cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design, Modeling, Lab, and Field Tests of a Mechanical-Motion-Rectifier-Based Energy Harvester Using a Ball-Screw Mechanism

In this paper, a new-type of mechanical-motion-rectifier-based energy harvesting shock absorber using a ball-screw mechanism and two one-way clutches is proposed to replace conventional oil dampers in vehicle suspensions. The proposed energy-harvesting shock absorber can work as a controllable shock absorber as well as an energy harvester. The challenge to harvest energy from reciprocating suspension vibration is solved by integrating a mechanical motion rectifier in the proposed design, which can convert reciprocating vibration into unidirectional rotation of a generator. As a result, the proposed shock absorber achieves high energy-harvesting efficiency by enabling the generator to rotate at a relatively steady speed during irregular vibrations and improves system reliability by reducing impact forces in transmission gears. In addition, the backlash of the proposed shock absorber is significantly reduced due to the use of the ball-screw mechanism, which further increases transmission durability and efficiency. Lab and field tests are carried out to experimentally characterize the proposed energy-harvesting shock absorber. The field testing results show that, when the modified vehicle is driven on a paved road at 40 mph, the proposed energy-harvesting shock absorber is able to reduce the root-mean-square value of chassis acceleration by 11.12% over the oil shock absorber and simultaneously harvest an average power of 13.3 W for a representative period of 8 s.
Analogies in Organizational Learning and Innovation

This study addresses an unresolved question in the organizational learning and innovation literature: How do adaptive organizations generate novelty? To address this question, the study posits that analogical reasoning is consistent with many important behavioral features from the behavioral theory of the firm (BTOF) and that analogy is a core mechanism through which bounded-rational decision makers generate novel ideas in an organizational setting. Next, the study developes a notion of organizational analogy. Finally, the study offers a process model of how organizational analogy generates innovation. As a whole, the paper will advance the literature on learning and innovation and open a promising avenue for future research on organizational analogy.
Radial styloidectomy for scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse – relevance of nonunion location:

Radial styloidectomy along with scaphoid nonunion reconstructive surgery is considered an acceptable surgical treatment for stage 1 scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse. The extent of radioscaphoid joint wear that defines scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse stage 1 is unclear. An appropriate radial styloidectomy is limited to 6 mm styloid removal to prevent carpal instability. The aim of this study was to determine whether nonunion fracture location can be a guiding factor in determining whether the scaphoid bone can be retained with scaphoid nonunion reconstructive surgery and radial styloidectomy. We reviewed wrist radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging studies of 21 patients with a diagnosis of scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse stage 1, and quantified chondral wear as the length of a line (in mm) along the radioscaphoid joint traced from the tip of the radial styloid to the most ulnar position along the radioscaphoid joint. We concluded that scaphoid nonunion reconstructive surgery with radial sty...
Values and Practices in Asian Argumentation

This essay seeks to deepen and broaden our understanding of argumentation by presenting a glimpse of some Asian rhetorical heritages, and in so doing stimulate incorporation of whatever is valuable...
Ten Years of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination in the United States

Since human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was first introduced for females in the United States in 2006, vaccination policy has evolved as additional HPV vaccines were licensed and new data became available. The United States adopted a gender neutral routine HPV immunization policy in 2011, the first country to do so. Vaccination coverage is increasing, although it remains lower than for other vaccines recommended for adolescents. There are various reasons for low coverage, and efforts are ongoing to increase vaccine uptake. The safety profile of HPV vaccine has been well established from 10 years of postlicensure monitoring. Despite low coverage, the early effects of the HPV vaccination program have exceeded expectations.
A Tailored Letter Based on Electronic Health Record Data Improves Gestational Weight Gain Among Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: The Gestational Diabetes’ Effects on Moms (GEM) Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE Evaluate whether a tailored letter improved gestational weight gain (GWG) and whether GWG mediated a multicomponent intervention’s effect on postpartum weight retention among women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A cluster-randomized controlled trial of 44 medical facilities ( n = 2,014 women) randomized to usual care or a multicomponent lifestyle intervention delivered during pregnancy (tailored letter) and postpartum (13 telephone sessions) to reduce postpartum weight retention. The tailored letter, using electronic health record (EHR) data, recommended an end-of-pregnancy weight goal tailored to prepregnancy BMI and GWG trajectory at GDM diagnosis: total GWG at the lower limit of the IOM range if BMI ≥18.5 kg/m 2 or the midpoint if 2 and weight maintenance if women had exceeded this. The outcomes for this study were the proportion of women meeting the Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines for weekly rate of GWG from GDM diagnosis to delivery and meeting the end-of-pregnancy weight goal. RESULTS The tailored letter significantly increased the proportion of women meeting the IOM guidelines (72.6% vs. 67.1%; relative risk 1.08 [95% CI 1.01–1.17]); results were similar among women with BMI 2 (1.07 [1.00–1.15]) and ≥25.0 kg/m 2 (1.08 [0.98–1.18]). Thirty-six percent in the intervention vs. 33.0% in usual care met the end-of-pregnancy weight goal (1.08 [0.99–1.18]); the difference was statistically significant among women with BMI 2 (1.28 [1.05–1.57]) but not ≥25.0 kg/m 2 (0.99 [0.87–1.13]). Meeting the IOM guidelines mediated the effect of the multicomponent intervention in reducing postpartum weight retention by 24.6% (11.3–37.8%). CONCLUSIONS A tailored EHR-based letter improved GWG, which mediated the effect of a multicomponent intervention in reducing postpartum weight retention.
Social Network Analysis: Tasks and Tools

Social network analysis can provide great insights into systems composed of interacting objects, and have been successfully applied to various domains. With many different ways to analyze social networks, no single tool currently supports all analysis tasks, but some incorporate more functionality than others. Moreover, the emergence of a new class of social network analysis techniques, link mining, presents a new range of analysis support to provide by the tools. This paper introduces representative social network analysis tasks from traditional, link mining, and visualization aspects, and evaluates a set of tools with diverse general characteristics and social network analysis functionality.
Oxidized Low-Density-Lipoprotein-Induced Injury in Retinal Pigment Epithelium Alters Expression of the Membrane Complement Regulatory Factors CD46 and CD59 through Exosomal and Apoptotic Bleb Release

Genetic and immunohistochemical studies have identified the alternative complement pathway as an important component of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The objective of this chapter is to review the impact of complement regulators on complement activation in the macula as it relates to AMD. Our laboratory and other investigators have identified CD46 and CD59 as important retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell membrane complement regulators, which are decreased in AMD. Using oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDLs), which are found in Bruch's membrane in AMD, we found that CD46 and CD59 were decreased in RPE cells in part, by their release in exosomes and apoptotic particles. The release of complement regulators could potentially impair complement regulation on RPE cells and contribute to lesion formation in the outer retina and Bruch's membrane during the development of AMD.
Urinary purines in a patient with a severely defective T cell immunity and a purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency.

Recently a case of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (NP) deficiency was diagnosed in our clinic, which motivated us to start new studies in the immunological and enzymological field. We also decided to study quantitatively the patient’s purine excretions, reflecting the effect of NP deficiency on overall purine metabolism. The results of this work are given in the present paper.
System Level Performance Analysis Design Patterns

Performance analysis is a set of heterogeneous computer-aided tools that evaluate performance of a system at different levels of abstraction, complicating the performance analysis task. Through the extraction of a common object model, we seek to simplify the performance analysis task. This shared feature can be encapsulated in a design pattern. Several design patterns are identified at the system level of the performance modeling hierarchy. These provide a framework for constructing the semantics and composition properties inherent in the data modeled. The definition of design patterns for modeling such data allows commonly recurring patterns to be identified and added to the system library. These may be extended by allowing users to customize each design in a flexible and efficient manner to model the specific design at hand.
Predicting confrontation naming item difficulty.

Background: Item response theory (IRT; Lord & Novick, 1968) is a psychometric framework that can be used to model the likelihood that an individual will respond correctly to an item. Using archival...
Georgia Coastal Wetlands Landscape-Level Assessment

Abstract The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division (CRD) updated the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) for the six ocean-facing counties in Georgia based on 2006 aerial imagery. In addition to updated wetland polygons, additional descriptors were created for landscape position, landform, water flow path, and waterbody (LLWW) type in order to expand wetland classification for a preliminary assessment of wetland function. For this effort, 11 functions were identified for coastal Georgia. Wetland attributes were then identified based on the NWI and LLWW classifications and mapping software was used to spatially exhibit those attributes. The six-county region of Georgia had a total of 804,227 acres of wetlands, covering nearly 40% of the study area. Palustrine wetlands comprised 54% of the total wetlands and estuarine wetlands totaled 46%. The CRD and research partners have used the enhanced NWI for wetland restoration planning, research, and the identification of impacted wetlands. CRD funded a study to create a finer-scale resolution marsh classification based on the updated NWI that will be useful in quantifying habitats and their usage based on vegetation types.
Mary Shelley and the Rights of the Child: Political Philosophy in Frankenstein, by Eileen Hunt Botting: U of Pennsylvania P, 2018.

Eileen Hunt Botting’s exciting new monograph reads Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as a literary thought experiment on the rights of the child. Botting’s meticulously argued and deeply researched work ...
Does co-location of medication assisted treatment and prenatal care for women with opioid use disorder increase pregnancy planning, length of interpregnancy interval, and postpartum contraceptive uptake?

Abstract Introduction Women with opioid use disorder have higher rates of unplanned pregnancies, shorter interpregnancy intervals and lower rates of contraceptive use compared to women without substance use disorders. This contributes to worse perinatal and reproductive health outcomes for this population. It has been suggested that co-location of medication assisted treatment (MAT) and reproductive health services could allow for improved outcomes among women with substance use disorders. The aim of this study was to determine if location where women received MAT influenced their pregnancy planning, interpregnancy interval or uptake of postpartum contraception between subsequent pregnancies. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review at the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC). Women were eligible for the study if they had two consecutive deliveries at UVMMC between 2009 and 2015 and if they received MAT during one or both pregnancies. Women in this community can receive MAT through a public MAT opioid treatment program (methadone or buprenorphine), a community MAT program (buprenorphine), or through an obstetric provider with co-location of prenatal care and MAT (buprenorphine). Demographics and maternal and neonatal outcomes were collected and descriptive statistics were performed. Results A total of 98 women were included in the study. Of the women with documented pregnancy intention status, 84% were unplanned, for both pregnancies. Over half of women had a short interpregnancy interval (56.1%), defined as Discussion Colocation of MAT with antenatal care did not improve pregnancy planning, interpregnancy interval, or uptake of postpartum contraception. Decisions regarding family planning and continued engagement with the health care system following pregnancy remain challenges in this group of women.
Modeling a Midstream Oil Terminal for Cyber Security Risk Evaluation

High-fidelity cyber-physical testbeds that mimic the cyber and physical responses of real-world systems are required to investigate the vulnerabilities of industrial control systems. This chapter describes the construction of a large, virtual, high-fidelity testbed that models a midstream oil terminal. The testbed models interconnected tank farms, a tanker truck gantry, a shipping terminal and a 150 km pipeline connection to a refinery. The virtual midstream oil terminal helps experiment with cyber attacks, explore the impacts of cyber attacks in order to prototype and evaluate security controls, and support education and training efforts. The virtual midstream oil terminal is constructed using a novel modular modeling technique that segments the overall system into the physical system, cyber-physical link, distributed controllers, communications network and human-machine interface. Simulation results involving normal operations and cyber attack scenarios are presented. The midstream oil terminal testbed demonstrates that large-scale models of industrial control systems for cyber security research are feasible and valuable.
Human Sciences, History of

The term Human Sciences is primarily a French usage, but it refers back to a much deeper tradition in the literature claiming that works of the spirit and human experience cannot be reduced to the realm of causal science, and require different methods. Following Kant, much of this discussion has focused on the problem of the conceptual formation of human experience. Methodologically, discussion has shifted back and forth between an emphasis on concepts, on experience, and external facts. Foucault and Bourdieu extended the critical possibilities of the notion of misrecognition to ally the human sciences with critique.
Returning aggregate results of clinical trials: Empirical data of patient preferences.

Introduction The purpose of this research was to understand the preferences of patients receiving integrative medicine services for return of aggregate study results. Methods A brief online survey (survey 1) was sent to 341 cancer patients receiving integrative medicine interventions; subsequently, a minimally revised survey (survey 2) was sent to 812 individuals with various medical conditions who had been either research participants in integrative medicine studies (n = 446) or patients (n = 346) of mind-body medicine. Results Feedback to a model plain language summary was elicited from survey 1 and survey 2 respondents. Seventy-seven survey recipients (23%) responded to survey 1, and 134 survey recipients (17%) responded to survey 2. The majority of respondents to the surveys were female and 51-70 years of age. Ninety percent of responders to survey 1 and 89% of responders to survey 2 indicated that researchers should share overall results of a study with participants. In terms of the means of result distribution, 37%-47% preferred email, while 22%-27% indicated that, as long as the results are shared, it did not matter how this occurred. Of 38 survey 1 respondents who had previously participated in a clinical trial, 37% had received the results of their study. In survey 2, 63 individuals indicated that they previously participated in clinical trials, but only 16% recalled receiving results. Conclusions These results confirm that the majority (89%-90%) of integrative medicine patients are interested in receiving the results of clinical trials. The majority (82%-94%) of respondents felt the model plain language summary of results provided was helpful.
Disability Segregation in Volunteer Work

People with disabilities in the United States experience different types of paid work than people without disabilities; however, less is known about patterns in voluntary work—another form of produ...
'Dynamic Precaution' in Maintaining Financial Stability: The Importance of FSOC

The Financial Crisis of 2007-09 has shown that financial stability is the ultimate public good: all benefit from it, it is costly to maintain, and its undersupply results in catastrophe. The threat to financial stability comes along four different avenues: first, the effort by institutions within the financial stability regime to find loopholes and other sorts of regulatory arbitrage to avoid the regime’s costs; second, the effort by institutions outside of the regime to produce financial intermediation services that are the functional equivalent of within-the-regime firms; third, “innovation,” which includes the unexpected consequence of existing rules in new application; and fourth, macroeconomic forces that magnify the threat of financial instability. The forces, separately and in combination, can reshape the financial system; these forces can move a formerly stable system into one that is systemically susceptible to either an internal or external shock. One very important lesson of the Financial Crisis is that the maintenance of financial stability is an on-going project that requires an approach of “Dynamic Precaution.” This requires an institution such as the Financial Stability Oversight Council to monitor the financial system as it evolves, to call attention to emerging risks to financial stability, and to catalyze the necessary regulatory intervention. In developing a case for Dynamic Precaution, this chapter explains first, why financial institutions need to remain as the focus of the FSOC regime even while observation and regulation aimed at activities is also important; second, how FSOC can serve Dynamic Precaution by using its designation authority to negotiate “off ramps” from enhanced oversight for firms whose instability or failure would otherwise have systemic implications; and third, if the maintenance of financial stability is the apex goal, why cost-benefit analysis can play only a limited role in financial regulation.
Adolescent Sports Participation and Parent Perceptions of Resilience: A Comparative Study

Adolescents encounter a variety of challenges and risk factors that can result in adversity or unsafe behaviors often associated with mental health problems. However, the attribute of resilience can potentially buffer the effects of such risk factors. Sports participation, a form of activity available to a large number of adolescents through school and community programs, may foster resilience. This study compared the resilience levels of adolescents who participated in sports (n = 214) with the resilience levels of peers not participating in sports (n = 62), as reported by parents. Structural equation modeling was used to answer the research questions. Adolescents who participated in youth sports had significantly higher levels of parent-reported resilience (self-regulation/responsibility, social competence, and empathy) than adolescents who did not participate. High school sports predicted higher self-regulation/responsibility, while sports sponsored by recreation facilities predicted greater empathy and social competence. Finally, results demonstrated a positive relationship between the number of sports played and increased resilience scores. Implications and limitations of this study are included. Subscribe to TPE
The role of internal climate variability in projecting Antarctica’s contribution to future sea-level rise

Retreat of the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) is likely to be a major contributor to future sea-level rise (SLR). Current projections of SLR due to ice-sheet mass loss remain highly uncertain. Better understanding of how ice sheets respond to future climate forcing and variability is essential for assessing long-term risk of SLR. However, predictability of future climate is limited by uncertainties from emission scenarios, model structural differences, and internal climate variability (ICV) that is inherently generated within the fully coupled climate system. Among those uncertainties, the impact of ICV on the AIS changes has not been explicitly assessed. Here we quantify the effects of ICV on the AIS evolutions by employing climate fields from two large-ensemble experiments using the Community Earth System Model to force a three-dimensional ice-sheet model. We find that ICV of climate fields among ensemble members leads to significantly different AIS responses, and that most of the effect is due to atmospheric variability compared to oceanic. Our results show that ICV can cause about 0.08 m differences of AIS contribution to SLR by 2100 compared to the ensemble-mean AIS contribution of 0.38–0.45 m. Moreover, using ensemble-mean climate forcing fields as the forcing in an ice-sheet model significantly delays retreat of the West AIS for up to 20 years and significantly underestimates the AIS contribution to SLR by 0.07–0.11 m in 2100 and up to 0.34 m in the 2250’s. This study highlights the need to take internal climate variability into account in assessing uncertainty associated with the AIS contribution in sea-level rise projections.
Sizing up mechanical testing: Comparison of microscale and mesoscale mechanical testing techniques on a FeCrAl welded tube

FeCrAl alloys are among the best and most mature accident tolerant fuel cladding candidates produced to date, due to their superior combination of mechanical properties and stability at elevated temperatures. For fuel cladding applications, these materials are drawn into tubes with plugs welded to the ends. The mechanical properties of such welds and the impact on cladding performance have not been fully investigated. A novel mesoscale mechanical test and a variety of microscale tests were performed to evaluate a range of properties including nanoindentation hardness, compression and shear yield strengths, and tensile strengths and elongations. Micromechanical testing generally matched the trends of the larger mesoscale testing, with nanoindentation reproducing the trend the best, although some discrepancies existed in regions with low dislocation content. Mesoscale tensile testing showed good correlation with macroscale tests and revealed that the plug heat-affected zone possessed the lowest strength and ductility. This indicated that failure would occur first in or near this region.
Separation using self-assembled materials

One of the leading challenges in chemical sciences is the separation of complex mixtures. This is of vital importance for areas such as commodity chemical generation, where there is a need for the generation of high-purity chemical streams. Due to this, there has been a strong push toward the investigation of new materials capable of achieving chemoselective separation, with self-assembled materials having shown a great deal of promise for such separations. Many self-assembled materials are desirable candidates due to their low-cost synthesis, structural self-regulation, tunable properties, and an overall ease of composite material preparation. In this article, we aim to introduce examples of novel self-assembled materials and their practical usage in chemical separations. The specific approaches to fabricate these materials, as well as the strengths and shortcomings associated with their structures, will also be described. The strategies presented here will emphasize the production and employment of nonconventional self-assembled materials that exhibit a high potential for the advancement of the science of chemical separations.
Cytomegalovirus and systemic inflammation at time of surgery is associated with worse outcomes in serous ovarian cancer

Abstract Objectives: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common infection that establishes latency in healthy people. CMV has been associated with alterations of the immune compartment leading to improved responses, while inflammation has been shown to adversely impact outcomes. We investigated whether CMV serostatus predicts outcomes in ovarian cancer in the presence or absence of inflammation. Methods: A total of 106 patients with serous ovarian cancer from 2006 to 2009 were analyzed. CMV and systemic inflammation was measured using CMV immunoglobulin G (IgG) and C-reactive protein (CRP), respectively, in serum collected prior to cytoreduction. Patients were stratified by CMV IgG (non-reactive, reactive/borderline) and CRP (≤10, >10 mg/L) status. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were compared by group using log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusting for age at surgery. Results: Of 106 eligible patients, 40 (37.7%) were CMV+/CRP+, 24 (22.6%) CMV+/CRP-, 19 (17.9%) CMV−/CRP+, and 23 (21.7%) CMV−/CRP−. CRP+ had higher CA-125 levels (P = 0.05) and higher rates of suboptimal debulking (P = 0.03). There were no other significant differences in demographic, surgical, or pathologic factors between groups. CMV+/CRP+ patients median RFS and OS were 16.9 months (95% CI: 9.0–21.1) and 31.7 months (95% CI: 25.0–48.7), respectively, with a significantly worse RFS (aHR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.05–3.24, P = 0.03) and OS (aHR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.17–3.82, P = 0.01) compared to CMV−/CRP− (RFS = 31.2 months (95% CI: 16.0–56.4) and OS = 63.8 months (95% CI: 50.7–87.0)). CMV+/CRP− group displayed the longest OS (89.3 months). Conclusions: Previous exposure to CMV and high CRP at surgery portended worse RFS and OS compared to women who tested negative. The CMV+/CRP− group had the longest OS, indicating that CMV status alone, in the absence of inflammation, may be protective.
AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON FULLY CONVOLUTIONAL NETWORK AND HYPERCOLUMN METHODS FOR UAV REMOTE SENSING IMAGERY CLASSIFICATION

Fully Convolutional Network (FCN), which can adopt various Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), are now increasingly being used in remote sensing communities. CNN are improved constantly either in accuracy or by reducing parameters for a given equivalent accuracy. This paper investigates five widely used CNNs (AlexNet, VGG16, ResNet, SqueezeNet, and a pruned VGG16) in the context of FCN for coastal beach classification of imagery acquired by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). Our experiments show that (1) not every CNN is suitable to FCN for semantic segmentations of images though each CNN approximately achieved an equivalent accuracy for image labeling; (2) band reduced pruning of existing CNN has the least impact on implementation and accuracy. To examine the capability of convolutional layers capturing semantic features, this paper also carries out beach classification experiments using hypercolumn methods with VGG16.
Development and examination of the attribution questionnaire-substance use disorder (AQ-SUD) to measure public stigma towards adolescents experiencing substance use disorders.

Abstract Background Public stigma may significantly impact adolescents with substance use disorders (SUDs), leading to limited treatment accessibility and utilization. However, few measures have been validated to assess public SUD stigma towards adolescents. In this study we developed the Attribution Questionnaire-Substance Use Disorder (AQ-SUD) by modifying the Attribution Questionnaire, a commonly used measure of public mental illness stigma. We examined 1) the psychometric properties of the AQ-SUD with supporting data from other stigma scales and 2) preliminary data on adults’ perceptions of public stigma toward adolescents with SUDs. Methods Adult participants (n = 304) were randomly assigned to one of four vignettes about an adolescent with a specific SUD diagnosis (opioid, marijuana, alcohol, and stimulant use disorders). Participants completed the AQ-SUD and three other measures of public stigma designed to assess convergent and divergent validity. Results Analyses indicated that the modified AQ-SUD has good psychometric properties, and revealed a four-factor structure: negative emotions, assessment of responsibility, social disengagement, and lack of empathy. Additional public stigma scales demonstrated good psychometrics and provided evidence of both convergent and divergent validity for the AQ-SUD. Preliminary analysis of public stigma towards adolescents with a SUD suggests that attitudes about marijuana use disorder differ significantly from attitudes about other SUDs. Conclusions This study is the first to modify and validate a measure designed to assess perceptions of public SUD stigma towards adolescents, the AQ-SUD. Preliminary analyses suggest that adults view adolescent marijuana use disorders as less severe compared to other SUDs, which may have implications for adults’ motivation to support youth in seeking treatment.
In Germany, the energy transition continues

In 2010, German Chancellor Angela Merkel followed the cue of previous national leaders in announcing that the country would reduce its overall greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2020. But co...
Comparison of host-response biomarkers and inflammatory subphenotypes in COVID-19 without ARDS, COVID-ards, and non-COVID-ARDS

Rationale: A dysregulated host inflammatory response in COVID-19 is considered a central pathogenetic mechanism of acute lung injury and extrapulmonary end-organ damage. However, limited comparative data are available as to whether the host-response in COVID-19 ARDS differs from patients with other (non-COVID) ARDS etiologies, and how such differences may inform targeted immunomodulating therapeutics. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 36 intubated patients with COVID-19 ARDS and 70 hospitalized non-intubated patients with COVID-19 (COVID-19 non-ARDS), and compared them with a pre-COVID-19 cohort of patients with bacterial (n=21), viral (n=14), and culture-negative ARDS (n=30). We measured 10 host-response biomarkers of innate immunity and epithelial/endothelial injury (IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, RAGE, TNFR1, Angiopoeitin-2, Procalcitonin, Fractalkine, Pentraxin-3, ST2) in plasma. Using a 4-variable predictive model (TNFR1, Angiopoeitin-2, Procalcitonin and bicarbonate levels), we classified patients into hyper-vs. hypo-inflammatory subphenotypes. We compared biomarker levels, subphenotypes and outcomes between the clinical groups. Results: Host-response biomarker levels were widely distributed between the 5 groups, with a characteristic pattern for IL-6, IL-8, Angiopoeitin-2, Procalcitonin, ST-2 and fractalkine: COVID-19 ARDS patients had higher biomarker levels than COVID-19 non-ARDS (p<0.01), lower levels than bacterial or culture-negative ARDS (p<0.01), and similar levels to viral ARDS (Figure 1A example for IL-6). A lower proportion of the COVID-19 ARDS cohort was classified in the adverse hyper-inflammatory subphenotype (15%) compared to bacterial (47%) and culture-negative ARDS (31%) (Figure 1B). Despite the lower level of inflammatory host responses, COVID-ARDS patients had longer median duration of mechanical ventilation (20.5 [10.0-40.8] days) compared to bacterial (8.0 [5.0-25.0]), culture-negative (7.0 [5.2-9.8]) and viral ARDS (7.5 [3.5-14.8]) (p<0.01). Patients with COVID-19 but without ARDS had lower 30-day mortality (6%) compared to patients with ARDS from COVID-19 (31%) or other etiologies (bacterial 33%, culture-negative 40% and viral 21%). Conclusion: Development of ARDS from COVID-19 is characterized by intensified inflammation compared to hospitalized COVID-19 patients not requiring mechanical ventilation. Compared to ARDS from other etiologies, host-response inflammatory profiles in COVID-19 ARDS appear similar to other viral etiologies of ARDS, and are lower compared to bacterial or culture-negative ARDS. The etiology of worse clinical outcomes of COVID-19 ARDS despite the lower frequency of the prognostically adverse hyper-inflammatory subphenotype warrant urgent investigation. (Table Presented).
Randomized phase 2 study of nivolumab (nivo) plus either standard or reduced dose bevacizumab (bev) in recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM).

2015Background: Trials with anti-PD1 in rGBM have shown limited efficacy. VEGF is highly up regulated proangiogenic growth factor in GBM contributing to tumor-associated immunosuppression. Preclini...
Hyphochytriomycota

The Hyphochytriomycota are a small group of zoospore-producing organisms that, although they live like fungi, i.e., they are nonphotosynthetic organisms that usually possess cell walls during their growth phases and acquire nutrients by absorption, are more closely allied with algal groups. The diagnostic feature of the group is the presence of a single, mastigoneme-bearing flagellum that most often is at the anterior end of the zoospore as it swims. The Hyphochytriomycota have been classified with the Protista (Whittaker 1969) and Protoctists (Margulis et al. 1990), but more recent molecular data place them in a clade with the Oomycetes and heterokont algae. This clade has been called Kingdom Cromista (Cavalier-Smith 1993, and Chap. 1, this Vol., and Kingdom Stramenopila (Alexopoulos et al. 1996); others simply refer to the group as stramenopiles (Leipe et al. 1994). Molecular studies (Van der Auwera et al. 1995) of ribosomal RNA sequences of Hyphochytrium catenoides and inverted repeat sequences of mitochondrial DNA in H. catenoides (Mc Nabb et al. 1988) indicate that the Hyphochytriomycota are close relatives of the Oomycota (see Dick, Chap. 2, this Vol.). Our own molecular studies (S. Lee and M.S. Fuller, unpubl.) of the group support inclusion of the Hyphochytriomycota in a clade with the Oomycota and heterokont algae, but suggest that the Hyphochytriomycota are more closely related to some groups of the heterokont algae than to the Oomycota.
The Discount Rate Used in the Current Expected Credit Loss Standard Creates Accounting Losses Where There Are No Economic Losses

The Current Expected Credit Loss (CECL) Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) standard that goes into effect for major banks in 2020 contains a serious conceptual error. Using the contractual...
Factorial Validity of a Computer Attitude Scale

AbstractA survey was conducted of low-literate adults’ attitudes toward computers. The Computer Attitude Scale and its subscales (Computer Anxiety, Computer Confidence, and Computer Liking) were subject to validation study. The study examined the reliability and factorial validity of the subscales among low-literate adults. The results of the study suggested that the Computer Attitude Scale was a reliable and valid measure of computer attitudes among the low-literate adults, and that it could be confidently used.
Identification of new dynein heavy-chain genes by RNA-directed polymerase chain reaction.

Publisher Summary The functional differences among the axonemal dyneins are due, at least in part, to structural differences among the heavy-chain isoforms. Detailed characterization of the various isoforms should reveal the structural bases for functional specialization. To begin the characterization of the dynein heavy-chain family, an RNA-directed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was developed in collaboration with Ian Gibbons in his laboratory. Although each inner and outer dynein arm most likely is able to translocate along microtubules, the requirements for the initiation and propagation of bends place different functional demands on different dyneins. The catalytic P-loop has been identified in the complete sequences of several dynein heavy chains and is the absolutely conserved sequence GPAGTGKT which conforms to the GXXXXGKT/S motif found in most ATP-binding proteins. Degenerate oligonucleotide primers were designed to amplify regions of the dynein gene encoding the sequence surrounding the conserved catalytic P-loop. A small amount of mRNA from the cell of interest is reverse transcribed from one of the A primers. The first-strand cDNA is then diluted and a small portion is amplified with the same A primer and an equal concentration of an S primer.
On Materializations of Array-Valued Temporaries

We present results demonstrating the usefulness of monolithic program analysis and optimization prior to scalarization. In particular, models are developed for studying nonmaterialization in basic blocks consisting ofa sequence of assignment statements involving array-valued variables. We use these models to analyze the problem ofmi nimizing the number ofmat erializations in a basic block, and to develop an efficient algorithm for minimizing the number of materializations in certain cases.
Numerical synthesis and analysis of robust discrete time feedback control for nonlinear systems with parametric uncertainties

A method of numerically determining discrete time state feedback control inputs for nonlinear systems in a canonical form with parametric uncertainties is proposed. This method is based conceptually on sliding mode control and may be implemented practically by performing intensive computations off line to create a lookup table used in real time. Methods for numerically analyzing the behavior of the closed loop system are developed and proposed. In particular, reasonable sufficient conditions are established for the exponential stability of the uncertain system. These conditions may be evaluated numerically in a practical manner. This analysis method is demonstrated in the analysis of the closed loop behaviour of a system with the aforementioned numerically synthesized control law applied. This analysis method may be applied to any discrete time control law that attempts to emulate a sliding controller by forcing the system state near to a target manifold.
Inelastic electron scattering from 48Ca.

Inelastic electron scattering from $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}$ has been performed over a momentum transfer range from 0.6 to 3.0 ${\mathrm{fm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ in both forward and backward directions. Form factors have been obtained for 25 levels up to 10 MeV excitation. Charge and current densities for 11 low lying electric transitions and current densities for two magnetic transitions have been reconstructed in Fourier Bessel analysis. Three high spin states observed in the region of 9 MeV excitation are found to have the dominant configuration \ensuremath{\nu}(1${g}_{9/2}$,1${f}_{7/2}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$${)}_{8}$ $^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ but with a total strength of only 36% predicted for the first ${8}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ in a random-phase-approximation calculation. This is interpreted as evidence for particle-phonon coupling. Comparisons of the extracted densities are made with random-phase-approximation calculations using a zero-range, density-dependent Migdal interaction.
The compressive stiffness of human pediatric heads.

Head injury is a persistent and costly problem for both children and adults. Globally, approximately 10 million people are hospitalized each year for head injuries. Knowing the structural properties of the head is important for modeling the response of the head in impact, and for providing insights into mechanisms of head injury. Hence, the goal of this study was to measure the sub-injurious structural stiffness of whole pediatric heads. 12 cadaveric pediatric (20-week-gestation to 16 years old) heads were tested in a battery of viscoelastic compression tests. The heads were compressed in both the lateral and anterior-posterior directions to 5% of gauge length at normalized deformation rates of 0.0005/s, 0.01/s, 0.1/s, and 0.3/s. Because of the non-linear nature of the response, linear regression models were used to calculate toe region ( 2.5%) stiffness separately so that meaningful comparisons could be made across rate, age, and direction. The results showed that age was the dominant factor in predicting the structural stiffness of the human head. A large and statistically significant increase in the stiffness of both the toe region and the elastic region was observed with increasing age (p 4500 N/mm in the 16 year old. The changes in stiffness with age may be attributed to the disappearance of soft sutures and the thickening of skull bones with age.
Production of Antisera Using Fusion Proteins

This unit details the use of bacterially produced fusion proteins for the production of antisera, allowing for the large-scale generation of affinity-purified antibodies to specific, targeted epitopes. The use of pET vectors containing a polyhistidine (His) or glutathione-S-transferase (GST) tag to construct bacterial expression plasmids are provided as prototypical examples of fusion protein methodology. The basic protocols provided in this unit describe: (1) transformation of E. coli for high-yield production of soluble fusion protein, (2) purification of soluble fusion proteins for use in immunization using chelated nickel or glutathione affinity chromatography (for His- and GST-tagged fusion proteins, respectively), (3) immunization of rabbits with purified fusion protein and collection of antisera, and (4) characterization of antisera for antibody specificity using immunoblotting techniques. Support protocols describe the purification of His-tagged insoluble fusion proteins for animal immunization and the construction and use of affinity columns for purifying antibodies using soluble fusion proteins.
A culinary laboratory for nutrition education.

SummaryBackground Proficiency in medical nutrition requires an understanding of food-related biochemistry and the application of this knowledge in the context of culinary, cultural, psychosocial and interprofessional components. Context Our aim was to develop a teaching format where medical students could learn the biochemistry of nutrition in the context of patient narratives, interactive cooking and dialogues with nutrition professionals. Innovation We designed and implemented a day-long culinary laboratory intervention (lab), which is taught to first-year medical students at the University of Rochester with the help of dietetic interns from Cornell University. Here, we present the details of the intervention, the resources used and the preliminary outcomes on student attitudes. We designed and implemented a day-long culinary lab, which is taught to first-year medical students Methods and results A questionnaire with quantitative rating scales and open-ended questions was used to probe student attitudes regarding the educational approach used in the lab. Our preliminary findings suggest that the lab was well received and that the dietetic interns were viewed as effective teachers in this context. Implications A culinary lab is a feasible educational environment for integrating the breadth of topics within the discipline of nutrition. The experiential, food-based format appears to stimulate questions central to current nutritional controversies, particularly challenges related to translating biochemical mechanism into practical nutrition interventions. Close involvement with basic science faculty members, clinical faculty members and allied health professions are essential for this type of endeavour.
Integration of Carbon Fiber Composite Materials Into Air-Cooled Reciprocating Piston Engines for UAV Applications

The United States Navy (USN) has shown an interest in the development of small displacement, reciprocating piston diesel engines for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). These engines avoid the logistic challenges of relying on gasoline-fueled UAVs, and have relatively low fuel consumption, but suffer from poor power-to-weight ratios. Reducing weight is of significant importance to UAVs to allow sufficient range and loitering times. Carbon fiber composites offer strength-to-weight benefits over the metal components currently used in piston engines. However, composite components have more restrictive operating temperatures. None of the known previous efforts aimed at integration of composites into engines has focused on air-cooled engines and on their potential benefits for UAVs. A small, single-cylinder air-cooled gasoline engine was chosen as a convenient test platform and surrogate for an air-cooled UAV engine. The crankcase and connecting rod from this engine were redesigned using a high fraction of carbon fiber in order to reduce weight. To develop the designs, steady-state temperature profiles were measured both internally and externally. The steady state temperatures for the crankcase ranged between 93°C and 124°C while the connecting rod ranged roughly between 120°C and 160°C. Carbon fiber composite test specimens were tested for strength at a comparable range of temperatures to demonstrate thermal viability. The tensile and compressive tests showed the carbon fiber to be comparable to all aluminum material properties, if not better. Stress was modeled on the stock engine at the worst-case operating condition and used to design the composite crankcase and connecting rod to ensure sufficient strength to survive at this extreme condition. The modeled stresses resulted in a factor of safety of 1.5 for the connecting rod and 3.8 for the crankcase, although internal adhesion of bearing surfaces to fiber was noted as a problem for the connecting rod in the initial prototype, and ultimately led to premature failure. These composite components were integrated and tested, for various lengths of time, on the engine and indicate a potential weight savings of approximately 80% for the crankcase and 26% for the connecting rod. The composite case failed after approximately 20 minutes (O(104) cycles) of operation at the best torque condition (worst-case in terms of mechanical stress) due to manufacturing deficiency at the corners and base; the connecting rod failed after approximately 2 minutes (O(103) cycles) of worst-case operation due to separation of the bearing surface from fiber. Both sets of failures point to simple remedies for follow-on work. The initial prototypes resulted in an overall weight savings of 8.1%. Using commercially available data for small propeller-driven aircraft, this weight savings could be expected to result in a similar relative improvement in aircraft range.
Homocarnosinosis patients and great apes have a serum protein that cross-reacts with human serum carnosinase

Summary A specific polyclonal antiserum to human serum carnosinase was raised in rabbits and was used to prepared an agarose-protein A-antibody matrix. An antigen capture procedure showed that sera from homocarnosinosis patients, which lack carnosinase activity, contain an immunoreactive protein (Mr 75 000) indistinguishable from the carnosinase band from ormal serum. Other higher primates have active serum carnosinase and a similar immunoreactive Mr 75 000 protein. The immunoaffinity matrix was used in facile procedure to isolate pure carbosinase from human plasma with a yield of 69%. The antiserum inhibited human serum carnosinase strongly, but the maximum inhibition attained averaged only 71%. The antiserum inhibited human and chimpanzee serum carnosinases more effectively than gorilla or other higher [primate serum carnosinases.