cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HOW FIRMS MANAGE RISK: THE OPTIMAL MIX OF LINEAR AND NON‐LINEAR DERIVATIVES

This paper provides guidance on how corporations should choose the optimal mix of “linear” and “non-linear” derivatives. Linear derivatives are products such as futures, forwards, and swaps, whose payoffs vary in linear fashion with changes in the un-derlying asset price or reference rate. Non-linear derivatives are contracts with option-like payoffs, including caps, floors, and swaptions. A company's optimal hedging position should generally consist of linear contracts because of their effective-ness in smoothing corporate cash flows. But as the firm's business (quantity) risk increases, its use of linear contracts will decline due to costs associated with overhedging. At the same time, there will be a shift towards the use of non-linear contracts. The degree of substitution of non-linear for linear in-struments will depend on the relation-ship between the quantities to be hedged and market prices. A negative relationship will tend to exacerbate the substitution effect while a positive re-lationship will dampen the effect. An empirical examination of corporate derivative holdings provides support for all of the major hypotheses.
Energy balance invariance for interacting particle systems

This paper studies the principle of invariance of balance of energy and its consequences for a system of interacting particles under groups of transformations. Balance of energy and its invariance is first examined in Euclidean space. Unlike the case of continuous media, it is shown that conservation and balance laws do not follow from the assumption of invariance of balance of energy under time-dependent isometries of the ambient space. However, the postulate of invariance of balance of energy under arbitrary diffeomorphisms of the ambient (Euclidean) space, does yield the correct conservation and balance laws.
High-Voltage on-Site Commissioning Tests for Gas-Insulated Substations Using UHF Partial Discharge Detection

This paper describes the practical application of the ultra-high-frequency (UHF) partial discharge (PD) detection method which VA TECH Reyrolle has routinely applied to high-voltage onsite commissioning tests on gas-insulated substations (GISs) for more than 10 yr. The location of the PD sensors has a significant effect on the sensitivity of the UHF method, and research has been undertaken to quantify the parameters which affect this (i.e., attenuation, GIS geometry, etc.). Verifying the correct operation of the detection system and its sensitivity is a crucial step to prepare for a high-voltage (HV) test. In order to do this, special test equipment has been developed to ensure that all of the cabling, connections, etc., attached to the detection equipment are correct and that the detection level of the couplers is confirmed. Finally, the paper discusses IEC 60517 (general guidelines for GIS HV testing), its most usual interpretation, and how the application of the UHF technique can transform this interpretation.
Improving Verb Sense Disambiguation with Automatically Retrieved Semantic Knowledge

We propose a novel method for extracting semantic information about a verb's arguments and apply it to verb sense disambiguation (VSD). We contrast this method with two popular approaches to retrieving the same kind of information and show that it improves the performance of our VSD system and outperforms the other two approaches.
Land, Livelihoods, and the Decline of Work: South African Lessons for Current Debates

This article presents a comparison of central debates in South African labor sociology in the1970s and the contemporary era. I argue that scholars can break through impasses in currentlabor sociology debates by reviving attention to the land-labor-livelihood (LLL) connections thatinspired theoretical advancements in the South African literature of the 1970s. After anintroduction and definition of LLL connections, the paper analyzes an exemplary work of thelabor literature of the 1970s, giving special attention to the way in which the LLL focus shapedthe questions asked by the authors. The article proceeds to a review of central debates from thecurrent labor literature, which focuses primarily on issues of the labor movement. It is arguedthat this focus on movements has limited the scope of labor scholarship, resulting in an impassein South African labor debates. An emerging literature that renews attention to the LLLconnections is proposed as a model for moving beyond this impasse. I close the article bydiscussing the implications for this review of South African literature for global laborscholarship.
Attendance and grades in learning programming classes

Attendance has shown to have a positive effect on student performance in numerous disciplines. However, very few studies have focused on how attendance influences the learning of programming in the U.S. higher education system. This paper examines the relationship between attendance and student performance in introductory programming courses. Data were collected from 103 students from nine class sessions of introductory programming classes taught at University X by two instructors in the department of Computer Science in the first and second semesters during the 2014/2015 academic year. The statistical analyses showed a significant positive correlation between attendance and student programming performance beyond other factors. Thus, encouraging attendance is recommended to educators as a pedagogical strategy.
Strategies and Techniques for the Treatment of Ejaculatory Inhibition

AbstractThis paper examines the underreported male sexual problem of ejaculatory inhibition. Various types of ejaculatory inhibition are described. A treatment model is proposed which is based on a multi-modal behavior therapy strategy with suggestions for interventions in four component areas: sexual attitudes, sexual anxiety, sexual skills, and hetero-social skills. Special emphasis is put on the use of multiple stimulation techniques to reduce inhibitions and increase arousal.
The NASA Balloon Program - Positioning For the Future

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Balloon Program Office (BPO) continues to support the scientific community by providing enhanced capabilities and reliable suborbital platforms. The Balloon Program provides low-cost, quick response near space access in support of conducting cutting edge science investigations. In addition to being a platform for technology developments, the NASA Balloon Program provides an excellent training ground for the next generation of NASA scientists and engineers. This paper presents an overview of the key highlights over the past two years including campaigns, new capabilities, development efforts and upcoming plans that position the Program for the future.
Methods for Modeling Tensegrity Dynamics in LEO

α angle of bar measured from b1 Apqq Jacobian of tendon lengths with respect to q AiCi position vector from A to C tbu base-centered body frame b side lengths of tensegrity base triangle tcu bar-centered body frame Di ith dimension of base δ angle of bar measured from b3 e tendon elongation F vector of tendon forces Fg force due to gravity Ft force due to thruster controls ∇uF Jacobian of F with respect to u tiu Earth-centered inertial frame JB base moment of inertia k tendon stiffness L length of bar λ longitude angle l tendon stretched length MB mass matrix of base Mb mass matrix of bar Mg moment due to gravity Mt moment due to thruster controls μ Earth gravitational parameter mB mass of base mb mass of bar ω angular velocity OAi position vector from O to A OCi position vector from O to C tou base-centered trajectory frame φ latitude angle Q vector of generalized forces Qg generalized forces due to gravity Qt generalized forces due to thruster controls q vector of generalized coordinates qd generalized coordinates for desired configuration R trajectory radius
Analysis of 397 Cases of Adverse Drug Reactions Induced by Antibiotics

Objective We probe into the status,characteristics and influencing factors of ADR cases induced by antibiotics,for providing a reference for clinical treatment of children.Methods In the retrospective statistical analysis study,a total of 397 ADR cases induced by antibiotics in 2009 were analyzed and evaluated in respects of their age,drug varieties,organs and system involved and departments.Results Of the total 397 ADR cases,the highest proportion was in the early childhood,up to 39.88%.Generation and second generation cephalosporin were used mostly,31.23% and 30.73% respectively.Lesions of skin and its appendages were the most common presentations of the ADR,up to 88.92%;the ADR cases which were from outpatient were at most,up to 92.44%.Conclusion As Children's Hospital,we should pay more attention on the this problems of drugs uscd in children.So it is necessary to raise the awareness of ADR reporting system for doctors and nurses to improve the level of monitoring of adverse reactions.Ultimately,we can improve the healthcare quality.
Tissue-specific alternative splicing of protein 4.1 inserts an exon necessary for formation of the ternary complex with erythrocyte spectrin and F-actin

Erythrocyte protein 4.1 is an 78- to 80-Kd peripheral membrane protein that promotes the interaction of spectrin with actin protofilaments and links the resulting interlocking network to the integral membrane proteins. There are several isoforms of protein 4.1 that appear to be expressed in a restricted group of tissues. These arise from alternative mRNA splicing events that lead to the combinational insertion or deletion of at least 10 blocks of nucleotides (motifs) within the mature mRNA. One of these, motif I, consists of 63 nucleotides encoding 21 amino acids in the N-terminal region of the putative spectrin/actin-binding domain. The expression of the motif U-containing isoform occurs late in erythroid maturation. We generated recombinant isoforms of protein 4.1 and of the putative 10-Kd spectrin/actin-binding fragment that contain or lack this 21 amino acid sequence and examined their ability to form a ternary complex with erythrocyte spectrin and F-actin. The isoforms of the complete protein and of the 10-Kd fragment that contain the sequence encoded by motif I efficiently form the ternary complex. Isoforms that lack this sequence, but are otherwise identical, do not participate in the formation of the ternary complex. These results, in conjunction with the expression of motif I during late erythroid maturation, suggest that interaction with actin and the erythroid form of spectrin is a specialized property of the erythrocyte form of protein 4.1. Alternative mRNA splicing in developing red blood cells thus plays a key adaptive role in the formation of the highly specialized erythrocyte membrane.
How will medical savings accounts affect medical spending

This paper estimates that if a cross-section of nonelderly adults switched from comprehensive insurance to a combination of catastrophic insurance and a medical savings account (MSA), they would reduce their medical spending by between 2% and 8%. The author constructs measures of the prices individuals pay for medical care under a typical comprehensive insurance policy and a particular combination of catastrophic insurance and MSA. The difference in prices paid in the two health plans is combined with price elasticity estimates from the Health Insurance Experiment to predict changes in spending. Several qualifications to the estimate are considered.
The pharmacoeconomics of clozapine: a review.

Background: A pharmacoeconomic analysis of clozapine is of particular importance because clozapine has a unique profile of benefits, risks, and costs relative to typical neuroleptic drugs and because it is currently approved for use in only two populations, i.e., neuroleptic-resistant and neuroleptic-intolerant schizophrenic patients, although it has also been found to be useful in a variety of other indications, e.g.. refractory bipolar patients. Method: The three studies of the primary data relevant to a pharmacoeconomic analysis of clozapine in the treatment of schizophrenia were reviewed
Joint radar-communications information bounds with clutter: The phase noise menace

We model the effects of phase noise on clutter cancellation and study the overall impact it has on the radar estimation rate. Cooperative bounds involving radar cancellation for additional communications access are impacted by complicating the overall model. We assume the clutter is static with small intrinsic clutter motion (ICM). Treating the clutter cancellation residual due to intrinsic clutter motion and phase noise as an additional noise source, the radar estimation rate is negatively impacted. This clutter cancellation residual further degrades the communications channel, affecting the communications data rate as well. We also study the relationship between the clutter cancellation residual and the range of the scatterer.
The Effect of Bilingual Exposure on Executive Function Skills in Preterm and Full-Term Preschoolers.

ABSTRACT:Objective:To evaluate the effects of bilingual exposure on executive function (EF) skills, measured by parent-rating and performance-based instruments, in preterm and full-term preschoolers.Method:Children age 3 to 5 years (mean 4.4) born preterm (PT; n = 82) and full term (FT; n = 79) had
DNA-based immunotherapy for HPV-associated head and neck cancer

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) accounts for 3% of all cancers. Most patients present with locally advanced disease, where multimodality therapies are used with curative intent. Despite favorable early local treatment results, about one third of the patients will eventually develop metastatic disease. Immunotherapy offers a novel therapeutic strategy beyond cytotoxic chemotherapy, with initial approvals in melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer. HPV-associated SCCHN is a distinct subset, with unique epidemiology and treatment outcomes. Both subsets of SCCHN (HPV-related or not) are particularly favorable for immunotherapy, as immune evasion and dysregulation have been shown to play a key role in the initiation and progression of disease. This review focuses on the latest developments in immunotherapy in SCCHN, with a particular focus on DNA-based approaches including vaccine and adoptive cellular therapies.
Understanding Sarcopenia Development: A Role for Healthy Behaviors

For decades the biomedical community has documented the accelerated loss of muscle mass that occurs with advancing aging, termed sarcopenia. The timely review article ("Attenuation of Adverse Effects of Aging on Skeletal Muscle by Regular Exercise and Nutritional Support") by Arthur Leon presents our current state of knowledge on the biological processes responsible for age-induced loss of muscle mass and function. This loss of skeletal muscle has critical health implications as it can negatively affect morbidity and mortality. A significant theme throughout the review is that a lifelong commitment to regular physical activity and good dietary habits is extremely important to combat age related reductions in muscle mass and function. However, multi-targeted therapeutic approaches, in conjunction with nutrition and exercise, may be beneficial to prevent or treat sarcopenia. Additionally, while significant progress has been made in our understanding of the molecular and biochemical contributors to sarcopenia, further research using well-controlled clinical trials are needed to determine the long-term benefit of exercise and nutrition on aging skeletal muscle.
Association of CD4+ T cell subpopulations and psychological stress measures in women living with HIV.

ABSTRACTPsychological stress is a known immunomodulator. In individuals with HIV, depression, the most common manifestation of increased psychological stress, can affect immune function with lower CD4+ T cell counts correlating with higher levels of depression. It is unknown how other forms of psychological stress can impact immune markers in people living with HIV. We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine how CD4+ T cell subpopulations correlated with different forms of psychological stress. We recruited 50 HIV-positive women as part of the Women’s Interagency HIV Study. We assessed perceived stress, worry, acute anxiety, trait anxiety, and depression through self-report questionnaires and CD4+ T cell subpopulations using flow cytometry. Our sample was 96% African-American with a mean ± SD age and body mass index of 42 ± 8.8 years and 36.6 ± 11.5 kg/m2, respectively. The mean ± SD scores on the psychological measures were as follows: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), 16.5 ± 6.4; Penn State Worry Que...
Robotic Lobectomy: Left Upper Lobectomy

The use of robotics for lung resection has increased significantly over the past several years. We favor a completely portal 4-arm approach. Left upper lobectomy, which many believe is the most complex of the 5 lobectomies, is well-suited for robotic assistance. Port placement and conduct of the operation are described. Robotic left upper lobectomy can be done with minimal morbidity and extremely low perioperative mortality, with similar postoperative and oncological results when compared with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy.
Rayleigh–Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov instability induced flow, turbulence, and mixing. II

Abstract Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) and Richtmyer–Meshkov(RM) instabilities are well-known pathways towards turbulent mixing layers, in many cases characterized by significant mass and species exchange across the mixing layers (Zhou, 2017. Physics Reports, 720–722, 1–136). Mathematically, the pathway to turbulent mixing requires that the initial interface be multimodal, to permit cross-mode coupling leading to turbulence. Practically speaking, it is difficult to experimentally produce a non-multi-mode initial interface. Numerous methods and approaches have been developed to describe the late, multimodal, turbulent stages of RT and RM mixing layers. This paper first presents the initial condition dependence of RT mixing layers, and introduces parameters that are used to evaluate the level of “mixedness” and “mixed mass” within the layers, as well as the dependence on density differences, as well as the characteristic anisotropy of this acceleration-driven flow, emphasizing some of the key differences between the two-dimensional and three-dimensional RT mixing layers. Next, the RM mixing layers are discussed, and differences with the RT mixing layer are elucidated, including the RM mixing layers dependence on the Mach number of the initiating shock. Another key feature of the RM induced flows is its response to a reshock event, as frequently seen in shock-tube experiments as well as inertial confinement events. A number of approaches to modeling the evolution of these mixing layers are then described, in order of increasing complexity. These include simple buoyancy–drag models, Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes models of increased complexity, including K – e , K–L, and K – L – a models, up to full Reynolds-stress models with more than one length-scale. Multifield models and multiphase models have also been implemented. Additional complexities to these flows are examined as well as modifications to the models to understand the effects of these complexities. These complexities include the presence of magnetic fields, compressibility, rotation, stratification and additional instabilities. The complications induced by the presence of converging geometries are also considered. Finally, the unique problems of astrophysical and high-energy-density applications, and efforts to model these are discussed.
Centrifugal Displacement of Nuclei Reveals Multiple LINC Complex Mechanisms for Homeostatic Nuclear Positioning

Nuclear movement is critical for developmental events, cell polarity, and migration and is usually mediated by linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complexes connecting the nucleus to cytoskeletal elements. Compared to active nuclear movement, relatively little is known about homeostatic positioning of nuclei, including whether it is an active process. To explore homeostatic nuclear positioning, we developed a method to displace nuclei in adherent cells using centrifugal force. Nuclei displaced by centrifugation rapidly recentered by mechanisms that depended on cell context. In cell monolayers with wounds oriented orthogonal to the force, nuclei were displaced toward the front and back of the cells on the two sides of the wound. Nuclei recentered from both positions, but at different rates and with different cytoskeletal linkage mechanisms. Rearward recentering was actomyosin, nesprin-2G, and SUN2 dependent, whereas forward recentering was microtubule, dynein, nesprin-2G, and SUN1 dependent. Nesprin-2G engaged actin through its N terminus and microtubules through a novel dynein interacting site near its C terminus. Both activities were necessary to maintain nuclear position in uncentrifuged cells. Thus, even when not moving, nuclei are actively maintained in position by engaging the cytoskeleton through the LINC complex.
Silibinin Reduces the Impact of Obesity on Invasive Liver Cancer

Obesity is associated with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Obesity and metabolic abnormalities resulting in low-grade inflammation can increase the risk of developing NASH and HCC. NASH, a risk factor for HCC, is characterized by increased inflammation, lipid accumulation, and liver injury. Obesogenic proteins modulate signaling pathways that induce physiological changes including lipogenesis, ROS, and inflammation. Silibinin, a polyphenol in milk thistle seed, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. Studies have yet to determine whether silibinin can be used to dissect the obesity-cancer link to delay progression of liver cancer. Using an in vitro model, sera from obese (OB), overweight (OW), or normal weight (NW) males (based on BMI) were used to determine the efficacy of silibinin to reduce the pro-tumorigenic properties of obesity. HepG2 cells were exposed to OB, OW, NW ± silibinin and tested for growth, ROS, lipogenesis, MMP-9, invasion and protein expression. Silibinin suppressed obesity-induced growth, ROS, lipogenesis, MMP-9, and cell invasion. These physiological changes corresponded with decreased FASN, IL-6, IL-1B, and phosphorylated Erk. We describe the differential effect of sera from OB, OW, and NW males on characteristics relevant for liver cancer and the potential use of silibinin to mitigate these effects.
Cognitive psychology: Rare items often missed in visual searches

Errors in spotting key targets soar alarmingly if they appear only infrequently during screening.
Demand for farm animal welfare and producer implications: Results from a field experiment in Michigan

Abstract This study utilizes a Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) mechanism to assess Michigan consumer demand for animal welfare practices. Results are examined in the context of changing farm production costs and producer marketing margins. We find that while consumers are willing to pay significant premiums for animal welfare standards, failing to account for the costs associated with producing the entire animal under the new system could lead to suboptimal policy that negatively affects producer welfare. Our results suggest that consumer premiums for animal welfare are product specific and that WTP estimates should not be generalized to the entire animal. We discuss policy implications of our findings and highlight the importance of considering producer costs when evaluating consumer demand for farm animal welfare practices.
Randomized MWU for positive LPs

We describe and analyze a simple randomized multiplicative weight update (MWU) based algorithm for approximately solving positive linear programming problems, in particular, mixed packing and covering LPs. Given m explicit linear packing and covering constraints over n variables specified by N nonzero entries, Young [36] gave a deterministic algorithm returning an (1 + e)-approximate feasible solution (if a feasible solution exists) in O(N/e2) time. We show that a simple randomized implementation matches this bound, and that randomization can be further exploited to improve the running time to O(N/e + m/e2 + n/e3) (both with high probability). For instances that are not very sparse (with at least [Equation] nonzeroes per column on average), this improves the running time of O(N/e2). The randomized algorithm also gives improved running times for some implicitly defined problems that arise in combinatorial and geometric optimization.
Posterolateral Spiral-Shaped One Third Tubular Plate Stabilization for a Long Spiral Fracture of the Lateral Malleolus

We present surgical stabilization of a long spiral fibular fracture using a contoured plate, which allows for better fixation of the fracture compared with standard plating. We believe this technique modification provides satisfactory compression and better anatomic orientation to the fibula to facilitate closed fixation.
Rome IV Diagnostic Questionnaire Complements Patient Assessment of Gastrointestinal Symptoms for Patients with Gastroparesis Symptoms

Patient assessment of upper gastrointestinal symptoms (PAGI-SYM) questionnaire assesses severity of gastrointestinal symptoms in gastroparesis (Gp), dyspepsia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Rome IV Diagnostic Questionnaire (R4DQ), used to diagnose various functional gastrointestinal disorders, may also help to better understand symptoms of Gp. To assess patients with Gp comparing PAGI-SYM to R4DQ. Patients with symptoms of Gp referred to our center from May 2016 to January 2018 filled out PAGI-SYM and R4DQ. Out of 357 patients, 225 had delayed gastric emptying including 121 with idiopathic gastroparesis (IGp), 60 with diabetic gastroparesis (DGp), 25 with atypical Gp, and 19 with postsurgical gastroparesis (PSGp). Using PAGI-SYM, DGp had more severe retching and vomiting compared to IGp. PSGp had more severe upper abdominal pain compared to IGp. Using R4DQ, the average number of Rome IV diagnoses that Gp patients met criteria was 2.1 ± 0.1. Most Gp patients had functional dyspepsia (n = 197, 90.8%) and chronic nausea and vomiting syndrome (CNVS) (n = 181, 83.4%). Postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) was present in 189 patients (88.3%), and epigastric pain syndrome in 126 patients (59.8%). The combination of PDS and CNVS was seen in 76.5% of Gp patients. In this study, Gp patients were characterized using the PAGI-SYM and R4DQ. DGp had more severe retching and vomiting, while PSGp had more severe upper abdominal pain. PDS and CNVS were the most prevalent Rome IV diagnoses. The combination of PDS and CNVS was typically seen in patients with Gp. R4DQ can be helpful to characterize Gp patients.
Leptin, Adiponectin, Resistin, Ghrelin

In parallel with the continuous increase in the prevalence of obesity, intense research activity has been recently conducted to better understand energy balance and the regulation of metabolism and body weight. This review discusses the potential role of four recently discovered molecules involved in metabolism and energy homeostasis: leptin, adiponectin, resistin, and ghrelin.
The Tale of Two Promising Novices

Several years ago, seven colleagues from the United States interested in the early professional development of novice physical therapists undertook a qualitative study to explore this under-investigated area of therapist learning and growth. We were building upon the work of Jensen and colleagues (1999, 2007) who had completed a landmark study of expertise in physical therapy practice in the U.S. Their work raised this intriguing question: What factors, internal or external, led some therapists toward growth into mastery yet not others? We decided to begin our search for answers by studying promising novice therapists during their first 3 years of practice. More details on the study design, methods and findings have been reported elsewhere (Black et al., 2010; Mostrom et al., 2011).
Asymptotic Robustness in Consensus Networks

We consider the problem of asymptotic robustness in large consensus networks that occur in many areas such as distributed optimization. Robustness, in this context, is the scaling of performance measures, e.g.: $\mathcal{H}_{2}$ -norm, as a function of network dimension. We provide a formal framework to quantify the relation between such performance scaling and the convergence speed of the network. Specifically, we provide upper and lower bounds for the convergence speed in terms of robustness and discuss how these bounds scale with the network topology. The main contribution of this work is that we obtain tight bounds, that hold regardless of network topology. The work here also encompasses some results in convergence time analysis in previous literature.
Use of new and uncommon synthetic psychoactive drugs among a nationally representative sample in the United States, 2005-2017.

OBJECTIVES This study aims to examine patterns and first mentions of reported use of new or uncommon drugs across 13 years, among nationally representative samples in the United States. METHODS Participants (ages ≥12) in the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (2005-2017, N = 730,418) were provided opportunities to type in names of new or uncommon drugs they had ever used that were not specifically queried. We examined self-reported use across survey years and determined years of first mentions. RESULTS From 2005 to 2017, there were 2,343 type-in responses for use of 79 new or uncommon synthetic drugs, and 54 were first-ever mentions of these drugs. The majority (65.8%) of mentions were phenethylamines (e.g., 2C-x, NBOMe), which were also the plurality of new drug mentions (n = 22; 40.7%). Mentions of 2C-x drugs in particular increased from 30 mentions in 2005 to 147 mentions in 2013. We estimate an upward trend in use of new or uncommon drugs between 2005 and 2017 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Although type-in responses on surveys are limited and underestimate prevalence of use, such responses can help inform researchers when new compounds are used. Continued surveillance of use of new and uncommon drugs is needed to inform adequate public health response.
Thrombin specificity: further evidence for the importance of the beta-insertion loop and Trp96. Implications of the hydrophobic interaction between Trp96 and Pro60B Pro60C for the activity of thrombin.

A number of thrombin mutants have been constructed to investigate the role of Trp96 and the β-insertion loop for the specificity of thrombin. Thrombin(60D) consists of the replacement of the β-insertion loop (14 amino acid residues from 59 to 63, including a 9-residue insertion at position 60) with the corresponding four residues in trypsin, Tyr-Lys-Ser-Gly; thrombin(GGG) is a smaller loop mutation in which the residues Tyr60APro60BPro60CTrp60D Asp60ELys60F of the β-insertion loop were replaced by Gly-Gly-Gly; thrombin(96S) consists of a point mutation Trp96→Ser; and thrombin(GGG/96S) is the double mutant incorporating both changes. Thrombin(96S) clots fibrinogen ~3 times more slowly than thrombin, with the two β-insertion loop mutants, thrombin(GGG) and thrombin(GGG/96S), reacting ~3000- and 1300-fold more slowly, respectively. The specificity constant k cat/K m for the cleavage of fibrinopeptide A and fibrinopeptide B by thrombin(96S) was 2.6 and 0.35 μM−1 s−1 respectively, compared to 10 and 2.5 μM−1 s−1 for wild-type recombinant thrombin, respectively. Kinetic constants were determined for the hydrolysis of H-D-phenylalanyl-L-pipecolyl-L-arginine-p-nitroaniline. The Michaelis constant K m increased ~6-fold for thrombin(96S) and >200-fold for thrombin(GGG) and thrombin(GGG/96S) when compared to wild-type recombinant thrombin, while the catalytic constant k cat remained approximately the same. All mutants were more susceptible to inhibition by BPTI than wild-type recombinant thrombin. Clearly, the β-insertion loop is important for thrombin activity. But the mutation of Trp96→Ser can compensate somewhat for the loss of binding at the β-insertion loop. The deletion of the hydrophobic interaction between Trp96 and Pro60BPro60C appears to decrease the stability of the β-insertion loop, thereby causing a decrease in binding efficiency.
In Reply: Kidney stones (October 2009)

Readers comment on kidney stones (October 2009) and on fragility fractures in patients with chronic kidney disease (December 2009).
Stepping Away from My Comfort Zone

A mentor and mentee relationship thrives when both parties have established mutual respect and a genuine bond (Shah in Am Stat 71:1–2, 2017). This indispensable relationship is especially imperative for doctoral students of color. Each of my mentors were wonderful assets that contributed to my success as a Black female doctoral student at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). I credit positive mentoring relationships with inspiring me to believe in myself and recognize my sense of belonging. These positive mentoring relationships gleaned from White faculty and faculty of color. The stages of Black American Racial Identity Development are used to share specific accounts of how effective mentoring benefited me as a doctoral student of color at a PWI.
An Image Processing Approach for Grading of Mangoes based on Maturity

Food processing industries plays a vital role for the development of our country. Mango is one of the economical fruit because of its nutrient dense foods. In general, ripening stage classification done by human experts which is strenuous process and a challenging task for food processing industry. A machine learning approach for ripening stage classification has been proposed. A MATLAB based implementation shows that Ensemble classifier outperform their counter parts discriminant classifier in terms confusion matrix, average accuracy, precision, recall, specificity and F-score.So,Maturity index classification of mango plays very important role to get to know about shelf life of mangoes. Thus this paper proposes effective mango fruit grading using machine learning approaches.
The New Veterans

A soldier who suffers a debilitating casualty on the battlefield is a wounded warrior. Awaiting that individual is a complex safety net, composed of public and private assistance. Should this same ...
The CARDE-B Scoring System Predicts 30-Day Mortality After Revision Total Joint Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND There exists a substantial risk of having a perioperative complication after revision total joint arthroplasty (TJA). The complex shared decision-making between surgeon and patient would benefit from a high-fidelity tool to identify patients at risk for mortality after revision TJA. Therefore, we developed the CARDE-B score. CARDE-B is an acronym for congestive heart failure, albumin or malnutrition ( 65 years of age), and body mass index 65 years of age), and body mass index of <25 kg/m2. The CARDE-B scoring system was compared with 2 commonly utilized scores: American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification and the 5-factor modified frailty index (mFI-5). The area under the curve (AUC) was used to assess the accuracy of each model. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test was used to assess goodness of fit. Finally, the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) was used for external validation of the CARDE-B score in 19,153 patients who underwent revision TJA in 2017. RESULTS Eighty-eight patients (0.7%) did not survive 30 days after revision TJA. The AUC for the logistic regression model was 0.88 in both the derivation and internal validation samples using NSQIP. The predicted probability of 30-day mortality after revision TJA increased stepwise from <0.01% for a CARDE-B score of 0 points to 39% for a CARDE-B score of 5 points. The AUC for the CARDE-B score predicting 30-day mortality after revision TJA was 0.85. This was more accurate (p < 0.001) than the ASA physical status classification (AUC, 0.77) and the mFI-5 (AUC, 0.67). The AUC for the CARDE-B score in the NIS external validation set was 0.75. The Hosmer-Lemeshow p value for goodness of fit was 0.34, indicating goodness of fit in the external validation sample. CONCLUSIONS The CARDE-B score is a simple system that predicts the risk of death within 30 days of a revision TJA, offering surgeons and patients a valuable and validated risk-stratification tool. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Robert K. Adair: Explorer of strange particles-and baseballs.

Robert Kemp Adair, the Sterling Professor Emeritus of Physics at Yale University, passed away on September 28, 2020, in Hamden, Connecticut, at age 96. He was a distinguished, world-renowned pioneer in particle physics, but possibly even more remarkable as a warm all-round human being, a beloved and highly respected teacher, mentor, colleague, and supervisor. He had a delightful sense of humor, with a constant laugh that could be heard far down the hall. But if you were ever in need of serious advice, he was the person to seek out. Bob was a strong supporter of women in science, training a number of women doctorate students, and proud of his wife Eleanor Adair’s career as an environmental physiologist and Fellow of the John B. Pierce Foundation and later a Senior Scientist with the Air Force. Robert K. Adair. Image credit: Michael Marsland/Yale University. Bob was born on August 14, 1924, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He could easily be recognized by a permanently crooked right elbow from an injury he received as a veteran of the European theater of operations in World War II, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart medals. He was … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: steven.girvin{at}yale.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Cost-effectiveness of endocrine therapy versus radiotherapy versus combined endocrine and radiotherapy for older women with early-stage breast cancer.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of endocrine therapy (ET), radiation therapy (XRT), and combination ET + XRT as post-surgical treatment for older women with early-stage breast cancer from the societal perspective. Methods We constructed a Markov state-transition model consisting of three mutually exclusive health-states: Disease-Free, Recurrence, or Death. Osteoporotic fracture, radiation-induced breast fibrosis, and radiation pneumonitis were modeled as treatment-related adverse events (AEs). Cancer registry-linked-Medicare data were used to assess probability of recurrence and total costs, after propensity adjustment to account for treatment selection, among women aged >65 years diagnosed with estrogen receptor positive or progesterone receptor positive (ER+/PR+) breast cancer receiving ET, XRT, or ET + XRT in 2007–2011. Following randomized controlled trials, overall survival was assumed equivalent, but locoregional recurrence varied. Indirect costs and health-state utilities were literature-driven and varied in sensitivity analyses. Costs and outcomes were discounted at 3% annually. Results In a cohort of 10,000 women over ten years, we estimated 1620 total recurrences in the ET-only group, 1296 in the XRT-only group, and 1076 with ET + XRT. Compared to ET-only, the base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was $10,826 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY)-gained for XRT-only and $26,834/QALY-gained for ET + XRT. Similarities in cost and effectiveness between treatments led to highly sensitive results. We also present clinically-relevant patient preference scenarios for recurrence risk-averse patients and near-term AE risk-averse patients. Conclusions The cost-effectiveness of regimens including ET and/or XRT in older women with early-stage breast cancer is sensitive to small differences in costs, as well as risk of, and utilities associated with, locoregional recurrence, suggesting that patient preferences concerning treatment benefits and risks should be considered by physicians.
Mapping the progression of resection continuously during brain tumor surgery

Objective: This purpose of this study was to develop and validate methods for monitoring the progression of resection during the neurosurgical removal of brain tumors. Methods: An optical tracking array was attached to a surgical instrument to track its tip position relative to preoperative imaging. The tip position was monitored continuously during surgery and used to generate a map of resection progression in the form of a 3D distance field. This method was validated on 18 brain phantoms by comparing resection maps to 3D ultrasound acquired before and after resection. A clinically compatible workflow was iteratively developed and optimized during more than 15 clinical cases with input and feedback from two neurosurgeons. Results: Phantom studies showed that resection maps accurately model the actual resection cavity, with an average of 97.5% of voxels inside the actual resection cavity lying within 2 mm of the resection map and an average of 94.7% of tracked resection points lying within 2 mm of the actual resection cavity. In clinical workflow studies, a variety of surgical instruments were tracked continuously with minimal disruption to surgery. Preliminary clinical data demonstrated that the resection map can be used to flag brain shift and predict residual tumor. Conclusion: Continuous monitoring of the progression of brain tumor resection can be done accurately and with minimal disruption in the operating room. Significance: Providing a real-time map of resection progression will reduce the cognitive load on neurosurgeons and facilitate more complete resections, particularly during long, complex surgeries.
Next-Generation Camera Trapping: Systematic Review of Historic Trends Suggests Keys to Expanded Research Applications in Ecology and Conservation

Camera trapping is an effective noninvasive method for collecting data on wildlife species to address questions of ecological and conservation interest. We reviewed 2,167 camera trap (CT) articles from 1994 to 2020. Through the lens of technological diffusion, we assessed trends in: (1) CT adoption measured by published research output, (2) topic, taxonomic, and geographic diversification and composition of CT applications, and (3) sampling effort, spatial extent, and temporal duration of CT studies. Annual publications of CT articles have grown 81-fold since 1994, increasing at a rate of 1.26 (SE = 0.068) per year since 2005, but with decelerating growth since 2017. Topic, taxonomic, and geographic richness of CT studies increased to encompass 100% of topics, 59.4% of ecoregions, and 6.4% of terrestrial vertebrates. However, declines in per article rates of accretion and plateaus in Shannon’s H for topics and major taxa studied suggest upper limits to further diversification of CT research as currently practiced. Notable compositional changes of topics included a decrease in capture-recapture, recent decrease in spatial-capture-recapture, and increases in occupancy, interspecific interactions, and automated image classification. Mammals were the dominant taxon studied; within mammalian orders carnivores exhibited a unimodal peak whereas primates, rodents and lagomorphs steadily increased. Among biogeographic realms we observed decreases in Oceania and Nearctic, increases in Afrotropic and Palearctic, and unimodal peaks for Indomalayan and Neotropic. Camera days, temporal extent, and area sampled increased, with much greater rates for the 0.90 quantile of CT studies compared to the median. Next-generation CT studies are poised to expand knowledge valuable to wildlife ecology and conservation by posing previously infeasible questions at unprecedented spatiotemporal scales, on a greater array of species, and in a wider variety of environments. Converting potential into broad-based application will require transferable models of automated image classification, and data sharing among users across multiple platforms in a coordinated manner. Further taxonomic diversification likely will require technological modifications that permit more efficient sampling of smaller species and adoption of recent improvements in modeling of unmarked populations. Environmental diversification can benefit from engineering solutions that expand ease of CT sampling in traditionally challenging sites.
Using the Time-Varying Effect Model (TVEM) to Examine Dynamic Associations Between Daily Pain and Mood Assessments During 4-cycles of Chemotherapy for Gynecologic Cancer

Chemotherapy for gynecologic (GYN) cancer leads to high symptom burden and low quality of life. Pain is common, distressing, and often co-occurs with mood symptoms (e.g. anxiety, depression). Traditional analytical methods assume a constant effect of mood on pain, even for longitudinal data. Little evidence has examined the dynamic, daily relationship between anxiety/depression and pain during chemotherapy. Thus, we aimed to examine dynamic associations between daily pain and mood during 4 cycles of chemotherapy for CYN cancer. In this secondary analysis, daily self-reported symptoms were collected for 84 days (21 days/cycle * 4 cycles) during a longitudinal study of symptoms in GYN cancer treatment. Women (N=24, M age=60.5 years) initiating outpatient chemotherapy for newly diagnosed GYN cancer rated the severity of multiple symptoms (including anxiety, depression and pain) at their worst in the past 24 hours on a validated 0 to 10 scale. We used the time-varying effect model (TVEM) to examine daily associations between mood and pain over time. The nonparametric trajectory of pain was decreasing over time, with a significant association between daily anxiety and pain from day 2 through day 80 (from day 1 to day 84, regression coefficient of anxiety range [CoR-anxiety]=0.23-0.66). The magnitude of association was stable until day 70 before decreasing. There was also a significant association between daily depression and pain until day 58 (CoR-depression=0.43-1.21), with a steady decrease in the magnitude of association over time. TVEM identified patterns of association between mood and pain that varied in magnitude over chemotherapy. Overall, the influence of anxiety/depression on pain decreased with more cycles of chemotherapy, which may suggest adaptation of pain intensity. These dynamic associations can advance understanding of relationships between mood and physical symptoms and provide insight into the everyday challenges faced by women undergoing chemotherapy for GYN cancer. A Pilot Study of Falls and Near Falls in Women with Ovarian Cancer Receiving Neurotoxic Chemotherapy. Funding: Rehabilitation Nursing Foundation. No grant number since this is a private foundation.
Conducting conflict zones media studies research while being a woman

While scholarship exists about journalistic coverage of and by women in conflict, less attention has been paid to women’s scholarship of conflict. That speaks to a larger gap in communication and m...