cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlation of the Specific Surface Area and Bulk Density of Commercial Charcoals with Their Adsorption Capacity for Radioactive Krypton and Xenon

Adsorption coefficients for krypton and xenon on a number of commercial charcoals, including charcoals from the U.S., Japan, and the USSR, have been correlated with the specific surface areas and b...
Implementation and Evaluation of a Large-Scale Teleretinal Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Program in the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services

Importance Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness in adults of working age in the United States. In the Los Angeles County safety net, a nonvertically integrated system serving underinsured and uninsured patients, the prevalence of DR is approximately 50%, and owing to limited specialty care resources, the average wait times for screening for DR have been 8 months or more. Objective To determine whether a primary care–based teleretinal DR screening (TDRS) program reduces wait times for screening and improves timeliness of needed care in the Los Angeles County safety net. Design, Setting, and Participants Quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest evaluation of exposure to primary care–based TDRS at 5 of 15 Los Angeles County Department of Health Services safety net clinics from September 1, 2013, to December 31, 2015, with a subgroup analysis of random samples of 600 patients before and after the intervention (1200 total). Exposure Primary care clinic–based teleretinal screening for DR. Main Outcomes and Measures Annual rates of screening for DR before and after implementation of the TDRS program across the 5 clinics, time to screening for DR in a random sample of patients from these clinics, and a description of the larger framework of program implementation. Results Among the 21 222 patients who underwent the screening (12 790 female, 8084 male, and 348 other gender or not specified; mean [SD] age, 57.4 [9.6] years), the median time to screening for DR decreased from 158 days (interquartile range, 68-324 days) before the intervention to 17 days (interquartile range, 8-50 days) after initiation of the program ( P P = .002). Of the 21 222 patients who were screened, 14 595 (68.8%) did not require referral to an eye care professional, 4160 (19.6%) were referred for treatment or monitoring of DR, and 2461 (11.6%) were referred for other ophthalmologic conditions. Conclusions and Relevance A digital TDRS program was successfully implemented for the largest publicly operated county safety net population in the United States, resulting in the elimination of the need for more than 14 000 visits to specialty care professionals, a 16.3% increase in annual rates of screening for DR, and an 89.2% reduction in wait times for screening. Teleretinal DR screening programs have the potential to maximize access and efficiency in the safety net, where the need for such programs is most critical.
Abstract 349: Eribulin induces cortical localization of E-cadherin, p120-catenin and beta-catenin in breast cancer cells

Eribulin provides a survival advantage for breast cancer patients, particularly those with triple-negative and HER2-negative subtypes. 1,2 Mechanistically, eribulin was shown to reverse epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in breast cancer models. 3 E-cadherin is a central regulator responsible for maintenance of the epithelial phenotype and loss of cortical E-cadherin and its downstream signaling is an early and significant event in EMT. Short term treatment of HCC1937 breast cancer cells with eribulin initiated cortical E-cadherin localization in manner different from other microtubule targeting agents. Cortical E-cadherin plays essential roles in cell adhesion and in regulating the Wnt pathway, whose aberrant activity is implicated in EMT. At the adherens junctions p120-catenin and β-catenin bind to E-cadherin, an interaction facilitated by microtubules. Cortical sequestration of p120- and β-catenin at the adherens junctions stabilizes these complexes and inhibits their ability to stimulate signaling pathways that contribute to EMT. We tested whether eribulin, which binds to the plus ends of microtubules, promotes EMT reversal by influencing p120- and β-catenin localization and activity. Our results show that eribulin induces cortical localization of p120-catenin and β-catenin with E-cadherin in HCC1937 cells, consistent with the formation of normal adherens junctions. Eribulin also stimulated the phosphorylation of Ser33/37 and Thr41 on β-catenin which promotes proteasomal degradation, which would be expected to further inhibit oncogenic signaling. Collectively, our results suggest that eribulin contributes to reversal of EMT through modulation of downstream signaling initiated by cortical localization of p120- and β-catenin at the adherens junctions. Funding for this work was provided by Eisai Inc. 1. Cortes J., et al., Lancet 377:914-923, 2011 2. Twelves, C., et al., Breast Cancer Res Treat 148:553-561, 2014 3. Yoshida, T., et al., Br J of Cancer 110: 1497-1505, 2014 Citation Format: Alison D. Clark, Nicholas F. Dybdal-Hargreaves, Susan L. Mooberry. Eribulin induces cortical localization of E-cadherin, p120-catenin and beta-catenin in breast cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 349. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-349
Genomic insights into potential interdependencies in microbial hydrocarbon and nutrient cycling in hydrothermal sediments

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are hotspots for productivity and biodiversity. Thermal pyrolysis and circulation produce fluids rich in hydrocarbons and reduced compounds that stimulate microbial activity in surrounding sediments. Several studies have characterized the diversity of Guaymas Basin (Gulf of California) sediment-inhabiting microorganisms; however, many of the identified taxa lack cultures or genomic representations. Here, we resolved the metabolic potential and community-level interactions of these diverse communities by reconstructing and analyzing microbial genomes from metagenomic sequencing data. We reconstructed 115 microbial metagenome-assembled genomes comprising 27 distinct archaeal and bacterial phyla. The archaea included members of the DPANN and TACK superphyla, Bathyarchaeota, novel Methanosarcinales (GoM-Arc1), and anaerobic methane-oxidizing lineages (ANME-1). Among the bacterial phyla, members of the Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, and Deltaproteobacteria were metabolically versatile and harbored potential pathways for hydrocarbon and lipid degradation and a variety of respiratory processes. Genes encoding enzymes that activate anaerobic hydrocarbons for degradation were detected in Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Latescibacteria, and KSB1 phyla, while the reconstructed genomes for most candidate bacteria phyla (Aminicenantes, Atribacteria, Omnitrophica, and Stahlbacteria) indicated a fermentative metabolism. Newly obtained GoM-Arc1 archaeal genomes encoded novel pathways for short-chain hydrocarbon oxidation by alkyl-coenzyme M formation. We propose metabolic linkages among different functional groups, such as fermentative community members sharing substrate-level interdependencies with sulfur- and nitrogen-cycling microbes. Overall, inferring the physiologies of archaea and bacteria from metagenome-assembled genomes in hydrothermal deep-sea sediments has revealed potential mechanisms of carbon cycling in deep-sea sediments. Our results further suggest a network of biogeochemical interdependencies in organic matter utilization, hydrocarbon degradation, and respiratory sulfur cycling among deep-sea-inhabiting microbial communities.
Leadership and Management: Techniques and Principles for Athletic Training

Abstract Leadership and management have become topics of recent interest in athletic training. These skills are distinct from each other and are vital to a successful and efficient athletic training room. Leadership is an influence relationship, while management is an authority relationship. Leadership is concerned with knowing yourself, your staff, your profession, and how to apply people skills. Management is concerned with organization, communication, and the development of your athletic training facility's mission. By applying good management and leadership skills, you can implement your mission statement, evaluate your results, and improve the performance of your athletic training facility.
A single regulator mediates strategic switching between attachment/spread and growth/virulence in the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum

The PhcA virulence regulator in the vascular wilt pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum responds to cell density via quorum sensing. To understand the timing of traits that enable R. solanacearum to establish itself inside host plants, we created a ΔphcA mutant that is genetically locked in a low-cell-density condition. Comparing levels of gene expression of wild-type R. solanacearum and the ΔphcA mutant during tomato colonization revealed that the PhcA transcriptome includes an impressive 620 genes (>2-fold differentially expressed; false-discovery rate [FDR], ≤0.005). Many core metabolic pathways and nutrient transporters were upregulated in the ΔphcA mutant, which grew faster than the wild-type strain in tomato xylem sap and on dozens of specific metabolites, including 36 found in xylem. This suggests that PhcA helps R. solanacearum to survive in nutrient-poor environmental habitats and to grow rapidly during early pathogenesis. However, after R. solanacearum reaches high cell densities in planta, PhcA mediates a trade-off from maximizing growth to producing costly virulence factors. R. solanacearum infects through roots, and low-cell-density-mode-mimicking ΔphcA cells attached to tomato roots better than the wild-type cells, consistent with their increased expression of several adhesins. Inside xylem vessels, ΔphcA cells formed aberrantly dense mats. Possibly as a result, the mutant could not spread up or down tomato stems as well as the wild type. This suggests that aggregating improves R. solanacearum survival in soil and facilitates infection and that it reduces pathogenic fitness later in disease. Thus, PhcA mediates a second strategic switch between initial pathogen attachment and subsequent dispersal inside the host. PhcA helps R. solanacearum optimally invest resources and correctly sequence multiple steps in the bacterial wilt disease cycle.IMPORTANCERalstonia solanacearum is a destructive soilborne crop pathogen that wilts plants by colonizing their water-transporting xylem vessels. It produces its costly virulence factors only after it has grown to a high population density inside a host. To identify traits that this pathogen needs in other life stages, we studied a mutant that mimics the low-cell-density condition. This mutant (the ΔphcA mutant) cannot sense its own population density. It grew faster than and used many nutrients not available to the wild-type bacterium, including metabolites present in tomato xylem sap. The mutant also attached much better to tomato roots, and yet it failed to spread once it was inside plants because it was trapped in dense mats. Thus, PhcA helps R. solanacearum succeed over the course of its complex life cycle by ensuring avid attachment to plant surfaces and rapid growth early in disease, followed by high virulence and effective dispersal later in disease.
ARG1 Functions in the Physiological Adaptation of Undifferentiated Plant Cells to Spaceflight

Abstract Scientific access to spaceflight and especially the International Space Station has revealed that physiological adaptation to spaceflight is accompanied or enabled by changes in gene expression that significantly alter the transcriptome of cells in spaceflight. A wide range of experiments have shown that plant physiological adaptation to spaceflight involves gene expression changes that alter cell wall and other metabolisms. However, while transcriptome profiling aptly illuminates changes in gene expression that accompany spaceflight adaptation, mutation analysis is required to illuminate key elements required for that adaptation. Here we report how transcriptome profiling was used to gain insight into the spaceflight adaptation role of Altered response to gravity 1 (Arg1), a gene known to affect gravity responses in plants on Earth. The study compared expression profiles of cultured lines of Arabidopsis thaliana derived from wild-type (WT) cultivar Col-0 to profiles from a knock-out line deficie...
Sometimes style really does matter

Programming, like any creative endeavor, involves some personal style choices on the part of the programmer. Within the computer science education community, there are some programming style conventions that have been widely agreed upon, because following them unequivocally leads to programs that are easier to read and maintain. In other cases, a programmer might reasonably choose between competing styles, each of which provides similar advantages. This paper describes three instances where programming style is more than just aesthetics - following these conventions can actually help a beginning programmer to avoid mistakes and better understand the underlying programming concepts that they are utilizing.
Biochemical Profiling of the Brain and Blood Metabolome in a Mouse Model of Prodromal Parkinson's Disease Reveals Distinct Metabolic Profiles

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. In the vast majority of cases the origin is not genetic and the cause is not well understood, although progressive accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates appears central to the pathogenesis. Currently, treatments that slow disease progression are lacking, and there are no robust biomarkers that can facilitate the development of such treatments or act as aids in early diagnosis. Therefore, we have defined metabolomic changes in the brain and serum in an animal model of prodromal Parkinson’s disease. We biochemically profiled the brain tissue and serum in a mouse model with progressive synucleinopathy propagation in the brain triggered by unilateral injection of preformed α-synuclein fibrils in the olfactory bulb. In total, we accurately identified and quantified 71 metabolites in the brain and 182 in serum using 1H NMR and targeted mass spectrometry, respectively. Using multivariate analysis, we accurately identified which metabolites...
Reduced Prevalence and Incidence of Cognitive Impairment Among Centenarian Offspring.

Background Centenarian offspring have better health and lower mortality in comparison to referent cohorts, however it is unknown whether they have preserved cognition at older ages. Methods This prospective study of 491 centenarian offspring and 270 referent participants without familial longevity (mean baseline age 75.5 years) from the New England Centenarian Study analyzed longitudinal cognitive assessments performed using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Logistic regression was used for cognitive impairment at baseline and Cox proportional hazards regression for risk of incident cognitive impairment. Results After adjustment for age, sex, education, stroke, and diabetes, offspring were 46% less likely to have baseline cognitive impairment (adjusted odds ratio 0.54, 95% CI 0.35-0.82) and were 27% less likely to become cognitively impaired over a median follow-up of 7.8 years (adjusted hazard ratio 0.73, 95% CI 0.53-0.99). Female gender was also independently associated with lower odds of baseline cognitive impairment and lower risk of incident cognitive impairment. Conclusions Familial longevity may confer exposure to genetic and environmental factors that predispose centenarian offspring to preservation of cognitive function at older ages. Centenarian offspring cohorts may provide an opportunity to study cognitive resilience associated with familial longevity.
The lack of standardized outcome measures following lower extremity injury in elite soccer: a systematic review

Sport-specific, performance-based outcomes are increasingly used to improve evaluation of treatment efficacy in elite athletes; however, its usage in elite soccer may be limited. The purpose of this investigation is to (1) assess current outcome reporting in elite soccer; (2) identify any variability in reporting of outcomes; and (3) determine how sport-specific performance-based outcomes are utilized to assess treatment efficacy in elite soccer. A systematic review of the Pubmed, MEDLINE, and Embase, Scopus, SportDiscus, CINAHL and HealthSource: Nursing databases was performed without limitation on publication year. Inclusion criteria were (1) reporting of outcomes after a (2) lower extremity injury in (3) elite soccer players. The study’s population, type of injury, return to play, as well as functional, objective, and sport-specific performance-based outcomes were extracted from each article. The methodological index for nonrandomized studies was used for quality assessment. Twenty-one studies were selected after application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Objective outcomes were reported by 6 (29%) studies, and 6 (29%) employed patient-reported outcomes. The visual analog scale, Lysholm, and Tegner scores were the most common patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Return to play was reported by 18 (86%) studies, and only 2 (10%) utilized sport-specific performance-based outcomes. Despite the majority of studies reporting return to play, variation was seen in the definitions, and 15 (71%) studies reported the activity level of the players at final follow-up. Assessment of treatment efficacy is limited in elite athletes, and PROs lack the sensitivity to identify residual performance deficits after an injury. Although performance-based measures are available at the elite level, these outcomes were seldom used for evaluation of treatment efficacy. When treating elite soccer players, patient-reported outcome measures lack the sensitivity to detect changes in patient function, thus performance-based metrics may be more efficacious in assessing return from injury in these patients. IV.
The effect of protein intake on the activities of liver specific enzymes in the plasma of dairy cows.

Activities of glutamic dehydrogenase (GLDH), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) and ornithine carbamyl transferase (OCT) were determined in tissues of six cattle after slaughter. The liver contained the highest activities of all three enzymes and the kidney cortex also contained high activities of GLDH and SDH. Activities of OCT were negligible in tissues other than liver. GLDH and OCT activities were determined in plasma of two groups of cows fed different levels of protein during the pre-calving period and up to 14 weeks post calving. In both groups activities of both enzymes increased after calving, reaching three to seven times pre-calving levels between seven and 17 weeks post calving and declining thereafter. Activities of both enzymes reached higher levels in the group fed protein to conlorm to the recommendations of the ARC (1965) than in the group fed 25 per cent below these recommendations. One—conventional—interpretation of this would be that higher intakes of proteins were associated with pathology of liver cells but other interpretations cannot be ruled out entirely.
Holes in the health care safety net: an ethnographic study of a free medical clinic

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide insight into the patient and volunteer perspective of their experiences at free medical clinics and, from the analysis of those data, inform health professions education. Many uninsured and underserved patients use the free clinic as their medical home to manage acute and chronic conditions and as a source of prescription medications. The volunteers find their experiences to be a fulfillment of their desire to give back to their community, a way to meet an obligation of professional duty, and hold to the moral belief that they should help those in need. Feminist methodologies and methods consistent with qualitative inquiry were used for data collection and analysis. I propose a pedagogical model to inform cultural competency training in health professions education based on feminist intersectionality theory as the grounding. Patients seeking health care services need to be viewed by health care practitioners and volunteers beyond simplistic demographics and medical conditions. The patient‘s everyday life cannot be explicated without orienting the health care encounter toward the complexity of the individual‘s multiple subjectivities and intersecting locations of oppression and subordination. Patientcentered care should strive to create space and time for explicating a rich cultural understanding of the patient. Culturally sensitive health care interventions are derived from this dialogic process. Equally important to the application of this model is the integration of this pedagogy in professional development programs for academic and clinical faculty who serve as role models and preceptors for health professions students.
Introduction: Addressing Economic Violence in Times of Transition

While there is increasing momentum behind the notion that the tools of transitional justice should be marshaled in response to large-scale human rights atrocities and physical violence—including murder, rape, torture, disappearances, and other crimes against humanity—the proper role of transitional justice with respect to economic violence—including violations of economic and social rights, corruption, and plunder of natural resources—is far less certain. Historically, if mass atrocities and physical violence have been placed in the transitional justice spotlight, issues of equally devastating economic and social justice have received little attention. The marginalization of the economic within the transitional justice agenda serves to distort our understanding of conflict, and the policies thought to be necessary in the wake of conflict. This chapter argues that a more nuanced, contextualized, and balanced approach to a wider range of justice issues faced by societies in transition is necessary. To this end, this chapter proposes that one way to achieve a more balanced approach would be to reconceptualize and reorient the “transition” of transitional justice not simply as a transition to democracy and the “rule of law,” the paradigm under which the field originated, but as part of a broader transition to “positive peace” in which justice for both physical violence and economic violence receives equal pride of place.
Maternal and child patterns of Medicaid retention: a prospective cohort study.

We sought to determine whether maternal Medicaid retention influences child Medicaid retention because caregivers play a critical role in assuring children’s health access. We conducted a longitudinal prospective cohort study of a convenience sample of 604 Medicaid-eligible mother-child dyads followed from the infant’s birth through 24 months of age with parent surveys. Individual enrollment status was abstracted from administrative Medicaid eligibility files. Generalized estimating equations quantified the effect of maternal Medicaid enrollment status on child Medicaid retention, adjusting for relevant covariates. Because varying lengths of gaps may have different effects on child health outcomes, Medicaid enrollment status was further categorized by length of gap: any gap, > 14-days, and > 60-days. This cohort consists primarily of African-American (94%), unmarried mothers (88%), with a mean age of 23.2 years. In multivariable analysis, children whose mothers experienced any gaps in coverage had 12.6 times greater odds of experiencing gaps when compared to children whose mothers were continuously enrolled. Use of varying thresholds to define coverage gaps resulted in similar odds ratios (> 14-day gap = 11.8, > 60-day gap = 16.8). Cash assistance receipt and maternal knowledge of differences between Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and Medicaid eligibility criteria demonstrated strong protective effects against child Medicaid disenrollment. Medicaid disenrollment remains a significant policy problem and maternal Medicaid retention patterns show strong effects on child Medicaid retention. Policymakers need to invest in effective outreach strategies, including family-friendly application processes, to reduce enrollment barriers so that all eligible families can take advantage of these coverage opportunities.
Phase II study of stereotactic radiosurgery for the treatment of patients with oligoprogression on erlotinib.

Abstract Introduction Retrospective studies have evaluated the approach of stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) to address oligoprogression in patients with EGFR mutant NSCLC on TKI therapy, it has never been prospectively studied. Materials and methods We treated 25 patients with EGFR mutant NSCLC on erlotinib who had 3 or fewer sites of extra-cranial progression with SRT to progressing sites, followed by re-initiation of erlotinib. Results Median PFS from the initiation of SRT was 6 months (95% CI 2.5 to 11.6) and median OS was 29 months (95% CI 21.7 to 36.3). Neither baseline nor changes in the Veristrat proteomic predicted PFS. Conclusions SRT and TKI continuation may be considered for select patients with EGFR mutant NSCLC and oligo-progression on EGFR TKI therapy.
Cognitive Performance, Aerobic Fitness, Motor Proficiency, and Brain Function Among Children Newly Diagnosed With Craniopharyngioma.

Objectives Craniopharyngioma survivors experience cognitive deficits that negatively impact quality of life. Aerobic fitness is associated with cognitive benefits in typically developing children and physical exercise promotes recovery following brain injury. Accordingly, we investigated cognitive and neural correlates of aerobic fitness in a sample of craniopharyngioma patients. Methods Patients treated for craniopharyngioma [N=104, 10.0±4.6 years, 48% male] participated in fitness, cognitive and fMRI (n=51) assessments following surgery but before proton radiation therapy. Results Patients demonstrated impaired aerobic fitness [peak oxygen uptake (PKVO2)=23.9±7.1, 41% impaired (i.e., 1.5 SDlnormative mean)], motor proficiency [Bruininks-Oseretsky (BOT2)=38.6±9.0, 28% impaired], and executive functions (e.g., WISC-IV Working Memory Index (WMI)=96.0±15.3, 11% impaired). PKVO2 correlated with better executive functions (e.g., WISC-IV WMI r=.27, p=.02) and academic performance (WJ-III Calculation r=.24, p=.04). BOT2 correlated with better attention (e.g., CPT-II omissions r=.26, p=.04) and executive functions (e.g., WISC-IV WMI r=.32, p=.01). Areas of robust neural activation during an n-back task included superior parietal lobule, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and middle and superior frontal gyri (pl.05, corrected). Higher network activation was associated with better working memory task performance and better BOT2 (pl.001). Conclusions Before adjuvant therapy, children with craniopharyngioma demonstrate significantly reduced aerobic fitness, motor proficiency, and working memory. Better aerobic fitness and motor proficiency are associated with better attention and executive functions, as well as greater activation of a well-established working memory network. These findings may help explain differential risk/resiliency with respect to acute cognitive changes that may portend cognitive late effects. (JINS, 2019, 25, 413-425).
Advice reification, learning, and emergent collective intelligence in online health support communities

Abstract Online health support forums utilize straightforward online discussion designs to create a sociotechnical space where people can seek social support from others. The advice generated in these forums exists as an archival resource for future health information seekers. The present study uses mixed methods to investigate how invisible social processes lead advice to be adapted over time by forum members. Drawing on the construct of ‘reification’ from the communities of practice (COP) literature, we operationalize the reification of advice (RoA) as a process by which advice is developed across multiple discussion threads, and construct an algorithmic procedure to extract posts that trace this process. We evaluate our algorithm with crowd-workers, and perform an inductive, qualitative analysis to identify different modes of advice reification. We suggest that RoA could be used as the basis of a mid-level theory that treats online support communities and bundles of advice trajectories embedded in a shifting sociotechnical context. In our closing analysis, we propose that our approach might be a first step in an algorithmic procedure for assessing advice quality, drawing on the idea that reified advice may be considered a product of the collective intelligence of an online health support community.
Does Leisure Time as a Stress Coping Resource Increase Affective Complexity?: Applying the Dynamic Model of Affect (DMA)

Affective complexity, a manifestation of psychological well-being, refers to the relative independence between positive and negative affect (PA, NA). According to the Dynamic Model of Affect (DMA), stressful situations lead to highly inverse PA-NA relationship, reducing affective complexity. Meanwhile, positive events can sustain affective complexity by restoring PA-NA independence. Leisure, a type of positive events, has been identified as a coping resource. This study used the DMA to assess whether leisure time helps restore affective complexity on stressful days. We found that on days with more leisure time than usual, an individual experienced less negative PA-NA relationship after daily stressful events. The finding demonstrates the value of leisure time as a coping resource and the DMA's contribution to coping research.
Inotropic and Vasopressor Agents

The major aim of inotropic therapy is to improve ventricular contractility of the depressed heart so as to increase cardiac output as needed and reduce elevated ventricular filling pressures. They may be employed intravenously for acute ventricular failure (eg, phosphodiesterase (PDE) III inhibitors or catecholamines) or chronically as oral agents (eg, digitalis glycosides).
Spectral element applications in complex nuclear reactor geometries: Tet-to-hex meshing

Abstract The spectral element code Nek5000 is an open-source, higher-order computational fluid dynamics code developed at Argonne National Laboratory. It is designed to solve incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, but it also has a low-Mach-number approximation feature available. Large eddy simulation is approached by explicit filtering of the velocity field (and other fields) to mimic the effect of dissipation due to the unresolved scale. The computational domain is decomposed into second-order hexahedral elements that conform to the boundaries. However, generating a high-quality pure-hexahedral mesh can be challenging for some problems. For simple geometries, traditional blocking methods can be used to decompose the domain into smaller blocks to generate a so-called structural mesh. A structural mesh can maintain good orthogonality but can have a highly skewed mesh to conform to the geometry, as well as unnecessary refinement in the far field. Moreover, for geometries with relative complexity, blocking the geometry becomes impossible. To address these issues, we adopted a tet-to-hex strategy to generate a pure hexahedral mesh for Nek5000. First, we generate a pure tetrahedral mesh for the geometry; then we divide one tetrahedral element into four hexahedral elements. A pure tetrahedral mesh could be easily generated for complex geometries by using many current meshing codes. In this paper, we use the commercial codes ANSYS meshing and ANSYS ICEM to generate the pure tetrahedral mesh and then convert it to a pure hexahedral mesh. Boundary layers are extruded in ANSYSICEM to maintain near-wall resolution.
Flexibility and Creativity: Critical Elements in Prevention of Child Maltreatment

The effects of abuse and neglect on children and on society are well documented, and suggest that prevention must be among the highest of priorities. Current child welfare agencies are limited in how effective they can be in child abuse prevention because of being overwhelmed by the caseload and being part of rigid bureaucracies. The Strong Communities initiative was successful in overcoming these limitations by employing a grassroots approach that gave their workers a great deal of freedom in their efforts to mobilize communities around the norm that children should be safe. This article reports details about what the workers actually did to accomplish this goal. Findings show that the workers were successful in engaging multiple community sectors, e.g., faith groups, community/neighborhood organizations, educational venues, civic organizations, and fire departments. Results also show that the activity within these sectors varied considerably over time and across different communities. These results suggest that those planning or working in grassroots, neighborhood-based child abuse prevention initiatives must develop relationships with, or create, a variety of community sectors, be persistent in their contacts with those sectors, and most importantly, be prepared for the activity in those sectors to wax and wane over time and be different in different communities. In short, one must continuously be creative and employ a great deal of flexibility and patience when doing this type of work.
Utility Assessment: Methods and Research

Many medical decisions are strongly influenced by the goals and preferences of the particular patient. Because the evidence favoring specific treatments for many cancers is mixed, some investigators have argued that patient preferences are an important factor in these treatment decisions.[1,2] The emphasis on patient involvement introduces the question of how to measure patient preferences and how to incorporate them into a decision.
Khorana score as a predictive tool of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients in rural practice.

e24049Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 60,000 to 100,000 Americans die from venous thromboembolism (VTE) annually, costing the U.S. healthcare system ...
Clinical outcomes of posterior debridement, bone graft and internal fixation for complicated thoracolumbar tuberculosis

Objective To assess the clinical effect,safety,indications and techniques of posterior debridement,bone graft and internal fixation for complicated thoracolumbar tuberculosis.Methods Twenty-eight patients from June 2008 to August 2012 were retrospectively analyzed.15 males and 13 females with an average age of 34 (7 to 58) years old were evaluated.Thoracic,thoracolombar and lumbar lesions were found in 12,7 and 9 cases,repectively.There are 12 cases with single segment,12 cases with two segments and 3 cases with at least three segments.7 cases with psoas abscess,13 with neurological defect and 17 with kyphosis.All patients had undergone posterior debridement transforaminally and paravertebrally,combined with bone graft and internal fixation.Anti-TB treatment was given to all patients.The curative effect of tuberculosis,neurologic function and angle of kyphosis were observed in regular follow-up time.Results All patients were followed up for an average of 20.7 (12 to 57) months.26 cases were cured 12 to 18 months postoperatively.One patient had two recurrence,which were successfully treated with reoperations.Although one child was found with loosening of internal fixation,she got full fusion.Only one case was evaluated to be grade D in ASIA scoring,while others were completely recovered.The average preoperative kyphosis angle was 37.1 °± 18.5°,compared to 13.6°±9.8° postoperatively.At the final follow-up time,the average kyphosis angle was 15.8°± 10.3°.Serious perioperative complications occurred in 2 cases.One with massive hemorrhage was cured after interventional embolization and reoperation,while the other with infection was cured after reoperation.Conclusion The clinical outcomes of posterior debridement,bone graft and internal fixation for complicated thoracolumbar tuberculosis are satisfactory.Effective lesions debridement,canal decompression,kyphosis correction,bone graft and stable fixation can be achieved in this operaion with fewer traumas.However,there's still a problem in debridement and a risk of damaging vascular during this operation,which needs further research. Key words: Thoracic vertebrae; Lumbar vertebrae; Tuberculosis, Spinal
Insulation Design of Wireless Auxiliary Power Supply for Medium Voltage Converters

Auxiliary power supply (APS) that provides reliable power and voltage for gate drivers, controllers, and sensors is a critical component in a medium voltage (MV) converter. Compared to being fed from the power-cell dc-link, APS fed from an external earthed system has its own benefits. However, with the power-cell number scaled up, the insulation design of the externally fed APS becomes a significant challenge. Partial discharge (PD) can cause accumulative irreversible damages of insulation which further lead to auxiliary power circuit fault and eventually cascaded failures of the whole converter system. Therefore, a PD-free APS system ensuring the reliability of the MV converter is required. Among different technologies for building APS, wireless power transfer (WPT) becomes an attractive method because of its mechanical design flexibility and inborn insulation capability. In this article, in order to design a PD-free WPT converter, the insulation design criterion and electric field distribution under different coil geometries are analyzed, compared, and tested. Subsequently, a comprehensive insulation design including the influence of the ferrite shielding layer is shown. Finally, an optimized WPT prototype with 120-W output power, 92.78% full-power efficiency, 2.76-pF isolation capacitance, and 27-kV insulation capability is validated experimentally.
Review paper: imaging lidar by digital micromirror device

Applications of digital micromirror device for lidar are overviewed. A large Lagrange invariant value makes DMD as one of the attractive beam steering transmitter and receiver solutions for a time-of-flight lidar, especially with its an extended angular throw by synchronized pulsed laser illumination.
An examination of COVID-19 outbreaks in prisons and jails in Oceania

This article highlights the unique nature of the Oceanic region and its impact on the extent of COVID-19 outbreaks in the Oceanic region, both within correctional and community settings. Mitigation...
Bad metallic transport in geometrically frustrated models

We study the transport properties for a family of geometrically frustrated models on the triangular lattice with an interaction scale far exceeding the single-particle bandwidth. Starting from the interaction-only limit, which can be solved exactly, we analyze the transport and thermodynamic behavior as a function of filling and temperature at the leading nontrivial order in the single-particle hopping. Over a broad range of intermediate temperatures, we find evidence of a DC resistivity scaling linearly with temperature and with typical values far exceeding the quantum of resistance $h/{e}^{2}$. At a sequence of commensurate fillings, the bad metallic regime eventually crosses over into interaction induced insulating phases in the limit of low temperatures. We discuss the relevance of our results to experiments in cold-atom and moir\'e heterostructure based platforms.
Transposable element subfamily annotation has a reproducibility problem

Transposable element (TE) sequences are classified into families based on the reconstructed history of replication, and into subfamilies based on more fine-grained features that are often intended to capture family history. We evaluate the reliability of annotation with common subfamilies by assessing the extent to which subfamily annotation is reproducible in replicate copies created by segmental duplications in the human genome, and in homologous copies shared by human and chimpanzee. We find that standard methods annotate over 10% of replicates as belonging to different subfamilies, despite the fact that they are expected to be annotated as belonging to the same subfamily. Point mutations and homologous recombination appear to be responsible for some of this discordant annotation (particularly in the young Alu family), but are unlikely to fully explain the annotation unreliability. The surprisingly high level of disagreement in subfamily annotation of homologous sequences highlights a need for further research into definition of TE subfamilies, methods for representing subfamily annotation confidence of TE instances, and approaches to better utilizing such nuanced annotation data in downstream analysis.
Reproducing fatness and disability: Risk avoidance and the womb

This article focuses on neoliberal discourses of health, “obesity,” and disability by analyzing pregnancy biopedagogies, specifically maternal “obesity,” through United States government agencies a...
Cemeteries and the Decline of the Occult: From Ghosts to Memory in the Modern Age

New places for the dead - cemeteries - were from the start understood as places of memory in which the undead and sleepless dead, ghosts and spirits did not abide. Anxieties about the public health problems of old burial grounds were born of a new interest to separate the dead from the living; memory replaced the corpse as the placeholder for the deceased; a secular geography replaced a sacred one. The essay ends with the speculation that the popularity of the occult in late nineteenth century Europe might have been a response to the novel segregation of the dead.
Fatalism Is Not Fatalistic: Misunderstandings of Fatalism Complicate Health Disparities Research in the United States

Fatalism is a common concept among many world religions. However, it is also commonly misunderstood by lay individuals and scientists. Particularly in the West and concerning religious belief and health agency of African Americans, the ineffability of fatalism leads to a complexity in health communication research that reifies negative racial ideology. Different world religions frame their relationships to health agency differently. Scholars have sought to determine this framing for nearly two hundred years, and the epidemiology of religion became a notable subfield of social, behavioral, and psychosocial epidemiology in the 1980s.[i] Such research seeks to determine how aspects of religious experience impacts health behaviors. In particular, suspicion that religious belief in “fatalism” entails refusal to employ health-enhancing behaviors persists. This review of the literatures on fatalism in religious and health contexts shows it does not. Instead, emergent isa complexity of what fatalism actually means and how this complexity contributes to a narrative that minorities, and particularly African Americans, bring their health disparity upon themselves because of a religious belief in fatalism that may actually represent unidentified religiously oriented rationalizations of low self-efficacy. The ensuing essay illustrates the complexity of fatalism in health contexts. We begin with a brief overview of the Islamic theological perspective of fatalism and its application in health contexts. Then we look at the complexity of fatalism in Western health contexts and according to Judeo-Christian traditions, focusing especially on errant scholarly perspectives on African American religion and its relationship to health behaviors. In general, it seems the ineffability of fatalism in various religious contexts challenges scientific attempts to control the term’s complex meaning. This essay draws critical attention to this discursive enigma and the rhetorical workings of health disparity research that presents fatalism as a health risk for minorities in such a way that reifies harmful racial ideology in the West. [i] Jeff Levin, “The Epidemiology of Religion.” Chapter 10 in Religion and the Social Sciences: Basic and Applied Research Perspectives. (West Conshohocken, PA: Templeton Press, 2018),139.
Financing Nursing Home Care: New Evidence on Spend-Down Behavior

Long-term care expenditures represent one of the largest uninsured financial risks facing the elderly. Medicaid provides incomplete insurance against these costs: unlimited nursing home benefits with a deductible equal to the savings and income above the means-testing limits. This paper exploits the state-variation in Medicaid generosity to study the financial response of the elderly to perceived future nursing home needs. I find that the elderly shift their consumption and savings decisions in response to Medicaid. Single households have lower net worth through the median of the distribution due to Medicaid policy. On the other hand, I find that married households do not lower their total net worth, but they change their relative holdings of protected and non-protected assets.
Effects of silver and group II fluoride solid lubricant additions to plasma-sprayed chromium carbide coatings for foil gas bearings to 650 C

A new self-lubricating coating composition of nickel aluminide-bonded chromium carbide formulated with silver and Group II fluorides was developed in a research program on high temperature solid lubricants. One of the proposed applications for this new coating composition is as a wide temperature spectrum solid lubricant for complaint foil gas bearings. Friction and wear properties were obtained using a foil gas bearing start-stop apparatus at temperatures from 25 to 650 C. The journals were Inconel 748. Some were coated with the plasma sprayed experimental coating, others with unmodified nickel aluminide/chromium carbide as a baseline for comparison. The additional components were provided to assist in achieving low friction over the temperature range of interest. Uncoated, preoxidized Inconel X-750 foil bearings were operated against these surfaces. The foils were subjected to repeated start/stop cycles under a 14-kPa (2-Psi) bearing unit loading. Sliding contact occurred during lift-off and coastdown at surface velocities less than 6 m/s (3000 rPm). Testing continued until 9000 start/stop cycles were accumulated or until a rise in starting torque indicated the journal/bearing had failed. Comparison in coating performance as well as discussions of their properties and methods of application are given.
350 μm Galactic Center Dust Observations with SHARC II

We present first and preliminary submillimeter continuum images of the Galactic Center region obtained with the new Caltech Submillimeter Observatory facility camera SHARC II. The instrument allows 350 µm observations with unprecedented sensitivity and instantaneous spatial coverage. The stability of the SHARC II detectors combined with the large number of available pixels allows a non-differential scanning mode that does not require the observation of a reference off-source position. Here we present large-scale 350 µm dust continuum images from the Sgr A and Sgr C regions, as well as the detection of sub-mm dust continuum emission from the IRAS 25µm source AFGL5376. This source is produced in a large-scale shock that extends well above the Galactic plane.