cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Halothane gene and swine performance.

One hundred thirty-one pigs representing seven different breed groups (Minnesota No. 1 [M], Pietrain [P], Yorkshire [Y], and crosses PY, P[PY], P[NP], and P[YP]P) and three halothane gene genotypes (NN, Nn, and nn) were tested for breed, sex, and halothane gene (HAL) effects on growth and carcass performance. Breed effects were significant for all traits measured. Sex effect was significant for most traits except for meat scores. The HAL-locus linkage group explained 20 to 30% of the total variation for meat quality scores and 1 to 10% for meat quantity and growth traits. Pietrain x Yorkshire was the fastest growing breed group and had relatively good carcass quality. Pietrain and its related crosses had the most lean muscle but the lowest meat quality. The HN (HAL negative, genotype Nn) individuals within the PPY and PNP groups grew more quickly and had higher meat quality scores and less muscling than HP (HAL positive, genotype nn) individuals. A second experiment with 40 pigs showed significant differences in fat concentration in the loin muscle between breeds (M, Y, and P) and between genotypes within the NP population (NP[HP] and NP[HN]). The phenotypic correlation between fat percentage and marbling was .59 (P less than .01). The NP(HP) had higher water percentage in lean than the NP(HN). The water percentage was negatively correlated with meat quality scores of color, firmness, and marbling with phenotypic correlations of -.10, -.23, and -.57 (P less than .01), respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Neuroscience‐informed computer‐assisted cognitive training in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous psychiatric syndrome characterized by psychosis. It is also a neurodevelopmental disorder. In the earliest phases of the illness, at-risk individuals exhibit subtle, nonspecific symptoms, including cognitive dysfunction and progressive brain volumetric loss. Generally, schizophrenia is characterized by abnormal/inefficient neural system operations and neural oscillatory activity, as well as functional disconnectivity across frontal-temporo parietal and frontal-subcortical networks; it thus may best be described as a widespread neural oscillatory connectomopathy. Despite earlier views of schizophrenia as an inevitably progressive neurodegenerative disease, emerging evidence indicates that endogenous neuroplastic capacity is retained. An active area of research is directed at understanding how best to harness this learning-induced neuroplasticity to enhance neural system functioning, improve cognition, and prevent-and possibly even reverse-disease progression. In this review, we present an overview of results from the most widely used computer-assisted cognitive-training programs in schizophrenia, contrasting a broad neuropsychological rehabilitation approach with a targeted cognitive-training approach. We then review studies on the neurobiological effects of these two training methods. Finally, we discuss future directions with a focus on the "oscillatory connectome" as a key area of investigation for developing the most precise and scientifically informed treatment approaches for this illness.
Foundress queen mortality and early colony growth of the leafcutter ant, Atta texana (Formicidae, Hymenoptera)

Nest-founding queens of social insects typically experience high mortality rates. Mortality is particularly severe in leafcutter ants of the fungus-growing ant genus Atta that face the challenge of cultivating a delicate fungus garden in addition to raising brood. We quantified foundress queen survivorship of Atta texana that were collected in northwest Texas and maintained in single-queen laboratory nests, and we tracked the rate of colony growth during the first precarious months of the colony lifecycle. Ninety days post-mating flight, only 16.3 % of 141 of the original queens had survived, and colony growth rates varied markedly across the surviving colonies. Worker production was weakly correlated with fungus garden growth over the course of early colony development. Dead queens became overgrown by the parasitic fungi Fusarium oxysporum (26 % of dead queens) and Aspergillus flavus (34 %), and these fungi are therefore possible causes of queen mortality. The phorid fly Megaselia scalaris emerged from one dead queen, but was unlikely the cause of death. Under natural conditions, intense competition between conspecific colonies can amplify small differences in initial growth rates to generate drastic differences in colony fitness. The observed variation in colony growth rate therefore suggests that colony growth is likely an important target for selection to optimize fitness in Atta texana.
Diversity and Modulation of Plasminogen Activator Activity in Human Transitional Carcinoma Cell Lines

AbstractBaseline cellular plasminogen activator (PA) activity, the cellular proteins responsible for variations in PA activity and the effect of cellular PA activity on cellular adherence to and lysis of fibrin substrate were evaluated in three human transitional carcinoma cell lines. Net PA activity in the cell lines 253J, 639V and 647V was measured using a chromogenic substrate assay. These lines were then analyzed to determine the specific protein(s) responsible for differences in PA activity. mRNA and protein levels of cellular uPA, tPA, PAI1 and PAI2 were measured using Northern blot analysis and ELISA assays. Intact cells were used in an in vitro fibrinolysis assay so as to correlate cell biology with protein and mRNA level observations. Net cellular PA activity in the three cell lines varied over a 20-fold range (253J > 639V > 647V). Net PA activity demonstrated a direct correlation with mRNA transcript and protein levels of uPA. Low levels of tPA mRNA were detected in the 253J line. However, tPA p...
6.18 – Obesity/Disorders of Energy

In the last few decades there has been a considerable increase in the incidence of obesity both in industrialized nations and in developing Third World countries. This is most likely due to lifestyle changes, with increased availability of motorized transportation, reduced physical mobility, and the overconsumption of highly palatable, conveniently available, and diverse foods. In the US alone, it is estimated that obesity is responsible for approximately 300 000 deaths per year, and the direct and indirect costs of obesity exceed $100 billion per year. A number of significant health problems result from being overweight, including hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary artery diseases, dyslipidemia, gallstones, hyperglycemia, certain cancers, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis. While the recognition of the impact and importance of the obesity epidemic is widespread, remarkably limited progress has been made in the pharmacological treatment of this disorder. In recent years, two new compounds have been added to the portfolio of obesity treatments. Orlistat, a compound that limits the absorption of fat, and sibutramine, a compound that decreases appetite and increases metabolism, represent significant advances in the pharmacological treatment of obesity. However, substantial improvement in both efficacy and adverse event profiles will be required for approval of future treatments. Fortunately, over the last 10 years obesity research has provided a number of new exciting drug targets. In this chapter, we review the conventional treatment of obesity and highlight a number of opportunities that may yield effective treatments in the future.
Therapeutic plasma exchange for perioperative management of patients with congenital factor XI deficiency.

BACKGROUND Factor XI (FXI) deficiency (hemophilia C [HEM-C]) is a bleeding disorder with unpredictable severity that correlates poorly with FXI coagulation activity (FXI:C). It poses a perioperative hemostatic management challenge. For US patients with severe disease, fresh frozen plasma (FFP) or, in current use, thawed plasma is the most readily available option but comes with risk of volume overload. We report our experience of using therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) as an alternative perioperative management strategy. METHODS A retrospective review of all HEM-C patients who underwent surgical procedures. Data were collected, including demographics, bleeding history, surgical site, perioperative hemostatic intervention, and outcome. RESULTS Between July 1997 and September 2014, 28 HEM-C patients (12 men) were identified, 4 with severe disease (FXI:C <2% or excessive bleeding). Nineteen patients underwent 91 invasive procedures. For nearly 60% of the procedures, no periprocedural hemostatic intervention was provided; before 4 procedures (3 patients), 1 plasma volume TPE preoperatively with FFP was administered. Patient 1, a 28-year-old woman (FXI:C, 35%) with a history of excessive surgical bleeding, underwent 2 TPE procedures before laparoscopic pelvic biopsy and subsequent abdominal hysterectomy with salpingo-oophorectomy that increased her FXI:C to 48%. Patient 2, a 79-year-old man (FXI:C, <2%), had TPE before total hip arthroplasty, increasing his FXI:C to 24%. Patient 3, a 59-year-old man (FXI:C, <2%), had TPE before prostate laser enucleation, increasing his FXI:C to 46%. Patients 1 and 3 had mild reactions during TPE; no patient had evidence of volume overload. All patients had adequate intraoperative surgical hemostatic outcomes. CONCLUSION TPE is an effective alternative presurgical hemostatic intervention in HEM-C with potentially lower risk of circulatory volume overload.
Linear sigma model for multiflavor gauge theories

We consider a linear sigma model describing $2{N}_{f}^{2}$ bosons ($\ensuremath{\sigma}$, ${\mathbf{a}}_{\mathbf{0}}$, ${\ensuremath{\eta}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ and $\mathbf{\ensuremath{\pi}}$) as an approximate effective theory for a $SU(3)$ local gauge theory with ${N}_{f}$ Dirac fermions in the fundamental representation. The model has a renormalizable $U({N}_{f}{)}_{L}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}U({N}_{f}{)}_{R}$ invariant part, which has an approximate $O(2{N}_{f}^{2})$ symmetry, and two additional terms, one describing the effects of a $SU({N}_{f}{)}_{V}$ invariant mass term and the other the effects of the axial anomaly. We calculate the spectrum for arbitrary ${N}_{f}$. Using preliminary and published lattice results from the LatKMI collaboration, we found combinations of the masses that vary slowly with the explicit chiral symmetry breaking and ${N}_{f}$. This suggests that the anomaly term plays a leading role in the mass spectrum and that simple formulas such as ${M}_{\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{2}\ensuremath{\simeq}(2/{N}_{f}\ensuremath{-}{C}_{\ensuremath{\sigma}}){M}_{{\ensuremath{\eta}}^{\ensuremath{'}}}^{2}$ should apply in the chiral limit. Lattice measurements of ${M}_{{\ensuremath{\eta}}^{\ensuremath{'}}}^{2}$ and of approximate constants such as ${C}_{\ensuremath{\sigma}}$ could help in locating the boundary of the conformal window. We show that our calculation can be adapted for arbitrary representations of the gauge group and in particular to the minimal model with two sextets, where similar patterns are likely to apply.
145 Helmet smart at head start: using an interactive and asynchronous helmet safety education initiative to promote behaviour change among head start children

Purpose The ‘Helmet Smart at Head Start (HS)’ program was developed to promote helmet use among preschool children and to train caregivers about helmet safety and proper helmet fit. Methods We developed a 3 min audiovisual podcast on helmet safety and proper fit. Events were held at two local HS centres in collaboration with Safe Kids. Each child received an adjustable helmet while caregivers watched the podcast and completed pre- and post- surveys assessing helmet-related attitudes and practices. A sample of caregivers were surveyed again 3 months after the event. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis. Results In March 2016, over 200 children participated in the program. 50 caregivers viewed the podcast and completed the surveys. Pre-intervention, caregivers reported that their child did not always wear a helmet when using a bicycle (55%), tricycle (71%), or scooter (70%). Over 57% acknowledged their child did not own a helmet. After viewing the podcast, caregiver’s comfort level in fitting a helmet increased from 78% to 94%. In an end-of-school-year, 3 month-post-event survey of caregivers (n=40) there was a reported continued increase in the percentage of children who always wore a helmet when riding a bicycle (45% to 86%), tricycle (29% to 61%), and scooter (30% to 81%). Conclusion At an educational helmet safety event held in collaboration with community partners, injury prevention information was shared asynchronously and rapidly using on-demand videos. Providing children access to helmets appears to be a critical component in the promotion of helmet use in resource-poor settings. Significance Community initiatives at HS centres with interactive, hand-on demonstrations and on-demand audiovisual materials can effectively disseminate injury prevention information that may lead to sustained home behaviour changes.
Caveolin-1 in Stroke Neuropathology and Neuroprotection: A Novel Molecular Therapeutic Target for Ischemic-Related Injury

Cardiovascular disease and associated cerebral stroke are a global epidemic attributed to genetic and epigenetic factors, such as diet, life style and an increasingly sedentary existence due to technological advances in both the developing and developed world. There are approximately 5.9 million stroke-related deaths worldwide annually. Current epidemiological data indicate that nearly 16.9 million people worldwide suffer a new or recurrent stroke yearly. In 2014 alone, 2.4% of adults in the United States (US) were estimated to experience stroke, which is the leading cause of adult disability and the fifth leading cause of death in the US There are 2 main types of stroke: Hemorrhagic (HS) and ischemic stroke (IS), with IS occurring more frequently. HS is caused by intra-cerebral hemorrhage mainly due to high blood pressure, while IS is caused by either embolic or thrombotic stroke. Both result in motor impairments, numbness or abnormal sensations, cognitive deficits, and mood disorders (e.g. depression). This review focuses on the 1) pathophysiology of stroke (neuronal cell loss, defective blood brain barrier, microglia activation, and inflammation), 2) the role of the membrane protein caveolin- 1 (Cav-1) in normal brain physiology and stroke-induced changes, and, 3) we briefly discussed the potential therapeutic role of Cav-1 in recovery following stroke.
Benzene risk assessment: does new evidence on myelodysplastic syndrome justify a new approach?

AbstractEpidemiologic findings play an important role in benzene risk assessment, which is utilized to guide the selection of recommended benzene exposure levels to prevent adverse health effects. For decades, excess leukemia risk, especially that in the Pliofilm® cohort, has been the focus of benzene risk assessment. While more stringent benzene standards, often ≤1 ppm, have been promulgated to protect workers from developing leukemia, recent epidemiologic studies have reported elevated risk of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). This report aims to examine whether the use of new data on MDS is scientifically warranted in future benzene risk assessments. First, we reviewed current benzene guidelines, regulations, and underlying risk assessments in developed countries. Second, we examined current epidemiologic literature on benzene and MDS, which identified seven studies with simultaneous measures of MDS risk and benzene exposure and 17 studies on MDS in populations potentially exposed to benzene. Next, we ex...
Practical guide to the use of chemotherapy in castration resistant prostate cancer.

Introduction Chemotherapy, once thought to be toxic and ineffective in men with castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), has a significant impact on survival and quality-of-life in these patients. This article summarizes recent studies performed with two Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved agents which have improved survival in men with CRPC, docetaxel and cabazitaxel. Materials and methods The literature on cytotoxic chemotherapy for castration resistant prostate cancer was reviewed. The individual efficacy, mechanisms of chemotherapeutic action, and appropriate disease states of administration were identified. Recent clinical trial results of chemotherapy combined with targeted agents was also reviewed. Results Front line cytotoxic therapy consists of docetaxel combined with prednisone. In two randomized trials, docetaxel based therapy demonstrated a 20%-24% improvement in survival over the palliative standard of care, mitoxantrone combined with prednisone. Eight randomized trials combining docetaxel/prednisone with other antiangiogenic, bone targeted, vaccine or metabolic therapies failed to demonstrate an improvement in survival over docetaxel alone. Cabazitaxel, an analogue of docetaxel which has activity in taxane resistant cell lines, is approved by the FDA, for use in CRPC patients who have previous exposure to docetaxel. Conclusions Docetaxel combined with prednisone remains the standard of care as first line cytotoxic therapy for CRPC. Cabazitaxel is an effective second line cytotoxic agent that improves survival; studies are underway comparing cabazitaxel to docetaxel as first line chemotherapy. Given its lack of survival benefit, as well as the emergence of new treatments for prostate cancer, mitoxantrone has a diminished role in the treatment of CRPC.
Hydrogen Isotope Signatures in the Lipids of Phytoplankton

Though some progress has been made in characterizing and understanding the hydrogen isotope signatures of lipids in phytoplankton, there remains much more that we do not know than what we do know. This chapter reviews the current state of knowledge of the D/H signatures in algal lipids. It firstly discusses the relationship between the hydrogen isotopic composition of environmental water and lipids, both within a single species, and between different species. This is followed by a discussion on the influence of water salinity on lipid D/H ratios, followed by a discussion of the effects of temperature, nutrients, light levels, and growth rates. It concludes with some thoughts on the most pressing and promising questions to be addressed with hydrogen isotopes in algal lipids.
Synthesis and 3D Printing of PEG-Poly(propylene fumarate) Diblock and Triblock Copolymer Hydrogels.

PEG-based hydrogels are used widely in exploratory tissue engineering applications but in general lack chemical and structural diversity. Additive manufacturing offers pathways to otherwise unattainable scaffold morphologies but has been applied sparingly to cross-linked hydrogels. Herein, monomethyl ether poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and PEG–diol were used to initiate the ring-opening copolymerization (ROCOP) of maleic anhydride and propylene oxide to yield well-defined diblock and triblock copolymers of PEG–poly(propylene maleate) (PPM) and ultimately PEG-poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) with different molecular mass PEG macroinitiators and block length ratios. Using continuous digital light processing (cDLP), hydrogels were photochemically printed from an aqueous solution which resulted in a 10-fold increase in elongation at break compared to traditional diethyl fumarate (DEF) based printing. Furthermore, PPF–PEG–PPF triblock hydrogels were also found to be biocompatible in vitro across a number of engine...
Racial discrimination in TARP investments

Minority and black owned banks were significantly less likely to receive funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) Community Development Capital Initiative (CDCI). A non-minority bank with the median characteristics was approximately ten times more likely to obtain TARP funds than an African-American owned bank after controlling for other factors. We also find prior TARP recipients and banks with fewer troubled assets were more likely to obtain money from this program.
Language Outcomes Improved Through Early Hearing Detection and Earlier Cochlear Implantation.

HYPOTHESIS Early identification and intervention, earlier cochlear implantation, and mother's level of education will directly and/or indirectly impact the language outcomes of children with cochlear implants (CIs). BACKGROUND Identifying factors that contribute to the wide range of language outcomes in children who use CIs will assist healthcare and rehabilitation professionals in optimizing service delivery for this population. Universal newborn hearing screening provides an opportunity to examine the relationship between meeting the early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) 1-3-6 guidelines and child language outcomes. These guidelines recommend screening by 1 month, confirmation of hearing loss by 3 months, and intervention by 6 months of age. METHODS Participants were 125 children with CIs ranging from 13 to 39 months of age. Language ability was measured using the Child Development Inventory and MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories. RESULTS Meeting EHDI 1-3-6, higher levels of maternal education and earlier cochlear implant activation had a direct, positive impact on language outcomes. Meeting the EHDI 1-3-6 guidelines also had an indirect positive effect on language outcomes via increasing the probability that the children's CIs would be activated earlier. Maternal education did not significantly predict age of cochlear implant activation nor whether a child met EHDI 1-3-6. CONCLUSION Ensuring families meet the EHDI 1-3-6 guidelines is an early step that can lead to higher language outcomes and also earlier cochlear implantation.
Scoping Review of Pokémon Go: Comprehensive Assessment of Augmented Reality for Physical Activity Change

Pokemon Go™ (PG) is a mobile videogame that requires real-world walking to "catch" augmented reality (AR) virtual creatures. Media attention speculated that extensive physical activity (PA) could result from PG play, which could have public health benefit. Little is known about contextual factors related to PG play and how they may impact play initiation or duration. A systematic search of articles reporting the words PG was conducted with PubMed and Google Scholar. To understand the many possible influences on and outcomes of PG play, a scoping review was conducted by employing a conceptual model to organize the literature. Although large numbers of people started playing PG, these were a relatively small proportion of the relevant populations, but PG may have activated some of those most in need of PA. Diverse factors predicted who initiated PG play, but they tended to emphasize anticipated fun, escapism, nostalgia, social ties, and desire for PA. Environmental factors (e.g., unavailable GPS signals, trespassing laws) limited PG play for some. Diverse factors predicted duration of gameplay, but fun appeared to be prominent. The level of increases in PA from PG among youth and young adults appeared to be small or undetected, and of a relatively short duration (<2 months). Among older adults, however, there were modest increases in PA for up to 7 months post-release. This intensity and duration of increased PA appears to be inadequate to stem the epidemic of obesity but may have mental and social health benefits. Although many adverse outcomes from playing PG were reported, these appear to be low incidence, which should primarily influence PG players to knowingly exercise caution. Many research issues were identified to specify who might play AR games and effective strategies to enhance game design to increase PA.
Wollstonecraft a Care Ethicist? Mary Wollstonecraft's Alternative to Contemporary Care Ethics and the 18th Century Debate About Women, Virtue, and the Progress of Civilization

Mary Wollstonecraft’s "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" presents the reader with a powerful defense of women’s human rights grounded primarily in the common rational powers of all human beings. In support of the practical application of these rights, Wollstonecraft develops a vision of the widespread benefits to citizen, parental, and spousal relationships that would result from the establishment of a more just and rational social order. It is this, Wollstonecraft’s attention to the harm done to familial relationships as a result of the oppression of women, which has caused recent scholarship to associate Wollstonecraft with care theories of justice. For example, Daniel Engster (2001) has rightly pointed out that the political thought of Mary Wollstonecraft is valuable for an investigation of the relationship between liberalism and feminist care theories. However, reading Wollstonecraft into this contemporary literature leads one to overlook Wollstonecraft’s own prioritization of reason and virtue above the positive effects that a more rational social order will have for caring relationships. In order to come to Wollstonecraft with our own questions about care ethics without falling prey to some of the pitfalls of reading Wollstonecraft herself as a care ethicist, this paper will present Wollstonecraft’s thought in light of the 18th century debate in which she participated about the impact of civilization and refinement on virtue. In order to target the problem of false refinement, which she sees as responsible for the decay of virtue, Wollstonecraft critiques two opposed, yet equally flawed accounts of the impact of refinement on morals — those of Jean Jacques Rousseau and David Hume. Although Wollstonecraft uses aspects of Rousseau’s critique of artificiality for her own argument, she rejects Rousseau’s critique of the progress of civilization to herself endorse a form of rational social progress. Unlike Rousseau, Hume does have a progressive account of human history, but Wollstonecraft finds flaws in his argument as well. His is a false conception of refinement, which is driven by sentimentality rather than reason. By taking up the examples of gallantry and modesty — also used by Hume — Wollstonecraft provides the reader with her own alternative conception of a truly virtuous society. Having situated Wollstonecraft within 18th century debates, we are prepared to ask: how does Wollstonecraft’s thought speak to our contemporary debates about society’s valuation of care giving duties? In Wollstonecraft we find both evidence for the relevance of the concerns of care ethicists and criticisms of such an approach. While it is not the case that Wollstonecraft can be understood primarily as a care ethicist, her account does provide us with a valuable lens with which to view the concerns of care ethicists.
Effects of a defected GaP/Si interface on a Si heterojunction interdigitated back contact (IBC) solar cell

The current record Si heterojunction interdigitated back contact (SHJ-IBC) solar cell uses a thin a-Si layer for front passivation. With the anti-reflective coating removed, and the front a-Si layer replaced by a GaP, it can serve as a bottom cell for a monolithic III-V/Si tandem. However, a GaP/Si interface may have a high density of midgap states. Here we treat the midgap states as single-level acceptor-like and donor-like midgap traps, and investigate the impact of the traps on the IBC performance, and the potential role that a front surface field can play in passivating the two types of traps, using numerical simulation.
Acute Caffeine Supplementation Does Not Improve Performance in Trained CrossFit® Athletes

Caffeine’s ergogenic effects persist during various exercise modalities; however, information establishing its efficacy during CrossFit® protocols is limited. This study aimed to determine the effects of caffeine supplementation on CrossFit® performance. Twenty CrossFit®-trained men (age = 26.7 ± 6.2 years, experience = 3.7 ± 2.9 years) were randomized in a double-blind, crossover design. Participants completed two sessions separated by a seven-day washout period, 60 min after consuming 5 mg/kg body mass of caffeine or a placebo. In each session, participants completed as many rounds as possible in 20 min of five pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats. CrossFit® performance was the total number of repetitions completed in 20 min. Paired-samples t-tests were used to compare CrossFit® performance between caffeine and placebo conditions and to test for a potential learning effect between the first and second sessions. CrossFit® performance was not significantly different during the caffeine condition compared to the placebo (468.6 ± 114.7 vs. 466.7 ± 94.3 repetitions, p = 0.861). A significant learning effect was identified between the first and second sessions (452.4 ± 101 vs. 483.8 ± 106.5 repetitions, p = 0.001), with no significant effect of treatment order (p = 0.438). Caffeine’s ergogenic effect were not present during the CrossFit® workout “Cindy”; however, future research should include familiarization sessions and examine other CrossFit® workouts in novice and women participants.
Digital diasporas: labor and affect in gendered Indian digital publics

With the proliferation of technology and the rise of social media and other digital platforms, South Asians today are more connected than ever, especially online. In her latest ethnographic venture...
Structural distortions in rare-earth transition-metal oxide perovskites under high pressure

Owing to their structural complexity and wide range of possible chemical combinations, perovskite oxides exhibit many technically important physical properties. Pressure is a thermodynamic parameter which is useful for tuning physical properties; however, the response of the complex crystal structure to high pressure has not been thoroughly studied and rationalized. This study focuses on in situ high-pressure x-ray diffraction of the orthorhombic perovskite oxides ${A}^{3+}{B}^{3+}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, commonly found for the rare-earth transition-metal oxides of the $RM{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ formula. Each of the four families of $RM{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ ($M=\mathrm{Ti}$, Cr, Mn, Fe) perovskites in this study all crystallize in the same orthorhombic perovskite structure with the Pbnm space group. The lanthanide contraction in these materials leads to varying degrees of orthorhombic distortions that are primarily associated with octahedral site rotations. The pressure-induced change of the lattice parameters demonstrates an evolution from a suppression to an enlargement of the orthorhombic distortion for substitution of the rare-earth element from $R=\mathrm{La}$ to Lu in $RM{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ perovskites. This unusual crossover of the lattice parameters' dependence on pressure contradict the results from first-principles calculation but can be rationalized by the intrinsic distortion of the perovskite structure.
Bridging Partisan Divides: Dialectical Engagement and Deep Sociality

In recent decades, we have witnessed increasing polarization, divisiveness and hostility in political discourse. This paper outlines a relational-dialectical approach to constructive political disc...
On the use of hypothetical price data to estimate hedonic models in a developing country context

Given the lack of market-based property price data in developing countries, imputed rental prices have been recently used to estimate the implicit value of some home characteristics and related amenities. This study assesses the validity of using imputed rental prices to estimate hedonic models in a developing country context. Using data from Guatemala, we compare the derived implicit values of housing characteristics from hedonic models using hypothetical and actual rental prices. We estimate an endogenous switching regression model to control for potential endogeneity of the decision to rent a home. Our results indicate that hedonic models with hypothetical and true rental prices yield statistically different estimates of marginal values for some housing characteristics.
National Sovereignty and Transnational Philanthropy: The Impact of Countries’ Foreign Aid Restrictions on US Foundation Funding

Foundations are often criticized as organizations of elite power facing little accountability within their own countries. Simultaneously, foundations are transnational actors that send money to, and exert influence on, foreign countries. We argue that critiques of foundation power should expand to include considerations of national sovereignty. Recently, countries across the globe have introduced efforts to restrict foreign aid, wary of the foreign influences that accompany it. However, it is unknown whether these restrictions impact foundation activity. With data on all grants from US-based foundations to NGOs based in foreign countries between 2000 and 2012, we use a difference-in-difference statistical design to assess whether restrictive laws decrease foundation activity. Our results suggest that restrictive laws rarely have a significant negative effect on the number of grants, dollars, funders, and human rights funding to a country. These results call for attention to considerations of foundation accountability in a transnational context.
Health Care-Associated Infections Among Critically Ill Children in the US, 2013-2018.

Importance Central catheter–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) increase morbidity, mortality, and health care costs in pediatric patients. Objective To examine changes over time in CLABSI and CAUTI rates between 2013 and 2018 in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) using prospective surveillance data from community hospitals, children’s hospitals, and pediatric units within general hospitals. Design, Setting, and Participants This time series study included 176 US hospitals reporting pediatric health care–associated infection surveillance data to the National Healthcare Safety Network from January 1, 2013, to June 30, 2018. Patients aged 18 years or younger admitted to PICUs or level III NICUs were included in the analysis. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcomes were device-associated rates of CLABSI in NICUs and PICUs and CAUTI in PICUs (infections per 1000 device-days). Secondary outcomes included population-based rates (infections per 10 000 patient-days) and device utilization (device-days per patient-days). Regression models were fit using generalized estimating equations to assess yearly changes in CLABSI and CAUTI rates, adjusted for birth weight (≤1500 vs >1500 g) in neonatal models. Results Of the 176 hospitals, 132 hospitals with NICUs and 114 hospitals with PICUs contributed data. Of these, NICUs reported 6 064 172 patient-days and 1 363 700 central line-days and PICUs reported 1 999 979 patient-days, 925 956 central catheter–days, and 327 599 indwelling urinary catheter–days. In NICUs, there were no significant changes in yearly trends in device-associated (incidence rate ratio [IRR] per year, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.95-1.03) and population-based (IRR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.92-1.00) CLABSI rates or central catheter utilization (odds ratio [OR], 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-1.00). Results were similar in PICUs, with device-associated (IRR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.99-1.07) and population-based (IRR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.99-1.07) CLABSI rates and central catheter utilization (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.97-1.01) remaining stable. While device-associated CAUTI rates in PICUs also remained unchanged over time (IRR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.91-1.03), population-based CAUTI rates significantly decreased by 8% per year (IRR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86-0.98) and indwelling urinary catheter utilization significantly decreased by 6% per year (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.91-0.96). Conclusions and Relevance Recent trends in CLABSI rates noted in this study among critically ill neonates and children in a large cohort of US hospitals indicate that past gains have held, without evidence of further improvements, suggesting novel approaches for CLABSI prevention are needed. Modest improvements in population-based CAUTI rates likely reflect more judicious use of urinary catheters.
The Course Has Left the Classroom: Community Engagement, Consensus Building, and Experiential Learning as Socially Engaged Art History

The student projects in this chapter demonstrate the potential, broader impact and lasting influence socially engaged art history can have on a college community. Student agency and action concerning issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and community engagement contribute to a growing interest in improving the social well-being of those co-inhabiting a politicized academic space, while also effectively communicating the art historical relevance and contemporary potential of socially engaged art.
Design and Application of Distributed Feeder Automation Simulation Test Platform

Aiming at the difficulty of effective and quick functional testing and verification of distributed feeder automation in distribution network, this paper designs a distributed feeder automation simulation and test platform for distribution automation system based on RTDS. Firstly, the overall architecture and implementation method of the simulation test platform are given, and the simulation modeling of RTDS tools and the specific implementation method of the actual measurement and control equipment are described in detail. The synchronization and interaction of electrical signals and control signals of distributed feeder automation intelligent terminal in RTDS can be realized through interface module, thus a high-security simulation test platform with real-time closed-loop is constructed. The proposed test can simulate the fault morphology and logic processing function of distributed feeder automation system vividly. Finally, the feasibility and validity of the designed platform are verified by the test and application of the actual distribution network in a city.
Epidemiological trends in COVID-19 pandemic: prospective critical appraisal of observations from six countries in Europe and the USA.

Introduction Europe was the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, with the highest number of cases and deaths between March and April. In May, the infection numbers registered a fall followed by a second new rise, not proportionally reflected by an increase in the number of deaths. We aimed to investigate the relationship between disease prevalence and infection fatality rate (IFR), and the number of intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital admissions over time, to develop a predictive model, as well as appraising the potential contributing factors underpinning this complex relationship. Methods A prospective epidemiological study using data from six countries collected between 10 March and 4 September 2020. Data on the number of daily hospital and ICU admissions with COVID-19 were gathered, and the IFR and the prevalence were calculated. Trends over time were analysed. A linear regression model was used to determine the association between the fatality rates and the number of admissions. Findings The prediction model confirmed the linear association between the fatality rates and the numbers of ICU and hospital admissions. The exception was during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when the model underestimated the fatalities indicating that a substantial number of deaths occurred outside of the hospitals. The fatality rates decreased in all countries from May until September regardless of the trends in prevalence, differences in healthcare systems or strategic variations in handling the pandemic. Interpretation The observed gradual reduction in COVID-19 fatality rates over time despite varying disease prevalence and public health measures across multiple countries warrants search for a biological explanation. While our understanding of this novel virus grows, hospital and ICU admission rates remain effective predictors of patient outcomes which can be used as early warning signs for escalation of public health measures.
Automatic variable selection in ecological niche modeling: A case study using Cassin’s Sparrow (Peucaea cassinii)

Abstract MERRA/Max provides a feature selection approach to dimensionality reduction that enables direct use of global climate model outputs in ecological niche modeling. The system accomplishes this reduction through a Monte Carlo optimization in which many independent MaxEnt runs, operating on a species occurrence file and a small set of randomly selected variables in a large collection of variables, converge on an estimate of the top contributing predictors in the larger collection. These top predictors can be viewed as potential candidates in the variable selection step of the ecological niche modeling process. MERRA/Max’s Monte Carlo algorithm operates on files stored in the underlying filesystem, making it scalable to large data sets. Its software components can run as parallel processes in a high-performance cloud computing environment to yield near real-time performance. In tests using Cassin’s Sparrow (Peucaea cassinii) as the target species, MERRA/Max selected a set of predictors from Worldclim’s Bioclim collection of 19 environmental variables that have been shown to be important determinants of the species’ bioclimatic niche. It also selected biologically and ecologically meaningful predictors from a more diverse set of 86 environmental variables derived from NASA’s Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA-2) reanalysis, an output product of the Goddard Earth Observing System Version 5 (GEOS-5) modeling system. We believe these results point to a technological approach that could expand the use global climate model outputs in ecological niche modeling, streamline the modeling process, and, eventually, enable automated bioclimatic modeling as a practical, readily accessible, low-cost, commercial cloud service.
Nanoparticles size effect on thermophysical properties of ionic liquids based nanofluids

Abstract Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) systems rely on stable heat transfer fluids (HTFs) with favorable thermophysical properties to uphold high energy storage capacity and reduce costs. Ionic Liquids (ILs) is one of the potential HTFs for the next generation CSP systems. Nanoparticles are often mixed with the ILs to enhance the thermophysical properties of the base ILs. This paper presents the experimental assessment of the nanoparticle's size effect on density, viscosity, and thermal conductivity of Ionic liquids (ILs) based nanofluids. ILs based nanofluids was synthesized by dispersing 1 wt% aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles with difference particle sizes:10 nm, 30 nm, 60 nm, and 90 nm into 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide ([C4mim][NTf2]) IL. The density, viscosity, and thermal conductivity were measured within the temperature ranges of 20–70 °C, 10–90 °C, and 10–70 °C, respectively. The enhanced density of ILs based nanofluids was noticed, compared to the base ILs, however, no significant density difference was observed based on nanoparticles size. Based on the size of the nanoparticles, no significant difference was observed in the viscosity of ILs based nanofluids and average ∼ 13.71% enhancement of viscosity was recorded for 1 wt% ILs based nanofluids. However, a maximum 9.73% enhancement in the effective thermal conductivity of ILs based nanofluids was found for 10 nm nanoparticles for 1 wt% ILs based nanofluids. Depending on the nanoparticle’s concentration, maximum viscosity and thermal conductivity enhancement was reported 30% and 11% respectively for 2 wt% ILs based nanofluids with 10 nm nanoparticles.
Decreasing the Use of Aerosol-Generating Procedures in Pediatric Bronchiolitis During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: COVID-19 brought rapid changes in practice due to the early uncertainty of transmission of the virus during aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs). During a season when bronchiolitis is frequently seen in the pediatric population, alternative therapies to AGPs were preferred to decrease risk of viral transmission. Preference to treatments not considered AGPs was communicated via enterprise-wide email communication to all health care providers. In our facility, care of bronchiolitis patients is guided by a pathway (Figure 1). We aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 with regards to AGPs in our pediatric bronchiolitis population. Methods: After IRB approval was obtained, a retrospective chart review was completed comparing bronchiolitis pathway patients’ therapies (HiVNi use, respiratory treatments, and viral testing) and outcomes (LOS, RRT/code prevalence, and readmission rate). For the purpose of this study, only patients admitted to the limited stay unit (LSU) with bronchiolitis diagnosis were included. Descriptive statistics and the student’s t-test were used for data analysis. See Figure 1 for pathway details. Results: Bronchiolitis patients admitted to the LSU in 2019 (n = 638) were compared to 2020 (n = 217) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (Table 1). Average age of patients in 2019 was 8 months (4 wks–23 mo) and 8 months in 2020 (4 wks–22 mo). Prevalence of viral testing increased from 2019 (81%) to 2020 (84%) by 3%. In 2019 36% (n = 227) of patients on the pathway received respiratory treatments. Of those 88% (n = 200) were delivered via small volume nebulizer (SVN) and 14% (n = 27) were delivered by metered dose inhaler (MDI). In 2020, 27% (n = 59) of patients received respiratory treatments, 7% n = (4) via SVN and 93% (n = 55) via MDI. Use of HiVNI decreased from 2019 (52%/n = 330) when compared to 2020 (29%/n = 64) by 23%. Mean LOS was 48.73 h (20.3 d) in 2019 and 41.85 h (1.74 d) (P Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic brought rapid changes in practice due to the uncertainty of transmission during AGPs. Our institution was able to reduce AGPs by 52% for pediatric bronchiolitis patients. LOS was also reduced while readmission rates for this population were not affected. Further research must be done to examine impact outside of a pandemic related response.
Design of Observer-Based Linear Robust Controllers

In this paper, we investigate the possibility of determining a linear robust control law when the full-state cannot be measured and observers are implemented to estimate the state. We focus on systems where the uncertainty satisfies the matching condition. The control law and the observer are designed using two Riccati equations. A preliminary result establishes that if scalar parameters are chosen so that a matrix inequality is satisfied, the closed loop system is stable for the uncertainty levels of interest. Our main result shows that if the transfer function of the nominal system (or a `squared-down' form of it) does not have zeros in the right half plane, and there are at least as many sensors as there are actuators, the closed loop system can be stabilized by the approach used here regardless of the size of the uncertainty bounding Set.
CESSATION OF BENZYL ALCOHOL (BA) HAS NO EFFECT RTALITY ON MORTALITY BUT INCREASES MORBIDITY

CESSATION OF BENZYL ALCOHOL (BA) HAS NO EFFECT RTALITY ON MORTALITY BUT INCREASES MORBIDITY
Oral traumatic granuloma: Characterization of the cellular infiltrate

Abstract Oral traumatic granulomas are reactive mucosal lesions that are characterized by an intense mononuclear infiltrate (usually with eosinophils) that may mimic neoplasia. These pseudoneoplastic infiltrates were evaluated with the use of lineage-associated antibodies (CD3, OPD4, L26, KP1, XIIIa. S-100, HPCA-1, HHF-35). We determined that the large distinguishing mononuclear cells were either CD68-positive macrophages or factor XIIIa-positive dendrocytes (the oral counterparts to dermal dendrocytes). S-100-positive connective tissue cells occasionally contributed to this infiltrate. Also abundant in the infiltrate were smaller CD3-positive T-lymphocytes. Double-staining confirmed that there were separate populations of CD68-positive macrophages and Xllla-positive dendrocytes. Because some XIIIa dendrocytes coexpressed CD68, phagocytosis may be one of the functions of dendrocytes.
Polynomial Ideals and Multivariate Splines

The well-established theory of multivariate polynomial ideals (over ℂ) was found in recent years to be important for the investigation of several problems in multivariate approximation. We illustrate this point.