cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward investigating changes in cell mechanoelastic properties in response to nanosecond pulsed electric fields

Nanosecond electric pulses (nsEPs) are known to cause a variety of effects on mammalian cells, ranging from destabilization of cell membranes to changes in cytoskeleton and elastic moduli. Measurement of a cells mechanoelastic properties have previously been limited to only invasive and destructive techniques such as atomic force microscopy or application of optical tweezers. However, due to recent advances, Brillouin spectroscopy has now become viable as a non-contact, non-invasive method for measuring these properties in cells and other materials. Here, we present progress toward applying Brillouin spectroscopy using a unique microscopy system for measuring changes in CHO-K1 cells when exposed to nsEPs of 600ns pulse duration with intensity of 50kV/cm. Successful measurement of mechanoelastic changes in these cells will demonstrate Brillouin spectroscopy as a viable method for measuring changes in elastic properties of other cells and living organisms.
TV advertising engagement as a state of immersion and presence

Abstract Despite widespread theoretical and practical interest in advertising engagement, scholars and practitioners share little consensus as to what it is and how it can be measured. Guided by the theories of immersion and presence, this research investigates the experiential nature of advertising engagement in the television advertising context. Using survey data ( N = 1,115 cases) on thirteen TV advertisements aired during two Super Bowl broadcasts, a definition of the construct is developed and a parsimonious, reliable and valid four-item scale for measuring experiential TV advertising engagement is produced. As conceptualized, TV advertising engagement is an experience independent of its antecedents and consequences, in which the viewer is psychologically immersed in and present with a TV advertisement. These conceptual dimensions are reflected in the four items of the produced scale.
Chiral Sugars Drive Enantioenrichment in Prebiotic Amino Acid Synthesis

Chiral pentose sugars mediate the enantioselective synthesis of amino acid precursors, with the magnitude of the chiral induction dictated by a subtle cooperativity between sugar hydroxyl groups. Ribose and lyxose give opposite chiral preferences, and theoretical calculations reveal the pseudoenantiomeric nature of transition state structures from the two sugars. Prebiotically plausible mixtures of natural d-sugars lead to enantioenrichment of natural l-amino acid precursors. Temporal monitoring and kinetic modeling of the reaction reveal an unusual dynamic kinetic resolution that shifts toward an enantioselective pathway over time, providing an amplification mechanism for the transfer of chiral information. This work adds to growing evidence for synergy in the etiology of the single chirality of the two most important classes of biological molecules, the sugars that make up DNA and RNA and the amino acids that form proteins.
A database of paleoceanographic sediment cores from the North Pacific, 1951–2016

Abstract. We assessed sediment coring, data acquisition, and publications from the North Pacific (north of 30° N) from 1951 to 2016. There are 2134 sediment cores collected by American, French, Japanese, Russian, and international research vessels across the North Pacific (including the Pacific subarctic gyre, Alaskan gyre, Japan margin, and California margin; 1391 cores), the Sea of Okhotsk (271 cores), the Bering Sea (123 cores), and the Sea of Japan (349 cores) reported here. All existing metadata associated with these sediment cores are documented here, including coring date, location, core number, cruise number, water depth, vessel metadata, and coring technology. North Pacific sediment core age models are built with isotope stratigraphy, radiocarbon dating, magnetostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, tephrochronology, % opal, color, and lithological proxies. Here, we evaluate the iterative generation of each published age model and provide comprehensive documentation of the dating techniques used, along with sedimentation rates and age ranges. We categorized cores according to the availability of a variety of proxy evidence, including biological (e.g., benthic and planktonic foraminifera assemblages), geochemical (e.g., major trace element concentrations), isotopic (e.g., bulk sediment nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon isotopes), and stratigraphic (e.g., preserved laminations) proxies. This database is a unique resource to the paleoceanographic and paleoclimate communities and provides cohesive accessibility to sedimentary sequences, age model development, and proxies. The data set is publicly available through PANGAEA at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.875998 .
Parastomal gallbladder hernia in a septic patient

Parastomal gallbladder herniation is a rare complication of enterostomies with only 6 previously reported cases. Most cases have occurred in elderly women. Patients typically presented with acute abdominal pain and the majority was managed operatively. Here, we report the clinical course of an 88-year-old female who presented with signs of sepsis and minimal abdominal symptoms. She was subsequently found to have a parastomal gallbladder herniation and Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia. Given the patient's multiple comorbidities, she was managed nonoperatively with manual reduction of the parastomal hernia and antibiotics.
Moral Hazard, Mergers, and Market Power

Most analysis of market power assumes that managers are perfect agents for shareholders. This paper relaxes that assumption. When managers of a multiproduct firm exert unobservable effort to improve product quality, price coordination incentives tradeoff with effort incentives. This makes some intra-firm price competition inevitable. When quality improving effort generates positive spillovers, the optimal amount of price competition can be as great or greater than when the products are under separate ownership. Even with some profit sharing, intra-firm price competition can be severe enough that quality adjusted price is lower under under common ownership.
Mixed Methods Evaluation and Teaching with Guatemalan Lay Midwives about Obstetrical Emergencies

Abstract Guatemalan lay midwives are on the front lines of a crisis. The Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in Guatemala is 65th highest in the world at 120 deaths per 1,000 births. Part of the problems is not lay midwives attend the majority of births despite lacking knowledge about obstetrical emergencies. Government training programs established in 1955 have not changed lay midwives' knowledge, partially due to culturally insensitively. Government training programs are taught in Spanish with written material, even though most lay midwives are illiterate and speak Mayan dialects. The purpose of this mixed methods study was threefold: to explore lay midwives' knowledge, attitudes and practices about obstetrical emergencies, to evaluate the effect of a culturally sensitive oral teaching in the native language on lay midwives' knowledge of obstetrical emergencies, and to determine if lay midwives retained knowledge from a past, culturally sensitive oral teaching in the native. language about postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). During two weeks in September 2016, 191 lay midwives from more than 30 villages participated in 11 trainings throughout the remote Peten. A one-group pretest posttest design was used for the quantitative evaluation. Focus groups were used for the qualitative evaluation. The Long Table Approach was used to develop a matrix of common themes from focus groups. A checklist from the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) was used to evaluate knowledge of obstetrical emergencies and of PPH before and after the teaching. Results indicated lay midwives retained knowledge about obstetrical emergencies immediately after the culturally sensitive teaching, but not about PPH eight years later. Focus groups themes revealed lay midwives lack education, equipment, support and transportation for addressing obstetrical emergencies. Future teachings should use a similar format to address the needs of illiterate participants in resource-poor settings and should retest participants within a year
PacBio library preparation using blunt-end adapter ligation produces significant artefactual fusion DNA sequences

Abstract Pacific Biosciences’ (PacBio) RS II sequencer, utilizing Single-Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) technology, has revolutionized next-generation sequencing by providing an accurate long-read platform. PacBio single-molecule long reads have been used to delineate complex spliceoforms, detect mutations in highly homologous sequences, identify mRNA chimeras and chromosomal translocations, accurately haplotype phasing over multiple kilobase distances and aid in assembly of genomes with complex structural variation. The PacBio protocol for preparation of sequencing templates employs blunt-end hairpin adapter ligation, which enables a short turnaround time for sequence production. However, we have found a significant portion of sequencing yield contains chimeric reads resulting from blunt-end ligation of multiple template molecules to each other prior to adapter ligation. These artefactual fusion DNA sequences pose a major challenge to analysis and can lead to false-positive detection of fusion events. We assessed the frequency of artefactual fusion when using blunt-end adapter ligation and compared it to an alternative method using A/T overhang adapter ligation. The A/T overhang adapter ligation method showed a vast improvement in limiting artefactual fusion events and is now our recommended procedure for adapter ligation during PacBio library preparation.
chromploid: An R package for chromosome number evolution across the plant tree of life.

Premise of the Study Polyploidy has profound evolutionary consequences for land plants. Despite the availability of large phylogenetic and chromosomal data sets, estimating the rates of polyploidy and chromosomal evolution across the tree of life remains a challenging, computationally complex problem. We introduce the R package chromploid, which allows scientists to perform inference of chromosomal evolution rates across large phylogenetic trees. Methods and Results chromploid is an open-source package in the R environment that calculates the likelihood function of models of chromosome evolution. Models of discrete character evolution can be customized using chromploid. We demonstrate the performance of the BiChroM model, testing for associations between rates of chromosome doubling (as a proxy for polyploidy) and a binary phenotypic character, within chromploid using simulations and empirical data from Solanum. In simulations, estimated chromosome-doubling rates were unbiased and the variance decreased with larger trees, but distinguishing small differences in rates of chromosome doubling, even from large data sets, remains challenging. In the Solanum data set, a custom model of chromosome number evolution demonstrated higher rates of chromosome doubling in herbaceous species compared to woody. Conclusions chromploid enables researchers to perform robust likelihood-based inferences using complex models of chromosome number evolution across large phylogenies.
First-in-human topical microbiome transplantation with Roseomonas mucosa for atopic dermatitis

The underlying pathology of atopic dermatitis (AD) includes impaired skin barrier function, susceptibility to Staphylococcus aureus skin infection, immune dysregulation, and cutaneous dysbiosis. Our recent investigation into the potential role of Gram-negative skin bacteria in AD revealed that isolates of one particular commensal, Roseomonas mucosa, collected from healthy volunteers (HVs) improved outcomes in mouse and cell culture models of AD. In contrast, isolates of R. mucosa from patients with AD worsened outcomes in these models. These preclinical results suggested that interventions targeting the microbiome could provide therapeutic benefit for patients with AD. As a first test of this hypothesis in humans, 10 adult and 5 pediatric patients were enrolled in an open-label phase I/II safety and activity trial (the Beginning Assessment of Cutaneous Treatment Efficacy for Roseomonas in Atopic Dermatitis trial; BACTERiAD I/II). Treatment with R. mucosa was associated with significant decreases in measures of disease severity, topical steroid requirement, and S. aureus burden. There were no adverse events or treatment complications. We additionally evaluated differentiating bacterial metabolites and topical exposures that may contribute to the skin dysbiosis associated with AD and/or influence future microbiome-based treatments. These early results support continued evaluation of R. mucosa therapy with a placebo-controlled trial.
The Effects of a Social Skills Strategy on Disruptive and Problem Behaviors in African American Students in an Urban Elementary School: A Pilot Study

This pilot study examines the effects of the implementation of the Cool Tool, a social skills strategy, on the disruptive and problem behaviors of third-grade (n=4) and fourth-grade (n =6) African American students in an urban elementary school. Following the completion of the social skills intervention in both classrooms, the findings of pre- and post-classroom observations revealed that (a) the on-task performance and socially appropriate behaviors of African American students increased and (b) teachers increased their level of praises of students' behaviors. Future research efforts should be directed toward implementing a social skills intervention to minimize problem behaviors in African American students and facilitate positive teacher-student interactions.This article is dedicated to the late Dr. Asa Grant Hilliard, III, Fuller E. Calloway Professor of Urban Education at Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, where he held joint appointments in the Departments of Educational Policy Studies, Edu...
Binding of a physiological substrate causes large-scale conformational reorganization in cytochrome P450 51

Sterol 14α-demethylases (CYP51s) are phylogenetically the most conserved cytochromes P450, and their three-step reaction is crucial for biosynthesis of sterols and serves as a leading target for clinical and agricultural antifungal agents. The structures of several (bacterial, protozoan, fungal, and human) CYP51 orthologs, in both the ligand-free and inhibitor-bound forms, have been determined and have revealed striking similarity at the secondary and tertiary structural levels, despite having low sequence identity. Moreover, in contrast to many of the substrate-promiscuous, drug-metabolizing P450s, CYP51 structures do not display substantial rearrangements in their backbones upon binding of various inhibitory ligands, essentially representing a snapshot of the ligand-free sterol 14α-demethylase. Here, using the obtusifoliol-bound I105F variant of Trypanosoma cruzi CYP51, we report that formation of the catalytically competent complex with the physiological substrate triggers a large-scale conformational switch, dramatically reshaping the enzyme active site (3.5-6.0 A movements in the FG arm, HI arm, and helix C) in the direction of catalysis. Notably, our X-ray structural analyses revealed that the substrate channel closes, the proton delivery route opens, and the topology and electrostatic potential of the proximal surface reorganize to favor interaction with the electron-donating flavoprotein partner, NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase. Site-directed mutagenesis of the amino acid residues involved in these events revealed a key role of active-site salt bridges in contributing to the structural dynamics that accompanies CYP51 function. Comparative analysis of apo-CYP51 and its sterol-bound complex provided key conceptual insights into the molecular mechanisms of CYP51 catalysis, functional conservation, lineage-specific substrate complementarity, and druggability differences.
Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella on Bruised and Unbruised Tomatoes from Three Ripeness Stages at Two Temperatures.

Tomatoes are one of the major fresh produce commodities consumed in the United States. Harvesting tomato fruit at a later stage of development can enhance consumer acceptance but can also increase damage due to bruising. Bruising can affect the quality of whole tomatoes by causing an unacceptable appearance and accelerating decay. Bruising may also facilitate bacterial attachment to the fruit surface and support growth of pathogens. This study evaluated the survival and/or proliferation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella on the surface of artificially bruised and unbruised tomatoes at three ripeness stages (breaker, pink, and red) and two storage temperatures (10 and 20°C). A total of 1,440 tomatoes, 720 for each organism, were analyzed. Both E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella counts declined significantly ( P 0.05) on the survival of E. coli O157:H7 (CFU per tomato) compared with the unbruised tomatoes, in most cases. Tomatoes from the red ripeness stage showed a significant effect ( P < 0.05) of bruising on Salmonella survival at both 10 and 20°C. Similar to the colony count results, the frequency (presence or absence) of inoculated tomatoes with detectable levels of inoculated bacteria decreased significantly ( P < 0.05) over time. At the lower temperature, E. coli O157:H7 was recovered from significantly higher ( P < 0.05) numbers of breaker and pink tomatoes, whereas there was no effect of temperature on the overall survival of E. coli O157:H7 on red tomatoes. Results from this study are essential for understanding the effects of bruising on produce safety and for producers and packers to develop mitigation strategies to control pathogenic and spoilage organisms.
Expanding the Phenotypic Spectrum of CACNA1H Mutations.

Abstract Background The CACNA1H gene mutations encoding the α1H subunit of Cav3.2 T-type calcium channels have been associated with generalized epilepsy. Focal or multifocal epilepsy and systemic (immunologic and gastrointestinal) involvement associated with these mutations have not been described previously. We detail the clinical characteristics of five patients with CACNA1H mutations and expand its phenotypic spectrum. Methods A case series of five patients with pathogenic CACNA1H mutations was evaluated. The pathogenicity of the mutations was predicted by polymorphism phenotyping (Polyphen-2) and sorting-intolerant-from-tolerant analysis. Results Mean age of seizure onset was 8.2 ± 3.7 years. Three patients had de novo mutations in the CACNA1H gene, and two patients inherited the mutation from an asymptomatic parent. The patients experienced different types of seizures including absence, focal seizures without awareness, focal seizures with secondary generalization, and myoclonic, atonic, and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Electroencephalography showed focal, multifocal, or generalized discharges. One patient had autism and global developmental delay. Two patients had failure to thrive and selective antibody deficiency. Conclusions CACNA1H mutations can be associated with susceptibility to develop generalized epilepsy and focal or multifocal epilepsy of varying severity. Phenotypic features involving other organ systems (immune, gastrointestinal) can occur in addition to epilepsy, developmental delay, and autism.
Green chemistry in United States science policy

Although optimizing each of the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry is necessary for achieving the greenest possible chemistry in the lab, there are additional creative ways to promote green chemi...
Estimating Complete Life Tables for Populations with Limited Size: From Graduation to Equivalent Construction

Reliable complete life tables cannot be directly calculated for small populations, but they are necessary to improve population projections that are the basis of various programs such as social sec...
Empirical Likelihood Ratio Tests of Conditional Moment Restrictions With Unknown Functions

This article introduces empirical likelihood ratio tests for conditional moment models in which the unknown parameter contains infinite-dimensional components. We allow unknown functions to be incl...
Discovery of an arsenic and mercury co-elevation in the Midwest United States using reference laboratory data.

Abstract This study aimed to determine if there is a co-elevation of human blood arsenic and mercury levels in the Midwestern population of the United States (U.S.) and to determine any geographical patterns and variation of arsenic and mercury that may exist in Michigan. 58,800 blood specimens along with associated demographic/geographic data from the contiguous United States were reviewed. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to analyze demographic/geographic variables associated with elevated arsenic concentrations. Furthermore, blood data from patients in Michigan were aggregated to the ZIP code tabulation area (ZCTA) in order to assess geographic variation using spatial regression models. SaTScan software was also used to analyze potential clustering of arsenic and mercury across Michigan ZCTAs. Within the contiguous United States, elevated mercury blood concentrations, older age, female sex, and coastal status were all associated with elevated arsenic blood concentrations (elevated mercury odds ratio (OR) 3.18 (3.04–3.33); female sex OR 1.06 (1.02–1.11); +10 yr age OR 1.12 (1.11–1.14); coastal state OR 1.33 (1.27–1.40). Within the state of Michigan, as with the continuous U.S., elevated mercury blood concentrations and older age were associated with elevated arsenic blood concentrations (elevated mercury OR 2.75 (2.38–3.18); female sex OR 1.06 (0.95–1.19); +10 yr age OR 1.10 (1.06–1.13). Using spatial regression, it was determined that within Michigan, economic inequality (measured via the Gini coefficient) was also associated with elevated concentrations of mercury in the blood. Clinical reference laboratory data, in conjunction with spatial analysis methods, may enhance our understanding of how elemental exposure affects human health and should be considered for studying how environmental contaminants, socioeconomics and geography affect the health of populations.
The Impact of Individual and Organizational Factors on Correctional Officers’ Job Satisfaction

Using a sample of 602 correctional officers from facilities of varying security levels, this study explores the association of individual and organizational perceptions of officer job satisfaction....
CT in Musculoskeletal Applications

This chapter reviews musculoskeletal applications of CT, in particular the recently introduced extremity cone-beam CT (CBCT) with capability for weight-bearing imaging. We discuss the design, artifact correction algorithms, and imaging performance of extremity CBCT and present potential clinical applications of weight-bearing scans. The current and emerging applications of CT and CBCT in orthopedics are described, including anatomical measurements and their automation, volumetric assessment of joint space, and quantitative evaluation of bone microstructure and composition. Because of its functional (weight-bearing) and quantitative character, musculoskeletal radiology provides a fruitful ground for development of new CT technologies and CT-based biomarkers. Some of the promising recent advances are briefly discussed in the chapter: high-resolution CMOS-based extremity CBCT, robotic x-ray systems with capability for 3D imaging of weight-bearing hips and spine, and new generation of conventional CT scanners with enhanced spatial resolution.
Sex does not have an impact on perioperative transfemoral carotid artery stenting outcomes among octogenarians

Abstract Objective Transfemoral carotid artery stenting (CAS) has been validated as an acceptable alternative to carotid endarterectomy in patients at high risk for open surgery. There are variable sex- and age-based differences in transfemoral CAS outcomes of published randomized controlled trials. The aim of our study was to evaluate sex-based differences in perioperative outcomes after transfemoral CAS performed in octogenarians. Methods The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program targeted vascular module was queried for all patients ≥80 years of age who underwent transfemoral CAS between 2011 and 2017. Symptomatic status was defined as a history of prior ipsilateral stroke, transient ischemic attack, or amaurosis fugax. The primary outcome was a composite outcome of perioperative (30-day) stroke or death. Outcomes were compared for male vs female patients and stratified by symptomatic status using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusting for emergent status, symptomatic status, comorbidities, and use of an embolic protection device. Results Overall, there were 143 patients ≥80 years of age who underwent transfemoral CAS during the study period, including 95 men (66.4%) and 48 women (33.6%). Race (white, 88.0% vs 85.4%), symptomatic status (30.9% vs 29.2%), and degree of stenosis (severe, 71.6% vs 62.5%) were not significantly different for men vs women (P ≥ .27). Periprocedural stroke/death occurred in six men (6.4%) vs two women (4.2%; P = .59) and did not significantly differ when stratified according to symptomatic (6.9% vs 7.1%; P = .98) and asymptomatic (6.2% vs 2.9%; P = .49) status. Based on multivariable analysis, independent factors associated with the composite end point included emergent vs elective status (adjusted odds ratio OR [aOR], 20.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.25-183) and failure to use an embolic protection device (aOR, 2.86; 95% CI, 1.59-50.0). Sex was not significantly associated with the primary outcome after risk adjustment (aOR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.28-3.28). Conclusions We found no sex-based differences in risk of perioperative stroke/death among patients ≥80 years of age undergoing transfemoral CAS. Our study validates previous studies showing a high rate of perioperative complications after transfemoral CAS in octogenarians and suggests that the decision to use this technology in older patients should be determined by patients' anatomic and medical risk factors irrespective of sex.
Evaluation of the Pulmonary System

Neurological conditions affecting the larynx often coincide with respiratory issues, highlighting the importance of multispecialty care of these patients that includes pulmonologists. In this chapter, we provide a background on pulmonary evaluation and discuss several potential issues: Laryngeal dysfunction may mimic respiratory disease, with symptoms such as shortness of breath and abnormal airway sounds. In many diseases of the larynx, laryngeal dysfunction leads to a risk of pulmonary aspiration and pneumonia. In neuromuscular conditions, concurrent respiratory muscle weakness must be recognized for proper comprehensive care and perioperative evaluation. Increasingly, patients with respiratory muscle weakness are managed with noninvasive respiratory support including noninvasive ventilation and airway clearance modalities. In patients with severe laryngeal dysfunction, treatment including tracheostomy and possible mechanical ventilation (e.g., invasive approach) may still be warranted but should be evaluated with consideration of the patient’s values and preferences.
Bacterial Membrane Vesicles and Their Applications as Vaccines and in Biotechnology

Human society has coevolved with our invisible, microbial neighbors. From their use in the processing of food and drink to the manufacture of commercial products and therapeutics, bacteria, yeast, and fungi are invaluable tools to many aspects of our existence. Despite our long history together, researchers are only recently beginning to understand the complexities of these relationships and how the microbial world can fully be exploited. In the last 50 years alone, researchers have shown that bacteria can be used to manufacture drugs to aid in the treatment of medical disorders such as diabetes, that environmental microbes can be used to clean up chemical spills and disasters, and that the microbial communities that reside within our bodies are capable of influencing our mental and physical health. With this greater understanding comes new avenues of research to utilize these microbes to advance human society. Here we discuss efforts to utilize both native and engineered membrane vesicles shed by bacteria and their potential applications to several areas of biotechnology. We highlight the use of bacterial membrane vesicles in vaccine research and as emerging therapeutics as well as exploring their potential commercial applications and benefits.
Dynamic regulation of translation quality control associated with ribosome stalling

Translation of problematic mRNA sequences induces ribosome stalling. Collided ribosomes at the stall site are recognized by cellular quality control machinery, resulting in dissociation of the ribosome from the mRNA and subsequent degradation of the nascent polypeptide and in some organisms, decay of the mRNA. However, the timing and regulation of these processes are unclear. We developed a SunTag-based reporter to monitor translation in real time on single mRNAs harboring difficult-to-translate poly(A) stretches. This reporter recapitulates previous findings in human cells that an internal poly(A) stretch reduces protein output ~10-fold, while mRNA levels are relatively unaffected. Long-term imaging of translation indicates that poly(A)-containing mRNAs are robustly translated in the absence of detectable mRNA cleavage. However, quantification of ribosome density reveals a ~3-fold increase in the number of ribosomes on poly(A)-containing mRNAs compared to a control mRNA, consistent with queues of many stalled ribosomes. Using single-molecule harringtonine runoff experiments, we observe the resolution of these queues in real-time by the cellular quality control machinery, and find that rescue is very slow compared to both elongation and termination. We propose that the very slow clearance of stalled ribosomes provides the basis for the cell to distinguish between transient and deleterious stalls, and that the human quality control apparatus predominantly targets the nascent protein rather than the mRNA.
The Environmental Health and Emergency Preparedness Impacts of Hurricane Katrina

Storms of this magnitude coupled with floodwater inundation reveal how complex the sources and types of chemical and elemental hazards can be, hazards that include pollutants mobilized from hazardous waste sites, oil spills, and formaldehyde off-gassing in temporary housing units 1 Adverse respiratory outcomes associated with both acute and chronic exposures to particulate matter, including biological and chemical hazards, were prevalent in Katrina disaster victims, first responders, and the workforce, including transient volunteers, who are typically involved in remediation, demolition, and cleanup of affected residential and industrial areas 2 Noise exposure and heat stress associated with heavy equipment use and physical labor during summer months in hurricane-prone regions are consistent sources of disaster-related injury Duration and frequency of exposures must be considered in addition to the levels or concentrations of the pollutants Because proper and accurate exposure assessments were and continue to be poorly documented before and after disasters, it remains a public health challenge to clearly associate exposures with particular chemicals or toxins with adverse health outcomes Excessive standing floodwaters, flooded swimming pools, and warmer temperatures after Katrina provided optimal conditions for mosquito larvae, including the vector of West Nile virus;cases of West Nile fever nearly doubled compared with previous years but have since stabilized to average ranges 4 The crowding of infected and susceptible hosts, interruptions of ongoing control programs, and a weakened public health infrastructure further increased risk factors for the transmission of vector-borne diseases Correspondence should be sent to Stephen A Murphy, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St, Suite 2100, New Orleans, LA 70112 (e-mail: smurphy1@ tulane edu)
Wavelet decomposition facilitates training on small datasets for medical image classification by deep learning

The adoption of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) as the standard of care for lung cancer screening results in decreased mortality rates in high-risk population while increasing false-positive rate. Convolutional neural networks provide an ideal opportunity to improve malignant nodule detection; however, due to the lack of large adjudicated medical datasets these networks suffer from poor generalizability and overfitting. Using computed tomography images of the thorax from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), we compared discrete wavelet transforms (DWTs) against convolutional layers found in a CNN in order to evaluate their ability to classify suspicious lung nodules as either malignant or benign. We explored the use of the DWT as an alternative to the convolutional operations within CNNs in order to decrease the number of parameters to be estimated during training and reduce the risk of overfitting. We found that multi-level DWT performed better than convolutional layers when multiple kernel resolutions were utilized, yielding areas under the receiver-operating curve (AUC) of 94% and 92%, respectively. Furthermore, we found that multi-level DWT reduced the number of network parameters requiring evaluation when compared to a CNN and had a substantially faster convergence rate. We conclude that utilizing multi-level DWT composition in place of early convolutional layers within a DNN may improve for image classification in data-limited domains.
Tale of Seven Alerts: Enhancing Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) to Reduce Cellular Network Usage During Disasters.

In weather disasters, first responders access dedicated communication channels different from civilian commercial channels to facilitate rescues. However, rescues in recent disasters have increasingly involved civilian and volunteer forces, requiring civilian channels not to be overloaded with traffic. We explore seven enhancements to the wording of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) and their effectiveness in getting smartphone users to comply, including reducing frivolous mobile data consumption during critical weather disasters. We conducted a between-subjects survey (N=898), in which participants were either assigned no alert (control) or an alert framed as Basic Information, Altruism, Multimedia, Negative Feedback, Positive Feedback, Reward, or Punishment. We find that Basic Information alerts resulted in the largest reduction of multimedia and video services usage; we also find that Punishment alerts have the lowest absolute compliance. This work has implications for creating more effective WEAs and providing a better understanding of how wording can affect emergency alert compliance.
Single Center Experience with the Heartmate 3 Continuous-Flow Ventricular Assist Device in Pediatric Patients

Purpose The HeartMate 3 ventricular assist device (VAD) is a newer centrifugal continuous-flow VAD used for bridge-to-transplant and destination therapy in adults. However, there is limited experience regarding its use in children and adolescents. Methods We examined the outcomes of pediatric patients undergoing HeartMate 3 implantation at our institution between January 2016 and September 2020. Indications were bridge-to-transplant and bridge-to-recovery. All patients were in INTERMACS 2 profile at the time of surgery. In the early postoperative period bivalirudin was used as a bridge to warfarin therapy in all patients. Results Seven HeartMate 3 were implanted in five patients, with a median age of 14.5 (9.0-16.5) years, median weight of 48 (40.0-75.0) kg, and median body surface area (BSA) of 1.43 (1.36-1.92) m 2. Of the cohort, all patients but one weighed Conclusion Use of the HeartMate 3 in children and adolescents was associated with no mortality. All patients were successfully implanted and supported, some for several months, indicating that this device is appropriate for older children and adolescents. The HeartMate 3 device in a RVAD configuration was able to provide satisfactory hemodynamic support. The anticoagulation protocol with bivalirudin to warfarin transition proved excellent virtually eliminating bleeding and thromboembolic events.
Measures and Best Practices for Responsible AI

The use of machine learning (ML) based systems has become ubiquitous including their usage in critical applications like medicine and assistive technologies. Therefore, it is important to determine the trustworthiness of these ML models and tasks. A key component in this determination is the development of task specific datasets, metrics, and best practices which are able to measure the various aspects of responsible model development and deployment including robustness, interpretability and fairness. Further, datasets are also key when training for a given task, be it coreference resolution in language modeling or facial recognition in computer vision. Imbalances and inadequate representation in datasets can have repercussions of an undesirable nature. Some common examples include how coreference resolution systems in NLU are often not all gender inclusive, discrepancies in the measurement of how robust and trustworthy machine predictions are in domains where the selective labels problem is prevalent, and discriminatory determination of pain or care levels of people belonging to different demographics in health science applications. Development of task specific datasets which do better in this regard is also extremely vital. In this workshop, we invite contributions towards different (i) datasets which help enhance task performance and inclusivity, (ii) measures and metrics which help in determining the trustworthiness of a model/dataset, (iii) assessment or remediation tools for fairer, more transparent, robust, and reliable models, and (iv) case studies describing responsible development and deployment of AI systems across fields such as healthcare, financial services, insurance, etc. The datasets, measures, mitigation techniques, and best practices could focus on different areas including (but not restricted to) the following: Fairness and Bias Robustness Reliability and Safety Interpretability Explainability Ethical AI Causal Inference Counterfactual Example Analysis They could also be focussed on the applications in diverse fields such as industry, finance, healthcare and beyond. Text based datasets can be in languages other than English as well.
Multi-Beam Integration for On-chip Quantum Devices

We photonically generate 12 free-space well-collimated beams at 461 nm and 689 nm wavelengths with customized beam profiles and emission angles needed for a Sr MOT. The device advanced photonics interfaces for atomic physics.
What’s in a Name? Etienne-Louis Boullée’s Redesign of the Bibliothèque du Roi, 1780–88

Instead of asking, “What is the attitude of a work to the relations of production of its time? Does it accept them, is it reactionary? Or does it aim at overthrowing them, is it revolutionary?”—ins...
The Practical Application of Grain Noise Models in Titanium Billets and Forgings

For pulse/echo ultrasonic inspections of metal components, mathematical models have been developed which can be be used to assess the likelihood of flaw detection. For example, for various classes of simple defects (e.g., flat cracks, spheroidal inclusions), measurement models [1] based on Auld’s reciprocity relationship can predict the RF echo seen on an oscilloscope when the defect is present at some given location in the component. Other models can predict the average level of backscattered microstructural noise that is seen when no defect is present [2]. Together, the models can be used to estimate signal-to-noise ratios for defects of various types, sizes, and locations [3]. Even when all model assumptions are satisfied, accurate predictions require accurate knowledge of transducer characteristics and pertinent properties of the metal specimen. For the prediction of grain noise levels using the Independent-Scatterer Noise Model [2], for example, the required material properties are the density, wave speed, attenuation coefficient, and Figure-of-Merit (FOM) describing the contribution of the metal microstructure to the backscattered noise. In addition to the above metal properties, the geometrical focal length and effective diameter of the transducer must also be be known. All of these model inputs must be deduced by auxilary measurements.
Scalable optical switch fabric for avionic networks

An optical packet switch fabric for avionic networks is described. The switch core uses waveguide grating routers (WGRs) and star couplers, i.e. only passive optical components. The only active switching elements are tunable lasers located at the transmitters. A switching time of 5 ns is experimentally demonstrated.
Average infant formula and breastmilk intake among WIC infants reflects food package changes (632.9)

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides food vouchers in “packages” to low-income, at risk participants. Prior to 2009, food packages for all infants included vouchers for 806 ounces/month of infant formula, regardless of feeding mode, a potential barrier to breastfeeding. In 2009, the WIC packages were modified to improve nutrient intake and to address the historically low rates of breastfeeding among WIC mothers. Formula is now allocated based on feeding mode, with more formula provided to fully formula fed (FF), less to partially formula fed (PF), and none to fully breastfed (BF) infants. The intent of this study was to determine whether formula and breastmilk intake of infants participating in a central Texas WIC clinic reflected this new allocation of formula. Using ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test, we analyzed 24-hour recall data collected from 82 WIC caregivers of infants 4-12 months using Nutrition Data System for Research. Among infants 4-6 months...
Toxicoproteomics: Preclinical Studies

Toxicoproteomics is the application of global protein measurement technologies to toxicology research. The wide application of proteomics has generated great interest and enthusiasm in many established scientific disciplines in basic biology and medicine, including the field of toxicology. The article discusses various aspects of toxicoproteomics in the preclinical development of drugs, including mechanistic toxicology and preclinical models of idiosyncratic toxicity. Keywords: toxicoproteomics; protein measurement; drug development; idiosyncratic toxicity; mechanistic toxicology
Role of cyclin-dependent kinases and their inhibitors in cellular differentiation and development

The proliferation of normal cells is regulated by a combination of stimulatory and inhibitory factors that can respond to external signals in a coordinated manner (MacLachlan et al. 1995; Grana and Reddy 1995; Paggi et al. 1996). Various mitogens, growth factors, cytokines, and a host of other agents can perturb the cell cycle machinery eliciting proliferation, differentiation, or apoptosis (Reed et al. 1994; Reddy 1994). Any permanent alteration of the cell cycle-regulatory mechanisms can lead to abnormal proliferation, resulting in neoplasia (Blshor 1987, 1991; Morgan 1992). Such a situation can result following the inactivation of various tumor suppressor proteins, such as Rb and its family members and p53 (Marshall 1991; Cobrinik et al. 1992; Hollingsworth et al. 1993; Ewen 1994; Hooper 1994; Picksley and Lane 1994; Weinberg 1995; Giordano and Kaiser 1996), or by the dominant activation of positive-acting components of the cell cycle machinery, such as the cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) or proto-oncogenes (Pines 1995a, b; Kamb 1995; Bates and Peters 1995).
Destruction of Innocence: The Friedman Case: How Coerced Testimony & Confessions Harm Children, Families & Communities for Decades after the Wrongful Convictions Occur

Between 1984 and 1995, at least 72 individuals were convicted during the national hysteria of mass child molestation and satanic ritual abuse cases. Almost all those convictions have since been overturned. This paper analyzes the present-day, on-going impact from wrongful convictions, focusing on the Friedman case, well-known as the subject of the landmark documentary film, Capturing the Friedmans. Though the US Appeals Court has ruled that Jesse Friedman was likely wrongfully convicted, the case has not yet been overturned. The impact on wrongly-imprisoned defendants is obvious, however the impact on hundreds of children has rarely been considered. Initially sure they were not sexually abused, and confident in their perceptions of reality, these children were dragged to a place of confusion, mistrust of adults, and uncertainty about themselves and the world. This paper provides new evidence and insight from extensive interviews with people police alleged were molested – and who now as adults confirm they were coerced into making false accusations. Also revealed are new witnesses who were present during alleged crimes against others, and now confirm there was no molestation. Child sexual abuse does happen, of course, and is a profound social issue; at the same time, false and hysteria-driven prosecutions robbed resources from cases of actual sex crimes, reduce the public’s faith in the legitimacy of such prosecutions, and interfered with the protection of children. The Friedman case provides a unique opportunity to heal a community still suffering from the wounds of false accusation, confusion, and deceit.
Robust reputations for peer-to-peer marketplaces

We have developed a suite of algorithms to address two problems confronting reputation systems for large peer-to-peer markets: data sparseness and inaccurate feedback. To mitigate the effect of inaccurate feedback – particularly retaliatory negative feedback – we propose EM-trust, which uses a latent variable statistical model of the feedback process. To handle sparse data, we propose Bayesian versions of both EM-trust and the well-known Percent Positive Feedback system. Using a marketplace simulator, we demonstrate that these algorithms provide more accurate reputations than standard Percent Positive Feedback.
Knowledge-based user interface migration

A significant problem in reengineering large systems is adapting the user interface to a new environment. Often, drastic changes in the user interface are inevitable, as in migrating a text-based system to a workstation with graphical user interface capabilities. This experience report chronicles a study of user interface migration issues, examining and evaluating current tools and techniques. It also describes a case study under taken to explore the use of knowledge engineering to aid in migrating interfaces across platforms. >
Generation, persistence and plasticity of CD4 T‐cell memories

The development of immune memory mediated by T lymphocytes is central to durable, long-lasting protective immunity. A key issue in the field is how to direct the generation and persistence of memory T cells to elicit the appropriate secondary response to provide protection to a specific pathogen. Two prevailing views have emerged; that cellular and molecular regulators control the lineage fate and functional capacities of memory T cells early after priming, or alternatively, that populations of memory T cells are inherently plastic and subject to alterations in function and/or survival at many stages during their long-term maintenance. Here, we will review current findings in CD4 T-cell memory that suggest inherent plasticity in populations of memory CD4 T cells at all stages of their development – originating with their generation from multiple types of primed CD4 T cells, during their persistence and homeostatic turnover in response to T-cell receptor signals, and also following secondary challenge. These multiple aspects of memory CD4 T-cell flexibility contrast the more defined lineages and functions ascribed to memory CD8 T cells, suggesting a dynamic nature to memory CD4 T-cell populations and responses. The flexible attributes of CD4 T-cell memory suggest opportunities and mechanisms for therapeutic manipulation at all phases of immune memory development, maintenance and recall.