cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An conservative anti-diffusion technique for the level set method

Abstract A novel conservative level set method is introduced for the approximation of two-phase incompressible fluid flows. The method builds on recent conservative level set approaches and utilizes an entropy production to construct a balanced artificial diffusion and artificial anti-diffusion. The method is self-tuning, maximum principle preserving, suitable for unstructured meshes, and neither re-initialization of the level set function nor reconstruction of the interface is needed for long-time simulation. Computational results in one, two and three dimensions are presented for finite element and finite volume implementations of the method.
Data and analyses of woody restoration planting survival and growth as a function of wild ungulate herbivory.

Abstract These data and analyses support the research article “Wild ungulate herbivory suppresses deciduous woody plant establishment following salmonid stream restoration” Averett et al. (2017) [1] . The data and analyses presented here include: (1) planting density, survival and growth (two years post restoration) of riparian plantings along an ~11 km stream reach in northeastern Oregon as a function of herbivory treatment (protected/not protected from wild ungulate herbivory), habitat type, and planting species; and (2) abundance and height distributions of naturally occurring deciduous woody species along the restored stream reach two years post restoration. Survival and growth analyses are provided as output from multiple logistic and mixed effect regression models respectively.
Arsenic Bioaccumulation by Eruca sativa Is Unaffected by Intercropping or Plant Density

Because crop uptake of arsenic from soils poses a human health concern, this study examines the effect of plant species, neighborhood, and planting density on arsenic uptake by brassicas grown with companion crops. At a field site contaminated by arsenic and lead, we measured arsenic uptake in arugula (Eruca sativa) and collards (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) grown in arrangements varying in species diversity and density. We further tested the effect of species diversity on arsenic uptake in two greenhouse experiments with arsenic-spiked potting soil, one test using brassicaceous plants with intercropped pairs of arugula, collards, and kale (B. oleracea var. acephala). The other had intercropped pairs of arugula, lettuce (Lactuca sativa), and marigold (Tagetes patula). Arugula in all cropping arrangements accumulated the highest and most variable concentrations of arsenic compared to other species, with neither species diversity in the companion crops nor planting density affecting arsenic uptake. We observed increased phosphorus and sulfur uptake by arugula exposed to soil arsenic in the greenhouse brassica intercropping experiments, a result that may be explained by a biological response to arsenic or competition of arsenate with phosphate and sulfate for adsorption sites in the soil. Arsenic uptake was largely independent of plant-plant facilitation effects sometimes reported for other elements, possibly because of strong buffering of the bioavailable fraction of arsenic in the soils tested.
A solution to the stochastic unit commitment problem using chance constrained programming

This paper develops a solution method for scheduling units of a power-generating system to produce electricity by taking into consideration the stochasticity of the hourly load and its correlation structure. The unit commitment problem is initially formulated as a chance constrained optimization problem in which we require that the load be met with a specified high probability over the entire time horizon. The solution procedure consists of solving a sequence of deterministic versions of the unit commitment problem that converge to the solution of the chance constrained program. For the deterministic unit commitment problems, Lagrangian relaxation is used to separate the dual problem into its subproblems. Each subproblem is solved by a dynamic program. The initial results indicate that accounting for the correlation structure of the hourly loads reduces the value of the objective function when the optimization problem is formulated as a chance constrained program. Monte Carlo simulation is used to verify the accuracy of the solution provided by the algorithm. The relationship that the unit commitment solution found using the chance constrained optimization approach has with that found using conventional spinning reserves is discussed.
Intra-cranial Granulomatous Disease in Common Variable Immunodeficiency: Case Series and Review of the Literature

Abstract Background/Purpose Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is typically characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia and often but not always recurrent infections. Paradoxically, 8–22% of patients with CVID develop granulomatous disease. Granulomata have been described in many organs including the lungs, skin, liver, spleen, kidneys, eyes, lymph nodes and intestines. Data about central nervous system (CNS) involvement in CVID are extremely rare. We aim to describe a case series and include an extensive literature review of CNS involvement in CVID to understand the different features and patterns of the disease. Methods We searched the English Pubmed database for relevant articles between 1950 and 2014 using the Key Words "common variable immunodeficiency", "granulomatous disease", "brain", "sarcoidosis", and "sarcoid-like syndrome". Data from all case series, surveys, systematic reviews, and individual case reports, as well as retrospective studies were extracted. A total of 15 patients were reported in the literature. We combined our experience with four additional patients from The Cleveland Clinic between 2009 and 2014. Demographics, clinical features, laboratory and imaging findings, treatment and follow-up were extracted for the 19 patients and summarized descriptively. Results Female sex and Caucasian race represented 63.2% (12/19), and 80% of the patients respectively. The mean age of CVID diagnosis was 24 years; mean age when the CNS disease was diagnosed was 21.5 years. 68.4% of the patients (13/19) had granulomas involving ≥2 organs including the central nervous system, 31.6% (6/19) had CNS granulomas only. Associated granulomatous diseases occurred in lungs (72.7%), lymph nodes (27.2%), spleen (27.2%), eyes (18.1%), liver (18.1%), parotid glands (9%), and skin (9%). Fifty-three percent (10/19) of the patients had documented recurrent infections, all of them being upper respiratory tract infections. CNS manifestations included seizures (31.6%), headaches (21%), vision loss (15.7%), decreased cognition (10.5%), focal weakness (5.2%), nystagmus (5.2%), ataxia (5.2%), coma (5.2%), polyuria and polydipsia (5.2%). Brain mass was the most common radiologic finding (70%) followed by leptomeningeal enhancement (10%), non-specific white matter lesions (10%) and absence of normal signal of the neurohypophysis (10%). Brain pathology was available in 12 patients: findings included granulomatous disease in 83.3%, angiocentric granulomas in 50%, vasculitis without granulomas in 8.3%, and lymphocytic infiltrate of the meninges with diffuse non-caseating granulomas in 8.3%. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed elevated total proteins with/or without lymphocytic pleocytosis in 80%. Conclusion CNS disease is a rare challenging complication of CVID. Patients with brain involvement are generally female, Caucasian, and likely have lung involvement. Although immunoglobulin and steroids remain the first line of treatment, other immunosuppressive agents have shown some promise with regards to recurrent relapsing presentations.
Utility and Generalizability of Multistate, Population-Based Cancer Registry Data for Rural Cancer Surveillance Research in the United States

More than 46 million Americans live in rural areas, but rural populations remain relatively understudied in cancer disparities research. However, several analyses of multistate cancer registry data that describe the rural cancer incidence burden have been recently published. In light of this, our article aims to characterize the utility and generalizability of multistate, population-based cancer registry datasets for rural cancer surveillance research. First, we describe the accessibility, geographic coverage, available variables, and strengths and weaknesses of five data sources. Second, we evaluate two of these data sources-the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) public use dataset (93% population coverage) and the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) 18 dataset (28% population coverage)-on their characterization of rural-urban cancer incidence rates and sociodemographic representation. The five data sources varied in geographic coverage and extent of available variables. SEER 18's cancer rates sociodemographic representation differed from the more geographically representative NAACCR data. We suggest that SEER increase its geographic coverage to improve their generalizability and to take advantage of their utility to assess disparities along the cancer control continuum. We also suggest that non-SEER data sources be utilized more frequently to capitalize on their extensive geographic coverage. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(11); 1252-60. ©2018 AACR.
Comparative Trends in Heart Disease, Stroke, and All-Cause Mortality in the United States and a Large Integrated Healthcare Delivery System

Abstract Objectives Heart disease and stroke remain among the leading causes of death nationally. We examined whether differences in recent trends in heart disease, stroke, and total mortality exist in the United States and Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), a large integrated healthcare delivery system. Methods The main outcome measures were comparisons of US and KPNC total, age-specific, and sex-specific changes from 2000 to 2015 in mortality rates from heart disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, and all causes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research data system was used to determine US mortality rates. Mortality rates for KPNC were determined from health system, Social Security vital status, and state death certificate databases. Results Declines in age-adjusted mortality rates were noted in KPNC and the United States for heart disease (36.3% in KPNC vs 34.6% in the United States), coronary heart disease (51.0% vs 47.9%), stroke (45.5% vs 38.2%), and all-cause mortality (16.8% vs 15.6%). However, steeper declines were noted in KPNC than the United States among those aged 45 to 65 years for heart disease (48.3% KPNC vs 23.6% United States), coronary heart disease (55.6% vs 35.9%), stroke (55.8% vs 26.0%), and all-cause mortality (31.5% vs 9.1%). Sex-specific changes were generally similar. Conclusions Despite significant declines in heart disease and stroke mortality, there remains an improvement gap nationally among those aged less than 65 years when compared with a large integrated healthcare delivery system. Interventions to improve cardiovascular mortality in the vulnerable middle-aged population may play a key role in closing this gap.
Maximizing the Nutritional Potential of Potato: the Case of Folate

Micronutrient malnutrition, also known as the hidden hunger, affects over two billion people worldwide. Potato is the third most consumed food crop in the world and is therefore a fundamental element of food security for millions of people. Increasing the amount of micronutrients in potatoes could help alleviate worldwide micronutrient malnutrition. Folate (or vitamin B9) is an essential micronutrient in the human diet. Deficiencies in folate lead to serious, sometimes lethal, diseases. Unfortunately, folate intake remains suboptimal in both developing and developed regions of the world. This paper uses folate to illustrate various approaches that could be implemented to increase micronutrient content in potato. It provides a brief overview of recent analyses of folate content in diverse potato germplasm, of changes in folate content during tuber development, and of the effect of postharvest low-temperature storage of potato on folate content, and how an optimization of these different factors could lead to significant increases in folate intake from potato.
Pre- and postnatal effects of experimentally manipulated maternal corticosterone on growth, stress reactivity and survival of nestling house wrens

Corticosterone plays a central role in maintaining homeostasis, promoting energy acquisition, and regulating the stress response in birds. Exposure to elevated levels of corticosterone during development can profoundly alter offspring behaviour and physiology, but the effects of elevated maternal corticosterone on offspring development remain poorly understood.We tested two competing hypotheses concerning the effect of maternally derived corticosterone on growth and development of free-living house wrens: (i) elevated maternal corticosterone causes damaging effects on nestling phenotype and fitness (collateral damage hypothesis) and (ii) increased maternal corticosterone enhances offspring fitness by preparing nestlings for the environment experienced by their mother (environmental/maternal-matching hypothesis).We used a non-invasive means to increase maternal corticosterone by providing females with corticosterone-injected mealworms prior to and during egg production in the absence of any overt pre-natal maternal stress. To disentangle pre- and post-natal effects of this elevation in maternal corticosterone, we cross-fostered young in two experiments: (i) nestlings of control and experimental females were reared by unmanipulated, natural females in a uniform maternal environment; (ii) a split-brood design that enabled us to assess the interaction between the mother's corticosterone treatment and that of the nestlings.There were significant pre-natal effects of increased maternal corticosterone on nestling growth and survival. Offspring of females experiencing experimentally increased corticosterone were heavier and larger than offspring of control females. There also was a significant interaction between maternal corticosterone treatment and the corticosterone treatment to which young were exposed within the egg in their effect on nestling survival while in the nest; experimental young exhibited greater survival than control young, but only when reared by control mothers. There was also a significant effect of maternal corticosterone treatment on nestling stress reactivity and, in both experiments, on the eventual recruitment of offspring as breeding adults in the local population.These patterns are broadly consistent with the environmental/maternal-matching hypothesis, and highlight the importance of disentangling pre- and post-natal effects of manipulations of maternal hormone levels on offspring phenotype.
Evaluation of a new continuous mononuclear cell collection procedure in a single transplant center cohort enriched for AL amyloidosis patients.

Abstract Background The Spectra Optia continuous mononuclear cell (CMNC) program is newly available, and herein validated in a single-center cohort enriched with AL amyloidosis patients to collect a target CD34+ yield of 2.5 × 106 cells/kg within 2 days. Methods Consecutive autologous transplant patients in 2016 are included. Patients undergo leukapheresis with Optia CMNC and Spectra v4.7 over a 2-day cycle. Data collection includes collection efficiency, adverse events and engraftment kinetics. Results 36 leukapheresis procedures on 18 patients are included. The diagnoses are AL amyloidosis (9), myeloma (7), lymphoma (2), and scleroderma (1). Median age is 60; 12 are men. Plerixafor was employed pre-emptively in 6 cycles. Median blood CD34+ on Day 1 of leukapheresis was 46 cells/uL. Median number of blood volumes processed on Day 1 was 3.1. All collection cycles were completed within 2 days; only one in a heavily pretreated lymphoma patient did not reach the target requiring a second mobilization attempt. Mean collection efficiencies were comparable between the two devices. There were 2 adverse events: tubing rupture on the Optia; and one case of hypotension. All 18 patients underwent high-dose chemotherapy: median cell dose infused was 7.7 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg. Median days to neutrophil and platelet engraftment were 10 and 13 respectively. Conclusion The Optia CMNC collection protocol is safe and effective in a small single-center autologous stem cell transplant cohort enriched for high-risk patients with AL amyloidosis and cardiac involvement. Caution is needed for tubing setup because there is less cumulative experience with Optia.
The association between lifetime polytobacco use and intention to quit among HIV-positive cigarette smokers.

Abstract Background This secondary analysis aims to describe, over time, the relationship between HIV disease progression and intention to quit cigarette smoking among current monocigarette users with and without a lifetime history of polytobacco use. Methods Participants completed a baseline assessment at the time of HIV care initiation and four follow-up assessments (3, 6, 9, and 12-months). Assessments included biochemically verified smoking status and audio computer-assisted self-interviews assessing psychosocial, substance use, and clinical variables known to influence smoking behaviors. Using linear and generalized linear fixed-effects models, we modeled the covariance structure for the repeated outcome measures (intention to quit and 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence) across the study time points and included a three-way interaction term to examine the effects of disease stage and tobacco product use. Results Participants (N = 357) were 73.1% male, 67.3% black/African American, and had a mean (SD) age of 38.7 (10.6) years. At baseline, lifetime polytobacco users reported significantly worse HIV-related symptoms and burdens, illness perception, social support, and nicotine dependence. Intention to quit, but not smoking abstinence, was predicted by a three-way interaction between time from HIV care initiation, disease progression, and tobacco product use (p = .04). Overall, progressive HIV was associated with greater intention to quit smoking cigarettes. However, the relationship differed over time between the two tobacco product groups. Conclusion Future studies should consider tailoring the timing of cessation interventions upon disease stage and lifetime history of polytobacco use.
Should Your Law Review Article Have an Abstract and Table of Contents

To explore whether abstracts and tables of contents impact the scholarly influence of academic work in the field of legal studies we analyze the impact of these document elements on citation to articles published in top 100 law reviews. We observe that on average both abstracts and tables of contents associate with large increases in scholarly influence. Compared to articles that use neither document element, articles that include just an abstract are cited on average roughly 50% more, and articles that include just a table of contents roughly 30% more. Including both document elements corresponds to the largest increase in citation, over 70%. The Article discusses the title question, and in view of the magnitude and persistence of document element effects and evidence indicating that document elements offer an independent explanation of scholarly influence, answers it in the affirmative. It concludes by offering a hypothesis capable of explaining the effects of abstracts and tables of contents. Specifically, that both of these document elements work by reducing cognitive burdens researchers experience when performing research tasks, although sometimes in different ways.
The Psychologist as Social Systems Consultant

In the discussion that follows, social system refers to a set of two or more people who are linked by social relationships or who are engaged in social interaction with each other. This definition is a special case of a more general definition of a system. Miller (1978) defined a system as “a set of interacting units with relationships among them.” Thus defined, the idea of a system is sufficiently general that it encompasses such diverse entities as a cell, an organ, an organism, or a social group. A basic premise of general systems theory is that there are essential similarities among all systems. (For instance, all systems engage in boundary maintenance and exchange information with their environments.) Another fundamental idea is that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Systems theory, like Gestalt psychological theories, emphasizes the importance of studying relationships among parts. Since each entity is involved in relationships with its environment, no entity (whether it is a cell or a person) can be adequately understood without taking its environment into account.
Counter-Example Based Predicate Discovery in Predicate Abstraction

The application of predicate abstraction to parameterized systems requires the use of quantified predicates. These predicates cannot be found automatically by existing techniques and are tedious for the user to provide. In this work we demonstrate a method of discovering most of these predicates automatically by analyzing spurious abstract counter-example traces. Since predicate discovery for unbounded state systems is an undecidable problem, it can fail on some problems. The method has been applied to a simplified version of the Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector Routing protocol where it successfully discovers all required predicates.
Imaging findings in spinal sarcoidosis: a report of 18 cases and review of the current literature.

PurposeSpinal sarcoidosis, referring to involvement of the spine in sarcoidosis, is relatively rare and may mimic other neurological disease affecting the spine. The authors present a clinic radiol...
On the Degradation of Tribo-components in Boundary and Mixed Lubrication Regimes

Recent research in dry (unlubricated) contacts reveals that the Archard’s coefficient K cannot accurately characterize wear when operating under transient conditions such as those encountered during running-in or when the system experiences variable loading or variable speed. In contrast, a so-called degradation coefficient B derived based on the entropic characterization of wear provides realistic results. This paper reports an investigation of the efficacy of extending the results to the boundary and mixed lubrication regimes. For this purpose, experiments were performed on a pin-on-disk test setup with different lubricants at a wide range of operating conditions that cover different lubrication regimes. From the obtained results a new formulation is offered for determining B in a lubricated condition that unitizes the Stribeck curve and the concept of load sharing. The proposed method is validated by comparing the predictions with results available in the existing literature. Further, the efficacy of the proposed method is demonstrated by considering disks made of different materials having different surface roughness values.
Reliability and Validity of the Vancouver Classification in Periprosthetic Fractures Around Cementless Femoral Stems

Abstract Background The Vancouver classification of periprosthetic femur fractures divides B1 and B2 subtypes based on the stability of the femoral stem. However, this classification was described and validated with cemented femoral stems. We sought to assess reliability and validity of the Vancouver classification in patients with cementless femoral stems. Methods This is a blinded radiographic study which included patients treated for Vancouver B cementless periprosthetic femur fractures between February 2007 and December 2017. Adult reconstruction–trained and trauma fellowship–trained orthopedic surgeons graded all preoperative radiographs using the Vancouver classification on 3 separate occasions. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability was assessed via the Fleiss’ kappa statistic. Validity was assessed via accuracy between radiographic and intraoperative assessments. The Landis and Koch criteria were used to interpret the kappa values. Results Fifty-three patients with Vancouver B fractures (B1, 8; B2, 45) around a cementless femoral stem were included in the study. Five reconstruction-trained and 5 trauma-trained orthopedic surgeons graded all radiographs. The interobserver reliability kappa value was 0.45 (moderate agreement), with all raters agreeing on only 43% of radiographs. Validity analysis showed demonstrated 79% agreement. Overall, 20% (range, 14%-24%) of unstable B2 fractures were misread as B1 fractures. Intraobserver reliability was 0.71 between readings. Conclusion The reliability of the Vancouver classification for cementless total hip arthroplasty is lower than previously described in cemented femoral stems. Radiographic assessment alone may be inadequate for determination of stability of cementless stems in periprosthetic femur fractures. Level of Evidence Level III therapeutic study: retrospective comparative study.
PIV measurements of turbulent flow overlying large, cubic- and hexagonally-packed hemisphere arrays

Turbulent flow overlying periodic arrays (cubic- and hexagonally-packed) of large hemispheres was examined experimentally. Flow in the vicinity of the individual roughness elements was successfully...
The Perceived Impact of Sequential Intercept Mapping on Communities Collaborating to Address Adults with Mental Illness in the Criminal Justice System

Sequential intercept mapping is an approach to address the overrepresentation of adults with mental illness in the criminal justice system. This approach follows the sequential intercept model, a nationally recognized framework conceptualizing the linear movement of people with mental illness through the criminal justice system. During the sequential intercept mapping process, community stakeholders identify service and policy gaps and opportunities to address the needs of this target population. This qualitative study describes the perceived impact of sequential intercept mapping among community stakeholders. Sequential intercept mapping appears to be well-received, with the potential to improve collaboration and enhance community policy and practices.
Energy Harvesting is Charging Up

There have been a number of energy harvesting systems proposed over the years and they have seen varying degrees of adoption. The motivation for energy harvesting varies according to the class of application: 1) In green energy applications, solar harvesting has seen widespread adoption to offset rising energy costs and to reduce CO2 emissions, 2) In infrastructure monitoring applications, low power sensors have made use of solar and thermal harvesting to avoid restrictive battery maintenance when deploying sensors at scale, and 3) in mobile applications, harvesting has been used to extend device battery lifetime and the charging burden imposed on the end user. In short, mobile computing systems focus on energy harvesting as a technique to relax or eliminate dependencies on batteries.
Intensive online videogame involvement: A new global idiom of wellness and distress.

Extending classic anthropological “idioms of distress” research, we argue that intensive online videogame involvement is better conceptualized as a new global idiom, not only of distress but also o...
Reading Interventions for Students With or At Risk of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review:

Empirical evidence suggests inattention and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are related to reading fluency, reading comprehension, and academic failure. Students with ADHD are serve...
The association between teaching students with disabilities and teacher turnover.

More students with disabilities (SWDs) are being educated in general education classrooms than ever before, resulting in higher expectations for the abilities of general education teachers to meet SWDs’ educational needs. Yet few recent, quantitative studies have examined if teaching SWDs influences general education certified or special education certified teachers’ decisions to leave their school. We fit multilevel logistic regression models to a large state administrative dataset in order to examine (a) if the percentage of SWDs a teacher instructs was associated with turnover, (b) if this association varied by student disability, and (c) how these associations were moderated by special education certification. The percentage of SWDs in teachers’ classes was associated with an increase in the odds of turnover after controlling for teacher, classroom, and school characteristics. This association was moderated by special education certification such that there was not an association between the percentage of SWDs in these teachers’ classes and their odds of turnover. Teaching students with emotional/behavioral disorders was associated with a large increase in the odds of turnover for all categories of teachers. Results suggest the need for more training and supports for teachers with SWDs in their classrooms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of CO2/Water/Quartz Interfacial Properties: Impact of CO2 Dissolution in Water.

The safe trapping of carbon dioxide (CO2) in deep saline aquifers is one of the major concerns of CO2 sequestration. The amount of capillary trapping is dominated by the capillary pressure of water and CO2 inside the reservoir, which in turn is controlled by the interfacial tension (IFT) and the contact angle (CA) of CO2/water/rock systems. The measurement of IFT and CA could be very challenging at reservoir conditions, especially in the presence of toxic cocontaminants. Thus, the ability to accurately predict these interfacial properties at reservoir conditions is very advantageous. Although the majority of existing molecular dynamics (MD) studies of CO2/water/mineral systems were able to capture the trends in IFT and CA variations with pressure and temperature, their predictions often deviated from experimental data, possibly due to erroneous models and/or overlooked chemical reactions. The objective of this study was to improve the MD predictions of IFT and CA of CO2/water/quartz systems at various pre...
Повышение эффективности чистовой обработки крупномодульных зубчатых колес

Purpose of research. Improving the finishing performance of coarse-grained gear wheels on software-controlled machines. Methods. The method of discrete copying, the theory of designing cutting tools, methods of mathematical and computer programming. Results. It is an urgent task to improve the performance of fine milling of coarse-grained gear wheels by using the capabilities of modern software-controlled equipment. Here we consider the issues of improving the finishing performance of coarse-grained gear wheels on software-controlled machines of hyperboloid mills equipped with interchangeable polyhedral plates (IPP) with a straight cutting edge located at an angle λ to the instrument axis of rotation. It is proposed a method for controlling the accuracy of shaping surfaces, generatrix of which forms a section (set of sections) of convex curves by installing a cutting tool relative to the evolvent profile (fourth axis of the machine) and relative to the feed direction (fifth axis of the machine). The authors have developed a discrete copying method with a set of hyperboloid cutters of tooth surface of coarse-grained gear wheels. It allows us to ensure the 6th degree of accuracy in the parameter of the tooth profile error. Conclusion. The results of the study improve the finishing performance treatment of the teeth of coarse-grained gear wheels on software-controlled machines by reducing the number of passes required for machining one side of the tooth in comparison with the methods of continuous rolling and high-speed end milling. The proposed designs of cutting tools have sufficient versatility to handle a wide range of coarse-grained gear wheels, which is important in the repair and small-scale production.
Assessing barriers and increasing use of immunization information systems in independent community pharmacies: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Background As the number of providers administering vaccines increases, including pharmacists, there is a concern of fragmented immunization records in state and regional immunization information systems (IIS). In order for IIS to have complete records, it is critical that each provider administering vaccines, including pharmacists, participate and update the IIS each time a vaccine is administered to a patient. In Alabama, provider participation in the state IIS is not mandatory; as a result, less than 25% of adults over the age of 19 have immunization data recorded. IIS participation among independent pharmacies is of particular concern as approximately 40% of Alabama pharmacies are independently owned, but only 27% of these are enrolled in the IIS. Objective The objective of this report is to describe a study protocol to assess the impact of an IIS training program among community pharmacies’ IIS enrollment and actual participation rates. Methods The research design is a randomized controlled trial. Study participants are Alabama pharmacists who work in independently owned pharmacies that currently provide at least one type of non-seasonal vaccine and are not currently enrolled in the Alabama IIS. Multiple outcomes including awareness, knowledge, attitudes, intention, IIS enrollment, and IIS participation will be compared between intervention and control groups across three time points (baseline, one-month, and three-months). Individual and organizational factors will be measured to identify any possible associations with outcomes. Implications The expected outcome is to create an effective training program that is scalable and ready for dissemination. If successful, this training program can be replicated and used to significantly impact the completeness and accuracy of IIS across the U.S., providing the potential for IIS to be used consistently in assessing immunization status and recommending additional vaccines in the pharmacy setting, thereby improving vaccination coverage and making the provision of immunizations safe and efficient.
Can Children be Safe if their Caregivers are Not?: Reflections on the “Promise” Study of Workforce Issues in a Residential Treatment Center for Children

ABSTRACTThis article reviews findings from a recent ethnographic study of the workforce in a residential treatment center for children. Major threats to workers’ physical safety and psychosocial we...
Cost-effectiveness of palliative emergent surgery versus endoscopic stenting for acute malignant colonic obstruction

Endoscopic stenting has demonstrated value over emergent surgery as a palliative intervention for patients with acute large bowel obstruction due to advanced colorectal cancer. However, concerns regarding high reintervention rates and the risk of perforation have brought into question its cost-effectiveness. A decision tree analysis was performed to analyze costs and survival in patients with unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer who present with acute large bowel obstruction. The model was designed with two treatment arms: self-expanding metallic stent (SEMS) placement and emergent surgery. Costs were derived from medicare reimbursement rates (US$), while effectiveness was represented by quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). The primary outcome measure was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). The model was tested for validation using one-way, two-way, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Endoscopic stenting resulted in an average cost of $43,798.06 and 0.68 QALYs. Emergent surgery cost $5865.30 more, while only yielding 0.58 QALYs. This resulted in an ICER of − $58,653.00, indicating that SEMS placement is the dominant strategy. One-way and two-way sensitivity analyses demonstrated that emergent surgery would require an improved survival rate in comparison to endoscopic stenting to become the favored treatment modality. In 100,000 probabilistic simulations, endoscopic stenting was favored 96.3% of the time. In patients with acute colonic obstruction in the presence of unresectable or metastatic disease, endoscopic stenting is a more cost-effective palliative intervention than emergent surgery. This recommendation would favor surgery over SEMS placement with improved surgical survival, or if the majority of patients undergoing stenting required reintervention.
Pregnancy reprograms the epigenome of mammary epithelial cells and blocks the development of premalignant lesions

Pregnancy causes a series of cellular and molecular changes in mammary epithelial cells (MECs) of female adults. In addition, pregnancy can also modify the predisposition of rodent and human MECs to initiate oncogenesis. Here, we investigate how pregnancy reprograms enhancer chromatin in the mammary epithelium of mice and influences the transcriptional output of the oncogenic transcription factor cMYC. We find that pregnancy induces an expansion of the active cis-regulatory landscape of MECs, which influences the activation of pregnancy-related programs during re-exposure to pregnancy hormones in vivo and in vitro. Using inducible cMYC overexpression, we demonstrate that post-pregnancy MECs are resistant to the downstream molecular programs induced by cMYC, a response that blunts carcinoma initiation, but does not perturb the normal pregnancy-induced epigenomic landscape. cMYC overexpression drives post-pregnancy MECs into a senescence-like state, and perturbations of this state increase malignant phenotypic changes. Taken together, our findings provide further insight into the cell-autonomous signals in post-pregnancy MECs that underpin the regulation of gene expression, cellular activation, and resistance to malignant development.
Cytokinetics of Heteroploid Tumor Subpopulations by Combined Autoradiographic Imaging and Feulgen Densitometry

Traditional autoradiographic methods for analysis of the cell cycle kinetics of tumors have been limited to estimation of mean phase transit-times and their dispersion in the population as a whole. This obscures the proliferative heterogeneity which may exist among subpopulations. In human tumors where polyploidy and aneuploid variants frequently co-exist, such measurements do not relate to the cytokinetic behavior of the distinct ploidy lineages. An important objective has therefore been to resolve their independent proliferative contributions. This has posed some formidable problems: In populations of uniform ploidy the cycle phase distribution may be resolved from statistical treatment of DNA distributions obtained by flow cytofluorometry or scanning densitometry (1). However, in mixed polyploid/aneuploid systems such a phase deconvolution of subpopulations is not amenable to precise methods due to extensive overlap of their DNA content ranges in the various cycle phases. It is the purpose to outline an approach for resolving the phase distribution and compartmental turnover kinetics of subpopulations based upon automated imageanalysis of 3HTdR labeling and Feulgen densitometry in autoradiographs. The technical aspects of the methodology have been reported (4–6).
Cognitive behavioral intervention for trauma in adolescent girls in child welfare: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract Objective This study tested the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) in adolescent girls involved in the child welfare system. Three outcomes were evaluated: symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and social problem-solving skills. Method A randomized controlled trial was utilized to compare the effects of an adapted version of CBITS with usual care (UC) services. Participants were ages 12 to 19 (N = 249), the majority of whom (69.5%) were African American. Participants’ symptoms of PTSD, depression, and social problem-solving skills were evaluated at pre, post (3 months), and follow-up (6 months) assessments. Linear mixed models were used to compare condition by time interactions using all available data. Control variables were demographics, service use, and number of types of traumas. Treatment fidelity, participant acceptability, and satisfaction with the intervention were also examined. Results Analyses indicated that participants in the CBITS condition showed significantly greater increases in social problem-solving than the UC condition. For both PTSD and depression symptoms, there were no significant differences between the two conditions. Both the CBITS and UC participants showed significant reductions in symptoms. Results also indicated that this intervention is an acceptable model for this population. Conclusions Despite the growth of trauma-focused, evidence-supported interventions for reducing PTSD and depression, knowledge of effective interventions in child welfare youth lags behind. Because CBITS is more effective than UC in increasing social problem-solving skills, this intervention may be an important treatment option for this population.
Prioritising pleasure and correcting misinformation in the era of U=U

There is widespread unawareness and disbelief regarding the evidence-based conclusion that people who have a sustained undetectable HIV viral load cannot sexually transmit HIV-ie, undetectable=untransmittable (U=U). Long-standing, misguided fear about HIV transmission persists; consequently, so does the policing of sexual expression and the penalisation of pleasure faced by people with HIV. Many people with HIV with an undetectable viral load have unnecessarily abstained from condomless sex, avoided serodifferent partnering, and had anxiety about onward sexual transmission due to perceived HIV risk that is now known to be non-existent. Some health professionals have refrained from correcting this misinformation because of concerns that people with HIV will engage in more condomless sex or have more sexual partners upon learning of U=U. Withholding information about U=U is thus rooted in behavioural assumptions and is scientifically unfounded. Moreover, withholding such information violates medical ethics, perpetuates health inequities, and infringes on the sexual health and human rights of people with HIV. Health professionals and the broader public health community have an ethical responsibility to actively address misinformation about HIV transmission and disseminate the U=U message to all people.
Assessing genetic diversity and connectivity in a tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) metapopulation in Northern California

The tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) is a California endemic subspecies that experienced an extreme bottleneck (potentially two individuals) in the mid-1800s. Through active management, including reintroductions, the subspecies has grown to approximately 6000 individuals spread across 22 recognized populations. The populations tend to be localized and separated by unoccupied intervening habitat, prompting targeted translocations to ensure gene flow. However, little is known about the genetic status or connectivity among adjacent populations in the absence of active translocations. We used 19 microsatellites and a sex marker to obtain baseline data on the genetic effective population sizes and functional genetic connectivity of four of these populations, three of which were established since the 1980s and one of which was established ~ 100 years ago. A Bayesian assignment approach suggested the presence of 5 discrete genetic clusters, which corresponded to the four primary populations and two subpopulations within the oldest of them. Effective population sizes ranged from 15 (95% CI 10–22) to 51 (95% CI 32–88). We detected little or no evidence of gene flow among most populations. Exceptions were a signature of unidirectional gene flow to one population founded by emigrants of the other 30 years earlier, and bidirectional gene flow between subpopulations within the oldest population. We propose that social cohesion more than landscape characteristics explained population structure, which developed over many generations corresponding to population expansion. Whether or which populations can grow and reach sufficient effective population sizes on their own or require translocations to maintain genetic diversity and population growth is unclear. In the future, we recommend pairing genetic with demographic monitoring of these and other reintroduced elk populations, including targeted monitoring following translocations to evaluate their effects and necessity.
Attributes, Attitudes, and Motivations of Personnel Involved with Sports Physical Therapy Residency Training

# Background Post-professional residency training in sports physical therapy has undergone rapid growth since its inception over 20 years ago with 58 programs currently accredited. # Purpose The purpose of this survey was to describe and contrast the demographics, motivations, and selection influences from the perspective of both potential training applicants and program faculty. # Study Design Cross-sectional descriptive survey # Methods 156 physical therapists identified as stakeholders in sports residency and fellowship training were invited to participate in a 115-item survey. Descriptive measures of central tendencies to describe the data and Mann Whitney Rank Sum tests were used to detect differences between the perspectives of applicants and faculty. # Results 50 program faculty and 57 applicants responded to the survey for a 69% response rate. Motivations for post-professional training categorized as extremely important were largely intrinsic behavioral modifiers centering on improved knowledge, skills, and outcomes while satisfying a passion for sports specialty training and enhancing job opportunities in the field. 7 of the 10 highest rated application motivations were rated as significantly more important by applicants than faculty members (*p*\<0.05). The two most highly rated influences for choosing to apply to a specific residency site were the perception for subsequent job opportunities and perceived relationship and qualifications with the residency director and staff. The importance of job opportunities in sports PT was rated much higher by the applicant than the faculty (*p*=0.003). # Conclusions While the motivations for residency training may be slightly different between groups the importance of information acquisition and methods for residency selection criteria seem more congruent. Residency faculty may underestimate the importance of some of the most important motivations that prompt interest in residency training. Recognition of these factors may alter the presentation and content design of residency curriculums.