cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distracted Practice and Patient Safety: The Healthcare Team Experience.

PROBLEM Distracted practice is the result of individuals interacting with the environment and technology in the performance of their jobs. The resultant behaviors can lead to error and affect patient safety. METHODS A qualitative descriptive approach was used that integrated observations with semistructured interviews. The conceptual framework was based on the distracted driving model. FINDINGS There were 22 observation sessions and 32 interviews (12 RNs, 11 MDs, and 9 pharmacists) completed. Results suggested that distracted practice is based on the main theme of cognitive resources, which varies by the subthemes of individual differences, environmental disruptions, team awareness, and “rush mode”/time pressure. CONCLUSIONS Distracted practice is an individual human experience that occurs when there are not enough cognitive resources available to effectively complete the task at hand. In that moment an individual shifts from thinking critically, being able to complete their current task without error, to not thinking critically and working in an automatic mode. This is when errors occur. Understanding the role of distracted practice is essential for reducing errors and improving the quality of care. Additional research is needed to evaluate intervention strategies to reduce distracted practice.
Linear Equations and Polynomial GCDs

It is still open whether one can find the greatest common divisor (gcd) of two integers in NC. In this lecture we will show how to compute the gcd of two polynomials in NC. We essentially reduce the problem to linear algebra. First we show how to solve systems of linear equations in NC; then we reduce the polynomial gcd problem to such a linear system.
Higher protein intake is associated with increased risk for incident end-stage renal disease among blacks with diabetes in the Southern Community Cohort Study.

Abstract Background and aims Diabetes, a risk factor for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is associated with impaired protein metabolism. We investigated whether protein intake is associated with ESRD and whether the risk is higher among blacks with diabetes. Methods and results We conducted a nested case-control study of ESRD within the Southern Community Cohort Study, a prospective study of low-income blacks and whites in the southeastern US (2002–2009). Through 2012, 1057 incident ESRD cases were identified by linkage with the United States Renal Data System and matched to 3198 controls by age, sex, and race. Dietary intakes were assessed from a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed from logistic regression models that included matching variables, BMI, education, income, hypertension, total energy intake, and percent energy from saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Mean (±SD) daily energy intake from protein was higher among ESRD cases than controls (15.7 ± 3.3 vs. 15.1 ± 3.1%, P Conclusion Our results raise the possibility that among blacks with diabetes, increased dietary protein is associated with increased incidence of ESRD. Studies on how protein intake and metabolism affect ESRD are needed.
Hydrogen Peroxide Solvates of 2,4,6,8,10,12‐Hexanitro‐2,4,6,8,10,12‐hexaazaisowurtzitane

Two polymorphic hydrogen peroxide solvates of 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20; wurtzitane is an alternative name to iceane) were obtained using hydrated α-CL-20 as a guide. These novel H2O2 solvates have high crystallographic densities (1.96 and 2.03 g cm−3, respectively), high predicted detonation velocities/pressures (with one solvate performing better than ϵ-CL-20), and a sensitivity similar to that of ϵ-CL-20. The use of hydrated materials as a guide will be important in the development of other energetic materials with hydrogen peroxide. These solvates represent an area of energetic materials that has yet to be explored.
Black in English: Race, Migration, and National Belonging in Postcolonial Italy

Building on the growing body of scholarship on comparative race and ethnicity, this article considers how immigrants of color and their descendants interpret, translate, and deploy politicized ethno-racial terms (Black, Latinx) to confront racism in contemporary Italy. Through the analysis of cultural texts, including interviews, speeches, and a novel, I argue that terms, ideologies, and racial processes have become both local and global as immigrants and new citizens build transnational networks of contestation from which to confront the violence of coloniality and exploitation that led them to migrate while asserting belonging in the nations in which they reside.
Portfolio Incentives and Say-on-Pay

Responding to the financial crisis of 2008, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) to “provide for financial regulatory reform” and to “protect consumers and investors[.]” Section 951 of the Dodd-Frank Act (“Section 951”) requires publicly-traded companies to hold non-binding shareholder votes on executive compensation. These non-binding votes are often called “Say-on-Pay” votes. This paper presents original empirical research suggesting that shareholders and proxy advisors fail to consider portfolio incentives when making Say-on-Pay decisions. It then argues that when deciding how to vote in Say-on-Pay, shareholders should consider portfolio incentives, which economists regard as the most important measure of pay-for-performance. Similarly, it also argues that proxy advisors – who advise shareholders how to vote on various matters, including Say-on-Pay – should also consider portfolio incentives when issuing their recommendations. This paper further argues that, to make it easier for shareholders and proxy advisors to consider portfolio incentives, regulators should require improved disclosure of executives’ stock ownership.
Optimization of heterogeneous caching systems with rate limited links

This paper considers centralized coded caching, where the server not only designs the users' cache contents, but also assigns their cache sizes under a total cache memory budget. The server is connected to each user via a link of given finite capacity. For given link capacities and total memory budget, we minimize the worst-case delivery completion time by jointly optimizing the cache sizes, the cache placement and delivery schemes. The optimal memory allocation and caching scheme are characterized explicitly for the case where the total memory budget is smaller than that of the server library. Numerical results confirm the savings in delivery time obtained by optimizing the memory allocation.
Gated thoracic magnetic resonance angiography at 3T: noncontrast versus blood pool contrast.

Both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced approaches to gated thoracic magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) for aortic root evaluation have been reported at 3T. We compare qualitative and quantitative image quality measures for the two approaches, and assess the reproducibility of standard aortic measurements. Respiratory and cardiac gated MRA of the chest was performed at 3T in 45 patients: 23 after administration of iron-based blood pool contrast, and 22 without contrast. Image quality was assessed with a 5-point Likert scale, vessel lumen-to-muscle contrast ratios, and vessel wall sharpness. Two reviewers measured the ascending aorta diameter and valve annulus area. Interrater agreement was assessed using Bland–Altman plots and coefficient of variation (CV). Qualitative image quality was better with blood pool contrast in all principal vessels of the chest (mean Likert of 4.20 ± 0.79 vs. 2.60 ± 0.77, p < 0.001). Quantitative assessment was also improved with higher contrast ratios in all vessels (5.26 ± 3.3 vs. 1.90 ± 0.53, p < 0.001), and greater sharpness of the aortic annulus and ascending aorta (0.70 ± 0.16 vs. 0.56 ± 0.14 mm−1, p < 0.001, and 0.87 ± 0.16 vs. 0.62 ± 0.16 mm−1, p = 0.008, respectively). Reproducibility of measurement was marginally better for the ascending aorta diameter (CV of 2.80 vs. 3.23%), but substantially increased for the aortic valve annulus area with blood pool contrast (CV of 4.93 vs. 7.32%). The use of a blood pool contrast agent for gated thoracic MRA improves image quality compared to a noncontrast technique, and provides more reproducible measurements of the aortic valve annulus area.
Stability and Performance-Based Strategies for Sensor Fault Accommodation in Multi-rate Sampled-data Processes * *Financial support by NSF, CBET-1438456, is gratefully acknowledged.

Abstract The focus of this work is to give some insight into the effects of sensor faults on the stability and performance of sampled-data state feedback systems, and how these effects can be mitigated through use of fault-tolerant control. These methods are applied to a linearized model of a sampled-data system with uncertainty and access to full state measurements. The stability of the system is explicitly characterized as a function of the state sampling rates, fault parameters, fault accommodation measures, and state matrices. Sensor faults are discussed that manifest as improper sensor readings, and sensor sampling rate drift. The first fault updates the model of the system at sampling times to a factor of the actual measurement, the second type of fault alters the rate at which the sensors sample the system. In the presence of these faults the locations of the closed-loop poles are altered to achieve stability of the faulty system. Furthermore a chosen performance metric of the closed loop system is parameterized the same way as the stability of the system, for further insight into post fault operation. The explicit characterization of the stability and performance landscapes offer a look into the robustness and margins of tolerable faults that can be accommodated for and these benefits are discussed with some simulation results for context.
Symbolic Reasoning Methods in Rewriting Logic and Maude

Rewriting logic is both a logical framework where many logics can be naturally represented, and a semantic framework where many computational systems and programming languages, including concurrent ones, can be both specified and executed. Maude is a declarative specification and programming language based on rewriting logic. For reasoning about the logics and systems represented in the rewriting logic framework symbolic methods are of great importance. This paper discusses various symbolic methods that address crucial reasoning needs in rewriting logic, how they are supported by Maude and other symbolic engines, and various applications that these methods and engines make possible. Because of the generality of rewriting logic, these methods are widely applicable: they can be used in many areas and can provide useful reasoning components for other reasoning engines.
Parallelizing Deep Packet Inspection on GPU

Network security has been very important for the software industry. Deep packet inspection (DPI) is one of the widely used approaches to enforce network security. Due to the high volume of network traffic, it is challenging to provide high performance for DPI in real time. Thus, a few studies used various accelerators for DPI such as FPGAs, ASICs and GPUs for better performance. Though existing studies successfully demonstrated outperformance of DPI on these accelerators, not many of them compared the performance of various signature algorithms, which are core function of DPI. In this study, we design and evaluate a GPU-based DPI framework that includes packet header checking and payload inspection. We implemented header checking in CUDA by using two types of parallelism; block-level and thread-level. Payload inspection was developed by using three widely used signature matching algorithms. We also provide performance comparison of the three signature matching algorithms and the two types of parallelism. Our evaluation demonstrates that GPU version DPI outperforms sequential CPU version significantly.
Finite Energy Solutions to the Yamabe Equation

We prove the existence of positive, finite energy solutions to the Yamabe equation $$\Delta u - \frac{{n - 2}}{{4(n - 1)}}Su + u^{(n + 2)/(n - 2)} = 0$$ on some noncompact manifolds with positive scalar curvature. We also clarify a published result on the existence of 'complete solutions' on those manifolds.
Gynecologic cancer survivorship management

Over the past three decades, the number of gynecologic cancer survivors has grown substantially, most notably among women with early-stage disease. Cure of gynecologic cancers is possible with evidence-based and tailored combinations of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. The ability to identify genetic predispositions to specific gynecologic malignancies has also positively affected gynecologic cancer survivors. Algorithms have been developed to provide appropriate survivorship care for patients with gynecologic malignancies. Each algorithm is geared toward care of survivors with a specific disease history. Surveillance tests and examinations, as well as risk reduction and early detection strategies, are recommended for survivors of each gynecologic malignancy. Monitoring schedules and testing methods for late effects and psychosocial functioning (including referrals, when appropriate) are also provided. As the field of cancer survivorship develops and the number of gynecologic cancer survivors grows, these algorithms will become increasingly important. Many survivors suffer from long-term cancer- and treatment-related morbidities. We must recognize that the care of survivors extends far past their 5-year survival period, and that some late effects of treatment continue to worsen over time. Additionally, caregiver responsibilities, with subsequent benefits and stressors, must also be further evaluated and supported. The quality of life of each survivor affects and is affected by every member of her team, including her family caregivers.
Emissions reduction potential from electric heat pumps in California homes

Abstract Electric heat pumps offer a promising opportunity to help achieve deep decarbonization of the building sector. However, since electric generators serve load in real time with varying emissions, comparing the emissions impact of heat pumps to their natural gas heating alternatives requires considering time of use. We analyze the temporal load shapes of heat pump water heaters and air-source heat pumps in the context of temporal grid-level emissions data. We find that switching from natural gas to electricity could reduce the annual emissions of a California household by 50–70% and 46–54% for water and space heating, respectively. These findings support the adoption of electric heat pumps as a strategy for deep decarbonization.
Enhancement of the Electrical Properties of DNA Molecular Wires through Incorporation of Perylenediimide DNA Base Surrogates.

CMMI-1246762; Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Grant Number: FA9550-13-1-0096; Office of Naval Research. Grant Number: N00014-16-1-2741.
Endoscopic Repair of Proximal Hamstring Tear With Double-Row Suture Bridge Construct

Hamstring strains account for 25% to 30% of all muscle strains and are an exceedingly common injury in the athletic population. Although proximal hamstring avulsion injuries occur less commonly than strains at the myotendinous junction, they are more severe and debilitating. Proximal hamstring avulsions do not respond well to conservative treatment and are more likely to require surgical intervention. Surgical repair of proximal hamstring avulsions is indicated when the injury fails to respond to conservative treatment, in cases of osseous avulsion with retraction, and in cases of tearing of all 3 hamstring tendons. Endoscopic repair of proximal hamstring avulsions is a promising technique to repair these injuries while reducing morbidity. We describe our technique for endoscopic proximal hamstring repair, which uses a double-row suture bridge construct to reattach the tendons to the ischial tuberosity.
Homelessness in Los Angeles and New York City: A tale of two cities

The epidemic of homelessness in the late 1980s prompted dramatic increases in government funding that local jurisdictions deployed in differing ways. No two cities were more divergent in addressing homelessness than New York and Los Angeles. With a strong state-city agreement to fund housing and shelters and a right-to-shelter legal mandate, New York followed an assertive and multifaceted approach. In contrast, Los Angeles took a narrower focus, relying on faith-based organizations and concentrating its homeless population in a circumscribed Skid Row. This chapter critically examines the role of civic values, rights-based advocacy, and charitable institutions in shaping responses to urban homelessness. Implications for social policy and practice are offered that reflect local conditions in US cities.
Calibration Procedure for Traffic Flow Models of Merge Bottlenecks

Travel times and delays on freeways are highly dependent on the discharge rate of the bottlenecks. Consequently, it is important to model the traffic flow at bottlenecks as accurate as possible. However this is not straightforward in merge bottlenecks as the traffic flow is impacted by the acceleration, deceleration, and lane changing maneuvers induced by the merging vehicles. The interaction of these factors results in a reduced discharge rate when the bottleneck is congested compared to the discharge rate observed when the bottleneck is uncongested. This phenomenon is often referred to as capacity drop. Therefore, a traffic flow model of merge areas must reproduce the capacity drop phenomenon features including: (i) magnitude of drop in the outflow, (ii) when and how the capacity drop occurs, and (iii) how and when the bottleneck can recover nominal capacity. This can be achieved by a model able to reproduce capacity drop and the correct imputation of its parameters. Here we tackle the imputation of parameters aspect by proposing a calibration procedure that ensures the aforementioned aspects of capacity drop are captured. The procedure, based on the Multi-Objective Differential Evolution (MODE), does not require any information about the calibrated model and therefore is applicable to different models. The output contains multiple solutions in contrast to the usual single solution in single-objective optimization. Therefore, it returns multiple combinations of parameters that can reproduce the field measurements with similar level of accuracy. Unlike single objective approach, defining weights is not necessary. This is beneficial even when the ultimate goal is to find a single solution. The practitioner can inspect the model outputs of each parameter set and pick the one that suits better. Also, the multiple solutions can be used for further analysis and applications such as parameter and output uncertainty. The procedure is tested against field data of a bottleneck in which capacity drop is consistently observed based on data of 16 days. The following implementations of link transmission model (LTM) are calibrated: (a) standard LTM with no extension (capacity drop is not captured), (b) LTM with outflow reduction based on the upstream queue (density); (c) LTM with outflow reduction based on on-ramp flow, and (d) LTM with outflow reduction based on on-ramp flow and queue. In all cases the algorithm output approximate the Pareto Frontier or trade-off curve between downstream outflow and density errors. As expected, the errors are smaller as additional features are added to the model (from case (a) - no feature - to case (d) - two features); however, among the models with one additional feature ((b) and (c)), considering ramp flows had lead to smaller errors. With the multiple solutions, time-dependent upper and lower bounds of density, outflow, and travel times can be obtained by applying the model for all solutions given expected demands. Therefore a possible application is the estimation of lower and upper bounds of travel times.
Diagnostic test accuracy of the BioFire® FilmArray® meningitis/encephalitis panel: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract Background The FilmArray® meningitis/encephalitis (ME) panel is a multiplex PCR assay which can detect the most commonly identified pathogens in central nervous system infections. It significantly decreases the time to diagnosis of ME and data has yielded several positive outcomes. However, in part, reports of both false positive and false negative detections have resulted in concerns about adoption. Objectives The aim was to evaluate the ME panel in a diagnostic test accuracy review. Data sources The PubMed and EMBASE databases were systematically searched through May 2019. Study eligibility criteria Eligible studies were those providing sensitivity and specificity data for the ME panel compared with a reference standard. Studies providing details on false positive and false negative results of the panel as well as further investigation (adjudication) of the discordant results between the panel and comparator assays were included and assessed separately. Participants Patients with suspected ME for whom a panel was ordered were included. Methods The ME panel was compared to reference standard methods for diagnosing community-acquired ME. We performed a meta-analysis and calculated the summary sensitivity and specificity of the ME panel. Moreover, we evaluated the false positive and false negative results of the panel. Results Thirteen studies (3764 patients) were included in the review and 8 of them (3059 patients) were pooled in a meta-analysis. The summary estimates of sensitivity and specificity with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was 90% (95% CI 86–93%) and 97% (95% CI 94–99%), respectively. When we looked specifically at studies that assessed further the false positive and false negative results, false positive detections were 11.4% and 4% before and after adjudication, respectively. The highest proportion of false positive was observed for Streptococcus pneumoniae followed by Streptococcus agalactiae. False negative isolates were 2.2% and 1.5% before and after adjudication, respectively. Herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, enterovirus and Cryptococcus neoformans/gattii had the highest proportions of false negative determinations. False negative C. neoformans/gattii were mostly patients with positive antigen titres, on treatment or cleared disease. Conclusions The currently available literature suggests that the ME panel has high diagnostic accuracy. However, the decision for implementation should be individualized based on the needs of the patient population, the capabilities of the laboratory, and the knowledge of the healthcare providers that will utilize the test.
Three-dimensional phase evolution and stress-induced non-uniform Li intercalation behavior in lithium iron phosphate

A lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) olivine cathode displays rich phase transition behavior during charging/discharging. Despite extensive studies, the evolution of the LiFePO4/FePO4 two-phase coexistence structure and the underlying mechanism are still a point of debate due to the intricate and often disparate phase morphologies observed. Here we apply phase-field simulations to provide detailed insights into the three-dimensional phase evolution process in LiFePO4 upon delithiation under a large driving force. The simulation reveals that the coherency stress arising from the LiFePO4/FePO4 lattice mismatch destabilizes the initially flat delithiation front and induces filamentary growth of the FePO4 phase along [010], which is in excellent agreement with a recent operando X-ray imaging study [Ohmer et al. Nature Communications6, 6045 (2015)]. The combined simulation and experimental results provide the first illustration of the phenomenon of stress-induced instability of the lithium (de)intercalation front in battery electrode compounds. We show that this phenomenon is facilitated by the surface mode of coherent spinodal decomposition in LiFePO4 and influenced by the anisotropies of misfit strain, elasticity and lithium diffusion. It is detrimental to battery performance and life by causing stress concentration and reducing the lithium (de)intercalation kinetics and thus should be mitigated.
Whose Play Scripts Are Being Published? A Diversity Audit of One Library’s Collection in Conversation with the Broader Play Publishing World

This study is a diversity audit of play script orders during FY2011 and FY2019 to determine if University of California, Irvine Libraries’ orders had shifted to reflect the increased demand for div...
Post-mastectomy breast reconstruction: reducing the disparity through educational outreach to the underserved.

Poor health literacy and awareness are thought to be some of the major contributors to existing racial/ethnic disparities in access to breast reconstruction after mastectomy. This study aimed to determine whether physician led, community-based educational symposium improves understanding of breast cancer care and breast reconstruction in underserved populations. Annual educational symposiums were held between 2017 and 2019 in underserved communities in the greater Philadelphia area. The symposium consisted of a series of short lectures on breast health, cancer screening, surgical management and reconstruction, patient testimonials, a Q&A panel, and an exhibitor fair. Attendees were given pre- and post-symposium surveys that evaluated knowledge of breast cancer care and reconstruction on a 0–100 scale based on percentage of correct answers. Of 169 individuals, 92%, 91%, and 83% completed pre-symposium, post-symposium, and both surveys, respectively. Median age was 60 years, and 92% were Black. Knowledge/understanding survey scores significantly improved after the symposium (50 vs. 87, p < 0.01). Of all respondents, 92% found the symposium to be useful, 89% were introduced to resources that they were not previously aware of, 90% would recommend the symposium to others, and 91% would pass along the information they learned. This study presents an effective and reproducible strategy to increase community awareness and understanding of general breast cancer concepts and breast reconstruction options. Through community outreach and education, physicians can help underserved populations have a better understanding of their potential options for breast reconstruction and ultimately reduce this well documented but inadequately addressed disparity in cancer care.
A Comparison of Functional and Radiographic Outcomes following Microfracture with Extracellular Matrix Augmentation versus Osteochondral Autograft Transplantation for the Treatment of Medium-Sized Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus:

Objectives:The aim of this study is to directly compare clinical outcomes following the treatment of medium-sized osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs) using a microfracture technique augmented...
Saving species, one roll at a time

Species conservation evokes visions of khaki-clad antipoaching teams, zoo breeding programs, and volunteer-led beach cleanups. Certain furred, fanged, and feathered creatures may also spring to mind, as do the many fundraising pleas made on their behalf. Endangered is a new board game that brings together these elements of conservation and more as players cooperatively work to convince an international panel of ambassadors to vote "yes" on passing a resolution to save a target species.
Human Dignity and the Intercultural Theory of Universal Human Rights

This paper examines how the intercultural conception of human rights, fueled by the modes of reciprocal recognition associated with Hegel’s social philosophy, draws on traditional understandings of human dignity while avoiding the essentialism associated with those understandings. Part 1 summarizes core elements of an intercultural theory of human rights while addressing the general question of how that theory accommodates an understanding of the relationship of human dignity and human rights. Part 2 presents the intercultural approach as committed to a view of human dignity focused on the intrinsic worth of individuals, but understood, not—with Kant—as an anthropologically inherent property, but as one forged in relations of intersubjective recognition. Part 3, critically engaging arguments of C Beitz and J Habermas, claims that an intercultural approach entails a status-based conception of human dignity, one that construes the latter, not as a metaphysically conceived inherent quality, but as a function of membership in a social order supportive of both liberal right claims and a republican commitment to rights systems generally. Drawing on the work of Hegel and critically engaging the position of A Sangiovanni, Part 4 construes human dignity in terms of a doctrine of human rights expressive of a common humanity, one understood, however, not as an essential attribute of human beings, but in terms of a globally realized legal-political order whose members are dispositionally committed to the worth of all members of the human community and the value of human community itself. Critically appropriating the work of H Arendt for the intercultural theory, Part 5 considers the centrality of actual politics to a dignitarian account of human rights. Part 6 construes human dignity, again with Kant, in terms of the principle of autonomy, but one understood, not abstractly, but—engaging Pico della Mirandola—as the fallibilistically conceived process of social learning on the part the members of the human community. Part 7 considers how the intercultural view, with the idea of social practice expressive of collective human agency, accommodates a concept of human dignity understood as the “foundation”—nuanced and variegated—of human rights. Part 8 details the specific normativity of an intercultural conception, asserting that despite and even because of its attention to the empirical realities of social, historical, and political life, that conception remains committed, as with essentialist views, to context-transcending norms capable of calling into question actual practices and policies. Here, recourse is had to a concept of recognition understood both as a principle of evaluation and as a social practice encompassing the activity of individuals and groups engaged in the discourse on human rights.
Waterhouse-Friderichsen Syndrome Secondary to Capnocytophaga canimorsus Septicemia and Demonstration of Bacteremia by Peripheral Blood Smear A Case Report and Review of the Literature

c Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome caused by Capnocytophaga canimorsus septicemia was fatal in a previously healthy 47-year-old woman. The patient died suddenly in less than 12 hours after presentation, in spite of supportive measures, including ventilation, antibiotic coverage, pressor therapy, and multiple transfusions of blood products. The diagnosis of infection due to an unusual organism was suspected earlier in the course of management after review of the peripheral blood smear. The importance of the findings in the blood smear and their correlation with infection due to this organism are discussed. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2000;124:859‐863)
Price Discovery from Offer Price to Opening Price of Initial Public Offerings

We examine the price discovery process of initial public offerings (IPOs) from the offer price to the first day’s open price. Stock exchanges have made major changes to the IPO preopening process, and introduced an open auction process in which all investors are able to enter orders and participate in price discovery. The time spent in preopening has increased for IPOs over the years, with an average of 77.23 minutes in 2020. The same pattern is not found for special purpose acquisition (SPAC) offerings. The percentage of the day’s volume executed in the IPO Cross is much higher, at 15.3%, than the approximately 1% for non-IPO stocks. Each phase of preopening contributes to incremental price discovery, with almost all of the price adjustment occurring during preopening. However, for “cold” IPOs, half of the price adjustment takes place after the market opens. Even though participation by retail investors has increased during preopening, their role in price discovery is limited. Our results suggest that institutional investors use the IPO Cross to sell shares. We also find that underwriters take advantage of changes implemented after the Facebook IPO that gave them a bigger role in deciding when to release an IPO for trading.
Photon beam modeling variations predict errors in IMRT dosimetry audits.

BACKGROUND & PURPOSE To evaluate treatment planning system (TPS) beam modeling parameters as contributing factors to IMRT audit performance. MATERIALS & METHODS We retrospectively analyzed IROC Houston phantom audit performance and concurrent beam modeling survey responses from 337 irradiations performed between August 2017 and November 2019. Irradiation results were grouped based on the reporting of typical or atypical beam modeling parameter survey responses ( 90th percentile values), and compared for passing versus failing (>7% error) or "poor" (>5% error) irradiation status. Additionally, we assessed the impact on the planned dose distribution from variations in modeling parameter value. Finally, we estimated the overall impact of beam modeling parameter variance on dose calculations, based on reported community variations. RESULTS Use of atypical modeling parameters were more frequently seen with failing phantom audit results (p = 0.01). Most pronounced was for Eclipse AAA users, where phantom irradiations with atypical values of dosimetric leaf gap (DLG) showed a greater incidence of both poor-performing (p = 0.048) and failing phantom audits (p = 0.014); and in general, DLG value was correlated with dose calculation accuracy (r = 0.397, p < 0.001). Manipulating TPS parameters induced systematic changes in planned dose distributions which were consistent with prior observations of how failures manifest. Dose change estimations based on these dose calculations agreed well with true dosimetric errors identified. CONCLUSION Atypical TPS beam modeling parameters are associated with failing phantom audits. This is identified as an important factor contributing to the observed failing phantom results, and highlights the need for accurate beam modeling.
IBM ES/9000 model 320 air cooled computer technology

The authors describe the IBM ES/9000 model 320, an air-cooled mainframe business computer with engineering and scientific processor features equivalent to those of a water-cooled multiframe IBM system 3090 packaged in a single frame. The key is the technology integration of bipolar logic chips with differential current switch circuits and CMOS static random access memory array chips on a thermal conduction module. >
Asymmetric Information, Asset Allocation, and Debt Financing

We analyze a signaling game where firms' financing announcements convey private information about their prospects but a moral hazard problem exists in that managers may suboptimally invest. Consequently, the attempt to address an asymmetric information problem exacerbates moral hazard. The equilibrium recognizes both imperfect information problems. Additionally, the firm must determine how to allocate funds between two technologies differing in cash flow timing and managerial accessibility. We define an above-average firm's comparative advantage as that technology which is most dominant relative to a firm with lesser prospects and show that the resultant equilibria follow the lines of the firm's comparative advantage. Finally, we show that separation may be achieved costlessly, i.e., with no explicit signaling cost.
Firearm ownership in veterans entering residential PTSD treatment: associations with suicide ideation, attempts, and combat exposure

This study aimed to describe the frequency of firearm ownership in veterans entering residential treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and examine the association of firearm ownership with suicide ideation and suicide attempt history, combat exposure, and PTSD symptom severity. Two samples of veterans entering residential PTSD treatment were assessed at intake using self-report measures. Approximately one third of participants endorsed firearm ownership across the two samples. Analyses with a sample predominantly comprised of Vietnam Veterans found that those who endorsed both suicide ideation and prior suicide attempts were less likely to own a firearm compared to suicide ideators and non-suicidal participants. In addition, more frequent combat exposure, but not PTSD symptom severity, was associated with firearm ownership in both samples and most participants endorsed using safe storage practices. These lower rates of firearm ownership generally, and in those with suicide ideation and prior attempts in particular, may reflect an increased focused on means restriction in treatment for combat-related PTSD. Means restriction counseling among PTSD treatment seeking veterans should target those with combat exposure.
A new model reference adaptive control law

A model reference adaptive control mechanism for controlling linear time-varying processes is introduced. In this mechanism, only one controller parameter is adjusted to compensate for variations in the plant parameters while keeping the remaining controller parameters fixed. Online estimation of the process parameters is required to find the values of the adaptive controller parameters, which can be done by allowing one controller parameter to vary while keeping the rest fixed. Then by equating the system difference equation to the model output, one can solve for the adjustable parameter. The closer the estimate of the process parameters to their true values, the closer is the convergence of the system output to that of the model. This method has a very fast convergence rate, because the controller parameter is adjusted online at every sampling instant. >
Role for CD21 in the Establishment of an Extracellular HIV Reservoir in Lymphoid Tissues

Follicular dendritic cells (FDC) represent a major extracellular reservoir for HIV. A better understanding of the mechanisms of virion attachment to FDC may offer new avenues for reducing viral burdens in infected individuals. We used a murine model to investigate the establishment of extracellular HIV reservoirs in lymph nodes (LN). Consistent with findings in human tissues, CD21 was required for trapping of HIV to LN cells, as evidenced by significantly reduced virion binding when mice were pretreated with a C3 ligand-blocking anti-CD21 mAb and absence of virion trapping in CD21 knockout mice. Also consistent with findings in human tissues, the majority of HIV virions were associated with the FDC-enriched fraction of LN cell preparations. Somewhat surprisingly, HIV-specific Abs were not essential for HIV binding to LN cells, indicating that seeding of the FDC reservoir may begin shortly after infection and before the development of HIV-specific Abs. Finally, the virion-displacing potential for anti-CD21 mAbs was investigated. Treatment of mice with anti-CD21 mAbs several days after injection of HIV significantly reduced HIV bound to LN cells. Our findings demonstrate a critical role for CD21 in HIV trapping by LN cells and suggest a new therapeutic avenue for reducing HIV reservoirs.
Transcriptional analyses of interferon-inducible mRNAs

Using nuclear runoff transcription assays we demonstrated that alpha interferon-mediated induction of transcription of four mRNAs in HeLa monolayer cells needed ongoing protein synthesis and that such a need could be obviated by pretreating the cells with gamma interferon which, by itself, did not induce transcription of these mRNAs. In another human cell line, RD-114, synthesis of alpha interferon-inducible mRNA 561 did not need ongoing protein synthesis. In this line, however, in which interferon inhibits replication of some viruses but not of others, transcription of two of the six interferon-inducible mRNAs that we examined was not appreciably enhanced by interferon.
Approximation of the integral of the asperity height distribution for the Greenwood-Tripp asperity contact model:

The load carried by asperity contacts is a very important quantity when performing elastohydrodynamic analyses in the mixed-lubrication regime. The Greenwood—Tripp model for the contact of two nominally flat rough surfaces is traditionally used for the evaluation of these loads. In this model it is assumed that the asperity heights follow a Gaussian distribution, thus, the load carried by the asperities can be evaluated by the integration of a non-linear function that relates the surface separation with the asperity height distribution. In order to avoid the computational burden of integrating this function numerically, several approximations have been proposed in literature.In the current technical note, the authors examine the quality of two of these approximations, a power law approximation and a sixth-order polynomial approximation, proposed in research efforts for the lubrication analysis of piston rings. The lack of fit for these two approximations is identified and in turn a new exponential approxi...
Phase I clinical trial of the use of zinc phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate as a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy in dogs

Objective—To determine the threshold for acute toxicosis of parenterally administered zinc phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate (ZnPcS4), a candidate second-generation photosensitizer, in mice and evaluate the compound's safety in a phase I clinical trial of ZnPcS4-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) in pet dogs with naturally occurring tumors. Animals—Male Swiss-Webster mice and client-owned dogs with naturally occurring neoplasms. Procedures—For the study of acute toxicosis, mice were given graded doses of ZnPcS4. To determine safety, a rapid-titration phase I clinical trial of ZnPcS4-based PDT in tumor-bearing dogs was conducted. Results—In mice, administration of ≥ 100 mg of ZnPcS4/kg resulted in renal tubular necrosis 24 hours after IP injection. In tumor-bearing dogs, ZnPcS4 doses ≤ 4 mg/kg induced no signs of toxicosis and resulted in partial to complete tumor responses in 10 of 12 dogs 4 weeks after PDT. Tumor remission was observed with ZnPcS4 doses as low as 0.25 mg/kg. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—...
Abnormal processing of the human cholecystokinin receptor gene in association with gallstones and obesity

Abstract Background & Aims: Cholesterol gallstone disease and obesity are often associated and share the potential, yet unreported, common etiology of cholecystokinin (CCK) dysfunction. While cloning the human CCK-A receptor complementary DNA (cDNA), we found predominance of a 262-base pair coding region deletion in a cDNA library prepared from a patient with this phenotype. The aim of this study was to determine the abundance, functional significance, and mechanism for generating this gene product. Methods: Relative abundance of CCK receptor gene products was determined using polymerase chain reaction and hybridization analysis. Constructs were expressed in COS cells and studied for radioligand binding and intracellular calcium responses. A human genomic clone for this receptor was sequenced, and the critical regions were compared with those of the patient. Results: Ninety-three percent of the patient's CCK receptor transcripts contained the 262-base pair deletion, whereas only 1.5% ± 0.9% of control patients had the deletion. This encoded a receptor that did not bind or signal. The deletion corresponded with the third exon; however, this sequence and flanking introns were normal in the patient. Conclusions: Abnormality of processing an apparently normal CCK receptor gene yields the predominant product with an absent third exon and encoding a nonfunctional receptor, probably reflecting a defective trans -acting splicing factor. An atypical lariat region in the third intron may explain the presence of small amounts of this product in control patients.
Investigation of the safety effects of knee bolster air bag deployment in similar real-world crash comparisons

Objective: The lower extremity is the most frequently injured body region and knee–thigh–hip (KTH) injuries account for half of these injuries. Knee bolster air bags (KBABs) have been incorporated in some vehicles to serve as an additional restraint for the occupant's knees and reduce KTH injuries. To investigate the safety benefits of KBABs, similar frontal crashes with opposing KBAB deployment were selected from the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) database. Methods: An 8-point similarity scoring algorithm was used to quantify crash and occupant similarity and select case comparisons. A total of 183 cases without a KBAB were scored for similarity to 9 KBAB cases. These similarity scores were used to select 31 final case comparisons. The effect of KBAB deployment on occupant injury patterns was investigated with a particular focus on KTH injuries. Results: Over half of the occupants exposed to a KBAB sustained no KTH injuries and a reduction in femur fractures was observed in KBAB oc...
Crystal structure of a samarium(III) nitrate chain cross-linked by a bis-carbamoyl­methyl­phosphine oxide ligand

In the title compound poly[aqua­bis­(μ-nitrato-κ4O,O′:O,O′′)tetra­kis­(nitrato-κ2O,O′){μ4-tetra­ethyl [(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(aza­nedi­yl)bis­(2-oxo­ethane-2,1-di­yl)]di­phospho­nate-κ2O,O′}disamarium(III)], [Sm2(NO3)6(C14H30N2O8P2)(H2O)]n, a 12-coordinate SmIII and a nine-coordinate SmIII cation are alternately linked via shared bis-bidentate nitrate anions into a corrugated chain extending parallel to the a axis. The nine-coordinate SmIII atom of this chain is also chelated by a bidentate, yet flexible, carbamoyl­methyl­phoshine oxide (CMPO) ligand and bears one water mol­ecule. This water mol­ecule is hydrogen bonded to nitrate groups bonded to the 12-coordinate SmIII cation. The CMPO ligand, which lies about an inversion center, links neighboring chains along the c axis, forming sheets parallel to the ac plane. Hydrogen bonds between the amide NH group and metal-bound nitrate anions are also present in these sheets. The sheets are packed along the b axis through only van der Waals inter­actions.
Effective poultry programming in the next century. Balancing research programs: applied and basic

Abstract The generation of new knowledge and the application of that knowledge to benefit mankind are both essential for the land grant university system to maintain viability into the next century. Sources and availability of funding also will dictate both basic and applied approaches. Federal funding initiatives will continue to emphasize competitive grants, hence, more basic research. State and private funding, conversely, often dictate an emphasis on application. Although most universities will continue to conduct more fundamental and applied research, the proper ratio will vary among institutions. The ratio will be influenced by a number of factors, including the philosophy of the institution, age and expertise of the faculty, promotion and tenure requirements, and funding sources.
Sporulation of Bacillus subtilis

Differentiation of vegetative Bacillus subtilis into heat resistant spores is initiated by the activation of the key transcription regulator Spo0A through the phosphorelay. Subsequent events depend on the cell compartment-specific action of a series of RNA polymerase sigma factors. Analysis of genes in the Spo0A regulon has helped delineate the mechanisms of axial chromatin formation and asymmetric division. There have been considerable advances in our understanding of critical controls that act to regulate the phosphorelay and to activate the sigma factors.
Background Spectral Radiance And Contrast In The 1.5 TO 13 Micrometer Region

Spectral measurement instrumentation for the study of absolute radiance and contrast in the 1.5 to 13 micrometer region has been fabricated. Measurement technology has been developed based on fifteen years of experience. Spectral measurement instrumentation and techniques are discussed, including calibration methods, data acquisition and data reduction. Examples of recent natural background spectra are presented in both absolute and contrast forms.© (1978) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.