cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A CMOS Wideband LNA Using Multiple Phase Matched Frequency Staggered Resonators

A new architecture for wideband LNAs is introduced. High gain is obtained through use of narrowband tuned stages and broadband performance is simultaneously achieved by using multiple of them, with their resonant frequencies staggered, in parallel. Multipath phase matching is shown to be effective in optimizing passband gain and NF through analysis and simulation. This topology gives advantage with respect to broadband noise performance over conventional cascaded narrowband matching network based designs and considerable power reduction at similar gain in comparison to typical distributed amplifiers. Simulations in 0.13um CMOS process show 22.3 dB peak gain, 38% fractional bandwidth about 26.5-GHz, 2.8-3.8 dB NF over entire band and mid-band output P1dB of 2.6 dBm. It consumes 31 mA from 1.5 V supply.
Interim Analysis of a Phase II Study of Denileukin Diftitox (Ontak) for Relapsed/Refractory T-Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Abstract Denileukin diftitox (Ontak) is a fusion protein combining the enzymatically active domain of diphtheria toxin and the full-length sequence of interleukin-2 (IL-2) that targets tumor cells expressing the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R). The drug has established efficacy in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), and we have recently demonstrated its single-agent activity in B-cell non Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (Dang et al. Journal of Clinical Oncology. In Press). We initiated a phase II study to evaluate its efficacy in relapsed/refractory T-cell NHL, excluding CTCL. Denileukin diftitox was administered at a dose schedule of 18 μg/kg/day by IV infusion once daily for 5 days every three weeks, for up to 8 cycles. Premedications in the form of corticosteroids, antihistamines and fluids were given prior to each drug infusion to reduce the incidence and severity of acute hypersensitivity. 14 patients are currently evaluable for response. Median age was 57 (range 26–80), and mean number of previous treatments was 2.2 (range 1–4). Tumor CD25 status was determined by immunohistochemistry and/or flow cytometry, with CD25-positivity being defined as 10% or more of tumor cells expressing detectable CD25. Of the 7 patients with CD25+ T-NHL, there were 2 CR (1 case of Alk-1 negative ALCL and 1 case of PTCL), 3 PR (1 case of PTCL and 2 cases of angioimmunoblastic lymphoma), 1 SD (1 case of PTCL) and 1 PD (1 case of PTCL). Of the 7 patients with CD25− T-NHL, there were 2 PR (1 case of PTCL and 1 case of T/NK-lymphoma), 4 SD (3 cases of PTCL and 1 case of Sezary syndrome), and 1 PD (1 case of angioimmunoblastic lymphoma). Overall response rate (CR+ PR) was 50%, with 2 of 14 patients having CR (14%) and 5 of 14 patients having PR (36%). One patient with Alk-1negative ALCL still has an ongoing CR at 15+ months. Treatment was well-tolerated, with the majority of toxicity being grade 1 or 2 and transient. Denileukin diftitox appears to have activity in relapsed/refractory T-cell NHL, and is well-tolerated at the dosing schedule tested. Additional patients are being studied to further evaluate the relationship between detectable CD25 expression and tumor response to denileukin diftitox.
Income, Ideology, and Representation

Do legislators represent the rich better than they represent the poor? Recent work provides mixed support for this proposition. I test the hypothesis of differential representation using a data set on the political preferences of 318,537 individuals. Evidence of differential representation in the House of Representatives is weak. Support for differential representation is stronger in the Senate. In recent years, representation has occurred primarily through the selection of a legislator from the appropriate party. Although the preferences of higher-income constituents account for more of the variation in legislator voting behavior, higher-income constituents also account for much more of the variation in district preferences. In light of the low level of overall responsiveness, differential responsiveness appears small.
Patients with Early T-Cell Precursor (ETP) Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Have High Levels of Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) at the End of induction—A Children's Oncology Group (COG) Study.

Abstract 9 Current risk stratification algorithms in children with B-lineage ALL have facilitated the identification of subgroups with adverse outcomes that benefit from intensified therapy. However, many of the features that are highly prognostic of outcome in B-precursor ALL, such as the combination of age and white blood cell count (WBC) at diagnosis, have limited ability to predict outcome in T-ALL. In contrast, early response to induction therapy, as measured by bone marrow (BM) morphology at days 8, 15 or 29, and day 29 (end induction) BM MRD are highly predictive of outcome in both B-precursor and T-ALL. Coustan-Smith and colleagues (Lancet Oncology 10:147-156 2009) have recently identified a subset of children with ETP ALL that have an extremely high risk of induction failure or relapse. The ETP ALL blasts exhibit stem cell-like features as defined by the presence of antigens seen on early progenitors including CD117, CD34, HLA-DR and/or CD13/33, the absence of antigens seen on later stage immature T cells including CD1a and CD8, and decreased to absent expression of the early T cell antigen CD5. We analyzed patients enrolled in current generation COG ALL trials, including patients with B-precursor ALL treated on AALL0232 (high risk, n=2129) or AALL0331 (standard risk, n=3747), and 416 patients with T-ALL enrolled on AALL03B1. Clinical features including age, WBC, gender, and CNS status were compared between ETP-positive (n=25) and –negative (n=391) T-ALL patients. We also compared response to four weeks of induction therapy (prednisone, vincristine, PEG-asparaginase, and daunorubicin) as measured by day 15 and 29 BM morphology and day 29 BM MRD determined by flow cytometry. Twenty-five of 416 (6%) T-ALL patients had an ETP phenotype. The ETP-positive patients were older and presented with a lower white blood cell count than the ETP-negative patients (see Table). There was no difference in the gender distribution or the presence of CNS disease at diagnosis between the two groups. Strikingly, the ETP-positive patients had a dramatically inferior early response to therapy with 100% having ≥ 0.01% day 29 MRD (vs. 46% of ETP-negative T-ALL and 23.4% of precursor B-ALL) and 74% having ≥ 1% day 29 MRD (vs. 21% of ETP-negative T-ALL and 5% of precursor B-ALL). These results confirm the poor response of ETP T-ALL and suggest that novel treatment strategies are warranted in this patient subgroup. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Arthroscopic Bankart repair.

This article describes the clinical and pathologic changes that occur in athletes with recurrent shoulder instability. Strategies for nonoperative treatment are discussed, and an overview of open procedures is presented. A technical description of arthroscopic Bankart repair is offered, accompanied by a detailed discussion of its pros and cons. The author's recommendations regarding when arthroscopic Bankart repair should be considered conclude the article.
Solvent-Driven Infiltration Of Polymer (sip) Into Nanoparticle Packings

Despite their wide potential utility, the manufacture of polymer–nanoparticle (NP) composites with high filler fractions presents significant challenges because of difficulties associated with dispersing and mixing high volume fractions of NPs in polymer matrices. Polymer-infiltrated nanoparticle films (PINFs) circumvent these issues, allowing fabrication of functional composites with extremely high filler fractions (>50 vol %). In this work, we present a one-step, room-temperature method for porous PINF fabrication through solvent-driven infiltration of polymer (SIP) into NP packings from a bilayer film composed of a densely packed layer of NPs atop a polymer film. Upon exposure to solvent vapor, capillary condensation occurs in the NP packing, leading to plasticization of the polymer layer and subsequent infiltration of polymer into the NP layer. This process results in a porous PINF without the need for energy-intensive processes. We show that the extent of polymer infiltration depends on the quality o...
Exploring Blended Learning in a Postsecondary Spanish Language Program: Observations, Perceptions, and Proficiency Ratings

Despite the foreign language community's historical interest in employing technology to support language learning, few research studies have linked its use to instructional outcomes and most have failed to address whether technology enhancements lead to increased proficiency gains. This article examines the relationship between technology use and student performance in a Spanish language program at a research university. Through classroom observation and student and instructor self-reports, coupled with proficiency data from first- and second-year courses, this project investigated the type and distribution of technology use, instructors’ and students’ perceptions of the value of technology use, and the relationship between observed and perceived technology use and the exit proficiency ratings of student participants. The study found that students and instructors used technology to varying degrees and valued different types of technology use in language learning but viewed face-to-face communication as most essential. In addition, regardless of very different technology implementations among instructors and courses, students’ proficiency ratings reached the expected exit level for each course and were remarkably consistent among individuals.
Rhythmic Cognition in Late Medieval Lyrics: BL MS Harley 2253

This chapter examines the meter of the English vernacular lyrics collected in British Library MS Harley 2253, a fourteenth-century verse anthology. A long-standing problem in the history of English prosody, the Harley manuscript’s meter seems ambivalently to belong to competing verse cultures, one alliterative and the other accentual-syllabic. By recontextualizing this seeming hybridity in light of medieval contemplative practices, this chapter argues that the Harley lyrics recruit conflicting prosodic cues from alliterative and accentual-syllabic meters in order to arrest the biological surprise response that occurs when rhythmic predictions fail. This is done, this chapter contends, to induce an apophatic or negative stance toward analytic categories and textual events. In the tradition of via negative theology, the verse performs a metrical “unknowing” in which wonder displaces certainty.
Fragile goddesses: moral subjectivity and militarized agencies in female guerrilla diaries and memoirs

Kurdish female guerrillas in the armed political organization Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) established death as the ultimate form of agentive transcendence in the early periods of their participa...
Hepatitis B Vaccination and Screening Among Foreign-born Women of Reproductive Age in the United States: 2013-2015

Background Mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B can be prevented with vaccination and screening. Foreign-born women living in the United States may have lower vaccination coverage and greater lifetime exposure to hepatitis B virus than US-born women. This study compares self-reported hepatitis B vaccination and screening between US-born and foreign-born women of reproductive age and examines predictors. Methods National Health Interview Survey data from 2013-2015 were pooled to estimate the prevalence of lifetime history of hepatitis B vaccination and screening self-reported by women aged 18-44 years who were born in the United States or elsewhere (foreign born). The significance of world region of birth, birth-year cohort, and immigration-related characteristics was considered. Results Among women of reproductive age (n = 24216), the reported hepatitis B vaccination coverage rate was 33% lower for foreign-born (27.3%) than for US-born (40.9%) women (t test, P < .05). Vaccination coverage was low for women who were born in Mexico/Central America/Caribbean islands (18.4%), South America (25.3%), and the Indian subcontinent (31.7%). Education, income, and insurance coverage were associated with vaccination in both groups. Screening was reported by 28.5% of foreign-born versus 31.9% of US-born women (t test, P < .05). The lowest reported screening prevalence occurred among foreign-born Hispanic or Latina Mexican (21.0%) and Puerto Rican (21.9%) women. Factors associated with screening prevalence among foreign-born women included English fluency, recent US residency, and citizenship. Conclusions Foreign-born women of reproductive age had lower hepatitis B vaccination and screening coverage than US-born women of reproductive age.
Emerging Technologies in Aesthetic Medicine: Nonablative Skin Tightening

A number of techniques have been employed to reduce the appearance of rhytids and skin laxity, including dermabrasion, chemical peels, and surgical reconstruction. Over a decade ago, resurfacing lasers (e.g., carbon dioxide laser, erbium:yttrium–aluminum–garnet laser) emerged and remain the current gold standard for facial skin tightening. Patients are now demanding procedures with reduced downtime and sufficient clinical improvement. This has led to the development of a number of nonablative laser technologies with a more favorable risk–reward profile. Unlike ablative lasers, nonablative laser induce a dermal thermal injury without epidermal vaporization. The new technologies are discussed.
Designing Minds (1992)

A s the entry from Homo sapiens in any intergalactic design competition, industrial civilization would be tossed out at the qualifying round. It doesn’t fit. It won’t last. The scale is wrong. And even its apologists admit that it is not very pretty. The design failures of industrial technologically driven societies are manifest in the loss of diversity of all kinds, destabilization of the Earth’s biogeochemi-cal cycles, pollution, soil erosion, ugliness, poverty injustice, social decay, violence, and economic instability.
Artists & Creativity in Urban Placemaking Re!ections on a Downtown Minneapolis Cultural District

Participatory city planning led by artists was not in the sightlines of Geddes or Mumford when modern planning practices were born. A century-long trend brings increased requirements and expectations of participation by public stakeholders and growth in neighborhood and district-level planning. Increasingly complex urban environments require cross-sector collaboration and cross-cultural dialogue, in addition to understanding a multitude of culturally speci!c ways people use public and private spaces. Challenges to the profession grow as the role of planner evolves from engineer to facilitator. This paper reviews these trends as well as recent scholarly work calling for more involvement of creative voices and practices in planning. Through a Minneapolis case, this article examines inclusion of a theater artist, choreographer, vocalist/songwriter and muralist in leadership of a district planning project that generates a richer analysis, more robust options, and offers a greater sense of participant ownership through creative placemaking.
Acinetobacter nosocomialis : Defining the Role of Efflux Pumps in Resistance to Antimicrobial Therapy, Surface Motility, and Biofilm Formation.

Acinetobacter nosocomialis is a member of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii (ACB) complex. Increasingly, reports are emerging of the pathogenic profile and multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype of this species. To define novel therapies to overcome resistance, we queried the role of the major efflux pumps in A. nosocomialis strain M2 on antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. A. nosocomialis strains with the following mutations were engineered by allelic replacement; ΔadeB, ΔadeJ, and ΔadeB/adeJ. In these isogenic strains, we show that the ΔadeJ mutation increased susceptibility to beta-lactams, beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitors, chloramphenicol, monobactam, tigecycline, and trimethoprim. The ΔadeB mutation had a minor effect on resistance to certain beta-lactams, rifampicin and tigecycline. In addition, the ΔadeJ mutation resulted in a significant decrease in surface motility and a minor decrease in biofilm formation. Our results indicate that the efflux pump, AdeIJK, has additional roles outside of antibiotic resistance in A. nosocomialis.
Towards evidence-driven policy design: Complex adaptive systems and computational modeling

Efforts to design public policies for social systems tend to confront highly complex conditions which have a large number of potentially relevant factors to be considered and rapidly changing conditions where continuous adaptation delays or obscures the effect of policies. Given unresolvable uncertainty in policy outcomes, the optimal solution is difficult, if ever possible, to nail down. It is more reasonable to choose a solution that is robust to as many future scenarios that might ensue from the decision. Arriving at such a solution requires policy makers to actively explore and exploit rich information to support their decision making in a cost-efficient, yet rigorous manner. We name this new working style as evidence-driven policy design and outline the characteristics of favorable evidence. We then argue that computational modeling is a potential tool for implementing evidence-driven policy design. It helps the study and design of solutions by simulating various environments, interventions, and the processes in which certain outcomes emerge from the decisions of policy makers. It allows policy makers to observe both the intended and, equally important, unintended consequences of policy alternatives. It also facilitates communication and consensus-building among policy makers and diverse stakeholders.
The impact of international bribery on U.S. household stock investments

We find that international bribery violations in U.S. firms reduce U.S. households’ stock market investments. Revelations of such violations in a state reduce households’ stock market participation, diminish the portion of total household stock holdings within the household’s total wealth, decrease the probability that households enter the stock markets, and increase the probability that households exit from the stock market. Our results suggest that morality might be the mechanism by which bribery violations affect local household stock investments.
Compression of endograft limb after translumbar embolization of a type II endoleak using n-butyl cyanoacrylate

Abstract Cyanoacrylate "glue" has been used in a variety of surgical disciplines. In vascular surgery, it has been used to seal type II endoleaks after endovascular aneurysm repair. In this case, we report a rare complication after translumbar injection of n-butyl cyanoacrylate to occlude a persistent type II endoleak. The cyanoacrylate resulted in significant compression of the right iliac graft limb with reduced distal perfusion.
Thermal Atropisomerism of Teicoplanin Aglycon Derivatives: Preparation of the P,P,P and M,P,P Atropisomers of the Teicoplanin Aglycon via Selective Equilibration of the DE Ring System

The degradation of teicoplanin to a series of key aglycon derivatives, including those containing a cleaved FG ring system, and a study of their thermal atropisomerism are detailed. In all cases, selective equilibration of the DE ring system was observed to provide a 1:1 mixture of P:M atropisomers under conditions in which the AB and CD atropisomer stereochemistry were unaffected. The DE atropisomer equilibration was found to occur with an Ea of 29.3 and 24.8−25.2 kcal/mol for 6a (FG ring system intact) and 10/12 (cleaved FG ring system), respectively, which is comparable to that of a vancomycin aglycon DE ring system (Ea = 23.6 kcal/mol) and more facile than the CD (Ea = 30.4 kcal/mol) or O-methylated AB ring system (Ea = 37.8 kcal/mol). Consistent with intuitive expectations, the intact teicoplanin FG ring system slowed the rate of isomerization, contributing ca. 4.0 kcal/mol to the Ea (6a vs 10), and the bulky C23 substituent on teicoplanin acyclo FG derivatives had a much less significant effect, con...
AMP-activated protein kinase slows D2 dopamine autoreceptor desensitization in substantia nigra neurons.

Abstract Dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra zona compacta (SNC) are well known to express D2 receptors. When dopamine is released from somatodendritic sites, activation of D2 autoreceptors suppresses dopamine neuronal activity through activation of G protein-coupled K+ channels. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a master enzyme that acts in somatic tissues to suppress energy expenditure and encourage energy production. We hypothesize that AMPK may also conserve energy in central neurons by reducing desensitization of D2 autoreceptors. We used whole-cell patch-clamp recordings to study the effects of AMPK activators and inhibitors on D2 autoreceptor-mediated current in SNC neurons in midbrain slices from rat pups (11–23 days post-natal). Slices were superfused with 100 μM dopamine or 30 μM quinpirole for 25 min, which evoked outward currents that decayed slowly over time. Although the AMPK activators A769662 and ZLN024 significantly slowed rundown of dopamine-evoked current, slowing of quinpirole-evoked current required the presence of a D1-like agonist (SKF38393). Moreover, the D1-like agonist also slowed the rundown of quinpirole-induced current even in the absence of an AMPK activator. Pharmacological antagonist experiments showed that the D1-like agonist effect required activation of either protein kinase A (PKA) or exchange protein directly activated by cAMP 2 (Epac2) pathways. In contrast, the effect of AMPK on rundown of current evoked by quinpirole plus SKF38393 required PKA but not Epac2. We conclude that AMPK slows D2 autoreceptor desensitization by augmenting the effect of D1-like receptors.
Measuring Nonprofit Hospitals' Provision of Charity Care Using IRS and CMS Data.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY We explore whether nonprofit hospitals report similar amounts of charity care to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). We use nonprofit hospitals' financial reports to the IRS and the CMS Medicare costs report for 2011 and 2012. In 2012, hospitals reported spending 7.6% more in charity care to the IRS than to CMS: 2.54% of revenues ($5.74 million per hospital) to the IRS versus 2.36% ($5.16 million) to CMS. While the averages are close, there are wide discrepancies for individual hospitals. For example, despite efforts for standardization, 80% of hospitals reported charity care to the CMS that was 40% greater in absolute value than what they reported to the IRS, and only 10% of hospitals reported charity care to CMS that was within 20% of what they reported to the IRS. Our findings suggest that individual hospitals routinely report different amounts of charity care to the IRS and CMS, yet we find relatively few hospital or market characteristics that may explain these differences.
A comparative study on the college readiness of bilingual learners in transitional bilingual and dual language programs

This study compared the performance of bilingual learners, educated in either a Transitional Bilingual (TB) or Dual Language (DL) program, on the Reading and English portions of the nationally reco...
Revisiting the Empirical Status of Social Learning Theory on Substance Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Despite ample empirical research testing components of Akers’ Social Learning Theory (SLT) on substance use, no research to date has attempted to synthesize the empirical evidence. Obje...
10th anniversary of JCHIMP

We have completed volume 9 of the Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives â€" JCHIMP. In this perspective piece we discuss the many achievements of our journal, including our impact factor, the diversity of institutions publishing, our editorial board, and the importance of our reviewers.
Charging activation and desulfurization of MnS unlock the active sites and electrochemical reactivity for Zn-Ion batteries

Abstract The rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) based on the Zn/MnO2 couple and mildly acidic electrolyte have emerged as promising large-scale energy storage systems. This work reports an in situ electrochemical activation approach to oxidizing MnS into an electrochemically derived oxide (MnS-EDO), which unlocks its potential as high-performance cathodes for ZIBs. MnS-EDO contains fragmented layers with abundant defects and thus demonstrates large electrochemically active surface areas, high electrochemical reactivity, fast ion diffusion kinetics, accelerated charge transfer and exceptional structural robustness during cycling compared to α-MnO2. MnS-EDO exhibits a specific capacity of 335.7 mAh g−1 with ~100% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 0.3 A g−1, outstanding rate capability and long-term stability retaining 104 mAh g−1 after 4000 cycles at 3 A g−1. This work elucidates the underlying electrochemical insights and a hybrid discharge mechanism involving homogeneous Zn2+ intercalation at ~1.4 V and subsequent heterogeneous reactions of insertion of both H+ and Zn2+ at ~1.25 V. The ambiguities among Zn buserite, birnessite and zinc hydroxide sulfate are clarified. This work provides a simple and low-cost approach to unlocking the potential of MnS-EDO cathode for promising aqueous rechargeable ZIBs and sheds light on a mechanistic understanding of manganese oxide-based cathodes.
Activism in Practice: The Influence of a Rural School Leader’s Beliefs and Practices in Disrupting Historical Patterns of Underachievement in Traditionally Marginalized Students

Despite the fact that rural communities across the United States are rapidly diversifying (Fusarelli & Militello, 2012), little research has examined the beliefs and practices of successful rural educational leaders, specifically in high poverty schools and districts where traditionally marginalized students demonstrate improving learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the beliefs and practices of a rural educational leader whose school or district met established study criteria for a high poverty, high performing school, in which traditionally marginalized students demonstrate increasingly productive learning outcomes. Interviews with the leader were conducted, and the data were coded and analyzed using a constant comparative method (Lincoln & Guba, 1985).The following research question guided the study:What impact do the beliefs and practices of a rural school district leader have on the learning outcomes of traditionally marginalized students in the Rocky Mountain West?The findings from this study contribute to the paucity of research on culturally responsive rural superintendent-principals. Identifying the rural leader’s beliefs and practices provides support for educational leaders who serve in that uniquely rural dual role, about which very little has been written. It informs leadership preparation programs, graduate students, researchers, and policy makers about the need for nuanced culturally responsive training for rural educational leaders.
Comparison of Magnetic Field Emission from Unipolar and Bipolar Coil-Based Wireless Charging Systems

In this study, the leakage magnetic field (LMF) from the unipolar (circular, rectangular, etc.) and bipolar (double-D) coil-based wireless charging systems (WCSs) are investigated and compared. The unipolar and bipolar pads, which are the two most widely adopted charging-pads, have significantly different magnetic field emission characteristics. In this paper, the spatial-distribution and vector-pattern of the leakage magnetic field are studied and compared for similar 11 kW unipolar and bipolar coil-based WCSs. The field emissions are simulated using finite element analysis (FEA) and tested experimentally with an 11 kW bipolar coil-based WCS prototype. The results show that the leakage magnetic field of the unipolar and bipolar pads have widely different vector-orientation and spatial distributions of the leakage magnetic field. The results show that the unipolar coil based WCS has a dominant vertical and the bipolar pads coil-based WCS has dominant horizontally aligned leakage magnetic field. Considering the shielding, the aluminum plate is found highly effective for the unipolar pad and almost ineffective for bipolar pads.
Molecular dynamics simulations of brittle to ductile transition in failure mechanism of silicon nitride nanoporous membranes

Abstract We use Molecular Dynamics simulations to study mechanical behaviors of crystalline silicon nitride nanoporous membranes with different pore distribution upon tensile loading along the armchair direction. Our results suggest that the proper introduction of the pores in nanoporous membranes leads to the transition from brittle failure into ductile failure mechanism. This transition is accompanied with the change of plastic deformation mechanism from either localization of Von-Mises strain within isolated regions or a network of zigzag shear bands into the formation of a network of straight shear bands. We also found that the formation of zigzag shear bands upon plastic deformation leads to strain hardening and thus increases the strength. Our results suggest new strategies for improving strength and ductility of nanoporous membranes.
Effects of retailers’ service quality and legitimacy on behavioral intention: the role of emotions during COVID-19

By applying institutional theory to the current retail environment under the COVID-19 pandemic, the purpose of this study is to 1) identify service quality dimensions that generate pragmatic and so...
MRI of Perianal Crohn Disease: Technique and Interpretation.

ABSTRACT Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as the imaging method of choice for evaluation of perianal fistulizing disease. As treatment of Crohn disease and associated perianal fistulas has evolved to include a combination of systemic treatments and surgical interventions, perianal MRI provides critical information to guide treatment selection and timing. Radiologists need to be familiar with the normal regional anatomy to accurately describe perianal fistulas and any associated complications which can then be used to classify fistulas based on several available classification systems. Following treatment, MRI can provide information that suggests treatment success or failure. We propose a perianal fistula reporting template that includes the necessary information to convey fistula complexity, guide treatment, and evaluate treatment response. This review article will also discuss the postoperative appearance of many treatments currently used for management of perianal fistulizing disease and some associated complications.
Switchability and minimal effect of food on pharmacokinetics of modified release tablet strengths of omecamtiv mecarbil, a cardiac myosin activator.

Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) is a cardiac myosin activator in clinical development for the treatment of heart failure. The effect of food on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of 25, 37.5, and 50 mg strength modified release (MR) tablets and the bioequivalence of two 25 mg tablets versus one 50 mg MR tablet were evaluated in two open-label, randomized, cross-over studies in healthy subjects. Subjects received two 25 mg tablets or one 50 mg OM MR tablet under fed or fasted states in Study 1 (n = 39), and single oral doses of 25 and 37.5 mg OM MR tablets and to assess its relative bioavailability to the 25 mg MR tablet, a 25 mg oral solution under fed or fasted states in Study 2 (n = 34). The area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) and the maximum observed concentration (Cmax ) of 25, 37.5, or 50 mg OM MR tablets were approximately 13%-22% higher and 31%-40% higher, respectively, when taken with food. The two 25 mg and one 50 mg OM MR tablets were bioequivalent (90% confidence intervals) of the geometric mean ratios for Cmax and AUC of OM were within 0.8-1.25 under the fasted or fed state. OM was well tolerated and all treatment-emergent events were mild in severity and resolved by the end of the study. In conclusion, these studies demonstrated that the effect of food on the PK of OM was minimal at all three studied strengths of the MR tablets, and two 25 mg MR tablets may be switched for one 50 mg MR tablet (EudraCT Number: 2019-003683-44).
Male Sex, Cartilage Surgery, Tobacco Use, and Opioid Disorders are Associated with an Increased Risk of Infection after ACL Reconstruction.

Purpose To identify patient-related risk factors for infection following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Methods The Mariner database within PearlDiver was queried for patients from 2010 to 2019 undergoing primary arthroscopic ACLR. Patients undergoing ACLR with concomitant open surgery or additional ligament reconstructions were excluded. Postoperative diagnoses or procedures for superficial or deep infection within 6 months were assessed. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was then used to evaluate patient-related risk factors for postoperative infection. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for each risk factor, with P Results In total, 217,541 patients underwent ACLR and 1779 (0.8%) patients had a postoperative infection within 6 months. Significant independent risk factors included male sex (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.43-1.75, P Conclusions In a large national sample, male sex, obesity, tobacco use, older age, depression, opioid disorders and concomitant cartilage surgery were significant risk factors for infection following ACLR. Level of Evidence Therapeutic Level IV, retrospective case series.
Limited Extent and Consequences of Pancreatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Concerns that infection with SARS-CoV-2, the etiological agent of COVID-19, may cause new-onset diabetes persist amidst an evolving research landscape, and precise risk assessment is hampered by at times conflicting evidence. Here, leveraging comprehensive single-cell analyses of in vitro SARS-CoV-2-infected human pancreatic islets, we demonstrate that productive infection is strictly dependent on the SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor ACE2 and targets all pancreatic cell types. Importantly, the infection remains highly circumscribed, largely non-cytopathic, and despite high viral burden in infected subsets, promotes only modest cellular perturbations and inflammatory responses. Similar experimental outcomes are also observed after islet infection with endemic coronaviruses. Thus, the limits of pancreatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, even under in vitro conditions of enhanced virus exposure, do not support the proposition that in vivo targeting of beta cells by SARS-CoV-2 precipitates new-onset diabetes. If restricted pancreatic damage accrued by COVID-19 increases cumulative diabetes risk, however, remains to be evaluated. Funding: These efforts were supported by JDRF 3-PDF-2018-575-A-N (V.v.d.H.); NIH/NIDDK R01DK12392, NIH/NIAID P01AI042288 and NIH/NIAID U54AI142766-S1 (M.A.A.); NIH/NIAID Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response/Center for Research for Influenza Pathogenesis and Transmission contract # 75N93019R00028, NIH/NIAID U19AI135972 (supplement), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency HR0011-19-2-0020, JPB Foundation, and Open Philanthropy Project # 2020-215611 (5384), Anonymous (A.G.-S.); NIH/NIAID R01AI151029 and NIA/NIAID U01AI150748 (B.R.R.); NIH/NIDDK R01DK130425 (M.S.); and NIH/NIAID R01AI134971, NIH/NIDDK U01DK123716, NIH/NIDDK U01DK104162, NIH/NIDDK P30DK020541 and NIH/NIDDK R01DK130425 (D.H.). Funding: The AG-S laboratory has received research support from Pfizer, Senhwa Biosciences, Kenall Manufacturing, Avimex, Johnson & Johnson, Dynavax, 7Hills Pharma, Pharmamar, ImmunityBio, Accurius, Nanocomposix, Hexamer, N-fold LLC, Model Medicines and Merck, outside of the reported work. Declaration of Interests: AG-S has consulting agreements for the following companies involving cash and/or stock: Vivaldi Biosciences, Contrafect, 7Hills Pharma, Avimex, Vaxalto, Pagoda, Accurius, Esperovax, Farmak, Applied Biological Laboratories and Pfizer, outside of the reported work. AG-S is inventor on patents and patent applications on the use of antivirals and vaccines for the treatment and prevention of virus infections and cancer, owned by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, outside of the reported work. All other authors declare no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: Our study is considered “not human subjects research” since all donor islet preparations were provided as de-identified tissue specimens by a commercial purveyor
Assessing the Feasibility of Side Yard Programs as a Solution to Land Vacancy in U.S. Shrinking Cities

Scholars have recommended various strategies to combat land vacancy in shrinking cities. Side yard programs, in which adjacent homeowners purchase vacant lots, represent one such solution. We use the case study city of St. Louis, Missouri to evaluate this approach’s potential for reducing residential land vacancy. The analysis reveals that while demand-side issues (i.e., affordability) exist, the supply-side barriers (i.e., restrictive guidelines and inequitable or illogical pricing structures) are the larger constraints for the program’s success. In St. Louis, the program as currently structured could find buyers for approximately 10.8% of vacant residential parcels if all eligible buyers were interested. Through comparison of policy scenarios, we conclude that program policy significantly influences a program’s potential success, through a range of mechanisms including: restrictions regarding buyers’ owner-occupancy status, side yard lot width maximums, and pricing structure. State legislation regarding tax foreclosure auctions and elements of urban design also influence program effectiveness.
Topological Effects in Disordered Phase of Two-Dimensional Magnet

The CP N -1-model for N ≫ 1 is considered as a model describing a disordered spin liquid phase within a controlled approximation. We show that integration over configurations of fields with a nonvanishing topological charge give rise to the ChernSimons term in the effective action for the RVB-gauge field. This term cannot be reproduced by standard 1/N-expansion and the system has a phase transition at N → ∞. The Chern-Simons term weakens confining ability of the gauge fields and removes monopoles. Therefore z-quanta composing the spin field behave almost like independent particles in agreement with the concept of the spin liquid.
On Type-Reduction Versus Direct Defuzzification for Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Systems

This chapter examines type-reduction and direct defuzzification for interval type-2 fuzzy logic systems. It provides critiques of type-reduction as an end to itself as well as of direct defuzzification, and concludes that: (1) a good way to categorize type-reduction/direct defuzzification algorithm papers is as papers that either focus on algorithms that lead to a type-reduced set, or directly to a defuzzified value; (2) research on type-reduction as an end to itself has led to results that are arguably of very little value; and, (3) the practice of base-lining an IT2 FLS that uses direct defuzzification against one that uses type-reduction followed by defuzzification is unnecessary.
Approximate Confidence Intervals for Estimation of Matching Error Rates of Biometric Identification Devices

Assessing the matching error rates of a biometric identification devices is integral to understanding its performance. Here we propose and evaluate several methods for creating approximate confidence intervals for matching error rates. Testing of biometric identification devices is recognized as inducing intra-individual correlation. In order to estimate error rates associated with these devices, it is necessary to deal with these correlations. In this paper, we consider extensions of recent work on adjustments to confidence intervals for binomial proportions to correlated binary proportions. In particular we propose a Agresti-Coull type adjustment for estimation of a proportion. Here that proportion represents an error rate. We use an overdispersion model to account for intra-individual correlation. To evaluate this approach we simulate data from a Beta-binomial distribution and assess the coverage for nominally 95% confidence intervals.
A Review of the Pathogenesis of Canine Cranial Cruciate Ligament Disease as a Basis for Future Preventive Strategies

Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) deficiency is the leading cause of lameness of the canine stifle and has important consequences in terms of morbidity and cost associated with its management. In spite of this impact, development of preventive strategies remains in its infancy, largely because of gaps in our understanding of the complex and likely multifactorial origin of CCL deficiency. The purpose of this article is to provide a critical review of the literature related to the pathogenesis of CCL deficiency and place this evidence in the context of potential preventive measures. Trauma accounts for a minority of CCL ruptures in dogs, whereas progressive degeneration of the ligament has been attributed to a variety of factors that may be broadly classified as genetic, conformational, environmental, immune-mediated, and inflammatory. Genetic screening appears promising as a long-term option in selected breeds while immunomodulating therapies may be implemented in the nearer future to reduce the incidence of contralateral disease in dogs with unilateral CCL deficiency. Preventive modification of conformation factors may be applicable to most breeds predisposed to CCL deficiency but requires further investigations into the relative contribution of individual factors, as well as into the feasibility, and potential risks of large-scale implementation.
Chronic Ethanol Ingestion Increases Aortic Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression and Nitric Oxide Production in the Rat

Epidemiological Evidence Suggests that alcohol ingestion modulates the development of cardiovascular disease. Moderate alcohol consumption may prevent atherosclerotic vascular disease (Camargo et al., 1997; Hill, 2005; Thun et al., 1997), whereas excessive intake may enhance cardiovascular disease (Klatsky, 1996). Current evidence suggests that consumption of approximately 1 alcoholic beverage per day for women (~10 g ethanol) or 2 alcoholic beverages per day for men (~25 g ethanol) provides the maximum beneficial effect from coronary heart disease (CHD). With greater daily consumption, the effects of alcohol appear to shift from beneficial to detrimental effects suggesting that the relationship between alcohol consumption and CHD follows a “J-shaped” relationship (Corrao et al., 2000). Similarly, compared with elderly adults who abstain from alcohol, consumption of 1 to 6 drinks per week was inversely associated with carotid artery intima-media thickness, a surrogate marker of vascular disease, while consumption of 14 drinks or more per week was positively associated with carotid artery intima-media thickness (Mukamal et al., 2003). Putative mechanisms for the vascular protective effects of moderate alcohol consumption include increases in high-density lipoprotein (Hulley and Gordon, 1981; Thornton et al., 1983), inhibition of platelet activation (Landolfi and Steiner, 1984; Renaud et al., 1992), improvements in insulin sensitivity (Kiechl et al., 1994; Stampfer et al., 1988), increased antioxidant activity (German and Walzem, 2000), and enhanced endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase expression and NO production (Abou-Agag et al., 2005). Similarly, recent studies have suggested that alcohol-induced alterations in vascular reactive oxygen species may also contribute to vascular dysfunction. For example, male Fisher rats treated with alcohol daily for 12-weeks via orogastric tube developed hypertension, impaired vascular relaxation, reduced vascular endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression, and evidence of increased vascular oxidative stress (Husain et al., 2005). Collectively these studies suggest, similar to epidemiological data in human subjects, that alcohol feeding regimens in animals may result in either beneficial or detrimental effects on vascular function depending on the amount and duration of alcohol consumption. The current study employed a well established rat model of chronic ethanol ingestion to further explore the effects of a 6-week ethanol feeding regimen on blood pressure, as well as vascular reactivity and NO production in vivo. Our findings extend previous reports that alcohol stimulates eNOS expression and NO production in vascular endothelial cells in vitro and provides additional support for the dichotomous effects of alcohol on systemic vascular function.
Balloon Atrial Septostomy by a Right Internal Jugular Venous Approach in a Newborn with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome with a Restrictive Atrial Septum

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome with an intact or highly restrictive atrial septum requires urgent decompression of the left atrium. Catheter-based interventions from the femoral or umbilical veins represent the standard method of atrial decompression. Restrictive atrial septal defects located at the superior portion of the fossa ovalis can be difficult to cross from these access sites. Here, we describe a successful Rashkind balloon atrial septostomy performed from an internal jugular approach.
XTAG - A Graphical Workbench for Developing Tree-Adjoining Grammars

We describe a workbench (XTAG) for the development of tree-adjoining grammars and their parsers, and discuss some issues that arise in the design of the graphical interface.Contrary to string rewriting grammars generating trees, the elementary objects manipulated by a tree-adjoining grammar are extended trees (i.e. trees of depth one or more) which capture syntactic information of lexical items. The unique characteristics of tree-adjoining grammars, its elementary objects found in the lexicon (extended trees) and the derivational history of derived trees (also a tree), require a specially crafted interface in which the perspective has shifted from a string-based to a tree-based system. XTAG provides such a graphical interface in which the elementary objects are trees (or tree sets) and not symbols (or strings).The kernel of XTAG is a predictive left to right parser for unification-based tree-adjoining grammar [Schabes, 1991]. XTAG includes a graphical editor for trees, a graphical tree printer, utilities for manipulating and displaying feature structures for unification-based tree-adjoining grammar, facilities for keeping track of the derivational history of TAG trees combined with adjoining and substitution, a parser for unification based tree-adjoining grammars, utilities for defining grammars and lexicons for tree-adjoining grammars, a morphological recognizer for English (75 000 stems deriving 280 000 inflected forms) and a tree-adjoining grammar for English that covers a large range of linguistic phenomena.Considerations of portability, efficiency, homogeneity and ease of maintenance, lead us to the use of Common Lisp without its object language addition and to the use of the X Window interface to Common Lisp (CLX) for the implementation of XTAG.XTAG without the large morphological and syntactic lexicons is public domain software. The large morphological and syntactic lexicons can be obtained through an agreement with ACL's Data Collection Initiative.XTAG runs under Common Lisp and X Window (CLX).