cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reply to the Letter to the Editor: Low Albumin Levels, More Than Morbid Obesity, Are Associated With Complications After TKA

W e thank Xue and colleagues for their comments regarding our study. They highlighted several potentially important factors on complications after TKA. As addressed in our manuscript, our study is a retrospective outcomes study. It is our best intention to study many interesting risk factors while maintaining our focus. Therefore, we limited the number of risk factors in our analysis to the most interesting ones to us and other physicians in general, as we believe they are the mostrepresentative and thought-provoking risk factors to consider. Still, we conducted further analysis with additional variables, including anemia, duration of surgery, and type of anesthesia (Fig. 1). We hope this can provide a basis for future research. Regarding the questions posed by Xue and colleagues: First, anemia is a perioperative risk factor for total joint arthroplasty. The definition of anemia varies significantly, ranging from 10 g/dL to 13 g/dL. National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) data does include one preoperative value of the hematocrit without details related to the surgical date, and there is no information on the postoperative hematocrit withinNSQIPdataset.We adopted the definition of less than 10g/dL as anemia, and conducted a multivariable regression analysis. Perioperative medication is an interesting topic. However, there is no data reported in the NSQIP dataset, nor did NSQIP report information on perioperative glucose control. Second, our study excluded bilateral surgery and emergency surgery from the analysis. Our initial analysis did include revision surgery (3874 out of 56,260 subjects [6.9%]), which might be a limitation of our analysis. As we move forward, our future studies will focus on the risk factors associated with complications after primary TKA. We believe that increased surgical duration is likely associated with postoperative complications. However, there are many confounding factors that might contribute to prolonged surgical time, including surgeon experience and skill, (RE: Nelson CL, Elkassabany NM, Kamath AF, Liu J. Low Albumin Levels, More Than Morbid Obesity, Are Associated With Complications After TKA. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2015;473:3163–172). The authors certify that they, or any members of their immediate families, have no commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/ licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writers, and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR or The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons. J. Liu MD, PhD, N. M. Elkassabany MD, MSCE Department of Anesthesiology & Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Alan Soble's Review of C.D.C. Reeve, 'Love's Confusions'

This 15-part essay by Alan Soble is a critical review of C.D.C. Reeve's book "Love's Confusions" (Harvard University Press, 2005). Topics discussed include Freudian psychoanalysis and the Christian conception of love.
Model-Based 3D Cardiac Image Segmentation With Marginal Space Learning

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the developed countries. Various imaging modalities, such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and nuclear imaging, are widely applied in clinical practice to noninvasively generate images of the heart for cardiovascular disease quantification, diagnosis, treatment planning, and interventional guidance. In this chapter, we review our previous work on automatic cardiac image segmentation (including the segmentation of cardiac chambers, great vessels, and coronary arteries) to streamline the clinical workflow. Our approaches are built upon the general marginal space learning (MSL)-based object detection/segmentation framework, which has been successfully applied to segment all four cardiac chambers efficiently. Due to the variations in imaging field-of-view, great vessels (namely, aorta, pulmonary arteries, pulmonary veins, superior vena cava, and inferior vena cava) are only partially present in many volumes. To handle such variations, we present part-based approaches by splitting a whole vessel into multiple parts and each part is then segmented using the MSL framework. Segmentation of a coronary artery is a challenging problem due to the large anatomical variations and small caliber of an artery. We present a model-based approach to extracting the major coronary arteries using the segmented cardiac chambers to predict the initial centerline path. The side branches are then extracted using a data-driven approach. Our hybrid coronary centerline extraction approach is robust under severe stenosis and flexible enough to handle anatomical variations.
The Impact and Evolution of Medicare Part D

Criticisms during the implementation of Medicare Part D are echoed in those being voiced about the Affordable Care Act. Yet Part D successfully expanded drug benefits to millions of beneficiaries and improved access to medications, at lower-than-expected cost.
Carcinoma of the gallbladder

Abstract Carcinoma of the gallbladder occurs most frequently in the fifth decade of life and is predominantly a disease of women. Stones were associated with the carcinoma in 88 per cent of cases and that they definitely preceded the development of the carcinoma was evident in 58.5 per cent of these cases. An analysis of the early symptoms revealed nothing which could not be attributed to the presence of chronic inflammation of the gallbladder with or without cholelithiasis. The classification of these carcinomas was adenocarcinoma, 85.3 per cent; squamous cell carcinoma, 2.7 per cent, and adeno-carcinoma, 12.0 per cent. Three instances of malignant degeneration in a papilloma and one in an adenoma were found. The finding of areas of metaplasia in the mucosa and of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma in the same tumor lends support to the theory of metaplasia for the origin of a squamous cell carcinoma. Five-year cures were obtained in 45 per cent of the cases of carcinoma, grade 1, in 4.3 per cent in cases of grade 2 and in none of the cases of carcinoma of the other grades. In no instance was a definite diagnosis made preoperatively.
Semantic SOA framework orient to aviation repair

With the background of the aviation repair service industry,based on the analysis of the disadvantages of the past information technology solutions used in aviation repair management system,combined with the product lifecycle management concept,this paper built an aviation repair system structure based on the semantic service oriented architecture,which inclu-ded resource layer,basic structure layer,implementation layer and application layer.Finally,it discussed business process collaboration between enterprises.
Influence of Transplantation Site on Metastatic Ability of Mouse Bladder Carcinoma Sublines

Abstract The influence of the primary implantation site on the metastatic behavior of a murine transitional cell carcinoma line (MBT-2) and three metastatic sublines (L 3 F 1 , L 3 F 2 , and L 3 F 3 ) was studied. The parent MBT-2 cell line produced a low incidence of lung metastasis after intravenous injection and no metastases from the primary tumor when injected either subcutaneously in the right hind flank or in the footpad. Intramuscular implantation of the MBT-2 cells in the right hind flank resulted in a significant increase over the subcutaneous, footpad, and intravenous sites in the incidence and number of lung metastases. Three in vivo/in vitro selected metastatic sublines (L 3 F 1 L 3 F 2 , and L 3 F 3 ) were highly metastatic when injected subcutaneously, intramuscularly, and intravenously. A low number of pulmonary metastases was observed after footpad implantation of the three sublines. This study demonstrated a definite implantation site-influence on the metastatic ability of the parent MBT-2 line and the three selected sublines. Intramuscular implantation was the most permissive implantation site for the development of spontaneous metastasis for the MBT-2 line and the L 3 F 1 , L 3 F 2 , and L 3 F 3 sublines.
Identifying host immune effectors critical for protection against Candida albicans infections

Candida albicans is one of the most important human fungal pathogens and can manifest as a wide variety of infections, ranging from benign superficial disease to life-threatening invasive and disse...
The Role of Entropy in Explaining Tightly Bend DNA Propensity and Kinetic Barriers to Base Pair Unzipping

In cells, DNA is subjected to substantial contortions. Here, we investigate the difference in structure, dynamics and flexibility between two topological states of short (∼100 bp) DNA sequencea in linear form and covalently closed, tightly curved circular DNA form. By employing a combination of all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and elastic rod modeling of DNA, which allows capturing microscopic details while monitoring the global dynamics, we demonstrate that in the highly curved regime the microscopic flexibility of the DNA drastically increases due to the local mobility of the duplex. By analyzing vibrational entropy and Lipari-Szabo NMR order parameters from the simulation data, we propose a novel model for the thermodynamic stability of high-curvature DNA states based on vibrational untightening of the duplex. This novel view of DNA bending provides a fundamental explanation that bridges the gap between classical models of DNA and experimental studies on DNA cyclization, which so far have been in substantial disagreement.Using MD, we also compute free energy profiles for the initial unzipping of the first base pair of DNA at blunt ends, and reveal the role of entropy in modulating the kinetic barrier to initial unzipping, making connections to possible experiments and existing theories based on the Peyrard-Bishop model.
The Extent and Nature of Homicide and Non-fatal Workplace Violence in the United States: Implications for Prevention and Security

Workplace violence has been recognised in the United States as a significant problem facing workers and employers. Interest in the area has come from a number of sectors, including the media, academia, as well as government research agencies. Our goal is to provide a better understanding of workplace violence in the United States through: a review of the workplace violence research to date in the US; a secondary data analysis of the National Crime Victimisation Survey that examines the extent of violent victimisations while the respondent was working or on duty, characteristics of such victimisations, and the reporting behaviour of the victims; and a discussion of the implications of the results of these studies and our NCVS results for homicide and non-fatal violence prevention and security in the workplace.
Mitral Valve Replacement for Functional Mitral Regurgitation

Functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) is defined as mitral regurgitation in absence of any primary leaflet pathology. FMR occurs in the setting of an abnormal and dilated left ventricle and apically displaced papillary muscles, with leaflet malcoaptation occurring either as a result of annular dilation or leaflet tethering, or both. FMR can either be ischemic, where adverse LV remodeling is caused by coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction, or non-ischemic due to idiopathic or dilated cardiomyopathy. Thus, in FMR, mitral regurgitation is only one component of the disease pathophysiology, and the treatment of MR is not curative of the underlying disease pathology. The current mainstay of treatment of FMR is undersized ring annuloplasty that treats only the annular dilation but does little to improve leaflet tethering. As such, mitral valve repair for FMR is far less durable than repair of myxomatous mitral regurgitation and is associated with significant rate of recurrent MR. Thus, in patients whom limited repair durability and FMR recurrence is expected, mitral valve replacement (MVR) with a prosthetic valve may be a better choice than MV repair. In this chapter, we discuss indications, techniques, results, and evidence based decision making for mitral valve replacement for severe FMR
Performance of a hinged metal knee prosthesis. A case report with a follow-up of three and one-half years and histological and metallurgical data.

1. A patient with a Vitallium hinged knee prosthesis studied at autopsy forty-two months after implantation was presented. 2. Clinically, the patient had no complications or clinical evidence of tissue reaction while receiving good, pain-free service from the prosthesis. 3. Pathologically, a massive amount of Prussian blue positive staining material was found in the capsule and lining the canals formed by the stems of the prosthesis. 4. Mechanical wear (corrosion) was evident at the areas of contact and on the central axis of the hinge. 5. The importance of mechanical design and composition is seen to be a significant consideration of reconstructive surgery.
Neo/adjuvant doxorubicin (A) and ifosfamide (I) versus gemcitabine (G) and docetaxel (T) in patients (PTS) with localized, high risk soft tissue sarcoma (STS): A randomized phase II comparative effectiveness trial.

10524 Background: Approximately 50% of pts with localized, >5 cm, high grade STS develop metastatic disease. Although controversial, adjuvant chemotherapy has demonstrated improved disease-free (DF...
NEZHA: Efficient Domain-Independent Differential Testing

Differential testing uses similar programs as cross-referencing oracles to find semantic bugs that do not exhibit explicit erroneous behaviors like crashes or assertion failures. Unfortunately, existing differential testing tools are domain-specific and inefficient, requiring large numbers of test inputs to find a single bug. In this paper, we address these issues by designing and implementing NEZHA, an efficient input-format-agnostic differential testing framework. The key insight behind NEZHA's design is that current tools generate inputs by simply borrowing techniques designed for finding crash or memory corruption bugs in individual programs (e.g., maximizing code coverage). By contrast, NEZHA exploits the behavioral asymmetries between multiple test programs to focus on inputs that are more likely to trigger semantic bugs. We introduce the notion of δ-diversity, which summarizes the observed asymmetries between the behaviors of multiple test applications. Based on δ-diversity, we design two efficient domain-independent input generation mechanisms for differential testing, one gray-box and one black-box. We demonstrate that both of these input generation schemes are significantly more efficient than existing tools at finding semantic bugs in real-world, complex software. NEZHA's average rate of finding differences is 52 times and 27 times higher than that of Frankencerts and Mucerts, two popular domain-specific differential testing tools that check SSL/TLS certificate validation implementations, respectively. Moreover, performing differential testing with NEZHA results in 6 times more semantic bugs per tested input, compared to adapting state-of-the-art general-purpose fuzzers like American Fuzzy Lop (AFL) to differential testing by running them on individual test programs for input generation. NEZHA discovered 778 unique, previously unknown discrepancies across a wide variety of applications (ELF and XZ parsers, PDF viewers and SSL/TLS libraries), many of which constitute previously unknown critical security vulnerabilities. In particular, we found two critical evasion attacks against ClamAV, allowing arbitrary malicious ELF/XZ files to evade detection. The discrepancies NEZHA found in the X.509 certificate validation implementations of the tested SSL/TLS libraries range from mishandling certain types of KeyUsage extensions, to incorrect acceptance of specially crafted expired certificates, enabling man-in-the-middle attacks. All of our reported vulnerabilities have been confirmed and fixed within a week from the date of reporting.
Defining targets to defeat hidradenitis suppurativa

Immunological data implicates IL-17 pathway in the pathogenesis of hidradenitis suppurativa.
Synergistic effect of solar radiation and solar heating to disinfect drinking water sources.

Waterborne diseases are still common in developing countries as drinking water sources are contaminated and feasible means to reliably treat and disinfect these waters are not available. Many of these developing countries are in the tropical regions of the world where sunlight is plentiful. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of combining solar radiation and solar heating to disinfect contaminated water using a modified Family Sol*Saver System (FSP). The non-UV transmittable cover sheet of the former FSP system was replaced with an UV transmittable plastic cover sheet to enable more wavelengths of sunlight to treat the water. Disinfection efficiency of both systems was evaluated based on reduction of the natural populations of faecal coliform, E. coli , enterococci, C. perfringens , total heterotrophic bacteria, hydrogen sulphide producing bacteria and FRNA virus. The results showed that under sunny and partly sunny conditions, water was heated to critical temperature (60°C) in both the FSP systems inactivating more than 3 log (99.9%) of the concentrations of faecal coliform and E. coli to undetectable levels of C. perfringens E. coli
Who's Who in Mineral Names: Bryan K. Lees (b. 1957)

Leesite, K(H2O)2[(UO2)4O2(OH)5]·3H2O, is an orthorhombic K-U oxide/hydroxide in the schoepite group of uranium minerals. It occurs sparingly as a secondary mineral in the abandoned Jomac uranium mi...
Prediction of bacterial small RNAs in the RsmA (CsrA) and ToxT pathways: a machine learning approach

Small RNAs (sRNAs) constitute an important class of post-transcriptional regulators that control critical cellular processes in bacteria. Recent research using high-throughput transcriptomic approaches has led to a dramatic increase in the discovery of bacterial sRNAs. However, it is generally believed that the currently identified sRNAs constitute a limited subset of the bacterial sRNA repertoire. In several cases, sRNAs belonging to a specific class are already known and the challenge is to identify additional sRNAs belonging to the same class. In such cases, machine-learning approaches can be used to predict novel sRNAs in a given class. In this work, we develop novel bioinformatics approaches that integrate sequence and structure-based features to train machine-learning models for the discovery of bacterial sRNAs. We show that features derived from recurrent structural motifs in the ensemble of low energy secondary structures can distinguish the RNA classes with high accuracy. We apply this approach to predict new members in two broad classes of bacterial small RNAs: 1) sRNAs that bind to the RNA-binding protein RsmA/CsrA in diverse bacterial species and 2) sRNAs regulated by the master regulator of virulence, ToxT, in Vibrio cholerae. The involvement of sRNAs in bacterial adaptation to changing environments is an increasingly recurring theme in current research in microbiology. It is likely that future research, combining experimental and computational approaches, will discover many more examples of sRNAs as components of critical regulatory pathways in bacteria. We have developed a novel approach for prediction of small RNA regulators in important bacterial pathways. This approach can be applied to specific classes of sRNAs for which several members have been identified and the challenge is to identify additional sRNAs.
A reinvestigation of mono- and bis-ethynyl phosphonium salts: structural and computational studies and new reactivity

A series of mono- and bis-ethynyl phosphonium salts have been prepared via reaction of bromoacetylenes, Ph–C≡C–Br or Br–C≡C–C6H4–C≡C–Br, with various phosphines. Some of the derivatives reported ar...
Necking and drawing of rubber-plastic bilayer laminates.

We examine the stretching behavior of rubber-plastic composites composed of a layer of styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene (SEPS) rubber, bonded to a layer of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) plastic. Dog-bone shaped samples of rubber, plastic, and rubber-plastic bilayers with rubber : plastic thickness ratio in the range of 1.2-9 were subjected to uniaxial tension tests. The degree of inhomogeneity of deformation was quantified by digital image correlation analysis of video recordings of these tests. In tension, the SEPS layer showed homogeneous deformation, whereas the LLDPE layer showed necking followed by stable drawing owing to its elastoplastic deformation behavior and post-yield strain hardening. Bilayer laminates showed behavior intermediate between the plastic and the rubber, with the degree of necking and drawing reducing as the rubber : plastic ratio increased. A simple model was developed in which the force in the bilayer was taken as the sum of forces in the plastic and the rubber layers measured independently. By applying a mechanical energy balance to this model, the changes in bilayer necking behavior with rubber thickness could be predicted qualitatively.
Impact of Stone Disease: Chronic Kidney Disease and Quality of Life

This article reviews the impact of stone disease on chronic kidney disease and renal function; evaluating the natural progression of disease as well as the impact of surgical interventions. The impact of stone disease, medical therapy, and surgical therapy for stones on quality of life is discussed.
Bystander Activation of CD4+ T Cells Accounts for Herpetic Ocular Lesions

PURPOSE. Stromal keratitis is an immunopathologic consequence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection of the cornea. The lesion is immunopathologic, but the identities of molecules that drive the reaction remain unresolved. To exclude viral antigen recognition as a necessary step in the disease process, ocular HSV infection was followed in Tg-RAG mice (OVA-TCR transgenic mice crossed to RAG2-deficient mice) whose limited T-cell repertoire did not include immune responsiveness to HSV. METHODS. Mice with T-cell specificity to OVA peptide (Tg-RAG mice) as well as control DO11.10 and BALB/c mice were infected with HSV on the scarified cornea and subjected to clinical, histologic, and immunologic analysis. To evaluate involvement of OVA-specific CD4 + T cells in lesion development in Tg-RAG mice, monoclonal antibody to CD4 + T cells was used for in vivo CD4 + T-cell depletion. RESULTS. Tg-RAG mice were capable of eliciting ocular lesions in the absence of detectable reactivity to viral antigens. Lesion manifestation in Tg-RAG mice was CD4 + T-cell dependent and the cellular infiltrates and their inflammatory products in the HSV-infected cornea were comparable to similarly infected BALB/c and DO11.10 mice. CONCLUSIONS. The authors conclude that mechanisms other than viral antigen recognition, and hence molecular mimicry, are at play and are sufficient to cause HSV-induced stromal keratitis. The data imply a significant role for non-virus-specific CD4 + T cells that could become activated by an inflammatory milieu consisting of enhanced accessory molecules and proinflammatory cytokines in the cornea.
Does Solid Organ Transplantation Affect Male Reproduction

Patients undergoing solid organ transplantation have experienced increased graft survival rates over the past several decades. With increased longevity making fatherhood a viable option, many patients desire to pursue this path. However, many patients and practitioners are likely unaware of the feasibility and safety for a man on a transplant immunosuppression regimen to safely pursue fatherhood. In this review, we discuss effects of organ transplantation and post-transplantation treatment on male hormones, fertility, and the risk to potential offspring. Briefly, providers should be aware that organ transplant recipients may be at an increased risk for hypogonadism and erectile dysfunction, but fathering a child is a realistic and safe aspiration. PATIENT SUMMARY: In this mini-review, we discuss the effects of solid organ transplantation (such as lung, heart, kidney, and liver) on a man's sexual health, and his ability to have children. We focus on the most common problems encountered by patients after their transplant, and the effects of medications.
Mitral annular peak systolic and diastolic velocities are characteristic of healthy hearts: A Doppler tissue imaging study.

INTRODUCTION Although systolic and diastolic dysfunction must coexist, they are most often considered in isolation. Therefore, a simple and reproducible quantitative measurement that integrates systolic and diastolic function is desirable. We hypothesize that the absolute sum of lateral mitral annular systolic and early diastolic peak velocities is predictive of overall cardiac function. METHODS In this study, lateral mitral annular systolic (S') and early diastolic (E') peak velocities were measured in healthy subjects and compared against subjects with progressive degrees of systolic and diastolic dysfunction. RESULTS A total of 149 subjects (56% male, mean age 48 years) were enrolled and stratified according to global left ventricular function: 76 normal, 40 mild-moderate dysfunction, and 33 moderate-severe dysfunction. Adjusting for baseline differences including age, univariate analysis showed mean S' + E' values were significantly different between subjects with normal, mild-moderate, and moderate-severe global left ventricular function (27, 17, 13 cm/s; P < 0.001 for all comparisons). The absolute sum of S' + E' ≥ 20 cm/s identified normal global left ventricular function with a sensitivity of 95%, specificity of 85%, and ROC area under the curve of 0.924. CONCLUSIONS In a cohort of subjects with varying levels of combined systolic and diastolic function, the easily obtainable composite score of S' + E' ≥ 20 cm/s is strongly predictive of normal global left ventricular function with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. Additional studies should be considered to expand this concept to additional populations.
Defining treatment effects: A regulatory perspective:

The proposed addendum to the International Conference on Harmonization document, Statistical Principles for Clinical Trials, can be read in two ways. There is a new framework for talking about estimands, but is it about fitting present methods into the framework? Or is it about changing methods? My answer: some of each. Where different methods are needed, there are challenging problems in estimating some desirable estimands, but there may also be desirable estimands that can be estimated easily and robustly.
Incremental Gains in Transuranic Activity Analysis in Air Samples for Radiological Emergency Response

The alpha activity discrimination problem between radon progeny and transuranic (TRU) isotopes is evaluated at the times relevant for radiological emergency response using temporal decay properties...
High Volumetric and Gravimetric Capacity Electrodeposited Mesostructured Sb2O3 Sodium Ion Battery Anodes

Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) are considered promising alternatives to lithium ion batteries for grid-scale and other energy storage applications because of the broad geographical distribution and low cost of sodium relative to lithium. Here, fabrication and characterization of high gravimetric and volumetric capacity 3D Ni-supported Sb2 O3 anodes for SIBs are presented. The electrodes are prepared by colloidal templating and pulsed electrodeposition followed by heat treatment. The colloidal template is optimized to provide large pore interconnects in the 3D scaffold to enable a high active materials loading and accommodate a large volume expansion during cycling. An electrodeposited loading of 1.1 g cm-3 is chosen to enable a combined high gravimetric and volumetric capacity. At this loading, the electrodes exhibit a specific capacity of ≈445 mA h g-1 and a volumetric capacity of ≈488 mA h cm-3 with a capacity retention of 89% after 200 cycles at 200 mA g-1 . The stable cycling performance can be attributed to the 3D metal scaffold, which supports active materials undergoing large volume changes, and an initial heat treatment appears to improve the adhesion of the Sb2 O3 to the metal scaffold.
Effects of noise and reverberation on speech recognition with variants of a multichannel adaptive dynamic range compression scheme.

AbstractObjective: Adaptive compression methods in hearing aids have been developed to maximise audibility while preserving temporal envelope modulations. Increasing the number of channels may impr...
Evaluating the Effect of Domain Size of the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) Model on Regional PM 2 . 5 Simulations

A growing number of urban health impact studies use Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) models for air pollution exposure estimation, although the performance of CMAQ models is likely to be affected by multiple parameters, including the configuration setting of the study domain. We presented an approach for CMAQ model uncertainty assessment with respect to domain size and reported spatial and temporal variations of CMAQ model performance over two study domains, a relatively small domain (DS) and a large domain (DL). Specifically, we simulated daily PM2.5 concentrations over two domains during 2011 and quantified the difference between the model predictions. The model performance was assessed by comparing modeled PM2.5 against measured PM2.5 values at monitoring sites located in the region of overlap for each domain. The results suggest that the CMAQ simulations over two domains were in good agreement across the study area except in southwestern areas. We also found that the overall model performance was better for CMAQ simulations with a large domain relative to the smaller domain. Based on our findings, we recommend applying a large domain for PM2.5 simulations, particularly for urban health risk assessments conducted over summer months, which generally contain more emissions.
Experiential Learning Revisited: Lessons from a Student-Led Public Opinion Polling Class

For decades, political and private polling operations have informed about the public’s perceptions regarding a range of topics. In particular, universities (e.g., Marist and Quinnipiac) provide noteworthy research to inform and predict the outcomes of US elections. Yet, what role do our classrooms play in advancing the public opinion polling skills of our students? This article uses experiential learning as a descriptive framework to illustrate how a yearlong, immersive, and student-led public opinion polling experience, the Big Sky Poll, advances students’ social-science and data-fluency skills. Our findings suggest important insights into the future of public opinion polling from the vantage point of a rural Western state, which can be replicated in other academic institutions.
Ultrashort electron probe opportunities

Technology borrowed from electron accelerator and beam physics looks set to push the performance of ultrafast-electron-diffraction-based pump–probe studies of matter.
Husbandry of aquatic animals in closed aquaculture systems

Abstract Aquaculture is increasingly being intensified, and the resulting higher stocking densities and feed inputs in closed systems can consequently lead to water-quality fluctuations and/or deteriorations. Some of the most relevant water-quality parameters in closed aquaculture systems include dissolved oxygen/redox potential, pH, salinity, temperature, and nitrogenous waste. These parameters should not deviate to extreme levels in order to minimize noninfectious diseases and subsequently ensure higher productivity in aquatic animals. Some husbandry strategies and novel systems to prevent or ameliorate deviations in these parameters will be discussed along with physiological responses in aquatic animals due to water-quality-induced noninfectious diseases. A final section will discuss the implications to noxious algae as a consequence of water-quality deteriorations as well as feed spoilage/contamination along with mitigating strategies to ensure a better product for human consumers.
A Genealogy of Faith and Freedom

The review highlights how Habermas reconstructs the historically constitutive function of religious thought regarding essential categories through which to appropriate our practical freedom. It art...
Reduction in movement-evoked pain and fatigue during initial 30-minute transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation treatment predicts transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation responders in women with fibromyalgia.

ABSTRACT We previously showed that 1 month of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) reduces movement-evoked pain and fatigue in women with fibromyalgia (FM). Using data from this study (Fibromyalgia Activity Study with TENS [FAST]), we performed a responder analysis to identify predictors of clinical improvement in pain and fatigue with TENS, validated these models using receiver operator characteristic, and determined number needed to treat and number needed to harm. Participants were randomly assigned to active-TENS (2-125 Hz; highest-tolerable intensity), placebo-TENS, or no-TENS for 1 month. At the end of the randomized phase, placebo-TENS and no-TENS groups received active-TENS for 1 month. The predictor model was developed using data from the randomized phase for the active-TENS group (n = 103) and validated using data from placebo-TENS and no-TENS groups after active-TENS for 1 month (n = 155). Participant characteristics, initial response to TENS for pain and fatigue, sleep, psychological factors, and function were screened for association with changes in pain or fatigue using a logistic regression model. Predictors of clinical improvement in pain were initial response to pain and widespread pain index (area under the curve was 0.80; 95% confidence interval: 0.73-0.87). Predictors of clinical improvement in fatigue were marital status, sleep impairment, and initial response to TENS (area under the curve was 0.67; 95% confidence interval: 0.58-0.75). Number needed to treat for pain and fatigue ranged between 3.3 and 5.3. Number needed to harm ranged from 20 to 100 for minor TENS-related adverse events. The response to an initial 30-minute TENS treatment predicts who responds to longer-term TENS use in women with FM, making this a clinically useful procedure. Number needed to treat and number needed to harm suggest that TENS is effective and safe for managing pain and fatigue in FM.
The Relationship between Marijuana Use and Psychosocial Variables in Living Kidney Donor Candidates

Background We investigate whether marijuana use in living kidney donor candidates is associated with psychosocial risk factors that place donors at higher risk for adverse outcomes and the unique associations between marijuana use and donor candidacy. Methods Medical records of 757 living kidney donor candidates were reviewed. Patients were grouped into marijuana users/abstainers; demographic, psychiatric, and substance use variables were compared. Multivariate logistic regression assessed the independent association of marijuana use on committee approval for donation. Results Marijuana use was associated with lack of health insurance, legal history, lower education level, active and history of substance use disorder, active psychiatric disorder, history of multiple psychiatric diagnoses, and history of suicidality. Marijuana users were also more likely to be young, male, unmarried, and less likely to be approved for donation by the multidisciplinary selection committee. This latter association persisted in multivariate models. Conclusions This is the first study to show that marijuana use is associated with psychosocial factors that could impact behavioral adherence following kidney donation, while reducing chances of committee approval for kidney donation. Special attention to potential overlay between psychosocial risk factors and marijuana use should be considered when evaluating kidney donors, particularly in context of increasingly legal use.
Hyperoxia-induced bronchopulmonary dysplasia: better models for better therapies

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease caused by exposure to high levels of oxygen (hyperoxia) and is the most common complication that affects preterm newborns. At present, there is no cure for BPD. Infants can recover from BPD; however, they will suffer from significant morbidity into adulthood in the form of neurodevelopmental impairment, asthma and emphysematous changes of the lung. The development of hyperoxia-induced lung injury models in small and large animals to test potential treatments for BPD has shown some success, yet a lack of standardization in approaches and methods makes clinical translation difficult. In vitro models have also been developed to investigate the molecular pathways altered during BPD and to address the pitfalls associated with animal models. Preclinical studies have investigated the efficacy of stem cell-based therapies to improve lung morphology after damage. However, variability regarding the type of animal model and duration of hyperoxia to elicit damage exists in the literature. These models should be further developed and standardized, to cover the degree and duration of hyperoxia, type of animal model, and lung injury endpoint, to improve their translational relevance. The purpose of this Review is to highlight concerns associated with current animal models of hyperoxia-induced BPD and to show the potential of in vitro models to complement in vivo studies in the significant improvement to our understanding of BPD pathogenesis and treatment. The status of current stem cell therapies for treatment of BPD is also discussed. We offer suggestions to optimize models and therapeutic modalities for treatment of hyperoxia-induced lung damage in order to advance the standardization of procedures for clinical translation.
Fast, reversible mechanochromism of regioisomeric oxazine mechanophores: Developing in situ responsive force probes for polymeric materials

Summary To address hysteretic or irreversible mechanochromism found in most bond-scission-based mechanophores, we developed a new family of mechanophores based on the oxazine (OX) structural motif. Three OX regioisomers differing in their point of attachment to the indole ring show variable mechanochromic mechanoresponsiveness in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. Constrained DFT simulations correlate the experimental findings to molecular scale events; two of the three regioisomers exhibit a force-activated rearrangement, while the third one is mechanochemically inactive. Most significantly, when compared with the spiropyran (SP) and the naphthopyran (NP), the OX mechanophores exhibit faster and reversible mechanochromism without any sign of fatigue. Such a rapid response to mechanical loads is rationalized by the difference between SP and OX scaffolds, given that the SP ring opening is accompanied by a trans-cis isomerization step. These fast-responsive mechanophores are anticipated to bring deeper understanding to a broad range of soft materials by in situ monitoring the local mechanics.
Benthic pattern formation in shallow tropical reefscapes: does grazing explain grazing halos?

Species interactions generating consistent landscape or seascape patterns are important to ecosystem health and function. One widely-documented pattern in shallow, tropical reefscapes is sand “halos” that separate coral patches from surrounding vegetation. Multiple hypotheses for this pattern have been proposed, but individual explanations are rarely integrated to reflect the complexity of systems where halos occur. To evaluate and synthesize multiple hypotheses of halo formation and maintenance into a single model, connect the halo pattern with similar terrestrial phenomena, and identify targets to guide future research and conservation. We reviewed halo accounts from over fifty years in the scientific literature and combined them with related research on marine nutrients, bioturbation, analogous terrestrial processes, and new field measurements to create a conceptual model of halo formation and maintenance. Though halos are widely attributed to herbivory, grazing alone cannot explain patterns at all locations. Nutrients have large effects on tropical reefscapes but remain understudied for halos. Coupling nutrients and grazing explains a variety of observed halo patterns. Fish and invertebrate bioturbators also appear important. We combine these factors to explain pattern variability and present a framework for more comprehensive halo research. Explanations for halos to date have been overly simplistic. Halos are common patterns with complex underlying causes, including foraging behavior and nutrient cycling. Not all halo-like patterns may be created or maintained by the same mechanism(s). Our integrated model provides a more complete understanding of factors contributing to these patterns, a framework for ecological interpretations, and a guide for conservation.
Queer science: Temporality and futurity for queer students in STEM:

The sociopolitical landscape for queer people has changed dramatically in recent decades; however, progress has been both halting and uneven. While this is evident in many areas of professional and...
The Effects of Pre-medical Anatomy and Clinical Experiences on Medical School Anatomy-Related Academic Performance

The objective of this study was to examine the effects that pre-medical patient care clinical experiences and anatomical education had on undergraduate medical course grades and anatomy practical exam scores. This study provides a unique perspective to this line of inquiry in that it included data from 9 class year cohorts between academic years 2010–2011 and 2018–2019, all from a single institution. A survey to assess pre-medical clinical and anatomical experiences was completed by each new matriculate. Results were compared to each student’s course grades and anatomy practical exam scores. The effects of pre-medical experiences on practical scores and final grades were evaluated using generalized linear mixed models. Several positive and negative associations were identified. The most obvious effect revealed by data analysis was the class year cohort effect, seen as variation in the academic performance of each cohort from year-to-year. Other significant results included a positive association between pre-medical comparative anatomy coursework and anatomy assessment performance over the entire year’s anatomy curriculum. Counterintuitively, some pre-medical clinical experiences, such as nursing experience, had a negative effect on course grades and practical exam performance. Pre-medical students can use this information to decide whether to enroll in undergraduate anatomy courses or engage in extra pre-medical clinical work. It may also be valuable to medical school admissions departments in regard to determining the anatomy coursework and clinical experience requirements for their applicants.
Combining artificial intelligence and physics-based modeling to directly assess atomic site stabilities: from sub-nanometer clusters to extended surfaces.

The performance of functional materials is dictated by chemical and structural properties of individual atomic sites. In catalysts, for example, the thermodynamic stability of constituting atomic sites is a key descriptor from which more complex properties, such as molecular adsorption energies and reaction rates, can be derived. In this study, we present a widely applicable machine learning (ML) approach to instantaneously compute the stability of individual atomic sites in structurally and electronically complex nano-materials. Conventionally, we determine such site stabilities using computationally intensive first-principles calculations. With our approach, we predict the stability of atomic sites in sub-nanometer metal clusters of 3–55 atoms with mean absolute errors in the range of 0.11–0.14 eV. To extract physical insights from the ML model, we introduce a genetic algorithm (GA) for feature selection. This algorithm distills the key structural and chemical properties governing the stability of atomic sites in size-selected nanoparticles, allowing for physical interpretability of the models and revealing structure–property relationships. The results of the GA are generally model and materials specific. In the limit of large nanoparticles, the GA identifies features consistent with physics-based models for metal–metal interactions. By combining the ML model with the physics-based model, we predict atomic site stabilities in real time for structures ranging from sub-nanometer metal clusters (3–55 atom) to larger nanoparticles (147 to 309 atoms) to extended surfaces using a physically interpretable framework. Finally, we present a proof of principle showcasing how our approach can determine stable and active nanocatalysts across a generic materials space of structure and composition.
WE-D-303-00: Computational Phantoms

Modern medical physics deals with complex problems such as 4D radiation therapy and imaging quality optimization. Such problems involve a large number of radiological parameters, and anatomical and physiological breathing patterns. A major challenge is how to develop, test, evaluate and compare various new imaging and treatment techniques, which often involves testing over a large range of radiological parameters as well as varying patient anatomies and motions. It would be extremely challenging, if not impossible, both ethically and practically, to test every combination of parameters and every task on every type of patient under clinical conditions. Computer-based simulation using computational phantoms offers a practical technique with which to evaluate, optimize, and compare imaging technologies and methods. Within simulation, the computerized phantom provides a virtual model of the patient’s anatomy and physiology. Imaging data can be generated from it as if it was a live patient using accurate models of the physics of the imaging and treatment process. With sophisticated simulation algorithms, it is possible to perform virtual experiments entirely on the computer. By serving as virtual patients, computational phantoms hold great promise in solving some of the most complex problems in modern medical physics. In this proposed symposium, we will present the history and recent developments of computational phantom models, share experiences in their application to advanced imaging and radiation applications, and discuss their promises and limitations. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the need and requirements of computational phantoms in medical physics research 2. Discuss the developments and applications of computational phantoms 3. Know the promises and limitations of computational phantoms in solving complex problems
Axioms for Computation Theories-First Draft

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the first draft of the axioms for computation theories. A definition of computation theories is proposed and these structures are studied to get the first step in classifying the known theories. One of the difficulties in trying to compare and classify these theories has been the lack of a definition of recursion theory. The chapter outlines the basic properties of computation theories. This includes proving some of the basic results of ordinary recursion theory, and identifying some of the known theories as computation theories. The important concept of finiteness relative to a theory is introduced and studied. The approach in the chapter differs from the recursive and bounded definition of metarecursion theory. A set is finite relative to a theory if the functional representing quantification over that set is computable in the theory. This is a natural approach and allows for direct generalization of the fundamental properties of finite sets.