cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermal and chemical evolution in the early Solar System as recorded by FUN CAIs: Part II – Laboratory evaporation of potential CMS-1 precursor material

Abstract We present the results of laboratory experiments in which a forsterite-rich melt estimated to be a potential precursor of Allende CMS-1 FUN CAI was evaporated into vacuum for different lengths of time at 1900 °C. The evaporation of this melt resulted in residues that define trajectories in chemical as well as magnesium, silicon and oxygen isotopic composition space and come very close to the measured properties of CMS-1. The isotopic composition of the evaporation residues was also used to determine the kinetic isotopic fractionation factors [α2,1 (vapor-melt) defined as the ratio of isotopes 2 and 1 of a given element in the evaporating gas divided by their ratio in the evaporating source] for evaporation of magnesium (α25,24 for 25Mg/24Mg), silicon (α29,28 for 29Si/28Si) and oxygen (α18,16 for 18O/16O) from the forsterite-rich melt at 1900 °C. The values of α25,24 = 0.98383 ± 0.00033 and α29,28 = 0.99010 ± 0.00038 are essentially independent of change in the melt composition as evaporation proceeds. In contrast, α18,16 changes from 0.9815 ± 0.0016 to ∼0.9911 when the residual melt composition changes from forsteritic to melilitic. Using the determined values of α25,24 and α29,28 and present-day bulk chemical composition of the CMS-1, the composition of the precursor of the inclusion was estimated to be close to the clinopyroxene + spinel + forsterite assemblage condensed from a solar composition gas. The correspondence between the chemical composition and isotopic fractionation of experimental evaporation residues and the present-day bulk chemical and isotopic compositions of CMS-1 is evidence that evaporation played a major role in the chemical evolution of CMS-1.
Dispersion of Guided Circumferential Waves in a Circular Annulus

Fatigue cracks have been found to initiate and grow in the radial direction in many of the annulus shaped components in aging helicopters. Those include some of the most critical components such as the rotor hub, connecting links and pitch shaft, etc. At the present time, detection of such radial fatigue cracks relies mostly on visual inspection. A more systematic, automated, and efficient method to detect these cracks must be developed.
A Bayesian adaptive dose-finding algorithm for balancing individual- and population-level ethics in Phase I clinical trials

ABSTRACTMultiple Bayesian adaptive designs have been proposed for Phase I clinical trials since the continual reassessment method (CRM) was proposed by O’Quigley et al. (1990). Focused on dose-finding in cancer studies, the CRM seeks to allocate new patients to an estimated maximum tolerable dose (MTD). Later, Whitehead and Brunier (1995) applied Bayesian decision theory to maximize statistical information for the MTD when allocating new patients. The two allocation rules reflect conflicting perspectives. The CRM emphasizes individual-level ethics, whereas the method of Whitehead and Brunier (1995) emphasizes population-level ethics. In the design of a Phase I clinical trial to investigate hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) we sought to compromise the two perspectives. To this end, we propose a novel dose allocation design referred to as the balanced information gain method. We first decompose the loss function used by Whitehead and Brunier and then modify it with a tuning parameter that al...
Perceived Challenges in Primary Literature in a Master's Class: Effects of Experience and Instruction.

An analysis is presented of what master’s students perceive as the most challenging aspects of primary literature before and after instruction in critical reading of scientific articles. After inst...
A geohydrologie data visualization framework with an extendable user interface design

We present a novel geohydrologic data visualization framework and apply the interface automata theory in support of time-varying multivariate data visualization tasks. The framework tackles heterogeneous geohydrologic data that has unique and complex data structures. The interface automata can generate a series of interactions and interfaces that are adapted to user selection and provide an intuitive method for visualizing and analyzing geohydrologic data. The interface automata can not only clearly guide user exploration, but also enhance user experience by eliminating automation surprises. In addition, our design can significantly reduce the entire system maintenance overhead, and enhance the system extendability for new datasets and data types. Our framework has been applied to a scientific geohydrologic visualization and analysis system, named INSIGHT, for the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NDNR). The new framework has brought many advantages that do not exist in the previous approaches, and is more efficient and extendable for visualizing geohydrologic data.
Endotype Driven Treatment of Asthma

The heterogeneity of asthma in relation to clinically significant outcomes, including response to treatment, has been established beyond any doubt. However, current treatment guidelines for asthma ignore disease heterogeneity and causal pathways. Extended heterogeneous disease-related metabolic, inflammatory, immunological, and remodeling pathways have been described, and a repetitive pattern is defined as a disease endotype. The response to targeted and non-targeted interventions in asthma may vary among individuals or for the same individual in relation to outcome measures (dissociated effect). Targeted treatment should be both biomarker-driven and outcome-driven. The ideal biomarker should be pathway-specific, reproducible, easily measurable, and affordable. Biomarker research in asthma is increasingly shifting from the assessment of the value of single biomarkers to multidimensional approaches, in which the clinical value of a combination of various markers is studied. Translation of biomarkers into pathway-specific diagnostic tests is essential and should guide the design of future large clinical trials, incorporating both longitudinal and mechanism-tailored endpoints. The selection of outcome measure is difficult, as it must reflect the mechanistic intervention and should be relevant for both the asthmatic population in general and the particular individual with asthma. While endotype-driven therapeutic strategies are increasingly successful, the issues of dissociated effect and drug efficacy at the target site remain unresolved. Efforts needed to move the field forward include profiling of Th2-low inflammation, incorporation of new targets, such as airway smooth muscle and epithelial components of asthma or epigenetics modifications, as well as application of systems pharmacology.
Evaluating The Effectiveness of a State-Mandated Benchmark Reading Assessment: mCLASS Reading 3D (Text Reading and Comprehension)

We examined which of two instruments (Text Reading and Comprehension inventory [TRC] or a traditional informal reading inventory [IRI]) provides the more valid assessment of a primary-grade student...
Crisis management in new product development: A tale of two stories

Abstract This research examines how firms manage crises in new product development (NPD), and suggests that a high level of perceived crisis can result in better new product performance. In addition, the role of team communication is underlined in the relationship between perceived crisis and new product performance. Team communication is categorized into two types: formal vs. informal, each playing a distinct role in crisis management. More importantly, this study argues that there exist dual routes in the crisis-performance relationship: mediation and moderation. A survey study is implemented for hypothesis testing, and data is collected from 119 NPD teams in high-tech industries. Results show that formal communication partially mediates the relationship between perceived crisis and new product performance, and that there is also a direct effect of perceived crisis on performance. Meanwhile, formal communication negatively moderates the direct effect of perceived crisis on new product performance, while informal communication positively moderates this effect. The co-existence of mediation and moderation results in a managerial dilemma regarding formal communication: it positively mediates but negatively moderates the crisis-performance link. Findings suggest that informal communication can play a complementary role in offsetting the negative influence of formal communication.
An Analysis of Some Taxonomic Concepts

There have been a number of recent attempts to formalize various aspects of taxonomy, of which the most successful are those of Gregg (1954) and Woodger (1952a). Beckner’s analysis (1959), in nearly the only book I have ever seen written by a philosopher who is biologically competent, is also noteworthy and complementary. The concepts of species and taxonomic system, as delineated in the metabiological literature, seem somewhat inadequate biologically. The present paper is an attempt to improve on these. For any interest this may have, I am a zoologist with background about equally in paleontology and genetics. I have discussed some aspects of this paper with John Gregg, to whom I am indebted for many improvements. For easy reference, a glossary of the set-theoretical symbols repeatedly used follows the text.
The coleoptile chloroplast: Distinct distribution of xanthophyll cycle pigments, and enrichment in Photosystem II

Recent studies have shown that coleoptile chloroplasts operate the xanthophyll cycle, and that their zeaxanthin concentration co-varies with their sensitivity to blue light. The present study characterized the distribution of photosynthetic pigments in thylakoid pigment–protein complexes from dark-adapted and light-treated coleoptile and mesophyll chloroplasts, the low temperature fluorescence emission spectra, and the rates of PS I and PS II electron transport in both types of chloroplasts from 5-day-old corn seedlings. Pigments were extracted from isolated PS I holocomplex, LHC IIb trimeric and LHC II monomeric complexes and analyzed by HPLC. Chlorophyll distribution in coleoptile thylakoids showed 31% of the total collected Chl in PS I and 65% in the light harvesting complexes of PS II. In mesophyll thylakoids, the values were 44% and 54%, respectively. Mesophyll and coleoptile PS I holocomplexes differed in their Chl t a/Chl t b ratios (8.1 and 6.1, respectively) and β-carotene content. In contrast, mesophyll and coleoptile LHC IIb trimers and LHC II monomers had similar Chl t a/Chl t b ratios and β-carotene content. The three analyzed pigment–protein complexes from dark-adapted coleoptile chloroplasts contained zeaxanthin, whereas there was no detectable zeaxanthin in the complexes from dark-adapted mesophyll chloroplasts. In both chloroplast types, zeaxanthin and antheraxanthin increased markedly in the three pigment–protein complexes upon illumination, while violaxanthin decreased. In mesophyll thylakoids, zeaxanthin distribution as a percentage of the xanthophyll cycle pool was: LHC II monomers > LHC IIb trimers > PS I holocomplex, and in coleoptile thylakoids, it was: LHC IIb trimers > LHC II monomers = PS I holocomplex. Low temperature (77 K) fluorescence emission spectra showed that the 686 nm emission of coleoptile chloroplasts was approximately 50% larger than that of mesophyll chloroplasts when normalized at 734 nm. The pigment and fluorescence analysis data suggest that there is relatively more PS II per PS I and more LHC I per CC I in coleoptile chloroplasts than in mesophyll chloroplasts. Measurements of t in vitro uncoupled photosynthetic electron transport showed approximately 60% higher rates of electron flow through PS II in coleoptile chloroplasts than in mesophyll chloroplasts. Electron transport rates through PS I were similar in both chloroplast types. Thus, when compared to mesophyll chloroplasts, coleoptile chloroplasts have a distinct PS I pigment composition, a distinct chlorophyll distribution between PS I and PS II, a distinct zeaxanthin percentage distribution among thylakoid pigment–protein complexes, a higher PS II-related fluorescence emission, and higher PS II electron transport capacity. These characteristics may be associated with a sensory transducing role of coleoptile chloroplasts.
Magnetic Ions in Oxides

To establish the pattern of this book, a logical first step is to review the Periodic table of chemical elements, to identify the transition groups within it, and to explain the local influences of the chemical bonding environment in which the various ions reside in a crystal lattice of an oxide. By the terminology of transition groups is meant those elements for which the inner shells remain unfilled while electrons occupying outer shells participate in chemical bonding. Consequently, the electrons of the unfilled inner shells are responsible for a variety of magnetic properties because of the magnetic moments carried by their unpaired spins.
Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta: Assessing Need in an Urban Trauma Center.

Abstract Background Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) has emerged as a bridge to definitive hemostasis in select patients with noncompressible torso hemorrhage. The number of patients who might benefit from this procedure, however, remains incompletely defined. We hypothesized that we could quantify the number of patients presenting to our center over a 2-year period who may have benefited from REBOA. Methods All patients presenting to our trauma center from 2014 to 2015 were included. Potential REBOA patients were identified based on anatomic injuries. We used ICD-9 codes to identify REBOA-amenable injury patterns and physiology. We excluded patients with injuries contraindicating REBOA. We then used chart review by two REBOA-experienced independent reviewers to assess each potential REBOA candidate, evaluate the accuracy of our algorithm, and to identify a cohort of confirmed REBOA candidates. Results Four thousand eight hundred eighteen patients were included of which 666 had injuries potentially amenable to REBOA. Three hundred thirty-five patients were hemodynamically unstable, and 309 patients had contraindications to REBOA. Sixty-four patients had both injury patterns and physiology amenable to REBOA with no contraindications, and these patients were identified as potential REBOA candidates. Of these, detailed independent two physician chart review identified 29 patients (45%) as confirmed REBOA candidates (interrater reliability kappa = 0.94, P Conclusions Our database query identified patients with indications for REBOA but overestimated the number of REBOA candidates. To accurately quantify the REBOA candidate population at a given center, an algorithm to identify potential patients should be combined with chart review. Study type Therapeutic study, level V.
A review of recent publication trends from top publishing countries.

Evidence-based medicine relies on current best evidence from the medical literature, the patient’s history, and the clinician’s own experience to provide the best care for patients. Systematic reviews and meta-analysis are considered the highest levels of evidence for informing clinical decisions. Recently, reports have shown an increase in the number but a decrease in quality of meta-analysis publications. We reviewed publication trends and determined the countries with the most journal articles and types of publications in PubMed from 1995 to 2015. We examined journal entries in PubMed from 1995 to 2015 from top publishing countries for total number of publications and citations in core clinical journals and in specific publication types (systematic reviews, meta-analysis, randomized controlled trials). Yearly, only 30 countries generated 94.6% of all publications and 98.1% of core clinical journals worldwide. All publication types increased but with a significant increase in meta-analysis publications from China. Collaborative and co-authored papers among the 30 countries also showed an increasing trend. The USA leads in all publication citations and specific publication types, except for meta-analysis where China publishes more. Collaborative publishing among international collaborators is also increasing.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell and Fibroblast Proliferation Following Platelet Electrostimulation

The increasing use of activated platelet rich plasma (PRP), or platelet gel, for wound healing has highlighted the disadvantages of using bovine thrombin (BT), an animal derived platelet activator, including high cost and antibody stimulation. This has motivated the exploration of direct (conductive coupling) and indirect (capacitive coupling) electrostimulation for ex vivo PRP activation to similar levels as BT in terms of growth factor release. PRP is a complex biological matrix comprising other blood cell types besides platelets. This paper assesses the impact of electrostimulation on other blood cells, specifically hematopoietic stem cells and fibroblasts. Capacitive coupling induces similar levels of cell viability and proliferation as BT 14 days following electrostimulation, while conductive coupling induces lower viability and proliferation. This indicates the potential tunability of electrostimulation to achieve equivalent efficacy as BT without the associated disadvantages and motivates future experiments to assess the implications on in vivo wound healing.
Flying a Broom in a Hybrid Reality Room: Eliciting Physical Interaction

We describe a flying broom application inspired by the Harry Potter world that we developed for the Destiny-class CyberCANOE - a surround screen hybrid reality environment (HRE). This application uses a broom shaped tangible controller that allows the player to use their body to steer. Our intention with this work is to encourage users to fully engage with the 320° surround view the Destiny environment offers.
Bayesian Hierarchical Modeling on Covariance Valued Data

Analysis of structural and functional connectivity (FC) of human brains is of pivotal importance for diagnosis of cognitive ability. The Human Connectome Project (HCP) provides an excellent source of neural data across different regions of interest (ROIs) of the living human brain. Individual specific data were available from an existing analysis (Dai et al., 2017) in the form of time varying covariance matrices representing the brain activity as the subjects perform a specific task. As a preliminary objective of studying the heterogeneity of brain connectomics across the population, we develop a probabilistic model for a sample of covariance matrices using a scaled Wishart distribution. We stress here that our data units are available in the form of covariance matrices, and we use the Wishart distribution to create our likelihood function rather than its more common usage as a prior on covariance matrices. Based on empirical explorations suggesting the data matrices to have low effective rank, we further model the center of the Wishart distribution using an orthogonal factor model type decomposition. We encourage shrinkage towards a low rank structure through a novel shrinkage prior and discuss strategies to sample from the posterior distribution using a combination of Gibbs and slice sampling. We extend our modeling framework to a dynamic setting to detect change points. The efficacy of the approach is explored in various simulation settings and exemplified on several case studies including our motivating HCP data. We extend our modeling framework to a dynamic setting to detect change points.
Threats, Gods, and plastic brains: explaining the religion/health relationship

Are mental disorders and other psychiatric symptoms “by-products of brain mechanisms that have evolved to protect us from harm”? Can religious beliefs impact mental disorders and psychiatric sympto...
Corneal Endothelial Cell Transplantation: Animal Models

Historically, animal models have played a vital role in the study of penetrating keratoplasty and more recently in the study of endothelial transplantation. Emerging alternative therapies include the use of cultured cells either to form grafts or as injectable cellular therapy, as opposed to relying on donor tissues as the sole means of cellular replacement. In this chapter we will review the history of animal models used in endothelial transplantation studies. Care will be taken to discuss how other groups have matched experimental aims to the animal model best suited to achieve those aims. For future researchers to determine the best animal model for their purposes, the relative pros and cons of each animal model will also be reviewed.
Saving Children, Damning Adults? An Examination of Public Support for Juvenile Rehabilitation and Adult Punishment:

Research shows that public preferences about justice system approaches to decreasing illegal behavior distinguish between adult and juvenile offending. We also know that fear of crime and perceived...
Pars plana vitrectomy with intraoperative optical coherence tomography for sub-internal limiting membrane fibrosis excision in a child with Terson syndrome: Surgical and pathological correlation.

Abstract Purpose To report the intraoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided surgery of a consolidated sub-internal limiting membrane (ILM) hemorrhage that developed into a sub-ILM fibrotic membrane in a child with a history of Terson syndrome. Observations A one year-old boy with a history of Terson syndrome due to a motor vehicle accident presented three months after trauma with a white feather-shaped membrane in the left macula. Preoperative OCT showed a preretinal hyperreflective tissue at the foveal center. The patient underwent pars plana vitrectomy. After separation of the posterior hyaloid, intraoperative OCT did not show any change in structural components. After peeling the ILM, the fibrotic membrane persisted. A bent 30-gauged needle was used to create a plane of dissection in the adherent sub-ILM membrane, which was then peeled with ILM forceps without complication. Post-operative OCT confirmed complete excision without evidence of macular edema. Pathology results indicated presence of fibrocellular tissue that contained hemosiderin, consistent with old organized hemorrhage as a component of the membrane. Conclusion and importance Sub-ILM hemorrhage may persist as a tautly adherent fibrotic membrane that can mimic the appearance of an epiretinal membrane or a chronic subhyaloidal hemorrhage during examination, especially in young children. Intraoperative OCT may aid in select complex macular surgery cases to better delineate the planes of dissection during sub-ILM fibrosis excision.
On Scattering for the Quintic Defocusing Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation on R × T2

We consider the problem of large-data scattering for the quintic nonlinear Schrodinger equation on R × T2. This equation is critical both at the level of energy and mass. Most notably, we exhibit a new type of profile (a “large-scale profile”) that controls the asymptotic behavior of the solutions. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tribological performance of polydopamine + Ag nanoparticles/PTFE thin films

Abstract This study aims to improve the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) thin film adhesion to stainless steel substrates by incorporating Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) in a polydopamine (PDA) underlayer. Three different weight percent (1.0 wt%, 1.5 wt%, and 2.0 wt%) of AgNPs were added to the PDA deposition solution, resulting in an increased underlayer roughness. A 3.6-time increase in durability was achieved by adding only 2.0 wt% of AgNPs. Scratch and wear tests demonstrated the improved adhesion and wear resistance of the PDA + AgNPs/PTFE thin films. The improvement was attributed to the increased underlayer roughness, denser fibrillar PTFE network, and enhanced film transfer, all brought by the AgNPs.
Modeling the 3-D structure of ignition experiments at the NIF

This work details a model used to infer the 3-D structure of the stagnated hot-spot and shell of inertial confinement fusion implosion experiments at the National Ignition Facility. The model assumes that 3-D low-mode drive perturbations can account for the majority of stagnation asymmetries experimentally observed. It uses an adaptive sampling algorithm to navigate the 24-D input parameter space to find a 3-D x-ray flux asymmetry whose application to an otherwise symmetric implosion results in a consistent match between synthetic and experimental diagnostic observables. The model is applied to a series of experiments and is able to achieve a consistent match for over 41 different observables, providing a high-fidelity reconstruction of the stagnation hot-spot and shell profile.
Tolerability of radiation with concurrent temozolomide and effect on survival in chemo-refractory CNS lymphoma.

e14554Background: There is no consensus for the treatment of central nervous system lymphoma (CNSL) refractory to first line high dose methotrexate-based chemotherapy. Whole brain radiation (WBRT) ...
Military Trauma System Response to Blast MCI

Explosions were the most common source of injury during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. A single blast can generate numerous casualties with complex injuries. When these patients overwhelm a medical system, a mass casualty incident occurs. The United States Military has been at the forefront of trauma management, and this includes the management of blast injuries and mass casualty incidents. Following the establishment of scene and medical facility security, the management of a mass casualty incident begins with appropriate triage. The ultimate goal of triage is to provide the greatest good for the greatest number of patients. The triage officer, ideally an experienced trauma surgeon, assigns patients to four possible triage categories: immediate, delayed, minimal, and expectant. While most civilian emergency departments are concerned with undertriage, overtriage can be especially dangerous during a mass casualty incident due to the resulting resource misallocation. During the triage process, patients should be entered into a patient identification system and medical record should be generated. Mass casualty incidents require a surge of resources to include blood products. Blast injury patients are more likely to require massive transfusions as compared to injuries from small arms. A potential source of blood products is fresh whole blood. For the military, the management of injuries is divided amongst defined four roles of care. Each role has a set amount of resources and skills that the next higher role builds upon. This ensures the orderly flow of injured patients from austere environments back to United States medical centers, such as the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Ultimately, effective mass casualty incident management depends on an established system that has undergone simulations and practice before the real event. In addition, each mass casualty incident should provide “lessons-learned” to ensure proper preparation for the next event.
χ cJ polarization in polarized proton–proton collisions at RHIC

We study inclusive χ cJ production with definite polarizations in polarized proton-proton collisions at $$\sqrt s $$ = 200 and 500 GeV at RHIC by using non-relativistic QCD (NRQCD) color-octet mechanism. We present results of rapidity distribution of χ c0, χ c1 and χ c2 production with specific polarizations in polarized p–p collisions at RHIC within the PHENIX detector acceptance range. We also present the corresponding results for the spin asymmetries.
Synthesis of the 26-Membered Core of Thiopeptide Natural Products by Scalable Thiazole-Forming Reactions of Cysteine Derivatives and Nitriles

The increased resistance of bacteria to clinical antibiotics is one of the major dilemmas facing human health and without solutions the problem will grow exponentially worse. Thiopeptide natural products have shown promising antibiotic activities and provide an opportunity for the development of a new class of antibiotics. Attempts to directly translate these compounds into human medicine have been limited due to poor physiochemical properties. The synthesis of the core structure of the 26-membered class of thiopeptide natural products is reported using chemistry that enables the synthesis of large quantities of synthetic intermediates and the common core structure. The use of cysteine/nitrile condensation reactions followed by oxidation to generate thiazoles has been key in enabling large academic scale reactions that in many instances avoided chromatography further aiding in accessing large amounts of key synthetic intermediates.
Covid-19 Home Sign-Posts: Current Thinking in Health & Home for those in need

The Integral Living Research (ILR) group advocates for five foundational principles in the urban housing environment: 1) privacy, 2) security, 3) access to healthy nourishment, 4) access to green space, and 5) self-efficacy enhancement through a culture of care and creativity. These principles have emerged from almost a decade of work in communities of need and are intended to guide designers working towards solutions to reduce stress and enhance health for urban families. In this paper, we examine and analyze best practices in WELL Buildings’ pandemic response guide among others, within the framework of housing, specifically single-family urban housing. Here, within the 2020 pandemic, best practices for alleviating the challenges of the urban single-family home in an underserved community are considered. In this analysis, five areas of focus called “COVID-19 Home Signposts” have emerged and been given additional lenses of equity and access. We describe those inequities and consider how to improve pandemic housing health for those in at-risk communities. We identify further areas for empirical study that are urgent: 1) to promote better understanding of how home, health, and housing improvement all play a role in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic; and 2) to devise appropriate strategies for addressing the fault lines in our cities and our society.
Risk Factors Associated With Early Postoperative Respiratory Failure: A Matched Case-Control Study

Abstract Background Postoperative respiratory failure is the most common serious postoperative pulmonary complication, yet little is known about factors that can reduce its incidence. We sought to elucidate modifiable factors associated with respiratory failure that developed within the first 5 d after an elective operation. Materials and Methods Matched case-control study of adults who had an operation at five academic medical centers between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2015. Cases were identified using administrative data and confirmed via chart review by critical care clinicians. Controls were matched 1:1 to cases based on hospital, age, and surgical procedure. Results Our total sample (n = 638) was 56.4% female, 71.3% white, and had a median age of 62 y (interquartile range 51, 70). Factors associated with early postoperative respiratory failure included male gender (odds ratio [OR] 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-2.63), American Society of Anesthesiologists class III or greater (OR 2.85, 95% CI 1.74-4.66), greater number of preexisting comorbidities (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.004-1.30), increased operative duration (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06-1.22), increased intraoperative positive end-expiratory pressure (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.13-1.35) and tidal volume (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.004-1.27), and greater net fluid balance at 24 h (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.07-1.28). Conclusions We found greater intraoperative ventilator volume and pressure and 24-h fluid balance to be potentially modifiable factors associated with developing early postoperative respiratory failure. Further studies are warranted to independently verify these risk factors, explore their role in development of early postoperative respiratory failure, and potentially evaluate targeted interventions.
Resident-driven telehealth visits after cataract surgery: Minimizing exposures during COVID-19

Purpose : During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reducing unnecessary clinic visits is critical to limit risk of exposure for patients and providers. We hypothesized that final visual outcomes and postoperative complication rates in patients with postoperative week 1 (POW1) telehealth visits would be similar to patients with in-person POW1 visits in this retrospective cohort study. Methods : All uncomplicated cataract surgeries performed by senior residents with routine postoperative day 1 (POD1) exams and POW1 telehealth visits conducted from July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 at a single academic institution were reviewed. Controls were drawn from uncomplicated surgeries performed by senior residents with in-office POW1 visits during the same period the year prior (7/1/19 - 12/31/19). Visual outcomes, including final corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and deviation of manifest refraction from the target refraction, were compared between the two groups, along with rates of significant postoperative complications. Results : Thirty-eight patients (51 eyes) with POW1 telehealth visits and 44 patients (57 eyes) with POW1 in-office visits were included in the study. There were no statistically significant differences in baseline demographics or preoperative CDVA and biometry measurements between the two groups. The average final postoperative month 1 (POM1) logMAR CDVA was 0.030 and 0.021 (p=0.284) in the telehealth and in-office groups, respectively, with 44 (86%) telehealth eyes and 51 (90%) in-office eyes within 0.50 D of the target refraction (p=0.610). Six eyes (12%) in the telehealth group and 3 eyes (5%) in the inoffice group developed complications noted at the POM1 visit (p=0.222), comprised of pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (CME) or mild persistent/recurrent postoperative iritis. In all instances, the CME and iritis resolved with topical steroids and/or NSAIDs, with final CDVA 20/30 or better. Conclusions : There was no statistically significant difference in final CDVA, refractive outcomes, or postoperative complication rates in eyes undergoing POW1 telehealth as compared to in-office visits. In uncomplicated cataract surgeries, POW1 telehealth visits can be a safe and effective alternative to in-office visits to minimize exposure risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dynamic Allostery Highlights the Evolutionary Differences between the CoV-1 and CoV-2 Main Proteases

ABSTRACT The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has become one of the most immediate and widely-studied systems since its identification and subsequent global outbreak from 2019-2020. In an effort to understand the biophysical changes as a result of mutations, the mechanics of multiple different proteins within the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been studied and compared with SARS-CoV-1. Focusing on the main protease (mPro), we first explored the long range dynamic-relationship, particularly in cross-chain dynamics, using the Dynamic Coupling Index (DCI) to investigate the dynamic coupling between the catalytic site residues and the rest of the protein, both inter and intra chain for the CoV-1 and CoV-2 mPro. We found that there is significant cross-chain coupling between these active sites and distal residues in the CoV-2 mPro but it was missing in CoV-1. The enhanced long distance interactions, particularly between the two chains, suggest subsequently enhanced cooperativity for CoV-2. A further comparative analysis of the dynamic flexibility using the Dynamic Flexibility Index (DFI) between the CoV-1 and CoV-2 mPros shows that the inhibitor binding near active sites induces change in flexibility to a distal region of the protein, opposite in behavior between the two systems; this region becomes more flexible upon inhibitor binding in CoV-1 while it becomes less flexible in the CoV-2 mPro. Upon inspection, we show that, on average, the dynamic flexibility of the sites substituted from CoV-1 to CoV-2 changes significantly less than the average calculated across all residues within the structure, indicating that the differences in behaviors between the two systems is likely the result of allosteric influence, where the new substitutions in COV-2 induce flexibility and dynamical changes elsewhere in the structure. SIGNIFICANCE Here we have conducted a comparative analysis between the SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 mPro systems to shed mechanistic insight on the biophysical changes associated with the mutations between these two enzymes. Our work shows that the CoV-2 mPro system exhibits enhanced cross-chain communication between catalytic site residues and the rest of the structure. Further, both dynamic coupling and dynamic flexibility analyses indicates that, largely, the dynamic changes as evaluated by DCI and DFI occur at sites other than the mutation sites themselves, indicating that the functional differences between these two proteins are a result of dynamic allostery
Immunological aspects of dimorphic fungi in AIDS.

The hallmark of an infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a selective depletion of CD4+ lymphocytes and an associated progressive decline of immunological function to the point the host becomes overwhelmed by opportunistic infections or malignancies (McChesney and Oldstone, 1989; Schupbach, 1989). Since CD4+ cells are essential components of effective host defense against most of the systemic mycotic agents, patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) frequently suffer from fulminating fungal infections (Armstrong, 1988; Spencer and Jackson, 1989). The two dimorphic fungi which are most commonly isolated from individuals infected with HIV are Histoplasma capsulatum and Coccidioides immitis, (Armstrong, 1988; Spencer and Jackson, 1989; Cairns, 1988) but less frequently other dimorphic fungi such as Sporothrix schenckii, (Bibler et al., 1986; Kurosawa et al., 1988) and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Bakos et al., 1989) have been reported to be secondary invaders in AIDS patients. To understand the AIDS patients’ immunological responses to the opportunistic fungi, it is essential to first recognize the immunological status of the host at the onset of the fungal infection. So, before discussing the specific immune responses during systemic dimorphic fungal infections in AIDS patients, I want to define the state of immune function as an HIV infection progresses from the asymptomatic, seroconversion stage to AIDS and identify the stage(s) at which the host is most vulnerable to opportunistic infections. For this purpose, I will use the classification scheme proposed by the Walter Reed group which is based upon the classical immunological and clinical status of HIV infected persons.
Indexing, Elaboration and Refinement: Incremental Learning of Explanatory Cases

This article describes how a reasoner can improve its understanding of an incompletely understood domain through the application of what it already knows to novel problems in that domain. Case-based reasoning is the process of using past experiences stored in the reasoner's memory to understand novel situations or solve novel problems. However, this process assumes that past experiences are well understood and provide good “lessons” to be used for future situations. This assumption is usually false when one is learning about a novel domain, since situations encountered previously in this domain might not have been understood completely. Furthermore, the reasoner may not even have a case that adequately deals with the new situation, or may not be able to access the case using existing indices. We present a theory of incremental learning based on the revision of previously existing case knowledge in response to experiences in such situations. The theory has been implemented in a case-based story understanding program that can (a) learn a new case in situations where no case already exists, (b) learn how to index the case in memory, and (c) incrementally refine its understanding of the case by using it to reason about new situations, thus evolving a better understanding of its domain through experience. This research complements work in case-based reasoning by providing mechanisms by which a case library can be automatically built for use by a case-based reasoning program.
Limited range of interspecific vital effects in coccolith stable isotopic records during the Paleocene‐Eocene thermal maximum

[1] Small but significant differences exist among stable carbon and oxygen isotopic excursions measured in coccolith-dominated bulk carbonate and planktic foraminifera during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM). One hypothesis suggests that the bulk carbonate isotopic record is compromised by changing nannofossil assemblages, since modern nannofossils show a large (5 permil) range of interspecific vital effects. New techniques are employed here to separate different size fractions of coccoliths from PETM sediments at ODP Site 690 for isotopic analysis, removing a major portion of the variation in nannofossil assemblages. Isotopic compositions of coarse and fine coccolith fractions dominated by coccoliths of genus Chiasmolithus and Toweius, respectively, differ by less than 0.5 permil for both oxygen and carbon. The near-monogeneric Toweius record closely parallels the main trends in the bulk carbonate isotope records, including multiple steps in the negative carbon isotopic excursion, suggesting that the trends in the bulk carbonate record are not artifacts of changing species assemblages. Because both coccolithophorids and symbiont-bearing foraminifera like Acarinina must inhabit the photic zone, it is unlikely that the 103 year lags in isotope event onset between coccoliths and Acarinina reflect true time-transgressive invasion of isotopically depleted CO2 into the water column. The small range of vital effects among Paleocene coccoliths is unlikely to result from diagenetic homogenization, and instead may reflect more similar carbon acquisition strategies of Paleocene coccolithophorid algae due to larger and/or more similar cell sizes and higher atmospheric carbon dioxide. The small range of vital effects suggests that bulk carbonate records are likely reliable for other early and pre-Cenozoic sediments where foraminifera are often scarce.
Effects of lakes and reservoirs on annual river nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment export in agricultural and forested landscapes

Recently, effects of lakes and reservoirs on river nutrient export have been incorporated into landscape biogeochemical models. Because annual export varies with precipitation, there is a need to examine the biogeochemical role of lakes and reservoirs over time frames that incorporate interannual variability in precipitation. We examined long-term (~20 years) time series of river export (annual mass yield, Y, and flow-weighted mean annual concentration, C) for total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total suspended sediment (TSS) from 54 catchments in Wisconsin, USA. Catchments were classified as small agricultural, large agricultural, and forested by use of a cluster analysis, and these varied in lentic coverage (percentage of catchment lake or reservoir water that was connected to river network). Mean annual export and interannual variability (CV) of export (for both Y and C) were higher in agricultural catchments relative to forested catchments for TP, TN, and TSS. In both agricultural and forested settings, mean and maximum annual TN yields were lower in the presence of lakes and reservoirs, suggesting lentic denitrification or N burial. There was also evidence of long-term lentic TP and TSS retention, especially when viewed in terms of maximum annual yield, suggesting sedimentation during high loading years. Lentic catchments had lower interannual variability in export. For TP and TSS, interannual variability in mass yield was often >50% higher than interannual variability in water yield, whereas TN variability more closely followed water (discharge) variability. Our results indicate that long-term mass export through rivers depends on interacting terrestrial, aquatic, and meteorological factors in which the presence of lakes and reservoirs can reduce the magnitude of export, stabilize interannual variability in export, as well as introduce export time lags. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Children and the Law

In most societies, including the United States, there are no, or very few, laws governing the rights of children. Historically children have been viewed as the property or extensions of their parents. Those born to privileged situations inherited their parental status and fortune, while the children of serfs and slaves belonged to their masters. The subject of most existing children’s laws was the age at which contractual relationships were valid or a child could manage his own property. In feudal societies, when minor children inherited property, the state found it necessary to appoint a “guardian” for the child in order to assure the collection of taxes in the social interest and to assume responsibility for the care of the child. The doctrine of parens patria, thus came to define the state as the guardian of all those who cannot protect themselves and has been the legal guideline most frequently used in relation to children.
Effects of acute and chronic midthoracic spinal cord injury on neural circuits for male sexual function. I. Ascending pathways.

In normal animals, microstimulation of the medullary reticular formation (MRF) has two effects on efferent neurons in the motor branch of the pudendal nerve (PudM). MRF microstimulation depresses m...
Simultaneous multiselective spectroelectrochemical sensing of the interaction between protein and its ligand using the redox dye Nile blue as a label.

A new binding assay for a protein and its ligand based on a spectroelectrochemical method was demonstrated using avidin−biotin and 17β-estradiol−antiestradiol antibody. The sensor consists of a selective film coated on an optically transparent electrode (OTE) consisting of indium tin oxide (ITO). Attenuated total reflection (ATR) was used for optical detection. The binding event of the ligand to the protein was detected using the ligand labeled with the electroactive dye Nile blue (NB). The spectroelectrochemical behaviors of NB and the labeled ligand were investigated using various ion-exchange films, such as perfluorosulfonated ionomer (Nafion), Nafion-silica, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)-silica, poly(styrenesulfonic acid) (PSSA)-silica, and heparin-silica films, which were spin-coated on the ITO electrode. The optical signal was monitored to follow the accumulation of labeled ligand in the film and its electrochemical modulation. The signal from the labeled ligand possesses three modes of selectivity based...
Recrystallization and intermetallic formation in Au/Al and Au/Zn bimetallic films

Bimetallic thin films are of interest for use in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) for the fabrication of sensors and actuators. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the two metal films of the bimetallic structure can be used to attain the desired level of deflection or actuation in the MEMS device. Gold/aluminum and gold/zinc films have desirable properties for use in bimetallic films because of their differences in CTE. The stress-temperature behavior of these bimetal configurations has been studied. The effect of deposition technique and recrystallization of the metal films on the total stress and strain of the bimetallic films has been investigated. It has been shown that the formation of intermetallic compounds between the metal layers changes the mechanical properties of composite films. The intermetallic compounds are often undesirable because of their uncontrolled composition and poor mechanical properties. The degree of formation of the intermetallic compounds in the gold/aluminum bimetallic films can be reduced by use of a diffusion barrier between the two metals. It is shown that aluminum oxide is an effective diffusion barrier, and it can be easily fabricated. Stress-strain measurements and chemical depth profiling of the bimetallic films with the diffusion barrier have been used to quantify the reduction in the formation of the intermetallic compounds.