cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Concentration-Dependent Dimerization of Anthraquinone Disulfonic Acid and Its Impact on Charge Storage

9,10-Anthraquinone-2,7-disulfonic acid (AQDS) is considered a benchmark active material for aqueous organic redox flow batteries. At low concentration, AQDS demonstrates two-electron transfer at near ideal electrochemical reversibility; however, at higher concentration, AQDS displays more complex behavior presumably due to the emergence of intermolecular reactions. Here, we systematically examine the electrochemical and physical properties of AQDS solutions using a suite of electrochemical, analytical, and spectroscopic techniques. Depending on the AQDS pretreatment, concentration, solution pH, and electrolyte composition, coupled chemical and electrochemical reactions lead to different charge storage capabilities. To elucidate the underlying cause of these differences, we performed various pretreatments of AQDS, examined chemical speciation by NMR, and investigated the corresponding electrochemical properties through cyclic voltammetry and bulk electrolysis. In all cases, reversible intermolecular dimeri...
Democratic Talk in Church: Religion and Political Socialization in the Context of Urban Inequality

Summary In new and developing democracies, levels of education are often low and many citizens lack experience with democratic processes. How do citizens in such political systems learn about elections and develop participatory orientations? Civil society organizations can promote political socialization, yet often fail to reach those lowest in resources. This article proposes that churches constitute an often overlooked instance of civil society, one that is highly inclusive and provides frequent opportunities for interaction. Such socialization can be especially important in low-income and low-education neighborhoods, where access to media and political information through everyday social networks is more limited. A case study of a municipal election campaign in a single Brazilian city reveals that exposure to political information in church is common, especially in evangelical churches and in low-education neighborhoods. Even more frequent than partisan discussion is promotion of non-partisan civic norms encouraging citizens to cast informed votes based on non-clientelistic criteria. Those exposed to civic and partisan messages know significantly more about the local campaign and are more likely to turn out. Messages encouraging a “conscientious vote” boost knowledge most strongly in low-education neighborhoods, helping to equalize political information across the urban environment. This suggests that development professionals take churches seriously as sites of civic education.
Polynomial Singular Value Decompositions of a Family of Source-Channel Models

In this paper, we show that the conditional expectation operators corresponding to a family of source-channel models, defined by natural exponential families with quadratic variance functions and their conjugate priors, have orthonormal polynomials as singular vectors. These models include the Gaussian channel with Gaussian source, the Poisson channel with gamma source, and the binomial channel with beta source. To derive the singular vectors of these models, we prove and employ the equivalent condition that their conditional moments are strictly degree preserving polynomials.
Forecasting bifurcations of multi-degree-of-freedom nonlinear systems with parametric resonance

The location of bifurcation points and bifurcation diagrams is important for the understanding of a nonlinear system with parametric resonance. This paper presents a model-less method to predict bifurcations of slightly damped multi-degree-of-freedom nonlinear systems with parametric resonance using transient recovery data in the pre-bifurcation regime. This method is based on the observation that the envelope amplitude of a decaying response in the pre-bifurcation regime recovers more slowly to the equilibrium as the system becomes closer to the bifurcation. Data obtained from both simulations and experiments are used to forecast the location of the bifurcation point and the bifurcation diagram. Forecasting results demonstrate that the method can be used to predict the bifurcation accurately under a set of specific assumptions.
Effects of free stream flow turbulence on blowoff characteristics of bluff-body stabilized premixed flames

Abstract In this article we report on an experimental investigation of a bluff-body stabilized lean premixed flame subjected to different levels of free stream turbulence intensities (4, 14, 24 and 30%) at conditions approaching blowoff. The mean flow velocities ranged from 5 to 15 m/s. The turbulence Reynolds number based on integral length scale and rms velocity ranged from 44 to 4280. Simultaneous imaging of hydroxyl (OH) and formaldehyde (CH2O) by planar laser induced fluorescence and particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to study the interaction between the flame and the flow field and determine the sequence of events leading to flame blowoff. CH2O fluorescence and the pixel-by-pixel multiplication of OH and CH2O fluorescence signals were utilized to mark the preheat and heat release regions of flame front respectively. The flame structure was observed to be strongly modified by the turbulent flow field which affects the lean blowoff limits. The flame blowoff equivalence ratio increased with increasing free stream turbulence levels owing to strong interactions of the turbulent flow with the flame and the resulting modification of flame surfaces and ensuing local flame extinction. For stably burning flames, the flame front predominantly enveloped the shear layer vortices for all the turbulent conditions. As blowoff was approached, the flame front and shear layer vortices entangled inducing high local strain rates on the flame front that exceed the extinction strain resulting in significant breaks along the reaction zone. At conditions near blowoff, wide regions of CH2O and heat release were observed inside the recirculation zone. Velocity vectors near the flame holes indicate the penetration of the reactants into the recirculation zone. Several properties were measured to characterize the near blowoff flames which include the strain rate and curvature statistics along the flame front, burning fraction, asymmetric index and the average duration of the blowoff event.
Clinical Implications for Working With Nonmainstream Dialect Speakers: A Focus on Two Filipino Kindergartners.

Purpose The purpose of this clinical focus piece is to increase familiarity with Philippine English (PE) and highlight clinical implications for working with nonmainstream dialect speakers. Method ...
Multicriteria estimate of coral reef fishery sustainability

A holistic basis for achieving ecosystem‐based management is needed to counter the continuing degradation of coral reefs. The high variation in recovery rates of fish, corresponding to fisheries yields, and the ecological complexity of coral reefs have challenged efforts to estimate fisheries sustainability. Yet, estimating stable yields can be determined when biomass, recovery, changes in per area yields and ecological change are evaluated together. Long‐term rates of change in yields and fishable biomass‐yield ratios have been the key missing variables for most coral reef assessments. Calibrating a fishery yield model using independently collected fishable biomass and recovery data produced large confidence intervals driven by high variability in biomass recovery rates that precluded accurate or universal yields for coral reefs. To test the model's predictions, I present changes in Kenyan reef fisheries for >20 years. Here, exceeding yields above 6 tonnes km⁻² year⁻¹ when fishable biomass was ~20 tonnes/km² (~20% of unfished biomass) resulted in a >2.4% annual decline. Therefore, rates of decline fit the mean settings well and model predictions may therefore be used as a benchmark in reefs with mean recovery rates (i.e. r = 0.20–0.25). The mean model settings indicate a maximum sustained yield (MSY) of ~6 tonnes km⁻² year⁻¹ when fishable biomass was ~50 tonnes/km². Variable reported recovery rates indicate that high sustainable yields will depend greatly on maintaining these rates, which can be reduced if productivity declines and management of stocks and functional diversity are ineffective. A number of ecological state‐yield trade‐off occurs as abrupt ecological changes prior to biomass levels that produce MSY.
Community Needs Assessments

There is increasing pressure from funding agencies and higher levels of government for communities and social service agencies to carry out needs assessments. Generally needs assessments are assigned the task of discerning the primary needs a community faces as part of efforts by social service agencies or government offices to set priorities in terms of which services they should provide. This chapter discusses dilemmas and inherent problems that frequently accompany the needs assessment process. A primary problem is that those asking for needs assessments tend to seek quantitative descriptions of community problems and needs and presentations of data that make each need seem discrete rather than intertwined. Related to this quantification is a desire to view problems and possible solutions using a deductive explanatory models that assumes there are clear-cut causes and effects. Not supported are qualitative research approaches that present problems as intertwined and causes as complex and difficult to tease apart even though such an approach may be more realistic and theoretically meaningful. Needs assessments also present ethical problems since those commissioning studies may have an institutional interest in certain findings coming out of research. Researchers face the problem of presenting “accurate” descriptions of problems that sponsors do not want to hear about.
Factors contributing to differences in Rayleigh matches of normal trichromats

The Rayleigh match, a color match between 589 nm spectral light and an admixture of 545 and 670 nm lights, traditionally has been used as a test of defective color vision. Among normal trichromats, however, there is considerable variation in the range and midpoint of the Rayleigh match. The variation in normals’ Rayleigh matches was studied by measuring the matches of 20 observers on three repeated occasions. The left eye and right eye of each observer were tested at each session. These results assess the importance of five factors that might contribute to variation in normals’ matches: (1) differences among people in the match midpoint, (2) differences among people in the match width, (3) differences between the two eyes of the same person in the match midpoint, (4) differences between the two eyes of the same person in the match width, and (5) measurement error. The first three factors are shown to contribute significantly to differences in the matches of normal trichromats. The first factor accounts for most of the normal variation.
Challenge of Integrating Natural and Social Sciences to Better Inform Decisions: A Novel Proposal Review Process

Many reports have called for changes to how science funding agencies support research efforts so that more knowledge is linked with decisions. However, few of these reports have delved into the messy details of how to actualize this goal. The purpose of this chapter is to focus in on one example of a funding organization attempting to better bridge the gap between science and action. The mechanisms for making these connections are discussed in detail, as are the views of various people involved in the proposal review process: program managers, peer reviewers and panelists. Several lessons emerge from this qualitative research. Perhaps the most important lesson is that bridging activities require the same level of focus and expertise that is given to the generation of new knowledge about natural systems. This requires a change in how resources are allocated and it also requires the involvement of a class of professionals that have, to a significant degree, been excluded from many environmental research endeavors. This lesson and others have important implications for scientists seeking to solve problems as well as for research program managers and the higher echelon managers of science agencies who make decisions about how resources are allocated.
ESTIMATING EVAPOTRANSPIRATION IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS

Quantifying evapotranspiration (ET) rates in urban environments is paramount for understanding and modeling other hydrologic fluxes such as runoff and recharge. Large impermeable fractions of land in urban areas may only experience evaporation following rainfall events. Pervious fractions are believed to support most of the ET burden. Point measurements of land-cover ET in pervious areas can provide better estimates of the overall urban ET budget. These can be made by examining changes in the total soil moisture above the seasonal low water table or the ET extinction depth. Soil moisture can be determined by summing the average soil moisture content measured at various depths with capacitance sensors on a vertical probe. Graphs of total soil moisture above the water table for a riparian area in west-central Florida display two distinct slopes, a flattened slope during the overnight period and a steeper slope between approximately 9:00 am and 6:00 pm. The overnight slope is believed to correspond to a process removing moisture continually from the soil, such as gravity drainage. The daylight portion of the slope corresponds to ET plus the continuing downward gravity drainage. Daylight ET is the cause of the difference between the two slopes. Different plant communities exhibit measurably different ET rates and can be estimated using this methodology.
Pavlov + Skinner = Premack

Behavior is a sequence of actions. Premackian conditioning occurs when one of those actions permits an animal to engage in more biologically potent positive responses—reinforcement—or forces them to engage in less positive (or negative) responses —punishment. Signals of the transition from one class of actions to another focus the instrumental responses in the first class and inform the contingent responses in the second class. The signals may be innate (USs) or learned (sign-learning); excitatory (leading to more positive actions) or inhibitory (leading to less positive actions). The potency of an action has phylogenetic origins, but may be conditioned by proximity to more potent responses, such as consummation of a reinforcer. With practice instrumental responses may take on increased strength, and in some cases become motivationally autonomous—become habits. Stimuli or responses that signal the availability of more positive actions may become incentive motivators that animals will approach. Discriminative stimuli do not have intrinsic value as reinforcers, but only the value derived from the responses that they release. These forces bend an animal’s trajectory through its stimulus-action-time context into a path that leads more directly to positive actions. The association of actions (conditioned responses, operants, and observing responses) with actions of different potency (ultimately unconditioned responses or consummatory behavior) is the primary association in Premackian conditioning. All other types of conditioning may be interpreted as instances of such Premackian conditioning.
Computers, Control, and Intentionality

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the nature of intentional information processing and control in humans and robots. Man's highest control capacity is his ability to formulate goals explicitly and work toward them intelligently. Intentional goal seeking employs several underlying computer capacities: sensing, reasoning use of a knowledge base, and action. Insofar as a robot is instructed to respond in definite ways to definite stimuli, the concept of desire is not really needed: the robot just reacts to each stimulus with its appropriate response. Bona fide desires enter the picture only when the value structure is complex and the environment restrictive, that is, when there are competing goals and difficulties in achieving goals. Language plays an essential role in intentional goal seeking; in the future, robots may be used to study various issues about the nature of language. In nature, a genetic program typically performs its construction task by starting operation within a small organism—the fertilized egg.
Relationship between selected discourse strategies and student critical thinking.

This study investigated the relationship between use of selected discourse strategies and level of student critical thinking in nursing clinical post-conferences. Selected discourse strategies included: (a) teacher high-level questions, (b) teacher elaboration of student ideas, (c) teacher probing questions, (d) student participation, and (e) student-to-student participation. The level of student critical thinking was defined as the quartile ranking of students (N = 57) on the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal summative measure. It was hypothesized that greater use of discourse strategies would be associated with high-levels of student critical thinking. All discourse strategies were significantly associated (p < .0001) to student quartile ranking for one taping session (Conference II). Further analysis, however, revealed ambiguous patterns of two-way associations. The more consistent findings suggested a conceptual relationship between less student talk and student-to-student talk and high-levels of student critical thinking.
Female students with A’s have similar physics self-efficacy as male students with C’s in introductory courses: A cause for alarm?

Female students in introductory physics have significantly lower self-efficacy than similarly performing male students; this self-efficacy gap increases after instruction.
Factors Associated with the Quality of Online Information about Scapholunate Interosseous Ligament Insufficiency.

Background The Internet is increasingly used by patients to seek health information about their medical conditions. The online information is of variable quality, often difficult to read, and sometimes inaccurate or misleading. This study assessed factors associated with the quality, readability, and dominant tones of online information about scapholunate interosseous ligament (SLIL) insufficiency. Materials and Methods Using the three most used search engines, we entered the terms “wrist sprain,” “scapholunate ligament injury,” and “SL dissociation” and assessed the quality of the 45 Web sites identified using the DISCERN tool, readability by the Flesch Reading Ease Score, the Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level, the Gunning Fog Index, and the Simple Measure Of Gobbledygook, and dominant tones using the IBM Watson Tone Analyzer and the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count. Results Online information about SLIL injuries had a mean DISCERN score of 39 ± 8.2. A dominant Web site tone of “sadness” correlated with lower DISCERN scores. A dominant tentative tone in text was associated with easier to comprehend texts. Conclusion The online information regarding SLIL insufficiency is of generally low quality, limited readability, and the underlying tones may be misleading. Professional societies might consider efforts to provide appealing, readable, information about SLIL insufficiency and other less common diagnoses on the Internet.
A Map Is More Than Just a Graph: Geospatial Educational Research and the Importance of Historical Context:

In this article, I discuss the promise of geospatial techniques for education policy research and how increased attention to the historical context of spatial data can enhance that work. While scho...
Anti-Cancer and Ototoxicity Characteristics of the Curcuminoids, CLEFMA and EF24, in Combination with Cisplatin

In this study, we investigated whether the curcuminoids, CLEFMA and EF24, improved cisplatin efficacy and reduced cisplatin ototoxicity. We used the lung cancer cell line, A549, to determine the effects of the curcuminoids and cisplatin on cell viability and several apoptotic signaling mechanisms. Cellular viability was measured using the MTT assay. A scratch assay was used to measure cell migration and fluorescent spectrophotometry to measure reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Western blots and luminescence assays were used to measure the expression and activity of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), caspases-3/7, -8, -9, and -12, c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase (Src). A zebrafish model was used to evaluate auditory effects. Cisplatin, the curcuminoids, and their combinations had similar effects on cell viability (IC50 values: 2–16 μM) and AIF, caspase-12, JNK, MAPK, and Src expression, while caspase-3/7, -8, and -9 activity was unchanged or decreased. Cisplatin increased ROS yield (1.2-fold), and curcuminoid and combination treatments reduced ROS (0.75–0.85-fold). Combination treatments reduced A549 migration (0.51–0.53-fold). Both curcuminoids reduced auditory threshold shifts induced by cisplatin. In summary, cisplatin and the curcuminoids might cause cell death through AIF and caspase-12. The curcuminoids may potentiate cisplatin’s effect against A549 migration, but may counteract cisplatin’s effect to increase ROS production. The curcuminoids might also prevent cisplatin ototoxicity.
Lights On: How Transparency Increases Compliance in Cambodian Global Value Chains:

This article evaluates the implementation of a transparency policy in garment factories in Cambodia through the Better Factories Cambodia program. Using a difference-in-difference approach that is ...
Effects of Oral Cryotherapy Treatment on Oral Mucositis in Patients Receiving Busulfan Chemotherapy: A Retrospective/Prospective Descriptive Study

Topic Significance & Study Purpose/Background/Rationale Two chemotherapeutic agents used in blood and marrow transplant (BMT) conditioning regimens, melphalan and busulfan, are known for their high rates of oral mucositis (OM). While there is extensive literature on the effects of oral cryotherapy (OC) with melphalan, there is limited literature on its effects with busulfan. The aim of this study was to determine if OC decreases busulfan-associated OM. The secondary aim of this study was to look at the effects OC with busulfan had on length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) transfer for airway protection, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) use, and opioid use for OM. Methods, Intervention, & Analysis Our center began using OC with busulfan infusions in January 2017. OC consists of patients continuously swirling ice chips and/or popsicles in their mouth, as well as swallowing ice cold water every 10-20 minutes, for two hours during busulfan infusions. This descriptive study utilized a retrospective/prospective electronic medical record review of patients receiving busulfan. Patients conditioned for allogeneic transplant using fludarabine along with either two or four days of busulfan were included in this purposive sample. This study compared outcomes among patient groups for two years before (N = 89) and two years after (N = 88) implementing OC. Findings & Interpretation OM severity was measured using the World Health Organization (WHO) OM scale. Between pre- and post-OC, this study found a decrease in WHO scores of 3 (severe) (37 vs 27) and 4 (life-threatening) (17 vs 5) along with an increase in scores of 0 (8 vs 16), 1 (mild) (17 vs 22), and 2 (moderate) (10 vs 18) (p Discussion & Implications These findings suggest that OC with busulfan is effective in reducing the severity of OM. OC is a low cost, nursing driven, easily implemented intervention which shows benefit in decreasing OM severity, LOS, ICU transfers for airway protection, TPN use, and opioid use for OM. These decreases translate into cost savings for both patients and organizations.
Anomalous refraction of spatio-temporally structured wave-packets (Conference Presentation)

Following Fermat's principle, it is intuitively assumed that a pulse always slows down while traveling from low index to high index materials. Here we show that structuring a wave-packet both spatially and temporally challenges this well-established intuition, unveiling anomalous refractive phenomena – group velocity of a pulse increases while traversing denser media. We present a theoretical formulation as well as an experimental demonstration of this remarkable behavior by making use of 'space-time' wave-packets – propagation-invariant pulsed beam endowed with tight correlations between spatial and temporal degrees-of-freedom. We observe the boost of group velocity at the interface of various optical materials (BK7, MgF2, and Sapphire) with air.
Free convection heat transfer analysis of slitted fin heat sink of vertical orientation using CFD

The free convection heat transfer using different kinds of fins is influenced by changes in geometry and interruptions in fluid flow. This paper investigates the enhancement of natural convection h...
Abstract D077: Sociodemographic and geographic disparities in treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in California

Background: Lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. In 2013, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force began recommending lung cancer screening, which has resulted in earlier stage diagnosis for many tobacco users. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) provides evidence-based cancer treatment recommendations. Evidence suggests that a patient’s receipt of guideline-concordant treatment (GCT) increases survival, especially for screen-detected, earlier stage cancers. The objective of this study is to describe receipt of timely GCT in California NSCLC patients by sociodemographic characteristics and geography. Methods: We studied 23,080 patients diagnosed with stage I/II NSCLC (2006-2015) in the California Cancer Registry. We classified treatment received as: undertreated, GCT, or over-treated according to NCCN guidelines, and timeliness (treatment began ≤ 45 days after diagnosis) among patients who received GCT. We describe the population according to treatment received, and timeliness by detailed race/ethnicity, stage of diagnosis, sex, age, insurance type, marital status, cancer approved program, and neighborhood socioeconomic status. We calculated absolute and relative inequalities in GCT and timeliness between race/ethnic groups. Hotspot analyses were conducted to identify regions at increased risk for under-treatment/overtreatment, and treatment delay by patient residential census tract. Results: Overall, 69.95% of patients received GCT, 14.53% were undertreated and 15.55% over-treated. Among patients who received GCT, 56.78% began treatment within 45 days of diagnosis. Under-treatment and treatment delay were more frequent in patients who were black or Hispanic, had public insurance, and were of lower socioeconomic status. We detected moderate absolute inequalities in receipt of GCT and timely care; no relative inequalities were observed. Cold and hot spots for under- and over-treatment and timeliness were identified within Metropolitan areas across California. Conclusion: Under-treatment and delayed treatment for early stage lung cancer disproportionately affect priority populations. With rising numbers of early stage lung cancers due to screening smokers, administration of timely proper treatment of lung cancer is critical. Citation Format: Chelsea A Obrochta, Atsushi Nara, James Murphy, Caroline A Thompson. Sociodemographic and geographic disparities in treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in California [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr D077.
Semi-quantitative classification of consequences of failure for seismic risk management of existing buildings

This paper presents a uniform and consistent semi-quantitative classification of consequences of failure of buildings as part of a multi-level seismic risk management framework for existing buildin...
Multi-Agent based Control of a Microgrid Power System in Case of Cyber Intrusions

In this paper an isolated microgrid in a multi-agent based infrastructure is studied. Each DG unit is considered as an agent and is modeled as an inverter based generation unit. Firstly, the modeling of the microgrid components including the inverter based DG units is presented. The stability of the modeled microgrid is investigated through small signal stability analysis. Secondly, the control algorithms used in the Microgrid is described. Particle Swarm Optimization is introduced as a tool to calculate the control parameters. The proposed control approach is applied in different multi-agent structures in the inverter based microgrid which is tested against oscillations caused by possible cyber intrusions in the system. The results show improvement in control performance of the microgrid system using the proposed multi-agent based control technique.
The Possibility of Promotion: How Race and Gender Predict Promotion Clarity for Associate Professors

Background/ContextThe research on promotion to full professor is sparse. Research that does exist has largely emerged from single campuses and studies conducted through disciplinary associations. E...
Social Determinants of Emergency Department Visits among Persons Diagnosed with Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke.

Background: Social determinants of health (SDOH) are associated with a variety of health outcomes, yet their relation to emer­gency department (ED) visits among individu­als with coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke is unclear. Objective: We examined whether SDOH were associated with ≥1 ED visit among persons diagnosed with CHD or stroke. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the 2010-2018 National Health Interview Survey, examining ED visits among individuals who self-reported CHD or stroke diagnosis. The outcome was defined as re­porting ≥1 ED visit in the previous 12 months vs none. The SDOH examined were race, employment status, poverty, insurance status, marital status, and educational status. Results: We included N=14,925 partici­pants with a diagnosis of CHD or stroke. The mean (±SD) age was 68 (±.14) years. After adjusting for age and sex, non-Hispanic Blacks were more likely (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.29; 95%CI: 1.15-1.44) to report having ≥1 ED visits than Whites. Compared with Whites, Asians had lower odds of having ≥1 ED visit in the previous 12 months (AOR: .63, 95%CI: .49-.82). Those who were unmarried (AOR: 1.21, 95%CI: 1.12 – 1.31), unemployed (AOR: 1.53, 95%CI: 1.36- 1.72) and had a poverty income ratio of <1 (AOR: 1.47, 95%CI: 1.31-1.67) had higher odds of having ≥1 ED visits. Conclusion: Being Black, unmarried, unem­ployed, and having lower income levels were associated with a higher likelihood of having ≥1 ED visits in the prior 12 months among individuals with a CHD or stroke diagnosis. SDOH should be considered when devel­oping systematic interventions to prevent costly ED visits. Ethn Dis. 2021;31(1):41-46; doi:10.18865/ed.31.1.41
Telestroke Consultation in the Emergency Medical Services Unit: A Novel Approach to Improve Thrombolysis Times.

Abstract Background Faster treatment times are associated with improved outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. In this prospective pilot study, we assess the feasibility of initiating telestroke consultation in emergency medical services unit (TEMS). Methods Patients with stroke symptoms were evaluated via TEMS using a video-call with a stroke provider. After TEMS evaluation, patients were transferred to the nearest stroke center (NSC) or thrombectomy capable center (TCS) depending on stroke severity and symptom onset time. We compared time metrics between patients evaluated via TEMS to those via standard telestroke (STS) consultation. Results 49 patients were evaluated via TEMS between May 2017 and March 2020. Median age was 66, 24 (49%) were females, 15 (30.6%) received intravenous alteplase (tPA) after arrival to a local hospital, and 3 (6.1%) underwent mechanical thrombectomy (MT) after bypassing the NSC. Compared to 52 tPA patients treated through STS consultation, TEMS patients had shorter door to needle (DTN) time (21 vs. 38 min, p Conclusion Prehospital stroke triaging using TEMS is feasible, and could result in shorter DTN and onset to groin times.
Thermal Unequilibrium of PdSn Intermetallic Nanocatalysts: From In Situ Tailored Synthesis to Unexpected Hydrogenation Selectivity

Effective control on chemoselectivity in the catalytic hydrogenation of C=O over C=C bonds is uncommon with Pd-based catalysts because of the favored adsorption of C=C bonds on Pd surface. Here we report a unique orthorhombic PdSn intermetallic phase with unprecedented chemoselectivity toward C=O hydrogenation. We observed the formation and metastability of this PdSn phase in situ. During a natural cooling process, the PdSn nanoparticles readily revert to the favored Pd3 Sn2 phase. Instead, using a thermal quenching method, we prepared a pure-phase PdSn nanocatalyst. PdSn shows an >96 % selectivity toward hydrogenating C=O bonds of various α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, highest in reported Pd-based catalysts. Further study suggests that efficient quenching prevents the reversion from PdSn- to Pd3 Sn2 -structured surface, the key to the desired catalytic performance. Density functional theory calculations and analysis of reaction kinetics provide an explanation for the observed high selectivity.
Crystal Plasticity Phase-Field Model with Crack Tip Enhancement Through a Concurrent Atomistic-Continuum Model

Abstract This paper develops a method for physics-based augmentation of the Helmholtz free energy density functionals, used in coupled crystal plasticity phase-field finite element (CP-PF FE) models of fracture in crystalline metallic materials. Specifically, the defect and crack surface energy components are enhanced with terms that mechanistically account for the presence of atomic-scale, crack-tip nucleated dislocations. The additional terms in the free energy representation are motivated and calibrated by energy equivalence between a concurrent atomistic–continuum scale model and the CP-PF FE model. The atomistic domain of the concurrent model incorporates a time-accelerated, molecular dynamics (MD) LAMMPS code, while the continuum domain is modeled by a dislocation-density crystal plasticity FE model. The concurrent model transfers and transforms discrete dislocations in the atomistic domain to dislocation densities in the crystal plasticity domain. Dislocation densities are transported in the continuum domain by solving the advection equation using a particle-based reproducing kernel particle method with collocation. A new form of the defect energy density is proposed by considering the effect of crack-tip nucleated dislocations. Parameters in the augmented defect and surface energies are evaluated by comparing with the concurrent model results. A comparison of crack propagation with and without contributions from the nucleated dislocations demonstrates a significant effect of nucleated dislocations on the evolution of the crack.
Comparison of Machine Learning Approaches for Missing Data Imputation Among Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

Purpose/Objective(s) Cancer registries are important sources of real-world data capturing a large number of complex data elements such as cancer stage and treatments, but the prevalence of missing data is often high. Previous research suggest missing data can identify patients within cancer registries with worse survival outcomes, potentially introducing substantial bias in studies using complete case analysis. Recent computational advances have enabled the application of machine learning (ML) imputation methods to large real-world datasets, however, the efficacy of these approaches for cancer patients is unknown. Materials/Methods We queried the National Cancer Database for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients diagnosed in 2014 with complete data in 19 variables of known clinical and prognostic significance. Complete records were chosen given a reference value is needed to compare the efficacy of imputation techniques. We performed data preprocessing and generated synthetic missing data in 10 to 50% of records at random for each variable, then performed imputation using substitution (control) and five different ML approaches: Bayesian ridge regression under a multivariate imputation by chained equations (MICE) framework, k-nearest neighbors (KNN), matrix completion by spectral regularization (SoftImpute), iterative random forests (MissForest), and denoising autoencoders (DA). Imputation efficacy was measured by normalized root-mean-square error (RMSE) for continuous variables and proportion of falsely classified entries (PFC) for categorical variables. Algorithm runtimes were measured using a cloud computing instance with 16 virtual processors and 42 gigabytes of memory. Results We identified 50,790 NSCLC patients with complete data, each with 81 features after data preprocessing. Mean substitution for continuous variables had a RMSE of 0.091, and mode substitution for categorical variables had a PFC of 0.406. In comparison, among the tested ML methods, MICE had the lowest RMSE (best performance) for continuous variables ranging from 0.069 to 0.077 for 10 to 50% missing data, and MissForest had the lowest PFC (best performance) for categorical variables ranging from 0.251 to 0.311 for 10 to 50% missing data. Runtimes for MICE ranged from 118.9 to 267.9 seconds and for MissForest ranged from 112.0 to 186.8 seconds. KNN and DA had higher runtimes despite lower performance, while substitution runtimes were under 0.1 second for all levels of missing data. Conclusion ML methods achieved promising levels of imputation efficacy with acceptable computing runtimes for NSCLC patients within a large national cancer registry. These approaches can potentially improve clinical insights from registry data for NSLCC patients through enabling more complete cohorts incorporating ML imputed information.
Robust Timed Automata

We define robust timed automata, which are timed automata that accept all trajectories “robustly”: if a robust timed automaton accepts a trajectory, then it must accept neighboring trajectories also; and if a robust timed automaton rejects a trajectory, then it must reject neighboring trajectories also. We show that the emptiness problem for robust timed automata is still decidable, by modifying the region construction for timed automata. We then show that, like timed automata, robust timed automata cannot be determinized. This result is somewhat unexpected, given that in temporal logic, the removal of realtime equality constraints is known to lead to a decidable theory that is closed under all boolean operations.
Bonding for Investment

Abstract: Previous scholars have argued that international treaties can increase investment by serving as a bond to clarify rules regarding investment, but the empirical literature often fails to find an effect of treaties on investment. In this paper I develop a formal model of bonding and investment, and use an experiment to test the model's internal validity. In the experiment subjects choose how much to invest in another person who has made a prior decision about whether or not to purchase a bond. I find that the option to purchase a bond has multiple effects on investment. First, players purchasing a bond can induce greater investment, but only if the bond is large. Second, if the second actor does not purchase a bond there is a significant decrease in investment relative to the control condition. Third, the first player is more likely to behave consistent with game theoretic equilibrium as the size of the bond increases. One implication of these results is that the inability to find empirical evidence for international treaties' effectiveness may occur because many treaties do not impose bonding costs that are sufficient to induce greater investment.
Optical activity of non-planar conjugated dienes—II : Transoid dienes

Abstract Earlier work1 has demonstrated that the sign of the Cotton effect associated with the longest wavelength electronic trnsition of a non-planar cisoid diene is determined by the helical sense of the diene system. The theoretical treatment has now been extended to non-planar transoid dienes and experimentally verified by determining the sign of the Cotton effect associated with a transoid diene (3-acetoxy-Δ8,14-cholestadiene) of unequivocal absolute configuration and skew sense. The optical rotatory dispersion of seven other transoid dienes has been determined and in all cases but one the sign of the measured Cotton effect agrees with the prediction.
A heat induced bi-layer lift-off method for flexible substrates

This paper presents a microfabrication method that uses the reflow (i.e., heat induced photoresist deformation) of bi-layer sacrificial photoresists to allow rapid, complete lift-off of thick films on a flexible substrate. The simplicity and versatility of the method allows lift-off processing of thick films (> 50% thicker than the undercut photoresist layer) for the fabrication of low-electrical-resistance components in MEMS devices for applications such as thermoelectric power generation and sensing.
Genomic organization, chromosomal localization, and developmentally regulated expression of the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C of Trypanosoma brucei.

Abstract The surface of the bloodstream form of the African trypanosome, Trypansoma brucei, is covered with about 10(7) molecules of the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG), a protein tethered to the plasma membrane by a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) membrane anchor. This anchor is cleavable by an endogenous GPI-specific phospholipase C (GPI-PLC). GPI-PLC activity is down regulated when trypanosomes differentiate from the bloodstream form to the procyclic form found in the tsetse fly vector. We have mapped the GPI-PLC locus in the trypanosome genome and have examined the mechanism for this developmental regulation in T. brucei. Southern blot analysis indicates a single-copy gene for GPI-PLC, with two allelic variants distinguishable by two NcoI restriction fragment length polymorphisms. The gene was localized solely to a chromosome in the two-megabase compression region by contour-clamped homogeneous electric field gel electrophoresis. No rearrangement of the GPI-PLC gene occurs during differentiation to procyclic forms, which could potentially silence GPI-PLC gene expression. Enzymological studies give no indication of a diffusible inhibitor of GPI-PLC activity in procyclic forms, and Western immunoblot analysis reveals no detectable GPI-PLC polypeptide in these forms. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the absence of GPI-PLC activity in procyclic forms is due to posttranslational control. Northern (RNA) blot analysis reveals barely detectable levels of GPI-PLC mRNA in procyclic forms; therefore, regulation of GPI-PLC activity in these forms correlates with the steady-state mRNA level.
Caudal Vertebral Body Articular Surface Morphology Correlates with Functional Tail Use in Anthropoid Primates

Prehensile tails, capable of suspending the entire body weight of an animal, have evolved in parallel in New World monkeys (Platyrrhini): once in the Atelinae (Alouatta, Ateles, Brachyteles, Lagothrix), and once in the Cebinae (Cebus, Sapajus). Structur- ally, the prehensile tails of atelines and cebines share morphological features that distinguish them from nonprehensile tails, including longer proximal tail regions, well-developed hemal processes, robust cau- dal vertebrae resistant to higher torsional and bend- ing stresses, and caudal musculature capable of producing higher contractile forces. The functional significance of shape variation in the articular surfa- ces of caudal vertebral bodies, however, is relatively less well understood. Given that tail use differs con- siderably among prehensile and nonprehensile anthropoids, it is reasonable to predict that caudal vertebral body articular surface area and shape will respond to use-specific patterns of mechanical load- ing. We examine the potential for intervertebral articular surface contour curvature and relative sur- face area to discriminate between prehensile-tailed and nonprehensile-tailed platyrrhines and cercopithe- coids. The proximal and distal intervertebral articular surfaces of the first (Ca1), transitional and longest caudal vertebrae were examined for individuals rep- resenting 10 anthropoid taxa with differential pat- terns of tail-use. Study results reveal significant morphological differences consistent with the func- tional demands of unique patterns of tail use for all vertebral elements sampled. Prehensile-tailed platyr- rhines that more frequently use their tails in suspen- sion (atelines) had significantly larger and more convex intervertebral articular surfaces than all nonprehensile-tailed anthropoids examined here, although the intervertebral articular surface contour curvatures of large, terrestrial cercopithecoids (i.e., Papio sp.) converge on the ateline condition. Prehensile-tailed platyrrhines that more often use their tails in tripodal bracing postures (cebines) are morphologically intermediate between atelines and nonprehensile tailed anthropoids. J. Morphol. 000:000-000, 2014. V C 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Carcinoma of the prostate with bilateral breast metastases.

: An unusual case is presented of carcinoma of the prostate metastasizing to both breasts (verified by biopsy). This is the sixth such case to be reported. The relationship of breast tumors to estrogen therapy is discussed. The estrogen therapy given for treatment of prostatic carcinoma apparently does not influence the occurrence of metastases to the breast.
Green tea polyphenols-induced apoptosis in human osteosarcoma SAOS-2 cells involves a caspase-dependent mechanism with downregulation of nuclear factor-κB

Development of chemotherapy resistance and evasion from apoptosis in osteosarcoma, a primary malignant bone tumor, is often correlated with constitutive nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation. Here, we investigated the ability of a polyphenolic fraction of green tea (GTP) that has been shown to have antitumor effects on various malignant cell lines to inhibit growth and induce apoptosis in human osteosarcoma SAOS-2 cells. Treatment of SAOS-2 cells with GTP (20-60 microg/ml) resulted in reduced cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis, which correlated with decreased nuclear DNA binding of NF-kappaB/p65 and lowering of NF-kappaB/p65 and p50 levels in the cytoplasm and nucleus. GTP treatment of cells reduced IkappaB-alpha phosphorylation but had no effect on its protein expression. Furthermore, GTP treatment resulted in the inhibition of IKK-alpha and IKK-beta, the upstream kinases that phosphorylate IkappaB-alpha. The increase in apoptosis in SAOS-2 cells was accompanied with decrease in the protein expression of Bcl-2 and concomitant increase in the levels of Bax. GTP treatment of SAOS-2 cells also resulted in significant activation of caspases as was evident by increased levels of cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-8 in these cells. Treatment of SAOS-2 cells with a specific caspase-3 inhibitor Ac-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-CHO (Ac-DEVD-CHO) and general caspase inhibitor N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp (OMe)-fluoromethyl ketone (Z-VAD-FMK) rescued SAOS-2 cells from GTP-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these results indicate that GTP is a candidate therapeutic for osteosarcoma that mediates its antiproliferative and apoptotic effects via activation of caspases and inhibition of NF-kappaB.
A Seat at the Big Table: Expanding the Role of Dermatology at the World Health Organization and Beyond

My patient can’t breathe. From across the busy, open ward, you can see the plaques of Kaposi’s sarcoma riddling her skin. The impressive woody edema has enlarged her legs to the size of small tree trunks. We don’t have access to confirmatory pulmonary testing in Kenya, but she probably wouldn’t survive a bronchoscopy anyway.