cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lygus Bugs in Eastern Washington: Color Preferences and Winter Activity

Significantly more Lygus hesperus Knight and L. elisus Van Duzee were collected in water-pan traps painted light orange yellow or deep chrome yellow than in pans painted cossack green, scarlet red, or peach red. Catches of lygus bugs at Yakima, Washington, in traps with baffles painted deep chrome yellow, showed that lygus bugs moved about during 3 winters whenever maximum temperatures exceeded 9.4°C; also, in some years, considerable activity occurred during February and March.
Food borne pathogens contamination analysis of 193 food samples in Nanning

Objective To analyze food borne pathogens contamination of foods in Nanning City,provide scientific basis for the control and prevention of food borne diseases. Methods 10 categories 193 samples of foods collected from market were isolated,cultured and identified according to the national standard methods and Handbook of the food- borne pathogenic bacteria monitoring in Guangxi. Results 25 bacterial pathogens been detected among 193 samples of all kinds of foods,the total detection rate was 12. 95%( 25 /193). The detection rates of Bacillus cereus,staphylococcus aureus and listeria monocytogenes were 63. 64%( 14 /22),5. 75%( 25 /193) and 0. 65%( 1 /115) respectively. Conclusions There are varying degrees of food borne pathogens contamination and potential safety danger exist in foods market of Nanning city,should cause the attention of relevant departments.
Inoculation of the Pupal Honeybee with Spores of Bacillus Larvae

SummaryBacillus larvae germinated, multiplied and formed endospores internally in honeybee pupae following spore injections into the cephalic haemocoel. The LD50 was approximately 5000 injected spores per pupa. Resistance mechanisms appeared to be present in pupae inoculated with low doses of spores, some of the spore-inoculated pupae completing their development and emerging as apparently healthy adults. Spores from four different sources were of equal virulence. Changes in body colour were observed as early as 12 hours after spore injections. Pupae inoculated one day after pupation were the best indicators of an infection, and they showed the typical tan to brown colour of American foul brood disease by the fourth day of pupal life.The ease of inoculating pupae, combined with the sensitivity of the test, makes pupal inoculations a convenient and useful bioassay method for determining relative spore viability.
Cause or Effect? Turnout in Hispanic Majority-Minority Districts

Legislative redistricting alters the political and electoral context for some voters but not others, thus offering a potentially promising research design to study many questions of interest in political science. We apply this design to study the effect that descriptive representation has on co-ethnic political engagement, focusing on Hispanic participation following California's 2000 redistricting cycle. We show that when redistrictors draw legislative boundaries in California's 1990, 2000, and 2010 apportionment cycles, they systematically sort higher-participating Hispanic voters into majority-Hispanic (MH) jurisdictions represented by co-ethnic candidates, biasing subsequent comparisons of Hispanic participation across districts. Similar sorting occurs during redistricting in Florida and Texas, though here the pattern is reversed, with less-participating Hispanic voters redistricted to MH districts. Our study highlights important heterogeneity in redistricting largely unknown or underappreciated in previous research. Ignoring this selection problem could significantly bias estimates of the effect of Hispanic representation, either positively or negatively. After we correct for these biases using a hierarchical genetic matching algorithm, we find that, in California, being moved to a district with an Hispanic incumbent has little impact on Hispanic participation in our data.
“By Some It Is Doubted If the Chinese Will Ever Become Radio Fans”: Sino-American Relations and Chinese Broadcasting during the Interwar Era

W.A. Estes was confused. He had come home to the United States from Shanghai, where he was living, for an extended visit in June 1924. He hoped to bring a radio with him on his return, but he did not wish to run afoul of China’s 1915 radio law. This relic of the pre-broadcasting era identified all radio equipment as military contraband and prohibited its importation and possession. Estes contacted the US State Department for guidance as he prepared for his return trip in early 1925. “Before I left China last June I know that many such sets, made in the United States and Europe, were in constant use in Shanghai,” he wrote. Sets were easily acquired, and “reliable firms” sold them. Estes did not base his query solely on the assumption that reliable firms abided by the law; he also mentioned the exhortations of a local minister who urged his parishioners, and their friends living up to 400 miles from Shanghai, to purchase radios. Certainly a minister would not encourage his flock to break the law! But despite indications that the restrictive statute would be eased, Estes continued to receive letters from friends in China lamenting the confiscation of their sets. “I shall be very grateful for information in regard to this matter,” Estes concluded. “I am returning to Shanghai in August and hope to be able to take a radio receiving set with me.”1
Cumin, Camels, and Caravans: A Spice Odyssey. By Gary Paul Nabhan. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2014. Pp. xiv, 305. $29.95.)

The author of this book has journeyed all over the world in search of evidence for the history of spices and the pre‐Columbian story of globalization. His thesis is that the traders in the age‐old ...
Improved parental dietary quality is associated with children's dietary intake through the home environment.

BACKGROUND Improving access to supermarkets has been shown to improve some dietary outcomes, yet there is little evidence for such effects on children. Relatedly, there is a dearth of research assessing the impact of a structural change (i.e. supermarket in a former food desert) on the home environment and its relationship with children's diet. OBJECTIVE Assess the relative impact of the home environment on children's diet after the introduction of a new supermarket in a food desert. METHODS Among a randomly selected cohort of households living in a food desert, parental diet was assessed before and after the opening of a full-service supermarket. The home environment and children's intake of fruits and vegetables was measured at one point - after the store's opening. Structural equation models were used to estimate the pathways between changes in parental dietary quality at follow-up and children's dietary intake through the home environment. RESULTS Parental dietary improvement after the supermarket opened was associated with having a better home environment (β = 0.45, p = 0.001) and with healthier children's dietary intake (β = 0.46, p < 0.001) through higher family nutrition and physical activity scores (β = 0.25, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Policy solutions designed to improve diet among low-resource communities should take into account the importance of the home environment.
Evaluation of Mn and Sn-Modified Pd-Ce-Based Catalysts for Low-Temperature Diesel Exhaust Oxidation

Pd-impregnated Ce-based catalysts were tested for carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) oxidation under challenging low-temperature diesel combustion conditions. The results indicate that the light-off temperatures for CO over Pd/CeO2, Pd/MnO x -CeO2 (Pd/MC), and Pd/SnO2-MnO x -CeO2 (Pd/SMC) catalysts shift to higher temperatures in the presence of simulated diesel exhaust gas. The lowest T 50 for CO is observed over Pd/MC at 173 °C, whereas Pd/CeO2 is shown to oxidize most of the HCs at temperatures below 400 °C. In all catalysts, the oxidation of HCs starts right after the onset of CO oxidation, revealing that the competitive adsorption of CO, NO, and alkenes controls the catalytic activity. Further evaluation of the catalytic activity in the presence of only CO and C3H6 reveals the immediate inhibiting effect of C3H6 at catalyst temperatures below 150 °C. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) experiments performed over Pd/CeO2, Pd/MC, and Pd/SMC show that C3H6 inhibits the formation of carbonyl species on Pd n+ sites, which limits the catalytic activity for CO. Such inhibition is observed on all supports, implying that the activity is independent of oxygen storage capacity (OSC) or lattice oxygen reducibility of the supports in the presence of C3H6.
The Cultural Politics of Schools: Implications for Leadership

There is an increasing interest among educational researchers in the ways resistance occurs in schools and how schools systematically silence the voices of students, teachers, and disenfranchised communities. The literature on institutional resistance and silencing is part of a broader literature that addresses the cultural politics of schools (Kanpol, 1992; Quantz, Rogers, and Dantley, 1991). ‘Cultural politics’ refers to the ways schools (a.) silence ‘disruptive’ voices, (b.) serve as sites in which student identities are negotiated within contexts that reflect the complex and interactive dynamics of class, race, gender, disability, and sexual orientation, and (c.) embed power relations in the structures, practices, curriculum, and everyday life of schools (Cherry-holmes, 1988)1.
36. Translation of an Adenovirus-Based Cocaine Vaccine dAd5GNE to a Clinical Trial

dAd5GNE, an anti-cocaine vaccine based on a disrupted serotype 5 adenovirus gene transfer vector covalently conjugated to the cocaine analog GNE, evokes high titers of high affinity anti-cocaine antibodies that prevent cocaine from reaching its cognate receptor in the CNS. dAd5GNE has been shown to be effective in preclinical efficacy studies in mice, rats and nonhuman primates. In order to translate dAd5GNE to the clinic, this study focused on optimizing the choice of adjuvant, timing of vaccination regimen and dose. Adjuvant. To evaluate vaccine formulation, the adjuvants Adjuplex and Alum were assessed at a fixed dose to identify the formulation that evoked the fastest and highest titer response. BALB/c mice vaccinated with dAd5GNE/Adjuplex demonstrated high serum anti-cocaine antibody titers (>5×105) after a single administration while animals vaccinated with dAd5GNE/Alum required multiple injections to achieve high titers, and mice vaccinated with dAd5GNE/PBS plateaued at a lower titer. Therefore, a formulation based on the Adjuplex adjuvant was chosen for the clinical protocol. Timing. The measurement of titer half-life in nonhuman primates following individual vaccinations at variable intervals was used to inform the timing between vaccine boosts. The anti-cocaine antibody titer half-life in 8 dAd5GNE/Adjuplex vaccinated nonhuman primates was assayed regularly over the course of 1 yr and the titer half-life was calculated following each administration. The average half-life for all animals was 4.0 ± 0.2 wk. Continued cocaine use did not impact the titer half-life. These results indicate that a 4 wk interval for vaccinations is necessary to maintain the high titer anti-cocaine antibody levels. Dose. We measured the dose response in mice to provide the baseline for a phase I/II clinical trial and identified the range of doses that bracket the anticipated minimum effective dose and maximum tolerated dose. Doses from 0.04-40 μg of the vaccine were evaluated in BALB/c for the capacity to evoke antibody titers and to minimize access of radiolabelled cocaine to the CNS. Doses at and above 4 µg produced high anti-cocaine antibody titers above the threshold for efficacy (>5×105) which substantially reduced cocaine levels in the brain (p<0.0001 vs PBS). Using a modified weight adjusted dose from these results, the vaccine doses to be evaluated in the clinical trial were determined to be 100 to 1000 µg. The results of these studies combine to provide the specifications for critical vaccine design parameters required to translate the anti-cocaine vaccine to evaluation in a clinical trial. Based on these specifications the FDA has allowed the Adjuplex-formulated dAd5GNE vaccine to proceed to clinical study with a monthly vaccination regimen in recovering cocaine addicts.
Development of a printed impedance based electrochemical sensor on paper substrate

A novel printed impedance based electrochemical sensor has been successfully developed on a paper substrate for the detection of various bio/chemicals. This flexible analytical device was fabricated by screen printing a two electrode sensor configuration on a wax-printed chromatography paper substrate. Silver (Ag) ink was used for screen printing the working and circular electrodes. The capability of the fabricated electrochemical sensor for detecting trace concentrations of bio/chemicals such potassium chloride (KCl) and glucose (C6H12O6) was investigated. The electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) based response of the printed sensor revealed detection levels as low as picomolar (pM) concentrations as well as the capability of the sensor to distinguish among varying levels (pico, nano, micro and milli) of sample concentrations. The response of the developed electrochemical sensor has been analyzed and is presented in this paper.
General Gauss–Markov Models

A general Gauss–Markov model is a model \({\rm Y}={\rm X}\beta + e,\quad {\rm E}(e) = 0,\quad {{\rm Cov}(e)}= \sigma^{2}{\rm V},\) where V is a known matrix. Linear models can be divided into four categories depending on the assumptions made about V: (a) V is an identity matrix, (b) V is nonsingular, (c) V is possibly singular but C(X) ⊂ C(V), (d) V is possibly singular.
An algorithm for generating convex obstacle-free regions based on stereographic projection

Many of the existing motion planning algorithms require the free space to be decomposed into convex obstacle-free regions. This paper presents an algorithm for generating such regions. The algorithm is based on stereographic projection. The algorithm requires relatively simple computations, compared with some of the known methods. Three applications of the algorithm were demonstrated: motion planning for a walking robot, trajectory generation for an unmanned aerial vehicle and a motion planning for an in-pipe robot.
Nonlinear processes in lossy microring resonators

Microring resonators (MRR) are becoming a standard resource for highly efficient entangled photon pair generation. We examine the nonlinear processes in MRR using an input-output formalism that explicitly accounts for the contribution of the round trip circulation of the fields inside the MRR. This formalism reduces to the standard Langevin operator input-output formalism for cavities in the high cavity Q limit, near cavity resonances. Our approach is more general, applicable for arbitrary internal and bus-ring coupling losses, and away from resonances. We compare/contrast these two formalisms, and apply our approach to the output quantum state resulting from spontaneous parametric down conversion and spontaneous four wave mixing within the MRR. We compare our results to similar calculations employing the standard IO formalism, and note the role of the commutators of the noise operators on the undesired accidental singles rate.
Ascertainment of asthma prognosis using natural language processing from electronic medical records.

Summary NLP algorithm successfully determined asthma prognosis (i.e., no remission, long-term remission, and intermittent remission) by taking into account asthma symptoms documented in EMR, and addressed the limitations of billing code-based asthma outcome assessment.
Incidence and Prevalence of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, and Axial Spondyloarthritis.

Objective To compare the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in a large observational cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), or axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients. Methods We conducted a mixed retrospective and prospective cohort study using data from patients with RA, PsA, or axial SpA included in the Swiss Clinical Quality Management registry. The primary outcome of interest was a composite of myocardial infarction, transient or permanent cerebrovascular event, or cardiovascular-associated death. Results A total of 5,315 patients were eligible for the analysis of incidence, with a total follow-up time of 37,495 patient-years for RA, 19,837 patient-years for axial SpA, and 9,171 patient-years for PsA. The unadjusted incidence rate of MACE per 1,000 patient-years was 2.67 for RA, 1.41 for axial SpA, and 1.42 for PsA. Compared to the unadjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) in patients with RA, those in patients with axial SpA were 0.53 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.34-0.80; P = 0.003) and in patients with PsA were 0.53 (95% CI 0.30-0.95; P = 0.03). After adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, age at disease onset, sex, and disease duration, the difference was not significant between RA and axial SpA (adjusted IRR 0.93 [95% CI 0.51-1.69]; P = 0.80) or between RA and PsA (adjusted IRR 0.56 [95% CI 0.27-1.14]; P = 0.11). We found a similar result with the analysis of prevalence. Conclusion There was no significant difference in the incidence and prevalence of MACE between RA and axial SpA or PsA, suggesting that inflammation, rather than a particular disease, drives the increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Effect of resonant acoustic mixing on pharmaceutical powder blends and tablets

Abstract Blending in a resonant acoustic mixer (RAM) was shown to be highly effective for low concentrations of cohesive active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and lubricant (Osorio and Muzzio, 2015). However, changes in material properties of the final blend were observed. Those changes, and their effects on tablet characteristics, are discussed in this paper. Variations in particle size, powder flow properties and hydrophobicity of the blend were examined. The final blend was compressed into tablets. The tableting compression force, and tablet hardness, weight and dissolution were investigated. Overall, powder blend and tablet properties were significantly affected by acceleration, blending time and total energy input. The total energy input to the blend can be efficiently calculated within error in the RAM; this is not true for most mixers. Trends between total energy input and the material properties of the blends and tablets were obtained. Resonant acoustic mixing is a good choice for blending low concentrations of cohesive APIs. Care must be taken when blending hydrophobic lubricants in the RAM; the high energy input can adversely affect critical tablet properties such as hardness and dissolution. The known energy input can be used to predict the performance of blends and final products processed in a RAM.
Serum antibody levels of uveitis patients to bovine retinal antigens.

Serum samples from 91 uveitis patients and controls were tested by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique to determine their relative antibody titers to bovine retinal S antigen and to a detergent extract of saline-washed bovine retina, or P antigen. Only those patients whose uveitis fell into the categories of toxoplasmosis, iritis, herpes keratouveitis, pars planitis, sarcoidosis. Behcet's syndrome, and Vogt-Koyamagi-Harada syndrome are presented in this study. Significantly elevated titers (P less than 0.05) of antibody to S antigen were found in the diagnostic categories of iritis, toxoplasmosis, sarcoidosis, and Behcet's. Elevated titers to the detergent extract were found in iritis (granulomatous and hypopyon subcategories only), toxoplasmosis, sarcoidosis, and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome. The anti-S titers of patients treated with systemic steroids were depressed below normal levels. A separate control group of patients with nonuveal ocular inflammations (conjunctivitis, episcleritis, etc.) had titers very similar to normal controls. The posttreatment titers to S antigen of patients receiving laser photocoagulation for diabetic retinopathy were significantly elevated over normal controls.
Contents just aren't in the head

A. Horowitz has recently argued againstsemantic externalism. Inthis paper, I will show thathis arguments are unsuccessful,owing to misconceptions regardingthe nature of that semanticview.
THAM Administration to Pediatric Trauma Patients in a Combat Zone.

OBJECTIVES Pediatric casualties made up a significant proportion of patients during the recent military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Damage control resuscitation strategies used by military physicians included rapid reversal of metabolic acidosis to mitigate its pathophysiologic consequences, primarily through hemorrhage control and volume restoration. Alkalizing agents, including tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (THAM), are potential therapeutic adjuncts to treat significant acidosis. There is, however, limited published data on THAM administration in the pediatric trauma population. We compared demographics and outcomes among pediatric trauma patients in Afghanistan and Iraq receiving THAM versus those not receiving THAM. METHODS We queried the Department of Defense Trauma Registry for all of the pediatric patients admitted to US and Coalition fixed-facility hospitals in Afghanistan and Iraq from January 2007 to January 2016. We retrieved data on age, sex, location, mechanism of injury, Injury Severity Scores, ventilator days, days in the intensive care unit, days of total hospitalization, and survival to hospital discharge. We excluded subjects if they were dead on arrival to the emergency department. RESULTS From January 2007 to January 2016, there were 3386 pediatric subjects that met our inclusion criteria. Of these, 15 received THAM. The youngest subject receiving THAM was a 2-month-old burn victim. Subjects receiving THAM were more likely to be injured by submersion or burn (P < 0.001), had higher composite Injury Severity Scores (17 vs 10; P < 0.001) and Abbreviated Injury Scores for the thorax and abdomen (P = 0.004 and P = 0.019, respectively), and longer ventilator days/intensive care unit stays/hospital lengths of stay (P < 0.001/P < 0.001/P = 0.013). In addition, subjects receiving THAM had a lower survival rate than subjects not receiving THAM (73.3% vs 91.7%; P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS THAM was administered rarely to pediatric trauma casualties during the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Subjects receiving THAM were more critically injured than the baseline population.
Epigenetics of Chronic Visceral Nociception

Abstract Epigenetic change is a natural and regular occurrence that can have damaging effects that can lead to the pathogenesis of human disease. There are currently three systems that initiate and sustain epigenetic change including DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA such as miRNA. New studies are continuously uncovering the role of epigenetics in a variety of human diseases and disorders. The underlying pathophysiology of certain gastrointestinal tract disorders characterized by chronic visceral pain such as functional bowel disorders may be related to aberrantly expressed miRNAs or epigenetic mechanisms. More recently, epigenetic regulation has been shown to modulate stress-induced visceral pain. There are now emerging several possible working models in visceral pain that may be related to epigenetic mechanisms with either DNA methylation and/or altered miRNA signaling pathways. Future studies are needed to determine the role of epigenetics in the neurobiology of specific endophenotypes of patients with chronic visceral pain.
Are Productivity Goals in Rehabilitation Practice Associated With Unethical Behaviors

Objectives To evaluate the presence of productivity goals among licensed rehabilitation clinicians and their relationship with observed unethical behavior. Design Exploratory, cross-sectional survey. Setting Online. Participants Licensed physical therapy clinicians (N=3446). Intervention Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure Participants completed an electronic survey regarding use of clinical productivity goals. They rated the frequency in which they observed 6 unethical behaviors on a 7-point Likert scale in their practice setting from 1=never to 7=always. An overall observed unethical behavior score was calculated by summing these scales. Results The response rate was 12.8% (N=3446), with analyses showing low risk of nonresponse bias. Many respondents (73.9%) had a formal productivity goal. Most (89.4%) reported observing some form of unethical behavior, but many (68.6%) reported it occurred "rarely" or "never." Those in skilled nursing facility (SNF) settings reported higher frequencies of observance and were 4.1 times more likely to report more unethical behavior than the median compared with all other settings. A positive correlation existed between expected productivity rate and rate of unethical behaviors observed (ρ=0.225; P<.0001). Amounts of organizational emphases on ethical practice (ρ=-0.509; P<.0001) and evidence-based practice (ρ=-0.492; P<.0001) were negatively correlated with total observed unethical behavior. Conclusions Use of productivity goals in rehabilitation practice is significantly related with rate of unethical behavior observed. Frequency of observed unethical behavior in rehabilitation practice was very low overall. Organizational culture appears to be a greater predictor of observed unethical behavior than any individual clinician-related characteristics. The SNF setting displays the greatest areas of ethical concern.
Evidence for mixed phases and percolation at the metal-insulator transition in two dimensions

The in-plane magnetoconductance of the strongly interacting two-dimensional electron system in a silicon MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor-field-effect transistor) exhibits an unmistakable kink at a well-defined electron density, ${n}_{k}$. The kink at ${n}_{k}$ is near, but not at the critical density ${n}_{c}$ determined from resistivity measurements, and the density at which ${n}_{k}$ occurs varies with temperature. These features are inconsistent with expectations for a quantum phase transition. We suggest instead that this is a percolation transition and present a detailed model based on the formation of a mixed insulating and metallic phase within which a metal-insulator transition takes place by percolation.
Reward or punishment? An examination of the relationship between teacher and parent behavior and test scores in the Gambia

Abstract Using the 2011 round of the Africa Program for Education Impact Evaluation Survey, we examine the prevalence of corporal punishment and praise in both school and home settings. We find that corporal punishment is highly prevalent, with 70% of students reporting that their teachers engaged in corporal punishment and 11.7% of students reporting being beaten themselves the day before the survey was given. Beating is more prevalent in high quality schools and is associated with lower fourth and sixth grade test scores after controlling for student, teacher, and school characteristics. Praise is less prevalent, but public praise from teachers and private praise from parents are both associated with higher test scores. Although results may suffer from endogeneity, they suggest teacher training could potentially be a cost-effective way of improving student outcomes.
Tumor-to-Tumor Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma to Vestibular Schwannoma.

Background Intracranial metastasis is a common complication of systemic malignancy. A rare subset of intracranial masses constitutes tumor-to-tumor metastasis, in which an extracranial neoplasm hematogenously spreads to an existing intracranial lesion. Case Description Here we present the unique case of a 59-year-old man with known hepatocellular carcinoma who presented with acute headaches, double vision, vertigo, and gait instability in the context of 2 years of right-sided hearing loss. Head imaging showed a heterogeneous right cerebellopontine angle mass extending into the porus acousticus with adjacent cerebellar edema. Histopathologic analysis after resection found coexisting hepatocellular carcinoma within a vestibular schwannoma. Conclusions Tumor-to-tumor metastasis is an important consideration in the diagnostic work-up and treatment of patients with known systemic malignancy who present with a new intracranial lesion. This pathologic entity could be missed if this patient were treated with single-fraction radiosurgery such as Gamma Knife.
Design, Implementation and Testing of a New Mobile Multi-Function Sensing Device for Identifying High-Risk Areas for Bicyclists in Highly Congested Urban Streets

Abstract The number of bicycle riders in New York City has been increasing steadily in the past few years. These numbers include private and shared bicycles. NYC bicycle network has been expanded to accommodate this new volume. Although this new infrastructure has reduced the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured (KSI) in some areas, in other areas similar improvements were not observed. This inconsistency of how the number of bicycle crashes varies from one region to another in the city is the primary motivation of this paper. A highly portable and inexpensive sensing device for measuring the distance between a bicycle and lateral objects is designed from scratch and developed. The developed mobile sensing device can also map bicycle trajectories to highlight critical segments where the safe distance from passing vehicles is not respected. This device which is powered by a portable power source is comprised of two ultrasonic sensors namely, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, and a real-time clock (RTC). The sensor is secured inside a custom design 3D printed case. The case can be easily attached to any bicycle including shared Citi Bike bicycles for testing. The final prototype is entirely functional and used to collect sample data to demonstrate its effectiveness to address safety-related problems mentioned above. Finally, a dashboard is created to display collected key information. This key information can be used by researches and agencies for a better understanding of the factors contributing to the safety of bicycle routes.
Abstract 392: Use of a Low Resource Model for Group Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training: Knowledge Gains and Attitude Changes

Introduction: CPR training and regular skills practice is often limited by the availability of a high resource device such as a manikin torso. We investigated the knowledge gains and attitude chang...
EXPERIENCE WITH BIOLOGIC AGENTS FOR THE TREATMENT OF CARDIAC SARCOIDOSIS IN A U.S. ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER

Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease characterized histologically by non-caseating granulomas. Cardiac manifestations vary from heart failure and conduction abnormalities to sudden death. Immunosuppression with steroids and Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) has been the mainstay of
Effect of a split-flow physician in triage model on abdominal CT ordering rate and yield.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to compare the rate and clinical yield of computed tomography (CT) imaging between patients presenting with abdominal pain initially seen by a physician in triage (PIT) versus those seen only by physicians working in the main emergency department (ED). Methods A retrospective study was conducted of all self-arrivals >18 years old presenting to a single ED with abdominal pain. Nine-hundred patients were randomly selected from both the PIT and traditional patient flow groups and rates and yields of CT imaging were compared, both alone and in a model controlling for potential confounders. Predetermined criteria for CT significance included need for admission, consult, or targeted medications. Results The overall rate of CT imaging (unadjusted) did not differ between the PIT and traditional groups, 48.7% (95% CI 45.4–51.9) vs. 45.1% (95% CI 41.8–48.4), respectively (p = .13). The CT yield for patients seen in in the PIT group was also similar to that of the traditional group: 49.1% (95% CI 44.4–53.8) vs. 50.5% (95% CI 45.6–55.4) (p = .68). In the logistic regression model, when controlling for age, gender, ESI acuity, race and insurance payor, PIT vs. traditional was not a predictor of CT ordering (OR 1.14, 95% CI 0.94–1.38). Conclusions For patients with abdominal pain, we found no significant differences in rates of CT ordering or CT yield for patients seen in a PIT vs. traditional models, suggesting the increased efficiencies offered by PIT models do not come at the cost of increased or decreased imaging utilization.
An energy-based method for interface connectivity of incompatible microstructures through parametric modeling

Abstract With recent developments in topology optimization and additive manufacturing technology, it is now possible to fabricate architected materials with spatially varying microstructures. However, in designing these microstructures, the absence of proper interface connectivity can cause reduced effectiveness or even failure. We present a method for ensuring smooth interface connectivity for orthotropic microstructures through supershape-based parametric modeling. A microstructure can be reproduced by deleting the non-material regions, or voids, from a fully solid material domain. The proposed algorithm utilizes this void based representation to fuse two incompatible microstructures. Each of the voids of the input designs is detected and expressed using a superformula based implicit equation. To connect the two incompatible microstructures, a transition zone of intermediate microstructures are generated by morphing the voids of one structure to another. The morphing operation is posed as an optimization problem, which tries to minimize the difference between the two microstructures by altering their supershape parameters. An exact match at the interface of the intermediate microstructures is attained by putting restrictions on the shape of the voids that are neighboring each other. To prevent sharp changes in structural properties during morphing, homogenized total strain energy of the generated microstructure is constrained so that the properties are within a specified range from its previous microstructure in the sequence. Ancillary constraints on attainable volume fraction as well as on overlap of voids are also prescribed for controlling the optimization process. Several examples are provided to demonstrate the applicability of the void morphing method to find intermediate microstructures in the design space under these constraints. The proposed algorithm is a post-processing approach, therefore it is versatile and applicable to a wide variety of results since it requires the optimization problem to be formulated only at the interface region.
Generating Concurrent Programs From Sequential Data Structure Knowledge.

In this paper we tackle the problem of automatically designing concurrent data structure operations given a sequential data structure specification and knowledge about concurrent behavior. Designing concurrent code is a non-trivial task even in simplest of cases. Humans often design concurrent data structure operations by transforming sequential versions into their respective concurrent versions. This requires an understanding of the data structure, its sequential behavior, thread interactions during concurrent execution and shared memory synchronization primitives. We mechanize this design process using automated commonsense reasoning. We assume that the data structure description is provided as axioms alongside the sequential code of its algebraic operations. This information is used to automatically derive concurrent code for that data structure, such as dictionary operations for linked lists and binary search trees. Knowledge in our case is expressed using Answer Set Programming (ASP), and we employ deduction, induction and abduction---just as humans do---in the reasoning involved. ASP allows for succinct modeling of first order theories of pointer data structures, run-time thread interactions and shared memory synchronization. Our reasoner can systematically make the same judgments as a human reasoner while constructing provably safe concurrent code. We present several reasoning challenges involved in transforming the sequential data structure into its equivalent concurrent version. All the reasoning tasks are encoded in ASP and our reasoner can make sound judgments to transform sequential code into concurrent code. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first one to use commonsense reasoning to automatically transform sequential programs into concurrent code.
What Should We Do About the Mismatch Between Legal Criteria for Death and How Brain Death Is Diagnosed

Mismatch between whole-brain death criteria embedded in statutes and accepted tests physicians use to diagnose brain death have clinical and ethical implications that could undermine public trust in death pronouncements. We consider merits and drawbacks of 4 ways to address this problem.
Molecular-level understanding of gibbsite particle aggregation in water.

Abstract Using molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the molecular scale origin of crystal face selectivity when one gibbsite particle attaches to another in water. A comparison of the free energy per unit surface area of particle–particle attachment indicates that particle attachment through edge surfaces, where the edge surfaces are either (1 0 0) or (1 1 0) crystal faces, is more energetically favorable compared to attachment between two basal surfaces (i.e., (0 0 1) crystal faces) or between the basal surface of one particle and the edge surface of another. This result suggests that gibbsite crystals with low basal/edge surface area ratio will preferentially attach through edge surfaces, potentially helping the crystals grow laterally. However, for larger gibbsite particles (high basal/edge surface area ratio) the total free energy, not normalized by surface area, of particle attachment through the basal surfaces is lower (more negative) than attachment through the edge surfaces, indicating that larger gibbsite particles will preferentially aggregate through basal surface attachments. The short-range electrostatic interactions including the interparticle hydrogen bonds from surface –OH groups drive particle attachment, and the dominant contribution to the free energy minimum is enthalpic rather than entropic. However, the enthalpy of basal-edge attachment is significantly offset by the entropy leading to a higher free energy (less negative) compared to that of basal-basal attachment. Study of the free energy for a few imperfect attachments of two particles indicates a higher free energy (i.e., less negative, less stable), compared to a perfect attachment
Drebrin attenuates atherosclerosis by limiting smooth muscle cell transdifferentiation

Aims The F-actin-binding protein Drebrin inhibits smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration, proliferation and pro-inflammatory signaling. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that Drebrin constrains atherosclerosis. Methods and results SM22-Cre+/Dbnflox/flox/Ldlr-/- (SMC-Dbn-/-/Ldlr-/-) and control mice (SM22-Cre+/Ldlr-/-, Dbnflox/flox/Ldlr-/-, and Ldlr-/-) were fed a Western diet for 14-20 weeks. Brachiocephalic arteries of SMC-Dbn-/-/Ldlr-/- mice exhibited 1.5- or 1.8-fold greater cross-sectional lesion area than control mice at 14 or 20 wk, respectively. Aortic atherosclerotic lesion surface area was 1.2-fold greater in SMC-Dbn-/-/Ldlr-/- mice. SMC-Dbn-/-/Ldlr-/- lesions comprised necrotic cores that were two-fold greater in size than those of control mice. Consistent with their bigger necrotic core size, lesions in SMC-Dbn-/- arteries also showed more transdifferentiation of SMCs to macrophage-like cells: 1.5- to 2.5-fold greater, assessed with BODIPY or with CD68, respectively. In vitro data were concordant: Dbn-/- SMCs had 1.7-fold higher levels of KLF4 and transdifferentiated to macrophage-like cells more readily than Dbnflox/flox SMCs upon cholesterol loading, as evidenced by greater up-regulation of CD68 and galectin-3. Adenovirally mediated Drebrin rescue produced equivalent levels of macrophage-like transdifferentiation in Dbn-/- and Dbnflox/flox SMCs. During early atherogenesis, SMC-Dbn-/-/Ldlr-/- aortas demonstrated 1.6-fold higher levels of reactive oxygen species than control mouse aortas. The 1.8-fold higher levels of Nox1 in Dbn-/- SMCs was reduced to WT levels with KLF4 silencing. Inhibition of Nox1 chemically or with siRNA produced equivalent levels of macrophage-like transdifferentiation in Dbn-/- and Dbnflox/flox SMCs. Conclusions We conclude that SMC Drebrin limits atherosclerosis by constraining SMC Nox1 activity and SMC transdifferentiation to macrophage-like cells. Translational perspective Drebrin is abundantly expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and is up-regulated in human atherosclerosis. A hallmark of atherosclerosis is the accumulation of foam cells that secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines and contribute to plaque instability. A large proportion of these foam cells in humans derive from SMCs. We found that SMC Drebrin limits atherosclerosis by reducing SMC transdifferentiation to macrophage-like foam cells in a manner dependent on Nox1 and KLF4. For this reason, strategies aimed at augmenting SMC Drebrin expression in atherosclerotic plaques may limit atherosclerosis progression and enhance plaque stability by bridling SMC-to-foam-cell transdifferentiation.
Characterizing brain metabolic function ex vivo with acute mouse slice punches.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic reprogramming are implicated in a variety of neurological disorders. Here, we present a protocol that enables complex profiling of brain metabolic function using acute mouse brain slices ex vivo. Utilizing differential metabolic conditions, substrates, and inhibitors, this protocol can be broadly applied to determine metabolic shift or reprogramming upon genetic manipulations, pathological insults, or therapeutic interventions and could thus further the understanding of the dynamic role of energy metabolism in brain physiological function and diseases. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Qi et al. (2021).
Cross-ethnic invariance of bsi-18 in individuals with serious mental illness: New perspectives on measurement invariance testing

AbstractObjective: This study examines the psychometric properties of the Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18), a measure of psychological distress, across European Americans, African Americans, and...
Potential Therapeutic Applications for TRPV4 Antagonists in Lung Disease

Transient receptor potential channel vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is expressed in numerous cell types in lung, including vascular endothelium and smooth muscle, alveolar macrophages, airway epithelium, and airway smooth muscle. To date, our understanding of the role of TRPV4 in lung disease has been ­largely limited to its involvement in direct acute lung injury and lung injury induced by mechanical stress, specifically ventilator-induced lung injury and that due to high vascular pressure and edema formation in heart failure. We will discuss these areas in some depth. We will also introduce the evidence, albeit limited, for other lung diseases where TRPV4 may potentially play a role, including pulmonary hypertension, airway disease and cough, and thus therapeutics may prove beneficial. Although literature on the translation of bench research related to TRPV4 in lungs to clinical therapeutics is limited, we will discuss the available information.
NASA and the U.S. climate program - A problem in data management

NASA's contribution to the total data base for the National Climate Plan will be to produce climate data sets from its experimental space observing systems and to maximize the value of these data for climate analysis and prediction. Validated data sets will be provided to NOAA for inclusion into their overall diagnostic data base. NASA data management for the Climate Plan will involve: (1) cataloging and retrieval of large integrated and distributed data sets upon user demand, and (2) the storage equivalent of 100,000 digital data tapes. It will be the largest, most complex data system ever developed by NASA
Cooperative control for UAV's searching risky environments for targets

In this paper a model and algorithmic solution are created to control the path planning decision processes of multiple cooperating autonomous aerial vehicles engaged in a search of an uncertain and risky environment. Methods to incorporate a priori and dynamic information about the targets and to incorporate threats in a three-dimensional environment into a computationally feasible dynamic programming approach are provided. Some basic simulation results demonstrate the functionality of this approach, and provide a baseline for future work.
The Los Alamos National Laboratory Nuclear Vision Project

Los Alamos National Laboratory has initiated a project to examine possible futures associated with the global nuclear enterprise over the course of the next 50 years. All major components are included in this study--weapons, nonproliferation, nuclear power, nuclear materials, and institutional and public factors. To examine key issues, the project has been organized around three main activity areas--workshops, research and analyses, and development of linkages with other synergistic world efforts. This paper describes the effort--its current and planned activities--as well as provides discussion of project perspectives on nuclear weapons, nonproliferation, nuclear energy, and nuclear materials focus areas.
Soluble and insoluble immune complexes activate human neutrophil NADPH oxidase by distinct Fc gamma receptor-specific mechanisms

Signal transduction initiated by interaction of immune complexes (IC) with Fc gamma RII and Fc gamma RIII receptors on human neutrophils was studied by investigating the capacity of well-defined complexes to stimulate O2- generation in neutrophils. IC consisting of polyclonal rabbit antibody to human albumin were prepared at equivalence (insoluble complexes) and at five times Ag excess (soluble complexes). Stimulation of human neutrophils with soluble and insoluble IC caused a dose-dependent activation of the respiratory burst and O2- generation. Incubation of neutrophils with cytochalasin B significantly enhanced O2- generation in neutrophils stimulated with soluble IC. In contrast, cytochalasin B treatment had a minimal effect on O2- generation in neutrophils stimulated with insoluble IC. Treatment of neutrophils with PGE1 or pertussis toxin (PTx) significantly inhibited O2- generation by soluble IC-stimulated neutrophils. However, neither PGE1 nor PTx treatment significantly altered O2- generation in neutrophils stimulated with insoluble complexes. Although O2- generation induced by soluble IC was significantly inhibited by mAb against both Fc gamma RII and Fc gamma RIII receptor, insoluble IC stimulation of neutrophil O2- generation was significantly diminished only by mAb against Fc gamma RIII receptor. Cross-linking of either Fc gamma RII or Fc gamma RIII receptors on neutrophil surfaces induced O2- generation, and this activation was inhibited by both PGE1 and PTx treatment. These findings indicate that soluble and insoluble ICs induce O2- production in human neutrophils through distinct mechanisms. Soluble IC induce activation of neutrophils through a PTx- and PGE1-sensitive pathway that is dependent upon both Fc gamma RII and Fc gamma RIII receptors. Although insoluble IC induce O2- production through a PTx and PGE1 insensitive pathway mediated primarily through Fc gamma RIII receptor.