cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insurance for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease patients prior to end-stage renal disease

There recently has been substantial dialogue about access to health insurance for Americans. This discussion has highlighted the issues of pre-existing diseases and portability as barriers to adequate health insurance coverage. For these reasons we decided to investigate the issues relating to health insurance and life insurance coverage experienced by patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). A questionnaire-based study was conducted. Two hundred thirty-eight of 354 subjects responded. There was no significant difference in gender, age, number of children, or level of renal function between responders and nonresponders. Twenty-eight of the 238 respondents had eight-stage renal disease and were eligible for Medicare; these patients were not used in the analyses relating to health insurance, but were used in the analyses relating to life insurance. Although 87% of the ADPKD patients were concerned about the availability of health insurance, 88% were currently insured. Eight-three percent of subjects with health insurance obtained it through their own or their spouse's employer. Of those individuals with employer-based health insurance who were aware of their ADPKD, only 25% informed their employer and 35% informed their insurer at the start of coverage. Fifty-seven percent of those with employer-based health insurance had this availability determine their job choice and 37% stayed in the job because of health insurance. Thirty percent of the subjects had previously been denied health insurance. Although subjects were less concerned about life insurance, many of the same types of issues and factors were present. Thus, the current lack of universal health care in this country creates anxiety and difficulties for patients with ADPKD. The effect of a pre-existing condition and the lack of portability resulted in denials, work choice limitation, and unwillingness to share health information for this patient population with a hereditary, systemic disease.
GaAs integrated circuits: MSI status and VLSI prospects

The very high electron mobility of GaAs, aided by the use of semi-insulating GaAs substrate material, makes possible the achievement of very high switching speed (τ d D τ d < 100fJ). Planar GaAs circuits of this performance have already been demonstrated. Such circuits, with < 1000µm2gate areas, open the way to an extremely high performance, very dense, low power VLSI technology. It is the purpose of this paper to summarize the reasons why GaAs is so attractive for high performance ICs, to review the present status of GaAs IC development efforts and their results for MSI and upper MSI (near LSI) circuits, and to explore the prospects for the extension of this technology into the VLSI regime.
The Prophetic Spirit as an Angel According to Philo

early a century ago, Paul Volz, who is known primarily for his research on early Jewish eschatology, wrote a provocative analysis of the divine spirit in Jewish antiquity; one quarter of this study is devoted to "the spirit hypostasis" (Geisthypostase), that is, spirit (7tv?6ga) interpreted as an independent being rather than a natural element, such as wind, or the spiritual element of humankind, such as the soul.1 In the context of this intriguing discussion, Volz observed that "Philo unequivocally describes the spirit as an hypostasis,"2 for it mediates God's own power (Mittelwesen), accomplishes concrete actions, such as visiting3 and leading to truth,4 and possesses particular characteristics, such as invisibility5 and complete wisdom.6 According to Volz, however, Philo understood this spirit hypostasis less as a personal being than a cosmic principle:
Soil microbial activity in a Liquidambar plantation unresponsive to CO2-driven increases in primary production

The indirect responses of soil microbiota to changes in plant physiology effected by elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide have the potential to alter nutrient availability and soil carbon storage. We measured fine root density, microbial biomass nitrogen, rates of nitrogen mineralization and nitrification, substrate utilization by soil bacteria and extracellular enzyme activities (EEA) associated with bulk soil and fine root rhizoplanes within a 3-year period at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Free Air Carbon Enrichment (FACE) experiment, situated in a Liquidambar styraciflua plantation. Rhizoplane EEA was similar to that of bulk soil. Prior studies have reported a 21% increase in net primary production (NPP) in the enrichment plots and evidence that additional carbon is reaching the soil system, however we observed no response in any of the variables we measured. These results, which contrast with those from other temperate forest FACE sites, suggest that soil characteristics can influence the magnitude and timing of belowground responses.
Multi-core and many-core shared-memory parallel raycasting volume rendering optimization and tuning

Given the computing industry trend of increasing processing capacity by adding more cores to a chip, the focus of this work is tuning the performance of a staple visualization algorithm, raycasting volume rendering, for shared-memory parallelism on multi-core CPUs and many-core GPUs. Our approach is to vary tunable algorithmic settings, along with known algorithmic optimizations and two different memory layouts, and measure performance in terms of absolute runtime and L2 memory cache misses. Our results indicate there is a wide variation in runtime performance on all platforms, as much as 254% for the tunable parameters we test on multi-core CPUs and 265% on many-core GPUs, and the optimal configurations vary across platforms, often in a non-obvious way. For example, our results indicate the optimal configurations on the GPU occur at a crossover point between those that maintain good cache utilization and those that saturate computational throughput. This result is likely to be extremely difficult to predict with an empirical performance model for this particular algorithm because it has an unstructured memory access pattern that varies locally for individual rays and globally for the selected viewpoint. Our results also show that optimal parameters on modern architectures are markedly different from those in previous studies run on older architectures. In addition, given the dramatic performance variation across platforms for both optimal algorithm settings and performance results, there is a clear benefit for production visualization and analysis codes to adopt a strategy for performance optimization through auto-tuning. These benefits will likely become more pronounced in the future as the number of cores per chip and the cost of moving data through the memory hierarchy both increase.
Reflections on Communication and Sport: On Fanship and Social Relationships

In this essay, Walter Gantz reflects on the importance of communication and sport and the evolution of his research on fanship and social relationships. Cutting across two overlapping dimensions—ph...
Vitamin E, Selenium, Trolox C, Ascorbic Acid Palmitate, Acetylcysteine, Coenzyme Q, β-Carotene, Canthaxanthin, and (+)-Catechin Protect Against Oxidative Damage to Kidney, Heart, Lung and Spleen

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets that varied qualitatively and quantitatively in antioxidants. Kidney, heart, lung, and spleen homogenates were incubated at 37°C with and without hydroperoxide or Fe+2. Protection of antioxidants against oxidative damage to tissue was determined by measurement of oxidized heme proteins. Tissues from rats supplemented with dietary vitamin E and selenium showed protection compared to tissues from rats on the basal diet. Tissues from rats with diets containing larger quantities of antioxidants and both fat soluble antioxidants: vitamin E, β-carotene, coenzyme Q10, ascorbic acid 6-palmitate and water soluble antioxidants: selenium, trolox C, acetylcysteine, coenzyme Q0, (+)-catechin, showed the highest protection.
Validation of applying the maximum likelihood duty cycle forecast for residential load aggregation

The prediction of single house space heating load by the maximum likelihood duty cycle concept is extended to the next level of a group of houses supplied by a distribution feeder. Data collected in the Athens Load Control Experiment are used for validating the prediction. The random parameter is identified for each house in a group using the average day data in December 1986. The parameter is then applied for predicting the space heating load on a day in January 1987. The aim is to determine the effectiveness of the new stochastic appliance model for aggregating the space heating load of a group of houses.
Observation for assessment of clinician performance: a narrative review

Background Video recorded and in-person observations are methods of quality assessment and monitoring that have been employed in high risk industries. In the medical field, observations have been used to evaluate the quality and safety of various clinical processes. This review summarises studies utilising video recorded or in-person observations for assessing clinician performance in medicine and surgery. Methods A search of MEDLINE (PubMed) was conducted using a combination of medical subject headings (MeSH) terms. Articles were included if they described the use of in-person or video recorded observations to assess clinician practices in three categories: (1) teamwork and communication between clinicians; (2) errors and weaknesses in practice; and (3) compliance and adherence to interventions or guidelines. Results The initial search criteria returned 3215 studies, 223 of which were identified for full text review. A total of 69 studies were included in the final set of literature. Observations were most commonly used in data dense and high risk environments, such as the emergency department or operating room. The most common use was for assessing teamwork and communication factors. Conclusions Observations are useful for the improvement of healthcare delivery through the identification of clinician lapses and weaknesses that affect quality and safety. Limitations of observations include the Hawthorne effect and the necessity of trained observers to capture and analyse the notes or videos. The comprehensive, subtle and sensitive information observations provided can supplement traditional quality assessment methods and inform targeted interventions to improve patient safety and the quality of care.
Cell of Origin and the Contribution of Microenvironment in NF1 Tumorigenesis and Therapeutic Implications

The hallmark feature of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is the development of multiple benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNST), also known as neurofibroma. One of the major clinical consequences of germline NF1 mutations in patients is the conversion of a relatively tumor-resistant organ, the peripheral nerve, to a highly tumor-susceptible organ. However, it is not clear about the molecular and cellular mechanism(s) by which NF1 heterozygous mutations in the germline alter nerve cell biology during development and disrupt nerve microenvironment, thereby promoting tumor development. At least some of the answers to these fundamental questions lie in the identification of the cell(s) of origin of these benign and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. This review summarizes the recent progress of the cell-of-origin research on NF1-associated tumors, which has provided important insights into the design of therapies for preventing and treating these incurable human tumors.
Measurement and Correlation of Citronellal and Methyl Anthranilate Solubilities in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Citronellal and methyl anthranilate (MA) are both nonpolar molecules with similar physical properties except for their molecular structures. The solubility of citronellal in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) was measured using a static equilibrium system in the pressure range of (9.1 to 14.2) MPa and at (313.15 and 333.15) K. For MA, (9.1 to 24.3) MPa was used at the same temperatures. Solubility data of citronellal and MA in SC-CO2 were well correlated using the Chrastil equation and Peng–Robinson equation of state. Under comparable operating conditions, the linear-chained citronellal solubility in SC-CO2 was three to four times higher than its aromatic derivative MA. The acentric factor of citronellal (ω = 1.004) is higher than that of MA (ω = 0.577), indicating that citronellal has larger molecular asymmetry. This difference allows less intermolecular binding energy but gives higher vapor pressure to citronellal, making it more readily soluble in SC-CO2. The results suggest that the acentric factor...
Etiology of facial clefts: prospective evaluation of 428 patients

This article presents the results of prospective evaluation of 428 patients with facial clefts or velopharyngeal insufficiency who were evaluated through the Cleft Palate Program at Children's Hospital, San Diego. Children were examined for patterns of major and minor malformations, and an attempt was made to identify the etiology of the overall pattern of altered structure. Results indicate that 14 percent of 259 patients with cleft lip +/- cleft palate, 55 percent of 139 patients with cleft palate, 75 percent of 24 patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency, and 83 percent of 6 patients with atypical clefts had a multiple malformation syndrome. The frequency with which syndromic clefting occurs is higher than previously recognized. Recognition of underlying etiology is important with respect to prognosis and recurrence risk counseling of families and patients. In addition, the underlying diagnosis may significantly impact outcome of medical and surgical treatment of the cleft disorder.
Unusual injury to the aortic arch. A case report.

A case report of a traumatic tear of the aortic arch with a successful surgical repair is presented. The surgical techniques used in the management of this unusual injury are described, and the principles of cerebral perfusion are discussed.
Benefits of HIV testing during military exercises.

During U.S. Marine Corps Reserve summer 2-week active duty for training periods, 6,482 people were tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Testing at an initial exercise, Solar Flare, trained a cadre of contact teams to, in turn, train other personnel in phlebotomy and the HIV protocol at three other exercises (141 Navy Reserve and Inspector-Instructor hospital corpsmen were trained). Corpsmen could be trained with an indoctrination of 120 minutes and a mean of 15 phlebotomies. After 50 phlebotomies, the administration, identification, and labeling process plus phlebotomy could be completed in 90 seconds. HIV testing during military exercises is both good for training and cost-effective.
A model to assess trade-offs between environmental impact and profitability of offshore salmon farms: A case study on Chile

ABSTRACTIn recent decades, aquaculture has emerged as a viable method to help supply the growing global demand for seafood; however, expansion of the industry comes with potential negative impacts. Regulatory decisions governing aspects like aquaculture farming practices and farm siting inherently lead to trade-offs between profitability and the health of the surrounding environment through impacts including pollution, disease, and disturbance from escaped fish. Efficiently and sustainably scaling up aquaculture will require the development of methods for explicitly examining the trade-offs among these impacts and socioeconomic objectives. We developed a model to assess these trade-offs and illustrate the approach with a case study of salmon aquaculture in southern Chile. In the case study we found evidence that all 21 farms with approved permits may be underperforming on both profitability and the protection of ecosystem health. Our model suggests that explicit evaluation of trade-offs can illuminate the...
APPLICATIONS OF EDGEWORTH EXPANSIONS TO BOOTSTRAP - A REVIEW

The bootstrap and other resampling plans have gained popularity among applied scientists in the past few years. In general, the standard bootstrap method is known to give as good an approximation as the normal theory for the sampling distribution of a statistic. The main emphasis of the review is on the results which show that the bootstrap approximation is better in some cases than the classical normal approximation. This was first observed in the case of sample mean in 1981 by Kesar Singh. The result has been extended by him and the present author to a wide class of statistics. These results mainly use the Edgeworth expansions. This article reviews recent results on the use of Edgeworth expansions in bootstrap and other related resampling procedures.
Discrete Fourier Transform Approach to a Constrained H 2 Mixed Sensitivity Minimization

Abstract This paper proposes a controller synthesis method for MIMO discrete-time systems by approximately solving an H2 mixed sensitivity minimization problem with a steady state constraint. Working in the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) domain, we convert the original constrained H2 design problem into a problem of solving a constrained vector minimization in the l2-space. The advantage of this approach is that the solution can be analytically expressed and efficiently calculated via multichannel algorithms due to the partially block circular structure of the matrices involved in the DFT domain. The controller is then constructed via its finite Markov parameters obtained from the inverse DFT of the l2 solution. The choice of the weighting factor is also briefly discussed.
Strand-specific analysis of DNA synthesis and proteins association with DNA replication forks in budding yeast

DNA replication initiates at DNA replication origins after unwinding of double-strand DNA(dsDNA) by replicative helicase to generate single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) templates for the continuous synthesis of leading-strand and the discontinuous synthesis of lagging-strand. Therefore, methods capable of detecting strand-specific information will likely yield insight into the association of proteins at leading and lagging strand of DNA replication forks and the regulation of leading and lagging strand synthesis during DNA replication. The enrichment and Sequencing of Protein-Associated Nascent DNA (eSPAN), which measure the relative amounts of proteins at nascent leading and lagging strands of DNA replication forks, is a step-wise procedure involving the chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) of a protein of interest followed by the enrichment of protein-associated nascent DNA through BrdU immunoprecipitation. The isolated ssDNA is then subjected to strand-specific sequencing. This method can detect whether a protein is enriched at leading or lagging strand of DNA replication forks. In addition to eSPAN, two other strand-specific methods, (ChIP-ssSeq), which detects potential protein-ssDNA binding and BrdU-IP-ssSeq, which can measure synthesis of both leading and lagging strand, were developed along the way. These methods can provide strand-specific and complementary information about the association of the target protein with DNA replication forks as well as synthesis of leading and lagging strands genome wide. Below, we describe the detailed eSPAN, ChIP-ssSeq, and BrdU-IP-ssSeq protocols.
Feature selection for lung cancer detection using SVM based recursive feature elimination method

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells, which do not carry out the functions of normal cells. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death due to cancer in the world. The survival rate of cancer is about 15%. In order to improve the survival rate, we need an early detection method. In this study, we propose a new method for early detection of lung cancer using Tetrakis Carboxy Phenyl Porphine (TCPP) and well-known machine learning techniques. Tetrakis Carboxy Phenyl Porphine (TCPP) is a porphyrin that is able to label cancer cells due to the increased numbers of low density lipoproteins coating the surface of cancer cells and the porous nature of the cancer cell membrane. In our previous work we studied the performance of well know machine learning techniques in the context of classification accuracy on Biomoda internal study. We used 79 features related to shape, intensity, and texture. We obtained an accuracy of 80% using the current feature set. In order to improve the accuracy of our method, we performed feature selection on these 79 features. We used Support Vector Machine (SVM) based Recursive feature Elimination (RFE) method in our experiments. We obtained an accuracy of 87.5% using reduced 19 feature set.
Acute and Chronic Heart Failure

In the post-revascularization era of cardiovascular medicine, heart failure (HF) prevalence has continuously increased and is projected to rise by nearly 50% from year 2013 to 2030. As such, the estimated cost of HF to society in the United States is predicted to more than double by 2030 (Heidenreich et al., Circ Heart Fail 6(3):606–19, 2013). Much of this cost results from an aging population who experience acute decompensation necessitating hospitalization and require frequent outpatient care to avoid re-hospitalization. Acute decompensation is characterized by elevated myocardial filling pressures and/or failure of the heart to maintain adequate perfusion. Mortality from HF remains high despite significant advances in pharmacologic and advanced therapies with reported 1-year and 5-year mortality rates of approximately 30% and 50%, respectively (Writing Group Members et al., Circulation 133(4):e38–360, 2016). Additionally, right heart failure (RHF) is an indicator of decompensation and predictor of poor prognosis in patients with HF and pulmonary hypertension (Voelkel et al., Circulation 114(17):1883–91, 2006).
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Surgical-site Infections: A Randomized Trial.

Objective:This study seeks to evaluate the efficacy of negative pressure wound therapy for surgical-site infection (SSI) after open pancreaticoduodenectomy.Background:Despite improvement in infection control, SSIs remain a common cause of morbidity after abdominal surgery. SSI has been associated wi
Tolerance to Selenoprotein Loss Differs between Human and Mouse

Mouse has emerged as the most common model organism in biomedicine. Here, we analyzed the tolerance to the loss-of-function (LoF) of selenoprotein genes, estimated from mouse knockouts and the frequency of LoF variants in humans. We found not only a general correspondence in tolerance (e.g., GPX1, GPX2) and intolerance (TXNRD1, SELENOT) to gene LoF between humans and mice but also important differences. Notably, humans are intolerant to the loss of iodothyronine deiodinases, whereas their deletion in mice leads to mild phenotypes, and this is consistent with phenotype differences in selenocysteine machinery loss between these species. In contrast, loss of TXNRD2 and GPX4 is lethal in mice but may be tolerated in humans. We further identified the first human SELENOP variants coding for proteins varying in selenocysteine content. Finally, our analyses suggested that premature termination codons in selenoprotein genes trigger nonsense-mediated decay, but do this inefficiently when UGA codon is gained. Overall, our study highlights differences in the physiological importance of selenoproteins between human and mouse.
How Much Should the Poor Save for Retirement? Data and Simulations on Retirement Income Adequacy Among Low-Earning Households

Both policymakers and members of the public are concerned regarding the adequacy of U.S. households’ retirement savings. In response, proposals have been made to expand Social Security benefits and to establish state government-run retirement plans for private sector employees. In both cases, the largest effects would be on low-earning households, who currently have low rates of retirement plan coverage and participation and who rely heavily upon Social Security benefits in retirement. However, there has been little systematic analysis of the retirement saving needs of low-earning households other to point out that they currently save little. But this leaves open the possibility that low savings are appropriate given Social Security’s progressive benefits. I explore these questions in two ways. First, I present a variety of data on the retirement saving and retirement incomes of low-earning households. While these households save little, their retirement incomes have risen steadily over the past decades and their poverty rates dropped significantly, seemingly as a result of rising real Social Security benefits. Low-income retiree express less satisfaction with the adequacy of their retirement incomes than other retirees, but their self-assessed retirement income adequacy has increased in recent years. Second, I present a simple model to calculate the household wealth and saving rates necessary for stylized earners to achieve income-specific retirement income replacement rate targets, net of scheduled Social Security benefits. For very low earners, roughly the poorest quintile of the earning distribution, little savings are necessary on top of Social Security. For earners above that level saving requirements increase, but are likely achievable so long as an earner has access to a retirement plan and participates in it.
Governance by Dividends

For dual-class companies, stock dividends have become a potent weapon for corporate boards to reallocate control without shareholder intervention. For example, the CBS board proposed to distribute voting stock to all shareholders to drastically dilute the controlling shareholder’s voting power. By contrast, the Google board issued new non-voting stock to all shareholders to perpetuate the controlling shareholders’ lock on control. In both cases, the pro rata distribution of the identical stock seemingly treats all shareholders equally, but it has a starkly unequal impact on each class’s voting power. Are such governance changes by stock dividends within board discretion? The level of board discretion in making stock dividends is primarily governed by each company’s corporate charter, and this Article presents the original, hand-collected data of charter provisions on stock dividends from 222 dual-class companies. The analysis of the charter provisions shows diverse approaches to stock dividends across companies. Largely due to such heterogeneity, interpretation and limitation of charter provisions are often uncertain. At the same time, courts have long treated dividends as boards’ business judgment and declined to second-guess their substantive merits as long as dividends are pro rata. Given the potential impact on corporate governance, however, the need for a distinctive treatment of stock dividends is long overdue. The Article also offers normative suggestions to fill the legal vacuum over stock dividends. First, as an ex ante mechanism, state corporate statutes can provide a set of default provisions on stock dividends to guide companies. Second, as an ex post remedy, the business judgment rule protection should be limited to the narrowly defined pro rata stock distribution (i.e., proportional distribution within the same class of stock). Non-pro rata stock dividends without the approval by adversely affected class should be subject to heightened judicial scrutiny. This is because such stock dividends are not driven primarily by business purpose, are not pro-rata, and sometimes raise concern over the directors’ promotion of self-interest.
FAK Family Kinases in Vascular Diseases

In various vascular diseases, extracellular matrix (ECM) and integrin expression are frequently altered, leading to focal adhesion kinase (FAK) or proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2) activation. In addition to the major roles of FAK and Pyk2 in regulating adhesion dynamics via integrins, recent studies have shown a new role for nuclear FAK in gene regulation in various vascular cells. In particular, FAK primarily localizes within the nuclei of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) of healthy arteries. However, vessel injury increased FAK localization back to adhesions and elevated FAK activity, leading to VSMC hyperplasia. The study suggested that abnormal FAK or Pyk2 activation in vascular cells may cause pathology in vascular diseases. Here we will review several studies of FAK and Pyk2 associated with integrin signaling in vascular diseases including restenosis, atherosclerosis, heart failure, pulmonary arterial hypertension, aneurysm, and thrombosis. Despite the importance of FAK family kinases in vascular diseases, comprehensive reviews are scarce. Therefore, we summarized animal models involving FAK family kinases in vascular diseases.
Looking Back, Looking Forward: Examining the Processing of Abortion Experiences Using Public Abortion Narratives:

Limited research has utilized public abortion narratives to understand how individuals process through their abortion experiences. To address this gap in the literature, this study used thematic an...
Short versus long cephalomedullary nailing of intertrochanteric fractures: a meta-analysis of 3208 patients.

The purpose of the study was to compare treatment outcomes after short or long cephalomedullary nailing for intertrochanteric femur fractures. A systematic review of perioperative outcomes after short or long cephalomedullary nailing for intertrochanteric femur fractures was performed. The following databases were used: using the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed (1980–2019), and MEDLINE (1980–2019). The queries were performed in June 2019. The following search term query was used: “Intramedullary Nail AND Intertrochanteric Fracture OR “Long OR Short Nail AND intertrochanteric Fracture.” Studies were excluded if they were “single-arm” studies (i.e., reporting on either long or short CMN but not both), or did not report at least one of the outcomes being meta-analyzed. Furthermore, cadaveric studies, animal studies, basic science articles, editorial articles, surveys and studies were excluded. Two investigators independently reviewed abstracts from all identified articles. Full-text articles were obtained for review if necessary, to allow further assessment of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Additionally, all references from the included studies were reviewed and reconciled to verify that no relevant articles were missing from the systematic review. Short nails were associated with statistically significantly less estimated blood loss and operative time compared to long nails. There were no significant differences in transfusion rates, implant failures or overall re-operation rates between implant lengths. Similarly, there was no significant difference in peri-implant fracture between implant lengths. Overall, the available clinical evidence supports the use of short cephalomedullary nails for the majority of intertrochanteric femur fractures. Meta-analysis; Level III, therapeutic.
App Use and Usability of a Barcode-Based Digital Platform to Augment COVID-19 Contact Tracing: Postpilot Survey and Paradata Analysis.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed life in the United States, as the country has recorded over 23 million cases and 383,000 deaths to date. In the leadup to widespread vaccine deployment, testing and surveillance are critical for detecting and stopping possible routes of transmission. Contact tracing has become an important surveillance measure to control COVID-19 in the United States, and mobile health interventions have found increased prominence in this space. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the use and usability of MyCOVIDKey, a mobile-based web app to assist COVID-19 contact tracing efforts, during the 6-week pilot period. Methods: A 6-week study was conducted on the Vanderbilt University campus in Nashville, Tennessee. The study participants, consisting primarily of graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty in the Chemistry Department at Vanderbilt University, were asked to use the MyCOVIDKey web app during the course of the study period. Paradata were collected as users engaged with the MyCOVIDKey web app. At the end of the study, all participants were asked to report on their user experience in a survey, and the results were analyzed in the context of the user paradata. Results: During the pilot period, 45 users enrolled in MyCOVIDKey. An analysis of their enrollment suggests that initial recruiting efforts were effective; however, participant recruitment and engagement efforts at the midpoint of the study were less effective. App use paralleled the number of users, indicating that incentives were useful for recruiting new users to sign up but did not result in users attempting to artificially inflate their use as a result of prize offers. Times to completion of key tasks were low, indicating that the main features of the app could be used quickly. Of the 45 users, 30 provided feedback through a postpilot survey, with 26 (58%) completing it in its entirety. The MyCOVIDKey app as a whole was rated 70.0 on the System Usability Scale, indicating that it performed above the accepted threshold for usability. When the key-in and self-assessment features were examined on their own, it was found that they individually crossed the same thresholds for acceptable usability but that the key-in feature had a higher margin for improvement. Conclusions: The MyCOVIDKey app was found overall to be a useful tool for COVID-19 contact tracing in a university setting. Most users suggested simple-to-implement improvements, such as replacing the web app framework with a native app format or changing the placement of the scanner within the app workflow. After these updates, this tool could be readily deployed and easily adapted to other settings across the country. The need for digital contact tracing tools is becoming increasingly apparent, particularly as COVID-19 case numbers continue to increase while more businesses begin to reopen.
Learning Fear: German Romanticism, Translation, and Goethe’s Faust

Fear is both the most basic and the most complex of human emotions. Although fear, as a response to the threat of physical danger, is crucial for the survival of humans and other animals, scientist...
The effect of option trading

This paper studies the effect of option trading on corporate investment and financing policies. Based on prior literature, I hypothesize that option market induces informed trading and thus reduces information asymmetry and the cost of capital. As a result, firms with high option trading have more investment and financing. Specifically, based on the United States public data, this paper finds that option trading volume increases corporate investment and financing, but reduces cash holdings and corporate payouts. These results are robust to the inclusion of industry or firm fixed effect, a control for endogenous options trading, and the use of alternative measures of option trading and corporate policies. The effect of option trading is stronger for firms with higher information asymmetry problems. Finally, this paper finds the results are inconsistent with the “quiet Life” hypothesis and the catering hypothesis.
La temperatura y radiación solar explican diferencias en la distribución de dos árboles altoandinos (Polylepis spp.) localmente simpátricos en la Cordillera Blanca, Perú

Knowledge of the ecological requirements, the current extensions, and cover of a species is important for its management conservation, but this information is lacking for many species of Polylepis ...
An integrated approach for probing the structure and mechanical properties of diatoms: Toward engineered nanotemplates.

Abstract The wide variety of diatom frustule shapes and intricate architectures provide viable prototypes to guide the design and fabrication of nanodevices and nanostructured materials for applications ranging from sensors to nanotemplates. In this study, a combined experimental–simulation method was developed to probe the porous structure and mechanical behavior of two distinct marine diatom species, Coscinodiscus sp. (centric) and Synedra sp. (pennate), through ambient nanoindentation and finite element method analysis. These diatom frustule dimensions differed largely depending on diatom species with pore diameters d ranging from 0.3 to 3.0 μm. Young’s modulus E and hardness H measurements of the diatom frustules were obtained via nanoindentation experiments. These values varied depending on diatom species (E between 1.1–10.6 GPa, H between 0.10–1.03 GPa for the Coscinodiscus sp.; and E between 13.7–18.6 GPa, H between 0.85–1.41 GPa for the Synedra sp.). Additionally, the mechanical response of diatom structures to uniform compression was examined. Predictive simulations were performed on the aforementioned diatom frustules, as well as another diatom structure (pennate Fragilariopsis kerguelensis), to correlate the mechanical response with specific morphology variables (e.g., pore or slit sizes). Results from calculated von Mises stress and displacement distributions unveil unique information on the effect that uniform loads have on these frustules, which can aid the design of tailored nanotemplates. A correlation between mechanical properties and porosity was established for selected frustules, and reported for the first time in this study.
Handover support for TCP connections through path prediction

The operation of TCP in wireless-mobile environments is discussed. After briefly presenting previous efforts to ameliorate TCP performance in the considered environments, we propose a new mechanism for tackling the slowdown problems caused by handovers. Our mechanism is based on stochastic datagram relocation. Traffic destined to the mobile terminal is tunneled to and cached into adjacent cells according to the output of a path prediction algorithm. To reduce the associated overhead, only percentages of inbound traffic are copied to the cell's neighborhood on the basis of estimated probabilities. The time scheduling for datagram relocation is also taken into account. Simulations of the proposed architecture show substantial performance improvements for TCP traffic.
Capturing users' everyday, implicit information integration decisions

Integration of large databases by expert teams is only a small part of the data integration activities that take place. Users without data integration expertise very often gather, organize, reconcile, and use diverse information as a normal part of their jobs. Often, they do this by copying data into a text file or spreadsheet. In doing so, they make significant data integration decisions. They often express a mental model, or schema, over their data. They organize data to describe real-world entities. They reconcile redundancy and disagreements in their data. Such integration is both ubiquitous and not generally supported by experts and tools available for large integration efforts. We seek to capture and make explicit the user's mental model, and the attribute and entity correspondences they express, during these activities. This paper contributes the definition of a set of functions that support this type of data integration, a conceptual model to support these functions, and an associated simple tool that supports data integration by end-users in an entity-centric way, with an extensible schema, that makes the user's job easier.
Measurement and analysis of puff dispersion above the atmospheric boundary layer using quantitative imagery

Abstract Collection and analysis of puff dispersion data in the atmosphere using a remote sensing technique are presented. Quantitative measurements of standard deviation of the concentration distribution in the along-wind and crosswind direction have been generated via observations of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) puffs released from an elevated blimp (850 m above mean sea level) and simultaneous imaging from multiple infrared cameras. The imagery data were collected as part of the Model Validation Program experiments at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, during 21–23 May 1997. Some detailed quantitative imagery of the evolution of the puffs is shown. The puff imagery data were used to derive time histories for the along-wind and crosswind material distribution standard deviations (σ). Although there is considerable variation, it is found that a linear growth rate of σ gives a reasonable fit to the data. The material σ values are then used to estimate the turbulence intensities. Apart from the enhanced c...
Synthetic folic acid supplementation during pregnancy may increase the risk of developing autism

Persons in developed countries are getting large amounts of folates in the form of folic acid. Folates are now ingested in three ways: as natural folates from food, as synthetic folic acid added to processed grains, and synthetic vitamin supplements. As a result of the supplementation, the circulating level of unmetabolized folic acid as well as total folates has greatly increased over the past generation, probably to levels largely unprecedented in human history. Folic acid has been shown to be able to epigenetically alter the functioning of the genome and to have long term effects on gene expression. The Centers for Disease Control Vaccine Safety Datalink data set compared children with autism to control children on several variables. Here, we report that folic acid supplementation during gestation is associated with an increased risk for autism. The effect remains even when health seeking behaviors and other variables are controlled.
Mutual coupling between microstrip antennas on an elliptic cylinder

The finite element-boundary integral (FE-BI) method has been used in the past to characterize conformal antennas recessed in plane and circular cylinder surfaces. This method has also been extended for use in elliptic cylinder and prolate spheroid surfaces. Typically, the input, or driving point, impedance and radiation pattern have been quantities of particular interest. However, the mutual coupling between conformal antennas is also of interest for the design community. In this paper, the mutual impedance formulation and example results for microstrip patch antennas recessed in an elliptic cylinder are presented. In particular, validations with planar results in the limit of an electrically large cylinder are provided.
Sex Differences in Measurement Error in Status Attainment Models

This article investigates sex differences in the accuracy of young adults' retrospective reports of parental status using Joreskog's general framework for the simultaneous covariance structure analysis of multiple populations. Results indicate that young women's reports of maternal education are significantly more reliable than are young men's reports and that the reliabilities of reports ofpaternal traits are similar for young men and women.
Toward an integration of ecological psychology and industrial psychology: Undermanning theory, organization size, and job enrichment

The research on the effects of organization size and subunit size on participants' attitudes and behavior is reviewed from industrial psychology and ecological psychology perspectives. It is suggested that conceptualizing organization or subunit size in terms of Barker's undermanning theory is a more heuristic approach than traditional methods employed by industrial researchers. Moreover, undermanning theory is shown to possess similar assumptions as job enrichment strategies in terms of its effects on organizational behavior. A theoretical model integrating these two theories is presented and discussed.
Fetal therapy for obstructive uropathy: past, present.future?

Antenatal treatment of obstructive uropathy, although widely performed, remains controversial. An overview of prenatal therapy for obstructive uropathy, the limitations of the early published experience, advances of recent years, and future directions for treatment are reviewed. The clinical approach and outcomes of the Fetal Treatment Program of Hutzel Hospital and Wayne State University are presented. Patient selection for antenatal treatment is based on the existence of a significant threat of neonatal death due to pulmonary hypoplasia, pending exclusion criteria such as anatomical structural anomalies and chromosomal defects. Ultrasonography, karyotyping, and sequential urinary electrolyte analysis are essential. Current treatment involves the placement under ultrasonic guidance of a Rodeck vesicoamniotic shunt. Recent technical advances include the use of amnioinfusion for fetal visualization, temporary fetal paralysis, routine antibiotics, and more-precise catheter placement. The establishment of standardized short- and long-term outcome measures and the documentation of fetal and maternal complications are in progress. Procedural refinement, development of fetoscopic techniques and equipment, identification of urinary markers to aid patient selection, and the collection of multicenter outcome data will assist the future management of prenatally detected obstructive uropathy.
HEAVY-DUTY TRUCK IDLING CHARACTERISTICS: RESULTS FROM A NATIONWIDE TRUCK SURVEY

Heavy-duty truck engine idling results in significant costs, fuel consumption, emissions, noise, and engine maintenance. Two promising alternatives to idling, grid connection ("shore power") and onboard auxiliary power units (APUs), are being pursued by industry and government. Their attractiveness is uncertain, however, because of limited information about truck operations and driver behavior. A nationwide survey of long-haul truck drivers was conducted to characterize truck operations and driver behavior better. Key variables included usage rates for accessories, duration of idling, and engine speed at idle. It was found that long-haul truck engines idled for an average of 34% of total engine run time, roughly 1,700 h per truck annually. But these averages are deceptive. Approximately 10% of drivers reported idling 10% or less of engine run time, while another 10% reported idling more than 54% of engine run time, with differences related to season, truck ownership, company idling strategies, and driver ...
10 Years of Hurricane Synoptic Surveillance (1997-2006)

Abstract In 1997, the National Hurricane Center and the Hurricane Research Division began operational synoptic surveillance missions with the Gulfstream IV-SP jet aircraft to improve the numerical guidance for hurricanes that threaten the continental United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Hawaii. During the first 10 yr, 176 such missions were conducted. Global Positioning System dropwindsondes were released from the aircraft at 150–200-km intervals along the flight track in the environment of each tropical cyclone to obtain wind, temperature, and humidity profiles from flight level (about 150 hPa) to the surface. The observations were processed and formatted aboard the aircraft and sent to the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and the Global Telecommunications System to be ingested into the Global Forecast System, which serves as initial and boundary conditions for regional numerical models that also forecast tropical cyclone track and intensity. The results of an observing s...