cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is wax equivalent to tissue in electron conformal therapy planning? A Monte Carlo study of material approximation introduced dose difference

With CT-based Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculations, material composition is often assigned based on the standard Hounsfield unit ranges. This is known as the density threshold method. In bolus electron conformal therapy (BolusECT), the bolus material, machineable wax, would be assigned as soft tissue and the electron density is assumed equivalent to soft tissue based on its Hounsfield unit. This study investigates the dose errors introduced by this material assignment. BEAMnrc was used to simulate electron beams from a Trilogy accelerator. SPRRZnrc was used to calculate stopping power ratios (SPR) of tissue to wax, SPR (tissue) (wax), and tissue to water, SPR(tissue) (water), for 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 MeV electron beams, of which 12 and 15MeV beams are the most commonly used energies in BolusECT. DOSXYZnrc was applied in dose distribution calculations in a tissue phantom with either flat wax slabs of various thicknesses or a wedge-shaped bolus on top. Dose distribution for two clinical cases, a chest wall and a head and neck, were compared with the bolus material treated as wax or tissue. The SPR(tissue) (wax) values for 12 and 15MeV beams are between 0.935 and 0.945, while the SPR(tissue) (water) values are between 0.990 and 0.991. For a 12 MeV beam, the dose in tissue immediately under the bolus is overestimated by 2.5% for a 3 cm bolus thickness if the wax bolus is treated as tissue. For 15 MeV beams, the error is 1.4%. However, in both clinical cases the differences in the PTV DVH is negligible. Due to stopping power differences, dose differences of up to 2.5% are observed in MC simulations if the bolus material is misassigned as tissue in BolusECT dose calculations. However, for boluses thinner than 2 cm that are more likely encountered in practice, the error is within clinical tolerance.
An alternative approach to the numerical simulation of steady inviscid flow

A numerical procedure for the efficient simulation of steady inviscid flow is described and its utility is demonstrated. The method is uniformly valid for application in the subsonic, transonic and supersonic flow regimes. It does not rely on the introduction of additional assumptions beyond those necessary to obtain the Euler equations from the Navier-Stokes equations, nor does it make use of a time-asymptotic solution of the unsteady equations of motion.
New insights for C5a and C5a receptors in sepsis

The complement system plays a central role in inflammation and immunity. Among the complement activation products, C5a is one of the most potent inflammatory peptides with a broad spectrum of functions. There is strong evidence for complement activation including elevated plasma level of C5a in humans and animals with sepsis. C5a exerts its effects through the C5a receptors. Of the two receptors that bind C5a, the C5aR (CD88) is known to mediate signaling activity, whereas the function of another C5a binding receptor, C5L2, remains largely unknown. Here, we review the critical role of C5a in sepsis and summarize evidence indicating that both C5aR and C5L2 act as regulating receptors for C5a during sepsis.
Prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis with probiotics.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious gastrointestinal disease seen predominantly in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants during their hospitalization in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). NEC is probably a complex, multifactorial disease associated with immaturity of intestinal function as well as immature systemic and mucosal immune responses, enteric feeding, and microbiologic influences such as abnormal bacterial gas production that produces the pathognomonic radiographic finding of pneumatosis intestinalis.1,2 Currently, the precise contribution of each of these factors is unknown. Without this understanding, preventive measures have been theoretical and not consistently effective. In this issue of Pediatrics , Lin et al3 demonstrate that prophylactic administration of a probiotic mixture of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium infantis given to VLBW infants reduces the incidence of all cases of NEC as well as severe stage III NEC.3 An important rationale for the use of probiotics in neonates at risk for NEC is the observation that the VLBW infant has aberrant fecal colonization when compared with term infants.1,4–6 VLBW infants often have a paucity (oligocolonization) of normal enteric bacterial species and a delayed onset of colonization compared with term infants. The aseptic NICU environment, which paradoxically has many resistant enteric organisms, may predispose VLBW infants to the development of an aberrant … Address correspondence to Robert M. Kliegman, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53226. E-mail: rkliegma{at}mail.mcw.edu
On reduced computational methods for global IIR filtering

A reduced computation, recursive implementation for a globally convergent optimal infinite-impulse-response (IIR) filter design method previously proposed by the authors (1990) is presented. Both methods use homotopy continuation methods to find the filter parameter estimates at the absolute minimum of the least-square (LS) performance surface. The guarantee that the absolute minimum is found using the original method requires that all real and complex-valued stationary points of the LS error surface be found, where the number of these points increases as the number of impulse response samples used in the estimate is increased. The modifications reduce the number of solutions that need to be found while maintaining the guarantee that the absolute minimum of the LS error surface is found. The number of minima are determined by using a p-homogeneous homotopy function and the fundamental theorem of algebra. Single-solution homotopy functions then are used to iteratively refine the parameter estimates at the minima as additional impulse response samples are incorporated into the estimate. The homotopy paths terminating at all local and global minima of the LS error performance surface can be tracked simultaneously, resulting in potentially real-time implementation. >
Creating views for debugging parallel programs

An extensible parallel debugger helps programmers create new views of their programs' behavior. This paper describes the features of the Panorama parallel debugger that programmers can use to design a variety of specialized debugging views. A graphical tool for designing elements of a display simplifies the most tedious steps in creating program views. Programmers can incorporate these new views into Panorama using a modest amount of code. >
Moral disagreement and procedural justice: Moral mandates as constraints to voice effects

Procedural voice is a widely used and effective means to reduce or eliminate conflict. Moral disagreements, however, are particularly inflammatory, divisive, and difficult to manage. The current ar...
Association of common variants in ERBB4 with congenital left ventricular outflow tract obstruction defects.

BACKGROUND The left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) defects aortic valve stenosis (AVS), coarctation of the aorta (COA), and hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) represent an embryologically related group of congenital cardiovascular malformations. They are common and cause substantial morbidity and mortality. Prior evidence suggests a strong genetic component in their causation. METHODS We selected NRG1, ERBB3, and ERBB4 of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway as candidate genes for investigation of association with LVOT defects based on the importance of this pathway in cardiac development and the phenotypes in knockout mouse models. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping was performed on 343 affected case-parent trios of European ancestry. RESULTS We identified a specific haplotype in intron 3 of ERBB4 that was positively associated with the combined LVOT defects phenotype (p = 0.0005) and in each anatomic defect AVS, COA, and HLHS separately. Mutation screening of individuals with an LVOT defect failed to identify a coding sequence or splice site change in ERBB4. RT-PCR on lymphoblastoid cells from LVOT subjects did not show altered splice variant ratios among those homozygous for the associated haplotype. CONCLUSION These results suggest ERBB4 is associated with LVOT defects. Further replication will be required in separate cohorts to confirm the consistency of the observed association. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Assessing batch effects of genotype calling algorithm BRLMM for the Affymetrix GeneChip Human Mapping 500 K array set using 270 HapMap samples.

Background Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) aim to identify genetic variants (usually single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]) across the entire human genome that are associated with phenotypic traits such as disease status and drug response. Highly accurate and reproducible genotype calling are paramount since errors introduced by calling algorithms can lead to inflation of false associations between genotype and phenotype. Most genotype calling algorithms currently used for GWAS are based on multiple arrays. Because hundreds of gigabytes (GB) of raw data are generated from a GWAS, the samples are typically partitioned into batches containing subsets of the entire dataset for genotype calling. High call rates and accuracies have been achieved. However, the effects of batch size (i.e., number of chips analyzed together) and of batch composition (i.e., the choice of chips in a batch) on call rate and accuracy as well as the propagation of the effects into significantly associated SNPs identified have not been investigated. In this paper, we analyzed both the batch size and batch composition for effects on the genotype calling algorithm BRLMM using raw data of 270 HapMap samples analyzed with the Affymetrix Human Mapping 500 K array set.
Unate Truth Functions

This paper contains some applications of an elementary study of unate truth functions. One application is a method of deciding when a truth function is linearly separated, i. e., is expressible as a linear polynomial inequality in its arguments (letting 1 represent truth and 0 represent falsity). Other applications are to contact nets and to rectifier nets. Much of the material of this paper, although not in print, is well known to some logicians and switching theorists. Nothing from the first three sections is original.
Synthesis of Superheavy Elements

The Island of Stability of spherical superheavy nuclides exists at the extreme limit of the Chart of the Nuclides, beyond regions of nuclear stability associated with deformed nuclear shapes. In this chapter, the reactions that are used to synthesize these transactinide nuclides are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on the production of nuclides with decay properties that are conducive to a radiochemical measurement. The cold- and hot-fusion reactions that lead to the formation of evaporation residues are discussed, as are the physical techniques that have been used in production experiments. Recent results from 48Ca-induced fusion reactions are included. Speculative methods of producing the more neutron-rich nuclides that populate the approaches to the center of the Island of Stability are also presented.
The Development of Thermal, Spark Source, and Glow Discharge Ionization

The techniques of Thermal, Spark Source, and Glow Discharge ionization have been used extensively in mass spectrometry as means for characterizing inorganic solids and metallic elements. They were originally developed to support studies in fundamental issues in physics and ion optics, particularly the determination of relative elemental isotope abundances. This article provides a brief history of these ionization methods, indicating ways in which the methods continue to find application in contemporary materials science, where characterization of purity with increased sensitivity and accuracy for elemental impurities is required in an expanding range of technologically important materials.
Changing Hospital Work Environments

… Work stress… on patient care units in general hospitals is a pressing health care issue. Work-related stressors have been linked to lowered morale, impaired performance, and high rates of absenteeism and turnover among nursing and other health care staff.1,2In a cogent review, Cartwright noted that the responsibility for acutely ill patients, the emotional climate surrounding illness, and the often perfectionistic expectation of health care staff are all implicated in staff distress.3Moreover, recent studies have shown how stressful work settings can affect the quality of health care by lowering motivation and contributing to staff “burnout”.4,5
Correlations between prefrontal neurons form a small-world network that optimizes the generation of multineuron sequences of activity.

To explore how the functional organization of a circuit shapes its emergent behavior, most previous studies have compared experimentally observed patterns of activity to those in shuffled data. How...
Synthesis of Proline-Based N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands

The synthesis of proline-based N-heterocyclic carbene ligands is reported. An approach to a variety of proline-containing imidazolium NHC precursors is presented. The proline amino acids are shown to be compatible with peptide synthetic methods by incorporation into tripeptides. Following peptide synthesis, the carbene is generated and bound to rhodium.
Libra: An open‐Source “methodology discovery” library for quantum and classical dynamics simulations

The "methodology discovery" library for quantum and classical dynamics simulations is presented. One of the major foci of the code is on nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulations with model and atomistic Hamiltonians treated on the same footing. The essential aspects of the methodology, design philosophy, and implementation are discussed. The code capabilities are demonstrated on a number of model and atomistic test cases. It is demonstrated how the library can be used to study methodologies for quantum and classical dynamics, as well as a tool for performing detailed atomistic studies of nonadiabatic processes in molecular systems. The source code and additional information are available on the Web at http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~alexeyak/libra/index.html. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Use of a Secondary Task Methodology for Determining Acceptability of Flat-Panel Display Technologies in Consumer Environments

Flat-panel displays are used in consumer environments for displaying information where limits on content, physical space, power, and cost constraints are critical. Applications have traditionally included Retail Point-of-Service (POS) terminals. Most common flat-panel display technologies found in the consumer markets are Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), Plasma, and Vacuum Fluorescent displays. Emitting displays, i.e., Vacuum Fluorescent, Plasma, and LEDs were introduced into the marketplace with few reservations as to their general acceptance since normal ambient lighting conditions other than direct sunlight had minimal impact on readability. However, reflective display technologies, i.e., LCDs have not been widely accepted in POS products because of slower response times and a more restrictive range of ambient light needed to achieve acceptable viewing conditions.Many techniques used for determining the acceptability of a display technology for the POS environment presently used in industry are solely b...
Computational fluid dynamics simulation of heat enhancement in internally helical grooved tubes

Abstract A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigation was carried out to study heat-transfer enhancement in four helically grooved tubes with different pitches, and compared with a smooth tube. The simulations were performed in the Reynolds number range of 4000–20,000 in helical rectangular groove tubes of 2-m length and 7.1-mm diameter under a constant heat flux of 3150 W/m 2 . The predicted values for CFD in this current study were compared with previously published experimental data. The primary focus of this study involved evaluating the effect of groove pitch on heat transfer and friction factors. A thermal enhancement factor was defined to evaluate the performance of the internally grooved-tube models. The results revealed that by decreasing the pitch size from 130 mm to 7.1 mm at the same Reynolds number, both the Nusselt number and the friction factor increase. In addition, by increasing the Reynolds number for the grooved pipe, the Nusselt number increased as in the case of a smooth pipe. The highest Nusselt number was obtained for a smaller pitch size of 7.1 mm, but at the expense of a greater pressure drop compared to smooth tubes. An optimum value of the enhancement factor (η) was observed at about Re = 15,000 for all investigated grooves, and enhancement up to 20% was obtained for grooved tubes having a 7.1-mm pitch size.
A Validation Study of Disability Simulation Suit Usage as a Proxy for Customer Need Statements From Persons With Disabilities

Current product design methodologies do not typically address the creation of inclusive products (products that meet the needs of persons with and without disabilities). In this paper, empathic design principles and modular product design strategies are explored as part of a novel approach to inclusive design. The use of disability simulation as a data collection methodology both increases the safety and ease by which customer needs can be gathered and gives designers an empathic design experience with the products they develop. A disability simulation suit is designed to support empathic gathering of customer needs. The suit is subjected to validation trials to determine how accurately it mimics the physical and perceptual behaviors of persons with disabilities in users of the suit. Initial results show that the disability simulation suit provides a valid empathic design experience that yields similar customer needs and reduced dexterity as persons with disabilities.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
On the Dynamics of Particle-Particle Interaction

In numerous engineering and science applications understanding the dynamic behavior of two interacting particles plays an indispensable role as it is the foundation based upon which the behavior of a large number of particles may be predicted. When two particles interact, two prominent forces of adhesion and elasticity are at work and, in some respect, in competition. This is especially true when particle-particle collision dynamics is of interest. Upon collision, two particles either develop physical bond, coalesce to form an agglomeration or rebound, each following a distinct path. A promising theory to address particle-particle collision dynamics is due to Johnson, Kendal and Roberts [1] referred to as the JKR method. However, JKR suffers from two main shortcomings in application to particle dynamics. These are (1) implicit relations between force and displacement and (2) representation of a two-particle system as a conservative system. These shortcomings were treated in [2] by first deriving a highly accurate approximate equation based on the JKR theory in which force and displacement are explicitly related and the extension of the JKR theory wherein the Kelving-Voigt viscoelastic model is used instead of the elastic model. This formulation provides an opportunity to study particle-particle collision dynamics, which is the study in the present paper.© 2005 ASME
The reaction Cl+NO2-->ClONO and ClNO2.

The extant data (see Int. J. Chem. Kinet. 1984, 16, 1311; Int. J. Chem. Kinet. 1988, 20, 811; and J. Phys. Chem. 1996, 100, 4019)1-3 for the reaction of Cl atoms with NO2 has been examined and compared with calculated values using RRKM/ME methods through the use of the coded suite “Multiwell” (see Int. J. Chem. Kinet. 2001, 33, 232; MultiWell-2.08 Software; University of Michigan: Ann Arbor, MI, 2007; http://aoss.engin.umich.edu/multiwell/)4,5 and ab initio quantum calculations in the literature (see J. Phys. Chem. 1994, 98, 111; J. Phys. Chem. A 2005, 109, 4736; and Chemphyschem 2004, 5, 1864).6-8 The data are in, or very near, the low-pressure limit and therefore sensitive to the density of states of the excited ClONO and ClNO2 molecules as well as collisional energy transfer, centrifugal effects, and anharmonicity corrections. The data were underpredicted by a factor of 2.6 using accepted prescriptions for centrifugal corrections, collision frequency, and ignoring anharmonicity. The data could be fit ...
225 NEUROVASCULAR CHEST WALL PAIN: MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE SYNDROME.

Our pilot studies (PS) show that high adrenergic neurovascular tone (ANVT) causes chest wall symptoms (CWS). The presence of recurrent palpitations and non-exertional chest pain has been called mitral valve prolapse (MVP) syndrome when a murmur is present and associated with 2D echo findings of MVP. Our PS show that neurovascular CWS are associated with significant (Sig) decreases in systolic time intervals (STI) and are not related to the shape of the mitral valve. Prospective studies (Pros) were done with a random sample of the general population, selecting patients for study with recurrent CWS and a rise in systolic pulse pressure (RPP) > 15 mm Hg during sustained isometric handgrip (5 PSI/3min). This is PS screening criteria to predict high ANVT. STI were used as a measure of ANVT (STI = PEP/LEVET × 100%). Serial measurements were made for 3 years of SBP, RPP, STI, systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and symptom levels (scale 1-100 severity by patient) at time (T) 1 baseline low stress, T2 during Sig symptoms with stress, and T3 during treatment (Rx). MVP (by 2D echo) and mitral insufficiency (by Doppler) were assessed by three independent graders. All data were placed into a blind matrix for analysis later. Rx consisted of diltiazem CD 240-360 mg/day, tenormin 12.5-100 mg/day, and amitryptiline 10-50 mg/day. Patients were 3/1 female/male, 18-65 years, all Caucasian. Exclusions: exertional angina, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and on other drugs. Normal controls were age/sex/race matched. Results group (G) means shown. Where *Sig difference from C at p
Role of apical and basolateral secretion in turnover of glutathione in LLC-PK1 cells

Previous clearance measurements have established that the rapid turnover of renal proximal tubular glutathione is in part due to apical secretion and degradation by gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, an ectoenzyme that is primarily associated with the brush-border membrane. The relationship between glutathione turnover and secretion was further characterized using confluent cultures of LLC-PK1 cells grown on nitrocellulose supports. The resulting cell layer was impermeable to [3H]inulin and exhibited a polarized expression of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase. Incubating cells with 5 mM buthionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of glutathione synthesis, produced an 86% inhibition of [35S]cystine incorporation into intracellular glutathione. Under these conditions, the prominent intracellular pool of glutathione turns over with an apparent half-life of 4 h and a first-order rate constant of 0.17 h-1. This turnover is unaffected by pretreatment with AT-125, an inhibitor of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase. The rate of accumulation of glutathione in the apical and basolateral medium of cells pretreated with AT-125 was 22 and 34 nmol.mg protein-1.h-1, respectively. The combined secretion was equivalent to the calculated turnover rate of intracellular glutathione (57 nmol.mg protein-1.h-1). Therefore, the combined processes of apical and basolateral secretion can account for the turnover of intracellular glutathione in LLC-PK1 cells.
Moving Beyond Fatherhood Involvement: The Association Between Father–Child Relationship Quality and Youth Delinquency Trajectories

The effect of nonresidential father relationship characteristics on delinquency trajectories among low-income youth (N = 799) was examined using data from the Three Cities Study, a longitudinal study of mothers and their children eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families in Boston, Chicago, and San Antonio. Growth curve models were employed to track delinquency trajectories and their rate of growth. Characteristics of father–child relationships (anger–alienation, trust–communication) were specified as predictors of delinquency while controlling for father involvement and family structure. Trust–communication influenced delinquency growth, but the rate of growth slowed as youth aged. Implications for programs, interventions, and policy are explored.
Naturalism and the Trajectory of History

Although contemporary law and culture are often described as “secular,” that term can carry ― and obscure ― a variety of meanings. It can sometimes cover over underlying divergences between competing religiosities. Extracted from a longer project defending T. S. Eliot’s argument that the future of Western societies would be determined by a contest between Christianity and “modern paganism,” this paper argues that the conventional diagnosis of modernity in terms of secularism, naturalism, and Weberian disenchantment is misleading. In important respects, our own period is better understood in terms of a clash between the transcendent religiosity of traditional biblical faiths and an immanent religiosity characteristic of ancient paganism and recently rearticulated in, among other manifestations, Dworkin’s Religion without God.
Control of epidemics in the Roman army: 27 B.C. - A.D. 476

During the Roman Empire thousands of soldiers were exposed to communicable diseases. The Romans forged a military medical system that surpassed the medical systems of most of their enemies. Under the principles of immediacy and expectancy, the Roman medical staff salvaged and returned to duty many sick and wounded soldiers as rapidly as possible. The selection of and training of healthy legionnaires, hygiene and sanitation and immediate medical care emphasized that the timing of care after diagnosis is as important as the quality of care. The Romans were the first army in history to employ medical corpsmen, field hospitals and triage. The Roman efficacy in combat medicine may be one of the least appreciated aspects of the ability of the Roman army to help create and maintain an empire .
Gonadal Vein Transposition in Nutcracker Syndrome.

Background Nutcracker syndrome, caused by mesoaortic compression of the left renal vein leading to symptoms related to venous hypertension, is an uncommon entity that may require operative intervention. Traditional open transposition of the left renal vein to the vena cava has been shown to have a reintervention rate of up to 30%, while also having additional morbidity associated with laparotomy. More recently, endovascular stenting has been described in several small series but have reported stent fracture, thrombosis, and migration. Methods We report the case of a 26-year-old woman with 4 months of intermittent flank pain and hematuria, diagnosed with nutcracker syndrome by both duplex ultrasound and axial based imaging. Results The patient underwent catheter venography confirming left renal vein compression, which also demonstrated a dilated gonadal vein measuring 11 mm leading to significant pelvic varices. Through a left lower quadrant retroperitoneal exposure, the gonadal vein was transposed to the left common iliac vein with completion venography demonstrating relief of renal venous congestion. The patient was discharged uneventfully with immediate resolution of symptoms and remains symptom-free at 6-month follow-up. Conclusions Gonadal vein transposition is an effective alternative surgical treatment for nutcracker syndrome.
Women Learning About Entrepreneurship: The Case of Indonesia

This chapter is the first chapter in the case study section of the book. It shares stories of female entrepreneurs from Hangzhou and its environs. In it, the entrepreneurs revealed how they acquired the information that they needed to open, operate, and expand their businesses. In so doing, the chapter offers a snapshot of how women’s entrepreneurships represent a relatively new and powerful arm of capitalism that contributes to the country’s economic prowess.
A Very Simple Goals - and Risk-Based Asset Pricing Model (or Asset Pricing with Heterogeneous Investors)

Prof, Andre Perold has shown how the Capital Asset Pricing Model (with implications for asset pricing and risk-adjusted performance) can be derived from maximizing the Sharpe ratio as opposed to the traditional approach of assuming that investors maximize the utility of wealth. More recently, Goals-based Investing (GBI) is becoming the norm for investors and Prof. Robert Merton has suggested that theory needs to accommodate the fact that investors maximize relative (wealth divided by the present value of the goal) and not absolute wealth. Individuals save for a range of goals (e.g., retirement, a child’s college expenses) and each has a unique set of cash flows. The paper first argues for the creation of a new class of relative risk-free fixed income securities for each goal as proposed for a number of countries by Prof. Merton. These instruments will typically be interest-only real bonds (linked to the appropriate inflation index), with a forward start date, and pay coupons for the period required for the respective goal. The second contribution of this paper is to use the Perold approach and show that with two such goals/instruments and the traditional risk-free asset, all risky assets can be priced and optimal asset allocation recommendations derived, without requiring a formal utility function, risk aversion parameter or market portfolio. All that is needed is the assumption that investors maximize risk-adjusted returns relative to the goal-replicating asset and specify risk goals much like traditional investors would specify. The asset pricing model is derived from the simple idea that a relatively risk-free asset for one goal is a risky asset for another, and hence these two assets, plus the absolute risk-free rate allow us to triangulate to establish returns for all other assets. This approach also lends itself easily to an asset pricing model with heterogeneous investors and effective risk-adjusted performance measures.
Footballers, migrants and scholars: the globalization of US men’s college soccer

US intercollegiate soccer is unique in world football by melding competitive amateur play with higher education and operating independently of FIFA. While immigrants have driven much of the 150-yea...
A Direct Test of Committee Gatekeeping

What is the nature of agenda control in legislatures? Tests of canonical theories of gatekeeping have been limited to analyses of bills that make it through committees and are sent to the floor, making these tests vulnerable to selection bias. I overcome this problem with a novel dataset drawn from three US state legislatures (Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin) that record interest groups' positions on the bills on which they lobby lawmakers. This permits an estimation of the ideological locations of status quo policies for bills that die in legislative committees, and in turn rigorous empirical tests of agenda control theories. Unsurprisingly, I find that many bills are introduced even though they are very likely to die in committee, suggesting either uncertainty or pure position-taking by sponsors. The data provide substantial evidence of legislative gatekeeping, but can only adjudicate among different theories of gatekeeping in specific circumstances. Specifically, they corroborate partisan gatekeeping in the Iowa House and the Wisconsin Assembly, but cannot distinguish between partisan and non-partisan accounts in the Iowa Senate, the Wisconsin Senate, or the Nebraska Legislature.
Abstract 18062: Long Term Mortality is Significantly Higher in Patients With Type II Compared With Type I Myocardial Infarction: A Propensity Matched Analysis

Background: Type 2 myocardial infarction (MI) is broadly defined as myocardial injury secondary to oxygen supply-demand mismatch while type I MI occurs due to reduction primarily in oxygen supply. ...
“Creating Real Spaces for People”: Emerging Standards for Intermodal Design

Prytherch explores how principles of “Complete Streets” are increasingly matched by intermodal design practices, which provide alternatives to traditional engineering manuals. The chapter first reviews American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) bicycle and pedestrian guidance, and then the new bicycle-specific signage, markings, and signals in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). But the most profound reimagining of the street can be found in the emergence of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), which has developed its own bicycle and Urban Street Design Guide as an alternative to “highway engineering,” which is both more intermodal and sensitive to urban, community context. And it surveys new pedestrian- and bicycle-specific approaches to the measurement of roadway performance. This chapter argues for the power of new intermodal and context-specific design to produce a more just street.
Size-dependent penetrant diffusion in polymer glasses.

Molecular Dynamics simulations are used to understand the underpinning basis of the transport of gas-like solutes in deeply quenched polymeric glasses. As found in previous work, small solutes, with sizes smaller than 0.15 times the chain monomer size, move as might be expected in a medium with large pores. In contrast, the motion of larger solutes is activated and is strongly facilitated by matrix motion. In particular, solute motion is coupled to the local elastic fluctuations of the matrix as characterized by the Debye–Waller factor. While similar ideas have been previously proposed for the viscosity of supercooled liquids above their glass transition, to our knowledge, this is the first illustration of this concept in the context of solute mass transport in deeply quenched polymer glasses.
Emotion regulation difficulties and social control correlates of smoking among pregnant women trying to quit.

Abstract Approximately 15% of US women currently smoke during pregnancy. An important step toward providing effective smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy is to identify individuals who are more likely to encounter difficulty quitting. Pregnant smokers frequently report smoking in response to intrapersonal factors (e.g., negative emotions), but successful cessation attempts can also be influenced by interpersonal factors (i.e., influence from close others). This study examined the association between emotion regulation difficulties, positive and negative social control (e.g., encouragement, criticism), and smoking cessation-related variables (i.e., smoking quantity, withdrawal symptoms) among pregnant smokers. Data were drawn from the pretreatment wave of a smoking cessation trial enrolling low-income pregnant women who self-reported smoking in response to negative affect (N = 73). Greater emotion regulation difficulties were related to greater smoking urges (b = 0.295, p = .042) and withdrawal symptoms (b = 0.085, p = .003). Additionally, more negative social control from close others was related to fewer smoking days (b = −0.614, p = .042) and higher smoking abstinence self-efficacy (b = 0.017, p = .002). More positive social control from close others interacted with negative affect smoking (b = −0.052, p = .043); the association between negative affect smoking and nicotine dependence (b = 0.812, p Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT01163864
Integrated Heterogeneous Silicon/III-V Mode-Locked-Laser Based Frequency Combs

Mode-locked laser diodes based on silicon photonics have the advantage of small size, low cost, and low power consumption thanks to semiconductor manufacturing technology. We will review the current state of the art in mode-locked laser diodes and present recent advancements in heterogeneously integrated devices.
Lifestyle modifications as therapy for medication refractory post-traumatic headache (PTHA) in the military population of Okinawa

Our aim was 1) to reduce disability, as characterized by headache frequency, duration and severity in patients with post-traumatic headache (PTHA), 2) to reduce the number of medical boards and work limitations in patients with post traumatic headache, and 3) to reduce use of medical resources and clinic visits related to headache or migraine. Modifiable risk factors for PTHA include stressful life event, sleep disturbances, and medication overuse. Cognitive-behavioral strategies, biofeedback, and relaxation therapy may have an important role in treatment and preventing progression to chronic post-traumatic headache (CPTHA). There is limited literature and a known practice gap for implementation of these techniques. An IRB approved project focused on patients who were seen for PTHA and CPTHA. 1) Intervention consisted of lifestyle teaching, cognitive-behavioral therapy and biofeedback, supplemented by decreasing polypharmacy. 2) Patients were followed for 2 years and a retrospective review was conducted for 2 years prior to presentation. 3) Outcome measures included reduction in migraine intensity or frequency, improved quality of life, duty status, and decreased utilization of clinic visits. Over the course of one year, 221 patients were treated for migraines in the Naval Okinawa Neurology Clinic. Of these, 22 active duty service members and 3 Dependents suffered a mild TBI prior to onset. After intervention, there was a 36% decrease in PTHA frequency, 56% decrease in headache severity and 60% of patients had improved quality of life as compared to the 2 years prior to intervention. Twenty-four percent had reduction in polypharmacy. Appointment frequency for migraine decreased from an average of 6.8 to 2.6 per year. An implemented program geared towards reducing polypharmacy was shown to improve safety, quality of life and reduce hospitalizations from the burden of migraines. Our systematic approach resulted in quality of life improvements and decreased use of medical resources. Authors received the approval of NAVMED West, Okinawa Naval Hospital Institutional Review Board on January 13th, 2016. QI.2016.0021.
Multilayer regulation of CD4 T cell subset differentiation in the era of single cell genomics

CD4 T cells are major immune cell types that mediate effector responses appropriate for diverse incoming threats. These cells have been categorized into different subsets based on how they are induced, expression of specific master transcription factors, and the resulting effector cell phenotypes as defined by expression of signature cytokines. However, recent studies assessing the expression of gene modules in single CD4 T cells, rather than expression of one or a few signature genes, have provided a more complex picture in which the canonical model does not fit as cleanly as proposed. Here, we review the concepts of lineage commitment, plasticity and functional heterogeneity in the context of this greater complexity. We then apply our current understanding of CD4 T cell subsets to discuss outstanding questions regarding follicular helper T cells and follicular regulatory T cells with respect to their shared features with other known CD4 T cell subsets.
Robotic Combined Anterior & Posterior Repair of a Rectal Prolapse, Rectocele, and Sigmoidocele with a Mesh.

Rectal prolapse (RP) is often seen in patients over the age of fifty, particularly women. These patients frequently suffer from other concomitant pathologies like rectocele, sigmoidocele, cystocele, or even enterocele. Rectopexy with a mesh has been an established treatment for rectal prolapse. The utilization of the robotic system allows for a successful repair within a confined pelvic space, especially for precise suture placement when working with the mesh. A 77-year-old female presented with obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS) symptoms found to be caused by a progressive rectal prolapse. Her pre-operative ODS score was 9/20. Pelvic floor evaluation revealed concomitant rectocele and sigmoidocele. The patient was offered a robotic-assisted rectopexy with mesh placement to address the three concomitant pathologies. During the procedure, a posterior mesorectal mobilization with autonomic nerves preservation was performed to address the posterior leading edge of the prolapse. Subsequently, the vagina was separated from the anterior portion of the rectum and dissected down to the levator ani muscles and the perineal body. This allowed for the affixation of a polypropylene mesh to the anterior portion of the rectum. Anterior suspension of the mobilized rectum with the mesh addressed all three pathologies. No recurrence or complications occurred at two-year follow up. The patients ODS score decreased to 1/20.
Cancer and Society

Cancer and its treatment have profound effects on patients well beyond those related to their physical health and well-being. On a personal level, it affects their self-image, their family and social lives, their work life, their psychological health, and their finances. Suicide and bankruptcy, for example, are both disproportionately common among cancer patients. The lives of family, friends, and caretakers are all, in turn, affected by the patient’s cancer experience. On a societal level, cancer informs almost every aspect of modern life. Cancer influences world commerce. More than any other human disease, it is big business. Cancer is the foundation of very profitable, multibillion-dollar international for-profit businesses related to the development and sales of cancer-directed therapies and technologies. As a consequence of the profit motive related to the business of cancer, information prematurely released to the public about new therapies under development is often overhyped and untrustworthy but stimulates investment and influences the markets. Cancer is a major factor in politics and government given the public’s desire to bring this disease under control. Cancer influences major policy decisions and federal laws, like the recently enacted right-to-try act. It drives public investment. Trillions of dollars in federal funds are invested in public institutions like the National Cancer Institute. In addition, private nonprofit organizations devoted to cancer research and treatment development and patient advocacy-sponsored organizations all raise and invest many millions to support scientists and their institutions. Our healthcare systems are being pushed into crisis by the rising number of cancer patients and the rising costs of delivering cancer care, including the costs of the newest therapies. Cancer has influenced the way we think about and plan for our own deaths. Because the disease is so often predictably lethal and because death from cancer can be painful and protracted, cancer has become the focus of right-to-die laws that would seek to decriminalize assisted suicide. This chapter explores the vast and varied effects of cancer on human life in the modern world. Cancer is an ancient disease, but it continues to be a major contemporary challenge.
Strain dependence of Auger recombination in 3 μm GaInAsSb/GaSb type-I active regions

We differentiate the effect of strain induced by lattice-mismatched growth from strain induced by mechanical deformation on cubic nonradiative Auger recombination in narrow-gap GaInAsSb/GaSb quantum well (QW) heterostructures. The typical reduction in the Auger coefficient observed with lattice-mismatched growth appears to be due to the concomitant compositional change rather than the addition of strain, with implications for mid-IR semiconductor laser design. We induced a range of internal compressive strain in five samples from −0.90% to −2.07% by varying the composition during the growth and mechanically induced a similar range of internal strain in analogous quantum well membrane samples. We performed time-resolved photoluminescence and differential reflectivity measurements to extract the carrier recombination dynamics, taken at 300 K with carrier densities from 2.7 × 10 18 cm−3 to 1.4 × 10 19 cm−3. We observed no change with strain in the cubic Auger coefficient of samples that were strained mechanically, but we did observe a trend with strain in samples that were strained by the QW alloy composition. Measured Auger coefficients ranged from 3.0 × 1 0 − 29 cm6 s−1 to 3.0 × 1 0 − 28 cm6 s−1.
EFFICACY OF IMMUNOTHERAPY IN CHILDREN WITH IGE-MEDIATED ANAPHYLAXIS TO HYMENOPTERA VENOM: ARE THEY PROTECTED ON RE-STING?

Background Hymenoptera venom allergies in children are of concern because young patients are more prone to re-stings. Objective This study aims to determine the protective effect of venom immunotherapy (VIT) with and without use of emergency rescue medication (ERM, i.e. oral antihistamines and steroids) to re-stings in childhood. Methods 83 children with anaphylaxis to bee (n = 49), wasp (n = 29) or both hymenoptera venoms (n = 5) were included. Mean follow-up period was 7.7 years after commencement of VIT. We evaluated the number of re-stings, percentage of systemic reactions, number of patients carrying and taking ERM and its clinical efficacy in addition to VIT. Results 49 children (59%) had been re-stung 108 times by the insect they were allergic to. The rate of re-stings was 0.23 per patient per year of follow-up with no difference between bee and wasp stings. 16% of children re-stung by bees developed immediate systemic reactions as compared to 6% of patients re-stung by wasps (p = 0.25). The majority of patients (87%) carried ERM, only 75% took it after re-sting. Children not taking ERM experienced significantly more frequent systemic allergic reactions to re-stings compared to those taking ERM (19% versus 4%, p Conclusions A majority of children are being re-stung. VIT provides complete protection in 94% with allergy to wasp venom and in 84% to bee venom. ERM provides adjunct therapy with reduced incidence and severity of systemic allergic reactions to re-stings.
Cryo-EM Structure of Monomeric Photosystem II from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 Lacking the Water-Oxidation Complex

Summary The photosystem II (PSII) enzyme provides nearly all the oxygen on Earth by catalyzing water oxidation via its oxygen-evolving complex (OEC), a heterocubane metal cluster in the PSII active site. The overall biogenesis of PSII, and especially the mechanism of photoactivation where the OEC is assembled, is currently unclear. To investigate this mechanism, we solved the cryo-EM structure of apo-PSII lacking extrinsic and peripheral subunits from a mesophilic cyanobacterium, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. The lumenal surface is negatively charged to attract cations, and the configuration of the OEC-binding site is found to be quite different from that observed in mature PSII. We use these observations to suggest important characteristics of apo-PSII prior to a structural rearrangement involved in photoactivation that has previously remained elusive, giving insight into its mechanism. This provides a platform for future studies that aim to understand OEC assembly using structural and computational techniques.
Activity choices in middle childhood: The roles of gender, self-beliefs, and parents' influence.

Many parents enroll their children in organized activities or encourage participation in individual activities because they believe that such involvement is good for them or builds confidence. In addition, parents may select specific activities based on their perceptions of what is appropriate for girls or boys. For example, they are more likely to enroll their daughters in art or ballet and to enroll their sons in Little League. Beyond anecdotal evidence shared between parents, does participation in organized activities have an impact on children’s attitudes or self-beliefs? Do the kinds of activities or the amount of participation matter? Finally, how is participation in gender-differentiated activities related to later attitudes and beliefs?
Why Defend Harm Reduction for Severe and Enduring Eating Disorders? Who Wouldn't Want to Reduce Harms?

In “The Ethical Defensibility of Harm Reduction and Eating Disorders,” Andria Bianchi et al. (2021) defend the use of harm reduction strategies to treat patients with severe and enduring anorexia n...