cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Business information literacy integration into a freshman summer bridge course for underrepresented minorities

ABSTRACTThis article presents the collaboration between a professor of management and a faculty librarian within a summer bridge course designed to provide underrepresented minority students with advanced preparation prior to their freshmen year at Purdue University. The course is a combination of academic preparation, applied life skills, and information literacy to make the course relevant to the students in the short and long term. The instructors detail how the course is designed around a problem-based framework to facilitate improved learning of relevant tools and critical thinking skills within a business information literacy context.
Gradient light interference microscopy (GLIM) of optically thick specimens

GLIM is a novel label-free imaging method with applicability from nanoscale topographic structures to 2–300-micron thick tissues. We present its principle and illustrate the performance with nano pillars, cells, and embryos.
SPONTANEOUS PERFORATION OF BILE DUCT, CLINICAL PRESENTATION, LABORATORY WORK UP, TREATMENT AND OUTCOME

Background: Spontaneous perforation of bile duct (SPBD) is a rare and often misdiagnosed entity. Though rare, it is the second most common surgical cause of jaundice in infants, after biliary atresia. This study was planned to determine the clinical presentation, study different diagnostic modalities, treatment and outcome of patients with spontaneous perforation of bile duct. Methods: This descriptive case series, comprising 22 patients with spontaneous perforation of bile duct over a period of 24 months. Clinical presentation, biochemical abnormalities, imaging details, treatment options and outcome were studied. Results: Total 22 patients (12 Males and 10 Females) between ages of 1.5–36 months were studied. Associated anatomical defects included choledochal cyst in 7 (31.8%) while acquired biliary atresia in 1 (4.5%). Elevated liver enzymes (ALT and AST) were present in 16 patients (72.7%) and 5 (22.7%) had bilirubin above 3 mg/dl. Coagulopathy was seen in 8 (36.6%) patients. Abdominal USG showed presence of ascites in all 22 (100%), hydrocele in 2 (9.0%), inguinal hernia in 1 (4.5%), choledochal cyst in 7 (31.8%) and atretic gall bladder suggestive of acquired biliary atresia in one (4.5%) patient. HIDA scan was diagnostic in all 17 (77.27%) in which it was performed. MRCP was done in 3 (13.6%) patients. Mortality frequency was 3/22 (13.6%); one died of post-surgical sepsis second one was cirrhotic at time of presentation and didn’t make It. Two were lost to follow up one which died at home while we lost contact with fourth patient. Conclusion: Spontaneous perforation of bile duct can present and should be suspected as an important cause of neonatal biliary ascites or peritonitis. Most patients can be managed with intravenous antibiotics, percutaneous drainage and t-tube insertion while patients with choledochal cysts required cholecystectomy with roux en y choledochjejunostomy. Timely recognition and intervention is associated with favourable outcome. Keywords: Spontaneous perforation of bile duct, clinical features, choledochal cyst, treatment, paediatric
Automatic glomerulus extraction in whole slide images towards computer aided diagnosis

Renal biopsies form the gold standard of diagnostic and prognostic assessments of renal transplants. With the addition of new quantitative strategies to supplement renal biopsy interpretation such as gene array and metabolomics, the capability to incorporate all quantitative measures for clinical interpretation will require multi-dimensional analyses. Currently, renal biopsies are analyzed manually; the quantitative features of pathology observed on the biopsies are limited to hand counts. Standardized, automated detection of pathology observed in a kidney transplant biopsy will enable the input of these digital images alongside other quantitative measures of new technologies, with potential gains in precision in patient care. We investigate a learning framework to detect pathological changes in biopsy image that addresses two main issues: the inadequate training set and the significant diversity of color and tissue shape on whole slide images. Two case studies, automatic detection of interstitial inflammation and tubular cast, are presented in this work. Afterwards, we propose a fully automated glomerulus extraction framework on micrograph of entire renal tissue, focusing on extracting Bowman's capsule, the supportive structure of glomeruli. Statistical approaches are also introduced to further improve the performance. Human expert annotations of interstitial inflammation and tubular casts in 10 H&E stained renal tissues of nonhuman primates and more than 100 glomeruli are used to demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed algorithm over existing solutions.
Preoperative Risk Factors for Complications in Elective Ankle and Hindfoot Reconstruction.

Background. The purpose of this study was to examine medical, social, and psychological factors associated with complications and reoperation after foot and ankle reconstruction. Methods. A retrosp...
Services utilization for mental health problems in Portugal during the economic crisis: Preliminary results of the national mental health survey follow-up

Introduction During economic crises additional mental health risks emerge and social inequalities in health can widen. In order to ensure universal coverage of mental health care and to reduce the impact of the crisis, it is crucial to assess the needs of the population to be able to reorganize mental health care accordingly. Objectives To analyse the use of services for mental health problems in Portugal during the economic crisis. Methods In this follow-up epidemiological study, a probability sub-sample of respondents to the 2008 national mental health survey (n = 911) was re-interviewed in 2015. Socio-demographic variables and treatment patterns were assessed using a structured interview, and psychological distress was measured using the Kessler-10 Scale. Descriptive analysis was conducted to characterize the use of services for mental health problems. Results In total, 27.9% of the respondents sought treatment for mental health problems in the previous 5 years, and GPs were the most contacted professionals. Only 57.7% (n = 119) of the respondents with moderate or severe psychological distress (n = 197) reported recognizing they needed treatment. Among people with moderate or severe psychological distress who recognized their need for treatment, most received treatment (80.5%, n = 105), which was minimally adequate for 74.4% (n = 81). Low perceived need and structural barriers were the main obstacles for access to care. Conclusions Under-treatment, low continuity of care and low adequacy of treatment are problems that the Portuguese health system must address in order to meet the mental health challenges of the economic crisis. Funding EEA Grants: Programa Iniciativas em Saude Publica.
Function‐based replacement behavior interventions for students with challenging behavior

Using a concurrent multiple probe design, this study investigated the effects of function-based replacement behavior interventions on the challenging behaviors of three students with or at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders who attended a rural elementary school. For all three students, interventions were effective at decreasing the occurrence of challenging and off-task behavior. Effects were maintained for two participants. Maintenance and generalization effects in a replication setting in which replacement behaviors were loosely trained were also documented for two participants. Furthermore, teachers rated the interventions favorably. Implications for practice, study limitations, and areas for future research are discussed.
Input Subsidy Programs and Climate Smart Agriculture: Current Realities and Future Potential

The achievement of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) goals in Africa will require widespread farmer adoption of practices and technologies that promote resilience and system-wide collective action to promote ex ante climate risk management activities and ex post coping strategies. Leveraging public sector resources is critical to achieve goals at scale. This study examines the scope for input subsidy programs (ISPs) to contribute to achieving CSA objectives in Africa. Available evidence to date suggests that in most cases ISPs have had either no effect on or have reduced SSA smallholders’ use of potentially CSA practices. However, recent innovations in ISPs may promote some climate smart objectives by contributing to system-level ex-ante risk management. In particular, restricted voucher systems for improved seed types that utilize private sector distribution supply chains may prove capable of promoting CSA goals. Generally, moving from systems that prescribe a fixed input packet to a flexible system with a range of input choices holds promise, but fixed systems still hold some benefits. Conditional ISPs would require improved monitoring and compliance as well as defining practices with clearly measurable productivity benefits vis-a-vis CSA goals. The potential of ISPs to achieve widespread CSA benefits must address these challenges and be evaluated against benefits of investments in irrigation, physical infrastructure, and public agricultural research and extension, which may generate higher comprehensive social benefits.
One-step volumetric additive manufacturing of complex polymer structures

Two limitations of additive manufacturing methods that arise from layer-based fabrication are slow speed and geometric constraints (which include poor surface quality). Both limitations are overcome in the work reported here, introducing a new volumetric additive fabrication paradigm that produces photopolymer structures with complex nonperiodic three-dimensional geometries on a time scale of seconds. We implement this approach using holographic patterning of light fields, demonstrate the fabrication of a variety of structures, and study the properties of the light patterns and photosensitive resins required for this fabrication approach. The results indicate that low-absorbing resins containing ~0.1% photoinitiator, illuminated at modest powers (~10 to 100 mW), may be successfully used to build full structures in ~1 to 10 s.
Proceedings of the 7th Workshop on Parallel and Distributed Systems: Testing, Analysis, and Debugging

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the 8th Workshop on Parallel and Distributed Systems: Testing, Analysis, and Debugging --- PADTAD'10. PADTAD is a workshop that brings together researchers from academia and practitioners from industry to promote the development of techniques and tools that aid in testing, analysis, and debugging of multi-threaded, parallel and distributed software. The quest to exploit concurrency at all levels---from hardware through applications---has made it imperative that researchers develop robust methods for testing, analyzing, and debugging concurrent systems. Of the many forums that cater to the need of researchers to assemble and discuss common issues they face and solutions they seek to refine, PADTAD is unique in that it intersperses technical papers with tutorials and other discussion sessions.
Reassessing Th1 versus Th17.1 in sarcoidosis: new tricks for old dogma

While enhanced IFN-gamma expression remains a principal feature of sarcoidosis, its origin may involve factors beyond Th1 http://ow.ly/qtyB30i48bU
Strategies toward Organic Carbon Monoxide Prodrugs

ConspectusCarbon monoxide is widely acknowledged as an important gasotransmitter in the mammalian system with importance on par with that of nitric oxide. It has also been firmly established as a potential therapeutic agent with a wide range of indications including organ transplantation, cancer, bacterial infection, and inflammation-related conditions such as colitis and sepsis. One major issue in developing CO based therapeutics is its delivery in a pharmaceutically acceptable form. Currently, there are generally five forms of deliveries: inhaled CO, photosensitive CO-releasing molecules, encapsulated CO, CO dissolved in drinks, and molecules that would release CO under physiological conditions without the need for light. For over a decade, the last category only included metal-based CO releasing molecules. What had been missing were organic CO prodrugs, which release CO under physiological conditions with tunable rates and in response to various exogenous and endogenous triggers such as water, chemical...
Genetic analyses of phenological traits of pistachio ( Pistacia vera L.)

Heritability of flowering and leafing date of pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) were estimated based on half-sib family and parent-offspring regression analyses. Narrow sense heritabilities of flowering date ranged from 0.68 to 0.88 based on half-sib analyses and from 0.89 to 0.95 based on parent-offspring regression analyses. The narrow sense heritability of leafing date was 0.75 based on half-sib analyses and 0.60 from parent-offspring regression analysis. First leafing date was highly correlated with flowering date (r =0.59–0.78), suggesting that first leafing date could be used to select for flowering date in seedlings long before the onset off lowering.
Early Experimental Studies of Meaning

Two kinds of uncertainty have surrounded the problem of meaning throughout the history of psychological concern with it. First was the question whether meaning belonged to the phenomenological or to the behavioral realm, as mentioned in the preceding chapter. If it belonged to the behavioral realm, a further question was whether meaning should refer only to the verbal area, or to behavior in general, or to both. Although many theorists insisted on the larger and more generalized aspects of meaning, experimental work has from the beginning been limited to the study of observable behavior, and largely confined to verbal phenomena. It began with the observation of a phenomenon which was later called semantic generalization.
Erratum to “A Transmission Line Model for the Evaluation of MRI RF-Induced Fields on Active Implantable Medical Devices”

In this paper, a transmission line model is applied to evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF)-induced fields on active implantable medical devices (AIMDs). The influences of the AIMD lead body, the lead tip, and the implantable pulse generator (IPG) are analyzed based on this model. The transmission line model, together with the transfer function method, forms a systematic approach for analyzing the MRI RF safety problems. It can be used to understand the mechanisms and predict the MRI RF safety risks for various IPGs and leads. Both numerical simulation and measurement results demonstrate the accuracy and the efficiency of this method.
Considerations for Testing and Treating Children with Central Vestibular Impairments

This perspective explores common pediatric diagnoses that could present with central vestibular pathway dysfunction, leading to delays in motor development and postural control, and gaze instability. Specifically, the following diagnoses are considered: cerebral palsy, myelomeningocele, vestibular migraine, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, developmental coordination disorder, concussion, childhood cancer, congenital muscular torticollis, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, and autism. Suggestions for clinical screening, vestibular function testing, and vestibular rehabilitation for children with these diagnoses are based on evidence for the efficacy of testing and interventions for children with peripheral vestibular hypofunction. More research is needed to explore peripheral and central vestibular function in children with these diagnoses. Testing and intervention methods may need to be modified to accommodate for the specific behavior and motor challenges that some children might present. Researchers should develop technology so that gaze stabilization exercises can be delivered in a fun, functional, and effective way.
Removal of subcutaneous defibrillator shocking coils: Lessons to learn for future extraction of subcutaneous defibrillator systems.

Background Subcutaneous shocking coils (SQC) have been used to lower defibrillation thresholds in certain patient populations. There are limited data regarding the extraction complexity of these leads. The goal of this study is to describe our SQC extraction experience and identify challenges that may be of importance with the increase in utilization and extraction of fully subcutaneous defibrillator systems. Methods We studied consecutive patients who underwent lead removal at our institution during which a Medtronic 6996SQ (Medtronic plc, Minneapolis, MN, USA) was removed RESULTS: Twenty-one patients (54.5 ± 14 years, 85.7% male) underwent procedures where at least one lead removed was a SQC. Mean ejection fraction was 27.7% and 11 patients had prior ventricular arrhythmia. Median SQC age was 177 days and the age of the oldest SQC removed was 3,041 days. Infection was the indication for removal in 14 patients. One removal was performed surgically and 20 were completed percutaneously. Three procedures required additional incisions beyond the device pocket and tie-down sleeve to complete the SQC lead removal due to dense adhesions. One removal procedure required the use of a laser sheath to relieve fibrosis. Complications in this group did not appear related to SQC removal. Conclusions Drawing from our SQC removal experience, there may be a need for additional incisions and extra tools to complete removal of older subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator leads.
Nonclinical Barriers to Care for Neurogenic Patients Undergoing Complex Urologic Reconstruction.

Objective To identify nonclinical factors affecting postoperative complication rates in patients with neurogenic bladder undergoing benign genitourinary (GU) reconstruction. Methods Adult patients with neurogenic bladder undergoing benign GU reconstruction between October 2010 and November 2015 were included. Patients were excluded if a diversion was performed for malignancy, if patients had a history of radiation or if a new bowel segment was not utilized at the time of the operation. Clinical and nonclinical factors were abstracted from the patients’ electronic medical records. Health literacy was assessed via the Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS), a validated 3-question assessment. Education, marital status, and distance from the medical center were also queried. Results Forty-nine patients with a neurogenic bladder undergoing complex GU reconstruction met inclusion and exclusion criteria. On average, patients lived 111 miles (standard deviation 89) from the hospital. Overall, mean BHLS score was 10.4 (standard deviation 4.6) with 35% of patients scoring a BHLS of ≤9. Mean years of educational attainment was 9.7, and only 31% of patients completed high school education. In the first month after surgery, 37 patients (76%) experienced a complication, and 22% were readmitted; however, analysis of complication data did not identify an association between any nonclinical variables and complication rates. Conclusion Nonclinical factors including unmarried status, poor health literacy, and marked distance from quaternary care are prevalent in patients with neurogenic bladder undergoing complex GU reconstruction. To mitigate these potential risk factors, the authors recommend acknowledgment of these factors and multidisciplinary support perioperatively to counteract them.
Packaging Architectures for Silicon Carbide Power Electronic Modules

High-density power electronic systems require the integration of multiple power semiconductor devices into single power electronic modules. One of the major advances to power electronic system integration has been the commercial availability of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor devices. Increased switching speeds, lower on-state resistance, higher breakdown voltage, and higher operating temperatures of these SiC power devices lead to higher performance and greater miniaturization when compared to those of silicon power devices. At present, these SiC devices are limited by their current handling capability. As such, paralleling of multiple SiC devices is commonly used to increase current handling capability in SiC power electronic modules. This paper describes techniques to address performance limitations while achieving the potential merits of wide bandgap device technology. A great deal of this activity involves wire bondless packaging techniques to achieve lower inductances and higher packaging density.
Effect of Illumination on Thermal CdCl 2 Treatment of CdTe

Photon absorption is a critical process for photovoltaic operation, yet the effect of illumination on semiconductor growth and processing is rarely investigated. In this work we investigate the effect of illumination during the cadmium chloride (CdCl2) annealing treatment of cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films for photovoltaic applications while keeping the sample temperature constant. Illumination at 808 nm with varying intensity (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 W) when incident on CdTe during thermal CdCl2 treatment of CdTe lead to enhancement of grain size and optoelectronic properties of CdTe. However photoassisted etching of the CdTe surface is also observed at illuminations sufficiently low that the sample temperature was barely affected during annealing. Additionally, annealing under high illumination sufficient to drive CdCl2 annealing in the absence of a furnace has no such effect on the CdTe surface. We attempt to reconcile these observations and provide rationale for further experiments.
Influence of the Intensity of the Allogeneic Conditioning Regimen on the Risk of Hemorrhagic Cystitis (HC) in Patients Receiving Post- Transplant Cyclophosphamide (PT-Cy) As Gvhd Prophylaxis

Background Our group previously reported a 16% incidence of HC after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) involving mostly matched unrelated donors (85%) and ATG-containing regimens (80%) (Silva, Haematologica 2010). PT-Cy is an effective GVHD prophylaxis in haplo- or matched unrelated transplants. There is a paucity of information about the risk of HC in this setting. Objective To retrospectively assess the incidence and clinical factors associated with HC in alloHCT recipients receiving PTCy as GVHD prophylaxis. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients (pts.) who underwent HCT with PT-Cy at our center between 2012-2018 was performed. We stratified the study cohort (N=478) into HC (N=193, 40%) and Non-HC (N=285, 60%) to compare their characteristics and outcome. Association between HC and clinical variables was assessed using logistic regression modeling. Results Pt's age, HCT-CI, # prior therapies, disease type and status were not statistically different between the 2 groups. However, the HC group pts. were more likely to have received more intense conditioning (Busulfan/Fludarabine(BF) +/- Clofarabine, or Thio; F/Melphalan (FM) 140+/-Thio or TBI vs. FM 100+/-TBI) (p=0.018), had haplo-transplants (p=0.018), BM as graft (p=0.021), and tacrolimus+mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) (p=0.043). Delayed ANC engraftment (p=0.032) and time to achieve an absolute lymphocyte count >500 was noted in HC group (p=0.014). 54% of HC pts. had grade 2-4 cystitis and BK virus was isolated in 87% of cases. CMV viremia was higher in HC group compared to Non-HC group (p Conclusion Our study showed a 40% incidence of HC after HCT recipients receiving PT-Cy. The intensity of the conditioning regimen is an independent predictive factor for developing HC. A formal comparison to ATG-containing regimens is in progress.
Dynamic Load Scheduling for Energy Efficiency in a Job Shop with On-site Wind Mill for Energy Generation

Abstract With growing concern over global warming and increasing fuel costs, manufacturing facilities are seeking strategic and operational changes to achieve energy efficiency in production. On-site energy generation provides a greener and less expensive source of energy but its highly stochastic and intermittent nature makes production planning very complex. Demand Side Management (DSM) for real-time operation has emerged as an effective tool for carbon footprint reduction. In DSM, a local controller installed at the manufacturing facility uses an intelligent algorithm to make dynamic decisions for scheduling production line electrical loads. In this paper, we propose a framework for the intelligent algorithm in a job shop manufacturing facility aimed at minimizing the total electricity cost such that the total order delays are controlled. We consider a manufacturing facility with a wind mill as a source of on-site renewable electricity generation. The intelligent algorithm makes sequential decisions based on weighted objective function involving electricity cost and delay virtual queues while using different information e.g. historical decisions, current state and near future energy expectations from the wind mill. Job shop scheduling problems with traditional objective functions are NP Hard and the dimension of energy efficiency makes the problem more complicated. The intelligent algorithm developed in this paper uses Recurrent Neural Network for predicting electricity from the wind mill for the future time slots. Simulation results confirm that the proposed online algorithm framework for job shop scheduling is an effective DSM approach, outperforming the current industry practices and achieves results comparable to benchmark solutions.
South Asian entrepreneurs in the automotive age: negotiating a place of belonging in colonial and post-colonial Tanzania

This article examines the integral role that South Asians fulfilled in the history of motorized road transportation in Tanzania during the twentieth century. Drawing on oral and archival evidence, ...
Approach to the Patient with Non-nephrotic Proteinuria

Abstract This chapter reviews the approach to the patient with non-nephrotic proteinuria. The definition and prevalence of proteinuria are considered. Proteinuria is important because it has implications for progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and increased cardiovascular risk. The type of proteinuria may provide important diagnostic clues to the etiology of CKD. Evaluation includes review of the urine sediment, serological evaluation, and renal biopsy if appropriate. Lifestyle modification and antagonism of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system form the cornerstone of conservative management for all patients with proteinuric kidney disease. Immunosuppressive therapy may be indicated, depending on the etiology of the patient's renal disease. Additional specific therapies to reduce proteinuria and slow progression of CKD are eagerly awaited.
Application of a co-adsorption model for the design of CIL/CIP circuits

One of the main problems in the design of carbon adsorption circuits for the processing of high silver gold ores is that the commonly used gold adsorption models are unable to replicate the frequen...
A Bizarre Death Caused by a Model Airplane

This paper describes examinations conducted on fracture surfaces on the horizontal stabilizer of a large radio-controlled model airplane. This stabilizer separated from the aircraft in flight, causing it to go out of control and crash into a bystander who was casually observing the flight. The bystander suffered a ruptured liver and bled to death internally within a short time. In the course of a subsequent lawsuit, it was revealed that the horizontal stabilizer had broken off the plane in a previous flight and had been repaired. Infrared analysis was used to identify the glues used to effect the repair. Microscopic examinations provided evidence of multiple repairs and demonstrated the poor quality of the repairs. This case emphasizes the importance of a careful visual examination of items of evidence as an adjunct to chemical and instrumental analyses.
Glycolic Acid Peel for the Face

Glycolic acid (GA) is the most commonly used hydroxy acid peeling agent. Advantages of GA peels include minimal downtime, minimal risk, and minimal discomfort. They range from very superficial to medium-depth and require neutralization. GA peels are safe and effective in a variety of skin types, with indications such as photoaging, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), actinic keratosis, wrinkles, melasma, active acne, and acne scars. To reduce the risk of PIH and to increase peel efficacy, priming the skin with topical retinoids, hydroquinone, or non-hydroquinone cosmeceuticals is beneficial. A higher concentration of GA confers a more acidic pH and will provide a deeper peel. GA peels do not exhibit frosting as a true endpoint. Duration of contact with the skin (time from application to neutralization) affects peel depth. Monitor time, erythema, and degree of patient discomfort to assess endpoint. A test spot in patients with skin of color is recommended.
RESPONSE: The Imperative to Change the Delivery of Cardiometabolic Care: The Future Is Now

If the current trends persist, the number of individuals with diabetes will double by 2050, with 1 in 3 Americans predicted to have the disease ([1][1]). This represents one of the greatest public health threats—with most of the recent “epidemics” afflicting the society, including
1956 Amendment to Title II of the Social Security Act: Summary of Disability Insurance Benefits

We excerpt here the section on Disability Insurance Benefits from Mr. Schottland's article in the Social Security Bulletin entitled “Social Security Amendments of 1956: A Summary and Legislative Hi...
Chapter 12 – Epigenetics and Systemic Sclerosis

Epigenetic aberrancies are emerging as key pathogenic features in systemic sclerosis (SSc). This chapter presents the layers of evidence for epigenetic alterations in SSc. We discuss DNA methylation aberrancies, histone modifications, and altered microRNA (miRNA) expression in SSc, and the role of the epigenetic program in the pathogenesis of SSc. More recently, epigenome-wide DNA methylation studies have identified alterations of the epigenome in fibroblasts from patients with SSc, with an interesting divergence of the “methylome” between limited and diffuse cutaneous SSc subsets. In addition, there is evidence for intrinsic DNA methylation aberrancies in key pathways in the fibrosis process, such as the TGF-β and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways, that are strong stimuli for myofibroblast differentiation. There is also evidence for altered miRNA expression that has either profibrogenic or antifibrogenic properties. The mechanisms that initiate and perpetuate defects in the epigenetic program in SSc have not been fully elucidated, but we propose potential extrinsic factors such as occupational exposures and nutritional deficiencies, and intrinsic factors including cellular hypoxia and oxidative stress as possible mechanisms.
Characterizing COVID-19 case detection utilizing influenza surveillance data in the United States, January-March, 2020

COVID-19 reached the US in January, 2020, but state and local case detection efforts varied in timing and scale. We conducted a state-level ecological analysis of COVID-19 epidemiology alongside CDC influenza surveillance data and policy timelines. Our findings show wide variation in COVID-19 case detection and influenza-like-illness activity between states.
Instability in Active Balancing Control of DC Bus Voltages in STATCOM Converters Paralleled via Interphase Transformers

In high power applications, 3-phase ac/dc Voltage Source Converters (VSCs) are paralleled to increase the overall aggregated converter power rating, effective switching frequency and control bandwidth. For this, interleaved Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and current limiting paralleling inductors are required. Interphase Transformers (ITRs) are often used for the converter paralleling because they provide large magnetizing inductances for the currents flowing between the converters while introducing negligible leakage inductances for the currents flowing from the converters to the ac grid. This large asymmetry in the inductance values makes it difficult to independently control active power flows in the individual converters. Thus, if the converters dc buses are not mutually interconnected, instabilities in active control of balance of converter dc bus voltages can occur in certain operational conditions. This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the active power flows produced by the currents flowing among the converters and explains origins of potential instability in the active control of balance of dc bus voltages in multi-converter systems with floating dc buses, paralleled using the ITRs.
Large-scale Debloating of Binary Shared Libraries

Developers nowadays have access to an arsenal of toolkits and libraries for rapid application prototyping. However, when an application loads a library, the entirety of that library’s code is mapped into the process address space, even if only a single function is actually needed. The unused portion is bloat that can negatively impact software defenses by unnecessarily inflating their overhead or increasing the attack surface. In this article, we investigate whether debloating is possible and practical at the binary level. To this end, we present Nibbler: a system that identifies and erases unused functions within dynamic shared libraries. Nibbler works in tandem with defenses such as continuous code re-randomization and control-flow integrity, enhancing them without incurring additional run-time overhead. We developed and tested a prototype of Nibbler on x86-64 Linux; Nibbler reduces the size of shared libraries and the number of available functions, for real-world binaries and the SPEC CINT2006 suite, by up to 56% and 82%, respectively. We also demonstrate that Nibbler benefits defenses by showing that: (i) it improves the deployability of a continuous re-randomization system for binaries, namely, Shuffler, by increasing its efficiency by 20%, and (ii) it improves certain fast but coarse and context-insensitive control-flow integrity schemes by reducing the number of gadgets reachable through indirect branch instructions by 75% and 49%, on average. Last, we apply Nibbler on a30K C/C++ binaries and a5K unique dynamic shared libraries (i.e., almost the complete set of the Debian sid distribution), as well as on nine official Docker images (with millions of downloads in Docker Hub), reporting entrancing findings regarding code bloat at large.
A longitudinal investigation of young mothers’ prenatal attachment, depressive symptoms, and early parenting behaviour

Objectives: This study explores whether young, low-income mothers’ prenatal attachment to their infants is related to attachment and parenting behaviour postnatally. Background: A small literature ...
Carbon-sulfur signals of methane versus crude oil diagenetic decomposition and U-Th age relationships for authigenic carbonates from asphalt seeps, southern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Offshore hydrocarbon accumulations in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) are often accompanied by natural seepage of oil and gas from subsurface reservoirs into shallow sediments and the water column. This study investigated the temporal patterns and carbon-sulfur (C-S) coupling associated with authigenic carbonate samples recovered from surface sediments of a crude oil seepage site in southern GoM (Chapopote asphalt volcano, Bay of Campeche) using radioactive U-Th dates, and stable C, O, and S isotopes. The results were compared with data from multiple seep sites in the northern GoM where methane seepage is dominant along with non-methane hydrocarbons (ethane , propane, crude oil, etc.). U-Th age-dating of Chapopote seep carbonate samples yielded ages of 13.5 ka to 4.6 ka before present (BP), suggesting that Chapopote asphalt seepage has been ongoing for thousands of years. The results are also consistent with previous studies from the northern GoM that hypothesize that seeps along the GoM continental slope were active during the last deglaciation. δ13CCaCO3 and δ18OCaCO3 values from authigenic carbonates at Chapopote indicated a mixed contribution of methane and non-methane hydrocarbons to the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) pool, consistent with previous results. Comparison of δ13CCaCO3 vs. δ34SCRS (CRS = chromium reducible sulfur) from carbonate samples showed noticeable differences at the Chapopote seep site (average δ13CCaCO3 -25‰ VDPB, δ34SCRS -27‰ VCDT) relative to the methane seep-dominated samples from the northern GoM (average δ13CCaCO3 0‰ VCDT). Our results point toward distinguishable differences in the paired δ13CDIC and δ34Ssulfide signatures produced via the diagenetic processes of sulfate-driven anaerobic oxidation of methane versus non-methane hydrocarbons. These results potentially provide an important proxy for identification of such diagenetic processes within the sedimentary records.
Suitability of Free-Living Marine Nematodes as Bioindicators: Status and Future Considerations

Nematodes are among the most abundant organisms on the Earth, and have important roles in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Free-living marine nematodes have been used successfully as indicators of biological health and ocean pollution for at least the past 40 years, but their use as bioindicators is not ubiquitous. Free-living marine nematodes have been most often used specifically as indicators of heavy metal and hydrocarbon pollution, with far fewer instances of free-living marine nematodes as indicators of biological, environmental, or physical perturbations. Although free-living marine nematodes are among the best bioindicators owing to their global distributions, abundances, and genus- and species-specific responses to environmental pollution, there are still some challenges that prevent their use throughout the world. Here, we present a review of characteristics that make free-living marine nematodes excellent bioindicators, recent studies that have used free-living marine nematodes as bioindicators, and suggestions for future directions in the use of these fauna as indicators in the marine environment. Specifically, we consider the use of marine nematodes for microplastics (an understudied class of pollutants that are a future threat to global biodiversity), the value of current nematode indices as measures of ecosystem health, and the importance of improved and continued international collaboration in the field of marine nematology.
Sympathomimetic anesthetics

The characteristic anaesthetic and other pharmacological properties of phencyclidine, ketamine, dexoxadrol and etoxadrol and the structure-activity relationship of these compounds have been described. Their possible mode of action is discussed in reference to the central depressant actions of the sympathomimetic amines.
Social Psychology and Physical Well-Being

Each of these cases raises a significant question about the relationship between the social world and physical well-being. How do our relations with others affect the length of our lives, our emotional state, and our ability to remain healthy? Until recent years such questions were seldom asked, primarily because of the narrow view of health and illness that people, including the medical profession, largely shared. The narrow view is that health and illness are exclusively physical matters. Their understanding is a problem for biology and chemistry. This view now is slowly withering away and being replaced by the exciting new perspective of social ecology. The term “ecology” refers to the study of persons within their environmental settings. In the case of social ecology, the environment is essentially one composed of other persons. Thus the social ecological approach to physical well-being calls attention to the relationship of the person’s physical system to that person’s social context. Health and illness are intimately connected to relationships with others.
Performance bounded reinforcement learning in strategic interactions

Despite increasing deployment of agent technologies in several business and industry domains, user confidence in fully automated agent driven applications is noticeably lacking. The main reasons for such lack of trust in complete automation are scalability and nonexistence of reasonable guarantees in the performance of selfadapting software. In this paper we address the latter issue in the context of learning agents in a Multiagent System (MAS). Performance guarantees for most existing on-line Multiagent Learning (MAL) algorithms are realizable only in the limit, thereby seriously limiting its practical utility. Our goal is to provide certain meaningful guarantees about the performance of a learner in a MAS, while it is learning. In particular, we present a novel MAL algorithm that (i) converges to a best response against stationary opponents, (ii) converges to a Nash equilibrium in self-play and (iii) achieves a constant bounded expected regret at any time (no-average-regret asymptotically) in arbitrary sized general-sum games with non-negative payoffs, and against any number of opponents.
Sulfur and selenium compounds related to acetylcholine and choline. VI. Effects of homocholine derivatives on the electroplax preparation.

Abstract The depolarizing activities of homocholine, homocholinethiol, homocholineselenol, their acetyl esters, and their methyl derivatives were measured in the single-cell electroplax preparation and compared with the activities of the corresponding series ofcholine, cholinethiol, and cholineselenol derivatives. The possible basis for the striking inactivity of choline compared to closely related compounds is discussed.
Spatial effects of HF multiple scattering in the ionosphere: Experimental observations

[1] The theory of multiple scattering of MF/HF radio waves by intermediate-scale (0.1–5 km) ionospheric irregularities predicts a very distinctive distribution of the relative integral intensity of a signal reflected from the ionosphere in the vicinity of a ground-based transmitter. It is significantly reduced within a distance of about several tens of kilometers. A ring of enhancement occurs at a greater distance. At still larger distances from the transmitter, effects of multiple scattering are weakened and the integral intensity returns to its undisturbed value. While there are experimental confirmations of the “anomalous attenuation” effect near the transmitter location, no attempt has yet been made to track the intensity features at the larger distances. This paper presents results of the first experimental campaign of this kind that was conducted in September–November 2009 in and around Boulder, CO. The results obtained confirm that significant deviations from the predictions of geometrical optics occur, and these deviations are in general agreement with the theory of multiple scattering in the ionosphere.
Myokinase equilibrium. An enzymatic method for the determination of stability constants of magnesium complexes with adenosine triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate, and adenosine monophosphate in media of high ionic strength.

Abstract Apparent equilibrium constants of many biochemical reactions are influenced by metal ions. Quantitative prediction of this effect, which is due to complex formation between metal ion and equilibrating species, requires knowledge of the relevant metal-ligand stability constants. The inconsistency of the published values for some such constants is notorious, and methods for their determination often cannot be applied under conditions close to those in the living cell. This paper proposes an enzymatic method for the determination of metal-ligand stability constants at constant pH, based on observations of apparent equilibria over a range of metal ion concentrations. A nonlinear least squares data fitting program is developed which extracts from these observations the set of stability constants, with standard errors, which best predicts the observations. The method is applied to the determination of stability constants for MgATP, MgADP, and MgAMP in 0.46 m tetrabutylammonium chloride at pH 7.25, using the myokinase equilibrium. Subject to a few constraints, extension of this data fitting procedure to other equilibria is straightforward.
A comparison of auditor and non‐auditor performance evaluations: Are accountants harsh critics?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether audit professionals exhibit greater performance evaluation bias compared to non‐accounting professionals.Design/methodology/approach – Both audit and non‐accounting professional subjects read a case study and evaluated the performance of a hypothetical subordinate. Two factors were manipulated the subordinate's work performance history and the subordinate's current performance relative to a budget.Findings – It was found that reputation bias and hindsight bias are prevalent in both professional groups. The groups exhibit no difference with respect to reputation bias; however, it was found that public accountants exhibit significantly greater hindsight bias relative to non‐accounting professionals.Practical implications – The paper provides evidence that accountants are relatively harsh critics of subordinate performance. Importantly, the paper investigates accountant vs non‐accountant comparisons where subordinates' ex ante decisions are consis...
An object model for embedded system development

The successful development and delivery of an embedded system requires the collaboration of many diverse talents from the areas of marketing, project management and electrical, mechanical and software engineering. The management of these projects is complicated by the need to integrate and coordinate the development methodologies from these various disciplines. The paper considers how the application of object oriented techniques to the product development cycle provides a simplified framework for describing, developing and managing the product from concept to delivery.
AdS spacetime in warped spacetimes

We obtain a large class of AdS spacetimes warped with certain internal spaces in 11-dimensional and type IIA or IIB supergravities. The warp factors depend only on the internal coordinates. These solutions arise as the near-horizon geometries of more general semilocalized multi-intersections of p-branes. We achieve this by noting that any sphere (or AdS spacetime) of dimension greater than 3 can be viewed as a foliation involving ${\mathrm{S}}^{3}$ (or ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{3}).$ Then the ${\mathrm{S}}^{3}$ (or ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{3})$ can be replaced by a three-dimensional lens space (or a BTZ black hole), which arises naturally from the introduction of a NUT (or a $\mathrm{pp}$ wave) to the M-branes or the D3-brane. We then obtain multi-intersections by performing a Kaluza-Klein reduction or Hopf T-duality transformation on the fiber coordinate of the lens space (or the BTZ black hole). These geometries provide further possible examples of the AdS/CFT correspondence and of consistent embeddings of lower-dimensional gauged supergravities in $D=11$ or $D=10.$