cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular cloning and characterization of genes for antibodies generated by orbital tissue-infiltrating B-cells in Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Graves' ophthalmopathy is a distressing autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. Analysis of the genes for antibodies secreted by orbital tissue-infiltrating plasma cells might provide insight into the pathogenesis of this disease. We, therefore, constructed an immunoglobulin heavy (H) chain and an immunoglobulin kappa light (L) chain cDNA library from the orbital tissue of a patient with active Graves' ophthalmopathy. Analysis of 15 H (IgG1) and 15 L (kappa) chains revealed a restricted spectrum of variable region genes. Fourteen of 15 variable kappa genes were about 94% homologous to the closest known germline gene, KL012. Thirteen of 15 H chain genes were 91% and 90% homologous to the closest germline genes, DP10 and hv1263, respectively. Remarkably, these germline genes also code for other autoantibodies to striated muscle (KL012) and thyroid peroxidase (KL012 and hv1263). These studies raise the possibility that particular germline genes may be associated with autoimmunity in humans. Further, the pres...
Love moderates the relationship between partner type and condom use among women engaging in transactional vaginal sex

Background Relationship characteristics and day-to-day variation in affective state have been associated with HIV risk behaviour. However, no research has assessed the impact of these factors on event-level condom use among women engaging in transactional sex. Methods: Twenty-six women engaging in transactional sex were enrolled in a prospective study of their sexual health. They completed diaries about multi-level predictors of condom use during vaginal sex twice, daily. Results: Over 4 weeks, 18 participants reported 87 paid/traded vaginal intercourse events. Of these, 51.7% were condom protected. The majority of paid/traded events (81.5%) occurred with a non-romantic partner. After controlling for partner type, feeling in love on a given day was associated with higher odds of condom use during paid/traded sexual events, while having sex on the weekend and at night were associated with lower odds of condom use (all P ≤ 0.05). There was a significant interaction between being in love and using condoms during transactional sex (P < 0.01). In paid/traded sexual events with romantic partners, the frequency of condom use was 71.4% (5/7) when women did not report love and 40% (4/10) when love was reported. In sexual events with non-romantic partners, the frequency of condom use was 43.8% (14/32) when women did not report love and 59.5% (22/37) when love was reported. Conclusions: Women were less likely to report protected sex with romantic partners and more likely to report protected sex with non-romantic partners when they are in love. Interventions focusing on the link between day-to-day variation in affective state on condom use may help women with risk management across partner types.
Liquid chromatographic determination of zoalene and its metabolites in chicken tissues with electrochemical detection

A procedure is described for the quantitation of Zoalene (3,5-dinitro-o-toluamide) and its 2 major monoamino metabolites in chicken tissues. The method includes blender extraction of tissue with chloroformethyl acetate (1 + 1), adsorption of the drug and metabolites on neutral alumina, and subsequent elution of the residues with pH 3.5 formate buffer-methanol (6.5 + 3.5). Recovered residues were separated on a 5 micron C18 column with the alumina eluting solvent as the LC mobile phase. The parent drug and metabolites were detected and quantitated with an electrochemical detector in the reductive mode with a minimum level of reliable measurement of 0.1 ppm. Overall mean recoveries greater than 85% were obtained with Zoalene and its 2 monoamino metabolites in breast, thigh, and liver tissues fortified with 0.25-2.00 ppm. The results on tissues from chickens fed a diet containing 0.0125% Zoalene are presented.
Corrections and Sentencing Reform: The Obstacle Posed by Dehumanization

I have served now for seven years as the court-appointed Receiver responsible for medical care in California’s state prison system. Prior to my appointment as Receiver in 2008, I had no substantial contact with the day-to-day operations of any prison or jail system. So I came to the job largely free of preconceptions about what I would discover. That’s a nice way of saying that I had no real clue what I was getting myself into. Now, after seven years, I think I may have had enough experience with the challenge of reforming corrections and sentencing policy to make a useful observation or two. The major part of my job as Receiver has been to identify and then take the steps that had to be taken to improve the quality of care available in the prisons and to ensure open access to that care. What I quickly discovered right after my appointment was that the steps to be taken were mostly obvious ones and were steps that would have been perfectly obvious to anyone with experience in managing any large healthcare organization. Knowing what to do was not really the challenge. But this realization—that the “what” was obvious—left me wondering why, if the solutions were so obvious, the State of California, along with quite a few other state and local governments around the country, had failed for so long to
Census of the Philippines: 1939

The first census of the Philippines during the period of American occupation was taken on March 2,1903. About sixteen years later, the second census was taken. The need for a new census became apparent as the Philippines entered the Commonwealth period and approached final independence. The National Assembly passed a bill providing for the taking of a census which was approved and became Commonwealth Act No. 170, on November 12, 1936. President Quezon requested the services of an expert on census matters from the United States Government on August 17, 1937. The services of Mr. Ray Hurley, Acting Chief Statistician of Territorial, Insular, and Foreign Statistics of the United States Bureau, of the Census, were secured and upon his arrival in Manila he was appointed Expert on Census Matters effective as of October 9, 1937.
A 0.8–2 GHz Fully-Integrated QPLL-Timed Direct-RF-Sampling Bandpass $\Sigma \Delta$ ADC in 0.13 $\mu$ m CMOS

A reconfigurable bandpass continuous-time ΣΔ RF ADC tunable over the 0.8-2 GHz frequency range is presented. System- and circuit-level innovations provide low power consumption and reduced circuit complexity. The proposed architecture operates in both the first- and second-Nyquist zones to enable a wide tuning range from a fixed sampling frequency of 3.2 GHz. A fully-integrated on-chip quadrature phase-locked loop (QPLL) allows quadrature phase synchronization between a raised-cosine DAC and a quantizer. Implemented in 0.13 μm CMOS the fully-integrated prototype achieves SNDR values of 50 dB, 46 dB, and 40 dB over a 1 MHz bandwidth at 796.5 MHz, 1.001 GHz and 1.924 GHz carrier frequencies, respectively, with a total power consumption of 41 mW. The measured phase noise of the QPLL is -113 dBc/Hz at an offset frequency of 1 MHz and the reference spur is - 74.5 dBc. The RMS period jitter is 1.38 ps at 3.2 GHz.
Liver Allograft Allocation and Distribution: Toward a More Equitable System

The liver allocation system in the USA has undergone an evolution during the last 25 years from one largely based on waiting time to one based on disease severity. Utilizing the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score resulted in objectively ordering the waitlisted candidates in a “sickest first” manner. However, the geographic boundaries that define the 58 donor service areas, which define the area of distribution of organ donors, as well as the MELD exception policies (particularly related to hepatocellular carcinoma) have created inequity in the organ allocation system such that patients that reside in a certain geographic location, or patients with certain diagnoses, experience differential access to liver allografts. Addressing and improving these inequities involve complex and controversial actions and thus remain a difficult charge. The following discussion includes the history of liver allocation, the changes in policies that have been recently implemented, and where distribution policies may be headed in the future.
Cultured meat in western media: The disproportionate coverage of vegetarian reactions, demographic realities, and implications for cultured meat marketing

This paper examines the media coverage of the 2013 London cultured meat tasting event, particularly in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Using major news outlets, prominent magazines covering food and science issues, and advocacy websites concerning meat consumption, the paper characterizes the overall emphases of the coverage, the tenor of the coverage, and compares the media portrayal of the important issues to the demographic and psychological realities of the actual consumer market into which cultured meat will compete. In particular, the paper argues that Western media gives a distorted picture of what obstacles are in the path of cultured meat acceptance, especially by overemphasizing and overrepresenting the importance of the reception of cultured meat among vegetarians. Promoters of cultured meat should recognize the skewed impression that this media coverage provides and pay attention to the demographic data that suggests strict vegetarians are a demographically negligible group. Resources for promoting cultured meat should focus on the empirical demographics of the consumer market and the empirical psychology of mainstream consumers.
Assessing the riveting process and the quality of riveted joints in aerospace and other applications

Abstract This chapter first reviews several aspects of the riveting process to ensure that riveted joints will have excellent fatigue performance. These aspects include solid rivets, joint design rules, several experimental and numerical methods to determine the residual stress/strain and interference in riveted joints, and the current approach for studying the riveting process. It then provides three case studies using experimental and finite element methods to assess: (i) the effect of the riveting process on the residual stress/strain in joints, (ii) the stress condition in riveted lap joints when the joints are remotely loaded in tension, and (iii) the fatigue life using an analytical methodology. Concluding remarks and future work on potential development directions for riveting tools, rivets, and riveted-bonded attachment method are briefly provided.
Digital fragment analysis of short tandem repeats by high‐throughput amplicon sequencing

High-throughput sequencing has been proposed as a method to genotype microsatellites and overcome the four main technical drawbacks of capillary electrophoresis: amplification artifacts, imprecise sizing, length homoplasy, and limited multiplex capability. The objective of this project was to test a high-throughput amplicon sequencing approach to fragment analysis of short tandem repeats and characterize its advantages and disadvantages against traditional capillary electrophoresis. We amplified and sequenced 12 muskrat microsatellite loci from 180 muskrat specimens and analyzed the sequencing data for precision of allele calling, propensity for amplification or sequencing artifacts, and for evidence of length homoplasy. Of the 294 total alleles, we detected by sequencing, only 164 alleles would have been detected by capillary electrophoresis as the remaining 130 alleles (44%) would have been hidden by length homoplasy. The ability to detect a greater number of unique alleles resulted in the ability to resolve greater population genetic structure. The primary advantages of fragment analysis by sequencing are the ability to precisely size fragments, resolve length homoplasy, multiplex many individuals and many loci into a single high-throughput run, and compare data across projects and across laboratories (present and future) with minimal technical calibration. A significant disadvantage of fragment analysis by sequencing is that the method is only practical and cost-effective when performed on batches of several hundred samples with multiple loci. Future work is needed to optimize throughput while minimizing costs and to update existing microsatellite allele calling and analysis programs to accommodate sequence-aware microsatellite data.
Educating China: Knowledge, Society and Textbooks in a Modernizing World, 1902–1937

In this major study, Peter Zarrow examines how textbooks published for the Chinese school system played a major role in shaping new social, cultural, and political trends, the ways in which schools conveyed traditional and 'new style' knowledge and how they sought to socialize students in a rapidly changing society in the first decades of the twentieth century. Focusing on language, morality and civics, history, and geography, Zarrow shows that textbooks were quick to reflect the changing views of Chinese elites during this period. Officials and educators wanted children to understand the physical and human worlds, including the evolution of society, the institutions of the economy, and the foundations of the nation-state. Through textbooks, Chinese elites sought ways to link these abstractions to the concrete lives of children, conveying a variety of interpretations of enlightenment, citizenship, and nationalism that would shape a generation as modern citizens of a new China.
Transformations Leading to the Perception of Depth

This chapter discusses the relationships that have been empirically determined between the projection plane representations and reported perceptions of motion in depth. There are two research strategies that have been used to select two-dimensional projections for study. In one strategy, the researcher first determines as to which three-dimensional transformations are to be investigated and then produces two-dimensional projections representing patterns undergoing these transformations. Systematic variations are introduced in the type of pattern displayed, in the viewing distance simulated in the projection, and in other factors believed to affect the perception of depth relationships in the projection. The objective is to determine as to which information available in the two-dimensional projections produced in direct vision is used by the human observer in the perception of three-dimensional space. The second strategy is to produce systematic variations in the two-dimensional projections displayed to the experimental subject, without trying to represent specific three-dimensional transformations. This strategy provides a direct means of studying the way in which human observers use information available in two-dimensional projections.
A Review of Enhanced Sampling Approaches for Accelerated Molecular Dynamics

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have become a tool of immense use and popularity for simulating a variety of systems. With the advent of massively parallel computer resources, one now routinely sees applications of MD to systems as large as hundreds of thousands to even several million atoms, which is almost the size of most nanomaterials. However, it is not yet possible to reach laboratory timescales of milliseconds and beyond with MD simulations. Due to the essentially sequential nature of time, parallel computers have been of limited use in solving this so-called timescale problem. Instead, over the years a large range of statistical mechanics based enhanced sampling approaches have been proposed for accelerating molecular dynamics, and accessing timescales that are well beyond the reach of the fastest computers. In this review we provide an overview of these approaches, including the underlying theory, typical applications, and publicly available software resources to implement them.
Birth Complications and Risk of Cerebral Palsy

Statisticians at the National Institutes of Health (NINCDS), Bethesda, MD have compared the follow-up neurologic status of full-term infants whose birth was complicated but who were free of signs of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in the nursery period with asymptomatic infants whose births were uncomplicated.
Adjacent Joint Kinematics After Ankle Arthrodesis During Cadaveric Gait Simulation.

Background:Arthrodesis is an effective and reliable treatment for end-stage ankle arthritis; however, many patients develop ipsilateral adjacent joint arthritis following surgery. The mechanism that drives adjacent joint arthritis remains uncertain. Cadaveric simulation permits direct investigation of the effects of both arthrodesis and movement strategy on adjacent joints during simulated walking. The objective of this study was to identify the isolated effect of ankle arthrodesis on adjacent joint kinematics during simulated walking.Methods:Effects of ankle arthrodesis on adjacent joint kinematics were assessed in 8 cadaveric foot and ankle specimens using a robotic gait simulator. Gait parameters acquired from healthy adults and patients with ankle arthrodesis were used as inputs for simulations. Three-dimensional subtalar and talonavicular joint kinematics were directly measured before and after ankle arthrodesis, and healthy- and arthrodesis-gait parameters were applied to identify the isolated effec...
Broad range tuning of structural and optical properties of ZnxMg1-xO nanostructures grown by vapor transport method

One-dimensional (1D) Zn x Mg1−x O nanomaterials have drawn global attention due to their remarkable chemical and physical properties, and their diverse current and future technological applications. In this work, 1D ZnMgO nanostructures with different magnesium concentrations and different morphologies were grown directly on zinc oxide-coated silicon substrates by thermal evaporation of zinc oxide, magnesium boride and graphite powders. Highly well-defined Mg-rich ZnMgO nanorods with a rock salt structure and Zn-rich ZnMgO nanostructures with a wurtzite structure have been deposited individually by careful optimization of the source mixture and process parameters. Structural and optical properties of the deposited products were studied by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Cathodoluminescence measurements demonstrate strong dominant peaks at 3.3 eV in Mg poor ZnMgO nanostructures and 4.8 eV in Mg rich nanostructures implying that the ZnMgO nanostructures can be used for the fabrication of deep UV optoelectronic devices. A mechanism for the formation and achieved diverse morphology of the ZnMgO nanostructures was proposed based on the characterization results.
“Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves”: Examining Representations of Roma Culture in 70 Years of American Television:

Most Americans know little about the “Gypsies,” or Roma, other than what they learn in the media. Although research shows that media have perpetuated stereotypes, there is thin anthological attention to the representation of Gypsies in American media. This study examines portrayals of Gypsies in fictional and reality television programs 1953-2014, and reveals that American television has reinforced stereotypes, suggesting that Gypsies are consistently different, a closed ethnic community resistant to change. More recent representations convey that Gypsies may be misunderstood due to their cultural history, yet this considerably less visible depiction emerges as a mere nod toward tolerance.
Laser fabrications of multi-layer waveguide arrays in multi-core fibers and glass panels for optical interconnect

This paper discuss ultrafast laser fabrication of 3D lightwave circuits in optical fibers and glass substrates for optical interconnects. The interaction between embedded waveguides and surface optical structures produced by semiconductor microfabrication will be discussed.
Internal and External Visual Cue Preferences for Visualizations in Presentations

Presenters, such as analysts briefing to an executive committee, often use visualizations to convey information. In these cases, providing clear visual guidance is important to communicate key concepts without confusion. This paper explores visual cues that guide attention to a particular area of a visualization. We developed a visual cue taxonomy distinguishing internal from external cues, designed a web tool based on the taxonomy, and conducted a user study with 24 participants to understand user preferences in choosing visual cues. Participants perceived internal cues e.g., transparency, brightness, and magnification as the most useful visual cues and often combined them with other internal or external cues to emphasize areas of focus for their audience. Interviews also revealed that the choice of visual cues depends on not only the chart type, but also the presentation setting, the audience, and the function cues are serving. Considering the complexity of choosing visual cues, we provide design implications for improving the organization, consistency, and integration of visual cues within existing workflows.
How BIS/BAS and psycho-behavioral variables distinguish between social withdrawal subtypes during emerging adulthood

Abstract Informed by past theory and research on social withdrawal, the aims of this study were to investigate whether three subtypes of social withdrawal (shyness, avoidance, unsociability) are related with BIS and BAS, as hypothesized by leading theories. Also of interest was whether these three withdrawal subtypes are related uniquely to different theoretically-indicated outcomes during emerging adulthood, a developmental period that has received very little empirical attention in this area of research. Participants were 295 ( M age = 19.31 years) emerging adults who completed self-report measures assessing different motivations for social withdrawal, aggression, anxiety sensitivity, creativity, social anhedonia, and BIS/BAS. Structural equation modeling revealed findings that challenge theoretical models that assume that specific and varying combinations of BIS and BAS underlie different withdrawal subtypes. The models also revealed new evidence of specific and non-specific associations, including the first evidence of a potential benefit (creativity) associated with unsociability.
Suppressed calcineurin-dependent gene expression identifies lung allograft recipients at increased risk of infection.

Lung transplant immunosuppression regimens generally include the calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus. We hypothesized that mean residual expression (MRE) of calcineurin-dependent genes assesses rejection and infection risk better than does tacrolimus trough. We prospectively followed 44 lung allograft recipients at 2 to 18 months posttransplant and measured changes in whole blood interleukin-2, interferon-γ, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor gene expression following a tacrolimus dose. Posttransplant duration, immunosuppressive medication levels, and bronchoscopic rejection and infection assessments were compared with MRE by using generalized-estimating equation-adjusted models. Prednisolone effect on MRE was assessed ex vivo in blood samples from nontransplanted controls. Tacrolimus concentration inhibiting 50% of cytokine production (IC50 ) was measured in a pretransplant subset. Results showed that MRE did not change with diagnosis of rejection but that airway infection was associated with a 20% absolute decrease (95% confidence interval 11%-29%). MRE increased with time after transplant but was not associated with tacrolimus trough. Interestingly, MRE correlated inversely with corticosteroid dose in the study cohort and ex vivo. Pretransplant tacrolimus IC50 depended on the cytokine measured and varied between individuals, suggesting a range in baseline responses to tacrolimus. We conclude that MRE identifies infection risk in lung allograft recipients, potentially integrating calcineurin inhibitor and steroid effects on lymphocyte effector function.
Tweeting about measles during stages of an outbreak: A semantic network approach to the framing of an emerging infectious disease

Background The public increasingly uses social media not only to look for information about emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), but also to share opinions, emotions, and coping strategies. Identifying the frames used in social media discussion about EIDs will allow public health agencies to assess public opinions and sentiments. Method This study examined how the public discussed measles during the measles outbreak in the United States during early 2015 that originated in Disneyland Park in Anaheim, CA, through a semantic network analysis of the content of around 1 million tweets using KH coder. Results Four frames were identified based on word frequencies and co-occurrence: news update, public health, vaccination, and political. The prominence of each individual frame changed over the corse of the pre-crisis, initial, maintenance, and resolution stages of the outbreak. Conclusions This study proposed and tested a method for assessing the frames used in social media discussions about EIDs based on the creation, interpretation, and quantification of semantic networks. Public health agencies could use social media outlets, such as Twitter, to assess how the public makes sense of an EID outbreak and to create adaptive messages in communicating with the public during different stages of the crisis.
Robotic assistance in the coordination of patient care

We conducted a study to investigate trust in and dependence upon robotic decision support among nurses and doctors on a labor and delivery floor. There is evidence that suggestions provided by embo...
An Empirical Relation for Dilatant Behavior in Brittle Rocks

Among the inputs required by computer codes used to simulate wave propagation through rocks are the material properties and equations of state of the rock undergoing elastic as well as inelastic deformation. Ultrasonic velocities, hydrostat, failure surface, and in most cases, three-dimensional stresses and strains along various loading and unloading paths, are measured in the laboratory. After some manipulation, these data are used in the codes as material constants or as tables to calculate the changes in stress state from one time step to the next. In the absence of the ability to predict either the response of a given rock type to stress based on only a few measured quantities or the behavior of one rock based on that of another, it is presently necessary to perform an entire series of laboratory experiments to obtain input data for each different computer problem.
Mechanisms for reasoning about sets

The SEt Reasoning Facility (SERF) integrates mechanisms for propagating membership propositions, deriving relations between sets, and reasoning about closure and cardinality into an efficient utility package for reasoning about sets. Assertions about relations between sets are compiled into a constraint network defined entirely in terms of union, complement, and emptiness constraints. The constraint network supports multiple modes of inference, such as local propagation of membership propositions and graph search for set relations using a transitivity table. SERF permits closure assertions of the form "all members of set S are known" and utilizes this capability to permit selective applications of closed-world assumptions. Cardinality constraints are handled by a general quantity reasoner. An example from geologic interpretation illustrates the value of mutually constraining sources of information in a typical application of reasoning about sets in commonsense problem-solving.
The Posterior Complex of Nuclei

The group of nuclei forming the posterior complex of the thalamus are probably best appreciated in sections of a higher primate brain such as one of the New World or Old World monkeys (Fig. 11.1, and see figures in Chapters 8 and 10). Similar appearances are found in apes and man (Kanagasuntheram et al., 1969; Hassler, 1959). Two principal aggregations of cells are involved: the limi-tans-suprageniculate nucleus, consisting of large, deeply staining, close-packed cells, and the posterior nucleus, consisting of smaller, pale-staining, dispersed cells. The limitans part of the limitans—suprageniculate nucleus commences at the posterior end of the habenular complex, crosses the posterior pole of the mediodorsal nucleus where it fuses with the similar cells of the central lateral and parafascicular nuclei, and runs as a thin line of cells down the medial medullary lamina in the posteroventral aspect of the medial pulvinar nucleus. The medial medullary lamina separates it from the anterior pretectal nuclei. At some distance dorsomedial to the medial geniculate complex, the limitans part expands considerably as the suprageniculate part of the common nucleus. This suprageniculate part continues the oblique line of the limitans part down into the magnocellular medial geniculate nucleus with which it fuses; the magnocellular medial geniculate cells are sufficiently larger, however, that the two nuclei are readily distinguishable (Chapter 8; Figs. 11.1 and 11.2). The dorsal part of the suprageniculate element lies in the ventral aspect of the medial and anterior pulvinar nuclei.
Bioresponsive peptide-polysaccharide nanogels — A versatile delivery system to augment the utility of bioactive cargo

We report the design, synthesis and efficacy of a new class of gel-like nano-carrier, or 'nanogel', prepared via templated electrostatic assembly of anionic hyaluronic acid (HA) polysaccharides with the cationic peptide amphiphile poly-L-lysine (PLL). Small molecules and proteins present during nanogel assembly become directly encapsulated within the carrier and are precisely released by tuning the nanogel HA:PLL ratio to control particle swelling. Remarkably, nanogels exhibit versatile and complimentary mechanisms of cargo delivery depending on the biologic context. For example, in mammalian cells, nanogels are rapidly internalized and escape the endosome to both deliver membrane-impermeable protein cargo into the cytoplasm and improve chemotherapeutic potency in drug resistant cancer cells. In bacteria, nanogels permeabilize microbial membranes to sensitize bacterial pathogens to the action of a loaded antibiotic. Thus, peptide nanogels represent a versatile, readily scalable and bio-responsive carrier capable of augmenting and enhancing the utility of a broad range of biomolecular cargoes.
CGM Benefits and Burdens: Two Brief Measures of Continuous Glucose Monitoring.

Background:Continuous glucose monitors (CGM) are underutilized by individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D), particularly during the adolescent years. Little is known about perceptions of CGM benefit ...
Reducing the Threat of a Nuclear Iran with Photovoltaic Technology: The Generous Solar Option

The potential instability created if Iran obtained nuclear weapons threatens global peace. If the U.S. follows the standard model, relatively weak diplomacy and economic sanctions could lead to another Iraq-like war. Although Iran and Iraq have differences, most observers would agree that the same outcome and price are likely results. In purely economic terms, the CBO estimates that the Iraq-US war cost ~$2.4 trillion. Is there, however, a wiser, more-profitable way to invest in the elimination of nuclear capability in Iran? This commentary will quantify the 'generous solar option' and argue that the U.S. can obtain all the benefits from denuclearizing Iran for a fraction of the cost of the standard model, while earning a higher return and improve environmental impact in the process.
Restratification at a California Current Upwelling Front. Part I: Observations

AbstractA coordinated survey between a subsurface Lagrangian float and a ship-towed Triaxus profiler obtained detailed measurements of a restratifying surface intensified front (above 30 m) within ...
Retrospective Survey to Investigate Use of Distance Magnifiers for Travel

Seventy-eight subjects from the Western Blind Rehabilitation Center at the Palo Alto Veterans Administration Hospital and 34 subjects from the U.C. Berkeley Low Vision Center were surveyed to inves...
How a tailor achieves the perfect fit

Most antigenic peptides that bind stably to a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I molecule for display to the immune system are approximately the same length, thanks in part to the expert trimming done by endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidases (ERAPs), the final peptidases in the antigen-presentation pathway. An open question is whether ERAPs edit peptides to this optimal length while they are bound to MHC I molecules (using the latter as a pattern of sorts) or by free hand. Mavridis et al. present multiple lines of evidence that this trimming cannot readily occur on MHC I molecules, but rather only in solution, suggesting that ERAPs work alone to tailor the perfect fit for the immunopeptidome.
Entrainment and Mixing of Transported Ozone Layers: Implications for Surface Air Quality in the Western U.S.

Recently, two air quality campaigns were conducted in the southwestern United States to study the impact of transported ozone, stratospheric intrusions, and fire emissions on ground-level ozone concentrations. The California Baseline Ozone Transport Study (CABOTS) took place in May – August 2016 covering the central California coast and San Joaquin Valley, and the Fires, Asian, and Stratospheric Transport Las Vegas Ozone Study (FAST-LVOS) was conducted in the greater Las Vegas, Nevada area in May – June 2017. During these studies, nearly 1000 hours of ozone and aerosol profile data were collected with the NOAA TOPAZ lidar. A Doppler wind lidar and a radar wind profiler provided continuous observations of atmospheric turbulence, horizontal winds, and mixed layer height. These measurements allowed us to directly observe the degree to which ozone transport layers aloft were entrained into the boundary layer and to quantify the resulting impact on surface ozone levels. Mixed layer heights in the San Joaquin Valley during CABOTS were generally below 1 km above ground level (AGL), while boundary layer heights in Las Vegas during FAST-LVOS routinely exceeded 3 km AGL and occasionally reached up to 4.5 km AGL. Consequently, boundary layer entrainment was more often observed during FAST-LVOS, while most elevated ozone layers passed untapped over the San Joaquin Valley during CABOTS.
Foster agency workers’ perceptions of sleep health among children in foster care

Abstract Quality sleep during the formative years directly contributes to healthy physical and emotional outcomes via interactions with multiple bioregulatory systems. At the same time, sleep regulation is adversely affected by trauma, unstable/inconsistent environments and insecure attachment to a caregiver, suggesting youth in foster care are at extraordinary risk for sleep disturbances. To date, however, the sleep health of these children has received scant attention. The current study surveyed 43 foster care licensing agency personnel (95.3% female) who work directly with foster families about their experiences and perceptions of sleep among these children. On average, participants reported having worked with foster families for almost 10 years (M = 9.6 years; SD = 7.6) at the time of survey completion. The most frequently endorsed sleep-related problems were difficulty falling asleep (endorsed by 86% of participants), resisting/refusing to go to bed (65.1%), nightmares (62.7%), nighttime fears (62.7%) and wetting the bed (62.7%). These problems were perceived to sometimes contribute to child placement disruption. With regard to sleep-focused education/training, a majority of participants believed a brief, group-based training about sleep would be the most effective approach for helping caregivers to ensure children receive adequate sleep. While preliminary, findings indicate trauma-related sleep disturbances are common among children in foster care and potentially contribute to placement instability. In addition to more research, there is need for child welfare policies and programs to promote healthy sleep.
The ups and downs of general surgery resident experience in endocrine surgery: Analysis of 30 years of ACGME graduate case logs.

ABSTRACT Background The aim of this study was to determine trends in the experience of general surgery residents with endocrine surgery cases. Methods American Association of Endocrine Surgeons national general surgery case logs from 1989 through 2019 were reviewed. The numbers of individuals completing residency and the mean and median number of endocrine surgery cases by type and by level of operating resident surgeon were abstracted from annual data and analyzed. Descriptive statistics and linear regression analyses were performed modeling endocrine surgery cases over time and stratified by procedure type and resident level. Results The number of individuals completing general surgery residency each year increased from 981 to 1,219 (P Conclusion After having increased for 2 decades, the number of endocrine surgery cases performed by general surgery residents is currently in decline. Possible contributing factors include growth in the number of general surgery residents, variable and narrowed case mix, and encroachment by other learners.
Maternal post-traumatic stress and depression symptoms and outcomes after NICU discharge in a low-income sample: a cross-sectional study

Having a preterm newborn and the experience of staying in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has the potential to impact a mother’s mental health and overall quality of life. However, currently there are few studies that have examined the association of acute post-traumatic stress (PTS) and depression symptoms and infant and maternal outcomes in low-income populations. In a cross-sectional study, we examined adjusted associations between positive screens for PTS and depression using the Perinatal Post-traumatic stress Questionnaire (PPQ) and the Patient Health-Questionnaire 2 (PHQ-2) with outcomes using unconditional logistic and linear regression models. One hundred sixty-nine parents answered the questionnaire with 150 complete responses. The majority of our sample was Hispanic (68%), non-English speaking (67%) and reported an annual income of <$20,000 (58%). 33% of the participants had a positive PPQ screen and 34% a positive PHQ-2 screen. After adjusting for confounders, we identified that a positive PHQ-2 depression score was associated with a negative unit (95% CI) change on the infant’s Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, second edition of − 9.08 (− 15.6, − 2.6) (p < 0.01). There were no significant associations between maternal stress and depression scores and infant Bayley Scales of Infant Development III scores or re-hospitalizations or emergency room visits. However, positive PPQ and screening score were associated with a negative unit (95% CI) unit change on the maternal Multicultural Quality of Life Index score of − 8.1 (− 12, − 3.9)(p < 0.01) and − 7.7 (− 12, − 3) (p = 0.01) respectively. More than one-third of the mothers in this sample screened positively for PTS and depression symptoms. Screening scores positive for stress and depression symptoms were associated with a negative change in some infant development scores and maternal quality of life scores. Thoughtful screening programs for maternal stress and depression symptoms should be instituted.
Architecture and Algorithm Co-Design Framework for Embedded Processors in Event-Based Cameras

Neuromorphic cameras that offer low latency and dynamic scene sensing are emerging as a viable technology for energy-aware embedded perceptual systems. In this paper we report on neuromorphic architecture and algorithm exploration for an event-based accelerator for neuromorphic cameras. The system includes a RISC-V CPU and associated peripherals that capture and process event-based visual data coming from a neuromorphic dynamic vision sensor. Mapped into a reconfigurable computing platform (FPGA), we demonstrate a set of event-based visual processing tasks including noise filtering, corner detection, and object tracking.
The Effect of Radiation on Meningioma Volume Change.

Background Radiation therapy is a common treatment for meningiomas. Volume changes of meningiomas in response to radiation are not well characterized. This study seeks to quantify the volume change of meningiomas following radiation. Methods Data were collected from a retrospective single-institution database of cases from 2005–2015. Tumors were measured using T1-weighted post-contrast magnetic resonance imaging. Volumes were calculated using the ABC/2 ellipsoidal approximation. Results A total of 63 patients fit the inclusion criteria; 37 patients (59%) received radiation following resection, 19 (30%) received radiation alone, 4 (6%) received radiation following a biopsy, and 3 (5%) had unknown surgical status. A total of 39 patients (62%) had skull base meningiomas; 43 tumors were World Health Organization (WHO) grade I, and 12 tumors were WHO grade II. Thirteen patients received radiosurgery, 43 received radiotherapy, and 7 received an unknown number of treatments. Eight patients did not attain local control and were excluded from volume analyses. WHO grade I meningiomas saw an average of 33% ± 19% decrease in tumor volume; WHO grade II tumor volumes decreased by an average 30% ± 23%. Radiosurgery saw an average volume decrease of 34% ± 13%, while radiotherapy resulted in volume decrease of 31% ± 21%. For those who achieved local control, there was an average decrease in tumor size of 30% ± 19%, 30% ± 22%, and 41% ± 19% over 0.5–1.5, 2.5–3.5, and >5 years, respectively. Conclusions Meningiomas treated with radiation exhibit nonlinear decrease in size over time. The greatest decrease in tumor volume occurs within the first year and begins to plateau 5 years post–radiation treatment.
Integrating global and local best practices for youth development afterschool: Constructing the Kilimanjaro extracurriculars self-assessment

School extracurricular activities are an important site for positive youth development in low-resource international contexts due to their relative accessibility and community relevance. Such activ...
Cultural-Historic Framework

A brief overview of the cultural-historic framework by which the results of the investigation were organized is presented at this point for two reasons. First, in following a hierarchical or taxonomic structure that departs somewhat from traditionally held schemes for the Levant, some discussion of unit building seems warranted. But perhaps more importantly from a practical perspective, a concise description of the cultural-historic relationships of the assemblages and the nature of the data-sets upon which these relationships were determined seems especially important to understanding a framework spanning six major prehistoric periods and much of the Upper Pleistocene.
The Allocation of Police Services in Rural Alaska

In this chapter I examine whether the State of Alaska allocates scarce police resources in a race-based manner. My analysis explores this hypothesis by developing an econometric model to explain the provisions of police services in rural Alaska.
Understanding the power of clause learning

Efficient implementations of DPLL with the addition of clause learning are the fastest complete satisfiability solvers and can handle many significant real-world problems, such as verification, planning, and design. Despite its importance, little is known of the ultimate strengths and limitations of the technique. This paper presents the first precise characterization of clause learning as a proof system, and begins the task of understanding its power. In particular, we show that clause learning using any nonredundant scheme and unlimited restarts is equivalent to general resolution. We also show that without restarts but with a new learning scheme, clause learning can provide exponentially smaller proofs than regular resolution, which itself is known to be much stronger than ordinary DPLL.
The role of noninvasive prenatal testing as a diagnostic versus a screening tool – a cost-effectiveness analysis

Objective As the sensitivity and specificity of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) that uses cell-free fetal DNA in maternal serum to identify Down syndrome (DS) in utero improves, NIPT could be considered a diagnostic test, thus avoiding the complications of chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis. This study investigates the cost-effectiveness of NIPT as a diagnostic versus a screening tool. Method A decision-analytic model compared NIPT as a diagnostic tool (NIPT Dx) that did not require a confirmatory amniocentesis versus NIPT used for screening (NIPT Scr) that allowed a confirmatory amniocentesis for screen positive results. Baseline case, univariate, and multivariate sensitivity analyses were performed. Results For a high-risk population, NIPT Dx would result in three more DS babies born and 2432 more elective terminations compared with NIPT Scr. Furthermore, there would be many more terminations of fetuses without DS with NIPT Dx (2424) than procedure-related losses associated with NIPT Scr (29). NIPT Scr is more expensive but cost-effective at $7687 per quality-associated life year (QALY), less than the standard cost-effectiveness limit of $100 000/QALY. Conclusions Noninvasive prenatal testing as a screening tool that requires a confirmatory amniocentesis is cost-effective compared with its use as a diagnostic tool and leads to far fewer losses of normal pregnancies. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On underestimation of global vulnerability to tree mortality and forest die‐off from hotter drought in the Anthropocene

Patterns, mechanisms, projections, and consequences of tree mortality and associated broad-scale forest die-off due to drought accompanied by warmer temperatures—“hotter drought”, an emerging characteristic of the Anthropocene—are the focus of rapidly expanding literature. Despite recent observational, experimental, and modeling studies suggesting increased vulnerability of trees to hotter drought and associated pests and pathogens, substantial debate remains among research, management and policy-making communities regarding future tree mortality risks. We summarize key mortality-relevant findings, differentiating between those implying lesser versus greater levels of vulnerability. Evidence suggesting lesser vulnerability includes forest benefits of elevated [CO2] and increased water-use efficiency; observed and modeled increases in forest growth and canopy greening; widespread increases in woody-plant biomass, density, and extent; compensatory physiological, morphological, and genetic mechanisms; dampening ecological feedbacks; and potential mitigation by forest management. In contrast, recent studies document more rapid mortality under hotter drought due to negative tree physiological responses and accelerated biotic attacks. Additional evidence suggesting greater vulnerability includes rising background mortality rates; projected increases in drought frequency, intensity, and duration; limitations of vegetation models such as inadequately represented mortality processes; warming feedbacks from die-off; and wildfire synergies. Grouping these findings we identify ten contrasting perspectives that shape the vulnerability debate but have not been discussed collectively. We also present a set of global vulnerability drivers that are known with high confidence: (1) droughts eventually occur everywhere; (2) warming produces hotter droughts; (3) atmospheric moisture demand increases nonlinearly with temperature during drought; (4) mortality can occur faster in hotter drought, consistent with fundamental physiology; (5) shorter droughts occur more frequently than longer droughts and can become lethal under warming, increasing the frequency of lethal drought nonlinearly; and (6) mortality happens rapidly relative to growth intervals needed for forest recovery. These high-confidence drivers, in concert with research supporting greater vulnerability perspectives, support an overall viewpoint of greater forest vulnerability globally. We surmise that mortality vulnerability is being discounted in part due to difficulties in predicting threshold responses to extreme climate events. Given the profound ecological and societal implications of underestimating global vulnerability to hotter drought, we highlight urgent challenges for research, management, and policy-making communities.