cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lumbar Spinal Fixation with Cortical Bone Trajectory Pedicle Screws in 79 Patients with Degenerative Disease: Perioperative Outcomes and Complications.

Objective Biomechanical studies demonstrate that cortical bone trajectory pedicle screws (CBTPS) have greater pullout strength than traditional pedicle screws with a lateral-medial trajectory. CBTPS start on the pars and angulate in a mediolateral-caudocranial direction. To our knowledge, no large series exists evaluating the perioperative outcomes and safety of CBTPS. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients who received lumbar CBTPS at our institution. Data were collected regarding patient demographics, use of image guidance, operative blood loss, hospital stay, and postoperative complications. Results A total of 79 patients undergoing CBTPS fusion for degenerative lumbosacral disease with back pain were included in the analysis (42 female, 37 male; October 2011–January 2015). Twenty patients (25.3%) had previous lumbar spine surgery, 39 (49.4%) had a smoking history, and mean body mass index was 28.7. Mean length of stay was 3.5 days, and mean operative blood loss was 306.3 mL. Image guidance was used in 69 (87.3%) cases. A total of 66 (83.5%) fusions were single level, and 54 (68.4%) fusions were single level without previous surgery. There were 9 complications in 7 (8.9%) patients; these included hardware failure, pseudarthrosis, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, epidural hematoma, and wound infection. No complications were caused by misplaced screws. Mean follow-up was 13.2 months. Conclusions As CBTPS becomes increasingly popular among spine surgeons performing lumbar fusion, this report provides an important evaluation of technique safety and acceptable perioperative outcomes.
Ethylene production from methionine.

1. A new reaction is described in which ethylene is formed from the Cu(+)-catalysed breakdown of methionine in phosphate buffer at 30 degrees in air. Some of the other products of the reaction are methionine sulphone, methionine sulphoxide, homocysteic acid, homocystine, acrolein, dimethyl disulphide, methanethiol, ethyl methyl sulphide, methane and ethane. These are considered to be produced in different reaction pathways. 2. Hydrogen peroxide is an intermediate in this reaction and can support ethylene production in the model system in anaerobic atmospheres. Cuprous copper is the active form that catalyses the formation of ethylene from an oxidized intermediate. The initial reaction is probably a Strecker degradation, but the aldehyde product is further degraded to ethylene and other products. 3. Methional (CH(3).S.CH(2).CH(2).CHO) is the most effective producer of ethylene in the model system and appears to be an intermediate in the reaction. 4. The evidence, from both tracer studies and from other precursors of ethylene in the reaction, indicates that ethylene is derived from the -CH(2).CH(2)- group of methionine.
Solving the problems we face: the United States Environmental Protection Agency, sustainability, and the challenges of the twenty-first century

This Community Essay describes the evolution of programs and activities at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) since 1970 toward the goal of a more resilient and sustainable society. While adhering to its historical roots in controlling pollution, it delineates how USEPA has also adopted a broader perspective on sustainability and resilience
Cultivating Cultural Competence: Context, Culture, and Technology of a Global Reading Challenge

Underlying Jella Lepman's founding of the International Youth Library In Munich, Germany in 1949, is the firm belief that reading high quality, culturally specific literature can lead young readers to gain cultural competence. However, there is little systematic research upon which this assertion can be based. This research study, in the preliminary and early results stage, is designed to help fill this evidence gap. The content, culture, and technology in this study that have the potential to break down global walls are explained. Focus was on a convenience sample of 9 and 10 year old readers at 12 urban schools who participate in a Global Reading Challenge at their school, regional, and district level based on twelve culturally specific books. The researchers employed a pre-post test mixed methods design with qualitative methods (interview) based on quantitative methods (survey) and used three models of cultural competence to analyze the data.
Abstract P5-09-03: Education and integration of medical breast nurse practitioners in a multidisciplinary breast cancer program

Background: Work-up of patients with breast symptoms and radiographic abnormalities, risk management, and survivorship care are vital elements in a multidisciplinary breast cancer program. Breast surgeons have traditionally provided for these needs, but with intense clinical demands and with efforts to reduce treatment time, access for patients with these problems can be a challenge. The medical breast specialist (MBS) is defined as a primary care physician who has been provided with additional training in benign and malignant breast disease [Smedira, AIM 2008]. With increasing need for providers, a fellowship for training MBS was designed for board eligible or board certified internists, family practitioners, obstetricians/gynecologists, and has recently been expanded for board certified primary care nurse practitioners, one of the first of its kind in the country. In our practice, medical breast visits (MBV) are defined as clinical visits for evaluation or follow-up of patients with breast symptoms, high risk management, and/or survivorship. Methods: The MBS Program at our institution was established in 1997, with expansion involving a formalized training for Nurse Practitioners in 2013. The medical breast fellowship uses a defined curriculum and offers nurse practitioners a six month multidisciplinary program with multiple rotations including medical breast clinic, surgical breast clinic, breast imaging, medical oncology, radiation oncology, genetics, pathology, plastic surgery, physical therapy, and psych-oncology. We analyzed the impact of trained NPs on overall medical breast and breast center volumes and clinical workflow. Our prospectively maintained Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system, which allows the acquisition of volume and practice pattern data, was utilized for this analysis. Results: The number of MBV has significantly increased between 2008 and 2014 (p Conclusions: Medical breast visits account for a large percentage of patients seen within a multidisciplinary breast cancer program. The development of a curriculum for training NP medical breast specialists enables the rapid incorporation of a NP into a multidisciplinary cancer program. The training of a NP within the fellowship can increase patient access, timeliness of care, and can facilitate streamlining of a breast cancer practice to optimize patient care. Citation Format: Iyer PH, Kline M, Oliphant D, Crowe J, Grobmyer S, Pederson H. Education and integration of medical breast nurse practitioners in a multidisciplinary breast cancer program. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-09-03.
Perfectionism and Contingent Self-Worth in Relation to Disordered Eating and Anxiety ☆

Perfectionism has been proposed as a transdiagnostic risk factor linked to eating disorders and anxiety. In the current study, we examine domains of contingent self-worth as potential moderators of the relationships between maladaptive perfectionism and disordered eating and anxiety using two waves of data collection. Undergraduate females (N = 237) completed online surveys of the study's core constructs at two points separated by about 14 months. At a bivariate level, maladaptive perfectionism was positively associated with disordered eating and anxiety. Maladaptive perfectionism and both appearance and relationship contingent self-worth interacted to predict increases in disordered eating. Neither of the interactive models predicted change in anxiety. Findings highlight maladaptive perfectionism as a transdiagnostic construct related to both disordered eating and anxiety. Interactive findings suggest that targeting maladaptive perfectionism and contingent self-worth (appearance, relationship) in prevention and treatment efforts could mitigate risk for the development or increase of disordered eating.
False-positive reduction in computer-aided detection of polyps in CT colonography: a massive-training support vector regression approach

A massive-training artificial neural network (MTANN) has been investigated for reduction of false positives (FPs) in computer-aided detection (CADe) of polyps in CT colonography (CTC). A major limitation of the MTANN is a long training time. To address this issue, we investigated the feasibility of a support vector regression (SVR) in the massive-training framework and developed a massive-training SVR (MTSVR). To test the proposed MTSVR, we compared it with the original MTANN in FP reduction in CADe of polyps in CTC. With MTSVR, we reduced the training time by a factor of 190, while achieving a performance (by-polyp sensitivity of 94.7% with 2.5 FPs/patient) comparable to that of the original MTANN (which has the same sensitivity with 2.6 FPs/patient).
Background data for modulus mapping high-performance polyethylene fiber morphologies

The data included here provides a basis for understanding “Interior morphology of high-performance polyethylene fibers revealed by modulus mapping” (K.E. Strawhecker, E.J. Sandoz-Rosado, T.A. Stockdale, E.D. Laird, 2016) [1], in specific: the multi-frequency (AMFM) atomic force microscopy technique and its application to ultra-high-molecular-weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers. Furthermore, the data suggests why the Hertzian contact mechanics model can be used within the framework of AMFM theory, simple harmonic oscillator theory, and contact mechanics. The framework is first laid out followed by data showing cantilever dynamics, force-distance spectra in AC mode, and force-distance in contact mode using Polystyrene reference and UHMWPE. Finally topography and frequency shift (stiffness) maps are presented to show the cases where elastic versus plastic deformation may have occurred.
Liquidity Windfalls and Reallocation: Evidence from Farming and Fracking

Financing frictions may create a misallocation of assets in a market, thus depressing output, productivity, and asset values. This paper empirically explores how liquidity shocks generate a reallocation effect that diminishes this misallocation. Using a unique dataset of agricultural outcomes, I explore how farmers respond to a relaxation of financial constraints through a liquidity shock that is unrelated to farming fundamentals, namely exogenous cash inflows that are caused by an expansion of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) leases. Farmers who receive positive cash flow shocks increase their purchases of land, which results in a reallocation effect. Examining cross-county purchases, I find that farmers in high-productivity counties who receive cash flow shocks buy farmland in low-productivity counties. In contrast, when farmers in low-productivity counties receive positive cash flow shocks, they do not engage in similar behavior. Moreover, farmers increase their purchases of vacant (undeveloped) land. Average output, productivity, and profits all increase following these positive cash flow shocks, and farmland prices rise significantly. These effects are consistent with an efficient reallocation of land towards more productive users.
Lambda-Lambda Potential from Analysis of Be La-10mdaLambda

The strength of the $\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ interaction in the $^{1}S_{0}$ state is determined by analyzing the double hypernucleus $_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{Be}^{10}$ treated as a four-body system of $2\ensuremath{\alpha}+2\ensuremath{\Lambda}$. The $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\alpha}$ potential chosen fits the $^{1}S_{0}$ phase shifts up to a c.m. energy of about 12 MeV. The $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ potential is determined from the binding energy of $_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{He}^{5}$, taking into proper account the size of the alpha particle and the range of the $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-nucleon interaction. With these potentials, the binding energy of $_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{Be}^{9}$ is also given correctly. For the $\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ part, a potential is used which has a hard core of radius 0.4 F and an attractive well of exponential shape. The intrinsic range is chosen as 1.5 F, corresponding to the mechanism of 2-pion exchange. Using a 12-parameter variational function, the $\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\Lambda} ^{1}S_{0}$ potential which yields the observed separation energy of the two $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ particles in $_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{Be}^{10}$ is found to have a well-depth parameter of ${{0.732}_{\ensuremath{-}0.034}}^{+0.027}$, which is about 10% smaller than the value obtained by treating $_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{Be}^{10}$ as a three-body system of ${\mathrm{Be}}^{8}+2\ensuremath{\Lambda}$. The scattering length and effective range are equal to --- (${{1.04}_{\ensuremath{-}0.22}}^{+0.20}$) and ${{2.91}_{\ensuremath{-}0.27}}^{+0.46}$ F, respectively. Also, we found that the ${\mathrm{Be}}^{8}$ core in $_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{Be}^{10}$ is quite compressed, with the $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\alpha}$ separation about 12% smaller than the corresponding separation in $_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{Be}^{9}$.
How Can I Promote Healing Outside of My Clinical Setting for Patients in Need of a Transplantation

Nurses are individuals called to both care for patients and families and facilitate the healing process. Our profession fills a unique role in health care as oncology nurses combine medical science with the art of interpersonal relationships to provide both physical and emotional support for patients. Promoting healing and facilitating adjustment draws individuals to become exceptional nurses and is an innate quality of oncology nurses (American Nurses Association, 2016). It is a characteristic not easily separated from one's personality. Often, nurses become frustrated in their inability to do more for a patient or the family members. This feeling becomes particularly prevalent in life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, most notably cancer. .
Children With Fragile X Syndrome Display Threat-Specific Biases Toward Emotion.

Abstract Background Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability. FXS is caused by a silencing of the FMR1 gene that results in a loss or absence of the gene's protein product, fragile X mental retardation protein. The phenotype of FXS is consistently associated with heightened anxiety, although no previous study has investigated attentional bias toward threat, a hallmark of anxiety disorders, in individuals with FXS. Methods The current study employed a passive-viewing eye-tracking version of the dot probe task to investigate attentional biases toward emotional faces in young children with FXS ( n = 47) and without FXS ( n = 94). Results We found that the FXS group showed a significantly greater bias toward threatening emotions than toward positive emotions. This threat specificity was not seen in either a mental age–matched group or a chronological age–matched group of typically developing children. Unlike the typically developing groups, the FXS group showed no bias toward positive emotion. Conclusions The current study shows that children with FXS have a significant bias toward threatening information, an attentional profile that has been linked with anxiety. It also supports the use of eye-tracking methodology to index neural and attentional responses in young children with FXS.
Fast & Space-Efficient Approximations of Language Edit Distance and RNA Folding: An Amnesic Dynamic Programming Approach

Dynamic programming is a basic, and one of the most systematic techniques for developing polynomial time algorithms with overwhelming applications. However, it often suffers from having high running time and space complexity due to (a) maintaining a table of solutions for a large number of sub-instances, and (b) combining/comparing these solutions to successively solve larger sub-instances. In this paper, we consider a canonical cubic time and quadratic space dynamic programming, and show how improvements in both its time and space uses are possible. As a result, we obtain fast small-space approximation algorithms for the fundamental problems of context free grammar recognition} (the basic computer science problem of parsing), the language edit distance} (a significant generalization of string edit distance and parsing), and RNA folding} (a classical problem in bioinformatics). For these problems, ours are the first algorithms that break the cubic-time barrier of any combinatorial algorithm, and quadratic-space barrier of any algorithm significantly improving upon their long-standing space and time complexities. Our technique applies to many other problems as well including string edit distance computation, and finding longest increasing subsequence.Our improvements come from directly grinding the dynamic programming and looking through the lens of language edit distance which generalizes both context free grammar recognition, and RNA folding. From known conditional lower bound results, neither of these problems can have an exact combinatorial algorithm (one that does not use fast matrix multiplication) running in truly subcubic time. Moreover, for language edit distance such an algorithm cannot exist even when nontrivial multiplicative approximation is allowed. We overcome this hurdle by designing an additive-approximation algorithm that for any parameter k &#x2248; 0, uses O(nk\log{n}) space and O(n^2k\log{n}) time and provides an additive O(\frac{n}{k}\log{n})-approximation. In particular, in \tilde{O}(n)\footnotemark[1] space and \tilde{O}(n^2) time it can solve deterministically whether a string belongs to a context free grammar, or &#x2265;ilon-far from it for any constant &#x2265;ilon &#x2248; 0. We also improve the above results to obtain an algorithm that outputs an &#x2265;ilon&#x22C5; n-additive approximation to the above problems with space complexity O(n^{2/3} \log{n}). The space complexity remains sublinear in n, as long as &#x2265;ilon = o(n^{-\frac{1}{4}}). Moreover, we provide the first MapReduce and streaming algorithms for them with multiple passes and sublinear space complexity.
Caddo (LA) Parish Study on Race, Homicides, and Prosecutions, 1988-2014

This study examines the racial characteristics of homicides occurring in Louisiana's Caddo Parish ( the Shreveport area) during the 21 years from 1988 through 2008, and then compares them to the racial characteristics of all murder cases prosecuted during the same period. Are the prosecuted cases a statistically random, race-neutral subset of the homicides that occurred? We find that there is a less than one-in-ten-thousand chance that the prosecuted cases are a racially random sample drawn from the homicide group. For example, 84% (61 of 73) of black-on-white homicides produced death-eligible cases, versus 24% (193 of 795) of all other homicides. The report counts and calculations for this article can be found here: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2096243
Facilitating computational thinking through game design

While in the last decade the advancement of computer technology and the ever-expanding popularity of digital games have become increasingly evident, the potential of using educational games for learning in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects has not been brought to the forefront for exhaustive investigations. This study delineates the design and development, the instruction, and evaluation of a digital game-based curriculum focusing on teaching computational thinking in an after-school game design workshop in a middle school in Taiwan. Through examining students' participation in game design programs, the researchers investigate the emergence of computational thinking skills in a group of middle school students. Taking into account the middle school students' emergent skills to think logically and abstractly, we argue that digital game-based learning (DGBL) via game design is a viable pedagogical tool for teaching students to think computationally as they engage in problem-solving tasks. The researchers pose that following the workshop, students would be able to perform the fundamental skills of computational thinking--decomposition, pattern recognition, pattern generalization and abstractions, algorithm design, and data visualization. The students would also demonstrate the capability to incorporate computational thinking skills into scenarios outside of the purview of the game environment.
Power IC Package Design and Analysis

The development of the power IC package is a dynamic technology. Power IC Applications that were unattainable only a few years ago are today commonplace thanks in part to advances in electronic package design. From portable applications such as in mobile telecommunications and consumer electronics to aerospace and automotive applications, each imposes its own individual demands on the electronic package. To meet such a diverse range of application requirements, IC package range encompasses over 30 different types, most of which are subdivided into a number of outline versions. The power IC packages offers a high thermal dissipation, enabling power IC usage in some of the most demanding application areas which integrate analog, logic, and power MOSFETs (Challenges of power electronic packaging and modeling, 2011; Trends in analog and power packaging, 2009).
The relevant forecast of variance of income for marketing decisions under uncertainty

This dissertation simulated spring and fall soybean marketing decisions with historical prices in order to investigate the economic significance of incorrectly measuring the variance of the return from a marketing alternative. Some authors have suggested that the variance of the forecasted mean price describes the distribution of prices that is relevant for within-year marketing decisions. This dissertation maintained that the variance of the momentary prices is the relevant variance for these marketing decisions. The concept of a momentary variance is important in more than just the future month but is also important in the current or decision month. Comparisons were made between the decisions made using one of two irrelevant variances and the decisions made using the momentary variance. As one measure of closeness of two decision rules, these comparisons identified the probability that using the irrelevant variance would yield the same decision as using the momentary variance. As a second measure of closeness, these comparisons identified the probability that the income received from using an irrelevant variance would be, at worst, only some small amount less than the income received from using the momentary variance.
Studying Vulnerable Populations in the Context of Enhanced Vulnerability

The many needs that arise during and immediately following a disaster normally stretch local and national governments and humanitarian organisations to the limit. Both human and financial resources are often inadequate to meet the requirements of medical care, clean water, sufficient food and shelter for victims of the disaster. How, then, can one justify conducting research during or shortly after disaster strikes? People caught in the wake of a disaster are rendered vulnerable by a variety of factors, including injuries, fear, grief, inadequate food and water, loss of housing, and disease outbreaks that sometimes accompany disasters. In addition, an entire population or segments of the population may have been vulnerable to some extent before the disaster struck: they may have food insecurity, lack of potable water, inadequate health care, or be at risk from endemic diseases. Therefore, many people are rendered doubly or even triply vulnerable in the wake of a disaster. The ethical question that arises is whether the vulnerability of victims of a disaster militates against conducting research during or soon after the event.
Environmental Health and Geospatial Analysis: An Overview

This chapter provides a brief overview of the use of geographic information science (GISc) in environmental health research and reviews the main themes and concepts highlighted in each chapter. We summarize applications of GISc in environmental hazard surveillance, exposure assessment and health outcomes surveillance. Challenges of using geospatial tools and methods are discussed. The final sections briefly review the contributions of each chapter and the connections among chapters.
Acute Cholecystitis and Biliary Colic

Acute cholecystitis has a myriad of etiologies. Obstruction of the cystic duct leading to inflammation of the gallbladder wall is most common. Treatment ranges on severity with laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy with and without common bile duct exploration. Biliary colic is a common symptom of gallbladder disease referring to pain that comes and goes. It is treated with a cholecystectomy.
Effects of user cognitive biases on platform competition

ABSTRACTPlatform competition and behavioural economics are two fast-growing areas of research with multiple contributions across a variety of domains. However, the two research areas are disjoint. ...
The Test of Ubiquitous Through Real or Interactional Expertise (TURINEX) and Veganism as Expertise

This chapter introduces the use of TURINEX, a test designed to assess communicative competence acquired through experiences that are insufficient to impart interactional expertise, but advance students beyond the novice stage. TURINEX mimics imitation games and may result in a finding of interactional competence instead of interactional expertise. Interactional competence is sufficient communicative competence to interact with experts on their level but not sufficient to sound like an expert themselves.
Structural and Functional Responses of Soil Microbial Communities to Biodegradable Plastic Film Mulching in Two Agroecosystems

Abstract Polyethylene (PE) plastic mulch films are used globally in crop production but incur considerable disposal and environmental pollution issues. Biodegradable plastic mulch films (BDMs), an alternative to PE-based films, are designed to be tilled into the soil where they are expected to be mineralized to carbon dioxide, water and microbial biomass. However inadequate research regarding the impacts of repeated incorporation of BDMs on soil microbial communities has partly contributed to limited adoption of BDMs. In this study, we evaluated the effects of BDM incorporation on soil microbial community structure and function over two years in two geographical locations: Knoxville, TN, and in Mount Vernon, WA. Treatments included four plastic BDMs, a completely biodegradable cellulose mulch, a non-biodegradable PE mulch and a no mulch plot. Bacterial community structure determined using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed significant differences by location and season. Differences in bacterial communities by mulch treatment were not significant for any season in either location, except for Fall 2015 in WA where differences were observed between BDMs and no-mulch plots. Extracellular enzyme rate assays were used to characterize communities functionally, revealing significant differences by location and sampling season in both TN and WA but minimal differences between BDMs and PE treatments. Limited effects of BDM incorporation on soil bacterial community structure and soil enzyme activities when compared to PE suggest that BDMs have comparable influences on soil microbial communities, and therefore could be considered an alternative to PE. Importance Plastic film mulches increase crop yields and improve fruit quality. Most plastic mulches are made of polyethylene (PE), which is poorly degradable, resulting in undesirable end-of-life outcomes. Biodegradable mulches (BDMs) may be a sustainable alternative to PE. BDMs are made of polymers which can be degraded by soil microbial enzymes, and are meant to be tilled into soil after use. However, uncertainty about impacts of tilled-in BDMs on soil health has restricted adoption of BDMs. Our previous research showed BDMs did not have a major effect on a wide range of soil quality indicators (Sintim et al. 2019); here we focus on soil microbial communities, showing that BDMs do not have detectable effects on soil microbial communities and their functions, at least over the short term. This informs growers and regulators about use of BDMs in crop production, paving a way for an agricultural practice that reduces environmental plastic pollution.
How the Design of Social Technology Fails Rural America

Researchers and designers understand that social technologies need to be designed and understood from the perspective of many different geographies and identities. This provocation argues that, unless we abandon growth and scalability as metrics of success in social technologies, we will never be able to appropriately design for rural places.
Teaching Voice: A Workshop for Young Performers

Max Hafler was originally trained as a professional actor, but now works as a teacher, director, devisor, and writer. He taught at the Galway Youth Theatre, and he has taught across Ireland for the...
Transport schemes in spherical geometries using spline-based RBF-FD with polynomials

Abstract This work presents a numerical algorithm for using radial basis function-generated finite differences (RBF-FD) to solve partial differential equations (PDEs) on S 2 using polyharmonic splines with added polynomials defined in a 2D plane (PHS+Poly). We introduce a novel method for calculating RBF-FD PHS+Poly differentiation weights on S 2 using first a Householder reflection and then a projection onto the tangent plane. The new PHS+Poly RBF-FD method is implemented on two standard test cases: 1) solid body rotation on S 2 and 2) 3D tracer transport within Earth's atmosphere. Compared to existing methods (including those in the RBF literature) at similar resolutions, this approach requires fewer degrees of freedom and is algorithmically much simpler. A MATLAB code to implement the method is included in the Appendix.
Algebraic blinding and cryptographic trilinear maps.

It has been shown recently that cryptographic trilinear maps are sufficient for achieving indistinguishability obfuscation. In this paper we develop algebraic blinding techniques for constructing such maps. An earlier approach involving Weil restriction can be regarded as a special case of blinding in our framework. However, the techniques developed in this paper are more general, more robust, and easier to analyze. The trilinear maps constructed in this paper are efficiently computable. The relationship between the published entities and the hidden entities under the blinding scheme is described by algebraic conditions. Finding points on an algebraic set defined by such conditions for the purpose of unblinding is difficult as these algebraic sets have dimension at least linear in $n$ and involves $\Omega(n^2)$ variables, where $n$ is the security parameter. Finding points on such algebraic sets in general takes time exponential in $n^2\log n$ with the best known methods. Additionally these algebraic sets are characterized as being {\em triply confusing} and most likely {\em uniformly confusing} as well. These properties provide additional evidence that efficient algorithms to find points on such algebraic sets seems unlikely to exist. In addition to algebraic blinding, the security of the trilinear maps also depends on the computational complexity of a trapdoor discrete logarithm problem which is defined in terms of an associative non-commutative polynomial algebra acting on torsion points of a blinded product of elliptic curves.
Abstract #3280: INrf2/Nrf2 control of Drug-Induced Apoptosis

INrf2:Nrf2 serve as sensor of chemical and radiation induced oxidative and electrophilic stress. Nrf2 is a nuclear transcription factor that regulates expression and coordinated induction of a battery of defensive genes including detoxifying enzymes and antioxidant genes. This induction is a mechanism of critical importance in neutralizing the stressors and providing cellular protection leading to cell survival. Nrf2 degrades predominantly within the cytoplasm of the cells by the interaction of actin-bound cytosolic protein, INrf2 (inhibitor of Nrf2) or Keap1 (Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1). INrf2 functions as a substrate adaptor protein for a Cul3-Rbx1-dependent E3 ubiquitin ligase complex to ubiquitinate and degrade Nrf2 thus maintaining a steady-state levels of Nrf2. In the present study, we investigated the role of INrf2/Nrf2 on drug-induced apoptosis. Over expression of INrf2 increased and Nrf2 decreased Etoposide-induced apoptosis in tetracycline inducible human kidney carcinoma HEK293 cells. Immunoprecipitation assays revealed that INrf2 interacted with Nrf2 and also with PGAM5/Bcl-XL complex through interaction with PGAM5. Over expression of INrf2 led to ubiquitination and degradation of Nrf2 and down regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl2 gene expression. Over expression of INrf2 also led to degradation of PGAM5/Bcl-XL complex. The down regulation of Bcl2 and degradation of Bcl-XL led to increase in Bax and apoptosis. Over expression of Nrf2 or treatment of cells with antioxidant led to increased nuclear localization of Nrf2 and resistance to Etoposide-mediated apoptosis. This is through Nrf2 activation of Bcl2 and Bcl-XL gene expression. Increase in Bcl2 and Bcl-XL led to decrease in Bax and reduced apoptosis. Deletion mapping and transfection assays identified the antioxidant response element (ARE) that mediated Nrf2 induction of Bcl2 and Bcl-XL. These results led to conclusion that INrf2 increases and Nrf2 decreases drug-induced apoptosis by manipulating Bcl-XL degradation and expression of Bcl2 and Bcl-XL. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 3280.
SP&R: SMT-Based Simultaneous Place-and-Route for Standard Cell Synthesis of Advanced Nodes

In this article, we propose an automated standard cell synthesis framework, SP&R, which simultaneously solves P&R without deploying any sequential/separate operations, by a novel dynamic pin allocation scheme. The proposed SP&R utilizes the multiobjective optimization feature of satisfiability modulo theories (SMT) to obtain optimal cell layouts. To achieve practical scalability of the framework, we develop various search-space reduction techniques, including breaking symmetry, conditional assignment/localization, and cell/objective function partitioning. Compared to the previous work, SP&R achieves $20.8\times $ to $131.7\times $ runtime improvements on average across the design-rule sets. As a result, SP&R successfully produces cell layouts up to 36 field-effect transistors (FETs) and 27 nets within 1.75 h by orchestrating all innovative tactics together, resulting in the generation of a whole 7-nm standard cell library. Compared to the known layouts, our work improves cell size and # $M2$ tracks by 0.1 contacted poly pitch and 0.3 tracks, respectively.
Smoking, Vaping, and the Benefits Cessation in Times of COVID-19: A Public Health Perspective

The goal of this article is to inform dental practitioners and specialists of the benefits of smoking and vaping cessation in relation to COVID-19 transmission. COVID-19 caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected more than 31.7 million people globally with infection rates continuing to rise rapidly. Smoking dramatically impairs lung function and gives rise to an increase in susceptibility for infection, allowing for a more difficult recovery due, in part, to the damage SARS-CoV-2 does to the lungs. Tobacco smoking is one of the primary causes of death in the United States (US), however, nearly 40 million adults still smoke cigarettes, with 4.7 million middle and high school students using at least one tobacco product, including electronic cigarettes. COVID-19 is transmitted through salivary droplets causing severe bilateral pneumonia and significantly reduced lung function, putting smokers and vapers at greater risk through cross-contamination and face touching. So far, data from animal studies suggests that vaping leads to an increased susceptibility to infection, which coincides with evidence of increased rates of chronic bronchitis in vapers. There is yet to be data regarding the benefits of smoking and vaping cessation during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is evidence suggesting that 4 weeks or more of smoking cessation intervention reduces the risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe complications. Because of these probable connections, dental practitioners should advise their patients to stop smoking and/or vaping via the 5 A’s cessation strategy.
Current Status of Myocardial Restoration via the Paracrine Function of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been studied for nearly two decades as a therapy for myocardial restoration. An emerging direction to repair myocardium is through their paracrine function, wh...
What is the leaky gut? Clinical considerations in humans.

Purpose of review To review the components of the intestinal barrier, the practical measurements of intestinal permeability, and the clinical conditions associated with altered intestinal barrier function, and to summarize the effects of dietary substances that fortify or weaken the intestinal barrier. Recent findings The intestinal barrier includes surface mucus, epithelial layer, and immune defense mechanisms. Transport across the epithelium may result from increased paracellular transport, apoptosis, or transcellular permeability. Assessment of the intestinal barrier requires measurements beyond the transport across the epithelial layer or the measurement of tight junction expression. Barrier function is most meaningfully tested in vivo using orally administered probe molecules; other approaches are performed in vitro using mucosal biopsies from humans, or exposing colonic mucosa from rats or mice or cell layers to extracts of colonic mucosa or stool from patients. Dietary factors can influence intestinal leakiness: fortifying the barrier with vitamins A and D, zinc, short-chain fatty acids, methionine, glutamine, and probiotics; weakening of the barrier has been reported with fat, bile acids, emulsifiers, and gliadin. Intestinal mucosal leakiness in 'stress' disorders such as major burns is reversed with enteral glutamine. Summary Inflammatory or ulcerating intestinal diseases result in leakiness of the gut barrier; however, no such disease has been cured by simply normalizing intestinal barrier function. Similarly, it is still unproven that restoring barrier function (reversing 'leaky gut') can ameliorate clinical manifestations in nonulcerating gastrointestinal disease or systemic or neurological diseases. On the other hand, dietary and enteral interventions can fortify the intestinal barrier in stress-associated states.
High-flow nasal cannula therapy in a predominantly African American population with COVID-19 associated acute respiratory failure.

IMPORTANCE: Use of non-invasive respiratory modalities in COVID-19 has the potential to reduce rates of intubation and mortality in severe disease however data regarding the use of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in this population is limited. OBJECTIVE: To interrogate clinical and laboratory features of SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with high-flow failure. DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate characteristics of high-flow therapy use early in the pandemic and interrogate factors associated with respiratory therapy failure. SETTING: Multisite single centre hospital system within the metropolitan Detroit region. PARTICIPANTS: Patients from within the Detroit Medical Center (n=104, 89% African American) who received HFNC therapy during a COVID-19 admission between March and May of 2020. PRIMARY OUTCOME: HFNC failure is defined as death or intubation while on therapy. RESULTS: Therapy failure occurred in 57% of the patient population, factors significantly associated with failure centred around markers of multiorgan failure including hepatic dysfunction/transaminitis (OR=6.1, 95% CI 1.9 to 19.4, p<0.01), kidney injury (OR=7.0, 95% CI 2.7 to 17.8, p<0.01) and coagulation dysfunction (OR=4.5, 95% CI 1.2 to 17.1, p=0.03). Conversely, comorbidities, admission characteristics, early oxygen requirements and evaluation just prior to HFNC therapy initiation were not significantly associated with success or failure of therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In a population disproportionately affected by COVID-19, we present key indicators of likely HFNC failure and highlight a patient population in which aggressive monitoring and intervention are warranted.
Flipping a Single Lecture in a Survey Course to Active Learning: Do the Benefits Justify the Costs?

Health education has seen a surge of interest in active learning strategies like the flipped classroom. In response to the need for physical distancing in the age of COVID-19, schools are rapidly shifting to web-based and video technology, sometimes without being able to predict the outcomes of this change. The objectives of this pilot experiment were to (1) compare active learning (AL) methods versus traditional lecture for transmitting and retaining knowledge in the introductory pre-clinical medical school curriculum and (2) weigh whether the costs required to flip instruction were justified by learning gains. The authors took a 2 h lecture for first-year medical students and converted half of it into an AL format. In-person lecture and active learning groups were compared in terms of student knowledge at pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and 6 months post-intervention. Costs for first-time delivery and anticipated costs for repeat delivery of each format were calculated. Students' gains in knowledge increased in both groups, though more by lecture (control) than via AL. Delivering a single hour of new AL costs 3.4 times that of a new lecture. Repeat offerings of the AL intervention were estimated to cost 5.4 times that of the repeat lecture. The 1 h AL session was less effective than the 1 h lecture for knowledge acquisition and retention at 6-month follow-up. The AL was more expensive to produce and to repeat. Future research needs to evaluate the impact of AL with a larger N, control group, structured faculty/resident procedures, and assessment of gaining and applying attitudes and skills in addition to knowledge.
Developing Medications Targeting Glutamatergic Dysfunction in Autism: Progress to Date

Pharmacologic treatments targeting specific molecular mechanisms relevant for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are beginning to emerge in early drug development. This article reviews the evidence for the disruption of glutamatergic neurotransmission in animal models of social deficits and summarizes key pre-clinical and clinical efforts in developing pharmacologic interventions based on modulation of glutamatergic systems in individuals with ASD. Understanding the pathobiology of the glutamatergic system has led to the development of new investigational treatments for individuals with ASD. Specific examples of medications that modulate the glutamatergic system in pre-clinical and clinical studies are described. Finally, we discuss the limitations of current strategies and future opportunities in developing medications targeting the glutamatergic system for treating individuals with ASD.
Biological Containment Facility for Studying Infectious Disease

Abstract To effectively characterize newly recognized viruses (Marburg, Lassa, etc.) and to study other highly virulent infections for which no effective prophylaxis or therapy exists, special containment facilities must be utilized and conventional techniques modified to minimize risk to laboratory personnel. This paper describes a laboratory suite for such studies, contained within a larger research facility; two separate biological safety cabinet systems, animal rooms support laboratories, change room facilities, shower, air lock, and other safety features are contained in the area. Details of design, construction, airflows, and equipment are described in addition to a discussion of operation, techniques, and modification of laboratory equipment utilized in actual studies.
The Role of Conformational Dynamics and Allostery in the Disease Development of Human Ferritin

Determining the three-dimensional structure of myoglobin, the first solved structure of a protein, fundamentally changed the way protein function was understood. Even more revolutionary was the information that came afterward: protein dynamics play a critical role in biological functions. Therefore, understanding conformational dynamics is crucial to obtaining a more complete picture of protein evolution. We recently analyzed the evolution of different protein families including green fluorescent proteins (GFPs), β-lactamase inhibitors, and nuclear receptors, and we observed that the alteration of conformational dynamics through allosteric regulation leads to functional changes. Moreover, proteome-wide conformational dynamics analysis of more than 100 human proteins showed that mutations occurring at rigid residue positions are more susceptible to disease than flexible residue positions. These studies suggest that disease-associated mutations may impair dynamic allosteric regulations, leading to loss of function. Thus, in this study, we analyzed the conformational dynamics of the wild-type light chain subunit of human ferritin protein along with the neutral and disease forms. We first performed replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations of wild-type and mutants to obtain equilibrated dynamics and then used perturbation response scanning (PRS), where we introduced a random Brownian kick to a position and computed the fluctuation response of the chain using linear response theory. Using this approach, we computed the dynamic flexibility index (DFI) for each position in the chain for the wild-type and the mutants. DFI quantifies the resilience of a position to a perturbation and provides a flexibility/rigidity measurement for a given position in the chain. The DFI analysis reveals that neutral variants and the wild-type exhibit similar flexibility profiles in which experimentally determined functionally critical sites act as hinges in controlling the overall motion. However, disease mutations alter the conformational dynamic profile, making hinges more loose (i.e., softening the hinges), thus impairing the allosterically regulated dynamics.
Russia's Banking Sector in Autumn 2012

In October, the only source of growth of banks’ fund raising were government agencies, including the Central Bank. All other sectors acted as net beneficiaries. As a result, banking sector own liquidity (liquid assets less funds of monetary authorities) reached the minimum level in both, absolute terms and as a percentage of the total assets of the banking sector.
Hydraulics and sediment transport dynamics controlling step-pool formation in high gradient streams: A flume experiment

A series of flume experiments was undertaken to determine the domain of flow conditions under which step-pool sequences are formed. This domain can be characterized by the ratio of average shear stress to the shear stress required to move the largest grain sizes (T/T cr) and the Froude number (Fr). Step spacing was correlated with the antidune wavelength and steps did not form when particle motion was continuous under high sediment transport rates.