cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A perspective on male osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis and fragility fracture become common with advancing age in men. The incidence of osteoporosis-related fracture is similar to myocardial infarction and exceeds that of lung and prostate carcinoma combined. These fractures cause substantial morbidity, and the mortality following hip fracture is greater in men than in women. A decline in sex steroids and glucocorticoid and alcohol use, among other factors, contribute to bone loss and fracture risk. Approaches to reduce fracture risk in men are very similar to that in women – recognising and addressing muscle weakness/falls risk and optimising nutrition, with emphasis on calcium and vitamin D and medications when appropriate. Despite the high prevalence, osteoporosis remains largely undiagnosed and undertreated. Hopefully, increased recognition of male osteoporosis by health-care providers and the men themselves, in combination with recent consensus recommendations for treatment based on fracture-risk estimation, will reduce the burden of fragility fracture in men.
Classical pharmacokinetics to the frontier

The present status of pharmacokinetics is reviewed. Pharmacokinetic models and the basic concepts involved in applying models to blood, urine, bile, and tissue levels of drugs and metabolites are discussed. An outline of methods for pharmacokinetic analyses is proposed. Special emphasis is given to the determination of bioavailability of a drug from various dosage forms. Uses of pharmaco-kinetics in determining sites of drug action and in determining a clinical metabolic profile are suggested. The perturbations of magnitudes of pharmacokinetic parameters among individuals challenged with the drug can be used as a diagnostic tool in evaluating the state of dynamic processes, the presence of metabolic diseases and genetic abnormalities, and the failure of physiological functions. The use of pharmacokinetics and the prediction of chronic dosing regimens are reviewed. Typical curves depicting predicted blood levels on repetitive dosing are presented.
Subaperture analysis of polarimetric SAR imagery

In this paper we investigate the nonstationary behavior of individual polarimetric parameters, e.g. entropy, anisotropy, alpha angle, orientation angle, helicity, etc. We distinguish between parameters that depend solely on the eigenvalues of the standard Cloude-Pottier polarimetric decomposition (span, entropy and anisotropy) and the others that depend on the scattering mechanisms, i.e. the Cloude-Pottier eigenvectors. After producing a series of azimuth subaperture polarimetric images, we apply the polarimetric decomposition to each subaperture frame and identify subaperture frames that show nonstationary scattering. Comparison of several specific targets, both discrete and distributed, will highlight aspects of polarimetric variability with respect to the SAR view angle. We illustrate our results using EMISAR L-band polarimetric SAR data.
Unusual particle-size-induced promoter-to-poison transition of ZrN in counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

It is well-known that promoter and poison are two contradictory properties of materials. However, in this work, an unusual particle-size-induced promoter-to-poison transition of ZrN has been observed for the counter electrode of poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). If the primary crystal particle size of ZrN is 37 nm, it plays a promoting role for PEDOT:PSS counter electrodes, leading to a remarkable increase in DSSC power conversion efficiency. In contrast, when its primary crystal particle size is decreased to 21 nm, ZrN becomes a serious poison for PEDOT:PSS counter electrodes. This finding would be important for the development of highly efficient DSSC counter electrodes.
Alteration of Biochar Carbon Chemistry during Soil Incubations: SR-FTIR and NEXAFS Investigation

Near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy and synchrotron radiation based Fourier-transform infrared (SR-FTIR) microspectroscopy were utilized to systematically study the aging of three biochars under similar controlled conditions by tracking changes in the C chemistry of biochar in the presence and absence of a Typic Xerorthent soil. By utilizing both NEXAFS and SR-FTIR, differences in the initial biochar C functional group composition due to feedstock (aromatic C was greater in walnut shell biochar than softwood feedstock) and pyrolysis temperature (no long-rangeordered C in wood feedstock made at 410°C compared with 510°C) were confirmed. The data provided spectroscopic evidence corroborating both the conceptual biphasic model for biochar degradation and the power model of organic matter continuum mass loss as biochar ages due to a more labile aliphatic biochar portion and an aromatic portion that is oxidized more slowly. Incubations in the presence and absence of soil revealed a decrease in the ratio of the 287.6 eV peak (aliphatic C) relative to the 285.5 eV peak (aromatic C) during the incubations. Binding through functional groups present on the aged biochar surfaces (e.g., quinones, phenols, carbonyls) as well as the physical protection of the biochar by the soil appears to retard biochar surface decomposition. This study provides high-resolution spectroscopic data on discrete points on the biochar in addition to interactions between the soil and the biochar under conditions of minimal sample disturbance and destruction that corroborates current biochar stability and turnover models.
Laser-induced fluorescence spectra of 4-methylcyclohexoxy radical and perdeuterated cyclohexoxy radical and direct kinetic studies of their reactions with O2.

+8 ) 10 -13 exp[(-810 ( 400)/T ]c m 3 molecule -1 s -1 for trans-4methylcyclohexoxy (228-292 K) and kO2 ) (3.7 -1 +4 ) 10 -14 exp )[(-760 ( 400) /T] cm 3 molecule -1 s -1 for d11-cyclohexoxy (228-267 K) independent of pressure in the range 50-90 Torr. The room-temperature rate constant for the reaction of trans-4-methylcyclohexoxy radical with O2 (obtained from the Arrhenius fit) is consistent with the commonly recommended value, but the observed activation energy is 3 times larger than the recommended value of 0.4 kcal/mol and half the value previously found for the reaction of normal cyclohexoxy radical with O2.
Estimating Gene Gain and Loss Rates in the Presence of Error in Genome Assembly and Annotation Using CAFE 3

Current sequencing methods produce large amounts of data, but genome assemblies constructed from these data are often fragmented and incomplete. Incomplete and error-fille da ssemblies result in many annotation errors, especially in the number of genes present in a genome. This means that methods attempting to estimate rates of gene duplication and loss often will be misled by such errors and that rates of gene family evolution will be consistently overestimated. Here, we present a method that takes these errors into account, allowing one to accurately infer rates of gene gain and loss among genomes even with low assembly and annotation quality. The method is implemented in the newest version of the software package CAFE, along with several other novel features. We demonstrate the accuracy of the method with extensive simulations and reanalyze several previously published data sets. Our results show that errors in genome annotation do lead to higher inferred rates of gene gain and lo ss but that CAFE 3s uff iciently accounts for these errors to provide accurate estimates of important evolutionary parameters.
A system for pulsed measurements based on LabVIEW

This paper describes a simple and reliable system for the measurement and treatment of pulsed voltage and pulsed current signals. The system includes high voltage dividers, current transformers, an oscilloscope, and a laptop to run software. The high voltage divider is based on a series configuration of high and low resistivity resistors made from de-ionized water. The current transformers used represent standard devices. The process to measure pulsed parameters consists of timed linear gating of the signals, calculating average signal amplitude, graphically displaying data, and storing data for later analysis. The acquisition and processing software is built in the LabVIEW environment. The results of the evaluation of this system are presented in this report.
Multi-agent reinforcement learning with bidding for automatic segmentation of action sequences

We present an approach for developing multi-agent reinforcement learning systems that are made up of a coalition of modular agents. We focus on learning to segment action sequences to create modular structures in reinforcement learning, through adding an additional bidding process that is based on reinforcements received during task execution. The approach segments sequences and distributes them among agents to facilitate the learning of the overall task. Notably, our approach does not rely on a priori knowledge or a priori structures. Initial experiments demonstrated the basic promise of the approach. This work shows how bidding and reinforcement learning can be usefully combined, thus pointing to a new and promising approach.
Role as Resource for Action in Public Service

In this chapter we offer a conceptual framework for the understanding of public service that allows for the incorporation of sociological themes of organizational structure and institutional power. We build on sociological conceptualizations of the self found in role identity theory, using examples from research on health care workers to show how role identities and organizational structures can both limit and enhance the likelihood of principled dissent. Finally, we extend our theoretical framework to better understand how community service is employed to address the structural sources of social problems.
The Father-Daughter Relationship Rating Scale

A 9-item scale designed to measure perceived relationships of girls and their fathers is internally consistent (alpha=.89) and showed clear factor structure.
Case 1: Alopecia in a Healthy 9-year-old Girl

1. Danielle Magrini, DO* 2. Suzanne C. Li, MD, PhD† 3. Vikram Bhise, MD* 4. Pamela F. Weiss, MD, MSCE‡ 5. Lakshmi N. Moorthy, MD, MS* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers-RWJ Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ; 2. †Department of Pediatrics, Joseph M Sanzari Children’s Hospital, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ; 3. ‡Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. A 9-year-old girl presents to the dermatology clinic for right-sided scalp hair loss. The hair loss started as a small spot on the right frontal scalp but has increased in size over the last few months. She has no history of shortness of breath, chest pain, weight loss, fevers, seizures, headaches, learning disabilities, vision problems, musculoskeletal complaints, or recurrent infections. She denies trichotillomania or risks for traction alopecia. The hair throughout the remainder of the scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes appears normal. On physical examination, her temperature is 36.3°C (97.4°F), pulse is 77 beats/min, respiratory rate is 20 breaths/min, and blood pressure is 101/65 mm Hg. Her weight, height, and body mass index are at the 50th percentile. She has a solitary patch of alopecia over the right frontal hairline extending about 10 cm into the parietal scalp region but not overtly appearing …
Contemporary Medical and Surgical Treatment of Varicose Veins

We have seen in former chapters how every type, variety and combination of treatments have been attempted during the past hundred years or so. With this background of accomplishment and failure it is surprising that any new methods of management might be developed. Nevertheless former surgical operations have been scrutinized, their complications evaluated, their advantages retained and some new methods adopted.
Factors Associated With Interest in Same-Day Contraception Initiation Among Females in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Abstract Purpose The purposes were to describe interest in hormonal contraception initiation among female adolescent in the emergency department (ED) and to assess for associations with factors known to increase pregnancy risk such as violence victimization. Methods We used a computerized survey to assess sexual and dating practices, pregnancy history/likelihood, contraception use (including long-acting reversible contraception [LARC]) and concerns, contraception initiation interest, violence victimization, medical utilization, and demographics among sexually experienced females aged 14–19 years in our ED. The primary outcome was interest in contraception initiation. We compared responses between subgroups using the chi-square test. Results A total of 168 adolescents participated (82% of approached; mean age 16.6 years; 41% white; 48% black; 21% commercial insurance). Interest in contraception initiation was high: 60% overall and 70% among those not using hormonal contraception (n = 96). Among those using non-LARC contraception (n = 59), 29% were interested in LARC initiation. Contraception/LARC interest was positively associated with lack of recent well care ( p p p = .03), and where to obtain contraception ( p Conclusions Many reported behaviors and exposures, including violence victimization, that increase their risk for pregnancy and most expressed interest in same-day initiation of hormonal contraception, including LARC. These findings may inform novel strategies for increased adolescent access to contraception and pregnancy prevention through use of nontraditional sites such as EDs.
Stress impairs new but not established relationships in seasonally social voles.

Abstract Affiliative social relationships are impacted by stressors and can shape responses to stress. However, the effects of stress on social relationships in different contexts are not well understood. Meadow voles provide an opportunity to study these effects on peer relationships outside of a reproductive context. In winter months, female meadow voles cohabit with peers of both sexes, and social huddling is facilitated by exposure to short, winter-like day lengths in the lab. We investigated the role of stress and corticosterone (cort) levels in social behavior in short day-housed female meadow voles. A brief forced swim elevated cort levels, and we assessed the effects of this stressor on new and established relationships between females. In pairs formed following exposure to swim stress, the stressor significantly reduced the fraction of huddling time subjects spent with a familiar partner. Swim stress did not affect partner preferences in pairs established prior to the stressor. Finally, we examined fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels via immunoassay in voles housed under short day (10 h light) versus long day (14 h light) conditions and detected higher glucocorticoid levels in long day-housed voles. These findings support a role for stress regulation in the formation of social relationships in female meadow voles, and are consistent with a potential role for seasonal variation in cort in the behavioral transition from solitary to social. Together they highlight the importance of stress and possibly glucocorticoid signaling for social behavior.
Improving Preservice Teachers’ Expression in Read-Alouds

Read-alouds play an important role in young children’s literacy development. Teacher education programs include read-alouds as part of balanced literacy instruction and many preservice teachers are required to read aloud to others in their teacher education programs. There are many excellent resources teacher educators may use to help preservice teachers learn read-aloud strategies and techniques, but few of these resources focus on reading expression. Teacher educators may struggle to address the needs of those preservice teachers who have not developed good expressive reading skills; however, all preservice teachers can become better expressive readers with the necessary instruction and support. This article outlines strategies taken from the fields of drama, oral interpretation, and storytelling that teacher educators can implement to improve the expressive quality of preservice teacher read-alouds. These strategies focus on structuring read-aloud assignments for success; using contrasts through improved enunciation, changes to pitch and volume, and varying pace and pauses to increase variety; considering the visual elements of read-alouds; and applying effective practice techniques. A sample rubric as well as other resources that teacher educators may use to help improve the expressive quality of preservice teacher read-alouds is included.
Maximizing the hyperpolarizability of 1D potentials with multiple electrons

We optimize the first and second intrinsic hyperpolarizabilities for a 1D piecewise linear potential dressed with Dirac delta functions for N noninteracting electrons. The optimized values fall rapidly for N>1, but approach constant values of βint=0.40, γint+=0.16, and γint−=−0.061 above N≳8. These apparent bounds are achieved with only two parameters with more general potentials achieving no better value. In contrast to previous studies, analysis of the Hessian matrices of βint and γint taken with respect to these parameters shows that the eigenvectors are well aligned with the basis vectors of the parameter space, indicating that the parameterization was well-chosen. The physical significance of the important parameters is also discussed.
To Fall Is Human: Falls, Gait, and Balance in Older Adults

Falls are common throughout a life span; however, they become particularly dangerous as people age. Serious injuries, such as hip fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and death, frequently occur to older adults as a result of falls. As such, the importance of screening, recognizing, and managing risk factors for falls is paramount for clinicians and their patients. This chapter delves into the evidence-based fall evaluation recommendations and provides insights on modifiable risk factors that may be overlooked. Although the busy clinician may find it difficult to add yet another item on the to-do list of patient screening and prevention, a simple fall evaluation once a year, directed toward the at-risk population, can result in large patient benefits.
A floor to exploitation? Social economy organizations at the edge of a restructuring economy

Despite research documenting social economy organizations (SEOs) as important labour market intermediaries in the informal economy, the impact of these organizations on employment outcomes experienced by workers engaged in these labour markets is relatively unknown. This article analyses the impact of day labour worker centres on employment outcomes experienced in the informal day labour economy of the United States. Using data from the National Day Labour Survey, findings indicate that these organizations improve working conditions for day labourers and suggest the potential for SEOs to regulate employment processes within the informal economy. However increasing the regulatory capacity of SEOs will require addressing larger political and socioeconomic contexts in which the informal economy is embedded.
Exploring and Mapping Alaska: The Russian America Era, 1741–1867. By Alexey Postnikov and Marvin Falk

Exploring and Mapping Alaska: The Russian America Era, 1741–1867 . Historical Translation Series. By Alexey Postnikov and Marvin Falk. Translated by Lydia Black. (Fairbanks: University of Alaska Press, 2015. ix + 525 pp. Illustrations, maps, notes, bibliography, index. $75.00, £52.00.) This book is an English translation and revision of Alexey Postnikov’s Russian America in Geographical Descriptions and Maps, 1741–1867 , first published in St. Petersburg in 2000. The eighteen-year effort to publish this book in English is a testament to both scholarly endurance and international collaboration. It is also a fitting memorial to two distinguished scholars from the University of Alaska Fairbanks—Richard A. Pierce and Lydia Black—who devoted their lives to educating the English-speaking world about Russian America. From 1972 until his death in 2004, Dick Pierce was a one-man publishing dynamo. As editor and publisher (as well as copyboy, typist, and mailroom clerk) of Limestone … Terrencemcole1{at}gmail.com
Global Climate Change: A Social Identity Perspective on Informational and Structural Interventions

Climate change is one of the most important challenges facing our world. As global temperatures continue to rise, intergroup conflicts over increasingly degraded natural resources are likely to increase. The social identity perspective provides a new approach to developing effective interventions to promote the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. This chapter begins with a discussion of the relationship between climate change and intergroup conflict. It continues by contrasting social identity and individualistic perspectives on behaviour and policy change interventions. The chapter concludes by outlining the implications of a social identity approach for environmental and peace psychology. By offering new insights on intervention, the social identity perspective can help us to better manage climate change and thus encourage a more lasting peace in the world.
The Management of Clinically Unconfirmed Positive Urinary Cytology

An aggressive evaluation of extravesical sites of disease in patients with clinically unconfirmed positive urinary cytology findings is indicated only in previously untreated asymptomatic or symptomatic patients (group 1) and in those with a complete response to intravesical therapy who are without evidence of disease for 1 year (group 4). Patients who have positive urinary cytology findings immediately after complete transurethral resection of bladder tumors or intravesical therapy will almost always have recurrent bladder transitional cell carcinoma and do not require aggressive extravesical evaluation initially. Transurethral resection prostate biopsy between the 5 and 7 o'clock positions along the entire length of the prostatic urethra is the technique of choice for detecting transitional cell carcinoma of the prostate, since other less invasive techniques frequently underestimate the extent of disease. In the absence of radiographic disease, bilateral ureteral lavage cytology is the technique of choice to identify the upper tract as the source of a positive urinary cytology result. Rigid and flexible ureteropyeloscopy should be performed only in the presence of radiographic or cytological evidence of upper tract transitional cell carcinoma, or in patients with a history of upper tract disease who have suspected relapse on the basis of a positive urinary cytology result.
Defective Branched-Chain Amino Acid Catabolism Disrupts Glucose Metabolism and Sensitizes the Heart to Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Elevated levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) have recently been implicated in the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, but the molecular mechanisms are unknown. In a mouse model of impaired BCAA catabolism (knockout [KO]), we found that chronic accumulation of BCAAs suppressed glucose metabolism and sensitized the heart to ischemic injury. High levels of BCAAs selectively disrupted mitochondrial pyruvate utilization through inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH) activity. Furthermore, downregulation of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway in KO hearts decreased protein O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification and inactivated PDH, resulting in significant decreases in glucose oxidation. Although the metabolic remodeling in KO did not affect baseline cardiac energetics or function, it rendered the heart vulnerable to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Promoting BCAA catabolism or normalizing glucose utilization by overexpressing GLUT1 in the KO heart rescued the metabolic and functional outcome. These observations revealed a novel role of BCAA catabolism in regulating cardiac metabolism and stress response.
Strategic interactions: Games of the Ju|’hoan

Three strategic games played by the Ju|’hoan—a board, a card, and a gesture game—complicate the rhetorics that suggest an evolutionary or psychological significance of play. They are mostly played by adults, although every individual adult does not necessarily engage in each game. The Ju|’hoan card and board game practices were transmitted through contact across large parts of Botswana and Namibia, while the gesture game n!ai has been known in other San communities. It suggests that the significance of strategic games is more likely found in its potential for social interaction (i.e., allowing to overcome cultural divides) than in evolution and psychology. Within the anthropological literature, strategy games were thought to be absent in egalitarian societies, such as that of the Ju|’hoan. Here, the roles of power, competition, and winning were thought to be disruptive and unwanted. A closer examination of the details behind the Ju|’hoan games shows that not only were strategy games adopted and adapted from neighboring societies but that the game of n!ai was developed by the Ju|’hoan into a competitive one. The evolutionary or psychological significance of play is informed by studies on individual play, children’s play, and games with informal rules. When considering strategic games throughout history, it is their role of facilitator rather than the playing practice itself that makes games relevant across languages, cultural divides, and sociopolitical boundaries.
Draft genome assembly of the Bengalese finch, Lonchura striata domestica, a model for motor skill variability and learning.

Author(s): Colquitt, Bradley M; Mets, David G; Brainard, Michael S | Abstract: BackgroundVocal learning in songbirds has emerged as a powerful model for sensorimotor learning. Neurobehavioral studies of Bengalese finch (Lonchura striata domestica) song, naturally more variable and plastic than songs of other finch species, have demonstrated the importance of behavioral variability for initial learning, maintenance, and plasticity of vocalizations. However, the molecular and genetic underpinnings of this variability and the learning it supports are poorly understood.FindingsTo establish a platform for the molecular analysis of behavioral variability and plasticity, we generated an initial draft assembly of the Bengalese finch genome from a single male animal to 151× coverage and an N50 of 3.0 MB. Furthermore, we developed an initial set of gene models using RNA-seq data from 8 samples that comprise liver, muscle, cerebellum, brainstem/midbrain, and forebrain tissue from juvenile and adult Bengalese finches of both sexes.ConclusionsWe provide a draft Bengalese finch genome and gene annotation to facilitate the study of the molecular-genetic influences on behavioral variability and the process of vocal learning. These data will directly support many avenues for the identification of genes involved in learning, including differential expression analysis, comparative genomic analysis (through comparison to existing avian genome assemblies), and derivation of genetic maps for linkage analysis. Bengalese finch gene models and sequences will be essential for subsequent manipulation (molecular or genetic) of genes and gene products, enabling novel mechanistic investigations into the role of variability in learned behavior.
Machine Learning for Hardware Security: Opportunities and Risks

Recently, machine learning algorithms have been utilized by system defenders and attackers to secure and attack hardware, respectively. In this work, we investigate the impact of machine learning on hardware security. We explore the defense and attack mechanisms for hardware that are based on machine learning. Moreover, we identify suitable machine learning algorithms for each category of hardware security problems. Finally, we highlight some important aspects related to the application of machine learning to hardware security problems and show how the practice of applying machine learning to hardware security problems has changed over the past decade.
Parent–Teacher Agreement on Social Skills and Behavior Problems Among Ethnically Diverse Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Parents and teachers provide complimentary information in the assessment of preschoolers so it is important to understand parent–teacher agreement, especially for children with autism. Parents and teachers rated an ethnically diverse sample of preschoolers with autism (N = 257; 67% Latino) on the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (LeBuffe and Naglieri in Devereux Early Childhood Assessment: User’s guide, Kaplan Press, Lewisville, 1999). Correlations between parent and teacher ratings were moderate and significant for social skills (r = 0.20–0.37) but near zero for behavioral concerns. Parents rated children as having stronger social skills and fewer behavioral concerns than teachers, unlike prior research with typically developing preschoolers. Both informants rated White/other children more positively than minority children on several subscales, although agreement was similar across groups. Implications for practice are discussed.
CONTINUITIES BETWEEN MITOCHONDRIA AND CATECHOLAMINE-STORAGE VESICLES

Examination of stereo pairs of high-voltage electron micrographs of the adrenal medulla of insulin-stressed rats has revealed an extension from the outer mitochondrial membrane to the membrane of catecholamine-storage vesicles. This creates a membranous channel from the mitochondrial intermembrane space to the interior of the vesicle without any membrane barrier. It is speculated that this continuity may serve for transport of ATP from the mitochondria to the vesicles where ATP is known to be stored at high concentration.
Genetic Constraints on Plant Adaptive Evolution

The success of an individual plant is determined by the ability to leave progeny that are themselves successful in reproducing. The determinants of fitness are highly complex in plants and have both genetic and ecological constraints. Fitness is a function of both the genotype of the plant and its interaction with the local micro-habitat. We will consider adaptive evolution here as the process by which populations become better suited to their environment. This includes adaptation to the physical environment, where physiological processes become more closely atuned to such specific habitat features as temperature, moisture, or nutrients. Such evolution also includes adaptation to the biological environment. Among the governing factors here are species-species interaction such as competition, predation, and mutualistic plant-pollinator interactions. Many processes and phenomena constrain or strongly influence adaptive evolution. Factors such as breeding system or genetic covariance among fitness parameters, can limit the range and possibilities of adaptive evolution.
The effect of Hartmann and side layers on heat transfer in magnetohydrodynamic flow

Analyses were performed of the effect of Harmann layers and side layers on heat transfer in laminar MHD flow in ducts and the dependence on the magnitude of the Hartmann number. Analytical and numerical results are presented for both fully developed and thermally developing cases. The presence of side layers in a rectangular duct usually increases the heat transfer coefficient on the side layer walls and decreases the heat transfer coefficient on the other two walls. For ducts with uniform thickness and conductivity on all walls, the studies show that a duct with higher conductance ratio gives higher average Nusselt number on the side wall. However, this behavior depends on the combination of Hartmann number and the conductance ratio. The heat generation inside the duct enhances the heat transfer coefficient.
The Role of Audiologists in Assuring Follow-Up to Outpatient Screening in Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Systems.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of audiology involvement and other factors associated with failure to follow through from the initial hearing screening to the second o...
Possible Role for Tectonics in the Evolving Stability of the Greenland Ice Sheet

The history of the Greenland Ice Sheet has been influenced by the geodynamic response to ice sheet fluctuations, and this interaction may help explain past deglaciations under modest climate forcing. We hypothesize that when the Iceland hot spot passed beneath north‐central Greenland, it thinned the lithosphere and left anomalous heat likely with partially melted rock; however, it did not break through the crust to supply voluminous flood basalts. Subsequent Plio‐Pleistocene glacial‐interglacial cycles caused large and rapidly migrating stresses, driving dike formation and other processes that shifted melted rock toward the surface. The resulting increase in surface geothermal flux favored a thinner, faster‐responding ice sheet that was more prone to deglaciation. If this hypothesis of control through changes in geothermal flux is correct, then the long‐term (10 (sup 5) to 10 (sup 6) years) trend now is toward lower geothermal flux, but with higher‐frequency (less than or equal to 10( sup 4) to 10 (sup 5) years) oscillations linked to glacial‐interglacial cycles. Whether the geothermal flux is increasing or decreasing now is not known but is of societal relevance due to its possible impact on ice flow. We infer that projections of the future of the ice sheet and its effect on sea level must integrate geologic and geophysical data as well as glaciological, atmospheric, oceanic, and paleoclimatic information.
Novel Capability for Microscale In-situ Imaging of Temperature and Deformation Fields under Dynamic Loading

To understand the mesoscale mechanisms responsible for the behavior of heterogeneous materials and to validate models, it is important to experimentally measure the deformation and temperature fields at the microstructure level. So far, there has been no methods that can yield such measurements simultaneously for dynamic experiments. Here, we report the development of a novel capability for simultaneous time- and space-resolved recording of both fields over the same microstructure area of a sample with micron-level spatial resolutions and microsecond time resolutions. Referred to as MINTED (Microscale In-situ Imaging of Dynamic Temperature and Deformation Fields), the system cohesively integrates a high-speed visible light (VL) camera and a state-of-the-art high-speed infrared (IR) camera via a custom-designed dichroic beam splitter-lens assembly. The combined VL and IR images allow the deformation fields to be obtained through digital image correlation (DIC) and the temperature fields over the same area to be obtained through pixel-level calibration of the differing emissivities of heterogeneous constituents in microstructures. Experiments are conducted on granular sucrose in a Kolsky bar [or split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB)] environment, yielding both microstructure level fields along with overall material response. The strain and temperature fields provide detailed first-time insight into the processes of fracture, friction, shear localization, and hotspot development in the microstructures.
Relative Size of the Polymer and Nanoparticle Controls Polymer Diffusion in All-Polymer Nanocomposites

The dynamics of polymers in an all-polymer nanocomposite that are composed of soft cross-linked polystyrene nanoparticles and linear polystyrene have been investigated. In this article, we describe...
Soluble Neprilysin in the General Population: Clinical Determinants and Its Relationship to Cardiovascular Disease

Background Neprilysin is a metalloprotease involved in proteolysis of numerous peptides, including natriuretic peptides, and is of prognostic and therapeutic importance in heart failure with reduce...
Adenotonsillectomy for pediatric obstructive sleep apnea: how to predict those at risk for postoperative complications.

CITATIONConnolly HV, Tomaselli LT, McKenna Benoit MK. Adenotonsillectomy for pediatric obstructive sleep apnea: how to predict those at risk for postoperative complications. J Clin Sleep Med. 2020;...
S = 3 Ground State for a Tetranuclear MnIV4O4 Complex Mimicking the S3 State of the Oxygen-Evolving Complex.

The S3 state is currently the last observable intermediate prior to O–O bond formation at the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of Photosystem II, and its electronic structure has been assigned to a homovalent MnIV4 core with an S = 3 ground state. While structural interpretations based on the EPR spectroscopic features of the S3 state provide valuable mechanistic insight, corresponding synthetic and spectroscopic studies on tetranuclear complexes mirroring the Mn oxidation states of the S3 state remain rare. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization by XAS and multifrequency EPR spectroscopy of a MnIV4O4 cuboidal complex as a spectroscopic model of the S3 state. Results show that this MnIV4O4 complex has an S = 3 ground state with isotropic 55Mn hyperfine coupling constants of −75, −88, −91, and 66 MHz. These parameters are consistent with an αααβ spin topology approaching the trimer–monomer magnetic coupling model of pseudo-octahedral MnIV centers. Importantly, the spin ground state changes from ...
Racial Disparity in Pregnancy Risks and Complications in the US: Temporal Changes during 2007–2018

Maternal race and ethnicity have been associated with differences in pregnancy related morbidity and mortality. We aimed to evaluate the trends of several pregnancy risk factors/complications among different maternal racial/ethnic groups in the US between 2007 and 2018. Specifically, we used the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) natality files for these years to assess the trends of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), chronic hypertension (CH), diabetes mellitus (DM), advanced maternal age (AMA) and grand multiparity (GM) among non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics. We find that the prevalence of all of these risk factors/complications increased significantly across all racial/ethnic groups from 2007 to 2018. In particular, Hispanic women exhibited the highest increase, followed by non-Hispanic Black women, in the prevalence of HDP, CH, DM and AMA. However, throughout the entire period, the overall prevalence remained highest among non-Hispanic Blacks for HDP, CH and GM, among Hispanics for DM, and among non-Hispanic Whites for AMA. Our results point to significant racial/ethnic differences in the overall prevalence, as well as the temporal changes in the prevalence, of these pregnancy risk factors/complications during the 2007–2018 period. These findings could potentially contribute to our understanding of the observed racial/ethnic differences in maternal morbidity and mortality.
COVID-19 Testing, Epidemic Features, Hospital Outcomes, and Household Prevalence, New York State-March 2020.

BACKGROUND: The US' coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has grown extensively since February 2020, with substantial associated hospitalizations and mortality; New York State has emerged as the national epicenter. We report on the extent of testing and test results during the month of March in New York State, along with risk factors, outcomes, and household prevalence among initial cases subject to in-depth investigations. METHODS: Specimen collection for COVID-19 testing was conducted in healthcare settings, community-based collection sites, and by home testing teams. Information on demographics, risk factors, and hospital outcomes of cases was obtained through epidemiological investigations and an electronic medical records match, and summarized descriptively. Active testing of initial case's households enabled estimation of household prevalence. RESULTS: During March in New York State, outside of New York City, a total of 47â 326 persons tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, out of 141â 495 tests (33% test-positive), with the highest number of cases located in the metropolitan region counties. Among 229 initial cases diagnosed through 12 March, by 30 March 13% were hospitalized and 2% died. Testing conducted among 498 members of these case's households found prevalent infection among 57%, excluding first-reported cases 38%. In these homes, we found a significant age gradient in prevalence, from 23% among thoseâ <â 5 years to 68% among thoseâ ≥â 65 years (Pâ <â .0001). CONCLUSIONS: New York State faced a substantial and increasing COVID-19 outbreak during March 2020. The earliest cases had high levels of infection in their households and by the end of the month, the risks of hospitalization and death were high.
Evaluation of Rheumatoid Arthritis Outcome Measures between Users and Non-Users of the Patient Portal

IntroductionPatient engagement has become a growing focus in healthcare, catalyzed with the passage of the HITECH Act in 2009. Stage 2 of Meaningful Use has criteria dependent on a patient portal, however whether electronic patient engagement translates into better clinical outcomes is yet to be determined. To begin an evaluation into this we reviewed outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis patients who had signed up for the patient portal compared to those who did not. MethodsData was obtained from a retrospective chart review of rheumatoid patients seen at the Ohio State University Rheumatology Clinics. Outcome measures including the most recent sedimentation rate (ESR), Rapid 3, and swollen joint count were evaluated. Two tailed t tests for these outcomes were done between each the group who had signed up for the patient portal and those that did not. Results132 patients were included with 66 having signed up for the patient portal (Users) and 66 not signed up for the patient portal (Non-users). 103 (78.0%) of patients were female, with a mean age of 55 ±13.79 years. Outcome measures between the patients who signed up for the patient portal compared to those who had not 14.77 ±7.57 compared to 13.48 ±7.73 (p=0.33) for Rapid 3 scores, 1.97 ±2.25 compared to 2.86 ±4.06 (p=0.16) for swollen joint count, and 39.88 ±29.76 mm/hour compared to 30.61 ±22.04 mm/hour (p=0.04) for ESR. ConclusionsThis initial study cohort does not demonstrate any clinically significant difference in several key outcome measures in rheumatoid arthritis, particularly Rapid 3 scores and swollen joint counts. However there was a statistical difference between the ESR, with more favorable values in patients using the patient portal. This data suggests further study is needed to better understand if electronic patient engagement does have an effect on clinical outcomes in RA.
Decision analysis and reinforcement learning in surgical decision-making.

Abstract Background Surgical patients incur preventable harm from cognitive and judgment errors made under time constraints and uncertainty regarding patients’ diagnoses and predicted response to treatment. Decision analysis and techniques of reinforcement learning theoretically can mitigate these challenges but are poorly understood and rarely used clinically. This review seeks to promote an understanding of decision analysis and reinforcement learning by describing their use in the context of surgical decision-making. Methods Cochrane, EMBASE, and PubMed databases were searched from their inception to June 2019. Included were 41 articles about cognitive and diagnostic errors, decision-making, decision analysis, and machine-learning. The articles were assimilated into relevant categories according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Results Requirements for time-consuming manual data entry and crude representations of individual patients and clinical context compromise many traditional decision-support tools. Decision analysis methods for calculating probability thresholds can inform population-based recommendations that jointly consider risks, benefits, costs, and patient values but lack precision for individual patient-centered decisions. Reinforcement learning, a machine-learning method that mimics human learning, can use a large set of patient-specific input data to identify actions yielding the greatest probability of achieving a goal. This methodology follows a sequence of events with uncertain conditions, offering potential advantages for personalized, patient-centered decision-making. Clinical application would require secure integration of multiple data sources and attention to ethical considerations regarding liability for errors and individual patient preferences. Conclusion Traditional decision-support tools are ill-equipped to accommodate time constraints and uncertainty regarding diagnoses and the predicted response to treatment, both of which often impair surgical decision-making. Decision analysis and reinforcement learning have the potential to play complementary roles in delivering high-value surgical care through sound judgment and optimal decision-making.
A crystallographic approach to the short-range ordering problem in V1−xMoxO2 (0.50 ≤ x ≤ 0.60)

The V1−xMoxO2 phase diagram has high structural and electronic complexity that is driven by strong, short-range correlations that compete with the long-range rutile crystal structure. The substitution regime near 50% Mo occupancy is no exception, but there has so far been no significant progress in determining the actual structure. Reported here is a combined study using single crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, and representational analysis to examine both the local and crystallographically averaged atomic structures simultaneously near x = 0.50. Between about x = 0.50 and 0.60, the average structure of V1−xMoxO2 is the parent rutile phase, but the local symmetry is broken by atomic displacements that are best described using the orthorhombic subgroup Fmmm. This model is locally similar to the two-dimensionally ordered 2D-M2 phase recently reported in the compositional range 0.19 ≤ x ≤ 0.30, except the correlation length is much shorter in the 2D plane, and longer in the frustrated one, making it more isotropic. This work also extends the 2D-M2 phase regime up to x = 0.43, and suggests that the local-Fmmm phase observed here can be seen as the end result of the continued suppression of the 2D-M2 phase through enhanced geometric frustration between the intrinsic order parameters. This suggests that other doped-rutile phases with elusive structures may also be dominated by similar short-range correlations that are hidden in the diffuse scattering.
Towards a new era with safer µ-opiate receptor analgesia.

Chronic abdominal pain may result from diverse conditions that include inflammatory diseases such as chronic pancreatitis and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), particularly Crohn’s disease, disorders that are associated with visceral hypersensitivity such as chronic functional abdominal pain, also referred to as centrally mediated disorders of gastrointestinal pain,1 as well as the pain component of irritable bowel syndrome which is emphasised as a significant feature of symptom-based criteria with pain at least 1 day per week.2 Treatment of chronic abdominal pain remains a challenge in clinical practice, with more and more clinicians resorting to prescribing opioid medications for pain relief. Indeed, in a systematic review and meta-analysis of patients with IBD, 21% of outpatients and 62% of hospitalised patients were opioid users.3 Among 346 patients with gastroparesis included in the National Institutes of Health Gastroparesis Consortium, upper abdominal pain was severe or very severe in 34% of patients, particularly females, with similar prevalence in idiopathic and diabetic gastroparesis and with significant association with opiate use.4 A recent review outlined novel peripheral approaches in development for visceral pain.5 Two of these approaches are worthy of additional commentary: biased µ-opioid receptor (µ-OR) ligands and targeting µ-ORs under acidic conditions. When conventional opioids bind to µ-ORs, they induce analgesia through activation of G protein-mediated pathways. However, they also activate β-arrestin, which induces respiratory depression …