cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Systematic Review of Consent Procedures, Participation Rates, and Main Findings of Health-Related Research in Alternative High Schools From 2010 to 2015:

There is a well-established link between educational attainment and health. Alternative high schools (AHSs) serve students who are at risk for school dropout. Health-related research conducted in AHSs has been sparse. Achieving high participation rates is critical to producing generalizable results and can be challenging in research with adolescents for reasons such as using active consent. These challenges become greater when working with vulnerable populations of adolescents. In this systematic review, we examined health-related studies conducted in AHSs between 2010 and 2015. Results indicated that (1) health-related research in AHSs has increased over the past 5 years, (2) AHS students continue to experience significant disparities, (3) active consent is commonly used with AHS students, (4) 42% of studies reported participation rates or provided enough information to calculate participation rates, and (5) school nurses are missing from health-related research conducted in AHSs. Implications for future research and school nursing are discussed.
On the Currents in Mainstream Industrial Organization

Several themes flowing through the study of industry structure are particularly apparent in the papers of Professors de Jong, Scherer, and Shepherd. These are: the relationships between theoretical and empirical work, between basic research and policy analysis, and the use of static and dynamic models. All three themes are important in shaping industrial organization economics and Scherer has identified two as contributing to an intellectual crisis in the field. The response of the mainstream to date cannot resolve the crisis because it has not addressed the root of the problem. However, the above papers show that at least one opposing paradigm, contestable markets, cannot satisfy the criticisms either. Indeed, until there is a true Kuhnian revolution, the mainstream is preferable to the alternatives currently offered.
Research Program to Sustain the FM Professional

Arizona State University has been involved in identifying the future Facility Manager (FM) paradigm which results in a sustainable FM profession. The $16M, 20-year international research program has identified, created and tested out a solution to the almost impossible task of replacing the aging FM professionals. The research has identified the future FM as one who is leadership based and leads the entire supply chain from inside the organization. This paper will cover the three year results of finding the future FM by accessing the top 10% of ASU’s 85,000 students through Barrett’s Honors Program, 7th – 10th graders through the Barrett’s Summer Honors Program, and culminating this year in placing the education in one of the top private schools in the state of Hawaii for high school students, testing the approach on 116 Brazilian engineering undergraduate students and getting approval for testing a 14 week program in the Tempe High School. The model is proposed as a prototype for future FM professionals and how the FM professional can become sustainable.
How We Might Make Special Education for Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders Less Stigmatizing.

The authors note that identification as having emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) is generally acknowledged to be stigmatizing. The stigma associated with identification as needing special edu...
Individualisme et communautarisme : l'individu, la famille et l'État en Europe occidentale

Le present rapport a ete presente au Congres de l'Association Internationale des Sciences Juridiques et de l'American Society of Comparative Law, tenu a Provo (Utah, U.S.A.) en septembre 1992 sur le theme « Individualisme et communautarisme : tensions et accommodements ». L'objectif en etait l'examen comparatif de la place et du role des communautes intermediaires (famille, entreprise, ecole, communautes locales ou religieuses, syndicats, ordres professionnels...) entre l'individu et l'Etat dans les systemes juridiques contemporains (Europe de l'Ouest et de l'Est, Etats-Unis, Japon, pays musulmans...). ; Apres une breve introduction sur les origines de la triade individu, famille, Etat, et une comparaison succincte des origines historiques et philosophiques qui sous-tendent les differences d'attitudes entre systemes juridiques des pays de Common Law et d'Europe continentale en matiere familiale, le rapport tend a montrer comment le droit prive et le droit public de ces derniers (droit constitutionnel et politiques familiales nationales), ainsi que les principales institutions europeennes (Conseil de l'Europe, Communaute europeenne, Cour europeenne des droits de l'homme), s'efforcent de trouver dans le contexte actuel de l'evolution des idees et des mœurs un equilibre pondere entre les droits et libertes individuels, mais aussi entre ceux-ci et l'interet general, y compris de celui de la famille, moins en tant qu'institution abstraite que comme lieu de mediation privilegie entre l'individu et la societe.
‘It’s not written on their skin like it is ours’: Greek letter organizations in the age of the multicultural imperative

Today’s students wrestle with the continued salience of racial identity on campuses that encourage the celebration of ‘diversity’ while at once digesting messages that the USA is now largely ‘post-racial’. Based on data collected through fieldwork observation, focus groups and in-depth interviews with a local Multicultural Greek Council for fraternities and sororities, we argue that ‘multicultural’ student organizations engage in a variety of racial identity tactics that simultaneously constrain and enable the perception of their racial identities. By relying on the two cultural narratives of multiculturalism – abstract and organizational – members of Greek organizations that do not conform to the White/Black binary can construct identities and a movement understood as rational, progressive and generally innocuous. Yet, in practice, the dominant expectations to perform ‘multiculturalism’ were manifest in narrow, essentialist and singular expressions of ethnic pride as an oppositional identity to Anglo-con...
A Rack for Expediting the Manipulation of Tissue Culture Bottles, with an Application to the Viral Plaque Technic

Most investigations with viruses require reliable methods of quantitation. The best method now available for enumerating infectious virus particles is the plaque technic. When suspensions of animal cells are placed in glass containers, the cells settle to the bottom of the suspending nutrient medium and attach to the glass. Upon incubation and periodic addition to, or replacement of, the nutrient medium the cells will multiply and form a monolayer or sheet of cells. When the cell sheets are complete they are washed to remove virus inhibitors, virus is added, and after a short incubation period to allow for infection the cell sheets are overlayed with a nutrient medium containing a solidifying agent. During subsequent incubation virus is released from the infected cells and spreads to adjacent cells; the areas of infection are localized by the solid overlay medium. Eventually the number of viral particles added to the cell sheet can be determined by vital staining and counting the number of foci of infected cells, each area presumably having resulted from infection by a single virus particle.
A Generalized Reissner-Mindlin Model for Smart Plates with In-Plane Actuation and Sensing

A generalized Reissner-Mindlin model is constructed for smart plates with electroded lateral boundary using the variational asymptotic method. Taking advantage of the smallness of the plate thickness, we rigorously split the original 3D piezoelectricity problem into a 1D through-the-thickness analysis and a 2D plate analysis, both are fully-coupled electromechanical analyses. Examples of single layer and multi-layer plates have been presented to validate the present model. In comparison with the multiphysics simulation using ANSYS, the predictions of the present two-dimensional plate model have an excellent agreement with the original 3D finite element analysis, which means this model can be used as an efficient yet accurate substitute for the original expensive 3D multiphysics simulation.
Analysis of low absorbance of standard lines in detecting urine iodine

Objective To Enhance laboratory quality control in detecting urine iodine to ensure accurate and dependable urine iodine examination data.Methods The urine iodine was detected by the reagents and de-ion water prepared by the provincial level laboratory and municipal-level laboratory,and the data were analyzed. Results The absorption coefficient value blank tube in the municipal-level laboratory was lower significantly than in the province-level laboratory.The factor that lowered the standard curve absorption coefficient value in detecting urine iodine was As_2O_3 reagent in the solution of arsenious acid.Conclusions Laboratory quality control shouhl be kept in the whole process of the procedure,which helps to discover problems and increase examination quality.
Design and Application of Implementation Scheme for Classified Network Security Protection

The implementation scheme for classified network security protection of enterprises including protection of security domain,network border and network environment is proposed and applied in concrete cases.It achieves the division of enterprises′ server domains and desktop terminal domains,dynamic calculation of inter-domain routing,hot standby redundancy of gateways and links,improves the fault tolerance and stability of the network and business system with desirable effects.
Effect of Spatial Resolution in Modeling Stormwater Runoff for an Urban Block

AbstractThis study assesses the role of spatial resolution in hydrologic and hydraulic models by means of two models developed at different resolutions for an urban block using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s stormwater management model (SWMM). The first is a high-resolution model, in which distinct elements are represented as individual hydrologic response units (HRU). The second is a low-resolution model, in which the entire block is represented as a single HRU. Flow observations during five storms were used to calibrate the models, while a separate set of six storms was used to assess their performance. The high-resolution model was found to systematically underestimate peak flows, whereas the performance of the low-resolution model was found to be dependent on the type of storm. Overall, the two models displayed similar accuracy according to most metrics, thus justifying modeling at high resolution only in those cases where a detailed representation is necessary.
Emerging trends in peptic ulcer disease and damage control surgery in the H. pylori era.

The prevalence of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and the frequency of operation have been decreasing for decades. Immigration of patients harboring Helicobacter pylori may reverse these longstanding declines. The experience with a large public hospital population in an area of high immigration may portend future national trends. A 10-year retrospective study analyzed the changing demographics of PUD and the frequency and nature of surgical intervention. A total of 2,182 patients were diagnosed with PUD, 1,173 in the early period (1995-1999) and 1,009 in the recent period (2000-2004). The proportion of Hispanic patients increased from 39.3 per cent to 47.5 per cent (P = 0.017). The ratio of male to female patients decreased from 1.7:1 to 1.3:1 (P = 0.003). The PUD operation rate decreased from 6.7 per cent to 3.8 per cent (P = 0.004). Among operated patients, the frequency of H. pylori testing increased from 41.8 per cent to 81.6 per cent (P = 0.039). Acute perforation and bleeding necessitated the vast majority (87.2%) of operations. The use of acid-reducing operations declined from 50.6 per cent to 31.6 per cent in favor of nonacid-reducing damage control procedures. Contrary to historic trends, in the predominately immigrant public hospital patient population studied, 1) the incidence of PUD is decreasing only modestly, 2) male predominance is disappearing, 3) gastric ulcer (GU) is more prevalent than duodenal ulcer (DU), but DU requires operation more frequently than GU, and 4) there is a marked decrease in use of acid-reducing operations reflecting a new damage control surgical approach to acute PUD complications in the H. pylori era.
Chapter Ten: The End of the West

The formation of the cohesive picture in a broken mirror I suggested in the previous chapter is predicated on the fact of an implosion of “the West” as an absolute and absolutist metaphor that had enabled all its binaries and can no longer do so. “The West” was the totalizing metaphor of European colonial modernity that wreaked havoc around the world as it enabled a dominant elite who saw the world in a Hegelian trajectory that saw the world at large as the infancy of the European Geist. That totalizing metaphor is no more, and in this chapter, I will now turn my attention to a detailed consideration of how “the West” as the defining metaphor of capitalist (and colonial) modernity has finally imploded. This close reading is necessary if we are to see the rebirth of the nation in terms no longer determined by the modus operandi of colonial modernity that was the societal predicate for the rise of a postcolonial reason that had coupled the nation and the state in a fateful delusion.
Segregation of confined ionic liquids inducing the formation of super-micropores in the silica matrix

In the present work, we prepared a super-microporous silica gel via a nonhydrolytic methanol–formic-acid solvolytic sol–gel process and using a hydrophobic short-chain ionic liquid (IL), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, as the template solvent and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the precursor. Low-temperature solvent extraction (65–70 °C) and subsequent vacuum drying were adopted to remove the confined IL. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen sorption (BET), and small/wide-angle X-ray scattering (S/WAXS) experiments were carried out to explore the structures of the prepared porous silica gels and the corresponding formation mechanism. The results from BET and TEM revealed that the synthesized silica gels with higher IL/TEOS molar ratio of ≥2.0 formed fractal matrix with embedded disordered worm-like super-micropore (pore size of 1.1–1.2 nm and surface areas of 690–800 m2 g−1). Further, S/WAXS analysis revealed the formation of super-micropore in the silica matrix strongly depended on the formation of highly-branched fractal silica framework (mass-fractal dimension of silica matrix Df > 2.8) and the segregation of the confined IL, which was basically driven by the strong IL/pore wall repulsive interactions when excess amount of IL was used here.
Functional Goals and Predictors of Their Attainment in Low-Income Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Abstract Objective To describe functional goals and factors associated with goal attainment among low-income older adults with disabilities living in the community. Design Secondary analysis. Setting Participants' homes. Participants Older adults (N=226) with disability who participated in the Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders trial. Interventions A 5-month, home-based, person-directed, structured program delivered by an interprofessional team: occupational therapist, registered nurse, and handyman. Main Outcome Measures Process of occupational therapist goal setting and attainment at the final occupational therapist visit. Results Participants identified 728 functional goals (mean of 3.2 goals per participant), most commonly related to transferring (22.0%; n=160 goals), changing or maintaining body position (21.4%; n=156 goals), and stair climbing (13.0%; n=95 goals). Participants attained 73.5% (n=535) of goals. Goal attainment was highest for stair climbing (86.3%), transferring (85.6%), and self-care (84.6%); walking goals were less likely attained (54.0%). Goal attainment was not associated with age, sex, education, depressive symptoms, function, or health-related quality of life but was less likely among participants who had severe pain compared with those without pain (adjusted odds ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.17–0.86). When participant readiness to change score increases by 1 point on the 4-point scale, goal attainment was 62% more likely (adjusted odds ratio, 1.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.14–2.29). Conclusions Home-based collaborative goal setting between older adults and occupational therapists is feasible and particularly effective when individuals are ready or willing to adopt new strategies to achieve identified goals.
The Impact of Normative Perceptions on Alcohol Consumption in Military Veterans

Background and aims Perceptions of both descriptive norms (prevalence of drinking) and injunctive norms (others' approval of drinking) relate to alcohol consumption but mechanisms for these associations have received little attention, especially in military samples. This study tested the direct and indirect associations between perceived descriptive and injunctive norms on drinking through personal attitudes (i.e., personal approval) in a veteran sample. Design Data were collected as part of a longitudinal randomized controlled alcohol intervention study. The study involved two time points: baseline/intervention (time 1) and one-month follow-up (time 2). Setting A national sample of veterans was recruited from Facebook to participate in an online study between June and October 2015. Participants Data included responses of 621 adult military veterans (age 18-34; 17% female). Measures Respondents reported on their weekly alcohol consumption (primary outcome), perceptions of typical drinking, and approval by other same-gender veterans. Covariates included gender, intervention condition, and combat experience. Findings Regression results found no significant effects of perceived descriptive or injunctive norms on time 2 drinking when accounting for the effects of personal attitudes, time 1 drinking, and covariates. However, mediation analyses found support for personal attitudes as a mediator of the relationship between perceived descriptive norms and time 2 drinking (indirect effect = 0.003, SE = .001, p = .001) and between perceived injunctive norms and time 2 drinking (indirect effect = 0.004, SE = .001, p < .001). Conclusions Attitudes to drinking appear to mediate the association between descriptive and injunctions norms about alcohol and subsequent level of alcohol consumption in US military personnel.
The impact of insurance status on racial disparities in cancer outcomes for nonelderly adults: A population based analysis.

e18068Background: Previous studies have repeatedly demonstrated racial disparities in cancer outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between these disparities and ty...
Teaching Pediatric Otoscopy Skills to Pediatric and Emergency Medicine Residents: a Cross-Institutional Study

Abstract Objective To evaluate a pediatric otoscopy curriculum with the use of outcome measures that included assessment of skills with real patients. Methods Thirty-three residents in an intervention group from 2 institutions received the curriculum. In the previous year, 21 residents in a nonintervention group did not receive the curriculum. Both groups were evaluated at the beginning and end of their internship years with the use of the same outcome assessments: 1) a written test, 2) an objective standardized clinical examination (OSCE), and 3) direct observation of skills in real patients with the use of a checklist with established validity. Results The intervention group had a significant increase in percentage reaching minimum passing levels between the beginning and end of the internship year for the written test (12% vs 97%; P P P P P P = .008); and significantly higher ( P P = .99) in percentage reaching minimum passing levels, no significant mean percentage gains in the written test (2.7%; P = .30) and direct observation (6.7%; P = .61), and significant regression in OSCE (−5.2%; P = .03). Conclusions A pediatric otoscopy curriculum with multimodal outcome assessments was successfully implemented across different specialties at multiple institutions and found to yield gains, including in skills with real patients.
Sparsifying preconditioner for the time-harmonic Maxwell's equations

Abstract This paper presents the sparsifying preconditioner for the time-harmonic Maxwell's equations in the integral formulation. Following the work on sparsifying preconditioner for the Lippmann–Schwinger equation, this paper generalizes that approach from the scalar wave case to the vector case. The key idea is to construct a sparse approximation to the dense system by minimizing the non-local interactions in the integral equation, which allows for applying sparse linear solvers to reduce the computational cost. When combined with the standard GMRES solver, the number of preconditioned iterations remains small and essentially independent of the frequency. This suggests that, when the sparsifying preconditioner is adopted, solving the dense integral system can be done as efficiently as solving the sparse system from PDE discretization.
A 900 MHz Charge Recovery Comparator With 40 fJ per Conversion

The idea of recycling part of the charge used to drive a load is well understood in digital circuits, and falls under the umbrella term of charge recovery logic (CRL). By recovering part of the charge from the load, these circuits achieve lower energy consumption with respect to static CMOS. Recently, a comparator that uses the principles of charge recovery was presented, introducing these energy advantages to the world of mixed-signal circuits. The original design has a maximum operating frequency of 1 kHz, and thus is limited to niche applications. In this work, an improved charge recovery comparator is introduced, operating at up to 900 MHz. Post-layout simulations in 65 nm technology show an energy consumption of 40 fJ per conversion, and an input offset voltage of 32 mV.
The Fractology of Glass

Fracture, the ultimate catastrophe in which the strength of a glass article is defeated, is no instantaneous event. It begins at a definable origin and it spreads with measurable velocity to its conclusion. The paths by which it propagates tell a complex story of static and dynamic stress configurations, weaknesses of design and material inhomogeneities. In short, it leaves a record of the event and it leaves it in a form which can be read. It is the present purpose to discuss the details of this record and how they can best be seen and interpreted.
Experimental investigation of lateral heat transfer in cryogenic multilayer insulation

Lateral heat transfer along two parallel conducting and radiating plates, separated by an interstitial medium (i.e., spacer), plays an important role in the thermal performance of cryogenic multilayer insulation [1]. Approximate theoretical analyses of this problem have been reported for the case of no spacers and for that with absorbing and scattering dielectric spacers [2,3]. Existing experimental investigations of this problem have been limited to those of Coston and Vliet [4,5] and Androulakis and Kosson [6,7]. While some results of the former do agree reasonably with the theoretical predictions in the case of no spacers [2], there still appears to be a considerable amount of experimental uncertainty involved in their rather preliminary investigations. The results of Androulakis and Kosson cannot be effectively compared owing to the complex geometry of their test sample and the lack of pertinent information. In order to substantiate the theoretical predictions through measurements, it is essential that the experiment simulate theory as closely as possible. It is the purpose of the present paper to obtain definitive measurements of lateral heat transfer in cryogenic multilayer insulation.
Bilateral Contracts Between NGPPs and Renewable Plants Can Increase Penetration of Renewables

As the renewable penetration in the grid increases, the grid-takes-all-renewable paradigm will no longer be sustainable. We consider a day-ahead (DA) electricity market composed of a renewable generator, a natural gas power plant (NGPP) and a coal power plant (CPP). Each player provides the Independent System Operator (ISO) with their commitment and their asking price. The ISO schedules the generators using a least-cost strategy. Because of the intrinsic uncertainty of the renewable generation, the renewable player might be unable to meet its DA commitment. In the event of a shortfall, the renewable generator incurs a penalty so that the non-renewable sources are not forced to consume the cost of renewable intermittence. It has been recognized that such a penalty can lead to conservative bidding by the renewable generator, which may lead to lower than desired penetration of renewable energy in the grid. We formulate and analyze a contract between the renewable producer and the NGPP so that the NGPP reserves some amount of natural gas to hedge the renewable producer against shortfalls. Expressions for the optimal commitments of the players and for the optimal reserve contract are derived. When a reserve contract is established, we observe an increase both in the average profit of the players involved and in the renewable participation in the market. Thus, we show that a Pareto-optimal contract between market players can improve renewable penetration.
Waves : Scaffolding Self-regulated Learning to Teach Science in a Whole-Body Educational Game

This study employed mixed methods to investigate the efficacy of scaffolding self-regulated learning prompts within a whole-body educational game, Waves. This game was designed to teach middle school–aged children basic concepts of waves by moving their bodies to mimic the motions of waves, physically experiencing different velocities and wavelengths. Textual prompts intended to scaffold self-regulated learning behaviors respond to learner actions (or non-actions) within Waves. The adult facilitator reinforced the in-game prompts by speaking them aloud. This study is framed around the research questions: (1) How does a whole-body educational game effectively teach players about STEM concepts? (2) How can self-regulated learning be effectively scaffolded in a whole-body educational game? and (3) Are self-regulated learning scaffolds utilized the same way by all players? A quantitative pre-post assessment of learning and self-regulation skills was further elucidated by a case study analyzing the recorded discourse of two partners while participating in the larger study.
Maternal caregivers have confluence of altered cortisol, high reward-driven eating, and worse metabolic health

Animal models have shown that chronic stress increases cortisol, which contributes to overeating of highly palatable food, increased abdominal fat and lower cortisol reactivity. Few studies in humans have simultaneously examined these trajectories. We examined premenopausal women, either mothers of children with a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (n = 92) or mothers of neurotypical children (n = 91). At baseline and 2-years, we assessed hair cortisol, metabolic health, and reward-based eating. We compared groups cross-sectionally and prospectively, accounting for BMI change. Caregivers, relative to controls, had lower cumulative hair cortisol at each time point, with no decreases over time. Caregivers also had stable levels of poor metabolic functioning and greater reward-based eating across both time points, and evidenced increased abdominal fat prospectively (all ps ≤.05), independent of change in BMI. This pattern of findings suggest that individuals under chronic stress, such as caregivers, would benefit from tailored interventions focusing on better regulation of stress and eating in tandem to prevent early onset of metabolic disease, regardless of weight status.
Robust IMC-PID and Parameter-varying Control Strategies for Automated Blood Pressure Regulation

The present work focuses on comparing a robust and a parameter-varying control design approach for automatically regulating blood pressure in critical hypotensive patients using vasopressor drug infusion. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) response of a patient subject to vasoactive drugs is modeled by a first-order dynamical system with time-varying parameters and a time-varying delay in the control input which limits the implementation of conventional control techniques. Two methods are examined to address the variability and the time-varying delay of the physiological response to the drug. First, a Pade approximation is used to transform the infinite-dimensional delay problem into a finite-dimensional model represented in the form of a non-minimum phase (NMP) system. A systematic parameter-varying loop-shaping control is proposed to provide the closed-loop system with stability and tracking performance in the presence of measurement noise and disturbances. Second, an internal model control (IMC) strategy is examined to design a fixed proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller cascaded with a lag compensator by considering the time-varying model to be a perturbed uncertain system. To account for system uncertainty, the small-gain theorem is employed by which robust stability conditions are investigated. The proposed control methods are applied to critical hypotensive patient resuscitation to regulate MAP while considering the limitations posed by the time-varying parameters of the physiological response model and the large time-varying delay. Simulation results are provided and compared to evaluate the performance of the proposed control actions under various hypotensive scenarios.
Role of mesolimbic ghrelin in the acquisition of cocaine reward.

Abstract The present study examined the ability of ghrelin administration into either the ventral tegmental area (VTA) or nucleus accumbens (NAc) to potentiate cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). Additionally, we examined the impact of co-injection of the ghrelin 1a antagonist JMV 2959 with ghrelin in order to evaluate the potential attenuation of ghrelin’s effects on cocaine-induced CPP. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were allowed simultaneous access to either side of the CPP apparatus to establish baseline chamber preferences. The rats were then restricted to either their non-preferred or preferred side over the course of conditioning which lasted for a total of 8 consecutive days. On days in which rats were restricted to their non-preferred side, systemic cocaine (0.5–5.0 mg/kg IP) followed by central ghrelin (300 pmol), or co-administration of ghrelin (300 pmol) with JMV 2959 (10 μg), was administered either into the VTA or NAc immediately prior to the conditioning period. On alternate days rats were treated with vehicle then placed into what was initially determined to be their preferred side. CPP was calculated as the difference in the percentage of total time spent in the treatment-paired compartment during the post-conditioning session and the pre-conditioning session. Our results indicated that ghrelin potentiated cocaine-induced CPP and that this effect was attenuated by JMV 2959. Overall, these findings provide further evidence that mesolimbic ghrelin signaling is indeed critically involved in mediating the rewarding effects of cocaine.
Unveil the Hidden Presence: Characterizing the Backend Interface of Content Delivery Networks

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are critical to today’s Internet ecosystem for delivering rich content to end-users. CDNs augment the Internet infrastructure by deploying geographically distributed edge servers, which play a dual role in CDNs: one as frontend interface to facilitate end-user’s proximal access and the other as backend interface to fetch content from origin servers. Previous research has well studied the frontend interface of CDNs, but no active approach has yet been provided to investigate the backend interface. In this paper, we first propose an active approach to measuring the backend interface of CDNs. Then, we present a large-scale measurement study to characterize the backend interface for three CDN platforms, so as to understand the CDN’s globally distributed infrastructure, which is essential to its performance and security. In particular, we discover the address space and operation patterns of the backend interface of CDNs. Then, by analyzing the backend addresses and their associated frontend addresses, we study their geolocation association. Furthermore, we issue traceroutes from origin servers to the backend addresses of the CDNs to analyze their performance implications, and perform port scanning on the backend addresses to investigate their security implications.
Prolonged isolation stress accelerates the onset of Alzheimer's disease-related pathology in 5xFAD mice despite running wheels and environmental enrichment.

Abstract Research has demonstrated that stress can exacerbate AD pathology in transgenic mouse models of AD. The purpose of the present studies was to extend this work by determining whether a social stressor, isolation stress, would increase the number of Aβ plaques in 5xFAD + transgenic mice in comparison to group-housed controls, and accelerate the onset of cognitive deficits in contextual fear-conditioning. Additionally, we aimed to determine whether the pathological impact of isolation stress could be prevented through exposure to exercise alone or to exercise and an enriched environment throughout the isolation period. Two-month-old 5xFAD + and 5xFAD- animals were isolated or group-housed for two and three months. An additional subset of 5xFAD + mice were housed in isolation, housed in isolation with an exercise wheel, or housed in isolation with an exercise wheel and an enriched environment. Both two and three months of isolation stress significantly increased the number of plaques in the hippocampus of 5xFAD + mice, and three months of isolation increased hippocampal BACE1 expression. Isolated animals also displayed a significant cognitive deficit in contextual fear-conditioning, independent of genotype. Furthermore, neither exercise nor an enriched environment were able to prevent these isolation-induced effects. Understanding how stress impacts the onset and progression of AD is critical, as many individuals endure significant stress over their lifespan, including prolonged social isolation, a societal trend likely to worsen with time.
Dynamic State Estimation Aided By Machine Learning

The control of power systems can be enhanced through wide area monitoring, where measurements from devices such as phasor measurement units are utilized to enhance the system awareness. These measurements can be utilized for dynamic state estimation, where the rotor angle and speed of the synchronous machine are estimated. This paper proposes a new scheme which utilizes the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) along with machine learning for dynamic state estimation. The machine learning algorithms are used as a support system for enhancing the robustness and quality of the UKF and the overall estimates. The new scheme is tested on the Western System Coordinating Council 3-machine 9-bus test system under different operating conditions.
Changes in serum copper and zinc during treatment with anticancer drugs interfering with pyridoxal phosphate.

Hexamethylmelamine, pentamethylmelamine and procarbazine are anticancer drugs known to interfere with pyridoxal phosphate. This paper presents results on copper and zinc serum levels during the treatment with each of these drugs used as single agents. Six NZW rabbits weighing 2.7–4.5 kg were used in these experiments. Hexamethylmelamine and procarbazine were administered by gastric gavage and pentamethylmelamine by intravenous route at the daily doses of 100 mg, 30 mg and 50 mg/kg of body weight respectively for up to four days. Blood samples were collected in metal free tubes at fasting state before and during the treatment. Student’s paired t-test was used for statistical analysis. The pretreatment serum copper concentration significantly (p=0.05) increased and conversely the serum zinc concentration significantly (p=0.05) decreased during each drug treatment. Consequently the copper/zinc ration significantly increased from 0.32, 0.33 and 0.27 to 1.16, 0.63 and 1.13 for hexamethylmelamine, pentamethylmelamine and procarbazine respectively. These results indicate, that daily administration of three anticancer drugs interfering with pyridoxal phosphate causes changes in serum copper and zinc levels with inversed relationship between both changes.
The urgency of utilizing COVID-19 biospecimens for research in the heart of the global pandemic.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and consequent social distancing practices have disrupted essential clinical research functions worldwide. Ironically, this coincides with an immediate need for research to comprehend the biology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the pathology of COVID-19. As the global crisis has already led to over 15,000 deaths out of 175,000 confirmed cases in New York City and Nassau County, NY alone, it is increasingly urgent to collect patient biospecimens linked to active clinical follow up. However, building a COVID-19 biorepository amidst the active pandemic is a complex and delicate task. To help facilitate rapid, robust, and regulated research on this novel virus, we report on the successful model implemented by New York University Langone Health (NYULH) within days of outbreak in the most challenging hot spot of infection globally. Using an amended institutional biobanking protocol, these efforts led to accrual of 11,120 patients presenting for SARS-CoV-2 testing, 4267 (38.4%) of whom tested positive for COVID-19. The recently reported genomic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 in the New York City Region, which is a crucial development in tracing sources of infection and asymptomatic spread of the novel virus, is the first outcome of this effort. While this growing resource actively supports studies of the New York outbreak in real time, a worldwide effort is necessary to build a collective arsenal of research tools to deal with the global crisis now, and to exploit the virus’s biology for translational innovation that outlasts humanity’s current dilemma.
Angiotensin II receptor 1 antibodies associate with post-transplant focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and proteinuria

Angiotensin II type 1 receptors (AT1Rs) are expressed on podocytes, endothelial and other cells, and play an essential role in the maintenance of podocyte function and vascular homeostasis. The presence of AT1R antibodies (AT1R-Abs) leads to activation of these receptors resulting in podocyte injury and endothelial cell dysfunction. We assessed the correlation between AT1R-Abs and the risk of post-transplant FSGS. This is a retrospective study, which included all kidney transplant recipients with positive AT1R-Abs (≥ 9 units/ml), who were transplanted and followed at our center between 2006 and 2016. We assessed the development of biopsy proven FSGS and proteinuria by urine protein to creatinine ratio of ≥1 g/g and reviewed short and long term outcomes. We identified 100 patients with positive AT1R-Abs at the time of kidney transplant biopsy or proteinuria. 49% recipients (FSGS group) had biopsy-proven FSGS and/or proteinuria and 51% did not (non-FSGS group). Pre-transplant hypertension was present in 89% of the FSGS group compared to 72% in the non-FSGS group, p = 0.027. Of the FSGS group, 43% were on angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers prior to transplantation, compared to 25.5% in the non-FSGS group, p = 0.06. Primary idiopathic FSGS was the cause of ESRD in 20% of the FSGS group, compared to 6% in the non-FSGS group, p = 0.03. The allograft loss was significantly higher in the FSGS group 63% compared to 39% in non-FSGS. Odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were 2.66 (1.18–5.99), p = 0.017. Our data suggest a potential association between AT1R-Abs and post-transplant FSGS leading to worse allograft outcome. Therefore, AT1R-Abs may be considered biomarkers for post-transplant FSGS.
Fanny Price’s Curation of Lively Things in Mansfield Park

This essay looks to the new materialisms to reconceive the material objects with which Fanny Price comes into contact, particularly those in the East Room at Mansfield Park. Though Fanny’s status l...
Laser engraving method to fabricate iodide and bromide based perovskite photosensors

The bandgap tunability in methylammonium (MA) lead halide perovskites has motivated us to design a photoresistor array made of MAPbI3, MAPbBr1.5I1.5, and MAPbBr3. To pattern devices on the same substrate, a novel method of laser engraving the substrate was employed. In this method, first, an indium tin oxide (ITO) coated plastic substrate was laser engraved to make microchannels with a width of 50-100 µm. Capillary motion force was used to fill each channel with a different solution containing the perovskite precursors. The current-voltage characteristics of each sensor were studied under dark and light conditions. Light-emitting diodes with different wavelengths were used to study the response of each sensor to monochromic lights. The results are promising toward the fabrication of larger arrays of photosensors which potentially can be used for compact and integrated photospectrometers in lab-on-a-chip devices.
Machine Learning to Quantify In Situ Humoral Selection in Human Lupus Tubulointerstitial Inflammation.

In human lupus nephritis, tubulointerstitial inflammation (TII) is associated with in situ expansion of B cells expressing anti-vimentin antibodies (AVAs). The mechanism by which AVAs are selected is unclear. Herein, we demonstrate that AVA somatic hypermutation (SHM) and selection increase affinity for vimentin. Indeed, germline reversion of several antibodies demonstrated that higher affinity AVAs can be selected from both low affinity B cell germline clones and even those that are strongly reactive with other autoantigens. While we demonstrated affinity maturation, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) suggested that affinity maturation might be a consequence of increasing polyreactivity or even non-specific binding. Therefore, it was unclear if there was also selection for increased specificity. Subsequent multi-color confocal microscopy studies indicated that while TII AVAs often appeared polyreactive by ELISA, they bound selectively to vimentin fibrils in whole cells or inflamed renal tissue. Using a novel machine learning pipeline (CytoSkaler) to quantify the cellular distribution of antibody staining, we demonstrated that TII AVAs were selected for both enhanced binding and specificity in situ. Furthermore, reversion of single predicted amino acids in antibody variable regions indicated that we could use CytoSkaler to capture both negative and positive selection events. More broadly, our data suggest a new approach to assess and define antibody polyreactivity based on quantifying the distribution of binding to native and contextually relevant antigens.
Farming in the time of pandemic: Small farms demonstrate flexibility, innovation, and hope

The COVID-19 pandemic affected small farmers in the 2020 growing season as they navigated how to maintain their businesses while meeting health and safety concerns. Through interviews with Ellis Creek Farm and Riverbend Ranch, two small farms in Thurston County, Washington, I explore the impacts of the pandemic, the need for flexibility, and the unique challenges and adaptations these farms employed early in the pandemic to stay afloat. These stories are valuable community assets because hearing directly from farmers about their experiences, challenges, and plans is a way to gain insight and learn. In the face of crises such as a pandemic or climate change, a changed food system that includes small farms is necessary for community resiliency.
Current State of the Medical Student Performance Evaluation: A Tool for Reflection for Residency Programs

Background The Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) provides important information to residency programs. Despite recent recommendations for standardization, it is not clear how much variation exists in MSPE content among schools. Objectives We describe the current section content of the MSPE in US allopathic medical schools, with a particular focus on variations in the presentation of student performance. Methods A representative MSPE was obtained from 95.3% (143 of 150) of allopathic US medical schools through residency applications to the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in select programs for the 2019-2020 academic year. A manual data abstraction tool was piloted in 2018-2019. After training, it was used to code all portions of the MSPE in this study. The results were analyzed, and descriptive statistics were reported. Results In preclinical years, 30.8% of MSPEs reported data regarding performance of students beyond achieving "passes" in a pass/fail curriculum. Only half referenced performance in the fourth year including electives, acting internships, or both. About two-thirds of schools included an overall descriptor of comparative performance in the final paragraph. Among these schools, a majority provided adjectives such as "outstanding/excellent/very good/good," while one-quarter reported numerical data categories. Regarding clerkship grades, there were numerous nomenclature systems used. Conclusions This analysis demonstrates the existence of extreme variability in the content of MSPEs submitted by US allopathic medical schools in the 2019-2020 cycle, including the components and nomenclature of grades and descriptors of comparative performance, display of data, and inclusion of data across all years of the medical education program.
Brief Episodes of Nocturnal Hypoxia and Acidification Reduce Survival of Economically Important Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) Larvae

Many shallow coastal systems experience diel fluctuations in dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH that can intensify throughout the summer season and expose estuarine organisms to repeated episodes of coastal hypoxia and acidification. In temperate regions, larval release of the economically important blue crab Callinectes sapidus occurs in the summer, and while the earliest stage (zoea I) larvae are susceptible to persistent low DO and low pH conditions, their sensitivity to diel fluctuations is unknown. Here, a series of short-term (≤96 h) experiments were conducted to investigate the survival of C. sapidus zoea I larvae exposed to a range of diel cycling hypoxic and acidified conditions and durations. Two experiments comparing a diel cycling DO/pH treatment (fluctuating from ~30% air saturation to ~103% averaging ~66% / and from pH ~7.26 to ~7.80 averaging ~7.53) to a static low DO/pH treatment (~43% / ~7.35), a static moderate DO/pH treatment (~68% / ~7.59), and a static control treatment (~106% / ~7.94) indicated that survival in the diel cycling treatment was significantly lower than the moderate treatment (p<0.05) by 75% and 48% over 96 h and 48 h respectively, despite comparable mean experimental DO/pH values. Three other experiments aimed at identifying the effective minimum duration of low DO/low pH to significantly depress larval survival under diel cycling conditions revealed that 8 h of low DO/low pH (~28% / ~7.43) over a 24-h diel cycle consistently decreased survival (p<0.05) relative to control conditions by at least 55% regardless of experimental duration (72-h, 48-h, and 24-h experiments). An increase in DO beyond saturation to supersaturation (160%) and pH beyond normocapnic to highly basified (8.34) conditions during the day phase of the diel cycle did not improve survival of larvae exposed to nocturnal hypoxia and acidification. Collectively, these experiments demonstrate that diel cycling does not provide newly hatched C. sapidus larvae a temporal refuge capable of ameliorating low DO/pH stress, but rather is more lethal than chronic exposure to comparable average DO/pH conditions. Given that larvae exposed to a single nocturnal episode of moderate hypoxia and acidification experience significantly reduced survival, such occurrences may depress larval recruitment.