases with severe outcomes, such as intensive care unit (ICU) admission and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods This study analyzed a retrospective cohort of 103 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Demographic data, past medical history, and hospital course were collected and analyzed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was implemented to examine associations. Results From February 17 to April 5, 103 consecutive patients were hospitalized with COVID-19. Among them, 44 patients (42.7%) were admitted to the ICU, and 29 (65.9%) required IMV. The prevalence of obesity was 47.5% (49 of 103). In a multivariate analysis, severe obesity (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 ) was associated with ICU admission (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 5.39, 95% CI: 1.13-25.64). Moreover, patients who required IMV were more likely to have had heart disease (aOR: 3.41, 95% CI: 1.05-11.06), obesity (BMI = 30-34.9 kg/m2 ; aOR: 6.85, 95% CI: 1.05-44.82), or severe obesity (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 ; aOR: 9.99, 95% CI: 1.39-71.69). Conclusions In our analysis, severe obesity (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 ) was associated with ICU admission, whereas history of heart disease and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 ) were independently associated with the use of IMV. Increased vigilance and aggressive treatment of patients with obesity and COVID-19 are warranted.
3D In Vitro Neuron on a Chip for Probing Calcium Mechanostimulation

The evolution of tissue on a chip systems holds promise for mimicking the response of biological functionality of physiological systems. One important direction for tissue on a chip approaches are neuron-based systems that could mimic neurological responses and lessen the need for in vivo experimentation. For neural research, more attention has been devoted recently to understanding mechanics due to issues in areas such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and pain, among others. To begin to address these areas, a 3D Nerve Integrated Tissue on a Chip (NITC) approach combined with a Mechanical Excitation Testbed (MET) System is developed to impose external mechanical stimulation toward more realistic physiological environments. PC12 cells differentiated with nerve growth factor, which were cultured in a controlled 3D scaffolds, are used. The cells are labeled in a 3D NITC system with Fluo-4-AM to examine their calcium response under mechanical stimulation synchronized with image capture. Understanding the neural responses to mechanical stimulation beyond 2D systems is very important for neurological studies and future personalized strategies. This work will have implications in a diversity of areas including tissue-on-a-chip systems, biomaterials, and neuromechanics.
Compositional and structural origins of radiation damage mitigation in high-entropy alloys

The ability of high-entropy alloys to resist radiation damage is rooted in their compositional complexity and associated high configurational entropy. In addition, grain boundaries within all alloys serve as effective sinks for defects. Using atomistic modeling, we investigated defect–grain boundary interaction mechanisms near ordered and amorphous grain boundaries in pure nickel and in a model, quaternary, high-entropy alloy (FeCoCrNi). Our results demonstrate that a combination of compositional complexity with amorphization of the grain boundary leads to much more efficient recombination and annihilation mechanisms. Coupling these two microstructural features results in the lowest amount of residual damage, indicating that these effects compound to increase radiation tolerance. These observations are rooted in locally dependent defect migration barriers in the high-entropy alloy and the strong trapping at both ordered and amorphous grain boundaries.
Improved u'g'r'i'z' to UBVRCIC Transformation Equations for Main-Sequence Stars

We report improved transformation equations between the u'g'r'i'z' and UBVRCIC photometric systems. Although the details of the transformations depend on luminosity class, we find a typical rms scatter on the order of 0.001 mag if the sample is limited to main-sequence stars. Furthermore, we find that an accurate transformation requires complex, multicolor dependencies for the bluer bandpasses. Results for giant stars will be reported in a subsequent paper.
Single-minded 2 is required for left-right asymmetric stomach morphogenesis

The morphogenesis of left-right (LR) asymmetry is a critical phase of organogenesis. In the digestive tract, the development of anatomical asymmetry is first evident in the leftward curvature of the stomach. To elucidate the molecular events that shape this archetypal laterality, we performed transcriptome analyses of the left versus right sides of the developing stomach in frog embryos. Besides the known LR gene pitx2, the only gene found to be expressed asymmetrically throughout all stages of curvature was single-minded2 (sim2), a Down Syndrome-related transcription factor and homolog of a Drosophila gene (sim) required for LR asymmetric looping of the fly gut. We demonstrate that sim2 functions downstream of LR patterning cues to regulate key cellular properties and behaviors in the left stomach epithelium that drive asymmetric curvature. Our results reveal unexpected convergent cooption of single-minded genes during the evolution of LR asymmetric morphogenesis, and have implications for dose-dependent roles of laterality factors in non-laterality-related birth defects.
Digital Care for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A 10,000 User Longitudinal Study Demonstrating Efficacy and Scalability

Background: Chronic musculoskeletal pain has a vast global prevalence and economic burden. Conservative therapies are universally recommended but require patient engagement and self-management to be effective. In this study, we assessed engagement behaviors and subject-reported outcomes in subjects with chronic low back or knee pain who participated in a 12-week digital care pathway (DCP). Methods: Subjects participated in a 12-week multi-modal DCP administered via a mobile app incorporating education, sensor-guided exercise therapy, and behavioral health support with 1-on-1 remote health coaching. Primary outcome was VAS pain. Secondary measures included engagement levels, program completion, program satisfaction, condition-specific pain measures, depression, anxiety, and work productivity. Findings: Of 10,264 participants with chronic back or knee pain, 73% completed the DCP into the final month. 79% of these participants (70% of all participants) achieved minimally important change in pain. Mean improvement in VAS pain was 68% and the number of exercise therapy sessions and coaching interactions were both positively associated with improvement in pain, supporting that the amount of engagement influenced VAS pain outcomes. Secondary outcomes included 58% decrease in both depression and anxiety scores, and 62% improvement in work productivity. Lastly, three groups with distinct longitudinal pain response behaviors were identified and could be predicted from baseline measures with 76% accuracy. Interpretation: This is the first longitudinal digital health study to analyze musculoskeletal pain outcomes in a sample of this magnitude, supporting the efficacy and safety of using a digital care approach in a large, real-world population. Participants demonstrated high completion and engagement rates, and a significant positive relationship between engagement and pain reduction was identified, a finding not previously demonstrated in a DCP. Furthermore, the large sample size allowed for identification of distinct pain response subgroups which may prove beneficial in predicting recovery and tailoring future interventions. Funding Statement: Hinge Health, Inc. Declaration of Interests: Authors Bailey and Agarwal were academic collaborators on this study and were paid as consultants for their expertise for conducting this study. Bailey and Agarwal had unrestricted access to the data and lead the analysis and interpretation of the results. Author Krauss works at Hinge Health, Inc., and receives salary and equity compensation. Subsequent to paper completion, author Agarwal became employed at Hinge Health, Inc., and receives salary and equity compensation. Ethics Approval Statement: The trial was approved by the Western Institutional Review Board and complied with all ethical regulations.
Thioredoxin-mediated alteration of protein content and cytotoxicity of Acinetobacter baumannii outer membrane vesicles.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative bacterium responsible for many hospital-acquired infections including ventilator-associated pneumonia and sepsis. We have previously identified A. baumann...
Religion and Child Custody

This piece draws upon divorce pleadings and other records to show how indications of religion (or disaffiliation) that appear in custody agreements and orders (called “parenting plans” in both states studied) affect the course of the proceedings and legal activities over the five years following divorce filing. Some of the apparent findings are normative, but most are merely descriptive and some may be correlative rather than caused by the indicated concern about religion. While parenting plans are accepted by courts only when they are in the best interests of the child (at least in theory), the child’s independent religious needs were never mentioned in the files I perused.Divorcing couples specifying religious upbringing in their parenting plans tended to be more affluent, to come from lengthier marriages, to settle cases before litigation more often, to share custody more equally (in both states), and to have less domestic violence reported either prior to or following divorce. They were more likely to divorce alleging substance abuse or mental illness, and were more likely to seek reductions of the noncustodial parent’s time with the children following final decrees, particularly when fathers were relatively poorer. The noncustodial (payor) parent was more likely to seek relief because one of the children reached emancipation age. In general, while the pattern is complex, these parents seem like good and thoughtful parents, divorcing only when they needed to and minimizing conflict that the children would see or experience.
Neighborhood Racial Composition and School Desegregation in New Castle County, Delaware

The racial composition of American schools has been strongly influenced by neighborhood racial composition. In order to gain a better understanding of school desegregation, it is useful to examine racial and demographic patterns in communities undergoing desegregation. In this chapter, an assessment is made of demographic characteristics and enrollment trends related to desegregation in New Castle County, Delaware, following a court-ordered metropolitan desegregation plan instituted in 1978. The relations between neighborhood racial composition and attitudes and between neighborhood racial composition and achievement are also investigated.
How are climate and marine biological outbreaks functionally linked

Since the mid-1970s, large-scale episodic events such as disease epidemics, mass mortalities, harmful algal blooms and other population explosions have been occurring in marine environments at an historically unprecedented rate. The variety of organisms involved (host, pathogens and other opportunists) and the absolute number of episodes have also increased during this period. Are these changes coincidental? Between 1972 and 1976, a global climate regime shift took place, and it is manifest most clearly by a change in strength of the North Pacific and North Atlantic pressure systems. Consequences of this regime shift are: (1) prolonged drought conditions in the Sahel region of Africa; (2) increased dust supply to the global atmosphere, by a factor of approximately four; (3) increased easterly trade winds across the Atlantic; (4) increased eolian transport of dust to the Atlantic and Caribbean basins; and (5) increased deposition of iron-rich eolian dust to typically iron-poor marine regions. On the basis of well-documented climate and dust observations and the widely accepted increase in marine outbreak rates, this paper proposes that the increased iron supply has altered the micronutrient factors limiting growth of opportunistic organisms and virulence of pathogenic microbes, particularly in macronutrient-rich coastal systems.
Judgments of size and distance with imaging displays.

The application of computer-animated imagery analogous to a contact view from an air-plane calls for a better understanding of the essential visual cues for spatial orientation. Such systems have a...
Measurements of scattered light from mirrors and lenses.

The limitations arising from scattered light from lenses and mirrors in a program of daytime astrometry near the sun are discussed. Measurements were made of the angular distribution of the scattered radiance for (1) a coronagraphic lens, (2) a 2.54-cm thick coronagraph quality window, and (3) flat quartz mirrors. Results are also given for the optical elements after they have been exposed in a vacuum for 48 h. The results indicate that the accuracy of a daytime astrometry program would be determined by the shot noise of the scattered light produced by the refracting elements and the sky, each producing equal contributions.
Lethal Policing: Making Sense of American Exceptionalism

Thanks to the creation of a national database of police killings, the social distribution, causes, and consequences of police violence are finally amenable to analysis. This article focuses on why the rate of police killings in the United States towers over that in other industrialized nations. Elevated police lethality is deeply rooted in two distinctive aspects of American society and culture. Police violence is both a tool and product of strategies to maintain racial segregation and inequality. However, racism cannot explain the fact that police lethality is greatest in states where African Americans are least prevalent. Elevated police killings are also rooted in America's prevailing ideology (and mythology) of self-reliance and limited government. Neoliberal ideology helped some politicians cut gaping holes in the social safety net, leaving ill-equipped and fearful police officers to deal with desperate people who lack adequate treatment and support, yet who have easy access to weapons. It also limits the legislative and regulative authority that centralized policy actors exert over policing. Nevertheless, police overreliance on deadly force is increasingly understood as a national problem requiring large-scale solutions.
The simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of iron and of copper using I,IO-phenanthroline

Abstract The use of n -octanol as extracting solvent has been employed in a new procedure whereby 1, 10-phenanthroline provides a simultaneous separation and spectrophotometric determination of both iron and copper when present together. The method depends upon the extraction of the Cu(I) complex into the water-immiscible alcohol phase leaving the Fe(II) complex in the aqueous phase. The separation of the two phase system in one extraction to give a quantitative partition of copper and iron is a feature of the method. The Cu(I) complex with 1, 10-phenanthroline was previously thought to be inoperative using any known water-immiscible organic solvent. The corresponding use of 2,2'-dipyridine as a substitute for 1, 10-phenan-throline was investigated and found to be inadequate. The new procedure is the first disclosure that the ferroin functional group may serve as a Cu(I) specific in substitution for the cuproine functional group of such ligands as cuproine 5 , neo-cuproine8 and bathocuproine7. The new procedure has been demonstrated to give a high degree of precision and at the same time providing simplicity in manipulation.
Imaging, morphologic, and immunohistochemical correlation in gastrointestinal stromal tumors

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) recently have been distinguished morphologically, immunohistochemically, and genetically from other gastrointestinal-tract spindle cell neoplasms. The objective of this study was to correlate clinical and imaging findings with morphology and immunohistochemistry to diagnose GISTs and to differentiate them from other spindle cell lesions in the gastrointestinal tract. METHODS The authors reviewed 9 patients who had tumors that were diagnosed as GIST by image-guided and endosonographic-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) with or without core biopsy (7 stomach tumors and 2 intraabdominal tumors). The male:female ratio was 3:6, and the patients ranged in age from 38 years to 80 years. Onsite evaluation, preliminary cytologic evaluation, and immunohistochemistry were provided for 6 patients. Immunostains were performed, depending on sample size, on aspirates and/or core biopsies. RESULTS On imaging studies, most tumors were smooth and homogenous, consistent with GIST. Tumors ranged in size from 1.8 cm to 22 cm. The largest neoplasm showed solid/cystic and necrotic components. Aspirates consisted of spindle cell, neoplastic proliferation arranged in fascicles that exhibited focal, nuclear palisading; indistinct, cytoplasmic borders; and no significant atypia or mitosis. Focal epithelioid changes or cytologic atypia and mitoses were observed in 2 tumors. Immunostains revealed tumor expression of CD117 and/or CD34 in 5 of 6 tumors, expression of actin in 3 of 6 tumors, and expression of desmin in 1 of 6 tumors. All tumors were diagnosed as GIST (or consistent with GIST for tumors that lacked immunochemical analysis). Five patients underwent surgical excision, and the GIST diagnosis was confirmed in 3 patients, whereas 1 tumor proved to be neurofibroma, and another tumor was leiomyoma. No surgical follow-up was available for the remaining 4 patients, who had imaging and morphologic findings consistent with GIST. CONCLUSIONS In the setting of consistent clinical and radiologic findings, the combined use of cytomorphology and immunohistochemistry on FNA and/or core biopsy in most instances provides a reliable pathologic diagnosis of GIST. The need of sufficient material for performing ancillary studies and the usual impossibility of excluding malignancy are limitations of FNA cytology of GIST. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Optical Constants of Silver

The optical constants for electrolytically polished silver samples were determined from normal-incidence reflectance data in the spectral region 2 to 10 ev. The sharp minimum in the curve for $k$ near 3.8 ev, which is associated with the onset of interband transitions, is deeper than in previous results. A second minimum is observed near 9.2 ev.
The triplet—triplet absorption of cyclohexadiene-1,3 and ergosterol. Sensitized total ground state depletion of dienes by triplet energy transfer from the ruby laser excited 2-fluorenylphenylketone☆

Abstract The triplet—triplet absorptions of cyclohexadiene-1,3 and ergosterol were determined in benzene at 22°C. The ground state depletion of these simple conjugated molecules via energy transfer from the triplet state of 2-fluorenylphenylketone under frequency doubled ruby laser excitation was shown to be a convenient method for studying the triplet states of dienes. From these total ground state depletions, triplet extinction coefficients were determined for 2-fluorenylphenylketone, cyclohexadiene-1,3, and ergosterol.
Binaural interaction in auditory brain-stem responses: effects of masking.

Abstract Binaural interaction (BI) in auditory brain-stem responses (ABRs) can be shown by comparing a binaurally elicited ABR to the algebraic sum of monaurally elicited ABRs. Subtracting the summed monaural ABR from binaural ABR yields a wave form assumed to contain response components attributable to BI. It has been suggested that acoustic crosstalk accounts for some of the ‘BI’ seen with this technique and that contralateral masking should be used during monaural stimulation to eliminate crosstalk. However, this practice might in itself confound the results, even if the masking noise were not intense enough to affect the opposite ear, by ‘central masking’ of brain-stem neural activity. We studied the effects of contralateral wide-band masking on BI/ABR in 10 normal adult subjects. Clicks were presented at levels from 55 to 115 dB peSPL, at 10 dB intervals. Masking was presented at 73 dB SPL (47 dB effective masking level); based on pilot studies of interaural attenuation, this was a level expected to be at, or just below, the threshold of audibility in the contralateral ear. BI/ABR wave forms were not noticeably affected by the addition of contralateral noise in the monaural trials. In addition, BI/ABR was seen (as previously reported) at levels well below any possibility of crossover artifact. Thus, BI/ABR is not simply attributable to crossover. Contralateral masking is not necessary in recording BI/ABR, within the limits of the stimuli and transducers used in this study.
Phosphatidylethanol Stimulates Calcium-Dependent Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 Activity of a Macrophage Cell Line (RAW 264.7)

The synthesis of inflammation mediators produced from arachidonic acid is regulated primarily by the cellular concentration of free arachidonic acid. Since intracellular arachidonic acid is almost tot
Evaluation of IOM Personal Sampler at Different Flow Rates

The Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) personal sampler is usually operated at a flow rate of 2.0 L/min, the rate at which it was designed and calibrated, for sampling the inhalable mass fraction of airborne particles in occupational environments. In an environment of low aerosol concentrations only small amounts of material are collected, and that may not be sufficient for analysis. Recently, a new sampling pump with a flow rate up to 15 L/min became available for personal samplers, with the potential of operating at higher flow rates. The flow rate of a Leland Legacy sampling pump, which operates at high flow rates, was evaluated and calibrated, and its maximum flow was found to be 10.6 L/min. IOM samplers were placed on a mannequin, and sampling was conducted in a large aerosol wind tunnel at wind speeds of 0.56 and 2.22 m/s. Monodisperse aerosols of oleic acid tagged with sodium fluorescein in the size range of 2 to 100 μ m were used in the test. The IOM samplers were operated at flow rates of 2...
Subsidized Credit and Investment in Agriculture: The Special Case of Farm Real Estate: Discussion

Hughes, Penson, and Bednarz (HPB) have initiated a study of an important and complex issue. The relationship between federal farm credit programs and farm real estate markets, as a topic, is a subset of the whole spectrum of issues related to the efficacy, efficiency, and side-effects of farm policy in general and farm credit policy in particular. I applaud their efforts and encourage them to pursue this analysis further. My comments will focus first on their paper specifically and then on what I consider important potential extensions to their work.