cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact on Employment-Based Health Benefits of the Shift from a Manufacturing Economy to a Service Economy

This paper examines one structural change in the work force that has contributed to the decline in employment-based health benefits: the movement of workers from the manufacturing sector to the service sector. Between 1987 and 2002 not only did the percentage of workers in the manufacturing sector decline, but the probability that a worker in this sector had employment-based health benefits dropped as well, from 79 percent to 70 percent. The PDF for the above title, published in the June 2004 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another June 2004 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: "The Inflation Rate and the Actuarial Balance of the OASDI Trust Funds."
Making better informed trust decisions with generalized fact-finding

Information retrieval may suggest a document, and information extraction may tell us what it says, but which information sources do we trust and which assertions do we believe when different authors make conflicting claims? Trust algorithms known as fact-finders attempt to answer these questions, but consider only which source makes which claim, ignoring a wealth of background knowledge and contextual detail such as the uncertainty in the information extraction of claims from documents, attributes of the sources, the degree of similarity among claims, and the degree of certainty expressed by the sources. We introduce a new, generalized fact-finding framework able to incorporate this additional information into the fact-finding process. Experiments using several state-of-theart fact-finding algorithms demonstrate that generalized fact-finders achieve significantly better performance than their original variants on both semi-synthetic and real-world problems.
Biographical Feature: James Jorgensen, Ph.D.

In the words of Gary Doern, Ph.D., a colleague, collaborator, and friend, “Few people have made more significant and lasting contributions to the field of clinical microbiology than has Jim Jorgensen, not only as a dedicated practitioner but also as an extremely productive researcher, an
Technical factors affecting the prothrombin time determination.

Some technical factors are evaluated in relation to the performance of tests of prothrombin times by clinical laboratories. Studies were done using commercial control plasmas, commercial thromboplastins, and patients' oxalated plasmas. The use of preheated thromboplastin at 37 C. and plasma at room temperature yields results comparable to those obtained using plasma at 37 C. Manufacturers are encouraged to certify their reconstituted thromboplastin for 37 C. storage stability for 8 to 24 hr. Reconstituted control plasmas should be certified stable for as long as 24 hr. at room temperature. Consideration should be given to the uniform standardization of control plasmas.
Blood Coagulation and Hemostasis in Thoroughbred Horses.

SummaryCoagulation studies, bleeding times, platelet counts and platelet adhesiveness were measured in a group of thoroughbred horses. When compared to normal human values the horse had elevated levels of the prothrombin complex factors and factor IX, equal levels of factor VIII, and low levels of factor XI and factor XII. Exercise did not alter the level of factor VIII. Bleeding time and platelet adhesiveness were comparable to human values, although the horses'platelet counts were relatively low.
One exon of the human LSF gene includes conserved regions involved in novel DNA-binding and dimerization motifs.

Abstract The transcription factor LSF, identified as a HeLa protein that binds the simian virus 40 late promoter, recognizes direct repeats with a center-to-center spacing of 10 bp. The characterization of two human cDNAs, representing alternatively spliced mRNAs, provides insight into the unusual DNA-binding and oligomerization properties of LSF. The sequence of the full-length LSF is identical to that of the transcription factors alpha CP2 and LBP-1c and has similarity to the Drosophila transcription factor Elf-1/NTF-1. Using an epitope-counting method, we show that LSF binds DNA as a homodimer. LSF-ID, which is identical to LBP-1d, contains an in-frame internal deletion of 51 amino acids resulting from alternative mRNA splicing. Unlike LSF, LSF-ID did not bind LSF DNA-binding sites. Furthermore, LSF-ID did not affect the binding of LSF to DNA, suggesting that the two proteins do not interact. Of three short regions with a high degree of homology between LSF and Elf-1/NTF-1, LSF-ID lacks two, which are predicted to form beta-strands. Double amino acid substitutions in each of these regions eliminated specific DNA-binding activity, similarly to the LSF-ID deletion. The dimerization potential of these mutants was measured both by the ability to inhibit the binding of LSF to DNA and by direct protein-protein interaction studies. Mutations in one homology region, but not the other, functionally eliminated dimerization.
Analysis of the Medical Examination Result of the Radiation Workers in Panjin

OBJECTIVE In order to have a clear idea of the health of the radiation workers in Panjin, we analysised the health effects of radiation workers who were in the low dose ionizing radiation. METHODS The medical examination results of 985 radiation workers were analyzed. RESULTS With the increase of seniority and exposure age, the positive rate of radiation workers’ eye lens and male radiation workers ’ blood pressure , B ultrasonic was significantly different ( P 0 . 05 ) . The positive rate of eye lens between medical radiation workers and industrial radiation workers was different(P0.05). CONCLUSION Certain effect has been made on the health of radiation workers who are in the long term low dose ionizing .
On (g, f)-2-covered graphs and (g, f)-2-deleted graphs

Let G be a graph with vertex set V(G) and edge set E(G), and let g and f be two integer-valued functions defined on V(G) such that g f for every x ∈ V(G). A (g, f)-factor of G is a spanning subgraph F of G such that g(x) ≤ d F(x) ≤ f(x) for every x ∈ V(G). A graph G is called a (g,f)-2-covered graph if every pair of edges belong to a (g, f)-factor. A graph G is called a (g, f)-2-deleted graph if for any two edges e1,e2 of G, G has a (g, f)-factor excluding e1,e2. In this paper, sufficient conditions for graphs to be (g, f)-2-covered and (g, f)-2-deleted are given, respectively.
Change in diagnosis among orthopedists compared to non-orthopedists in the management of acute knee injuries.

T. Objective. Uncertainty regarding diagnosis is associated with lower patient satisfaction and can lead to delays in definitive treatment and to inappropriate use of resources. We sought to compare change in diagnosis among orthopedists and non-orthopedists caring for a community based cohort of individuals with incident acute knee injuries. Methods. We conducted a longitudinal investigation of a population based cohort of Olmsted County residents with their first episode of acute knee injury occurring between January 1, 1993, and December 31, 1995. We reviewed the entire (inpatient and outpatient) medical records for these patients and collected extensive clinical data on all diagnoses made (including possible and probable) and the specialty of the attending physician(s) making them. Diagnoses were categorized as: (1) meniscus injury, cruciate injury, or osteochondral fracture; (2) ligament injury, patellar instability. patellar injury; or (3) sprain, strain, injury (unspecified). Diagnostic switches were defined as changes from one diagnostic category to another, or the addition or subtraction of a diagnostic category. We then examined the quality of the documented evidence supporting meniscal, ligamentous, and cruciate diagnoses (at initial evaluation) by comparing the clinical evidence to the recommendations outlined by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons clinical algorithm on acute knee injury. Analyses were conducted comparing (1) the number of diagnostic switches and (2) the quality of the documented evidence among those cases initially cared for by orthopedists and those cared for by non-orthopedists, using logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, sex, and injury severity. The influence of these variables on costs of care was also examined. Results. There were 664 patients (361 men and 303 women) in our study population, with an average age of 36.0 years (minimum 17, maximum 87). Of these, 324 were excluded because they only had one clinical encounter for their acute knee injury. Of the remaining 340, 59 (17.4%) were initially cared for by an orthopedist and 211 (62.1%) were cared for by an orthopedist at some time during their care. Diagnostic switches were significantly less frequent in the group who were cared for by orthopedists (55% vs 74%, p < 0.001). This result persisted after adjusting for age, sex, and severity (p = 0.003). The proportion of cases whose diagnoses were supported by evidence was significantly higher among the group whose first attending physician was an orthopedist (63.0% vs 37.6%, p = 0.002). Both change in diagnosis (p <0.001) and physician specialty (p < 0.001) were statistically significant predictors of costs of care. Conclusion. Compared to non-orthopedic care, orthopedic care for acute knee injury was associated with fewer changes in diagnosis, and diagnoses made by orthopedists were more likely to be supported by evidence. However, even after adjusting for severity, orthopedic care remained significantly more costly than non-orthopedic care.
The international culture collection of VA mycorrhizal fungi (INVAM)

Abstract A living culture collection of vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungi has been funded by the National Science Foundation at the above institution. The objectives, accesions, functions, as well as culture procedures and research programs, taxonomy workshop of INVAM are mentioned. Isolates from Brazil, Colombia, England, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and USA are included in INVAM.
The Prevalence and Natural History of Food Allergy

Numerous studies have demonstrated that the prevalence of food allergy is increasing. Not only are more children being diagnosed with food allergies, but studies suggest that when people outgrow their food allergies, it is taking longer than was previously thought. Studies in recent years have noted factors that may lead to a lower likelihood of developing a food allergy, including the early introduction of common food allergens, having a sufficient vitamin D level, or having a higher maternal intake of peanut early in pregnancy. Given a recent report that sensitization to common food allergens did not increase from the late 1980s/early 1990s to the mid-2000s, further studies will need to examine if the rise in food allergy prevalence is due to a change in the relationship between sensitization and clinical allergy or changes in the recognition and diagnosis of food allergy.
Computational Assessment of the Relation Between Embolism Source and Embolus Distribution to the Circle of Willis for Improved Understanding of Stroke Etiology

Stroke caused by an embolism accounts for about a third of all stroke cases. Understanding the source and cause of the embolism is critical for diagnosis and long-term treatment of such stroke cases. The complex nature of the transport of an embolus within large arteries is a primary hindrance to a clear understanding of embolic stroke etiology. Recent advances in medical image-based computational hemodynamics modeling have rendered increasing utility to such techniques as a probe into the complex flow and transport phenomena in large arteries. In this work, we present a novel, patient-specific, computational framework for understanding embolic stroke etiology, by combining image-based hemodynamics with discrete particle dynamics and a sampling-based analysis. The framework allows us to explore the important question of how embolism source manifests itself in embolus distribution across the various major cerebral arteries. Our investigations illustrate prominent numerical evidence regarding (i) the size/inertia-dependent trends in embolus distribution to the brain; (ii) the relative distribution of cardiogenic versus aortogenic emboli among the anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral arteries; (iii) the left versus right brain preference in cardio-emboli and aortic-emboli transport; and (iv) the source-destination relationship for embolisms affecting the brain.
Transition probabilities of the 3 p − 3 s transitions of Ne i

Transition probabilities for the $3p\ensuremath{-}3s$ array of Ne i have been measured in emission from a glow discharge containing a He-Ne-Ar mixture. The neon spontaneous emission at 632.8 nm ($3{s}_{2}\ensuremath{-}2{p}_{4}$) was taken as the reference line and the emission intensities of the $2{p}_{i}\ensuremath{-}1{s}_{j}$ lines were compared with it to obtain the relative transition probabilities $\frac{A(2{p}_{i}\ensuremath{-}1{s}_{j})}{{A}_{632.8}}$. The discharge condition was carefully controlled so that the ratio of the populations of the $3{s}_{2}$ and a given $2{p}_{i}$ level was precisely equal to the ratio of the statistical weights of the energy levels: $\frac{N(3{s}_{2})}{N(2{p}_{i})}=\frac{g(3{s}_{2})}{g(2{p}_{i})}$, eliminating two population unknowns encountered in an ordinary gas discharge. The relative $A$ values were then converted to the absolute values by means of the accurate value of ${A}_{632.8}$, which was obtained in our recent measurements. The results were subjected to extensive comparisons with other experimental data of Bridges and Wiese, of Bennett and Kindlmann, and the intermediate coupling calculations by Mehlhorn and by Feneuille et al. Excellent agreement was observed throughout between these data sets and our results. The following has been found: Our results are more consistent with the $J$-file-sum rule than any other experimental data; our relative line strengths are in excellent agreement with the theoretical calculations of Feneuille et al.; our radial transition integral ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{2}$ exhibits least variations over different $2p$ levels---its weighted average has been found to be 6.66\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02 (a.u.) on an absolute basis, which is very close to the value obtained from the Coulomb approximation; and our transition-probability sums are in excellent agreement with those evaluated from the intermediate coupling calculations combined with the Coulomb approximation. Based on these findings and the error analysis, we estimate the uncertainty of our $A$ values, except for a few weak lines, to be 2% on the relative scale and 6% on the absolute scale. Also, a discussion is given concerning the extent of configuration interaction on the $2{p}^{5}3p$ states.
Production Workflow Optimization

Operation optimization is a major function of an EIS. We present a high-performance and real-time production scheduler for an enterprise based on a dynamic incremental evolutionary algorithm. The optimization objective is to prioritize the dispatching sequence of orders and balance resource utilization. The scheduler is scalable for realistic problem instances and it provides solutions quickly for diverse products that require complex fulfillment procedures. Furthermore, it dynamically ingests the transient state of the enterprise, such as process information and resource failure probability in the production; therefore, it minimizes the management-production mismatch. Discrete-event simulation results show that the production scheduler leads to a higher and more stable order on-time delivery ratio compared to a rule-based heuristic. Its beneficial attributes collectively contribute to the reduction or elimination of the shortcomings that are inherent in today’s enterprise production environment and help to enhance an enterprise’s productivity and profitability.
Transmission-line modeling of shielding effectiveness of multiple shielded cables with arbitrary terminations

Cable shielding to protect against coupling of electromagnetic radiation into a component or circuit, particularly over large frequency bands, is at times a challenging task. It is general understanding that increasing the number of shields of a cable will improve the shielding performance. However, there are situations in which a cable with multiple shields may perform similar to or in some cases worse than a cable with a single shield, and this analysis has seldom been discussed in the literature. We intend to shed more light onto this topic in this paper.
Thinking Negation in Early Hinduism and Classical Indian Philosophy

A number of different kinds of negation and negation of negation are developed in Indian thought, from ancient religious texts to classical philosophy. The paper explores the Mīmāṃsā, Nyāya, Jaina and Buddhist theorizing on the various forms and permutations of negation, denial, nullity, nothing and nothingness, or emptiness. The main thesis argued for is that in the broad Indic tradition, negation cannot be viewed as a mere classical operator turning the true into the false (and conversely), nor reduced to the mainstream Boolean dichotomy: 1 versus 0. Special attention is given to how contradiction is handled in Jaina and Buddhist logic.
An evaluation of touchscreen versus keyboard/mouse interaction for large screen process control displays

The objectives of this study were to test the effect of interaction device on performance in a process control task (managing a tank farm). The study compared the following two conditions: a) 4K-resolution 55" screen with a 21" touchscreen versus b) 4K-resolution 55″ screen with keyboard/mouse. The touchscreen acted both as an interaction device for data entry and navigation and as an additional source of information. A within-subject experiment was conducted among 20 college engineering students. A primary task of preventing tanks from overfilling as well as a secondary task of manual logging with situation awareness questions were designed for the study. Primary Task performance (including tank level at discharge, number of tank discharged and performance score), Secondary Task Performance (including Tank log count, performance score), system interaction times, subjective workload, situation awareness questionnaire, user experience survey regarding usability and condition comparison were used as the measures. Parametric data resulted in two metrics statistically different means between the two conditions: The 4K-keyboard condition resulted in faster Detection + Navigation time compared to the 4K-touchscreen condition, by about 2 s, while participants within the 4K-touchscreen condition were about 2 s faster in data entry than in the 4K-keyboard condition. No significant results were found for: performance on the secondary task, situation awareness, and workload. Additionally, no clear significant differences were found in the non-parametric data analysis. However, participants showed a slight preference for the 4K-touchscreen condition compared to the 4K-keyboard condition in subjective responses in comparing the conditions. Introducing the touchscreen as an additional/alternative input device showed to have an effect in interaction times, which suggests that proper design considerations need to be made. While having values shown on the interaction device provides value, a potential issue of visual distraction exists when having an additional visual display. The allocation of visual attention between primary displays and the touchscreen should be further investigated.
Full duplex antenna subsystem for handheld radios

This paper introduces a design of a monostatic simultaneous transmit and receive (STAR) antenna system based on a circular array of four dipole antennas fed in phase modes 0 and 1. The proposed antenna system is employed for the narrow band handheld radio applications. Ideal and actual commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) beamforming networks (BFNs) are used to validate the proposed design. The impact of nearby scatterers, e.g. human hand and head, is also studied, and return loss > 10 dB and a system isolation > 29 dB, are demonstrated.
Hybrid Use of Asynchronous and Synchronous Interaction for Collaborative Creation

My dissertation is aimed at enabling people to collaborate to create complex artifacts: for example, to develop software, sketch GUI prototypes, play music together, or write a novel. Such creative processes are not well defined and can evolve dynamically. We introduce interactive systems that help users collaborate and communicate in the open-ended process. In particular, we investigate the benefits of both integrating asynchronous interactions into real-time collaborations and of having real time components in asynchronous collaborative settings. The systems provide tools that combine the two different types of interaction techniques, and we validate them via user study, participatory performing arts, and the online deployments of systems and crowdsourced tasks. The hybrid methods are designed to help users recover collaborative context, make the process approachable to nonexperts, collaborate online crowds on demand in real-time, and sustain liveness during collaboration. The dissertation will result in cross-domain knowledge in designing collaborative systems and it will help us create a framework for future intelligent systems that will help people solve more complex tasks effectively.
Managing IT in Divestiture: Orchestration, Instrumentation, and Measurement

During a divestiture there are several key components that need to be managed at both the executive and project levels. Teams should take a structured and standardized approach to carving out the business unit to ensure full separation and business continuity following the divestiture.
Genomic-Epidemiologic Evidence that Estrogens Promote Breast Cancer Development

Background: Estrogens are a prime risk factor for breast cancer, yet their causal relation to tumor formation remains uncertain. A recent study of 560 breast cancers identified 82 genes with 916 point mutations as drivers in the genesis of this malignancy. Because estrogens play a major role in breast cancer development and are also known to regulate the expression of numerous genes, we hypothesize that the 82 driver genes are likely to be influenced by estrogens, such as 17s-estradiol (E2), and the estrogen receptor ESR1 (ERα). Because different types of tumors are characterized by unique sets of cancer driver genes, we also argue that the fraction of driver genes regulated by E2-ESR1 is lower in malignancies not associated with estrogens, e.g., acute myeloid leukemia (AML).Methods: We performed a literature search of each driver gene to determine its E2-ESR1 regulation.Results: Fifty-three of the 82 driver genes (64.6%) identified in breast cancers showed evidence of E2-ESR1 regulation. In contrast, only 19 of 54 mutated driver genes (35.2%) identified in AML were linked to E2-ESR1. Among the 916 driver mutations found in breast cancers, 813 (88.8%) were linked to E2-ESR1 compared with 2,046 of 3,833 in AML (53.4%).Conclusions: Risk assessment revealed that mutations in estrogen-regulated genes are much more likely to be associated with elevated breast cancer risk, while mutations in unregulated genes are more likely to be associated with AML.Impact: These results increase the plausibility that estrogens promote breast cancer development. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(8); 899-907. ©2018 AACR.
Measuring the Impact of Facilitation Effort

ACI organizations are often called upon to provide data on the use of ACI resources, and on the effectiveness and impact of ACI Facilitation in order to evaluate the services and to demonstrate the value provided to the research community and institution. In this paper, we present an overview of the metrics and processes used to evaluate Facilitation efforts at two universities, focusing primarily on four different types of metrics: (1) user base, (2) resource usage, (3) training, and (4) return on investment. Included is a discussion of data collection and processing, challenges, and general lessons learned.
Predicting Wireless Channels for Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications

Ultra-reliable, low-latency wireless communication is essential to enable critical and interactive applications. The cooperative communication schemes for such ultra-reliable communication must harvest multi-user diversity to achieve their specifications. The underlying low-latency space-time codes for a large number of users (> 10) place burdens on practical implementations due to the large number of simultaneous relays they must use. To address this, we propose an adaptive relay selection technique that selects a small set of good relays, instead of using every available radio to relay. Using our simple relay-selection schemes, we can support a network with 30 nodes requiring system failure probability under 10 - 9and 2ms latency with only 3 simultaneously active relays per message. In contrast, in the absence of adaptive relay selection, we must rely on 13 relays to achieve the same reliability. To arrive at such relay selection schemes, we revisit the fading dynamics of wireless channels in the context of ultra-high reliability. Contrary to what has been claimed in the literature, we find that standard Rayleigh fading processes are not bandlimited. However, these fading processes are fairly predictable on the short time scales of the regime of interest.
Turning Feed-forward and Feedback Processes on Patient-reported Data into Intelligent Action and Informed Decision-making: Case Studies and Principles

Introduction The collection of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in routine clinical practice provides opportunities to "feed-forward" the patient's perspective to his/her clinical team to inform planning and management. This data can also be aggregated to "feedback" population-level analytics that can inform treatment decision-making, predictive modeling, population-based care, and system-level quality improvement efforts. Methods aiding interpretation and acting on results Three case studies demonstrate a number of system-level features which aid effective PRO interpretation: (1) feed-forward and feedback information flows; (2) score interpretation aids; (3) cascading measurement; (4) registry-enabled learning health care systems; and (5) the maturational development of information systems. Discussion The case studies describe the developmental span of feed-forward PRO programs-from simple to mature applications. The Concord Hospital (CH) Multiple Sclerosis Neurobehavioral Clinic exemplifies a simple application in which PRO data are used before and during clinic visits by patients and clinicians to inform care. The Dartmouth-Hitchcock (D-H) Spine Center exemplifies a mature program which utilizes population-level analytics to provide decision support by predicting outcomes for different treatment options. The Swedish Rheumatology Quality (SRQ) Registry epitomizes an exceptional application which has spread to multiple systems across an entire country. Key points Feed-forward and feedback PRO information systems can better inform, involve, and support clinicians, patients and families, and allow health systems to monitor and improve system performance and population health outcomes. Ideal systems have the capability for multilevel analyses at patient, system, and population levels, and an information technology infrastructure that is linked to associated workflows and a supportive practice culture. As systems mature, they progress beyond the ability to describe and inform towards higher level capabilities including prediction and decision support. Finally, there is additional promise for the integration of patient-reported information that is adjusted (or weighted) by preferences and values to guide shared decision-making and inform individualized precision health care in the future.
Changing demographic among Latino MSM diagnosed with HIV in Florida, 2007-2016.

ABSTRACTThe study’s objective was to assess temporal changes in birth country and age among newly diagnosed Latino men who have sex with men (MSM). We used records from Hispanics/Latinos (2007–2016...
Vitamin C and B3 as new biomaterials to alter intestinal stem cells.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin B3 (niacin) have been extensively studied since the 20th century. In the area of stem cell biology, vitamin C has shown its direct impact toward homeostasis and epigenetic changes (D'Aniello et al., Stem Cells International, 2017, 1-16). Vitamin B3 aids in maintaining healthy intestinal homeostasis and reducing gut inflammation by participating in the rapamycin signaling pathway (Kumar et al., The American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 2013). In this study, vitamin C and vitamin B3 (600 and 1,200 μg/mL) have been explored as potential new biomaterials to study their effects on four types of intestinal stem cells which are isolated from mice bearing different microbiota. We observed that C3H ASF and 129 ASF IL-10 are more sensitive towardB7 600 μg/mL vitamin B3 and 1,200 μg/mL vitamin C. The lowest growth rate and viability for all types of organoids was with 1,200 μg/mL vitamin C. From quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis (qPCR analysis), MUC2 was upregulated for 129 ASF and C3H Conv when exposed to 600 μg/mL and 1,200 μg/mL vitamin C. It suggests that large amounts of glycoprotein may be produced after adding high concentrations of vitamin C. Since inflammatory bowel disease has low level of MUC2, this finding may be helpful in restoring mucosal health by upregulating the MUC2 gene while altering patient's microbiota (Sibila et al., Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 2016). These results are expected to have a positive translational impact because this bottom-up strategy would be instrumental in developing Vitamin C and B3 based orally available therapeutic strategies and formula for advancing the fields of gastrointestinal regenerative medicine.
Super-Refractory Status Epilepticus Treated with High Dose Perampanel: Case Series and Review of the Literature

Introduction. Acute symptomatic seizures are frequent in the critically ill patient and can be difficult to treat. The novel anticonvulsant perampanel may be effective in the treatment of status epilepticus considering its mechanism of action of being an AMPA antagonist. We present four cases of super refractory status epilepticus treated with high dose perampanel. Method. Case report. Cases. Four patients were treated with perampanel for their refractory status epilepticus. One patient had new onset refractory status epilepticus of unknown etiology. Three other patients had status epilepticus as a result of their cardiac arrest. Two of the cardiac arrest patients had myoclonus. In all patients, the additional of perampanel resulted in a reduction of seizure burden without affecting hemodynamics or hepatic or renal function. Conclusion. Perampanel may be effective in the treatment of super-refractory status epilepticus of varying etiologies. A larger, prospective study is needed to further assess this therapy.
Attitudes and attention

Abstract Attitudes play a vital role in our everyday decisions. However, it is unclear how various dimensions of attitudes affect the choice process, for instance the way that people allocate attention between alternatives. In this study we investigated these questions using eye-tracking and a two alternative forced food-choice task after measuring subjective values (attitude extremity) and their accompanying accessibility, certainty, and stability. Understanding this basic decision-making process is key if we are to gain insight on how to combat societal problems like obesity and other issues related to diet. We found that participants allocated more attention to items with lower attitude accessibility, but tended to choose items with higher attitude accessibility. Higher attitude certainty and stability had no effects on attention, but led to more attitude-consistent choices. These results imply that people are not simply choosing in line with their subjective values but are affected by other aspects of their attitudes. In addition, our attitude accessibility results indicate that more attention is not always beneficial.
The Politics of “Lesser Evil”: Historical Reflections

The “lesser evil” is an aspect of all strategic thinking, but frequently takes the form of deliberation, by revolutionaries, on when to offer conditional support to an arm of the ruling class and when to focus exclusively on building up their own forces. This dilemma already confronted Marx and Engels. It again faced the Russian revolutionary leadership, both before and after their accession to power. In constitutional regimes, “lesser evil” calculations are central to electoral activity. Finally, the question arises of how one can move from the Lesser Evil to the Greater Good. The lesser-evil argument has recently been used to defend capitalist regimes by ascribing an agenda of terrorism to any force that would challenge them.
Preparing for the MD: How Long, at What Cost, and With What Outcomes?

PURPOSE To assess educational and professional outcomes of an accelerated combined bachelor of science-doctor of medicine (BS-MD) program using data collected from 1968 through 2018. METHOD Participants of this longitudinal study included 2,235 students who entered medical school between 1968 and 2014: 1,134 in the accelerated program and 1,101 in the regular curriculum (control group)-matched by year of entrance to medical school, gender, and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores. Outcome measures included performance on medical licensing examinations, academic progress, satisfaction with medical school, educational debt, first-year residency program directors' ratings on clinical competence, specialty choice, board certification, and faculty appointments. RESULTS The authors found no practically important differences between students in the accelerated program and those in the control group on licensing examination performance, academic progress, specialty choice, board certification, and faculty appointments. Accelerated students had lower mean educational debt (P < .01, effect sizes = 0.81 and 0.45 for, respectively, their baccalaureate debt and medical school debt), lower satisfaction with their second year of medical school (P < .01, effect size = 0.21), and lower global satisfaction with their medical school education (P < .01, effect size = 0.35). Residency program directors' ratings in 6 postgraduate competency areas showed no practically important differences between the students in the accelerated program and those in the control group. The proportion of Asian students was higher among program participants (P < .01, effect size = 0.43). CONCLUSIONS Students in the accelerated program earned BS and MD degrees at a faster pace and pursued careers that were comparable to students in a matched control who were in a regular MD program. Findings indicate that shortening the length of medical education does not compromise educational and professional outcomes.
Outcomes consequent to "early" COPD for interventional studies.

Data presented in the recent study by Colak and co-workers permit estimates of trials to alter natural history of COPD using endpoints other than FEV1http://bit.ly/2sIxMSB
Unplanned vs. planned drinking: Event-level influences of drinking motives and affect.

Abstract Objective Problematic alcohol involvement in college students remains a public health concern and identifying factors that promote this consequential behavior as it occurs in daily life is critical. Recent work has found that whether a drinking event is unplanned vs. planned has implications for the risk of negative consequences, though less work has identified fine-grained predictors of these two types of drinking occasions. Method The present study examined drinking motives and positive and negative affect as predictors of unplanned vs. planned drinking in a sample of college students who completed 28 days of ecological momentary assessment (N = 96; 72% White; 52% female). We examined drinking motives reported at two points: (1) in real-time upon initiating drinking and (2) after one day of retrospection (collected at the daily diary report assessing the prior day). Positive and negative affect were both assessed in real-time. Generalized linear mixed-effects models disentangling within- and between-person effects were leveraged. Results Drinking “to get high, buzzed, or drunk” — when retrospectively reported for prior-day drinking — exhibited within-person associations with planned drinking, relative to unplanned drinking. This same effect was marginally significant when ascertained in real-time. Individuals with more frequent retrospective endorsement of the motive “to make the day/night more fun” reported more planned drinking. Higher real-time positive affect, but not negative affect, was marginally associated with planned drinking. Conclusions Our findings provide preliminary support that enhancement motives and higher positive affect are related to planned drinking, which may inform the development of momentary interventions.
Dual-Function Materials for CO2 Capture and Conversion: A Review

Anthropogenic emissions of CO2 from industrial processes are considered the major cause of global warming and ocean acidification. To this end, different abatement strategies have been sought to ca...
CITY Health II - using entertainment education and social media to reduce HIV among emerging adults: A protocol paper for the Beat HIVe project

Abstract Background Despite multiple efforts to reduce HIV rates among African American young adults, a significant racial disparity persists and continues to grow among this population. New approaches are needed to reach this at-risk group and engage them in prevention efforts. The Community Influences Transitions of Youth Health (CITY Health II) study aims to increase HIV preventive behaviors to decrease HIV rates among 18–25 year old African American emerging adults living in resource-poor southern urban communities. Methods CITY Health II is a 5-year HIV prevention study that evaluates the efficacy of a peer-driven entertainment education intervention compared to an attention-control intervention using a cluster randomized trial design. Participants were recruited through respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to participate in a social media intervention. We enlisted eight musicians and groups to help us create an entertaining and educational web-based video series, “The Beat HIVe”, for study participants to view on smartphones and share with peers on social media. Data collection interviews at baseline, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up assessed socio-demographics, risk and protective behaviors, social networks, and peer norms. Analyses will determine if participation is associated with improved HIV-related outcomes; examine whether intervention changes are mediated by perceived social norms and outcome expectations; determine whether intervention benefits vary by sociodemographic characteristics related to mediators, intervention outcome, or level of engagement; and examine the relationship between participant dose of intervention and outcomes. Discussion Outcomes will inform ways to engage African American emerging adults through entertainment education and other strategies for increasing optimal sexual health behaviors. Trial Registration: NCT04320186
SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and detection fraction in Utah urban populations from a probability-based sample

ABSTRACT This project’s aim was to generate an unbiased estimate of the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in four urban counties in Utah. A multi-stage sampling design was employed to randomly select community-representative participants 12 years and over. Between May 4 and June 30, 2020, surveys were completed and sera drawn from 8,108 individuals belonging to 5,125 households. A qualitative chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay was used to detect the presence of IgG antibody to SARS-CoV-2. The overall prevalence of IgG antibody to SARS-CoV-2 was estimated at 0.8%. The estimated seroprevalence-to-case count ratio was 2.4, corresponding to a detection fraction of 42%. Only 0.2% of individuals who had a nasopharyngeal swab collected were reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive. The prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Utah urban areas between May and June was low and the prevalence of positive RT-PCR even lower. The detection fraction for COVID-19 in Utah was comparatively high. Article Summary Probability-based sampling provides an effective method for robust estimates of community-based SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and detection fraction among urban populations in Utah.
Reverse Information Sharing: Reducing Costs in Supply Chains with Yield Uncertainty

Supply uncertainty in produce supply chains presents major challenges to retailers. Supply shortages create frequent disruptions in terms of promised delivery times, quantity and quality delivered. To alleviate these challenges, dual sourcing---a strategy in which buyers source a good from two different suppliers---is commonly employed by retailers in these supply chains. However, the benefits of dual sourcing cannot be fully realized when a lack of transparency exists between retailers and suppliers. In this case, perceived scarcity leads to over-ordering, further exacerbating the problem of supply unreliability in settings where multiple retailers compete for supply. This paper studies a supply chain for a perishable good consisting of N retailers who compete for supply and practice dual sourcing, but do not have transparency to the inventory distributions of their suppliers a priori. The paper develops an analytical model to capture the retailers' ordering dynamics over repeated iterations. When the retailers underestimate the suppliers' inventory, their orders converge to an equilibrium where all retailers drastically over-order. This results in higher retailer costs and supply chain waste, as well as higher costs to the suppliers for certain contract structures and parameters. The paper analyzes the impact of an information sharing scheme in which suppliers share inventory information downstream. This reverse information sharing counteracts perceptions of scarcity thereby reducing over-ordering.
Screening Awareness of HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Cancers and Attitudes and Concerns towards HPV Vaccination Among Parents : HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer.

Baseline population opinions on human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV vaccination must be understood before physicians can address knowledge gaps in that population and encourage timely vaccination. To determine the opinions of parents of children age 9 to 18 on HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers (OPC); the associations with education level, socioeconomic status, and having a family member/friend with OPC; and the main concerns against having a vaccination., An anonymous survey was created and administered. Parents were asked to complete the survey if they met the inclusion criteria. After the survey, results were tabulated, and the answers for each question were analyzed. The target population was surveyed in the clinic. The target population was parents with children between 9 and 18 years old: the background knowledge and awareness of HPV-related OPC and associations with education level, socioeconomic status, having a family member/friend with OPC, and concerns about vaccination. Our study results showed that the age of parents, education level, marital status, personal vaccination status, and gender of the child are significant factors for background knowledge about HPV-related diseases. Similarly, the education level, the gender of the child, and personal vaccination status are significant factors towards attitudes against having children vaccinated. There is a strong correlation between background knowledge and attitudes. The main issues about vaccination are concerns about effectiveness and side effects, concerns about safe sex experiences, and the cost of vaccination. This is the first study designed to provide information on parents’ knowledge of HPV-related cancers, prevalence of HPV vaccination, and attitudes and concerns about HPV vaccination in the USA. The lack of awareness of HPV-related cancers is a significant factor in attitudes against HPV vaccination.
Improving, Situating, Expanding

We are coming off one of the most difficult years in human memory, yet the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) managed to perform quite well in spite of the pandemic and its fallout. In 2020, our flagship ISTAS conference and the cosponsored conferences were huge successes, with record attendance, partly because going virtual allowed wider participation. Our new publication, IEEE Transactions in Technology and Society , was launched successfully with a stellar set of articles that are already attracting citations, and there are increasing number of articles ready for submissions. IEEE Technology and Society Magazine continues its decades-long run as the key forum for thoughtful articles about the social implications of technology. The Newsletter has become a vital in-house organ connecting members and keeps us informed about society activities. Our Distinguished Lecturer program has reached thousands of people worldwide. Two of our volunteers have received significant IEEE honors: Lew Terman won the Pemberton Award and Kalyan Sen was named an IEEE Fellow. These are just some of the highlights.
Multiple species laser-driven ion-shock acceleration

Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations are used to explore laser-driven collisionless shock acceleration of ions in a multi-species plasma. Simple plasma slab simulations consisting of electrons, protons, and fully ionized carbon are used, varying the carbon ionization state, the relative fraction of ions, and the ratio of downstream to upstream plasma density. We find that two shocks can simultaneously propagate with different velocities defined by the dominant ion species reflected by each shock. The appearance of two shocks allows for ions to be accelerated twice, but can also cause trapping and heating of ions. We modify the current collisionless electrostatic shock theory where ions are treated as a single fluid to include a second ion fluid. This fluid model is unable to calculate the Mach number at which both ions will reflect, therefore we propose a kinetic model that may better model multi-species shocks. Scans are also performed in simulations with a laser pulse and realistic density profile that show reduced proton peak energies with the inclusion of carbon ions. Double shocks are only seen in simulations with steep density profiles, demonstrating the experimental importance of tailored density profiles.