cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MODULAR TAPERED FLUTED STEMS: AN ACCOMMODATING OPTION

The use of tapered, fluted, modular, distally fixing stems has increased in femoral revision surgery. The goal of this retrospective study was to assess mid- to long-term outcomes of this implant in femoral revision with bone loss. Seventy-one hips in 70 patients with a mean age of 68.5 years were followed for an average of 10 years. Pre-operative HHS averaged 50 and improved to an average of 87 post-operatively. Seventy-nine percent hips had Paprosky type 3A, 3B or 4 bone-loss and 44% had an associated proximal femoral osteotomy. All stems osseointegrated distally (100%). Two hips subsided >5mm (mean 8mm) but achieved secondary stability. Sixty-eight percent hips had evidence of bony reconstitution and 21% demonstrated diaphyseal stress-shielding. One stem fractured at its modular junction and was revised with a mechanical failure rate of 1.4%. Distal fixation and clinical improvement were reproducibly achieved with this stem design.
Synthesis and Characterization of Phosphonates from Methyl Linoleate and Vegetable Oils

Phosphonates were synthesized on a medium scale (~200 g) from three lipids—methyl linoleate (MeLin), high-oleic sunflower oil (HOSO) and soybean oil (SBO), and three dialkyl phosphites—methyl, ethyl and n-butyl, using a radical initiator. A staged addition of the lipid and the initiator was used to achieve good yields. Good results were observed with MeLin (94–99% conversions of the double bonds, as determined by NMR, and 83–99% isolated yields) and HOSO (99–100% NMR conversions, 87–96% isolated yields) using tert-butyl perbenzoate as the initiator. With SBO, benzoyl peroxide was used as the initiator, due to its capability to generate radicals at a higher rate at slightly lower temperatures, and thus to shorten the reaction time. Conversions of 91–93% (by NMR) and isolated yields of 80–94% were achieved. The progress of the reaction was monitored with GC–MS. The products were characterized using 1H, 13C and 31P NMR, IR and gel permeation chromatography. A prolonged reaction led to some transesterification between the carboxylic and phosphite ester groups. Conditions favoring higher reaction rates led to the formation of more oligomers and benzoate fatty ester byproducts. The benzoate fatty ester byproducts were formed by the attack of a benzoate radical on a double bond. The more double bonds that were present per lipid molecule, the more oligomers were formed: MeLin 2–8%, HOSO 3–9% and SBO 8–29%.
Progress towards a humanoid robot that learns to stand

MOST of us are able to stand and likely learned to do so in the first year of our lives. While it may look easy, it is actually a difficult problem in sensory-motor control that involves multiple senses. A robot can be programmed to stand but its behavior will be more robust if it goes through an incremental learning process. Such an approach is characteristic of the emerging field of developmental or epigenetic robotics [1][2]. A mobile robot that can sense the state of its body and its environment is well suited to reinforcement learning or learning through trial and error [3]. Other types of learning based on training or imitation [4] are possible but a trial and error approach allows the robot to learn on its own and gives insight into human learning. Applying reinforcement learning to humanoid robots is challenging because their bodies have many degrees-of-freedom which leads to an enormous amout of trial and error. This paper proposes three simplifications to facilitate the application of reinforcement learning. The idea of applying reinforcement learning to robots has been explored by others [5][6]. The use of reinforcement learning in continuous spaces was addressed in [7]. Some related applications of reinforcement learning such as walking [8] and robot soccer [9] have been reported.
Theoretical Investigation of Electron and Nuclear Dynamics in the [Au25(SH)18]−1 Thiolate-Protected Gold Nanocluster

Clear mechanistic insights into excited state dynamics in thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters are vital for understanding the origin of the photocatalytic enhancement via metal nanoparticles in the visible region. Extensive experimental studies on the [Au25(SR)18]−1 thiolate-protected gold nanocluster nonradiative relaxation dynamics reported very distinct time constants which span from the femtosecond to nanosecond scale. In this work, the nonradiative excited state relaxations of the [Au25(SH)18]−1 cluster are investigated theoretically to characterize the electron relaxation dynamics. The core and higher excited states lying in the energy range 0.00–2.20 eV are investigated using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). The quantum dynamics of these states is studied using a surface hopping method with decoherence correction, augmented with a real-time approach to DFT. Population transfer from the S1 state to the ground state occurs on the several hundred picoseconds time scale. Relaxation b...
Scientific modeling: using learning analytics to examine student practices and classroom variation

Modeling has a strong focus in current science learning frameworks as a critical skill for students to learn. However, understanding students' scientific models and their modeling practices at scale is a difficult task that has not been taken up by the research literature. The complex variables involved in classroom learning, such as teacher differences, increase the difficulty of understanding this problem. This work begins with an exploration of the methods used to explore students' scientific modeling in the learning sciences space and the frameworks developed to characterize student modeling practices. Learning analytics can be used to leverage these frameworks of scientific modeling practices to explore questions around students' scientific models and their modeling practices. These analyses are focused around the use of EcoSurvey, a collaborative, digital tool used in high-school biology classrooms to model the local ecosystem. This tool was deployed in ten biology classrooms and used with varying degrees of success. There are significant teacher-level differences found in the activity sequences of students using the EcoSurvey tool. The theoretical metrics around scientific modeling practices and automatically extracted feature sequences were also used in a classification task to automatically determine a particular student's teacher. These results underline the power of learning analytics methods to give insight into how modeling practices are realized in the classroom. This work also informs changes to modeling tools, associated curricula, and supporting professional development around scientific modeling.
Abstract 716: Physiologic Relationship Between Left Atrial Size and Function: A Possible Mechanistic Link Between Atrial Volume and Stroke

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a significant increase in stroke risk. Left atrial (LAV) is a powerful predictor of AF, and of stroke even in the absence of AF. Yet, the mechanism underlying the relationship of atrial volume and stroke remains poorly understood. Methods: Prospectively, outpatients visiting the medical clinics at the Mayo were invited to participate in this study of subclinical risk factors for AF, if they were of age ≥65 years, and had no history or evidence of AF, stroke, valvular and congenital heart disease, or pacemaker implantation. Comprehensive echocardiogram was performed. LA volumetrics for assessment of size and function were measured. LAV was measured using biplane area-length method. Maximal LAV was plotted against active LA emptying volume, which represented the stroke volume associated with atrial contraction (difference between pre-A LAV and minimal LAV). Results: Of 577 persons (mean age 74±6 years), 65 (11%) developed new AF over a mean follow up of 5±2 years. LA active emptying volume increased with larger maximal LAV only up to a certain level, after which active emptying volume started to plateau and even decreased. In this study, the plateau and decrease occurred when maximal LAV reached ~110 mL (or 55 mL/m2 when indexed to body surface area). Conclusion: Active LA emptying volume, an index of LA contractile function, appeared to plateau and decrease beyond a certain level of LA stretch. This reduction of mechanical atrial function may lead to stasis and increase in thrombogenicity, providing a potential explanation for the observations of LA size being a robust predictor of AF, and of stroke even in the absence of AF.
Testing of a decentralized power flow controller for distribution grids

The goal of this paper is to test a decentralized power flow controller using a Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) approach. The HIL set-up include real-time simulation of the distribution grid and real-time emulation of the communication network. Reactive power is iteratively cancelled between pairs of inverters in a way that eliminates reactive flow between inverters while minimizing network resource consumption. This control strategy is tested on a modified IEEE-123 feeder system with high distributed generation (DG) penetration.
Interferometric Measurements of Binaries

This paper is a brief overview of the past performance and future promise of interferometry as applied to the study of binary stars. For the sake of brevity, the important results from infrared techniques in recent years are regretfully omitted here. It is probably unnecessary to remind the reader that the analysis of binary star orbital motions is the only direct means for the determination of stellar masses. Historically, stellar masses have resulted primarily from orbits that are sufficiently wide in angular separation to permit the astrometric determination of the motions of the individual components about the center of mass as well as the parallax of the system or from short-period spectroscopic/eclipsing binaries. The advent of long baseline optical interferometers holds the promise of a wealth of new stellar mass data through the direct resolution of spectroscopic binaries.
Sensitivity and Resistance to BH3 Mimetics in Cancer Therapy

Targeted molecular agents have revolutionized cancer care in the adult population. Many of these drugs have been inhibitors of kinases. BCL-2 family members have long been understood to play key roles in mitochondrial integrity, serving as the key signaling nexus between kinase cascade-driven growth and survival signals, and they can also be found genetically altered in human cancers (e.g. IgG-BCL-2 translocations in follicular lymphoma). Indeed, the FDA-approval of the BCL-2 homology (BH)3 domain mimetic, venetoclax (AbbVie), is the first clinically approved BCL-2 family member targeted therapy of any kind, bringing BCL-2 family member inhibitors into the spotlight. This chapter will highlight the current state of affairs of this exciting time for BCL-2 family member targeted therapies, by focusing on three most advanced types of BCL-2 family inhibitors: the BCL-2 BH3 mimetic, venetoclax; the dual BCL-2/BCL-xL BH3 mimetic, navitoclax; and the recently developed MCL-1 BH3 mimetics. We will also discuss resistant mechanisms that have emerged from the intensification of preclinical and clinical studies of these compounds. The challenges understanding which cancers may most benefit from BH3 mimetics will also be discussed, as will the emergence of BH3 profling to address these challenges. Finally, we will discuss how these drugs may be combined with other currently available drugs to overcome resistance and induce robust clinical responses.
Predictive modeling in urgent care: a comparative study of machine learning approaches.

Objective The growing availability of rich clinical data such as patients' electronic health records provide great opportunities to address a broad range of real-world questions in medicine. At the same time, artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML)-based approaches have shown great premise on extracting insights from those data and helping with various clinical problems. The goal of this study is to conduct a systematic comparative study of different ML algorithms for several predictive modeling problems in urgent care. Design We assess the performance of 4 benchmark prediction tasks (eg mortality and prediction, differential diagnostics, and disease marker discovery) using medical histories, physiological time-series, and demographics data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-III) database. Measurements For each given task, performance was estimated using standard measures including the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) curve, F-1 score, sensitivity, and specificity. Microaveraged AUC was used for multiclass classification models. Results and discussion Our results suggest that recurrent neural networks show the most promise in mortality prediction where temporal patterns in physiologic features alone can capture in-hospital mortality risk (AUC > 0.90). Temporal models did not provide additional benefit compared to deep models in differential diagnostics. When comparing the training-testing behaviors of readmission and mortality models, we illustrate that readmission risk may be independent of patient stability at discharge. We also introduce a multiclass prediction scheme for length of stay which preserves sensitivity and AUC with outliers of increasing duration despite decrease in sample size.
Lebesgue decomposition of probability measures:Applications to equivalence, singularity and kriging

Abstract We use Lebesgue decomposition of two probability measures on a measurable space to obtain conditions for their equivalence and singularity in terms of the density of the absolutely continuous part of one probability measure with respect to the other. This allows us to obtain simple proofs of Kakutani’s theorem on product measures (Kakutani, 1948) and an extension of the result of Shepp (1966). In addition, using the density form of two finite-dimensional Gaussian measures, we derive analogues of major results on equivalence and singularity (Parzen, 1963; Kallianpur and Oodaira, 1963; Rozanov, 1968) for Gaussian random fields. These can be used to study the interpolation of the spatial data (Stein, 1999).
The nature of the cyanide-resistant pathway in plant mitochondria.

Plant mitochondria have long been recognized as being similar to their more extensively studied counter-parts in animals with respect to both form and function. However differences between plant and animal mitochondria have been reported. At one time, these differences were not felt to be real, but rather to be artifacts due to difficulties associated with isolating mitochondria from plant tissue. This view is no longer widely held, and as a result, it is now recognized that there are a number of distinct differences between plant and animal mitochondria. In this review, I will first outline several features which are specifically associated with the plant mitochondrial electron transfer chain. I will then take one of these features, the cyanide-resistant path of electron flow to oxygen, and discuss in more detail what is currently known regarding the nature of the pathway and the unusual cyanide-resistant oxidase which is apparently associated with it.
Head and neck.

The introduction of aspiration cytology has revolutionized the workup of many human tumors. In the head and neck, it has streamlined the evaluation of the thyroid and salivary glands tumors, cervical lymphadenopathy, orbital lesions, and other head and neck masses. The technique has evolved and is frequently the first step in the initial in-office evaluation of head and neck tumors. Fine needle aspiration biopsy is safe, accurate, practical, and very cost-effective. Despite its wide acceptance, many aspects relating to the utility and interpretation of cytologic specimens remain controversial. The purpose of this chapter is to familiarize the oncologist with the role of cytology and fine needle biopsy in head and neck neoplasms and their use in clinical practice.
The Fate of Xenobiotics in the Body

Xenobiotics are chemicals that are taken up into the body from exogenous sources, either ingested with the food we eat or imbibed with the water we drink, but may also be contained in the air we breathe and absorbed through our skin and lungs. Most of these chemicals are lipophilic, i.e., they have a greater solubility in lipid than in aqueous media. As a result they pose a potential problem in elimination, because the peritubular cells lin ing the renal tubules all have cell membranes composed of phospholipid and proteins. As the glomerular filtrate passes through the renal tubules, solutes contained in it are either selectively removed along with the water or become concentrated. Compounds with a suf ficiently high lipid/water partition coefficient are absorbed down the concentration gradi ent, dissolving into the cell membranes. From there they pass through the cells back into the body. In this simplistic model the only elimination of the compound would be that pre sent in the excreted water, the urine and this would be at the concentration present in the plasma and glomerular filtrate.
Externalist Versions of Evidentialism

Evidentialism is typically viewed as a version of internalism. In this paper, I argue that this is a mistake: even views exhibiting fairly extreme forms of externalism can be evidentialist views. After saying what evidentialism is and identifying four grades of externalism, I argue that, for each of these grades of externalism (from the least external first grade to the most external fourth grade), there is a version of evidentialism exhibiting that grade of externalism.
Pneumatological Considerations for Christian-Muslim Peacebuilding Engagement

This essay explores the understanding of the Holy Spirit in Islam and his role in missio Dei from a Christian missiological perspective, and then argues for pneumatological considerations that Jesus’s followers can employ to promote Christian-Muslim peacebuilding engagement. It asserts that the task of reconciling all things belongs primarily to the domain of missio Dei and, consequently, that the Holy Spirit is the One who initiates and creates occasions and circumstances that birth enduring, holistic, and true peace. Armed with such understanding, peacebuilding enthusiasts who follow Jesus can engage in christo-pneumatological peacebuilding that entails the practice of faithful presence—dwelling with the “other” as the temple of the Holy Spirit, who glorifies the Son and the Father through the human participant in the missio Dei .
Does Periodic Continence Harm Spousal Love?: Pope John Paul II's Response to the Pastoral Difficulties of Living Out Humanae Vitae.

The main reason for the widespread dissent from Humanae vitae is not primarily academic. Rather, dissent arises first on a practical level by couples themselves on account of the difficulty they ex...
Buckling of metallic glass supercooled liquid layer during embossing

Embossing of metallic glass supercooled liquids into templates is emerging as a precision net-shaping and surface patterning technique for metals. Here, we report the effect of thickness of metallic glass on template-based embossing. The results show that the existing embossing theory developed for thick samples fails to describe the process when the thickness of metallic glass becomes comparable to the template cavity diameter. The increased flow resistance at the cavity entrance results in viscous buckling of supercooled liquid instead of filling. A phenomenological equation is proposed to describe the thickness dependent filling of template cavities. The buckling phenomenon is analyzed based on the folding model of multilayer viscous media. We show that controlled buckling can be harnessed in the fabrication of metal microtubes, which are desirable for many emerging applications.
The Privileged Status of Knowing Mechanistic Information: An Early Epistemic Bias

Four studies with 180 5-7 year olds, 165 8-11 year olds and 199 adults show that young children appreciate the distinctive role played by mechanistic explanations in tracking causal patterns. Young children attributed greater knowledge to individuals offering mechanistic reasons for a claim than others who provide equally detailed nonmechanistic reasons. In Study 1, 5-7 year olds attributed greater knowledge to those offering mechanistic reasons. In Studies 2 and 3, all ages (5-7 and adults for Study 2; 5-7, 8-11 and adults for Study 3) assigned greater knowledge to those offering mechanistic reasons about causally central features than those offering nonmechanistic reasons. In Study 4, all ages (5-7, 8-11, adults) modulated the epistemic bias as a function of embedding goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Species Identification of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli Isolates from Raw Poultry Products by MALDI-TOF MS and rRNA Sequence Analysis.

Background: Campylobacter is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria. It is considered one of the leading cause of diarrheal illness worldwide. Incidence of human campylobacteriosis has increased significantly during recent decades; the increase has been directly linked with the advancement made in Campylobacter detection methods. C. jejuni and C. coli are the two major human-pathogenic species that can colonize poultry and cause foodborne illness and outbreak. Objective: This study was carried out to rapidly identify Campylobacter-like isolates recovered from raw poultry products by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI)-time-of-flight (TOF) MS and DNA sequencing of 16S and 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) regions. Methods: Twenty-seven isolates of Campylobacter-like organisms were isolated from raw poultry products and cultured on blood agars for MALDI-TOF MS analysis and DNA isolation. For each isolate, one to two colonies were directly spotted on the VITEK MS analysis. Genomic DNA was extracted from overnight bacterial culture. Afterward, two-directional Sanger sequencing of rRNA gene was performed to confirm species identification on an ABI 3500xL Genetic Analyzer. Results: The VITEK MS could provide species-level identification for all 27 Campylobacter-like bacterial isolates (including 13 isolates as C. jejuni and 14 isolates as C. coli). Species identification attained by the VITEK MS matched completely with the rRNA sequence characterization data. Conclusions: Based on the restricted number of target strains and agar plates, MALDI-TOF MS and rRNA sequence analysis can be used for rapid identification of C. jejuni and C. coli isolates. Highlights: MALDI-TOF MS and rRNA sequencing can provide species identification of C. jejuni and C. coli isolates.
Probability Theory and Statistical Inference: Empirical Modeling with Observational Data

Doubt over the trustworthiness of published empirical results is not unwarranted and is often a result of statistical mis-specification: invalid probabilistic assumptions imposed on data. Now in its second edition, this bestselling textbook offers a comprehensive course in empirical research methods, teaching the probabilistic and statistical foundations that enable the specification and validation of statistical models, providing the basis for an informed implementation of statistical procedure to secure the trustworthiness of evidence. Each chapter has been thoroughly updated, accounting for developments in the field and the author's own research. The comprehensive scope of the textbook has been expanded by the addition of a new chapter on the Linear Regression and related statistical models. This new edition is now more accessible to students of disciplines beyond economics and includes more pedagogical features, with an increased number of examples as well as review questions and exercises at the end of each chapter.
Does health plan type influence receipt of an annual influenza vaccination

Background The influenza virus caused 48.8 million people to fall ill and 79 400 deaths during the 2017–2018 influenza season, yet less than 50% of US adults receive an annual flu vaccination (AFV). Having health insurance coverage influences whether individuals receive an AFV. The current study aims to determine if an association exists between an individual’s health plan type (HPT) and their receipt of an AFV. Methods Data from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the optional ‘Health Care Access’ module were used for this study. The final study sample size was 35 684. Multivariable weighted and adjusted logistic regression models were conducted to investigate the association between HPT and AFV. Results Medicare coverage was significantly associated with an increase in AFV for both men (adjusted OR (AOR) 1.62 (95% CI 1.28 to 2.06)) and women (AOR 1.28 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.53)). For men, other sources of coverage were also significantly positively associated with AFV (AOR 1.67 (95% CI 1.27 to 2.19)), while for women obtaining coverage on their own was significantly negatively associated with AFV (AOR 0.75 (95% CI 0.59 to 0.97)). Conclusion These findings are of interest to health policy makers as these show there are HPTs which are effective at improving vaccination rates. Adopting methods used by these HPTs could help the USA reach its Healthy People 2020 AFV coverage goal of 70%.
Geographic Distribution of International Medical Graduate Residents in U.S. Neurosurgery Training Programs.

Background Neurosurgery residency in the United States is highly sought after by many international medical graduates (IMGs), and the geographic distribution of IMG candidates who have successfully matched has not been quantitatively explored to date. The aim of this study was to highlight the countries in which successfully matched IMG residents obtained their medical degrees and the states of their respective residency destinations. Methods All available resident lists of approved neurosurgical residency programs within the United States with at least 7 years of history were reviewed for IMGs in the most currently updated rosters. Demographic and geographic characteristics were summarized. Results A total of 1393 current neurosurgical residents in U.S. residency programs were identified from 99 programs across 39 states. Of 1393 residents, 87 were IMGs (6%). The IMG contingent originated from 39 countries, the most common of which was Lebanon (n = 14/87 [16%]). The Middle East was the most represented geographic region (n = 23/87 [26%]). The states with the highest number of IMGs were Kentucky, New York, and Texas (all n = 7/87 [8%]). Conclusions IMGs constitute a small but appreciable portion of current neurosurgical residents in U.S. training programs. Particular countries have contributed more IMGs to neurosurgical programs than others, and particular states have higher counts and proportions of IMG residents than others. These outcomes are not geographically homogeneous, and the mechanisms by which IMG applicants successfully match to U.S. neurosurgery programs require more biographic granularity to elucidate.
Aspirin Is Associated With Reduced Rates of Venous Thromboembolism in Older Patients With Cancer

Background:Older patients with cancer are at high risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) and bleeding. Aspirin may decrease VTE in the general population without significant bleeding. Here...
A Dynamic Frequency Scaling Framework Against Reliability and Security Issues in Multi-tenant FPGA

The deployment of cloud-FPGA, although significantly improves the performance and efficiency of conventional cloud computing, also creates a unique attack surface. For example, the power distribution network (PDN) of a multitenant FPGA can be manipulated by malicious users to cause voltage-drop, which can be used to inject timing faults to the applications of victim users. In addition, since most cloud-FPGAs are being used for computation-intensive tasks that consume a large amount of power, therefore, typical FPGA applications may still encounter reliability issues even without malicious PDN manipulation. To comprehensively mitigate both reliability and security issues of multi-tenant FPGAs, this paper proposes a dynamic frequency scaling (DFS) framework, which can dynamically scale the clock frequency of FPGA applications. Specifically, the DFS framework utilizes a delay-frequency pair table, which can match the real-time clock frequency with voltage level, thus avoiding potential errors caused by voltage-drop.
Falling-Film Evaporation over Horizontal Rectangular Tubes: Part I—Experimental Results

Abstract An experimental study on falling-film evaporation on horizontal rectangular tubes, the external geometry of extruded flat, microchannel tubes, was conducted. Previous falling-film evaporation studies have focused on horizontal and vertical round tubes, and the usage of microchannel tubes provides a promising new heat exchanger design option. The test sections used in this study have external dimensions of 203 × 1.42 × 27.4 mm (length × width × height) and were tested with water as the refrigerant. Heat transfer coefficients were measured for saturation temperatures from 10 to 30 °C, test section spacings from 5 to 15 mm, heat fluxes from 10 to 20 kW m−2, and film Reynolds numbers of 48 to 544. This paper, Part I, reports the experimental methodology and the results, while in the companion paper, Part II, models for predicting heat transfer are presented.
School Stories: An Internet-Based Teacher Education Tool

School Stories is a Web-based interactive instructional site developed primarily for preservice and inservice teachers to help them better understand and appreciate the influence (positive or negat...
US Pilot Curriculum for Transitioning Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders from High School to College and the Workforce.

Objectives Few, evidence-based programs have been developed to prepare social skills for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) transitioning to the workplace or college setting. This article describes a pilot curriculum developed for Tarrant County College (TCC) to address the transitional needs of high school students with ASD to a vocation or college. Methods TCC enrolled 123 high school students across the ASD who were taught a 2-h, 2-semesters course on how to apply for college as well as employment applications, job interviews, and interpersonal skills. Work preparation and college preparatory skills such as communicating with professors regarding specific student learning accommodations were also included. Publicly available enrollment TCC data were utilized to describe the curricular program outcomes. Program Outcomes: No statistically significant success rate increase was identified among enrolled ASD students obtaining college acceptance by participating in the TCC program. However, 14 students were successful in attaining employment. TCC enrollment data also showed that 1 course addressing high school ASD students' transitional needs to a vocation or college is not enough to ensure student success. Ongoing mentorship and advising should play a major role in the development of several semester long transitional courses to assist ASD students as they seek employment or a college program. Such a curriculum should include parental support and ongoing employer and college advisor communication regarding curriculum expectations for long-term success in the lives of ASD students, as they gain the skills requisite for independent living.
Comparing Student Learning, Satisfaction, and Experiences Between Hybrid and In-Person Course Modalities: A Comprehensive, Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Five Public Health Courses

Schools and programs of public health are expanding online course offerings, particularly in response to the transition to remote learning due to COVID-19. While previous research in the health pro...
Development of TID Hardness Assurance Methodologies to Capitalize on Statistical Radiation Environment Models

We develop methods for bounding part-to-part variation in total ionizing dose (TID) data. When used in conjunction with statistical radiation environment models, these methods allow development of RHA that deliver estimated piece part reliability for any desired confidence level (CL), moving beyond risk avoidance methodologies based on a radiation design margin. Two methods are developed, and their results compared for realistic data.
Arsenic Exposure and Melanoma Among US Adults Aged 20 or Older, 2003-2016:

ObjectivesChronic exposure to arsenic has been reported as a risk factor for nonmelanoma skin cancer, notably squamous cell carcinoma. However, current knowledge is limited about the association be...
Reflections From My Experiences @ International CHRIE:

In this short paper, the author summarizes his International CHRIE experience as one that emphasized the importance of taking responsibility, being inclusive, respecting disagreement, and continuou...
Tracking the Pandemic in Real Time: Administrative Micro Data in Business Cycles Enters the Spotlight

In this paper I discuss the increasingly prominent role of administrative micro data in macroeconomics research. This type of data proved important for interpreting the causes and consequences of the Great Recession, and it has played a crucial role in shaping economists' understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic in near real-time. I discuss a number of specific insights from this research while also illustrating some of the broader opportunities and challenges of working with administrative data.
VX-809 mitigates disease in a mouse model of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease bearing the R3277C human mutation

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is associated with the formation of renal cysts. We have devised a therapeutic approach, based on reversing the cyst phenotype from secretion to absorption by using VX-809, a modulator of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator trafficking and processing. Our goal is to test VX-809 in RC/RC mice bearing the R3277C human mutation to demonstrate its therapeutic potential. We found that by 5 months of age, RC/RC mice had large cysts and impaired renal function, but when treated with VX-809 between the ages of 3 and 5 months, or 6 and 8 months, the cyst area was reduced in both groups, suggesting that VX-809 had shrunk previously existing cysts. After 2 months of treatment, the cyst size was lower than that of untreated animals of the same age. Our co-localization studies confirmed that cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is found predominately at the apical membrane in the untreated animals of each age group, consistent with its role in Cl- secretion; after VX-809 treatment, the basolateral membrane co-localization of CFTR increased ~4-fold, accompanied by a decrease of ~2-3-fold in its apical co-localization, indicating that VX-809 alters the phenotype to favor fluid absorption. Sodium/hydrogen exchanger and epithelial sodium channel, found in normal kidneys at the apical membrane, were almost absent from the cysts. VX-809 restored both levels toward normal. HSP27 is highly expressed in RC/RC mice and lowered toward normal by VX-809. Our demonstration of cyst reduction, improved renal function, and generation of an absorptive phenotype all strongly support the therapeutic potential of VX-809 as a treatment for ADPKD. We show here in an animal model of slowly progressing cyst formation typical of human ADPKD that VX-809 reduces the growth of already established cysts. The magnitude of the effect in the RC/RC mouse model when compared to previous experiments using the same mouse model to evaluate tolvaptan indicates that CFTR modulators warrant further development as a treatment for ADPKD.
Diagnostic accuracy of a rapid diagnostic test for the early detection of COVID-19

Abstract Objectives This study was undertaken to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card rapid antigen assay (Abbott; Chicago, IL, USA) in the detection of COVID-19 infection compared to the reference standard of PCR testing. Methods We evaluated the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card rapid antigen assay relative to a standard reference PCR test. We tested 3810 nasal swabs from symptomatic and asymptomatic adults undergoing surveillance COVID-19 testing at Howard University using one swab for each nostril. One swab was tested using the rapid antigen assay and the other using the PCR test. Results The sensitivity of the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card rapid antigen assay was 91.84% (95% confidence interval (CI): 80.40-97.73%) and the specificity was 99.95% (95% CI: 99.81-99.99%). The range of Ct values for the N gene was 10.74-34.90 (M=26.88, SD=4.86). Fourteen (28.6%) samples had an N gene Ct value > 30. The average N gene Ct value for rapid test negative (i.e. false negative) samples as 31.92. Conclusions The sensitivity of the test in our symptomatic and asymptomatic cohort was lower than the manufacturer's reported sensitivity in a symptomatic cohort (97.1%). Despite their relatively lower sensitivity (especially in asymptomatic individuals), rapid tests have undeniable benefits (i.e., ease of use and rapid results) that make them a helpful tool in the control of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Given the diagnostic accuracy of these tests as evidenced by this study, rapid tests can be thoughtfully employed in situations where swift results are critical.
Editorial Comment: The Gallbladder Polyp-Growth Happens.

This Editorial Comment discusses the following AJR article: Longitudinal Ultrasound Assessment of Changes in Size and Number of Incidentally-Detected Gallbladder Polyps.
Modulation of an Optical Beam by a Second Optical Beam in Biased Semi-Insulating GaAs

The potential of high speed and large information capacity of optical systems has initiated much interest in optical device research[1,2,3]. A variety of bulk optical semiconductor bistable devices have been demonstrated[2]. Further, multiple-quantum-well (MQW) structures have been shown to have nonlinear properties which will be useful in device applications[3,4,5]. We have observed modulation of radiation at wavelength λ1 (below and near the bandgap), induced by a second radiation at wavelengtn λ2 (above the bandgap) in Semi-Insulating GaAs (SI GaAs) in the presence of electric fields. This effect could potentially be used to obtain AND gate optical logic function. This property is expected to exist in other direct bandgap III–V compound semiconductors such as InP and to much larger extent in MQW structures. Here we discuss some of the results obtained during the experimental investigation on SI GaAs.
- HRI: Haem-regulated eIF-2α kinase (vertebrates) (Haem-regulated inhibitor, haem-controlled repressor, HCR)

HRI, a haem-regulated translational inhibitor, is activated in haem deficiency of reticulocytes and immature erythroid cells. When activated, it phosphorylates the α subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2α). Phosphorylation of eIF-2α results in the binding and sequestration of eIF-2B, which is required for the recycling of eIF-2 and reinitiation of protein synthesis. The unavailability of eIF-2B results in the cessation of protein synthesis. The main physiological function of HRI in erythroid cells appears to be the balanced syntheses of globin chains and haem. HRI contains a large insert of ≈100 residues between domains V and VI. The N-terminal region and kinase insert are unique to HRI and may be involved in haem-regulation. The only known physiological substrate of HRI is the α subunit of eIF-2. The site of the phosphorylation is Ser51. The sequence surrounding Ser51 is LSELSRRRIR. The consensus sequence for phosphorylation by HRI appears to be SXXR or SXXXR.
Differentiation of Epileptiform Abnormalities from Normal Transients and Artifacts on Ambulatory Cassette EEG

(1983). Differentiation of Epileptiform Abnormalities from Normal Transients and Artifacts on Ambulatory Cassette EEG. American Journal of EEG Technology: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 113-125.
Morbid Obesity as a Determinant of Outcome in the Critically Ill

Obesity is a growing epidemic and holds significant health and economic consequences [1]–[3]. It has been shown to dramatically increase the risk of other diseases including type II diabetes, serious cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions such as coronary artery disease, and stroke. In addition, obesity directly correlates with mortality and can decrease life expectancy by nearly two decades [4]. The economic ramifications of obesity are also profound [5, 6]. One study reported that $93 billion of health care expenditure in the USA was allocated to obesity-related illnesses. Between the periods of 1987 and 2001, there was a 27% rise in inflation-adjusted per capita spending for obesity-correlated disease in the USA 5. While first originating in the USA as a medical epidemic, obesity has also risen sharply in other parts of the world, including Europe, Russia and Latin America. In the last fifteen years, the prevalence of obesity has tripled in England and Wales and has risen by 20% in Eastern Europe [7, 8]. The International Obesity Task Force considers obesity to be a global epidemic, and estimates 300 million people around the world are obese [9]. The significance of obesity in health care cannot be overemphasized — obesity has dictated the way in which health care providers manage and strategize their treatment to this unique patient population.
The Effect of Oxygenates on Diesel Engine Particulate Matter

A summary is presented of experimental results obtained from a Cummins B5.9 175 hp, direct-injected diesel engine fueled with oxygenated diesel blends. The oxygenates tested were dimethoxy methane (DMM), diethyl ether, a blend of monoglyme and diglyme, and ethanol. The experimental results show that particulate matter (PM) reduction is controlled largely by the oxygen content of the blend fuel. For the fuels tested, the effect of chemical structure was observed to be small. Isotopic tracer tests with ethanol blends reveal that carbon from ethanol does contribute to soot formation, but is about 50% less likely to form soot when compared to carbon from the diesel portion of the fuel. Numerical modeling was carried out to investigate the effect of oxygenate addition on soot formation. This effort was conducted using a chemical kinetic mechanism incorporating n-heptane, DMM and ethanol chemistry, along with reactions describing soot formation. Results show that oxygenates reduce the production of soot precursors (and therefore soot and PM) through several key mechanisms. The first is due to the natural shift in pyrolysis and decomposition products. In addition, high radical concentrations produced by oxygenate addition promote carbon oxidation to CO and CO2, limiting carbon availability for soot precursor formation. Additionally, high radical concentrations (primarily OH) serve to limit aromatic ring growth and soot particle inception.
Total water management: leadership practices for a sustainable future

Among the members of the international water community, the concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is a recognized tool to integrate the dimensions of water decisions. The concept ...
Effect of Sampling Rates on the Performance of Model-Based Control Schemes

In our previous research, we experimentally implemented and evaluated the effect of dynamics compensation in model-based control algorithms. In this paper, we evaluate the effect of changing the control sampling period on the performance of the computed-torque and independent joint control schemes. While the former utilizes the complete dynamics model of the manipulator, the latter assumes a decoupled and linear model of the manipulator dynamics. We discuss the design of controller gains for both the computed- torque and the independent joint control schemes and establish a framework for comparing their trajectory tracking performance. Our experiments show that within each scheme the trajectory tracking accuracy varies slightly with the change of the sampling rate. However, at low sampling rates the computed-torque scheme outperforms the independent joint control scheme.
Events and Modification in Nominals

It is a familiar lesson from physical theory that interactions yield an important probe into structure. In the experiments of Rutherford almost 90 years ago, bits of matter were projected together; the physical properties of their interactions yielded evidence for a nucleus, hidden in the heart of atom. In semantics, the results of Donald Davidson in a famous 1967 paper might be viewed in a similar (although perhaps less dramatic) light. Davidson proposed that when we combine verbs and adverbs together, the logical properties of that interaction yield evidence for a semantic nucleus in the heart of the clause an event argument. In recent years, the consequences of Davidson’s "discovery" have been elaborated by a number of different researchers across a variety of linguistic domains. In this paper I want to suggest a further area of elaboration. Specifically, I will propose that interactions between nouns and adjectives yield evidence for an event argument inside the nominal as well. Furthermore, this position seems to exist in both of the nominal projections countenanced by current linguistic theory: DP and NP. Postulating this element sheds light, I believe, on some well-known facts of adjectival modification. But as we will see, it also raises a large number of interesting new problems concerning event modification inside the nominal and its relation to event quantification outside in the clause. I’ll begin by sketching the basic data that motivate the account.
Surface x-ray scattering and scanning tunneling microscopy studies at the Au(111) electrode

This chapter reviews Surface X-ray Scattering and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy results carried out at the Au(111) surface under electrochemical conditions. Results are presented for the reconstructed surface, and for bromide and thallium monolayers. These examples are used to illustrate the complementary nature of the techniques.
Infrared Observations of Extragalactic Sources

The available balloon-borne and airborne infrared data on extragalactic sources, in particular M 82, NGC 1068 and NGC 253, will be reviewed and discussed in the context of the extensive groundbased work. The data will be examined for the clues they provide on the nature of the ultimate source of the energy radiated and on the mechanism(s) by which it is radiated.
Atomic absorption spectroscopy for the determination of elements in medical biological samples

Atomic absorption spectroscopy has proved to be an extremely effective and quite simple tool for the analysis of metals and several nonmetals in medical and biological materials. At present, only about one half of those trace elements that occur in the body have been analyzed at the physiological level by this technique, but it will probably be only a matter of time before methods are described for these elements. Other elements of interest include vanadium, molybdenum, cobalt, aluminum, arsenic, bismuth, and selenium. Also, the use of high temperature flames for flame emission spectroscopy 11 302, 303) will undoubtedly find use for the analysis of more trace elements, using similar techniques described here. The application of atomic fluorescence spectroscopy should prove extremely interesting, particularly for such elements as cadmium. Nonflame atom reservoirs show great promise for ultratrace analysis, requiring only small samples with little or no sample preparation.
Climate, stream flow prediction and water management in northeast Brazil: societal trends and forecast value

We assess the potential benefits from innovative forecasts of the stream flows that replenish reservoirs in the semi-arid state of Ceara, Brazil. Such forecasts have many potential applications. In Ceara, they matter for both water-allocation and participatory-governance issues that echo global debates. Our qualitative analysis, based upon extensive fieldwork with farmers, agencies, politicians and other key actors in the water sector, stresses that forecast value changes as a society shifts.In thecase of Ceara, current constraintson theuseof theseforecastsare likely to be reduced by shifts in water demand, water allocation in the agricultural Jaguaribe Valley, participatory processes for water allocation between this valley and the capital city of Fortaleza, and risk perception. Such changes in the water sector can also have major distributional impacts.