cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Infant Undernutrition in a Nepali Village: Behaviors and Beliefs

A 5-month longitudinal study in a Nepali village showed consistent behavioral differences between undernourished and more adequately nourished infants aged 7 through 18 months. Caregivers behavior on the other hand showed no differences as a function of the childrens nutritional condition. Comparisons with 2 earlier cross-sectional studies in different cultural settings suggest that regardless of the cultural setting infant behavioral development appears altered as a function of undernutrition. Maternal caregiving behavior seems culturally determined and need not to be a contributing factor to infant undernutrition in developing countries. 2 anthropometric criteria weight for known age and midarm-head circumference ratio were used to select an undernourished and control group. Each undernourished childs weight for known age was below the 70% of standrad international norms and the midarm/head circumference ratio was below 0.290. Since deficient diet and/or illness were assumed to be the major contributing factors to the childs undernutrition a nutritional history was obtained for each child. Dietary reports failed to show significant differences in nutritional history for both the undernourished and the control groups.
A Large-scale Second-order Structural Equation Model of the Influence of Management Participation on Organizational Planning Benefits

This study analyzes the relationship between management participation in strategy formation and organizational planning benefits with the construction and subsequent empirical validation of a large-scale structural equation model with 57 items. This model simultaneously considered first-order and second-order measurement models as well as the structural model. Methodological emphasis was placed on developing expanded conceptualizations of these strategy constructs by modeling them as second-order factors and expressing their defining constituent domains of content as first-order factors. Results indicate a strong causal linkage between management participation and two classes of strategic benefits, suggesting that management participation enhances the effectiveness of the strategy process.
Conflict and cooperation along international waterways

There are 261 international rivers, covering almost one half of the total land surface of the globe and untold numbers of shared aquifers. Water has been a cause of political tensions between Arabs and Israelis, Indians and Bangladeshis, Americans and Mexicans, and all ten riparian states of the Nile river. Water is the only scarce resource for which there is no substitute, over which there is poorly developed international law and the need for which is overwhelming, constant and immediate. As a consequence, ‘water’ and ‘war’ are two topics being assessed together with increasing frequency. This paper investigates the reality of historic water conflict and draws lessons for the plausibility of future ‘water wars’. The datasets of conflict are explored for those related to water — only seven minor skirmishes are found in this century; no war has ever been fought over water. In contrast, 145 water-related treaties were signed in the same period. These treaties, collected and catalogued in a computerized database along with relevant notes from negotiators, are assessed for patterns of conflict resolution. War over water seems neither strategically rational, hydrographically eAective, nor economically viable. Shared interests along a waterway seem to consistently outweigh water’s conflict-inducing characteristics. Furthermore, once cooperative water regimes are established through treaty, they turn out to be impressively resilient over time, even between otherwise hostile riparians and even as conflict is waged over other issues. These patterns suggest that the more valuable lesson of international water is as a resources whose characteristics tend to induce cooperation and incite violence only in the exception. # 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Marriage and Mortality in Prostate Cancer

AbstractPurpose: We evaluated the association of marital status and survival in patients with prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: Using the 146,979 prostate cancer patients of the 1973 to 1990 public use tape of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program we performed survival analysis and multivariate proportional hazards modeling to estimate the relative risk of mortality.Results: Married patients had significantly longer median survival than those who were divorced, single, separated or widowed. In models that controlled for age, stage, race and treatment, married patients had a significantly lower risk of mortality than those who were divorced, single, separated or widowed.Conclusions: Several hypothetical models can explain the association of marital status and mortality in men with prostate cancer. The most attractive model relies on the putative salutary effects of being married on social support and/or mood. A social support and depressed mood model of mortality raises the possibilit...
Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes in Autophagy

The autophagy pathway has a clear, dual role in cancer development: autophagy inhibition increases tumor initiation, but for established tumors, autophagy inhibitors can potently suppress tumor progression. Given the role of autophagy in tumor initiation, it is perhaps not surprising that many oncogenes that are commonly found mutated in human cancer negatively regulate this process. Conversely a major tumor suppressor pathway, the p53/ARF axis, positively regulates autophagy. Notably, the majority of human tumors contain activated oncogenes that are predicted to lead to hyper-activation the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Additionally, most tumors contain inactivating mutations in the p53/ARF pathway. Therefore, it is reasonable to predict that cancer cells have an impaired ability to undergo autophagy, but at the same time a hyper-reliance on this pathway to promote survival during metabolic and hypoxic stress. As such, the autophagy pathway is likely to be an Achilles heel for cancer. Exploiting this weakness will be an important future goal for cancer researchers.
Citizen science in risk communication in the era of ICT

Risk communication is the exchange of information among stakeholders about an impending disaster and its risks to help individuals take appropriate actions to mitigate hazard impacts. While traditional risk communication follows a command and control structure such that information from hierarchical and vertically integrated organizations is disseminated to broader community, social media uses a decentralized, collaborative, and network based communication approach. The growth of information and communication technologies has made social media a popular channel for disseminating alert and warning messages both by citizens and agencies. However, social media suffers from spreading rumors and hoaxes. To minimize rumors and increase citizen communication, a science gateway Cyber-Infrastructure for GeoInformatics and Community Resilience has been deployed. This gateway, resulted from a research conducted along the Mississippi Gulf Coast communities, incorporates citizen science to evaluate warning message sources, message contents and dissemination channels to increase public response to warnings. This gateway built on the social construct of risk communication provides opportunities to citizens to share data and information about a hazard, and participate in building community resilience. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Response of Carbon Black Filled Butyl Rubber to Cyclic Loading

Abstract The stress softening behavior of a carbon black filled butyl rubber in cyclic loading (creep) and cyclic deformation (stress relaxation) histories was investigated. Single step and multiple step stress relaxation and creep experiments were conducted as were creep experiments with sinusoidal loading histories. The data were analyzed in view of the BKZ constitutive equation. For materials which follow the behavior predicted by the BKZ theory, the single step stress relaxation response is a lower bound for the stress in cyclic deformation histories, and the single step creep response is an upper bound for the deformations obtained in cyclic loading histories. In our experiments we observed that for filled butyl rubber, the responses to cyclic deformation and cyclic loading histories were outside these bounds. The softening was much more emphatic in cyclic loading histories than in cyclic deformation histories. We also found that the rubber is stiffer in creep than predicted from the BKZ theory (from...
"Not All Visual Media Are Helpful": An Optimal Instructional Medium for Effective Online Learning

With an increasing online learning population, many questions are arising as to the best way of teaching online. A number of common methods incorporate visual formats into the teaching method. Currently, an area lacking in research is which visual format communicates material most effectively to students. In this study, the focus was on discovering whether it is more effective to use an audio-pictorial video rather than an audio-text video. Sixteen undergraduates participated in this study. Each group was exposed to one of three test conditions: audio-video, audio-text, or audio-only (control). The participants were then asked to complete the task of making a unique paper airplane. As our hypothesis, the results showed that the audiovideo group had significantly higher completion rates for the task than the other two groups, which showed no difference from each other. Results are discussed in terms of cognitive load theory and multiple resources theory, and a practical recommendation is provided recommending the use of a live audio-video format to teach students online.
Understanding Ligand Distributions in Modified Particle and Particlelike Systems

Chemical modification of nanoparticles or particlelike systems is ubiquitously being used to facilitate specific pharmaceutical functionalities or physicochemical attributes of nanocrystals, proteins, enzymes, or other particlelike systems. Often the modification process is incomplete and the functional activity of the product depends upon the distribution of functional ligands among the different particles in the system. Here, the distribution function describing the spread of ligands in particlelike systems undergoing partial modification reactions is derived and validated against a conjugated enzyme model system by use of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). The distribution function is shown to be applicable to describe the distribution of ligands in a wide range of particlelike systems (such as enzymes, dendrimers, or inorganic nanocrystals) and is used to establish guidelines for the synthesis of uniformly modified particle systems even at low rea...
Know Your Value: Negotiation Skill Development for Junior Investigators in the Academic Environment - A Report from the American Society of Preventive Oncology’s Junior Members Interest Group

The American Society of Preventive Oncology (ASPO) is a professional society for multidisciplinary investigators in cancer prevention and control. One of the aims of ASPO is to enable investigators at all levels to create new opportunities and maximize their success. One strategy adopted by ASPO was
Profile adjustment and oil displacement by bacteria in low permeability reservoisr

Aiming at the condition of low production and low efficiency of the oil wells in the special low permeability reservoirs in the process of water flooding,such as the poor capability of feed flow,the rapid increase of water production and decrease of productivity,we choose the surfactant producing bacteria for lab experiment first and then for field experiment.The results show that,in the special low permeability reservoirs,the microbial profile adjustment and oil displacement can reduce the injection pressure of the water wells by 25.3%～61.0%,improve the oil recovery by 6.3%～10.5%,better the injection and recovery status,so it plays an important role in water reduction and oil improvement for the fields.
A Quintilian Anniversary and Its Meaning

This year 2016 marks an important six hundredth anniversary in the history of rhetoric and education.In September, 1416, the Italian humanist and book-hunter Poggio Bracciolini visited a Benedictin...
Java 8 and the JavaFX library: conference tutorial

Java 8 upgrades this venerable programming language in two key areas. First, the concept of an interface has been greatly expanded. Interfaces may now incorporate default behavior, bringing the semantics of the language much closer to multiple inheritance. Furthermore, for interfaces with only one undeWned method, anonymous functions and methods have now become acceptable stand-ins for these interfaces. Through this mechanism, methods have now been given status equivalent to objects, effectively transforming Java into a functional programming language.
Far Field Thermal Calculations for the WIPP Site in Southeastern New Mexico (SENM)

The evaluation of the safe burial of heat producing radioactive waste in bedded salt requires estimates of the increased temperatures introduced into the surrounding geological strata. The specific problem of the far field (regional) temperature field calculation and the interaction with existing aquifers is considered for a specific site (the WIPP site in SENM).** The hydrologic transport of radionuclides in the geologic media is modeled by a finite-difference solution of the coupled pressure, energy, and mass transport equations. Thus, the same model can be used to investigate temperature increases in the aquifers and at the WIPP ground surface. Also, the dependence of the temperature changes with aquifer and thermophysical parameter variations will be studied. The purpose of this work is to perform a sensitivity analysis of emplacement scenarios upon the temperature gradients and heat flow of the near-surface geologic media.
PERIPHERAL EFFECTOR MECHANISMS OF TEMPERATURE REGULATION: The Regulation of Sweating Activities in Primates

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the peripheral effector mechanisms of temperature regulation. The peripheral effector mechanisms of primates for temperature regulation serve to maintain internal body temperatures within a relatively narrow range of from 36–39°C. The thermoregulatory effector functions of primates can be classified into two general categories: (1) physiological responses, which include involuntary autonomic responses, which depend upon the integrity of central and peripheral neural pathways but not the cortex; (2) voluntary actions, which require the integrity of the cortex. This chapter reviews some of the physiological factors that have an important influence on the control of sweating activity in primates. The chapter illustrates a typical continuous sweating record obtained from the forearms of a human subject using the technique of resistance hygrometry. It also presents a typical sweating record obtained from a calf and the palm of a rhesus monkey after two hours of their continuous exposure to 42°C and 20% relative humidity.
Evaluating the role of phase I expansion cohorts in oncologic drug development

Importance Use of expansion cohorts (EC) in phase I trials is increasing. However, the utility of phase I EC in aiding drug development is unclear. We sought to determine factors associated with the inclusion of EC in phase I studies and the impact of EC on subsequent clinical development. Methods We performed a systematic review of all phase I trials published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology between June 2004 and May 2014. Presence of an EC, number of participants, funding source, class of agent, tumor type, and maximum tolerated dose (MTD)/recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) were identified. Subsequent conduct of phase II studies and FDA approval of the study agent was also assessed. Results We identified 252 phase I studies. An EC was included in 105 studies. Average accrual on EC studies was 47 compared to 31 in studies without EC (p < 0.0001). There was no impact of time on the inclusion of EC. Only 4 % of phase I studies with an EC provided sample size justification. Source of funding had the only significant association with inclusion of EC. Addition of a phase I EC did not impact the phase I MTD/RP2D, subsequent phase II trial, or FDA approval. Conclusion The importance of including an EC in phase I trials is subject to ongoing debate. Our results demonstrated little benefit to including EC in phase I studies. These findings support that innovative design strategies are needed to optimize the utility of EC in phase I studies.
Health Cards by Google: dermatologist review of the inclusivity and utility of the medical search application

One in twenty Google web searches are related to medical conditions1 indicating the prominent role of the internet as a resource for medical information. Indeed, 72% of internet users report searching online for medical conditions; 77% began with Google, Bing, or Yahoo.2 While 53% additionally sought physician consultation, 46% did not.3 Responding to its place in the medical community, in 2015 Google partnered with academic, government, and business-based ventures to develop “health cards” for searched disorders, and, in summer 2016, debuted a “related conditions” generator, suggesting diagnoses related to input disorders or symptoms. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Gay Is the New Black (but Black Is Still Black): The History and Current Trends of Attitudinal Hypocrisy

Beginning in 1964, I trace the path of ideological distinctions in America’s last half-century of attitudinal hypocrisy: Barry Goldwater’s quasi-libertarian congruence, and the exploitation thereof by, among others, George Wallace to further subjugate Black Americans; the Vietnam War’s fracturing of the Democratic Party establishment at the expense of Hubert Humphrey and racial progress; the Reagan coalition of stated social authoritarianism at, perhaps, the expense of everyone outside of wealthy elites; the rise of the Tea Party as the crystallized small-government (but still socially traditionalist) movement; and today, the Trump presidency, for which quantifying ideological consistency requires dividing by zero. Ultimately, I offer two lenses through which this history may be viewed: a hyper-cynical view, in which latent prejudices are exploited by elites to advance neoliberalism; or a positive salvation view, in which hypocritical attitudes are always around, but inevitably lead toward a more perfect union.
Configuring DDS features for communicating components in smart grids

A key success factor for a smart grid lies on reliable data exchange between components across domains in the grid. However, a smart grid involves various types of devices and equipment having different quality concerns and computing capability, which requires a flexible communication platform that can accommodate heterogeneous devices. The Data Distribution Service (DDS) is a standard for data-centric communication based on a publish-subscribe protocol for distributed applications. It enables reliable data communication through various features such as quality-of-service (QoS) and dynamic discovery. In this paper, we present configuring DDS features to support different types of components in smart grids. First, we describe communicating components, requirements, and challenges in smart grids. Then, we describe how DDS features can be configured to a specific component. Based on the configuration, we demonstrate modeling and tailoring DDS specifically for the component type. This work uses the term component to refer to any software system or hardware device with computing and communication capabilities in smart grids.
Prescreening whole exome sequencing results from patients with retinal degeneration for variants in genes associated with retinal degeneration.

Background Accurate clinical diagnosis and prognosis of retinal degeneration can be aided by the identification of the disease-causing genetic variant. It can confirm the clinical diagnosis as well as inform the clinician of the risk for potential involvement of other organs such as kidneys. It also aids in genetic counseling for affected individuals who want to have a child. Finally, knowledge of disease-causing variants informs laboratory investigators involved in translational research. With the advent of next-generation sequencing, identifying pathogenic mutations is becoming easier, especially the identification of novel pathogenic variants. Methods We used whole exome sequencing on a cohort of 69 patients with various forms of retinal degeneration and in whom screens for previously identified disease-causing variants had been inconclusive. All potential pathogenic variants were verified by Sanger sequencing and, when possible, segregation analysis of immediate relatives. Potential variants were identified by using a semi-masked approach in which rare variants in candidate genes were identified without knowledge of the clinical diagnosis (beyond "retinal degeneration") or inheritance pattern. After the initial list of genes was prioritized, genetic diagnosis and inheritance pattern were taken into account. Results We identified the likely pathogenic variants in 64% of the subjects. Seven percent had a single heterozygous mutation identified that would cause recessive disease and 13% had no obviously pathogenic variants and no family members available to perform segregation analysis. Eleven subjects are good candidates for novel gene discovery. Two de novo mutations were identified that resulted in dominant retinal degeneration. Conclusion Whole exome sequencing allows for thorough genetic analysis of candidate genes as well as novel gene discovery. It allows for an unbiased analysis of genetic variants to reduce the chance that the pathogenic mutation will be missed due to incomplete or inaccurate family history or analysis at the early stage of a syndromic form of retinal degeneration.
Long-Term Correction of Diabetes in Mice by In Vivo Reprogramming of Pancreatic Ducts.

Direct lineage reprogramming can convert readily available cells in the body into desired cell types for cell replacement therapy. This is usually achieved through forced activation or repression of lineage-defining factors or pathways. In particular, reprogramming toward the pancreatic β cell fate has been of great interest in the search for new diabetes therapies. It has been suggested that cells from various endodermal lineages can be converted to β-like cells. However, it is unclear how closely induced cells resemble endogenous pancreatic β cells and whether different cell types have the same reprogramming potential. Here, we report in vivo reprogramming of pancreatic ductal cells through intra-ductal delivery of an adenoviral vector expressing the transcription factors Pdx1, Neurog3, and Mafa. Induced β-like cells are mono-hormonal, express genes essential for β cell function, and correct hyperglycemia in both chemically and genetically induced diabetes models. Compared with intrahepatic ducts and hepatocytes treated with the same vector, pancreatic ducts demonstrated more rapid activation of β cell transcripts and repression of donor cell markers. This approach could be readily adapted to humans through a commonly performed procedure, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), and provides potential for cell replacement therapy in type 1 diabetes patients.
Influence of Birth Cohort on Effectiveness of 2015-2016 Influenza Vaccine Against Medically Attended Illness Due to 2009 Pandemic Influenza A(H1N1) Virus in the United States.

Background The effectiveness of influenza vaccine during 2015-2016 was reduced in some age groups as compared to that in previous 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus (A[H1N1]pdm09 virus)-predominant seasons. We hypothesized that the age at first exposure to specific influenza A(H1N1) viruses could influence vaccine effectiveness (VE). Methods We estimated the effectiveness of influenza vaccine against polymerase chain reaction-confirmed influenza A(H1N1)pdm09-associated medically attended illness from the 2010-2011 season through the 2015-2016 season, according to patient birth cohort using data from the Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network. Birth cohorts were defined a priori on the basis of likely immunologic priming with groups of influenza A(H1N1) viruses that circulated during 1918-2015. VE was calculated as 100 × [1 - adjusted odds ratio] from logistic regression models comparing the odds of vaccination among influenza virus-positive versus influenza test-negative patients. Results A total of 2115 A(H1N1)pdm09 virus-positive and 14 696 influenza virus-negative patients aged ≥6 months were included. VE was 61% (95% confidence interval [CI], 56%-66%) against A(H1N1)pdm09-associated illness during the 2010-2011 through 2013-2014 seasons, compared with 47% (95% CI, 36%-56%) during 2015-2016. During 2015-2016, A(H1N1)pdm09-specific VE was 22% (95% CI, -7%-43%) among adults born during 1958-1979 versus 61% (95% CI, 54%-66%) for all other birth cohorts combined. Conclusion Findings suggest an association between reduced VE against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09-related illness during 2015-2016 and early exposure to specific influenza A(H1N1) viruses.
Toward Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskite Diode Lasers

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites represent a promising, wavelength-tunable materials platform for a future diode laser. This talk will present progress toward this goal, including continuous-wave lasing and high-brightness perovskite light emitting diodes.
Atheist primes reduce religiosity and subjective wellbeing

ABSTRACTIn recent years, atheism has grown in popularity, partly inspired by the rise to prominence of a group of public intellectuals called the “New Atheists” who argue against religion in public fora. What are the social consequences of this development? We test in a laboratory study in Kenya whether exposure to atheist arguments affects self-reported and implicit religiosity, subjective wellbeing, and self-reported tolerance of different social groups. We find a significant negative effect of emotional arguments against religion on both self-reported and implicit measures of religiosity, especially among men, but no effect of scientific appeals. Subjective wellbeing is strongly reduced after emotional atheist messages, again especially among men, suggesting that emotional atheist arguments may have a wellbeing cost. We find no effects of atheism messages on self-reported tolerance. Together, these results suggest that emotional atheist arguments reduce religiosity and subjective wellbeing, especially ...
Transepithelial corneal crosslinking for keratoconus.

Purpose To evaluate outcomes of corneal crosslinking (CXL) using a transepithelial technique for the treatment of keratoconus. Setting Cornea and refractive surgery subspecialty practice. Design Prospective case series. Methods Transepithelial CXL was performed in keratoconic eyes using riboflavin 0.1% and topical anesthetic containing benzalkonium chloride to facilitate riboflavin diffusion through the epithelium. Eyes were randomized to receive riboflavin administration either every 1 minute or every 2 minutes during ultraviolet-A exposure at 3mW/cm2. The principal outcome was change in maximum keratometry (K) and secondary outcomes included uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuities, mean K, and comparison of randomized groups. Results Eighty-two eyes of 56 patients were treated. At 1 year, maximum K decreased significantly by 0.45 diopters (D) ± 1.94 (SD); it improved by 2.0 D or more in 11 eyes (13%) and worsened by 2.0 D or more in 4 eyes (5%). The mean UDVA significantly improved by 0.7 lines, whereas the CDVA improved by 0.2 lines. Two eyes showed both continued progression with loss of CDVA. Only the 1-minute subgroup showed significant improvements in maximum K (−0.73 D) and UDVA. Transient corneal erosion and epitheliopathy were reported in 21% of eyes. Conclusions Transepithelial CXL resulted in significant improvements in maximum K and UDVA over 1 year. There was a suggestion that increased riboflavin dosing might improve procedure outcomes. Further study is required to determine the relative advantages and disadvantages of different transepithelial approaches to the standard CXL protocol with epithelial removal.
*-Box: towards reliability and consistency in dropbox-like file synchronization services

Cloud-based file synchronization services, such as Dropbox, have never been more popular. They provide excellent reliability and durability in their server-side storage, and can provide a consistent view of their synchronized files across multiple clients. However, the loose coupling of these services and the local file system may, in some cases, turn these benefits into drawbacks. In this paper, we show that these services can silently propagate both local data corruption and the results of inconsistent crash recovery, and cannot guarantee that the data they store reflects the actual state of the disk. We propose techniques to prevent and recover from these problems by reducing the separation between local file systems and synchronization clients, providing clients with deeper knowledge of file system activity and allowing the file system to take advantage of the correct data stored remotely.
Anatomy, Function, and Evaluation of the Salivary Glands

Embryology of the salivary glands and their associated structures Detailed anatomy of the parotid, submandibular, sublingual, and minor salivary glands, including nervous innervation, arterial supply, and venous and lymphatic drainage Histology and organization of the acini and duct systems within the salivary glands Physiology and function of the glands with respect to the production of saliva Considerations when taking a patient’s history The intra- and extraoral aspects of inspection and palpation during a physical examination
The Role Of Metal-Reducing Bacteria In Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion

Synthetic iron oxides (goethite, AFeO{center_dot}OH; hematite, Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}; and ferrihydrate, Fe(OH){sub 3}) were used as model compounds to simulate the mineralogy of passivating films on carbon steel. Dissolution of these oxides exposed to pure cultures of the metal-reducing bacterium, Shewanella putrefaciens, was followed by direct atomic absorption spectroscopy measurement of ferrous iron coupled with microscopic analyses using confocal laser scanning and environmental scanning electron microscopies. During an 8-day exposure the organism colonized mineral surfaces and reduced solid ferric oxides to soluble ferrous ions. Elemental composition, as monitored by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, indicated mineral replacement reactions with both ferrihydrite and goethite as iron reduction occurred. When carbon steel electrodes were exposed to S. putrefaciens, microbiologically influenced corrosion was demonstrated electrochemically and microscopically.
Monitoring Program Execution

Program understanding and debugging both require detailed information about the dynamic behavior of the underlying application. The call graph browser and the data structure display, our early efforts, provide this information using the debugger. This approach introduces considerable overhead but has the advantage of being totally non-intrusive: it requires no effort on the programmer’s part and it works on existing programs. In developing further dynamic visualization tools for FIELD, we wanted much better performance and non-intrusive monitoring.
Contributions to the Life History of the Redback Salamander, Plethodon Cinereus

The redback salamander, Plethodon cinereus, is indigenous to the woodlands of eastern North America, from southern Canada south to North Carolina (Conant, R., and J. T. Collins. 1998). Over much of its range it is quite numerous(e.g.,2.8salamander/m2 in Giles Co., Virginia; Mathis, 1991), often representing a major component of the vertebrate biomass in terrestrial ecosystems (Burton and Likens, 1975). Adult redback salamanders establish and defend resource-based territories (Mathis, 1989), and females exhibit biennial reproduction (Sayler, 1966) which includes direct development coupled with extended maternal care (Bachmann, 1964).
Effects of Practice Turnover on Primary Care Quality Improvement Implementation

Primary care practices often engage in quality improvement (QI) in order to stay current and meet quality benchmarks, but the extent to which turnover affects practices' QI ability is not well described. The authors examined qualitative data from practice staff and external facilitators participating in a large-scale QI initiative to understand the relationship between turnover and QI efforts. The examination found turnover can limit practices' ability to engage in QI activities in various ways. When a staff member leaves, remaining staff often absorb additional responsibilities, and QI momentum slows as new staff are trained or existing staff are reengaged. Turnover alters staff dynamics and can create barriers to constructive working relationships and team building. When key practice members leave, they can take with them institutional memory about QI purpose, processes, and long-term vision. Understanding how turnover affects QI may help practices, and those helping them with QI, manage the disruptive effects of turnover.
Expansion by Ballot Initiative: Challenges and Future Directions in Health Policy

Since 2017, four states have successfully adopted the Medicaid expansion through ballot initiative. We analyze how states could potentially use ballot initiatives to implement these programs. We find there are serious legal and political challenges to expansion by initiative. Only six non-expansion states allow for a ballot initiative to pass and implement the Medicaid expansion. Amongst those states, there are challenges that limit the development, scope, and implementation of an initiative. Whether a state adopts the Medicaid expansion has important implications for health care providers.
Sensitivity Analysis of Speed Limit, Truck Lane Restrictions, and Data Aggregation Level on the HCM-6 Passenger Car Equivalent Estimation Methodology for Western U.S. Conditions

In the 2016 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM-6), the impact of trucks on freeway operations is measured by passenger car equivalents (PCEs). PCEs are estimated by the equal capacity methodology. The HC...
Risk of death due to disease for thyroid fine-needle aspirations of well-differentiated thyroid carcinomas.

The risk of malignancy for some diagnoses in thyroid fine-needle aspirations is higher than the actual risk of clinical progression. Other measures of prognosis may be helpful in managing patients with indeterminate thyroid fine-needle aspiration diagnoses. We estimated the risk of death due to disease (RDDD) for well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma using a series of over 15 000 aspirates with over 2000 excisions and data from the SEER database. RDDD was low (1.3% or less for all categories). The RDDD of some indeterminate thyroid aspirates was higher than for malignant aspirates. The RDDD may provide additional information for patients and clinicians seeking to manage patients with indeterminate thyroid fine-needle aspirates.
Monopoles with Zn Charges

We consider a simply connected gauge group G, and assemble the Higgs fields into a scalar multiplet S, in some representation of G. The Higgs’ vacuum expectation value breaks G to H, some subgroup of G. If the second homotopy group π2(G/H) = π1 (H) is non-trivial, there is a conserved charge.1
Frequency of β-Blocker Use Following Exacerbations of COPD in Patients with Compelling Indication for Use.

OBJECTIVE To assess the current use of β-blockers in patients with compelling indications for use, following the acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS We performed a multicenter retrospective observational study using data from all of the patients admitted to five institutions for an acute exacerbation of COPD. Patients were included if they were admitted for an acute exacerbation of COPD and had a compelling indication for the use of a β-blocker, defined as previous myocardial infarction or heart failure with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%. RESULTS There were 396 patients meeting the criteria for inclusion in the study. The population was predominantly white men with myocardial infarction as the most prevalent compelling indication. On admission, 267 (67.4%) patients were receiving β-blockers, which increased to 278 (70.2%) at discharge. There were 118 (29.8%) patients discharged without β-blockers. Of the predictors tested, none were significantly predictive of a patient not receiving β-blockers upon discharge; however, home and in-hospital β-blockers reduced the likelihood of being discharged without a β-blocker. Of the 129 patients not receiving β-blockers prehospitalization, 23 (17.8%) were discharged with a new prescription for a β-blocker. CONCLUSIONS Nearly one-third of patients with compelling indications for β-blockers were not prescribed the therapy at discharge.
A comparison of BMP2 delivery by coacervate and gene therapy for promoting human muscle-derived stem cell-mediated articular cartilage repair

Osteoarthritis and cartilage injury treatment is an unmet clinical need. Therefore, development of new approaches to treat these diseases is critically needed. Previous work in our laboratory has shown that murine muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) can efficiently repair articular cartilage in an osteochondral and osteoarthritis model. However, the cartilage repair capacity of human muscle-derived stem cells has not been studied which prompt this study. In this study, we tested the in vitro chondrogenesis ability of six populations of human muscle-derived stem cells (hMDSCs), before and after lenti-BMP2/GFP transduction using pellet culture and evaluated chondrogenic differentiation of via histology and Raman spectroscopy. We further compared the in vivo articular cartilage repair of hMDSCs stimulated with BMP2 delivered through coacervate sustain release technology and lenti-viral gene therapy-mediated gene delivery in a monoiodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis (OA) model. We used microCT and histology to evaluate the cartilage repair. We observed that all hMDSCs were able to undergo chondrogenic differentiation in vitro. As expected, lenti-BMP2/GFP transduction further enhanced the chondrogenic differentiation capacities of hMDSCs, as confirmed by Alcian blue and Col2A1staining as well as Raman spectroscopy analysis. We observed through micro-CT scanning, Col2A1 staining, and histological analyses that delivery of BMP2 with coacervate could achieve a similar articular cartilage repair to that mediated by hMDSC-LBMP2/GFP. We also found that the addition of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFLT-1) protein further improved the regenerative potential of hMDSCs/BMP2 delivered through the coacervate sustain release technology. Donor cells did not primarily contribute to the repaired articular cartilage since most of the repair cells are host derived as indicated by GFP staining. We conclude that the delivery of hMDSCs and BMP2 with the coacervate technology can achieve a similar cartilage repair relative to lenti-BMP2/GFP-mediated gene therapy. The use of coacervate technology to deliver BMP2/sFLT1 with hMDSCs for cartilage repair holds promise for possible clinical translation into an effective treatment modality for osteoarthritis and traumatic cartilage injury.
Integrating engineering in K-12 science education: spelling out the pedagogical, epistemological, and methodological arguments

This position paper is motivated by recent educational reform efforts that urge the integration of engineering in science education. We argue that it is plausible and beneficial to integrate engineering into formal K-12 science education. We illustrate how current literature, though often implicitly, discusses this integration from a pedagogical, epistemological, or methodological argumentative stance. From a pedagogical perspective, a historically dominant argument emphasizes how engineering helps make abstract science concepts more concrete. The epistemological argument is centered on how engineering is inherently interdisciplinary and hence its integrative role in support of scientific literacy and more broadly STEM literacy is natural. From a methodological perspective, arguments focus on the engineering design process, which is compatible with scientific inquiry and adaptable to answering different types of engineering questions. We call for the necessity of spelling out these arguments and call for common language as science and engineering educators form a research-base on the integration of science and engineering. We specifically provide and discuss specific terminology associated with four different models, each effectively used to integrate engineering into school science. We caution educators against a possible direction towards a convergence approach for a specific type of integrating engineering and science. Diversity in teaching models, more accurately represents the nature of engineering but also allows adaptations based on available school resources. Future synthesis can then examine student learning outcomes associated with different teaching models.
Discovery of N‐(2‐(Benzylamino)‐2‐oxoethyl)benzamide analogs as a novel scaffold of pancreatic β‐cell protective agents against endoplasmic reticulum stress

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and death play important roles in the development of diabetes. The 1,2,3-triazole derivative 1 is one of only a few structures that have thus far been identified that protect β cells against ER stress. However, this compound has narrow activity range and limited aqueous solubility. To overcome these, we designed and synthesized a new scaffold in which the triazole pharmacophore was substituted with a glycine-like amino acid. Structure-activity relationship studies on this scaffold identified a N-(2-(Benzylamino)-2-oxoethyl)benzamide analog WO5m that possesses β-cell protective activity against ER stress with much improved potency (maximal activity at 100% with EC50 at 0.1 ± 0.01 µm) and water solubility. Identification of this novel β-cell protective scaffold thus provides a new promising modality for the treatment of diabetes.
Professional Schools and Traditional Schools: Engineering Education in Transition

The education of persons planning to enter the professional practice of civil engineering is discussed as a continuation of topics presented at the Conference on Civil Engineering Education, 1974. The need for engineering education to extend longer than 4 yr and to include an orientation toward professional practice is presented. Characteristics of a professional school are given. An effort is made to clarify misunderstandings about professional programs. The concept of professional education is related to registration. It is proposed that the engineering profession urge education beyond the baccalaureate before the award of a designated engineering degree, increased emphasis on design in its broadest sense, and active involvement of the profession in engineering education.
Rapid laser reactive sintering of BaCe0.7Zr0.1Y0.1Yb0.1O3-δ electrolyte for protonic ceramic fuel cells

Abstract The state-of-the-art protonic ceramic electrolyte BaCe0.7Zr0.1Y0.1Yb0.1O3-δ (BCZYYb) dense films were successfully deposited on the pre-sintered Ni(O)+BCZYYb anode substrate by recently developed rapid laser reactive sintering (RLRS) method. The separation of the deposition of dense electrolyte from the preparation of porous anode makes it possible to manufacture protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) with more desirable electrolyte and anode microstructures. The PCFC single cells prepared after introducing the cathode thin film BaCo0.4Fe0.4Zr0.1Y0.1O3-δ (BCFZY0.1) showed OCVs of 0.94–0.97V and peak power densities of 97 mW/cm2 at 600 °C and 121 mW/cm2 at 600–650 °C under Air/H2 gradient. The proton conductivity of the BCZYYb film derived the RLRS-derived single cell showed a moderate proton conductivity of 3.7 × 10−3S/cm at 600 °C. The higher PCFC performance can be expected by further optimization of the thickness, compositions, and/or microstructures of the component layers.
Amenities or disamenities? Estimating the impacts of extreme heat and wildfire on domestic US migration

For decades, Americans have generally been moving away from the Northeast and the Midwest toward the South and West. Mountainous and desert areas in the West and Southwest have been especially popular internal migration destinations. However, these same areas are particularly susceptible to the increasing impacts of climate change on extreme heat and wildfire. This paper investigates relationships between disaster-level fire events and extreme heat on county-level migration in the USA using annual panel data for the years 1990–2015. Are wildfire and extreme heat associated with changes in migration patterns? And, are relationships between such “disamenities” and migration stronger in counties with closer ties to environmental amenities? Fixed effects and random effects regression analysis show that both experiencing a disaster-level wildfire and extreme heat in the prior year were associated with reduced migration. Relationships are stronger in counties rich in natural amenities and outdoor recreation, suggesting that in places known for their environmental amenities, shifts toward environmental disamenities may be particularly impactful.
Two parallel pathways convey distinct visual information to the Drosophila mushroom body

ABSTRACT The ability to integrate input from different sensory systems is a fundamental property of many brains. Yet, the patterns of neuronal connectivity that underlie such multisensory integration remain poorly characterized. The Drosophila mushroom body — an associative center required for the formation of olfactory and visual memories — is an ideal system to investigate how neurons of different sensory channels converge in higher-order brain centers. The neurons connecting the mushroom body to the olfactory system have been described in great detail in Drosophila melanogaster, but input from other sensory systems remains poorly defined. Here, we used a range of anatomical and genetic techniques to identify two novel types of mushroom body input neuron that connect a processing center — the lobula— to the dorsal accessory calyx of the mushroom body. Together with previous work showing that the ventral accessory calyx of the mushroom body receives input from another visual processing center, the medulla (Vogt et al., 2016) our results define a second, parallel pathway that conveys visual information to the mushroom body. This connectivity pattern could be a fundamental feature of the neuronal architecture underlying multisensory integration in associative brain centers.
COVID-19: unprecedented but expected.

The COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to reimagine preparedness for and responses to future pandemics.
International mathematical olympiads, 1959-1977

Every year 100 of the most mathematically talented high school students in the country compete in the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO). The USAMO is the third stage of a three-tiered mathematical competition for high school students in the United States and Canada that begins with the AHSME taken by over 400,000 students, continues with the American Invitational Mathematics Exam involving 2,000 students, and culminates with the 100-contestant USAMO. Winners of the USAMO go on to compete in the International Mathematical Olympiad. Compilation of 116 problems of arresting ingenuity given to high school students competing in the International Mathematical Olympiads. All are accessible to secondary school students. The alternative solutions are particularly interesting because they show that there are many ways to solve a problem.