cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Men's Eating and Living (MEAL) study (CALGB 70807 [Alliance]): recruitment feasibility and baseline demographics of a randomized trial of diet in men on active surveillance for prostate cancer.

Author(s): Parsons, J Kellogg; Pierce, John P; Mohler, James; Paskett, Electra; Jung, Sin-Ho; Morris, Michael J; Small, Eric; Hahn, Olwen; Humphrey, Peter; Taylor, John; Marshall, James | Abstract: ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility of performing national, randomized trials of dietary interventions for localized prostate cancer.MethodsThe Men's Eating and Living (MEAL) study (CALGB 70807 [Alliance]) is a phase III clinical trial testing the efficacy of a high-vegetable diet to prevent progression in patients with prostate cancer on active surveillance (AS). Participants were randomized to a validated diet counselling intervention or to a control condition. Chi-squared and Kruskal-Wallis analyses were used to assess between-group differences at baseline.ResultsBetween 2011 and 2015, 478 (103%) of a targeted 464 patients were randomized at 91 study sites. At baseline, the mean (sd) age was 64 (6) years and mean (sd) PSA concentration was 4.9 (2.1)nng/mL. Fifty-six (12%) participants were African-American, 17 (4%) were Hispanic/Latino, and 16 (3%) were Asian-American. There were no significant between-group differences for age (P = 0.98), race/ethnicity (P = 0.52), geographic region (P = 0.60), time since prostate cancer diagnosis (P = 0.85), PSA concentration (P = 0.96), clinical stage (T1c or T2a; P = 0.27), or Gleason sum (Gleason 6 or 3+4 = 7; P = 0.76). In a pre-planned analysis, the baseline prostate biopsy samples of the first 50 participants underwent central pathology review to confirm eligibility, with an expectation that l10% would become ineligible. One of 50 participants (2%) became ineligible.ConclusionThe MEAL study shows the feasibility of implementing national, multi-institutional phase III clinical trials of diet for prostate cancer and of testing interventions to prevent disease progression in AS.
Overcoming barriers to intranasal corticosteroid use in patients with uncontrolled allergic rhinitis

Patients suffering from allergic rhinitis often attempt to self-manage their symptoms and may seek advice from pharmacists about nonprescription product choices. Several drug classes, both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC), are available, including intranasal corticosteroids (INCSs); oral, intranasal, and ocular antihistamines; leukotriene antagonists; and topical and systemic decongestants, as well as immunotherapies. Selection of the optimal treatment approach depends on the temporal pattern, frequency, and severity of symptoms as well as the patient's age. Nasal congestion is typically the most bothersome symptom, although rhinorrhea, postnasal drip, and ocular symptoms are also problematic. Together, these symptoms may adversely impact the quality of life, work productivity, sleep quality, and the ability to perform daily activities, particularly when uncontrolled. Practice guidelines recognize that INCSs are the most effective medications for controlling allergic rhinitis symptoms, including nasal congestion. Available INCS products have comparable safety and efficacy profiles, but they differ in formulation characteristics and sensory attributes. Several barriers can impede the use of INCSs, including concerns about safety, misperceptions regarding the loss of response from frequent use, and undesirable sensations associated with intranasal administration. Given the increasing number of INCSs available OTC, pharmacists can help allay these concerns by discussing treatment expectations, recommending INCS products with favorable formulation characteristics, and reviewing proper use and technique for the administration of the selected product. These steps can help to foster a collaborative relationship between the patient and the pharmacist in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.
Youth Empowerment Solutions: evaluation of an after-school program to engage middle school students in community change.

We report on an effectiveness evaluation of the Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES) program. YES applies empowerment theory to an after-school program for middle school students. YES is an active learning curriculum designed to help youth gain confidence in themselves, think critically about their community, and work with adults to create positive community change. We employed a modified randomized control group design to test the hypothesis that the curriculum would enhance youth empowerment, increase positive developmental outcomes, and decrease problem behaviors. Our sample included 367 youth from 13 urban and suburban middle schools. Controlling for demographic characteristics and pretest outcome measures, we found that youth who received more components of the curriculum reported more psychological empowerment and prosocial outcomes and less antisocial outcomes than youth who received fewer of the intervention components. The results support both empowerment theory and program effectiveness.
Sanomechanics TM Exercises

Sanomechanical exercises are those poses which activate hydraulic connectivity between skeleton joints. Each pose focuses on a selected degree or degrees of freedom. The purpose of each pose is to enact a certain body configuration appreciated by the body within these degrees of freedom. That appreciation is conveyed by our nervous system as a sensation of pleasure, which is sent to the mind as a signal of encouragement. Unwanted deviations from the correct poses evoke a signal of discouragement (pain), instructing us to adjust the pose.
Spectroscopy of Qsos from the Texas Radio Survey

We report briefly on ”our optical spectroscopy of QSOs from the radio survey in progress at the University of Texas Radio Astronomy Observatory (UTRAO). The radio survey, under the direction of Dr J. N. Douglas, covers declinations north of −36 degrees, in strips that are 9 degrees wide in declination. Preliminary results for the strip centered at +18 degrees have been published (Douglas et al. 1980) and other strips are currently being prepared for publication. The complete catalogue will list 1 arcsec positions and some structure information for about 75,000 sources stronger than about 250 mJy at 365 MHz. Optical identifications are made from the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey plates using an interactive laser measuring machine (Ghigo 1977), and the accuracy of the radio source positions allows the identifications to be made regardless of the colours of the objects. Optical spectroscopy of a sample of about 300 QSO candidates brighter than 19 mag, drawn from the +36, +18 and −12 degree strips, is being carried out at McDonald Observatory using an Intensified Dissector Scanner at the cassegrain focus of the 2.7m reflector. Two image-tube and dissector chains are available, together covering the range 3200 — 8500 A; a typical spectrum takes 1 hour to obtain, with wavelength resolution of 10 A over a total range of 3000 A.
Prospectando rochas fluviais e artefatos do Paleolítico Médio Africano descobertos ao longo do Rio Cunene, fronteira entre Angola e Namíbia

Vestigios liticos do Paleolitico Medio Africano (PMA) preservados em corredores ribeirinhos como o perene Rio Cunene atesta a presenca de atividades pre-historicas ao longo da atual divisa entre Angola e Namibia. Proximo a Serra Cafema, mais de 30 vestigios liticos preservados em um contexto a ceu aberto (plein-air) incluem lascas de quartzito, nucleos e pontas com alguma abrasao e polimento nos gumes, incluindo as primeiras pontas Levallois encontradas nesta regiao da Africa. Uma vez que a arqueologia desta regiao e pobremente conhecida, estas colecoes culturais permitem correlacoes iniciais e fornecem uma base para reconstrucao da proveniencia, da procura e da producao de artefatos durante o PMA. Para avaliar as potenciais areas-fonte de materia-prima nesta regiao, metodos de contagem de seixos e avaliacoes composicionais foram conduzidos nos vestigios e no aluviao Quaternario (Qal) do terraco do rio. A fonte primaria em potencial mais proxima de quartzito esta em afloramentos rochosos localizados dentro de 2 km de distância do sitio, mas areas-fonte confirmadas nao foram identificadas especificamente. Uma hipotese emergente e que o Qal no terraco do Rio Cunene era uma fonte preferida para coleta de quartzito enquanto materia prima pelos grupos moveis de cacadores-coletores durante o PMA apos 225 mil anos atras.
Impact of USPSTF recommendations on utilization of PSA screening in Medicare beneficiaries.

166Background: Previous studies assessing the impact of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on utilization of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening have not investigated longer-term impacts of the 2008 recommendations nor have they investigated the impact of the 2012 recommendations in the Medicare population. The study aim was to evaluate change in utilization of PSA screening, post USPSTF recommendations of 2008 and 2012, and to assess trends and determinants of receipt of PSA screening in the Medicare population. Methods: This retrospective study of male Medicare beneficiaries utilized Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data and linked administrative claims from 2006-2013. Beneficiaries aged ≥65 years, with continuous enrollment in Parts A and B for each year they were surveyed were included in the study cohort. Beneficiaries with self-reported or claims-based diagnosis of prostate cancer were excluded. Beneficiaries with Medicare eligibility due to end...
Integer programming to optimize Micro-Hydro Power Plants for generic river profiles

Abstract This paper addresses the problem of designing an optimal micro-hydro power installation in rivers with generic profiles, when micro-hydro schemes are studied. This is geared towards the application of Micro-Hydro Power Plants to supply marginal isolated areas using small Pelton wheels, where both technology and resources are limited. For this purpose, a model of a Pelton micro-hydro plant is first developed. Subsequently, a discretization of the river profile is made, on the basis of which a set of integer variables are proposed, being the model transformed then into an integer optimization problem. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is showed through a specific design problem. The application of the developed method is especially interesting when designing micro-hydro plants to provide electricity to isolated populations, where both technology and resources are limited.
CEO Incentives and New Product Development: Insights from Trademarks

New product development is critical for firms to achieve and maintain growth and performance. We build a novel dataset of 123,545 USPTO trademark registrations by S&P 1500 firms from 1993 to 2011 to study whether and how CEO compensation risk incentives motivate new product development. Using the OECD’s broad definition of innovation that includes new product development, our tests offer evidence on how risk incentives affect innovation of new products. We find that the number of trademarks increases with the fraction of compensation in the form of stock options, the convexity of incentives, and unvested stock options, both in low-patent (non-high-tech) and high-patent (high-tech) industries. Using a revised accounting rule, SFAS 123(R), as an exogenous shock, we find that reductions in stock option compensation cause reductions in trademark creation. Overall, the evidence indicates that CEO risk-taking incentives are important drivers of product development.
Prevention of Underage Drinking on California Indian Reservations Using Individual- and Community-Level Approaches

Objectives. To evaluate combined individual- and community-level interventions to reduce underage drinking by American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youths on rural California Indian reservations.Me...
Bootstrap Cross-Validation Indices for PLS Path Model Assessment

The goal of PLS path modeling is primarily to estimate the variance of endogenous constructs and in turn their respective manifest variables (if reflective). Models with significant jackknife or bootstrap parameter estimates may still be considered invalid in a predictive sense. In this chapter, the objective is to shift from that of assessing the significance of parameter estimates (e.g., loadings and structural paths) to that of predictive validity. Specifically, this chapter examines how predictive indicator weights estimated for a particular PLS structural model are when applied on new data from the same population. Bootstrap resampling is used to create new data sets where new R-square measures are obtained for each endogenous construct in a model. The weighted summed (WSD) R-square represents how well the original sample weights predict when given new data (i.e., a new bootstrap sample). In contrast, the simple summed (SSD) R-square examines the predictiveness using the simpler approach of unit weights. Such an approach is equivalent to performing a traditional path analysis using simple summed scale scores. A relative performance index (RPI) based on the WSD and SSD estimates is created to represent the degree to which the PLS weights yield better predictiveness for endogenous constructs than the simpler procedure of performing regression after simple summing of indicators. In addition, a Performance from Optimized Summed Index (PFO) is obtained by contrasting the WSD R-squares to the R-squares obtained when the PLS algorithm is used on each new bootstrap data set. Results from two studies are presented. In the first study, 14 data sets of sample size 1,000 were created to represent two different structural models (i.e., medium versus high R-square) consisting of one endogenous and three exogenous constructs across seven different measurement scenarios (e.g., parallel versus heterogenous loadings). Five-hundred bootstrap cross validation data sets were generated for each of 14 data sets. In study 2, simulated data based on the population model conforming to the same scenarios in study 1 were used instead of the bootstrap samples in part to examine the accuracy of the bootstrapping approach. Overall, in contrast to Q-square which examines predictive relevance at the indicator level, the RPI and PFO indices are shown to provide additional information to assess predictive relevance of PLS estimates at the construct level. Moreover, it is argued that this approach can be applied to other same set data indices such as AVE (Fornell C, Larcker D, J Mark Res 18:39–50, 1981) and GoF (Tenenhaus M, Amato S, Esposito Vinzi V, Proceedings of the XLII SIS (Italian Statistical Society) Scientific Meeting, vol. Contributed Papers, 739–742, CLEUP, Padova, Italy, 2004) to yield RPI-AVE, PFO-AVE. RPI-GoF, and PFO-GoF indices.
Patient-based cultural competency curriculum for pre-health professionals.

Background and Objectives: The diverse US population requires medical cultural competency education for health providers throughout their pre-professional and professional years. We present a curriculum to train pre-health professional undergraduates by combining classroom education in the humanities and cross-cultural communication skills with volunteer clinical experiences at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) hospital. Methods: The course was open to a maximum of 15 UCLA junior and senior undergraduate students with a pre-health or humanities major and was held in the spring quarters of 2002–2004. The change in students’ knowledge of cultural competency was evaluated using the Provider’s Guide to Quality and Culture Quiz (QCQ) and through students’ written assignments and evaluations. Results: Trainees displayed a statistically significant improvement in scores on the QCQ. Participants’ written assignments and subjective evaluations confirmed an improvement in awareness and a high motivation to continue learning at the graduate level. Conclusions: This is the first evaluated undergraduate curriculum that integrates interdisci plinary cultural competency training with patient volunteering in the medical field. The didactic, volunteering, and writing components of the course comprise a broadly applicable tool for training future health care providers at other institutions.
Psychometric Evaluation of PROMIS Sexual Function and Satisfaction Measures in a Longitudinal Population-Based Cohort of Men With Localized Prostate Cancer.

Abstract Background There are multiple treatment options for men with localized prostate cancer that provide similar curative efficacy but differ in their impact on sexual functioning. Aim To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Sexual Function and Satisfaction (SexFS) measures, including items from versions 1 and 2 of the short forms. Methods A population-based cohort of men across North Carolina completed surveys via phone interviews at baseline (prior to treatment) and at 3, 12, and 24 months after cancer treatment initiation. Surveys included the PROMIS SexFS domains of interest in sexual activity, erectile function, orgasm, and satisfaction and the Prostate Cancer Symptom Indices. Analyses included descriptive statistics, assessment of structural validity using confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory, tests for differential item functioning, assessment of convergent validity using correlations, and evaluation of responsiveness of the PROMIS SexFS measures over time. We hypothesized that men undergoing surgery (prostatectomy) would report the poorest sexual function at the 3-month survey. Results Sample size varied by assessment point and ranged from 332‒939 men, consisting of 30% non-white men, and 30% of the sample had a high school degree or less. The items within the PROMIS orgasm domain did not form a unidimensional scale. PROMIS measures of interest in sexual activity, erectile function, and satisfaction were unidimensional and highly correlated with related Prostate Cancer Symptom Indices measures (eg, erectile function, r = 0.84‒0.95). Erectile function in the surgery group declined more at 3 months compared to the no-surgery group (2 points); this difference narrowed at 12 and 24 months after surgery, as the surgery group recovered over time. Results were similar for PROMIS Interest in Sexual Activity and PROMIS Satisfaction scales. Clinical Implications The PROMIS SexFS measures may be used to identify effective interventions to treat sexual dysfunction and monitor sexual functioning in men with prostate cancer over time. Strength & Limitations This study was limited to men living in North Carolina who could self-report their health-related quality of life in English. However, this study was able to include more men from vulnerable populations by allowing them to self-report over the phone. Conclusion This study provided strong support for use of the PROMIS SexFS (version 2) measures in men with localized prostate cancer to assess sexual interest, erectile function, and satisfaction over time. Reeve BB, Wang M, Weinfurt K, et al. Psychometric Evaluation of PROMIS Sexual Function and Satisfaction Measures in a Longitudinal Population-Based Cohort of Men With Localized Prostate Cancer. J Sex Med 2018;15:1792–1810.
Factors that influence TPACK adoption by teacher educators in the US

This study presents the results of a survey of 842 teacher educators at 541 different institutions across the 50 US states that examined the state and direction of technology integration preparation in accredited teacher education programs. Using both descriptive statistics and regression analysis the study provides a general description of the characteristics of these teacher educators, their Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) adoption, and the relationships between individual and institutional factors and their TPACK adoption. The results of the research show that TPACK adoption is generally low among these teacher educators and that there are multiple personal and institutional factors that influence TPACK adoption. The participants had a significant amount of both K12 and teacher education experience and had high levels of comfort with their technological knowledge. Factors that were shown to influence TPACK adoption included the highest degree offered at their institution, their self-rated TPACK score, and their individual adoption of the International Society for Teaching and Education (ISTE) standards. The results address implications for teacher educator professional development and program accreditation.
The 3.2 Angstrom Crystal Structure of a Bioengineered Factor VIII Construct Illustrates Two Conformations of the C2 Domain

Treatment for hemophilia A consists of repeated intravenous infusions of blood coagulation factor VIII (fVIII), either recombinant or derived from pooled plasma cryoprecipitate. While several recombinant versions are clinically available, all existing fVIII replacement products express at low levels, harbor short half-lives, and are cost intensive to produce for prophylaxis and therapeutic intervention. Here, we report the 3.2 A structure of a bioengineered construct of fVIII, termed ET3i, which is a human/porcine chimeric B domain-deleted heterodimer with an improved expression profile and slower A2 domain dissociation following proteolytic activation of fVIII (Figure 1A). Previous structural knowledge of fVIII is at 3.7 A resolution or lower, and these structures display inconsistencies in their atomic details. The structure reported herein shows remarkable conservation amongst the core folds and domain arrangement of the fVIII protein as well as provides a more detailed view of the interface between the A2 domain and the remaining fVIII structure. With two fVIII molecules in the asymmetric unit of the crystal, we independently observe two distinct conformations of the C2 domain relative to the remaining fVIII structure. While one model (chain A) superimposes with previously-determined fVIII structures without significant deviation, the second model (chain B) indicates a 9barrel tilt and roll9 conformational change of the C2 domain that may have implications for how proteolytically activated fVIII binds to activated platelet surfaces (Figure 1B). The improved model and stereochemistry of the ET3i A chain was subsequently used as a scaffold to generate an improved, refined model of human fVIII. In the case of both original datasets to 3.7 A (pdb#: 2R7E) and 3.98 A (pdb#: 3CDZ), our new model based on the ET3i structure resulted in improved refinement statistics for human fVIII. These improved structures further illustrate the conserved nature of the ET3i protein as well as provide a more confident model of fVIII for next generation engineering efforts to develop fVIII therapeutics with longer half-lives, higher expression levels and lower immunogenicity. Disclosures Doering:Expression Therapeutics, LLC: Equity Ownership, Research Funding.
Impact of the Hydraulic Fracturing on Indoor Radon Concentrations in Ohio: A Multilevel Modeling Approach.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), exposure to radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Extant research that has reported that fracking activity increases the radon levels. ‘Fracking’ also known as hydraulic fracturing, which is a technology that is used to extract naturally occurring shale gas from the Marcellus and the Utica shale. Based on the data from the Ohio Radon Information System (ORIS) from 2007-2014 in Ohio, this research uses multilevel modeling (MLM) to examine the association between the incidences of hydraulic fracturing and elevated airborne radon levels. The ORIS data include information on 118,421 individual records of households geocoded to zip code areas. Individual records include radon concentrations, device types of the test, and seasons. Euclidean distances between zip code centroid to the 1,162 fracking wells are measured at the zip code level. Two additional zip code variables, namely the population density and urbanicity, are also included as control variables. Multilevel modeling results show that at the zip code level, distance to fracking wells and population density are significant and negative covariate of the radon concentration; and by comparing with urban areas, urban clusters and rural areas are significant which linked to higher radon concentrations. These findings lend support to the effect of hydraulic fracturing in influencing radon concentrations, and promote public policies that need to be geographically adaptable.
The Long-Run Implications of Audit Committee Overboarding on Auditor Contracting and Financial Reporting Quality

Since the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) there has been a concern amongst regulators and the investing community that overboarded audit committees, those with members holding multiple other board seats, are unable to effectively monitor the companies they represent. I find these concerns unwarranted. Results indicate that more overboarded audit committees have adequately adjusted to their increased workloads in the decade since SOX to such a degree that they have lower misstatement frequencies than less overboarded committees. Initially through contracting with their auditors and later by moving along their own learning curve, more overboarded audit committees have found responses that aid in their monitoring, leading to higher quality financial reporting. Overall, I find that more overboarded audit committees perform effective monitoring despite members serving on multiple other boards. Results suggest that reputational concerns and preserving opportunities for future board nominations outweigh the time constraints associated with being more overboarded.
Approximate Equivalent Circuits to Understand Tradeoffs in Geometry of On-Chip Inductors

We develop an approximate frequency-independent equivalent circuit for integrated inductors on semiconducting substrates. All values of LCR in the equivalent circuit can be calculated directly from inductor geometry. The equivalent circuit captures: the skin effect, the proximity effect, the substrate capacitive loss, and the distributed capacitance. With careful definition of inductor quality factor, we are able to calculate the contribution of substrate capacitive loss and benefits of a substrate shield. Our model was put to test by successfully predicting the published quality factors of various inductors and proving that their geometries are close to optimum.
Transcriptomic Responses of the Honey Bee Brain to Infection with Deformed Wing Virus

Managed colonies of European honey bees (Apis mellifera) are under threat from Varroa destructor mite infestation and infection with viruses vectored by mites. In particular, deformed wing virus (DWV) is a common viral pathogen infecting honey bees worldwide that has been shown to induce behavioral changes including precocious foraging and reduced associative learning. We investigated how DWV infection of bees affects the transcriptomic response of the brain. The transcriptomes of individual brains were analyzed using RNA-Seq after experimental infection of newly emerged adult bees with DWV. Two analytical methods were used to identify differentially expressed genes from the ~15,000 genes in the Apis mellifera genome. The 269 genes that had increased expression in DWV infected brains included genes involved in innate immunity such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), Ago2, and Dicer. Single bee brain NMR metabolomics methodology was developed for this work and indicates that proline is strongly elevated in DWV infected brains, consistent with the increased presence of the AMPs abaecin and apidaecin. The 1361 genes with reduced expression levels includes genes involved in cellular communication including G-protein coupled, tyrosine kinase, and ion-channel regulated signaling pathways. The number and function of the downregulated genes suggest that DWV has a major impact on neuron signaling that could explain DWV related behavioral changes.
Demo: ROI Attacks on Traffic Light Detection in High-Level Autonomous Driving

To achieve high-level autonomous driving (AD), the AD system in an Autonomous Vehicle (AV) has two key modules: localization, which estimates the real-time position of the AV on a map, and perception, which incorporates sensors such as cameras, radars, and LiDARs [1] to perceive the surrounding environment of the AV. From high-level design, the localization algorithms and perception algorithms appear to be independent of each other. However, in this work, we discover an interesting design consideration that enables an attacker to blind or misguide the perception without tampering the perception sensor inputs themselves.
Comparing Two Days of Dietary Intake in What We Eat in America (WWEIA), NHANES, 2013–2016

The objective of this research is to compare the Day 1 and Day 2 dietary intakes of adults in What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (WWEIA, NHANES) 2013-2016. Dietary recalls of males (n = 2599) and females (n = 2624) 20+ years who had both a Day 1 and Day 2 recall and reported their intake as usual on both days in WWEIA, NHANES 2013-2016 were examined. Mean (±SE) energy intake for males was 2425 ± 26 kcal for Day 1 and 2334 ± 32 kcal for Day 2 (p = 0.004). For females, 1832 ± 18 kcal and 1775 ± 26 kcal were reported for Day 1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.020). There were no significant differences between energy intake on Day 1 and Day 2 within males and females by ten-year age groups. Comparing 20 year age groups for males and females by race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, and Hispanic) and income ( 350% of poverty level) also showed no significant differences in energy intake between Day 1 and Day 2. Mean energy intake of adults was not statistically different between the two days of recall by sex, race/ethnicity or income within selected age groups. Overall, the difference in energy intake was less than 4% for both males and females.
Psychological well-being of ruminative adolescents during the transition to COVID-19 school closures: An EMA study.

Abstract Introduction Adolescents with moderate-to-severe levels of trait rumination are at heightened risk for psychopathology and may be particularly vulnerable to disruptions caused by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As most past research documenting the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent well-being has been cross-sectional, it is unclear exactly how ruminative adolescents responded to the onset of the pandemic as it unfolded. Methods We used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to explore changes in rumination among adolescents during the initial transition to distance learning in the United States. A subsample of 22 ruminative youth (Mage = 13.58; SD = 0.96; 54.5% male; 86.4% White) from a larger study provided EMA data throughout January–April 2020 (M responses per participant = 105.09, SD = 65.59). Following school closures, we hypothesized that adolescents would report greater rumination (i.e., focusing on emotions and problems) and depressive symptom level would moderate this effect. Results Surprisingly, rumination decreased, and this effect was moderated by depressive symptom level for emotion-focused rumination, i.e., those with average and below-average depressive symptoms experienced decreases in rumination. Conclusions These results suggest that the first wave of stay-at-home orders and the transition to distance learning were not immediately distressing to vulnerable adolescents. However, more research is needed to determine whether the results from recent research are generalizable to other adolescents and to examine the long-term impact of the pandemic on adolescent well-being.
COVID-19 Resulted in Lower Grades for Male High School Students and Students With ADHD.

Objective:Researchers have speculated that the COVID-19 pandemic may expand the academic performance gap experienced by at-risk students. We examined learning experiences during the 2020 to 2021 sc...
Historical Avifaunal Change and Current Effects of Hiking and Road Use on Avian Occupancy in a High Latitude Tundra Ecosystem

Two datasets with metadata are included. One for analysis of detection the other for analysis of occupancy.
Model-based data engineering: preparing a paradigm shift towards self-organizing information exchange

Current standards for interoperability and composability focus on mandating a common information exchange data model. The Levels of Conceptual Interoperability Model (LCIM) shows that this is not sufficient. A second challenge is that the mapping between system-internal representations to the information exchange data model is left to system developers leading to misinterpretations and ambiguous information exchange. Model-based Data Engineering (MBDE) replaces this with an engineering process. Both ideas together motivate the hypothesis that self-organizing information exchange is possible if the system interfaces and behaviors are captured in machine-understandable meta-information.
Recent Developments in High Power CO2 Laser Mode-Locking and Pulse Selection

Injection mode-locking techniques have been applied to a wide range of CO2 laser oscillators and power gains as high as 1012 observed. Recent results obtained with uv preionized multi-atmosphere and atmospheric pressure CO2 lasers are reported and compared with the predictions of a numerical modelling study. In addition the recent development of semiconductor reflection switching offers the possibility of selecting single pulses from a multigigawatt mode-locked oscillator while simultaneously providing the advantage of retro-pulse isolation. Single pulses in the 1-2 J range have been selected by this technique.
Match/Mismatch in The College Service-Learning Experience: Influence on Attitudes, Satisfaction, and Volunteer Intentions

In this conceptual paper, we examine college-based service-learning experiences using the functional approach to volunteering. Drawing upon previous research, we develop a model that incorporates the match/mismatch between motivation and experience, and considers the impact of college service-learning experiences on students’ attitudes, satisfaction, and volunteer intentions. We discuss both practical and pedagogical implications stemming from our work, and provide directions for future research.
Two-Sided Distribution-Free Tolerance Intervals and Accompanying Sample Size Problems

Three types of two-sided distribution-free tolerance intervals are discussed. These are called beta-content, Wilks' outer, and Wilks' inner tolerance intervals. For each a minimum sample size problem is proposed and solved using easily written computer ..
Stories of illness: authorship in medicine.

(1997). Stories of Illness: Authorship in Medicine. Psychiatry: Vol. 60, No. 4, pp. 347-359.
Immune hemolysis: on the value of experimental systems

Publisher Summary The central role that immunology has assumed among modern biomedical sciences, offers several good examples of interaction that combine both historical and ethnographic approaches. This chapter examines the interaction of technique and fact with theory, in terms of the consequences of the discovery of the phenomenon of immune hemolysis. This highlights the many important threads that move back and forth between theory and practice, in a complicated but productive and ever-broadening dialectic, which serves to expand the horizons of the science. The discovery of immune hemolysis had profound implications for the development of immunology. First and foremost, it showed conclusively that the immune response is not limited to bacterial pathogens and their toxic products, thus requiring a major readjustment of most current ideas about the evolution of this “protective” response of the body. Secondly, the fact that a destructive immune response might be mounted against an important cellular component of the body implied that other tissues and organs might be similarly attacked by their respective antibodies, with interesting implications for the pathogenesis of a number of noninfectious diseases. Thirdly, the experimental system itself served as the vehicle for a lively debate about the mechanism of action of antibody and complement, from which emerged a number of significant facts and expanded concepts that would add to the perceived importance of immunology in turn-of-the-century medicine.
Tweakable Blockciphers with Beyond Birthday-Bound Security

Liskov, Rivest and Wagner formalized the tweakable blockcipher TBC primitive at CRYPTO'02. The typical recipe for instantiating a TBC is to start with a blockcipher, and then build up a construction that admits a tweak. Almost all such constructions enjoy provable security only to the birthday bound, and the one that does achieve security beyond the birthday bound due to Minematsu severely restricts the tweak size and requires per-invocation blockcipher rekeying. This paper gives the first TBC construction that simultaneously allows for arbitrarily "wide" tweaks, does not rekey, and delivers provable security beyond the birthday bound. Our construction is built from a blockcipher and an $$\epsilon \text{-AXU }_2$$ hash function. As an application of the TBC primitive, LRW suggest the TBC-MAC construction similar to CBC-MAC but chaining through the tweak, but leave open the question of its security. We close this question, both for TBC-MAC as a PRF and a MAC. Along the way, we find a nonce-based variant of TBC-MAC that has a tight reduction to the security of the underlying TBC, and also displays graceful security degradation when nonces are misused. This result is interesting on its own, but it also serves as an application of our new TBC construction, ultimately giving a variable input-length PRF with beyond birthday-bound security.
Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis and sclerosing cholangitis associated with a reticulum cell sarcoma. Report of a case.

The case of a 16-year-old girl is described who developed sclerosing cholangitis, involving the common bile duct and hepatic hilum, associated with but physically separate from a rapidly enlarging paracholedochal primitive reticulum cell sarcoma. Serial cholangiograms performed via an indwelling gallbladder catheter and a hepatic duct catheter afforded the unique opportunity to observe the parallel development of these lesions. An additional finding at autopsy was the presence of typical periureteral retroperitoneal fibrosis. The findings of this case are consistent with previous reports of the concomitance of sclerosing cholangitis and retroperitoneal fibrosis. The association of these sclerosing processes with a malignant tumor has not been previously described.
QoS control for sensor networks

Sensor networks are distributed networks made up of small sensing devices equipped with processors, memory, and short-range wireless communication. They differ from the conventional computer networks in that they have severe energy constraints, redundant low-rate data, and a plethora of information flows. Many aspects of sensor networks, such as routing, preservation of battery power, adaptive self-configuration, etc., have already been studied in previous papers, e.g., [(W. Heinzelman, J. Kulik, and H Balakrishnan, 1999), (N. Bulusu, D. Estrin, L. Girod, and J. Heidelann, 20001), (D. Estrin, 2001)]. However, to the best knowledge of the authors, the area of sensor network quality of service (QoS) remains largely open. This is a rich area because sensor deaths and sensor replenishments make it difficult to specify the optimum number of sensors (this being the service quality that we address in this paper) that should be sending information at any given time. In this paper we present an amalgamation of QoS feedback and sensor networks. We use the idea of following the base station to communicate QoS information to each of the sensors using a broadcast channel and we use the mathematical paradigm of the Gur Game to dynamically adjust to the optimum number of sensors. The result is a robust sensor network that allows the base station to dynamically adjust the resolution of the QoS it receives from the sensors, depending on varying circumstances.
Use of plain radiography in the diagnosis, surgical management, and postoperative treatment of obstructive urolithiasis in 25 goats and 2 sheep

Objective To describe use of plain radiography for diagnosis, surgical management, and postoperative treatment of obstructive urolithiasis in small ruminants. Study Design Retrospective case series. Animals Small ruminants (n = 27; 25 goats, 2 sheep). Methods Medical records (January 2002–November 2011) and radiographs for all small ruminants diagnosed with obstructive urolithiasis and having plain abdominal radiographs were reviewed. Signalment, surgical procedures, radiographic findings, ultrasonographic findings, position of calculi, and how plain radiography influenced surgical management and postoperative treatment were recorded. Results Radiopaque urinary calculi were detected in 23 (85%) plain radiographic studies. Location of uroliths determined by plain radiography included: cystic only (n = 5), distal to the sigmoid flexure and cystic (5), subischial (5), distal to the sigmoid flexure only (3), sigmoid flexure (3), and subischial and cystic (2). In 8 of these animals, postoperative radiographs revealed residual calculi in the urethra and were essential for their targeted removal by urethrotomy in 7 animals. Conclusions In regions where radiopaque calculi (calcium carbonate, calcium oxalate, silica) are commonly encountered in small ruminants, plain radiographs are recommended to determine the appropriate surgical approach(es) and to confirm resolution of the obstruction.
Gender and Ministry Style: Things Not What They Seem

This article reports an attempt to validate assertions of religious feminists that men approach the work of the pastoral ministry using a "masculine" ministry style, while women perform the same work using a "feminine" approach. The study utilized telephone survey data from 517 women and men comprising a national sample of pastors in four "mainline" Protestant denominations in the United States. The analysis indicated that the emergence of male-female differences in ministry style depended on which of nine dimensions of approach to ministry was under consideration. Support for the argument of male-female "difference" in ministry style was also contingent on the effects of other variables - race and ethnicity, seminary cohort, and type of placement. Discussion of those outcomes focuses on the fact that the argument for sex differences in ministry style is largely a legitimation of women's claim for acceptance in the ordained pastoral ministry. That observation, then, has implications for how one approaches the argument conceptually and analytically.
Tryptophan hydroxylase genotype is associated with impulsive‐aggression measures: a preliminary study

To assess the relationship between two phenotypes in an extremely well-characterized population of personality disorder patients–impulsive aggression and prolactin response to fenfluramine–and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) genotype, TPH genotype (at an intronic polymorphic site) and prolactin response to fenfluramine were assessed in 40 Caucasian patients with personality disorder. Impulsive aggression was assessed by using the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI). Twenty-one male patients with the “LL” genotype had higher BDHI scores than men with the “UL” or the “UU” genotype. No relationship between genotype and prolactin response to fenfluramine was found. It was concluded that impulsive-aggressive behavior in male personality disorder patients may be associated with the TPH genotype. Am. J. Med. Genet. (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 81:13–17, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Biocide action of monochloramine on biofilm systems of pseudomonas aeruginosa

Monochloramine was used to inactivate biofilm cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Experimental results indicated that the clean RotoTorque system had no monochloramine demand. The dose of 4 mg·l−1 killed in situ biofilm cells more than 99·99% within 60 min, while the dose of 3 mg·l−1 killed 80% and the dose of 2 mg·l−1 showed no significant killing. Computations of pseudo steady state surface gradient of monochloramine and the observable modulus indicated that there was no marked mass transfer resistance in the biofilm for the 4 mg·l−1 treatment, moderate mass transfer resistance for the 3 mg·l−1 treatment, and high mass transfer resistance for the 2 mg·1−1 treatment. Mass transfer resistance within the biofilm impacts the biocide performance.
Mechanism of Binocular Increase of Discomfort to High Luminance

IT has been shown1 that the luminance necessary to produce intense visual discomfort or aversion is greater in monocular than in binocular viewing. Essentially similar results were obtained both in subjects with normal pupils and in subjects with pupils dilated by drugs. This finding indicates that pupillary and ciliary muscle spasms are not the sole causes of this effect.
Non-randomized strategies in stochastic decision processes

This paper deals with discrete time infinite horizon stochastic decision processes with various reward criteria. Sufficient conditions are obtained for the value of a class of strategies to be equal to the value of the subclass of non-randomized strategies from this class.
Erbium energy levels relative to the band gap of gadolinium oxide

Abstract Undoped and Er3+ doped Gd2O3 single crystal fibers were prepared by the laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG) method. The absorption and emission spectra of the samples were studied. The band gap of Gd2O3 crystal is found at 5.2 eV. A two-step photoconductivity measurement was designed to determine the Er3+ energy level position relative to the host band gap. The lowest Er3+ 4f–5d transition energy (5.93 eV) exceeds the host band gap. By measuring the photoconductivity induced from an excited state to the 5d bands, the Er3+ ground state is found to be 0.7±0.2 eV below the valence band.
Glutamic acid and γ-aminobutyric acid in seizures

Abstract The “metabolic loss” of glutamic acid, which occurs on incubation of slices of epileptogenic cerebral cortex, can be prevented or reversed by in vitro addition of L-asparagine, γ-aminobutyric acid or 3-pyrrolidinone. None of these compounds has a detectable effect on glutamic acid metabolism of normal cerebral cortex. The possible implications of these findings for the role of glutamic acid and γ-aminobutyric acid in seizures are discussed.
Percutaneous stent-graft management of renal artery aneurysms.

JVIR 2000; 11:1189–1193 RENAL artery aneurysms (RAAs) are rare, with a reported incidence of 0.015%–1.32% (1–3). Although most RAAs may be safely observed, indications for treatment include a size more than 2.5 cm, interval enlargement, renovascular hypertension, pain, hematuria, intrarenal thromboemboli, and lesions in women of childbearing age (1,2,4,5). Traditionally, the definitive management of RAA has consisted of operative repair or nephrectomy. Although stent-grafts have been used for the exclusion of aortic and iliac aneurysms (6), there exists, to our knowledge, only a single published case description of stentgraft exclusion for the treatment of RAA (7). In this report, we describe our experience with two cases of percutaneous RAA exclusion with use of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-covered Palmaz stents (Cordis, Warren, NJ).