cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Precursor to damage state quantification in composite materials (Conference Presentation)

Nonlinear damage in the composite materials is developed with the growth of damages in the material under fatigue loading. Nonlinear ultrasonic techniques are sensitive to early stage damages such as, fiber breakages, matrix micro-cracking, and deboning etc. Here, in this work, early stage damages are detected in Unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber composite under fatigue loading. Specimens are prepared according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard. Specimens are subjected to low cycle high load (LCHL) fatigue loading until 150,000 cycles. Sensors are mounted on the specimen used for actuation and sensing. A five count tone burst with low frequency (fc =375 kHz) followed by high frequency (fc =770 kHz) signal, was used as actuation signal. Pitch-catch experiments are collected at the interval of 5,000 cycles. Sensor signals are collected for various excitation voltage (from 5V to 20V, with 5V interval). First Fourier Transform (FFT) of the sensor signals are performed and side band frequencies are observed at around 770 kHz. Severity of damages in the material is quantified from the ratio of amplitude of side band frequencies with the central frequency. Nonlinearity in the material due to damage development is also investigated from the damage growth curve obtained at various excitation amplitude. Optical Microcopy imaging were also performed at the interval of 5,000 to examine developments of damages inside the material. This study has a good potential in detection of early stage damages in composite materials.
Dynamical Analysis of the EEG and Treatment of Human Status Epilepticus by Antiepileptic Drugs

An estimated 42,000 epileptic patients die from status epilepticus (SE) every year in the United States alone. Evaluation of antiepileptic drugs and protocols for SE treatment, in terms of the dynamics of concurrently monitored electroencephalogram (EEG), may lead to the design of new, more effective treatment paradigms for successfully controlling SE. Such monitoring techniques may have a profound effect in the treatment of SE in the emergency department (ED) and intensive care unit (ICU), where antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are given in rapid succession in the hope of patient recovery, or even in the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU), where occasionally a patient may progress to SE. In the past, using techniques from nonlinear dynamics and synchronization theory, we have shown that successful treatment with AEDs results in dynamical disentrainment (desynchronization) of entrained brain sites in SE, a phenomenon we have called dynamical resetting. We herein apply this nonlinear dynamical analysis to scalp EEG recordings from two patients, one admitted to the EMU and the other to the ED and ICU and both treated with AEDs, to show that successful administration of AEDs dynamically disentrains the brain and correlates well with the patients’ recovery. This result further supports our hypothesis of dynamical resetting of the brain by AEDs into the recovery regime, and indicates that the proposed measures/methodology may assist in an objective evaluation of the efficacy of current and the design of future AEDs for the treatment of SE.
Chapter 41 – Planetary Rings

Planetary rings are swarms of objects orbiting a central planet with vertical motions that are small compared to their motions within a common plane. This characteristic arises because their planets rotate fast enough that they bulge at their equators, thus defining a preferred orbital plane. This is a major contrast between rings and other astrophysical disks, such as spiral galaxies and young solar systems, which do not derive their shapes from an external gravity field but from the average angular momentum of the disk itself (in both cases, once a preferred plane is established, collisions among particles damp out the motions perpendicular to it). Planetary rings are also distinguished by a large planet/ring mass ratio, which greatly enhances the flatness of rings (their aspect ratios are as small as 10-7). However, rings do have a number of similarities with other astrophysical disks, which add to the motivation for studying them. Unlike other known disk systems that are either many light-years away or (like the early stages of our solar system) far back in time, planetary rings can be studied up close and in real time. By necessity, a dense ring resides inside its planet’s p0015 Roche limit, the distance from a planet within which tides can pull a moon apart. If, contrariwise, a dense ring were outside the Roche limit, it would most likely accrete into one or more moons. The Roche limit is not a sharp boundary; materials that are less dense or more porous can remain dispersed as a ring at the same location where denser material will accrete. Also, dense rings near the transition develop a microstructure as they try to accrete and are frustrated by tides (Section 4.1). Furthermore, this limit operates only for rings dense enough that the particles frequently collide with each other; tenuous rings (Section 6) can resist accretion regardless of their location because their particles do not interact much. In this chapter, we will first discuss how we learn about rings in Section 2. Then we will give an overview of the known ring systems (Figure 41.1), as well as systems where rings are unconfirmed but plausible, in Section 3. More detailed descriptions of various ring structures organized by type, with a focus on finding commonalities among rings in different locations that share certain qualities, can be found in Sections 4e6. In Section 7 we will discuss ways by which rings tell us about their surroundings, and in Section 8 we will discuss the age and origins of ring systems.
Surgical Management of Early-Stage Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Based on Lymph Node Metastasis Risk.

In early-stage esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), esophagectomy improves staging but also increases mortality compared with endoscopic resection. Our objective was to quantify esophagectomy mortality and lymph node metastasis (LNM) risk in early-stage EAC to improve surgical treatment allocation. We identified National Cancer Database (2004–2014) patients with nonmetastatic, Tis, T1a, or T1b EAC who had primary surgical resection and microscopic examination of at least 15 lymph nodes. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of LNM. Cox regression identified predictors of death. The Kaplan–Meier method predicted overall survival (OS). In 782 patients, LNM rates were: all patients 13.8%, Tis 0%, T1a 3.6%, T1b 23.4%. Independent predictors of LNM were submucosal invasion, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), decreasing differentiation, and tumor size ≥ 2 cm (P < 0.05). For T1a tumors with poor differentiation or size ≥ 2 cm, LNM rates were 10.2 and 6.7%, respectively; 90-day mortality was 3.1%. The LNM rate in well differentiated T1b tumors < 2 cm was 4.2%; 90-day mortality was 6.0%. Estimated 5-year OS was 80.2% versus 64.4% (T1a vs. T1b). LNM increased risk of death for T1a (hazard ratio [HR] 8.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.13–23.22, P < 0.001) and T1b tumors (HR 2.52, 95% CI 1.59–4.00, P < 0.001). In T1a EAC with poor differentiation or size ≥ 2 cm, esophagectomy should be considered, whereas in T1b EAC with low-risk features (well-differentiated T1b EAC < 2 cm without LVI), endoscopic resection may be sufficient. Treatment guidelines for early-stage EAC should include all high-risk tumor features for LNM and stage-specific esophagectomy mortality.
Strengthening Communities of Inquiry Online and Offline: Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of Including Service-Learning in a Fully Online Women’s Global Health Course:

Online learning is no longer novel in higher education. Decades of research have proven it to be an effective modality for learning when designed and facilitated well to students who are ready and ...
The Psychology of Material Well-Being

Material well-being is defined in terms of satisfaction with a range economic concerns such as government’s handling of the economy, taxes, the cost of basic necessities, household income, pay and fringe benefits from one’s job, financial security, standard of living, and agreement within the family regarding how money should be spent. Much evidence is available demonstrating the substantial effect of material well-being on a variety of measures of subjective well-being. The literature review uncovered a host of antecedents or predictors of material well-being. These antecedents involve two sets of constructs, namely personal factors and contextual factors. Personal factors include socio-demographics (age, gender, education, income, marital status, family structure, etc.); personality traits (self-esteem, etc.) and personality dynamics (compensation, top-down spillover, etc.); needs and need satisfaction (how wealth serve to satisfy different needs), beliefs and mental associations (images of wealthy people); goals and aspirations (income goals and goal attainment); skills, behavior, and resources (financial capability, financial behavior, and lack of financial resources); and values (materialism), lifestyle (consumption), and habits (compulsive consumption). Contextual factors include social comparison (how evaluations of standard of living are influenced by social comparisons), adaptation (how income expectations are adapted by changing circumstances), and changes in the macro economic environment (changes in the rate of unemployment, inflation, economic growth, etc.).
Fostering Sustainable Bioeconomies: The Role of Conscious Consumption

Sustainability is typically discussed in a siloed fashion in the United States. Cradle-to-cradle production and regulation to curb greenhouse gas emissions are proffered as salves for evidenced degradation, but little attention is directed to how a society can enable sustainability as a cultural norm. Further and related, the role of the individual economic agent as consumer, investor, and government participant is seemingly not acknowledged. To a large extent, the population majority delegates the powers conferred in the three roles to a minority largely through indifferent conveyance posited on trust, leaving outcomes impacting society as a whole dependent on incentives of a few, who may or may not be aligned with the public welfare. Therefore, given the evidence of marketed demand fostered by a consumerism based economy, perhaps the most significant, powerful, and traction-inducing vehicle for instituting sustainability may be found in enabling conscious consumption at the individual level. Arguably, the conduit for conscious consumption would then be education not limited to defining sustainability, but inclusive of the rationale for sustainability, the patience requisite for implementation, and the acceptance of sustainability as a societal norm of behavior. However, the building block for conscious consumption is found in understanding the basis of present consumption decisions, ultimately the values that shape the behaviors that lead to observable economic outcomes (Venkatesan 2015).
Losing at Checkers is Hard.

We prove computational intractability of variants of checkers: (1) deciding whether there is a move that forces the other player to win in one move is NP-complete; (2) checkers where players must always be able to jump on their turn is PSPACE-complete; and (3) cooperative versions of (1) and (2) are NP-complete. We also give cooperative checkers puzzles whose solutions are the letters of the alphabet.
Optimal Smoothing of Density Estimates

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the problem of estimating the likelihood ratio from the point of view of estimating the individual densities. For purpose of classification, there is no obvious advantage to estimating the densities as an intermediate step, other than that the state of the art of density estimation seeming further along than that of likelihood ratio estimation. To classify an object as coming from one of two possible populations with associated densities f 1 . and f 2 , the classification is based on the likelihood ratio f 1 /f 2 . Frequently, this leads to simple and effective algorithms. For example, if each of the two densities can be assumed to be multivariate normal, then the likelihood ratio is constant along hyperplanes or hyperquadratics in Euclidean p - space . The optimal classification rule consists of determining which side of a certain hyperplane or hyperquadratic of constant likelihood the measurement vector classification lies.
Phase I Enzymes

A large majority of chemical reactions in living cells valuable to an organism exhibit kinetic barriers that prevent the reactions from occurring spontaneously. Kinetic barriers can be overcome by a variety of enzymes that act as catalysts, which make the reactions energetically favorable. Consequently, the reactions can occur at the rates required for maintaining cell functions. Enzymes make up the largest and most highly specialized class of protein molecules. They are highly effective catalysts for an enormous diversity of chemical reactions. The substrate of an enzyme is a small chemical molecule on which the enzyme exerts its catalytic action.
Characterization of an Axonal Protein Involved in Myelination

The mechanisms controlling myelination at the cellular level are not fully understood. Myelin is formed by an ordered process whereby the myelinating cell, the oligodendroglia in the central nervous system (CNS) and the Schwann cell in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), produces and extends membranous extensions which envelop axonal processes. Studies on peripheral nerve regeneration have indicated that axons are the major regulator of myelin protein gene expression by Schwann cells (Politis et al. 1982). On the other hand, oligodendroglia are capable of myelin membrane lipid and protein synthesis in the absence of neuronal signals in vitro (Poduslo, 1978; Mirsky et al. 1980; Szuchet et al. 1980; Poduslo et al. 1982; Bradel and Prince, 1983; Bressler et al. 1983; Rome et al. 1986), suggesting differences between the PNS and the CNS in the myelination process. Although some of the signals for myelination reside within the oligodendroglia itself or can be replaced by environmental cues (Knapp et al. 1987) present in the cultures, there are several reports of neuronal influences on oligodendroglial proliferation and differentiation both in vivo and in vitro (Hardy and Reynolds 1993).
Closed-Loop Actuated Surgical System Utilizing Real-Time In-Situ MRI Guidance

Direct magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance during surgical intervention would provide many benefits; most significantly, interventional MRI can be used for planning, monitoring of tissue deformation, realtime visualization of manipulation, and confirmation of procedure success. Direct MR guidance has not yet taken hold because it is often confounded by a number of issues including: MRI-compatibility of existing surgery equipment and patient access in the scanner bore. This paper presents a modular surgical system designed to facilitate the development of MRI-compatible intervention devices. Deep brain stimulation and prostate brachytherapy robots are the two examples that successfully deploying this surgical modules. Phantom and human imaging experiments validate the capability of delineating anatomical structures in 3T MRI during robot motion.
Comparative Assessment of Imaging

The recent development of several imaging technologies raises questions as to how they are to be utilized in clinical practice. Foremost among these is the selection of the proper test for individual patients. Practising physicians and their radiologist colleagues used to know which test or tests (if any) are necessary to reveal the state of the patient’s health and to guide his decisions with regard to treatment. When two or more tests can be used to provide equivalent information those who order and interpret these tests should know the relative merits of each (1).
Building Credibility for Non-Profit Organizations through Webpage Interface Design

AbstractLimited research has examined the impact of visual communication on the web and none has explored how wired visual constructions influence an organization's credibility. This research tested a model of visual credibility through simulated web pages for two types of non-profit organizations. Contrary to previous work, a structured, symmetrical design was not uniformly seen as more credible than an organic, asymmetrical design. Further, regardless of the issue, photographs and bright, warm colors were found to confer credibility to an organization. Credibility gained through visual representations was found to engender intended participation in the non-profit organization - particularly among those who had already received positive information about the organization.
Mathematical Models, Computer Aided Design, and Occupant Safety

Imagine what it would be like if, in the near future, we were able to take all the crash test dummies out of all the cars in all crash test labs around the world, because we no longer needed them. Imagine how quick, inexpensive, and accurate crash testing would become if we could marry the mathematical data representing all the adult male, adult female, and child vehicle occupants, and run all the crash tests as simulations. If you can imagine this scenario, you can imagine that all future cars will be capable of providing individualized restraints based on information of each occupant instead of affording safety only for a handful of anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs), also known as crash dummies.
Perception of naturally dead conspecifics impairs health and longevity through serotonin signaling in Drosophila

Abstract Sensory perception modulates health and aging across taxa. Understanding the nature of relevant cues and the mechanisms underlying their action may lead to novel interventions that improve the length and quality of life. In humans, psychological trauma is often associated with the recognition of dead individuals, with chronic exposure leading to persistent mental health issues including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. The mechanisms that link mental and physical health, and the degree to which these are shared across species, remain largely unknown. Here we show that the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has the capability to perceive dead conspecifics in its environment and that this perceptive experience induces both short- and long-term effects on health and longevity. Death perception is mediated by visual and olfactory cues, and remarkably, its effects on aging are eliminated by targeted attenuation of serotonin signaling. Our results suggest a complex perceptive ability in Drosophila that reveals deeply conserved mechanistic links between psychological state and aging, the roots of which might be unearthed using invertebrate model systems.
Sex differences in prescription opioid use patterns assessed through a community engagement program in Florida

Abstract Background Morbidity and mortality attributed to prescription opioids are a crisis in the US and spreading globally. Sex differences related to these conditions have not been adequately assessed. Methods Through our community engagement program, data on demographics, health status, and substance use, including prescription opioids (e.g., Vicodin®, Oxycodone), were collected from community members in Florida (primarily North Central Florida) during a health needs assessment. Participants over 18 years of age were classified by opioid use: past 30-day, lifetime but not past 30-day, or no lifetime prescription opioid use. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were calculated, and multinomial logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR; CI). Analyses were conducted for men and women separately to examine sex specific effects. Results Among 9221 community members assessed, the mean age was 45 years, 60% were female, and 58% were black. Respondents who endorsed past 30-day use and lifetime use were more likely to be female. Prescription sedative use was the strongest risk factor for past 30-day (aOR = 3.96; 95% CI, 3.35–4.68) and lifetime (aOR = 2.67; 95% CI, 2.34–3.04) prescription opioid use, regardless of sex. Other factors including marijuana use and history of cancer were significantly associated with prescription opioid use; they varied by sex. Conclusions The risk factors identified in this community sample provide additional information not accounted for by national studies. Future examinations of the consequences of concomitant opioid and sedative use, especially among women, are needed.
[Temporal and spatial distribution of air pollution in Shenzhen City during 2014-2016].

OBJECTIVE To investigate spatial-temporal distribution characteristics of air quality indexes( AQI) in Shenzhen City and provide scientific basis for control of air pollution. METHODS The monitoring data of AQI collected at the 19 monitoring posts in Shenzhen City from 2014 to 2016 were pooled and analyzed, and daily, seasonal and annual means of AQI at each monitoring post were forked out. The theory of spatial autocorrelation analysis was adopted in analyzing strength of the spatial autocorrelation and spatial clustering patterns of AQI. RESULTS The median of AQI of Shenzhen City was50. 0, and the air quality level of Shenzhen City was level 2. PM_(2. 5) was the primary air pollutant in 2014, and O_3 was the primary air pollutant in 2015 and 2016 respectively. From the time distribution, the air quality in Shenzhen City was the worst in the winter but the best in the summer, and the air quality in night was worse than the day. Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that there was positive spatial autocorrelation of AQI in Shenzhen. The global moran's I of AQI was 0. 167( Z = 2. 000, P < 0. 05), and the greary coefficient was 0. 801( Z = 1. 711, P < 0. 05). The local moran's I of AQI was 1. 027( P < 0. 05) in Guangming New District. The moran scatter plot of AQI in Guangming New District was in the first quadrant, and appeared to be in a high-high clustering pattern. The moran scatter plot of AQI in Yantian District was in the third quadrant, and appeared to be in a low-low clustering pattern. CONCLUSION The air quality of Shenzhen City was better. PM_(2. 5) and O_3 were the primary air pollutant. It is necessary to emphasize and strengthen the prevention and control of air pollution in Winter, especially in several administrative districts of the northwest of Shenzhen City.
Exploring the Use of Coding Reviews in Early Programming Courses to Gauge Student Learning

Programming is a skill that many individuals in tech-related fields have to develop. It is an essential component to all Computer Science (CS) majors' development and learning. Literature show that there is a consistent percentage of CS majors that become stuck and discouraged while learning to program, which sometimes deter them from the major as a whole. Coding reviews are one potential practice that could combat this learning barrier. This practice is common in industry settings and is used by professionals to solve major computational problems. Likewise, in the classroom, coding review practices could be used to help students identify both syntax and semantic flaws, and related code defects of developed solutions. Literature also show that modest attention has been placed on the exploration of coding reviews in early stages of a CS course curriculum. Therefore, more attention could be given to this particular topic. To personally explore this topic in more detail, we analyzed the outcomes from coding review assessments that were conducted on two programming courses at a Mid-Atlantic University in the United States during the 2018-2019 school year. These assessments were embedded into the periodical exams administered in these two courses that taught either Python or C++ programming concepts. The data structures imposed for these reviews ranged from simple function usage to advanced class & object-oriented programming paradigms. The results revealed that students in these respective courses on average were able to analyze the behavior of the code effectively for most of the employed data structures.
Acetyl-CoA Derived from Hepatic Peroxisomal β-Oxidation Inhibits Autophagy and Promotes Steatosis via mTORC1 Activation

Autophagy is activated by prolonged fasting but cannot overcome the ensuing hepatic lipid overload, resulting in fatty liver. Here, we describe a peroxisome-lysosome metabolic link that restricts autophagic degradation of lipids. Acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (Acox1), the enzyme that catalyzes the first step in peroxisomal β-oxidation, is enriched in liver and further increases with fasting or high-fat diet (HFD). Liver-specific Acox1 knockout (Acox1-LKO) protected mice against hepatic steatosis caused by starvation or HFD due to induction of autophagic degradation of lipid droplets. Hepatic Acox1 deficiency markedly lowered total cytosolic acetyl-CoA levels, which led to decreased Raptor acetylation and reduced lysosomal localization of mTOR, resulting in impaired activation of mTORC1, a central regulator of autophagy. Dichloroacetic acid treatment elevated acetyl-CoA levels, restored mTORC1 activation, inhibited autophagy, and increased hepatic triglycerides in Acox1-LKO mice. These results identify peroxisome-derived acetyl-CoA as a key metabolic regulator of autophagy that controls hepatic lipid homeostasis.
Association between Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Admission and Supine Sleep Positioning, Breastfeeding, and Postnatal Smoking among Mothers of Late Preterm Infants.

Objective To evaluate the association between neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission and breastfeeding practices, infant supine sleep positioning, and postnatal smoking among mothers of late preterm infants. Study design Data from 36 states using the 2000-2013 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System were analyzed. χ2 tests and 95% CI assessed infant and maternal characteristics and recommended care practices for late preterm infants based on NICU admission after birth. Adjusted prevalence ratios (APR) for breastfeeding initiation and continuation at 10 weeks, supine sleep position, and postnatal smoking were estimated using multivariable logistic regression models, controlling for infant and maternal characteristics. Analyses were weighted and SEs accounted for the complex survey design. Results Our sample included 62 494 late preterm infants, representing a weighted population of 1 441 451 late preterm infants. In the adjusted analysis, mothers of late preterm infants admitted to a NICU were more likely to initiate breastfeeding (APR 1.07; 95% CI 1.05-1.09) and place their infants in supine sleep position (1.04; 95% CI 1.01-1.06) than mothers of late preterm infants not admitted to a NICU. There was no significant difference between groups for breastfeeding continuation or postnatal smoking. Conclusions Mothers of late preterm infants admitted to a NICU were more likely to initiate breastfeeding and practice supine sleep position than mothers of late preterm infants not admitted to a NICU. Future work should seek to identify the drivers of these differences to develop effective strategies to engage mothers in these health promoting infant care practices.
Abstract 13175: Social Jet Lag in Eating Patterns as a Marker of Meal Timing Variability is Associated With Elevated Cardiometabolic Risk in the AHA Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network

Introduction: Social jet lag, typically defined as the difference in sleep timing on work vs. free days, is related to elevated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, via circadian disruption. Irregula...
The COVID-19 pandemic: unmasking challenges and vulnerability in the HSCT population.

Although the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) drastically altered the daily lives of much of the world--requiring masking, additional sanitation behaviors, and social isolation-patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) were already experts in these precautionary behaviors. HSCT provides a potential cure for some hematologic malignancies. However, it entails a protracted hospitalization, substantial physical side effects, and a decline in psychological well-being and quality of life. The COVID-19 pandemic has tightened many of the already strict procedures put in place for HSCT patients in order to protect their vulnerable immune systems, which could lead to more distress. Alternatively, exposure to this public health crisis may unlock the lives of HSCT survivors for their communities and healthcare providers to further inspire HSCT care built on a stronger foundation of empathy.
The reliability of saliva for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients: Insights on the diagnostic performance and utility for COVID-19 screening.

Current literature has focused on testing saliva in symptomatic patients, and little information is available regarding saliva performance in asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We compared paired saliva and nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) collected from 33 symptomatic and 12 asymptomatic known SARS-CoV-2-positive patients. Saliva had an overall sensitivity of 59%, a specificity of 95%, and a negative predictive value of 98%. Saliva demonstrated higher sensitivity in symptomatic (80%) vs. asymptomatic individuals (36%) (P = 0.006), and in high-risk (symptomatic, febrile and/or with comorbidities) (82%) vs. low-risk (asymptomatic, afebrile, and no comorbidities) (22%) patients (P = 0.0002). Cycle threshold (Ct) values in NPS specimens were higher in saliva-negative vs. saliva-positive cases (P = 0.02 and <0.001). Overall, these findings show that despite saliva's low sensitivity in asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections, it can detect infections with lower Ct values and a potentially higher chance of viral transmission. Additional studies are warranted to fully evaluate saliva as a screening test for coronavirus disease-2019.
Employer health benefit costs and demand for part-time labour

The current healthcare policy debate in the USA has stressed the fact that a growing number of Americans are going without health insurance coverage. Much of this decline in coverage is due to rising costs affecting employer's provision of health insurance benefits to their employees. One potential avenue for this is through employers changing their employment mix and decreasing the number of employees eligible for such benefits in an effort to reduce costs. In this study we investigate the link between rising employer costs for health insurance benefits and the demand for part-time workers.
Corporate board gender diversity and ethnic ownership of U.S. banks

This study examines the association between U.S. banks’ corporate board gender and ethnic ownership diversity, focusing on cultural gender norms relating to female leadership positions. Utilizing F...
Sequence-to-Sequence Piano Transcription with Transformers

Automatic Music Transcription has seen significant progress in recent years by training custom deep neural networks on large datasets. However, these models have required extensive domain-specific design of network architectures, input/output representations, and complex decoding schemes. In this work, we show that equivalent performance can be achieved using a generic encoder-decoder Transformer with standard decoding methods. We demonstrate that the model can learn to translate spectrogram inputs directly to MIDI-like output events for several transcription tasks. This sequence-to-sequence approach simplifies transcription by jointly modeling audio features and language-like output dependencies, thus removing the need for task-specific architectures. These results point toward possibilities for creating new Music Information Retrieval models by focusing on dataset creation and labeling rather than custom model design.
Smoothing the steep microsurgery learning curve: considering alternative suture sizes for early-stage microsurgery training with in vivo rat models

Laboratory microsurgery training using invivo rat models is essential for clinical operation. However, challenges existin a structured training course when students transition from a non-livingmodel exercise to a living one. In the present article, we first demonstratethis steep learning curve in early-stage microsurgery training. We then proposethe potential solution of using various sizes of sutures for different trainingpurposes. Twoseparate preliminary studies were included. First, we reviewed the records of25 students enrolled in our basic microsurgery training course. Each studentcompleted exercises in a non-living model before graduating to a live animalmodel where their performance on end-to-end arterial and venous anastomoses wasevaluated. Second, we examined the feasibility of different suture sizes in amillimeter microvascular anastomosis. Four groups of identical procedures inrat femoral artery were completed using sutures from 8-0 to 11-0. Patency rateand mean blood flow at 60 min post-op were measured and compared. Thirty-minute patency rates for firstarterial and venous anastomoses were 18/25 and 14/25. Those students who hadnon-patent anastomoses spent significantly longer time than those who hadpatent ones (p .05). Steep learning curve existed in the early-stagemicrosurgery training when transitioning from non-living to living exercisemodels. The feasibility of using various suture sizes in millimeter anastomosismay be a potential solution for instructors to ease this steep learning curve. Level of Evidence: Not gradable
Does Lymph Node Assessment Change the Prognostic Significance of Extensive LVSI and p53 Mutation in Endometrial Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) While high-intermediate risk (HIR) early stage endometrial cancer patients achieve excellent outcomes with adjuvant vaginal brachytherapy (VBT), the recent PORTEC2 update suggested factors such as extensive lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) and abnormal p53 expression predict for poorer outcomes and that these patients should be treated with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), rather than VBT. Our study aims to determine if patients with these risk factors who undergo a lymph node assessment prior to receiving adjuvant therapy show similarly high recurrence rates. MATERIALS/METHODS We identified 97 patients with FIGO 2009 stage IA grade 3, stage IB grade 1-2, and stage IIIC (with positive LN only but no other stage II or III factors) endometrial cancer who underwent surgical resection including lymph node assessment from 2009 to 2018 at our institution. We reviewed the LVSI status and extent, and the p53 status in these patients. Local failure (LF), regional failure (RF) distant metastasis (DM), and overall survival (OS) were compared using Kaplan-Meier. RESULTS Median follow up was 52 months. The median OS was not reached. The 3-year cumulative incidence of failure were: 3.3% LF, 7.1% RF and 2.2% DF. Patients with any LVSI had poorer OS (P 0.0010), increased LF (P = 0.047) and RF (P < 0.01), compared to patients who had neither risk factor. 47% of the entire patient cohort and 50% of patients with extensive LVSI or abnormal p53 received radiation therapy. No patients who completed EBRT experienced in-field recurrences. CONCLUSION Patients with HIR early stage endometrial cancer treated at our institution have had excellent outcomes. However, a small group of patients with unfavorable risk factors such as abnormal p53 expression and/or LVSI have worse outcomes, even with lymph node assessment, suggesting that these factors can aid in the selection of patients who may derive benefit from intensification of treatment. EBRT may be beneficial in this high risk population, as no patients who completed EBRT in our study had in field recurrences. AUTHOR DISCLOSURE C. Hui: None. M. Mendoza: None. R. Von Eyben: None. P. Hammer: None. B. Howitt: None. E.A. Kidd: Advisory Board; Varian Brachytherapy Advisory Board.
Online Retail Systems in the Global COVID-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 global pandemic has threatened the global economy;and pose serious daily challenges to companies, organizations, and firms worldwide. Our paper focuses on the adaptations to changes made by retailers through their online retail systems in response to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 & 2021. This study begins with the benefits of online retail then explaining the differences between thriving and failing businesses. These changes are derived from CDC recommendations and guidelines that drove businesses to implement new marketing and business techniques and resort to online sales. Also discussed are the challenges of online retail systems such as security and fraud, customer loyalty and trust, inventory management, and malfunctions of online retail infrastructure. These challenges lead our paper into the complications of any business which failed to adapt to the pandemic. Furthermore, we highlight implications for theory and research.
The Role of the Maize Viviparous-1 Gene in Regulation of Seed Maturation

Late in the course of seed formation tissues that are destined to remain viable in the dry seed undergo a maturation process during which further development is arrested and tolerance to desiccation is acquired. The viviparous mutants of maize which fail to complete maturation identify genes that are essential for this process (Robertson, 1955; McCarty and Carson, 1991; McCarty et al., 1992). In this paper we will address the regulation of the maturation program on two levels: 1) how intrinsic and extrinsic signals are integrated to produce a developmentally specific response and 2) how the diverse metabolic pathways associated with maturation are integrated by a regulatory hierarchy into a common developmental program. We explore the notion that these two integration processes are intimately related and involve a common mechanism operating at the level of transcriptional regulation. This model is motivated by our analysis of the role of the Viviparous-1 (Vp1) gene in regulating the maturation program in maize. Finally, our results offer some insight into how at least part of the regulatory network controlling maturation evolved.
A Novel Method to Determine The Relationship between EEG Measures And Behavioral Measures of Infant Recognition Memory in The Context of Nutrition

Nutritional deficiencies have been correlated with cognitive deficits, and animal studies specifically show memory deficiencies. Studies link EEG measures of brain function to behavioral measures o...
Abstract T MP31: 3D Computational Flow Model of Intracranial Arterial Stenosis With Physiologic Boundary Conditions

Introduction: Intracranial arterial stenosis (IAS) is a significant cause of ischemic stroke worldwide. Prior studies have identified degree-of-stenosis, time from symptom onset, and gender as predictors of recurrent stroke. However, the role of wall shear stress (WSS), turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), flow velocity (FV), and pressure gradients have not been studied. We present a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of IAS extracted from diagnostic imaging with added anatomical details to further investigate these factors. Methods: The vascular anatomy was reconstructed from a semi-automatically delineated biplane angiogram to obtain the geometry of the internal carotid artery bifurcation, middle cerebral artery (MCA) and anterior cerebral artery (ACA). Lenticulostriate arteries (LSAs) and 0%, 70% and 90% stenoses were added. A volumetric mesh was generated with more than 2 million tetrahedral cells and used to evaluate the hemodynamic parameters of the models using the ANSYS: Simulation Technology pac...
Alicyclobacillus Acidoterrestris: The Organism, the Challenge, Potential Interventions

Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris is an acidophilic, spore-forming spoilage organism of concern for the fruit juice industry. The occurrence of bacterial spore-formers in low pH foods was once thought to be insignificant. However, in recent years, spoilage of acidic juices by Alicyclobacillus has been recognized as a serious problem. A. acidoterrestris has been associated with commercially pasteurized fruit juices as well as other low pH, shelf-stable products such as bottled teas and isotonic drinks. It has been isolated from garden and forest soils and may be introduced into the manufacturing process through unwashed or poorly washed fruit. If spores are not destroyed by processing, they can germinate, grow and spoil product. The commonly used “hot pack” process for high-acid foods has proven inadequate for the control of A. acidoterrestris spores, creating the need for alternate processing technologies. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS A better understanding of the characteristics of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris, its sources and signs of spoilage in high-acid beverages, and possible interventions will assist processors in developing appropriate strategies for its control in juices, teas and isotonic waters.
Small Interfering RNAs Mediate Sequence-Independent Gene Suppression and Induce Immune Activation by Signaling through Toll-Like Receptor 3

Small interfering (si) and short hairpin (sh) RNAs induce robust degradation of homologous mRNAs, making them a potent tool to achieve gene silencing in mammalian cells. Silencing by siRNAs is used widely because it is considered highly specific for the targeted gene, although a recent report suggests that siRNA also induce signaling through the type I IFN system. When human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) or keratinocyte (HaCaT) cell lines or human primary dendritic cells or macrophages were transfected with siRNA or shRNAs, suppression of nontargeted mRNA expression was detected. Additionally, siRNA and shRNA, independent of their sequences, initiated immune activation, including IFN-alpha and TNF-alpha production and increased HLA-DR expression, in transfected macrophages and dendritic cells. The siRNAs induced low, but significant, levels of IFN-beta in HEK293 and HaCaT cells. Secretion of these cytokines increased tremendously when HEK293 cells overexpressed Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), and the increased secretion of IFN-beta was inhibited by coexpression of an inhibitor of TIR domain-containing adapter-inducing IFN-beta, the TLR3 adaptor protein linked to IFN regulatory factor 3 signaling. Although siRNA and shRNA knockdown of genes represents a new and powerful tool, it is not without nonspecific effects, which we demonstrate are mediated in part by signaling through TLR3.
Degrees of Memory of Childhood Sexual Abuse Among Women Survivors in Therapy

Past and current memory for childhood sexual abuse reported by a clinical sample of 160 women survivors was assessed utilizing a structured clinical interview. Response alternatives for memory were ordered along a continuum. To minimize treatment effects, participants were interviewed as early in therapy as possible. Fairly complete recollection both in the past and currently was reported by 26.3% of the sample, 36.9% apparently lost and subsequently recovered sexual abuse memories, and 36.9% endorsed intermediate degrees of memory. Only 2.5% indicated a decrease in degree of recollection over time. Age at onset was the only abuse characteristic found to differentiate participants with fairly complete memory from the rest of the sample. Findings are interpreted as illustrating that conclusions about memory for abuse are highly dependent on the way inquiries are conceptualized and worded.
The Essential Centre of the mod a Diagonalization Ideal Commutant of an n-tuple of Commuting Hermitian Operators

We show that for a commuting n-tuple of hermitian operators, with perfect spectrum, the essential centre of the algebra of operators commuting with the n-tuple mod a diagonalization ideal arises from the C *-algebra of the n-tuple. This answers a question for normal operators and the Hilbert– Schmidt class connected to K-theory for almost normal operators.
Localized molecular orbitals for polyatomic molecules: Part VII. The tetracyanoquinodimethan molecule and its anions

Abstract Wavefunctions for TCNQ, TCNQ−1 and TCNQ−2 have been obtained in the approximation of partial retention of diatomic differential overlap (PRDDO). For TCNQ and TCNQ−2 the geometries were partially optimized. Localized molecular orbitais (LMO's) have been obtained for TCNQ and TCNQ−2 using the Boys' criterion. For TCNQ these LMO's give the usual description of the bonding in the molecule. However, for TCNQ−2 the LMO's show an unexpected bonding pattern of a benzenoid ring and lone pairs on C7 and C8. The rotation barrier about the C1–C7 bond in TCNQ−2 is calculated to be 12 kcal mole−1, the maximum value for the conjugative effect in this bond.
Central Asia on the Edge of Globalization

The nations of Central Asia, all once a part of the Soviet Union, now form a natural experiment in how to manage transition in non-European economies. As the author argues, Uzbekistan, the country that resisted neoliberal policies most strongly, has done the best.
Chapter 1 Mapping Structure/Function Relations in αbENaC

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses a study on mapping structure/function relations in αbENaC (epithelial Na + channel). Epithelial ion channels permit the passage of ions and ultimately water across the epithelial barrier. The polarized nature of epithelial cells allows them to play a major role in the regulation of whole-body salt and water homeostasis by separating compartments and maintaining ion gradients. The recent cloning of several members of the amiloride-sensitive epithelial Na + channel family, ENaC, represents a major advance in the knowledge about the ways in which salt reabsorbing and secreting epithelia, such as those in the kidney, lung, and colon accomplish this task at the molecular level. The ENaC channel family is composed of a diverse array of polypeptides ranging from distant cousins in the mec proteins of C. elegans to the “prototypical” ENaC channels cloned from rat colon. Members of the family have also been identified in mammalian and gastropod neural tissue. The chapter presents a discussion of structure/function relations in one ENaC isoform, αbENaC, cloned from the bovine renal papilla. While this isoform shares many features with the other members of the family, there are some distinct differences.
The consequences of contact: Views of the scientific community and the science media

Information is drawn from a 1989 survey of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) community and the international science media as to the anticipated consequences of a successful outcome to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The evidence indicates that both groups expect intense public interest and excitement about the announcement of a discovery. Public fear and shock associated with an announced discovery are anticipated to be of low to moderate intensity, but the possibility of angry or even violent reactions among some extremist groups is believed possible by both the media and the science community. Rumor, confusion, and disbelief are expected to be significant problems related to an announced discovery. The study indicates that any agency established by the SETI community to verify an announced discovery should explore what its role should be in relation to public attempts to exploit and perhaps distort the facts of the discovery. This study indicates that such a verification agency would be desirable to ensure the orderly and accurate dissemination of information and to avert undesirable and perhaps dangerous consequences of an extraterrestrial intelligence discovery.
Global Poverty: How Global Governance Is Failing the Poor

1. The History and Geography of Global Poverty 2. Understanding and Explaining Global Poverty 3. The Institutional Landscape for Attacking Global Poverty 4. Doing Global Poverty Eradication: All Change or No Change 5. Strategic Choices for Global Poverty Eradication 6. The Future of Global Poverty: Emerging Issues in an Uncertain World 7. Why Don't we Care About Ending Poverty 8. Moving Forward on Global Poverty: Can we Care?