cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design patterns for semaphores

This paper describes two design patterns that are powerful tools to help teach how semaphores are used to solve synchronization problems. The patterns are general enough to be used with many different types of problems, yet are simple enough for students to understand and apply effectively.
Occupational Therapists' Opinions of Two Pediatric Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy Protocols.

OBJECTIVE We sought to determine occupational therapists' opinions of two pediatric constraint-induced movement therapy (pCIMT) protocols. METHOD A total of 272 therapists in pediatric rehabilitation clinics completed an electronic survey to determine their opinions of two published pCIMT protocols. In Protocol A, restraint is worn 24 hr/day on the nonparetic upper extremity (UE), and in-clinic, therapist-supervised practice sessions occur 7 days/wk for 6 hr/day over 3 wk. In Protocol B, restraint is worn 2 hr/day on the nonparetic UE, and in-clinic, therapist-supervised practice sessions occur 1 day/wk for 2 hr/day over 8 wk. RESULTS The majority of participants reported moderate to high concerns about every facet of Protocol A. Conversely, >50% of participants reported low or no concerns about five of seven facets of Protocol B. CONCLUSION This study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that therapists strongly prefer low-duration pCIMT protocols.
Unseen positive and negative affective information influences social perception in bipolar I disorder and healthy adults

Bipolar disorder is fundamentally a disorder of emotion regulation, and associated with explicit processing biases for socially relevant emotional information in human faces. Less is known, however, about whether implicit processing of this type of emotional information directly influences social perception. We thus investigated group-related differences in the influence of unconscious emotional processing on conscious person perception judgments using a continuous flash suppression task among 22 individuals with remitted bipolar I disorder (BD; AgeM=30.82, AgeSD=7.04; 68.2% female) compared with 22 healthy adults (CTL; AgeM=20.86, AgeSD=9.91; 72.2% female). Across both groups, participants rated neutral faces as more trustworthy, warm, and competent when paired with unseen happy faces as compared to unseen angry and neutral faces; participants rated neutral faces as less trustworthy, warm, and competent when paired with unseen angry as compared to neutral faces. These findings suggest that emotion-related disturbances are not explained by early automatic processing stages, and that activity in the dorsal visual stream underlying implicit emotion processing is intact in bipolar disorder. Implications for understanding the etiology of emotion disturbance in BD are discussed.
Charge Distribution in Nanostructured TiO2 Photoanode Determined by Quantitative Analysis of the Band Edge Unpinning.

Conduction band (CB) edge position, trap state distribution and electron density are considered to be the most important properties of the mesoporous semiconductor photoanodes for detailed understanding of the various charge transfer processes associated with them. The electroactive surface states on these high surface area electrodes cause potential drop across the Helmholtz layer resulting in the unpinning of band edges. Herein, we present a spectroelectrochemical method that determines the magnitude of the CB unpinning and its effect on the overall electron distribution. The position of CB edge is determined from the band gap widening, also known as Burstein–Moss shift, observed under negative bias. Additionally, the spatial location of the trap states is also estimated. Trapped electrons are found to be distributed on the surface as well as in the bulk and with increasing negative potential bulk traps dominate the overall trap density.
Allonautilus; a new genus of living nautiloid cephalopod and its bearing on phylogeny of the Nautilida

Living ectocochliate cephalopods have long been thought to be restricted to a single genus, Nautilus Linnaeus, 1758, comprising five or six extant species. The shells of two species, N. scrobiculatus Lightfoot, 1786, and N. perforatus Conrad, 1847, are quite distinct, but no soft-parts were known until 1984, when N. scrobiculatus was seen alive for the first time. Dissections show that significant anatomical differences exist between N. scrobiculatus and other Nautilus species, including differences in gill morphology and details of the male reproductive system. These differences, along with phylogenetic analysis of extant and selected fossil nautiloid species, indicate that N. scrobiculatus, and N. perforatus should be distinguished from Nautilus as a newly defined genus, Allonautilus. This analysis contradicts previous phylogenies proposed for the Nautilida, which placed Nautilus as the last-evolved member of the order. We surmise that Allonautilus is a descendent of Nautilus, that the latter is paraphyletic, and first evolved in the Mesozoic, rather than in the late Cenozoic, as has been previously suggested.
Review of Wonderful Things: A History of Egyptology

Review of Wonderful Things: A History of Egyptology, Volume 1: From Antiquity to 1881 , by Jason Thompson, Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 352 pages, $39.95, 2015, ISBN: 9789774165993
Peer Training of Community Health Workers to Improve Heart Health Among African American Women

Introduction. Training community health workers (CHWs) builds a workforce that is essential to addressing the chronic disease crisis. This article describes a highly replicable CHW training program that targets heart disease risk among African American women. Background. African American women suffer disproportionately from heart disease mortality and morbidity. Well-trained CHWs are uniquely positioned to close this disparity gap. Method. We used a Learning Circle approach to train CHWs in heart health education. The curriculum blended web-based, self-directed learning and in-person peer coaching. CHWs learned through (a) peer-to-peer sharing, (b) problem solving and brainstorming, and (c) leadership and experiential activities. Training evaluation measures were CHWs’ (a) self-confidence, (b) heart health knowledge, (c) satisfaction with training, (d) training retention, and (e) replication of training within 90 days after training. Results. This training resulted in appreciable effects on four of five o...
Revealing Nanoscale Membrane Curvature with Polarized Localization Microscopy

Polarized Localization Microscopy resolves the orientation of biological membranes with 15 nm resolution via the combination of polarized total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence localization microscopy, as demonstrated on model membranes with controlled curvature.
Effective drag reduction by large-scale manipulation of streamwise vortices in near-wall turbulence

Using direct numerical simulations of turbulent channel flow, we present new insight into the regeneration dynamics and control of near-wall longitudinal vortices, which dominate turbulence production, drag, and heat transfer. Initially linear instability of lifted low-speed streaks, free from any initial vortex, is shown to generate these dominant streamwise vortices upon (nonlinear) saturation. The instability requires sufficiently strong streaks (y circulation per unit x > 7.6) and is inviscid in nature, despite the proximity of the no-slip wall. Streamwise vortex formation (collapse) is dominated by stretching caused by the positive du/dx (i.e. positive VISA) associated with streak waviness rather than roll-up of cox sheets. Significantly, the 3D features of the instability-generated vortices are close to those of both instantaneous and ensemble-averaged flows, suggesting that this instability mechanism is prevalent in the (uncontrolled) fully turbulent flow. We develop effective new control approaches for turbulent boundary layers, via large-scale streak manipulation, which exploit this crucial role of streaks in vortex generation and hence turbulence production. Using control flows with no x variation, a spanwise wavelength of 400 wall units, and a (frozen) amplitude of only 5% of the channel centerline velocity, we find a significant sustained drag reduction: 20% for imposed counterrotating streamwise vortices and 50% for colliding spanwise wall jet-like forcing. These results suggest promising new drag reduction strategies, e.g. passive vortex generators and spanwise jets from ^-aligned slots, involving large-scale (hence more durable) actuation and requiring no wall sensors or feedback logic.
EVOLUTIONARY ADAPTATION TO TEMPERATURE. VI. PHENOTYPIC ACCLIMATION AND ITS EVOLUTION IN ESCHERICHIA COLI.

Acclimation refers to reversible, nongenetic changes in phenotype that are induced by specific environmental conditions. Acclimation is generally assumed to improve function in the environment that induces it (the beneficial acclimation hypothesis). In this study, we experimentally tested this assumption by measuring relative fitness of the bacterium Escherichia coli acclimated to different thermal environments. The beneficial acclimation hypothesis predicts that bacteria acclimated to the temperature of competition should have greater fitness than do bacteria acclimated to any other temperature. The benefit predicted by the hypothesis was found in only seven of 12 comparisons; in the other comparisons, either no statistically demonstrable benefit was observed or a detrimental effect of acclimation was demonstrated. For example, in a lineage evolutionarily adapted to 37°C, bacteria acclimated to 37°C have a higher fitness at 32°C than do bacteria acclimated to 32°C, a result exactly contrary to prediction; acclimation to 27°C or 40°C prior to competition at those temperatures confers no benefit over 37°C acclimated forms. Consequently, the beneficial acclimation hypothesis must be rejected as a general prediction of the inevitable result of phenotypic adjustments associated with new environments. However, the hypothesis is supported in many instances when the acclimation and competition temperatures coincide with the historical temperature at which the bacterial populations have evolved. For example, when the evolutionary temperature of the population was 37°C, bacteria acclimated to 37°C had superior fitness at 37°C to those acclimated to 32°C; similarly, bacteria evolutionarily adapted to 32°C had a higher fitness during competition at 32°C than they did when acclimated to 37°C. The more surprising results are that when the bacteria are acclimated to their historical evolutionary temperature, they are frequently competitively superior even at other temperatures. For example, bacteria that have evolved at either 20°C or 32°C and are acclimated to their respective evolutionary temperatures have a greater fitness at 37°C than when they are acclimated to 37°C. Thus, acclimation to evolutionary temperature may, as a correlated consequence, enhance performance not only in the evolutionary environment, but also in a variety of other thermal environments.
A Compact Current–Voltage Model for 2D Semiconductor Based Field-Effect Transistors Considering Interface Traps, Mobility Degradation, and Inefficient Doping Effect

This paper presents an analytical current-voltage model specifically formulated for 2-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) semiconductor based field-effect transistors (FETs). The model is derived from the fundamentals considering the physics of 2D TMD crystals, and covers all regions of the FET operation (linear, saturation, and subthreshold) under a continuous function. Moreover, three issues of great importance in the emerging 2D FET arena: interface traps, mobility degradation, and inefficient doping have been carefully considered. The compact models are verified against 2-D device simulations as well as experimental results for state-of-the-art top-gated monolayer TMD FETs, and can be easily employed for efficient exploration of circuits based on 2D FETs as well as for evaluation and optimization of 2D TMD-channel FET design and performance.
Older Age Modifies Oncologic Outcome Following Radiotherapy in Soft-tissue Sarcoma: A Subtype-specific SEER Analysis.

BACKGROUND Given the immune-mediated mechanisms of radiotherapy (RT), we hypothesized that age would affect response to RT in patients with soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) undergoing surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (1990-2011), we identified 15,380 patients with non-metastatic STS. Stratified by age (≥65 years) and histological subtype, we assessed predictors of overall (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). RESULTS Treatment with RT was associated with improved OS and DSS compared to surgery alone (p<0.05). Multivariate analysis also demonstrated that older patients obtained significant improvements in OS following RT, while younger patients did not. Results for DSS were similar, with older patients with leiomyosarcoma, sarcoma not otherwise specified, and myxoid liposarcoma, in particular, showing greater improvements in DSS after RT than younger patients (p<0.05). Interaction testing demonstrated an impact of year of diagnosis on outcomes but not receipt of RT. CONCLUSION Among patients with STS undergoing surgery, age appears to impact oncological outcomes after RT.
Can you bank on philanthropy

CFOs can help to establish a culture of giving within their organizations by: Helping to build a culture of philanthropy within the hospital. Including fund-raising performance on the hospital's dashboard measurements. Learning fund-raising language and etiquette to enhance interaction with potential donors. Writing articles for hospital newsletters and local newspapers, explaining why philanthropy is so vital to the future of health care in the community.
Accessory sacro-iliac articulations.

Accessory sacro-iliac joints frequently develop posteriorly between the ilium and the sacrum. Both deep and superficial types have been observed. The latter occur more frequently and develop between the posterior superior iliac spine and the posterior surface of the sacrum. These movable diarthrodial joints may become arthritic and even ankylosed. They seem to be compatible with symptoms of low-back pain and sciatica.
Thin-film transistor mobility limits considerations

The mobility limiting scattering mechanisms for amorphous semiconductors and polar polycrystalline semiconductors are studied in the context of developing new high-performance thin-film transistor (TFT) channel layer materials for large-area electronics. A physics-based model for carrier transport in an amorphous semiconductor is developed to estimate the mobility limits of amorphous semiconductor TFTs. The model involves band tail state trapping of a diffusive mobility. Simulation reveals a strong dependence on the band tail density of states. This consideration makes it difficult to realize a high-performance p-type oxide TFT. A polar crystalline semiconductor may offer a higher mobility but is fundamentally limited by polar optical phonon scattering. Any crystalline TFT channel layer for practical large-area applications will not be a single crystal but polycrystalline, and therefore, grain size and grain boundary-dependent scattering will further degrade the transport properties.
Prehistoric Cannibalism in the Mancos Canyon, Southwestern Colorado

ABSTRACTSalvage excavation of an early Pueblo III village ruin (site designation 5MTUMR 2346) in the Mancos Canyon, southwestern Colorado, has yielded a large number of human remains which exhibit indications of cannibalism. While reports of cannibalism are not unknown in Southwestern archaeological literature, they appear somewhat infrequently.The remains from the Mancos Canyon include 33 individuals, mostly young adults, whose completely fragmented bones show evidences which indicate that intentional and patterned human actions were responsible for dismembering the bodies prior to being interred. The burials were found in the rooms of the pueblo, all in multiple individual deposits representing from 2 to 11 persons. All the long bones are splintered, showing primarily a spiral type fracture caused by a twisting or prying apart of the bones with evidence that some of the shafts were prepared for fracture, presumably for extraction of the marrow. Butchering or cut-marks occur on several bone fragments, ne...
Gender Empowerment and Educational Attainment of US Immigrants and Their Home-Country Counterparts

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the educational self-selection of immigrants to the United States across forty-two countries of origin and analyzes determinants of selectivity, including home-country gender status (as measured by the United Nations’ Gender Empowerment Measure [GEM]). Measuring educational self-selection, the study uses data from the 2006 American Community Survey and the 2000 and 2014 Barro–Lee Educational Attainment Measure to construct the Net Difference Index between immigrants and nonmigrants. It compares the educational attainment difference between immigrants and nonmigrants who remain in the home country and demonstrates that immigrants to the US are more educated than their home-country counterparts across all immigrant groups (positive selection). Regression results further indicate that higher gender inequality in the home country influences more highly educated women to migrate. The paper also confirms that higher migration costs and lower income inequality in the home country infl...
Modeling of mercuric chloride removal in ductwork and fabric filter by raw activated carbon injection

Abstract Based on previous experimental adsorption kinetic and equilibrium data for mercuric chloride (HgCl2) adsorption onto raw activated carbon (AC), a comprehensive model was formulated for its removal in the ductwork and fabric filter by raw AC injection in coal combustion flue gas. Various factors that can impact the performance and sorbent utilization were investigated, including inlet HgCl2 concentration, sorbent loading, particle size, external and internal mass-transfer considerations, residence time, filtration time, injection mode, and pressure drop. Despite these considerations, in-flight removal of HgCl2 in the ductwork was found to be almost negligible. For the removal in fabric filter, the effect of particle size was found to be significant, particularly for continuous sorbent injection. On the other hand, a discontinuous injection mode delivering the same amount of sorbent in 10% of a cleaning cycle resulted in higher removal performance and sorbent utilization. However, at the end of the cleaning cycle, most of the sorbent capacity was not used (
Impact of Pial Collaterals on Infarct Growth Rate in Experimental Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cerebral infarction evolves at different rates depending on available blood flow suggesting that treatment time windows vary depending on the degree of pial collateral recruitment. This work sought to mathematically model infarct growth and determine whether infarct volume growth can be predicted by angiographic assessment of pial collateral recruitment in an experimental MCA occlusion animal model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pial collateral recruitment was quantified by using DSA, acquired 15 minutes following permanent MCA occlusion in 6 canines based on a scoring system (average pial collateral score) and arterial arrival time. MR imaging–based infarct volumes were measured 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 1440 minutes following MCA occlusion and were parameterized in terms of the growth rate index and final infarct volume (VFinal) as V(t) = VFinal [1 − e(−G × t)] (t = time). Correlations of the growth rate index and final infarct volume to the average pial collateral score and arterial arrival time were assessed by linear bivariate analysis. Correlations were used to generate asymptotic models of infarct growth for average pial collateral score or arterial arrival time values. Average pial collateral score– and arterial arrival time–based models were assessed by F tests and residual errors. RESULTS: Evaluation of pial collateral recruitment at 15 minutes postocclusion was strongly correlated with 24-hour infarct volumes (average pial collateral score: r2 = 0.96, P CONCLUSIONS: In an experimental permanent MCA occlusion model, assessment of pial collaterals correlates with the infarct growth rate index and has the potential to predict asymptotic infarct volume growth.
Delivering End-of-Life Cancer Care: Perspectives of Providers.

Objectives:Persistent gaps in end-of-life cancer care delivery and growing associated expenditures remain imminent US public health issues. The objective of this study was to understand clinical providers’ experiences delivering cancer care for patients at the end of life and their perspectives on potential solutions to improve quality of care.Methods:Semistructured interviews were conducted with 75 cancer care providers across the United States. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using constant comparative method of qualitative analysis.Results:Providers identified 3 major cancer care delivery challenges including lack of time to educate patients and caregivers due to clinical volume and administrative burdens, ambiguity in determining both prognosis and timing of palliative care at the end-of-life, and lack of adequate systems to support non-face-to-face communication with patients. To address these challenges, providers endorsed several options for clinical practice redesign in the...
Case Diagnostics for Factor Analysis of Ordered Categorical Data With Applications to Person-Fit Measurement

Mahalanobis distance (M-distance) case diagnostics are a useful tool for assessing response pattern inconsistency in factor analysis; however, the derivations of these statistics assume continuous ...
Discriminant analysis as a decision-making tool for geochemically fingerprinting sources of groundwater salinity

Abstract Concern over contamination of groundwater resources in areas impacted by anthropogenic activities has led to an increasing number of baseline groundwater quality surveys intended to provide context for interpreting water quality data. Flexible screening tools that can parse through these large, regional datasets to identify spatial or temporal changes in water quality are becoming more important to groundwater scientists. One such tool, developed from previous work by the authors, makes use of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to identify the most probable source of chloride salinity in groundwater samples based on their geochemical fingerprints. Here, we applied the model to a dataset of shallow groundwater with known sources of contamination compiled from two studies of groundwater quality in Illinois: Panno et al. (2005) and Hwang et al. (2015). By predicting the source of salinity in groundwater samples for which the sources of contamination are known, we validated model prediction-accuracy. Results show high classification accuracy for groundwater samples impacted by basin brines (e.g. deep saline groundwater) and road salt (> 80%), with diminishing success for those impacted by organic sources of chloride, such as septic effluent and animal waste. Posterior probabilities, a statistic inherent to LDA, provide a proxy for prediction confidence that enables the model to be used for assessment and accountability measures, such as identifying parties responsible for contamination. LDA is complementary to fingerprinting using halogen ratios (e.g. Cl/Br) because it implicitly relies on halogen ratios for classification decisions while providing a clearer, more quantitative classification of contamination sources. Our model is ideal for regional assessment or initial screening of salinity sources in groundwater because it makes use of commonly measured solute concentrations in publicly available water quality databases.
Chemically induced gelation of polysaccharide produced by Methylobacterium organophilum

Both attractive and repulsive interactions between entangled Methylan chains were investigated with divalent cations that might form a salt bridge or generate an electrostatic attraction between the negatively charged groups in Methylan chains. The chemically induced gelation produces a thermally reversible gel. The gel strength was proportional to Methylan concentration in range from 1 to 5 g/l and was controlled by both Methylan and salt concentrations. © Rapid Science Ltd. 1998
A Comparative Study of Technology-Mediated Learning Strategies for Teaching People with Intellectual Disability

In this paper, we report on our experiences investigating the role of digital technology in face-to-face instruction of students with intellectual disability. In this process, we used a multi-method approach and our findings integrate results from focus groups, interviews, observations, iterative prototyping, and user evaluation. Ultimately, we hope that our work can motivate future research efforts and bring to light opportunities to be considered in the development of mobile-based education solutions.
Intensive Longitudinal Faculty Development Programs

One model of faculty development that is growing in popularity is the longitudinal, intensive fellowship program. Typically, these programs seek to instill a higher level of educational knowledge and skill than a single workshop, although they require less time and financial commitment than a formal advanced degree. This chapter will begin with a description of a representative fellowship program to lay out key characteristics and will then describe the primary dimensions on which such programs vary. It will also examine the best practices and educational efficacy of such programs as identified in the available literature evaluating such programs. The chapter will conclude by identifying future directions for exploration and development.
SENSITIVITY STUDIES OF THE BREEDING RATIO FOR THE CLINCH RIVER BREEDER REACTOR

Generalized perturbation theory has been used to investigate the sensitivity of the breeding ratio for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor to various cross section changes. Model studies to determine a one-dimensional model appropriate for these investigations are described. For a 26 group ENDF/B-III data set, curves which give the sensitivity of the breeding ratio to various fertile and fissile element cross sections are reported and discussed. An example of folding the sensitivity data with an ENDF/B covariance file is given.
Somatosensory Specializations in the Nervous Systems of Manatees

Manatees exhibit specializations of the body and brain that appear to be associated with their unusual role as mammalian aquatic herbivores. Chief among these are a variety of features of the somatosensory system, including the periphery, brainstem, thalamus, and cerebral cortex.
Specific surface measurements of shock-modified powders

Inorganic powder samples which have been subjected to controlled shock loading and preserved for post-shock investigation have been studied to determine the influence of shock compression on specific surface areas. The BET technique provides a sensitive measure of complex surface areas and when shocked samples are compared to unshocked samples provides a direct indication of shock-induced particle comminution, agglomeration or morphology changes. Low-temperature thermal pretreatment is found to give reliable values and also reveals chemical change at the surfaces. Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ and A1N show relatively modest (20 to 40%) increases in specific surface at low shock pressure with a subsequent decrease on the order of 50% at higher pressure. In contrast, TiC and TiB/sub 2/ show increases in specific surface up to 75% and 200%, respectively, at the higher pressures.
Breast Cancer in the Younger Patient: A Preliminary Report

Breast cancer occurring under the age of 35 years is not uncommon; it accounts for nearly 3% of all breast cancers (Langlands and Kerr 1979; Haagensen 1971). It is in this age-group that the diagnosis of curable breast cancer has the greatest potential for subject-years gained.
Suppression of chip load variations by real-time spindle speed modulation

In machining a fixed depth of cut at a constant feedrate to generate a desired curvilinear shape, substantial variations in chip load can occur whenever the smallest concave radius of curvature is comparable to the tool radius. These chip load variations may result in a poor quality of the machined surface or premature tool wear. Conversely, attempting to suppress chip load variations by modulating the feedrate may incur high rates of feed acceleration, that may tax the machine drive systems or induce large contour errors. To address these conflicting influences, the feasibility of minimizing variations in chip load through real-time spindle speed modulation is examined herein. A second-order model is employed to determine the tool angular speeds and accelerations that are required to achieve a specified constant chip load for a given depth of cut along a desired part shape defined by a parametric curve, using a constant feedrate for a tool with a given radius and number of cutting edges. For a spindle driven by a DC motor, the motor voltage variation required to generate the modulated spindle speed is also determined. These analyses facilitate an a priori assessment of the part geometries and process parameters for which spindle speed modulation is a viable approach to the suppression of chip load variations.
Serum neurotrophins at birth correlate with respiratory and neurodevelopmental outcomes of premature infants.

OBJECTIVE Preterm birth is a significant cause of infant morbidity and mortality, which are primarily the result of respiratory and neurodevelopmental complications. However, no objective biomarker is currently available to predict at birth the risk and severity of such complications. Thus, we sought to determine whether serum neurotrophins concentrations measured at birth correlate with risk for later development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. METHODS This study prospectively included 223 newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and divided into three groups: (i) preterm infants who developed BPD; (ii) preterm infants who did not develop BPD; (iii) term infants. An exploratory cohort was enrolled in West Virginia, followed by a validation cohort recruited in four NICUs in Ohio. Specimens for serum and tracheal neurotrophins concentrations were collected within 48 h of admission. Infants requiring a fraction of inspired oxygen >0.21 for at least 28 days were diagnosed with BPD. Neurodevelopmental outcomes were extrapolated from Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Third Edition (BSID-III) administered at the 24-month follow-up visit. RESULTS Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentration at birth had significant negative correlation with later diagnosis of BPD (P = 0.011) and with duration of invasive ventilation and oxygen supplementation (P = 0.009 and 0.015, respectively). Serum nerve growth factor (NGF) concentration at birth had significant positive correlation with BSID-III cognitive and language composite scores at 24 months (P < 0.001 and 0.010, respectively). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that serum neurotrophins concentrations measured at birth provide prognostic information on subsequent respiratory and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
The Use of Bone Morphogenetic Protein in the Intervertebral Disk Space in Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: 10-year Experience in 688 Patients.

Study design Retrospective Cohort. Objective The objective of this study was to characterize one surgeon's experience over a 10-year period using rhBMP-2 in the disk space for minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS TLIF). Summary of background data MIS TLIF has been utilized as a technique for decreasing patients' immediate postoperative pain, decreasing blood loss, and shortened hospital stays. Effectiveness and complications of rhBMP-2's use in the disk space is limited because of its off-label status. Methods Retrospective analysis of consecutive MIS TLIFs performed by senior author between 2004 and 2014. rhBMP-2 was used in the disk space in all cases. Patients were stratified based on the dose of rhBMP-2 utilized. Patients had 9 to 12 month computerized tomography scan to evaluate for bony fusion and continued follow-up for 18 months. Results A total of 688 patients underwent a MIS TLIF. A medium kit of rhBMP-2 was utilized in 97 patients, and small kit was used in 591 patients. Fusion rate was 97.9% and this was not different between the 2 groups with 96/97 patients fusing in the medium kit group and 577/591 patients fusing in the small kit group. Five patients taken back to the operating room for symptomatic pseudoarthrosis, 4 reoperated for bony hyperostosis, and 10 radiographic pseudoarthroses that did not require reoperation. A statistically significant difference in the rate of foraminal hyperostosis was found when using a medium sized kit of rhBMP-2 was 4.12% (4/97 patients), compared with a small kit (0/591 patients, P=0.0004). Conclusions Utilization of rhBMP-2 in an MIS TLIF leads to high fusion rate (97.9%), with an acceptable complication profile. The development of foraminal hyperostosis is a rare complication that only affected 0.6% of patients, and seems to be a dose related complication, as this complication was eliminated when a lower dose of rhBMP-2 was utilized. Level of evidence Level IV.
Atherosclerosis: A Moving Target Key Note Presentation

It is gratifying the see the effort and attention given here to the issue of evaluating atherosclerotic lesions, especially atherosclerosis in living persons. Pathologists who have examined the arteries of autopsied persons for many years have longed for the opportunity to observe the movement of the process. In attempts to describe that movement, we have had to reconstruct the process by measuring various qualities of the lesions in large numbers of autopsied persons, and arranging the values in age sequence.
The local lifting problem for D4

For a prime p, a cyclic-by-p group G and a G-extension L|K of complete discrete valuation fields of characteristic p with algebraically closed residue field, the local lifting problem asks whether the extension L|K lifts to characteristic zero. In this paper, we characterize D4-extensions of fields of characteristic two, determine the ramification breaks of (suitable) D4- extensions of complete discrete valuation fields of characteristic two, and solve the local lifting problem in the affirmative for every D4-extension of complete discrete valuation fields of characteristic two with algebraically closed residue field; that is, we show that D4 is a local Oort group for the prime 2.
Maternal diet as a risk factor for primary congenital glaucoma and defects of the anterior segment of the eye in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study

Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) and anterior segment defects (ASDs) are rare ocular malformations diagnosed early in life which can cause blindness. Pathogenic variants in several genes have been linked to these conditions, but little is known about nongenetic risk factors. We investigated the association between maternal nutrition and PCG and ASDs in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, a large population-based, multicenter case-control study of major birth defects in the United States. Mothers of cases (n = 152) and control infants without a birth defect (n = 9,178) completed an interview which included a food frequency questionnaire capturing usual dietary intake in the year before pregnancy. Maternal nutrition was assessed through individual nutrient intake, calculating a Diet Quality Index for Pregnancy (DQI-P) score for each mother, and using latent class analysis to empirically derive four dietary patterns. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using logistic regression. The results for individual nutrients varied, with some having an inverse or U-shaped pattern of association with increasing intake. The DQI-P was not associated with risk of PCG and ASDs (aOR 0.91; CI 0.49-1.66, highest vs. lowest quartile). The dietary pattern analysis suggested lower odds among women with a Prudent and Mexican dietary pattern (aOR 0.82, 95% CI 0.52-1.29; aOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.36-1.78, respectively) compared to those with a Western dietary pattern. We found that higher intake of some nutrients and certain dietary patterns may be inversely associated with PCG and ASDs, though caution is urged due to imprecision of estimates.
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms as a Reliable Phenomenology of Cerebellar Ataxia

While cerebellar ataxia (CA) is a neurodegenerative disease known for motor impairment, changes in mood have also been reported. A full account of neuropsychiatric symptomology in CA may guide improvements in treatment regimes, measure the presence and severity of sub-clinical neuropsychiatric disturbance symptomology in CA, and compare patient versus informant symptom recognition. Neuropsychiatric phenomena were gathered from CA patients with genetic and unknown etiologies and their informants (e.g., spouse or parent). Information was obtained from in-person interviews and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Responses were converted to the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q) scores by consensus ratings. Patient NPI-Q scores were evaluated for symptom prevalence and severity relative to those obtained from healthy controls. Patient-informant NPI-Q score disagreements were evaluated. In this cohort, 95% of patients presented with at least one neuropsychiatric symptom and 51% of patients with three or more symptoms. The most common symptoms were anxiety, depression, nighttime behaviors (e.g., interrupted sleep), irritability, disinhibition, abnormal appetite, and agitation. The prevalence of these neuropsychiatric symptoms was uniform across patients with genetic versus unknown etiologies. Patient and informant symptom report disagreements reflected that patients noted sleep impairment and depression, while informants noted irritability and agitation. Neuropsychiatric disturbance is highly prevalent in patients with CA and contributes to the phenomenology of CA, regardless of etiology. Clinicians should monitor psychiatric health in their CA patients, considering that supplemental information from informants can help gauge the impact on family members and caregivers.
A principled approach to designing computational thinking concepts and practices assessments for upper elementary grades

Background and Context: In today’s increasingly digital world, it is critical that all students learn to think computationally from an early age. Assessments of Computational Thinking (CT) are esse...
Cannabidiol has a unique effect on global brain activity: a pharmacological, functional MRI study in awake mice.

Background The phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) exhibits anxiolytic activity and has been promoted as a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorders. How does CBD interact with the brain to alter behavior? We hypothesized that CBD would produce a dose-dependent reduction in brain activity and functional coupling in neural circuitry associated with fear and defense. Methods During the scanning session awake mice were given vehicle or CBD (3, 10, or 30 mg/kg I.P.) and imaged for 10 min post treatment. Mice were also treated with the 10 mg/kg dose of CBD and imaged 1 h later for resting state BOLD functional connectivity (rsFC). Imaging data were registered to a 3D MRI mouse atlas providing site-specific information on 138 different brain areas. Blood samples were collected for CBD measurements. Results CBD produced a dose-dependent polarization of activation along the rostral-caudal axis of the brain. The olfactory bulb and prefrontal cortex showed an increase in positive BOLD whereas the brainstem and cerebellum showed a decrease in BOLD signal. This negative BOLD affected many areas connected to the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS). The ARAS was decoupled to much of the brain but was hyperconnected to the olfactory system and prefrontal cortex. Conclusion The CBD-induced decrease in ARAS activity is consistent with an emerging literature suggesting that CBD reduces autonomic arousal under conditions of emotional and physical stress.
The effect of treatment delay on exudative age-related macular degeneration patients due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose : Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the AAO announced guidelines which recommended the cessation and postponement of all routine and nonurgent clinic visits and elective surgeries. While this decision was important for the public health effort to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, the effect this decision had on patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) requiring frequent visits for treatment and monitoring is unknown. This retrospective observational study evaluates the effect that the delay in these visits and treatments had on this patient population.Methods : This study identified patients with exudative AMD undergoing active treatment who had at least one appointment rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic from March to May 2020 at a single institution. Data was collected from the last appointment prior to March 2020, and the first appointment following delay, and compared to agematched controls from 2019 with the same diagnosis. Average length of time from postponement to follow-up was calculated. Patient demographics, visual acuity (LogMAR), and central macular thickness (CMT) on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) were documented. Statistical analysis was conducted using t-tests with a two-tailed hypothesis. Results : 69 patients (96 eyes) with exudative AMD met inclusion criteria. The mean (SD) age was 83.7 (8.3) years and 74% of patients were female. The mean (SD) number of days of treatment delay was 45.9 (38.6) days. Mean (SD) increase in CMT was 23.84 (82.71) μm for the eye that had delayed treatment, which was statistically significant (t=2.49, p=0.01). Mean (SD) change in visual acuity was +0.11 (0.32) LogMAR, which was significantly worse (t=3.42, p=0.001). Conclusions : Central macular thickness and visual acuity of treatment eyes were significantly worse as a result of the delay secondary to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further data collection over time is required to determine whether changes in CMT and VA are reversible over time. Further analyses of sequelae of delayed injections may reveal unique insights into subgroups which may be more tolerant of extended injection schedules.
Experimental Studies of Negro-White Relationships

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on experimental studies of Negro-White relationships. Starting with some empirical evidence of emotionality and constraint in face-to-face contacts with white peers, this chapter reviews a body of research on stress, and normative and comparative referent influences in various types of task setting. The experimental demonstrations of effects on Negro performance at relatively simple cognitive tasks must be regarded as only suggestive of underlying cognitive and motivational factors. An obvious gap in existing knowledge is the achievement behavior of white counterparts. Replications on whites are needed to establish definitely that the observed cross-racial influences on Negro performance really reflect a basic status phenomenon rather than mere effects of novelty or unfamiliarity. While the studies of biracial work teams support the status assumption, the need for direct empirical verification still exists. A comprehensive approach to the problem of how Negroes can bring about social change would have to include the study of the development and utilization of pressure resources, such as the skills requisite for traditional and nontraditional political action.
Development of Rough Terrain Vehicular Materials Handing Equipment for the Army

Abstract : Mobility of supplies and equipment is an important logistics problem of modern warfare. Airlift and ground transport must provide a system capable of fast delivery to troops on rough terrains. The Quartermaster Corps has developed a lightweight, 4000 lb capacity, fork lift truck (the Sandpiper) that is compatible with both supply methods. Design features include sectionalization for ease of transportation, pivoting front wheels for improved weight distribution, lighter vehicle weight to improve payload-to-vehicle weight ratio. A separate power pod makes the Sandpiper applicable to other types of vehicles. Similar trucks with capacities up to 10,000 lb have been projected.
Statistical Relational Model

We will outline some of the important problems of extending the relational model for processing statistical data bases. We achieve this by augmenting to relational algebra few more numerical operations without altering the relational algebra. This algebra is referred to as statistical relational algebra. Applications of this extended extended relational model for solving some common statistical problems are discussed in the paper.
Granular computing: modeling human thoughts in the web by polyhedron

In this chapter, granular computing is used to process the Web information. The main result is that the human thinking inside a document set can be represented by a polyhedron; more general cases are discussed. A polyhedron is a subset of Euclidean space that supports a combinatorial structure, called simplicial complex. From the granular computing point of view, a simplicial complex is a special form of the granular model, in which the granular structure satisfies the closed condition (geometric concept). It is important to note that it is equivalent to the Apriori principle (data mining concept). A point in such a polyhedron represents a human thought. Each simplex represents a concept. A maximal simplex is a primitive concept. A connected component represents a complete concept. The totality of these concepts is called the basic knowledge.
Crack growth in heavy section titanium

The integrity of structures that operate in the marine environment depends on both the resistance to the propagation of cracks and the resistance to fracture that are inherent to the structural material. Diagrammatic procedures have been established to analyze systematically the material thickness-stress level-defect size interactions that are implied by the basic characterizations and their relation to various types of structures. In the case of titanium alloys, the extremely rapid growth of stress-corrosion cracks in salt water effectively precludes the possibility of design use of the crack-growth rates; for this reason the design problem reduces to selection of materials to prevent stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) and to minimize corrosion-fatigue crack growth. In this paper, the results of experiments conducted for structural integrity analyses of two 2-in.-thick titanium alloys are presented to illustrate the procedures currently used to measure the basic properties of structural titanium alloys and to interpret these characterizations for structural behavior. One of the test materials was highly sensitive to salt water SCC and the other was immune. Use of the SCC Ratio Analysis Diagram concept as a framework for interpretation of the fracture resistance and SCC resistance of these materials is also illustrated.