cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of interleukin-12 expression in human monocytes: selective priming by interferon-gamma of lipopolysaccharide-inducible p35 and p40 genes

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a monocyte/macrophage-derived cytokine that is critical for T lymphocyte and natural killer cell activities and functions. In this study, we examined the regulation of IL-12 expression by human monocytes in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Several novel aspects of IL-12 induction from monocytes were shown. Optimal expression of IL-12 mRNA and bioactivity required specific priming of monocytes by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) before LPS stimulation. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) provided an equivalent priming stimulus for LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and IL-12 p40 mRNA, but primed poorly for LPS-inducible p35 message and secreted IL-12 activity. Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), although a potent survival factor for monocytes, showed no priming activity for IL-12 production. Time course experiments demonstrated independent regulation of p40 and p35 by IFN-gamma and LPS. LPS inducibility of p40 expression required only a brief exposure to IFN-gamma (2 hours), while prolonged exposure (+/- 24 hours) to IFN-gamma resulted in diminishing levels of p40 mRNA. p35 inducibility (by LPS) required a longer exposure to IFN-gamma (8 to 16 hours), and continued to be inducible up to 40 hours following IFN-gamma priming. Both mRNAs were rapidly induced (1 to 2 hours) in IFN-gamma-primed monocytes; p35 message reached a plateau by 2 hours, while p40 continued to accumulate. Finally, both p40 and p35 were directly induced by LPS in the presence of cycloheximide. These results indicated that both p40 and p35 are LPS-inducible in monocytes following IFN-gamma pretreatment, and that the regulated expression of p35 controls the level of active IL-12 protein in purified human monocytes. The selectivity of priming by IFN-gamma is in accord with a putative role for IL-12 in the initiation and amplification of TH1-type responses.
Results of using permanent magnets to suppress Josephson noise in the KAPPa SIS receiver

We present the results from the magnetic field generation within the Kilopixel Array Pathfinder Project (KAPPa) instrument. The KAPPa instrument is a terahertz heterodyne receiver using a Superconducting-Insulating- Superconducting (SIS) mixers. To improve performance, SIS mixers require a magnetic field to suppress Josephson noise. The KAPPa test receiver can house a tunable electromagnet used to optimize the applied magnetic field. The receiver is also capable of accommodating a permanent magnet that applies a fixed field. Our permanent magnet design uses off-the-shelf neodymium permanent magnets and then reshapes the magnetic field using machined steel concentrators. These concentrators allow the use of an unmachined permanent magnet in the back of the detector block while two small posts provide the required magnetic field across the SIS junction in the detector cavity. The KAPPa test receiver is uniquely suited to compare the permanent magnet and electromagnet receiver performance. The current work includes our design of a ‘U’ shaped permanent magnet, the testing and calibration procedure for the permanent magnet, and the overall results of the performance comparison between the electromagnet and the permanent magnet counterpart.
Financing Community Colleges: Where We Are, Where We’re Going

Financing Community Colleges: Where We Are, Where We’re Going is written for community college leaders from an economic perspective, explaining how community colleges got where they are today, the ...
External Validation of Vascular Study Group of New England Risk Predictive Model of Mortality After Elective Abdominal Aorta Aneurysm Repair in the Vascular Quality Initiative and Comparison Against Established Models

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study is to externally validate a recently reported Vascular Study Group of New England (VSGNE) risk predictive model of postoperative mortality after elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair and to compare its predictive ability across different patients' risk categories and against the established risk predictive models using the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) AAA sample. Methods The VQI AAA database (2010-2015) was queried for patients who underwent elective AAA repair. The VSGNE cases were excluded from the VQI sample. The external validation of a recently published VSGNE AAA risk predictive model, which includes only preoperative variables (age, gender, history of coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cerebrovascular disease, creatinine levels, and aneurysm size) and planned type of repair, was performed using the VQI elective AAA repair sample. The predictive value of the model was assessed via the C -statistic. Hosmer-Lemeshow method was used to assess calibration and goodness of fit. This model was then compared with the Medicare, Vascular Governance Northwest model, and Glasgow Aneurysm Score for predicting mortality in VQI sample. The Vuong test was performed to compare the model fit between the models. Model discrimination was assessed in different risk group VQI quintiles. Results Data from 4431 cases from the VSGNE sample with the overall mortality rate of 1.4% was used to develop the model. The internally validated VSGNE model showed a very high discriminating ability in predicting mortality (C = 0.822) and good model fit (Hosmer-Lemeshow P = .309) among the VSGNE elective AAA repair sample. External validation on 16,989 VQI cases with an overall 0.9% mortality rate showed very robust predictive ability of mortality (C = 0.802). Vuong tests yielded a significant fit difference favoring the VSGNE over then Medicare model (C = 0.780), Vascular Governance Northwest (0.774), and Glasgow Aneurysm Score (0.639). Across the 5 risk quintiles, the VSGNE model predicted observed mortality significantly with great accuracy. Conclusions This simple VSGNE AAA risk predictive model showed very high discriminative ability in predicting mortality after elective AAA repair among a large external independent sample of AAA cases performed by a diverse array of physicians nationwide. The risk score based on this simple VSGNE model can reliably stratify patients according to their risk of mortality after elective AAA repair better than other established models.
Hypersurface-deformation algebroids and effective spacetime models

In canonical gravity, covariance is implemented by brackets of hypersurface-deformation generators forming a Lie algebroid. Lie-algebroid morphisms, therefore, allow one to relate different versions of the brackets that correspond to the same spacetime structure. An application to examples of modified brackets found mainly in models of loop quantum gravity can, in some cases, map the spacetime structure back to the classical Riemannian form after a field redefinition. For one type of quantum corrections (holonomies), signature change appears to be a generic feature of effective spacetime, and it is shown here to be a new quantum spacetime phenomenon which cannot be mapped to an equivalent classical structure. In low-curvature regimes, our constructions not only prove the existence of classical spacetime structures assumed elsewhere in models of loop quantum cosmology, they also show the existence of additional quantum corrections that have not always been included.
CHAPTER 25 – Nutrition and Lung Cancer

Cigarette smoking is established as the dominant risk factor for lung cancer. Also, tobacco use in youth is increasing, indicating that tobacco prevention and cessation continue to be public health priorities as the primary strategies for reducing lung cancer morbidity and mortality. Another possible approach for reducing lung cancer deaths is detection of lung cancer when the disease is still localized. Early detection of lung cancer has great potential. This chapter attempts to summarize and interpret the current literature on the topic of nutrition and lung cancer, drawing primarily from observational epidemiology studies and human intervention trials. Dietary patterns characterized by higher consumption of fruits and vegetables and the nutrients concentrated in these foods. are associated with a lower risk of lung cancer, and diets characterized by higher consumption of meats, total fat, and saturated fat are associated with greater lung cancer risk. Nutrient supplements are not shown to be of value in the primary or secondary prevention of lung cancer. However, the optimal approach for lung cancer prevention emphasizes the proven benefits of tobacco cessation and prevention, in addition to what can be considered prudent recommendations to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables of all types, and to reduce intake of meat, total fat, and saturated fat. This dietary pattern is associated not only with a lower risk of lung cancer, but also with lower risk of many other chronic diseases.
Attrition and performance of community college transfers.

Community colleges are an important part of the US higher education landscape, yet the aptitude and preparedness of student transfers to baccalaureate institutions is often called into question. Examining transcript records and demographic information of nearly 70,000 students across over 15 years of registrar records at a public university, this study performed a descriptive analysis of the persistence, performance, and academic migration patterns of community college transfers, transfers from four-year institutions, and freshmen entrants. We found little difference between community college transfers and freshmen entrants in terms of post-transfer grades and persistence. Transfers from four-year institutions had higher grades but also had higher attrition rates than their peers. This study also found no strong evidence of transfer shock on students’ post-transfer grades. When examining the tendencies of students to shift fields of study during their educational pursuits, the academic migration patterns of transfer students were more concentrated than those of freshmen entrants.
Racial differences in statin adherence following hospital discharge for ischemic stroke.

Objective: To compare nonadherence to statins in older black and white adults following an ischemic stroke. Methods: We studied black and white adults ≥66 years of age with Medicare fee-for-service insurance coverage hospitalized for ischemic stroke from 2007 to 2012 who filled a statin prescription within 30 days following discharge. Nonadherence was defined as a proportion of days covered Results: Overall 2,763 beneficiaries met the inclusion criteria (13.5% black). Black adults were more likely than white adults to be nonadherent (49.7% vs 41.5%) even after adjustment for demographics, receipt of a low-income subsidy, and baseline comorbidities (adjusted relative risk [RR] 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.29). Among white adults, receipt of a low-income subsidy (adjusted RR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02–1.26), history of coronary heart disease (adjusted RR 1.15, 95% CI 1.01–1.30), and discharge directly home following stroke hospitalization (adjusted RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.10–1.44) were associated with a higher risk of nonadherence. Among black adults, a 1-unit increase in the Charlson comorbidity index (adjusted RR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.09), history of carotid artery disease (adjusted RR 2.38, 95% CI 1.08–5.25), and hospitalization during the 365 days prior to the index stroke (adjusted RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.01–1.78) were associated with nonadherence. Conclusions: Compared with white adults, black adults were more likely to be nonadherent to statins following hospitalization for ischemic stroke.
Writing as Echo-Making in and after the Anthropocene

ABSTRACTRecent criticism has shown how Richard Powers’s The Echo Maker (2006) indicts both traditional Cartesian consciousness and neuroscience, but there is no consensus as to the reasons for these critiques. Some see an endorsement of “radical subjectivism,” while others see a humanist satire of the excesses of Dr. Gerald Weber, the novel’s spokesperson for neuroscience. Building on the work of Jacques Derrida and Emilo Benveniste, this essay proposes that not only mind and matter but also hermeneutics are faulted—all from the perspective of language conceived as “echo making,” or the iteration of arbitrary signs. This possibility is latent in the plot throughout but becomes manifest in the climactic scene when the protagonist, Mark Schluter, identifies reality with grammatical shifters—locatives and pronouns. This broader reason for the novel’s indictments implicates novel-writing and criticism, too, as vitiated strivings after signification. Powers’s title is a translation of an indigenous North Ameri...
Nonlinear Time Series Prediction Performance Using Constrained Motion Particle Swarm Optimization

Constrained Motion Particle Swarm Optimization (CMPSO) is a general framework for optimizing Support Vector Regression (SVR) free parameters for nonlinear time series regression and prediction. CMPSO uses Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to determine the SVR free parameters. However, CMPSO attempts to fuse the PSO and SVR algorithms by constraining the SVR Lagrange multipliers such that every PSO epoch yields a candidate solution that meets the SVR constraint criteria. The fusion of these two algorithms provides a numerical efficiency advantage since an SVR Quadratic Program (QP) solver is not necessary for every particle at every epoch. This reduces the search space of the overall optimization problem. It has been demonstrated that CMPSO provides similar (and in some cases superior) performance to other contemporary time series prediction algorithms for nonlinear time series benchmarks such as Mackey-Glass data. This paper details the CMPSO algorithm framework and tests its performance against other SVR time series prediction algorithms and data including the European Network on Intelligent Technologies for Smart Adaptive Systems (EUNITE) competition data and the Competition on Artificial Time Series (CATS) competition data.
Whole Genome Sequencing-Based Mapping and Candidate Identification of Mutations from Fixed Zebrafish Tissue.

As forward genetic screens in zebrafish become more common, the number of mutants that cannot be identified by gross morphology or through transgenic approaches, such as many nervous system defects, has also increased. Screening for these difficult-to-visualize phenotypes demands techniques such as whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH) or antibody staining, which require tissue fixation. To date, fixed tissue has not been amenable for generating libraries for whole genome sequencing (WGS). Here, we describe a method for using genomic DNA from fixed tissue and a bioinformatics suite for WGS-based mapping of zebrafish mutants. We tested our protocol using two known zebrafish mutant alleles, gpr126st49 and egr2bfh227, both of which cause myelin defects. As further proof of concept we mapped a novel mutation, stl64, identified in a zebrafish WISH screen for myelination defects. We linked stl64 to chromosome 1 and identified a candidate nonsense mutation in the F-box and WD repeat domain containing 7 (fbxw7) gene. Importantly, stl64 mutants phenocopy previously described fbxw7vu56 mutants, and knockdown of fbxw7 in wild-type animals produced similar defects, demonstrating that stl64 disrupts fbxw7. Together, these data show that our mapping protocol can map and identify causative lesions in mutant screens that require tissue fixation for phenotypic analysis.
Statistical Models for Selected Infectious Diseases

Abstract Mathematical and statistical models for the surveillance, incidence, prediction, and mortality appearing in the epidemiological and statistical literature for the following infections are presented: (1) influenza, (2) tuberculosis, (3) malaria, and (4) common cold.
Chapter 18 - Carbohydrate Metabolism

Our understanding of avian carbohydrate metabolism most frequently comes from studies on chicken, though they have the disadvantages of domestication and falling outside the major evolutionary groupings of birds, like other that galliform birds. Overall, carbohydrate metabolism in birds is very similar to that in mammals. Small intestine is the major site for the digestion of starch and the absorption of glucose and other monsaccharides. Glucose can be used for energy via glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, or the pentose pathway. Some tissues that are incapable of using fatty acids use only glucose. Glucose can be stored as the polysaccharide glycogen in the liver, muscles, and other tissues or used as a substrate to produce fatty acids (lipogenesis), which in turn are stored as triglycerides in adipose tissue. Glucose can be synthesized from lactate, amino acids, and other gluconeogenic precursors in the liver and the kidneys. The differences between avian and mammalian carbohydrate metabolism include very high circulating concentrations of glucose in birds, absence of one of the glucose transporters, and major nutrients available to the developing embryo being fats and proteins, together with the liver being the site of lipogenesis. Circulating concentrations of glucose exhibit marked differences across avian species during development and with external environment. Moreover, they are under tight control. This chapter will discuss avian carbohydrate digestion, metabolism, and circulating glucose together with their control.
The decline and shifting geography of violence in Russia’s North Caucasus, 2010-2016

AbstractA spatial analysis of the geography of insurgency in the North Caucasus of Russia from 1999 through the end of 2016, focused on the period since 2010, corroborates other work on the incidence of violence in the region. A sharp drop in the absolute number of conflict events over the past half-decade occurred as violence diffused from Chechnya in the mid-2000s and is attributable to a range of domestic and international factors. Domestically, the decline is broadly linked to the securitization of the region around the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the return to the use of the Kremlin power vertical as a system of political management after an interlude focused on economic development as a mitigation strategy, and the wider adoption of harsh management tactics at the regional and republic scales. Internationally, potential insurgents have left Russia to fight in the Middle East and Ukraine. Using a conflict-event data-set (N = 18,960) from August 1999 through the end of 2016 and focusing on the peri...
Performance Evaluation of Intel Broadwell Nodes Based Supercomputer Using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Climate Applications

We conducted a performance evaluation of a production supercomputer based on the Intel Xeon Processor E5-2680v4 (Broadwell), a fourteen-core die shrink of the Haswell architecture and compared and contrasted it with two earlier Xeons: the E5-2680v3 (Haswell), a twelve-core implementation of the fourth-generation Haswell architecture and the E5-2680v2 (Ivy Bridge), a ten-core die shrink of the third-generation Sandy Bridge architecture. The new features of Broadwell architecture are evaluated and compared with Ivy Bridge using several low-level benchmarks and five full-scale production quality scientific and engineering applications. A model to predict the performance of HPCG, Overflow and Cart3D is presented for two architectures. In addition, we evaluate the effects of degrading base core frequency to AVX frequency while using AVX2 instructions and of the Turbo Boost feature.
Solid and acid electrolytes for Al-air batteries based on xanthan-HCl hydrogels

This paper presents first investigations on solid and strongly acid electrolytes for Al-air batteries. These electrolytes are prepared starting from a “green” polysaccharide (xanthan gum) and HCl solutions (between 4 and 24 wt%). The gelling capability of xanthan is used to obtain real solid products characterized by ionic conductivities of practical interest (10−2 S cm−1) in electrochemical cells. The adsorption properties of xanthan on metal Al are exploited to control anode self-corrosion and realize Al-air cells with very high anodic efficiencies (> 80%). The behavior of Al-air cells is studied utilizing the weight loss technique, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization curves, scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and discharge tests at constant current (1–5 mA) with Pt/C-based air cathodes. The best overall performance is observed with electrolytes prepared starting from HCl at 24% and gel solid/liquid ratio of 1.40 g ml−1. The hydrogels obtained in this work permit for the first time the operation of an Al-air galvanic cell based on solid and strongly acid electrolytes with high anodic efficiency and limited dendrite formation.
Future Directions in Aging Research

During the past three days we have seen the latest results of laboratory investigations on a wide range of disciplines that have in common the expansion of our understanding of the aging process. It has been a most stimulating experience for all of us to see the development of the new technologies that are now being applied to this area of research that has largely been ignored in the past. This meeting has provided new evidence of valid approaches that can be used to dissect the biochemical, genetic and molecular basis of the phenomena associated with differences in the aging process.
Large Mammal Evidence for the Paleoenvironment of the Upper Laetolil and Upper Ndolanya Beds of Laetoli, Tanzania

There has been much debate on the environment of Pliocene Laetoli. These disagreements reflect the complexity of the paleoenvironment and the difficulties in reconciling contradictory evidence. In this paper, the community structure of the large mammal fauna at Laetoli is compared to that of modern faunal communities and the relative abundances of bovid tribes are examined. The results of these analyses are interpreted within the context of other lines of evidence, including those based on rodents, gastropods, phytoliths, stable isotopes and mesowear. The balance of evidence suggests that the ecology of the Upper Laetolil Beds was a mosaic of grassland-shrubland-open woodland habitats with extensive woody vegetation in the form of shrubs, thickets, and bush. There was also a significant presence of dense woodland and possibly riverine forest habitats. The results also indicate that the ecological conditions in the Upper Laetolil Beds became progressively drier and less wooded through time. There is no clear consensus as to the paleoenvironment of the Upper Ndolanya Beds. While there is evidence to suggest that it was drier and more open than the Upper Laetolil Beds, there is contrary evidence indicating that it was at least as humid and wooded as the Upper Laetolil Beds.
8.17 Rock Glaciers

Rock glaciers, a key element of alpine mountain geomorphic systems, consist of coarse surface debris that insulates an ice-core or ice-debris mixture. Rates of movement of rock glaciers vary from 1 to 100 cm yr–1. Rock glaciers exist in mainly continental dry climates in areas that have high rates of talus accumulation. New geospatial techniques, high-resolution data sources, and improved technology will contribute to a better understanding of these features on Earth and perhaps on Mars. This chapter provides an in-depth summary of important research findings pertaining to rock glaciers and offers insight to future research.
Epidemiological Synergy: Interrelationships Between HIV Infection and Other STDs

The interrelationships between HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)* are complex and intriguing. They may explain, in part, the heterogeneous face of the HIV/AIDS pandemic around the world (1-3), and may well provide insights into the pathogenesis of all STDs, including HIV infection. Furthermore, these interrelationships have compelling implications for HIV control efforts.
Enhanced osteogenic protein expression on human osteoblast-osteoclast co-culture system using doped hydroxyapatite plasma coatings for orthopedic and dental applications

Abstract For decades, research has been attributed to the monoculture of either mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or monocytes to differentiate into osteoblasts (OBs) and osteoclasts (OCs) respectively, however, this is far from being realistic. For improved research in the field of biomaterials, the balance between OBs and OCs needs to be investigated simultaneously on in vitro models for a better understanding and prediction of the bone remodeling process in vivo. The study aims to investigate the effects of Mg+2 and Sr+2 dopant in hydroxyapatite coating on the simultaneous differentiation of human MSCs and Tamm Horsfall Protein 1 (THP-1) monocytes into OBs and OCs respectively. We hypothesize that a cultivation regime can be established to show simultaneous proliferation and differentiation of the MSCs and monocytes into OBs and OCs. Also, the presence of Sr+2 and Mg+2 will induce faster bone remodeling and demonstrate enhanced osteogenic properties. Doped hydroxyapatite coatings were fabricated on CpTi substrates using plasma spray coating technique and the influence of dopants on the in vitro OB−OC co-culture was studied by specific marker genes, namely OPG, RANKL, RUNX2, and ACP5. Comparison amongst the expressions of genes reveals the differentiation of the primary cells as early as 5-day time-point. Downregulation of RUNX2 and ACP5 in the doped HA coated samples at 15-day time-point are a proof of the effective role of the dopants in the enhancement of bone remodeling. This study shows the possibility of simultaneous culturing of human OB and OC precursors and demonstrates the efficacy of dopants in the pace change of bone remodeling for bone tissue engineering applications.
Probabilistic Risk Assessment and Mitigation for UAS Safety and Traffic Management

A probabilistic approach to help future UAS safety and traffic management is proposed. A probabilistic risk-based operational safety bound is first proposed. This will allow UAV to maintain the deviation from the trajectory plan within a ”buffer” zone, and keep away from obstacles. Uncertainty quantification, Monte Carlo simulation, and coordinate transformation techniques will be used. Additionally, an algorithm integrating reinforcement learning and the proposed operational safety bound will be developed which is used for collision avoidance and trajectory planning. This will provide a learning ability to UAVs in order to adapt their behavior to changing environments. Also, large-scale UAV management will be studied by using multi-agent generative adversarial imitation learning.
Antibiotic Duration and Outcome Complications for Surgical Site Infection Prevention in Traumatic Mandible Fracture

Abstract Background The appropriate duration of antibiotic therapy for surgical site infection (SSI) prevention in traumatic mandibular fracture repair is unknown, and practices vary significantly. The objective of this study was to characterize antibiotic duration and outcomes after surgical repair of traumatic mandibular fracture. Methods A single-center, retrospective analysis of all adult patients who underwent surgical fixation of a mandible fracture between January 2014 and December 2016 was performed. Operative service was categorized between otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat surgery), plastic and reconstructive surgery, and oral and maxillofacial services. Primary outcomes were SSI and operative complications (including osteomyelitis, nonunion, malocclusion, and hardware infections). Differences in antibiotic prescription pattern were analyzed using analysis of variance test and Pearson chi-squared test. Results A total of 75 patients were included in the study with 33 (44.0%), 26 (34.7%), and 16 (21.3%) managed by plastic and reconstructive surgery, ear, nose, and throat surgery, and oral and maxillofacial services, respectively. Median age was 30.0 y. Median injury severity score was 4.0. There was no significant difference in hospital length of stay (P = 0.44), intensive care unit length of stay (P = 0.53), or postoperative complications (P = 0.15). None of our patients developed an SSI or postantibiotics complications. Although the total inpatient duration of antibiotics was not significantly different among services (P = 0.37), there were significant differences in outpatient duration of antibiotics (P = 0.007) and total duration of antibiotics (P = 0.003). Conclusions Duration of antibiotics is not associated with postoperative SSI or antibiotics-related complications. The wide variation in prescribing practices and lack of any clear benefit for prolonged antibiotics provides an opportunity to explore the benefits of a standardized short course of antibiotics. Level of evidence Therapeutic study, III.
Nature and Black Femininity in Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God and Tell My Horse

This essay analyzes the role of nature in Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God and her anthropological piece Tell My Horse. To understand Hurston’s self-identification with aspects of the natural world and her use of natural images to reveal the interiority of her characters, I analyze themes such as Janie’s entwinement of self with the pear tree, the immense power of natural disasters, and the unpredictability of nature as reflected in gender roles. I argue that her anthropological research in Tell My Horse is the foundation for the development of Janie as a powerful black female protagonist and informs Hurston’s understanding of herself as a black female author and anthropologist. Through the lens of Voodoo and other Caribbean practices, the emphasis on female deities as dominant over natural forces allows for forms of female liberation. Hurston offers an innovative understanding of black femininity as inseparable from the natural world.
Chapter 20 – Coons Patches

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses Coons patches, a method that has a different flavor than Bezier or B-spline methods. A ruled surface interpolates to two boundary curves—a rectangular surface, however, has four boundary curves and that is precisely to what a Coons patch interpolates. The difference from earlier occurrences of linear interpolation is that at present one interpolate to whole curves, not just discrete points; thus, this process is often referred to as transfinite interpolation. Surface modelers that employ Coons patches typically allow designers to change the blending functions as a way to model the interior of the patch. The bilinearly blended Coons patch solves a problem of considerable importance with very little effort, but involves major drawbacks. Analyzing the problem, one sees that it can be blamed on the fact that cross boundary tangents along one boundary depend on the data not pertaining to that boundary.
It Is Complex: Predicting Gastroschisis Outcomes Using Prenatal Imaging.

Abstract Background Gastroschisis occurs in one of 2000 births with survival rates partially contingent on intestinal complications and time to establishing feeding. Enhancements in prenatal imaging have given better insight into postnatal outcomes. The goal of this study was to examine the gastroschisis patient population at a single children's hospital in the modern era and to use prenatal ultrasound (US) to develop new prenatal prognostic indicators. Methods We performed a retrospective review of gastroschisis patients at a quaternary-care referral children's hospital from 2010 through 2018. We recorded demographics, prenatal data and imaging, early postnatal data, operative data, and patient outcomes. We compared patients within our cohort born with complex gastroschisis (bowel atresia/perforation) to uncomplicated gastroschisis patients. Second trimester and third trimester prenatal US were evaluated for changes in amniotic fluid level, amount of external bowel, bowel dilatation, and bowel wall edema to identify prognostic indicators of the status of the bowel at birth. For categorical variables, chi-square tests were used to assess for significance. Univariate and multivariable analyses were used to assess significance between categorical and continuous variables using medians and interquartile ranges or means. Results A total of 134 patients were included in the study: complex (n = 24), uncomplicated (n = 110). Compared with uncomplicated gastroschisis, complex patients required longer median days to feeding initiation (44 versus 10; P Conclusions Polyhydramnios on third trimester prenatal US on babies with gastroschisis can predict complex gastroschisis at birth, whereas the absence of markers on prenatal US can suggest uncomplicated disease. Complex gastroschisis is associated with increased time to feeds and length of stay.
Receipt of Behavioral Health Services Among US Children and Youth With Adverse Childhood Experiences or Mental Health Symptoms

Importance Epidemiological literature on children’s mental health and children’s adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have consistently pointed to widespread, unaddressed, and treatable high-risk conditions among children. Objective To estimate the proportion of children with either high levels of ACEs and/or high levels of mental health symptoms who were not receiving services from behavioral health professionals. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study included 11 896 children who participated in 3 National Surveys of Children’s Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV), which were nationally representative surveys conducted in 2008, 2011, and 2014. The surveys entailed telephone interviews with youth aged 10 to 17 years and caregivers of children aged 2 to 9 years. Data were analyzed from February to August 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures Nationally representative samples were obtained from a mix of random digit dial and address-based sampling methods. The primary outcome was the proportion of children with high ACEs, high distress symptoms, and both who were receiving clinical contact, broken down by demographic characteristics. Results Of the 11 896 children, 4045 (34.0%) participated in the 2008 NatSCEV; 4112 (34.6%) in the 2011 NatSCEV; and 3738 (31.4%) in the 2014 NatSCEV; 5532 (46.5%) were aged 2 to 9 years (2785 [50.4%] aged 2-5 years; 2693 [48.7%] girls; 3521 [63.7%] White children), and 6365 (53.5%) were aged 10 to 17 years (3612 [56.7%] aged 14-17 years; 3117 [49.0%] female participants; 4297 [67.5%] White individuals). Among participants aged 2 to 9 years, no clinical contact was reported for 57% (95% CI, 51%-62%) of the high ACE group, 53% (95% CI, 48%-58%) of the high distress symptom group, and 41% (95% CI, 32%-51%) of the group with high levels on both indicators. Among participants aged 10 to 17 years, the group with no clinical contact comprised 63% (95% CI, 56%-69%) of the high ACE group, 52% (95% CI, 46%-57%) of the high distress symptom group, and 62% (95% CI, 51%-71%) of youth scoring high on both indicators. Among racial groups, odds of contact were very low for Black children aged 2 to 9 years with high ACEs compared with non-Hispanic White children with the same age and exposure (odds ratio, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.14-0.49). Conclusions and Relevance In this cross-sectional study combining findings from 3 US national surveys, large portions of children at high risk because of adversity or mental health symptoms were not receiving clinical services. Better ways are needed to find these at-risk populations and help them obtain relevant intervention resources.
Needs damage control.

A 27-year-old man presented to the trauma center with a gunshot would to the left groin exiting in the mid-right buttock. The emergency medical services technician accompanying the patient stated that blood loss was ‘1500–2000 mL at the scene’. The patient was awake and alert with a heart rate of 124 beats/min, a blood pressure of 92/48, and a respiratory rate of 22 breaths/min. There were no peritoneal signs on abdominal examination, while there was normal tone and no blood on a rectal examination. He had a hematoma in the left groin which was oozing arterial blood, but no palpable pulses in the left lower extremity, and diminished motor and sensory function, as well. There was an exit wound in the mid-right buttock without bleeding or a hematoma. Large-bore intravenous access was obtained, an infusion of lactated Ringer’s solution was initiated, a pressure dressing was applied to the left groin, and a cephalosporin antibiotic was administered. The patient was taken to the operating room within 10 minutes of arrival in the trauma center. Because of the proximity of the wound in the left groin to the inguinal ligament, a midline laparotomy was performed and vascular control of the left external iliac artery and vein was obtained. The left groin was then explored through a separate longitudinal incision, and vascular control of the left common femoral artery and vein was obtained, as well. The left external iliac artery under the inguinal ligament was noted to be transected, while the left external iliac vein in the same location was nearly transected. Based on the vascular injuries described, other presumed visceral injuries in the pelvis, and an admission base deficit of −15, your choice for management of the vascular injuries would be to: 1. Insert intraluminal shunts in both the artery and vein. 2. Ligate the …
Posterior Cerebral Artery Aneurysm Re-Rupture Following Revascularization for Moyamoya Disease.

Abstract Objectives Aneurysms associated with hemorrhagic moyamoya disease (MMD) are reported to stabilize or recede following revascularization. Case report/results A 29 year-old male with no past medical history presented obtunded with diffuse intraventricular hemorrhage and vascular imaging demonstrating bilateral MMD without any associated aneurysms. He underwent a delayed right-sided STA-MCA bypass and pial synangiosis, and was subsequently discharged on hospital day 24 with a modified Rankin Scale score (mRS) of 2. He returned eleven days later from a rehabilitation facility with recurrent IVH. A saccular 5 mm right P4 segment posterior cerebral artery aneurysm was seen on a diagnostic angiogram and embolized with Onyx glue. Conclusions Distal posterior circulation artery aneurysmal rupture is a rare cause of hemorrhagic MMD. This case demonstrates the capacity of these aneurysms to re-rupture following revascularization and underscores the importance of treating the aneurysms directly.
Judicial Independence as a Political Argument

This short thought piece explores how judicial independence is a political concept that is employed by political actors for different reasons in different political contexts. Scholars should turn some attention to how "judicial independence" as a political term can be used to make arguments for and against political and institutional changes in order to secure or protect policy gains from the judicial branch. It is hypothesized that some political actors might rely on judicial independence to protect a policy created by like-minded judicial actors in one political environment only to abandon judicial independence language when courts make rulings contrary to their interests. The shifting nature of judicial independence during different political eras may help scholars understand the political foundations of judicial independence.
A qualitative analysis of officer peer retaliation: Preserving the police culture

A survey of the literature shows that researchers have assessed the social processes of retaliation among adversarial crime prone populations. However, notably absent from this research is the study of peer retaliation among non‐adversarial and less crime prone populations, such as police officers. The underlying theoretical premise is that peer retaliation, defined here as a mechanism of social control, operates under prevailing police culture conditions.Using focus group interviews collected from one large Southwestern police department, content analysis is used to qualitatively examine the influence of peer retaliation on officer deviance (i.e. reporting incidents of illegal force). The results show that officers' rationalize peer retaliation according to morality and deterrence; while, types of retaliation sanctioned against peers include ostracism and no cover. The implications of these findings are considered.
The Internet and hospital marketing strategy: a survey.

This project, which was conducted in the U.S. using a large number of healthcare organizations, is an attempt to discover if we can find any evidence of the impact of marketing theories on the real world of healthcare organizations. This paper addresses three major themes: Do healthcare organizations have an Internet strategy? Are they using the Internet in a strategic fashion? Can we identify any difference among the sectors concerning the strategic use of the Internet? Finally, implications for further research and health care practices are highlighted as well.
Should i stop thinking about it: a computational exploration of reappraisal based emotion regulation

Agent-based simulation of people's behaviors and minds has become increasingly popular in recent years. It provides a research platformto simulate and compare alternative psychological and social theories, as well as to create virtual characters that can interact with people or among each other to provide pedagogical or entertainment effects. In this paper, we investigate computationally modeling people's coping behaviors and in particular in relation to depression, in decision-theoretic agents. Recent studies have suggested that depression can result fromfailed emotion regulation under limited cognitive resources. In this work, we demonstrate how reappraisal can fail under high levels of stress and limited cognitive resources using an agent-based simulation. Further, we explored the effectiveness of reappraisal under different conditions. Our experiments suggest that for people who are more likely to recall positive memories, it is more beneficial to think about the recalled events from multiple perspectives. However, for people who are more likely to recall negative memories, the better strategy is to not evaluate the recalled events against multiple goals.
The rapid separation of orotate, orotidylate, and uridylate by thin-layer chromatography. Utility in the assay of orotate phosphoribosyltransferase and orotidylate decarboxylase.

Abstract A thin-layer chromatographic method is described that achieves the complete separation of orotidine 5′-monophosphate (OMP), uridine 5′-monophosphate (UMP), and orotate. This is accomplished by developing polyethyleneimine (PEI)-cellulose with 0.2 m LiCl. OMP is retained at or near the origin whereas UMP and orotate migrate with R f values of 0.33 and 0.59, respectively. This method is well suited for studying the conversion of orotate into OMP by orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (PRTase) and the subsequent conversion of OMP into UMP by OMP decarboxylase. The synthesis of OMP and UMP by enzyme preparations from murine leukemia P1534J, mouse liver, and baker's yeast has been quantitated with this method. The results of this study showed that OMP does not normally accumulate in reaction mixtures containing either the mouse liver or P1534J enzyme preparations. This finding is compatible with the presence of a bifunctional enzyme complex comprised of orotate PRTase and OMP decarboxylase. Such a complex is known to exist in P1534J cells and is currently thought to exist in most if not all mammalian tissues. The stoichiometric conversion of orotate into UMP by this complex could easily account for the observed lack of OMP.
Forward π − p Charge-Exchange Scattering between 561 and 2106 MeV/ c

Final results are presented from a spark-chamber experiment performed at the Princeton-Pennsylvania Accelerator to measure the differential cross section near 0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} for the reaction ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}n$. The data are extrapolated to 0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and the results of the extrapolation are compared with the results of other experiments and with dispersion relation predictions. The values of the forward-scattering amplitude for the fifteen values of incident ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ momentum at which measurements were made are as follows: ($p$ (MeV/c), ${(\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\ensuremath{\Omega}})}_{0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}}$ (mb/sr)): (561,3.28), (636,2.95), (687,3.38), (750,2.48), (802,1.33), (930,2.42), (1005,3.15), (1030,3.43), (1077,1.70), (1134,1.04), (1434,0.31), (1579,0.56), (1711,0.73), (1914,0.87), (2106,0.56). The combined statistical and systematic uncertainties in these values is about \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}9%. A description of the apparatus, a discussion of the methods of analysis, and a discussion of the errors contributing to the uncertainties in the above results are included in the text.
Current trends and practices in ramp testing of digital avionics systems

This paper describes the current state of ramp testing mode-S, TCAS and other avionics systems. The paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of ramp testing and some of the problems associated with testing radio-based systems. >
Self-efficacy as a mediator in the creative productivity of gifted children.

This study investigated the relationship between self-efficacy as a creative producer and initiation of independent investigations in areas of personal interest. Subjects were 294 students in grade...
Developing Intercultural Competence through Overseas Student Teaching: Checking Our Assumptions.

The following study was designed to determine the extent to which intercultural competence, as measured by the Intercultural Development Inventory, is impacted as a result of an overseas student teaching experience. Student teachers participating in an overseas student teaching experience from 8 to 15 weeks through the Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching were assessed prior to and at the end of the experience. Three groups were compared: an experience only group; one group with experience who were also sent reflective questions every 2–3 weeks; and a stay-at-home control group. Results suggest that overseas student teaching alone without a concerted effort to address intercultural growth is insufficient in bringing about a change in intercultural competence. Recommendations for program providers and schools of education are provided.
Direct Observation of Teacher and Student Behavior in School Settings: Trends, Issues and Future Directions:

Across the modern history of the field of special education and emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD), direct observation of student and educator behavior has been an essential component of the diagnostic process, student progress monitoring, and establishing functional and statistical relationships within research. This article provides an overview of the importance of direct observation in the field of EBD and current direct observation strategies and behavioral targets, as well as an analysis of the strengths and limitations of direct observation. Recommendations, including the possible expansion of traditional direct observation metrics, are discussed.