cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On Secure Signaling for the Gaussian Multiple Access Wire-tap Channel

We consider the Gaussian Multiple Access WireTap Channel (GMAC-WT) where multiple users communicate with the intended receiver in the presence of an intelligent and informed wire-tapper (eavesdropper). The wire-tapper receives a degraded version of the signal at the receiver. We assume that the wire-tapper is as capable as the intended receiver, and there is no other shared secret key. We consider two different secure communication scenarios: (i) keeping the wire-tapper totally ignorant of the message of any group of users even if the remaining users are compromised, (ii) using the secrecy of the other users to ensure secrecy for a group of users. We first derive the outer bounds for the secure rate region. Next, using Gaussian codebooks, we show the achievability of a secure rate region for each measure in which the wire-tapper is kept perfectly ignorant of the messages. We also find the power allocations that yield the maximum sum rate, and show that upper bound on the secure sum rate can be achieved by a TDMA scheme. We present numerical results showing the new rate region and compare it with that of the Gaussian Multiple-Access Channel (GMAC) with no secrecy constraints.
Iron Homeostasis and the Inflammatory Response

Iron and its homeostasis are intimately tied to the inflammatory response. The adaptation to iron deficiency, which confers resistance to infection and improves the inflammatory condition, underlies what is probably the most obvious link: the anemia of inflammation or chronic disease. A large number of stimulatory inputs must be integrated to tightly control iron homeostasis during the inflammatory response. In order to understand the pathways of iron trafficking and how they are regulated, this article presents a brief overview of iron homeostasis. A major focus is on the regulation of the peptide hormone hepcidin during the inflammatory response and how its function contributes to the process of iron withdrawal. The review also summarizes new and emerging information about other iron metabolic regulators and effectors that contribute to the inflammatory response. Potential benefits of treatment to ameliorate the hypoferremic condition promoted by inflammation are also considered.
Naturally inflating on steep potentials through electromagnetic dissipation

In models of natural inflation, the inflaton is an axionlike particle. Unfortunately, axion potentials in UV-complete theories appear to be too steep to drive inflation. We show that, even for a steep potential, natural inflation can occur if the coupling between axion and gauge fields is taken into account. Because of this coupling, quanta of the gauge field are produced by the rolling of the axion. If the coupling is large enough, such a dissipative effect slows down the axion, leading to inflation even for a steep potential. The spectrum of perturbations is quasiscale invariant, but in the simplest construction its amplitude is larger than ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$. We discuss a possible way out of this problem.
Decay dynamics of europium excited states in bioactive glasses

Optical probes of solution-produced glasses yield valuable information about the local structure and dynamics of the host glass systems. We report lifetime results for europium excited states in a series of sol-gel-produced bioactive glasses with the composition Ca x P 0.06 Si 0.94-x O 2 (0.11 <x<0.35). The excited state lifetimes are very narrowly distributed about a mean value, leading to nearly single exponential decay curves. A rate equation model is used to study the effects of calcium concentration and temperature on the decay rates. While the presence of calcium in the glass samples greatly enhances the luminescence, over the concentration range tested, no significant difference in the decay times was measured. Over the temperature range 77-300 K about 20% and 30% increases in the decay rates of the 5 D 0 and 5 D 1 levels were measured, respectively.
Chaotic ray behaviour in regional seismology

SUMMARY Rays propagating through strongly laterally varying media exhibit chaotic behaviour. This means that initially close rays diverge exponentially, rather than according to a power law. This chaotic behaviour is especially pronounced if the medium contains laterally varying interfaces. By studying simple 2-D and 3-D versions of models with laterally varying interfaces, the importance of chaotic ray behaviour is determined. A model of the Moho below Germany produces sharp variations with epicentral distance of the number of arrivals. In addition, the number of caustics grows dramatically: up to 1200 caustics are present between a distance of 0 and 800 km. Using the theory of Hamiltonian systems, a more in-depth study of the chaotic character of the ray equations is obtained. It is found that for realistic heterogeneous models most of the relevant rays will exhibit chaotic behaviour. The degree of chaos is quantified in terms of predictability horizons. Beyond the predictability horizons ray tracing cannot be carried out accurately. For the models under consideration, the length from the source to the predictability horizon has an order of magnitude of 1000 km. The chaotic behaviour of the rays makes it necessary to use extensions of asymptotic ray theory, such as Maslov theory, to compute seismic waveforms. It is shown that pseudo-caustics, an important obstacle in computing Maslov synthetics, are a generic feature of the 2-D laterally varying models that are studied. Eventually, the use of asymptotic methods is restricted because of the inaccuracy in the computation of the ray paths.
Modeling Knowledge Flow Using Petri Net

Organizations and communities are held together by knowledge flow networks whether people are aware of them or not. Knowledge flows influence the evolution of culture and language, promote international collaboration, and hasten the development of science. In this paper, we propose a Petri net based model of knowledge flow for more effective and efficient knowledge management, knowledge flow management, and knowledge flow network planning. We describe a research approach and modeling environment that enables the knowledge flows to be formalized through computational models. The model enables users to study knowledge flow in a visualized network and to develop strategies for adapting networks to changing conditions. The basic idea is to adapt and control logistical processes for knowledge flow within teams, organizations, and communities.
Pathogen-Specific CD8 T Cell Responses Are Directly Inhibited by IL-10

Regulation of CD8 T cell expansion and contraction is essential for successful immune defense against intracellular pathogens. IL-10 is a regulatory cytokine that can restrict T cell responses by inhibiting APC functions. IL-10, however, can also have direct effects on T cells. Although blockade or genetic deletion of IL-10 enhances T cell-mediated resistance to infections, the extent to which IL-10 limits in vivo APC function or T cell activation/proliferation remains unknown. Herein, we demonstrate that primary and memory CD8 T cell responses following Listeria monocytogenes infection are enhanced by the absence of IL-10. Surface expression of the IL-10R is transiently up-regulated on CD8 T cells following activation, suggesting that activated T cells can respond to IL-10 directly. Consistent with this notion, CD8 T cells lacking IL-10R2 underwent greater expansion than wild-type T cells upon L. monocytogenes infection. The absence of IL-10R2 on APCs, in contrast, did not enhance T cell responses following infection. Our studies demonstrate that IL-10 produced during bacterial infection directly limits expansion of pathogen-specific CD8 T cells and reveal an extrinsic regulatory mechanism that modulates the magnitude of memory T cell responses.
National nuclear security and other applications of Rare Isotopes

The proposed rare isotope accelerator will produce large quantities of short-lived isotopes in beams suitable for experiments in low energy nuclear physics and nuclear astrophysics. The full suite of particles available offers the opportunity for advances in other scientific fields and applied technologies, including national security, medical technology, material science, and nuclear energy.
I/O conscious algorithm design and systems support for data analysis on emerging architectures

Advances in data collection and storage technologies have given rise to large dynamic data stores. In order to effectively manage and mine such stores on modern and emerging architectures, one must consider both designing effective middleware support and re-architecting algorithms, to derive performance that commensurates with technological advances. In this article, we present a top-down view of how one can achieve this goal for next generation data analysis centers. Specifically, we present a case study on frequent pattern algorithms, and show how such algorithms can be re-structured to be cache, memory and I/O conscious. Furthermore, motivated by such algorithms, we present a services oriented middleware framework for the derivation of high performance on next generation architectures.
Others in the Making of Selves

Unfortunately, I am not the first to attempt to map out the narrative terrain of Others. In 1985, R. S. Perinbanayagam presented various social theorists’ conceptions of the Other in his book Signifying Acts: Structure and Meaning in Everyday Life. Basically, they comprise three Others: the Generalized Other, the Meiotic Other (my language), and the Significant Other. I will address three additional Others – the Unconscious Other, the Marginalized Other, and the Nonhuman Other – that I find in a broader and more recent literature. Although I group them into six main Others, the borders of these types are somewhat arbitrary, porous, and nondiscrete, as interaction and intersection exist among them. Two characteristics that distinguish one Other from another are whether the Other exists within or outside the Self and whether the Other is an individual or aggregate entity. The Unconscious Other and the Generalized Other both are constructed from symbolic material outside the individual but ultimately take up residence within the Self. The Meiotic Self is the self-divided; there may be multiple divisions but each Meiotic Self is usually presented as singly constituted. The Significant Other, an individual, and the Marginalized Other, often a status group or member of it, reside outside the Self but play supporting roles in relation to any particular Self, which may also be an individual or status group, such as men, Whites, and Americans. The Nonhuman Other may be individual, an aggregate of individuals, or the product of human behavior, all of which reside outside the Self.
Monitoring Helium Integrity in Welded Canisters

Monitoring the interior of a welded canister containing spent (or used) nuclear fuel for its functional and structural integrity is exceptionally challenging because of the intense levels of heat and radiation and the difficulties of transmitting the sensor signals out through the sealed stainless-steel canister wall. Yet, confirmation of canister integrity is crucial for the aging management of the dry cask storage systems (DCSSs) for extended long-term storage and subsequent transportation of used fuel. A canister breach can lead to serious consequences — release of radioactive contaminants; oxidation of fuel cladding, which could compromise fuel rod integrity and criticality safety; and generation of potentially explosive hydrogen gas. The development of the Remote Area Modular Monitoring (RAMM) technology and 3D simulation of thermal performance of a vertical dry storage cask are reported in this paper, as is a preliminary plan for field-testing and evaluation of multiple prototype RAMM units on selected dry storage casks at an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) site.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Psychometric instrumentation: reliability and validity of instruments used for clinical practice, evidence-based practice projects and research studies

It is important for CNSs and other APNs to consider the reliability and validity of instruments chosen for clinical practice, evidence-based practice projects, or research studies. Psychometric testing uses specific research methods to evaluate the amount of error associated with any particular instrument. Reliability estimates explain more about how well the instrument is designed, whereas validity estimates explain more about scores that are produced by the instrument. An instrument may be architecturally sound overall (reliable), but the same instrument may not be valid. For example, if a specific group does not understand certain well-constructed items, then the instrument does not produce valid scores when used with that group. Many instrument developers may conduct reliability testing only once, yet continue validity testing in different populations over many years. All CNSs should be advocating for the use of reliable instruments that produce valid results. Clinical nurse specialists may find themselves in situations where reliability and validity estimates for some instruments that are being utilized are unknown. In such cases, CNSs should engage key stakeholders to sponsor nursing researchers to pursue this most important work.
The Effects of Cross-Linking and Strain on the Glass Transition Temperature of a Polymer Network

Abstract The glass transition temperature Tg of an elastomer is of great importance with regard to its utilization since at this temperature and below, the material can no longer exhibit rubberlike behavior. In the present study, networks were prepared from atactic poly(vinyl acetate) and poly(isobutyl methacrylate), both types of networks being inherently non-crystallizable and therefore immune from complications associated with strain-induced crystallization. The values of Tg were obtained by dilatometry, differential scanning Calorimetry, the measurement of viscoelastic losses, and irreversible thermal shrinkage. For both types of networks, Tg was found to increase with increase in degree of crosslinking and with increase in elongation. These results suggest that the most important effect of crosslinking and network elongation is a decrease in the mobility or entropy of the network chains.
The Evolution of Folsom Fluting

The emergence and evolution of the Folsom point is analyzed in light of cultural transmission and dual inheritance theories. While the Folsom point was an outstanding techno-functional solution to Late Pleistocene bison hunting of the Great Plains of North America, archaeological data indicate that fluting was an unnecessary high-risk activity that served as much a socio-cultural role as a techno-functional one. In dual inheritance terms, the fluting of Folsom points likely gained a foothold as one piece of the “good hunter” model which was passed from elders to youths within specific cultural contexts. The demise of Folsom points during the early Holocene likely was instigated by a transformation of social image, from fluting as an indicator trait of success, to fluting as a measure of increased risk and waste in the face of challenging subsistence realms.
Gastric emptying of two whey-based formulas of different energy density and its clinical implication in children with volume intolerance.

Objective: Whey-based formulas have faster gastric emptying than casein-based formulas. Isoenergetic, isovolumic, whey-based formulas of different osmolarity and fat content empty in a similar manner. Will the gastric emptying of high and low energy density whey-based formulas be similar? Design: We studied the gastric emptying rate of equal volumes of two whey-based formulas of different energy density (4.18 kJ/ml and 6.27 kJ/ml) and osmolality (270 and 450 mOsm/kg, respectively) in 10 children (4.5–12 y) with volume intolerance and resultant inability to gain weight. Results: The two formulas had comparable gastric emptying rates at 30, 60, 90 and 120 min. Over a one month clinical trial, substitution of the lower energy density whey-based formula (no weight gain over 2 months) with an equal volume of the high energy density formula produced a mean weight gain of 1.17±0.5 kg per patient without change in tolerance. Conclusion: The higher density whey-based formula can safely substitute an equal volume of a lower energy density formula to produce weight gain without affecting tolerance. Implication: This provides an important intervention for increasing energy intake in children with volume intolerance or fluid restriction.
Prognosis of Children with Tourette Syndrome and Affective Factor

Objective To explore the risk factors affecting prognosis of children with Tourette syndrome(TS).Methods The follow-up visits were conducted on the clinical data of 98 cases with TS(85 male,13 female;aged 4-16 years old)from 1997 to 2005 in Wuhan children's hospital.All cases were consistent with the diagnostic criteria of TS in the 4th edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-Ⅳ).The investigations were performed by the investigators who received special training using the unified questionnaire with the methods of direct inquiry or by telephone.The factors included sex,age,severity of TS,the primary symptoms,family history,coexisting diseases,basic diseases,perinatal abnormity and family-social relations.The prognosis of TS and these factors were analyzed by linear regression and stepwise regression with SPSS 12.0 software.Results About 16 cases lost follow-up and the other 82 cases with follow-up(72 male and 10 female)received retrospective review.They were 14 to 25 years old with complete data,and 50 cases healed,32 cases not healed.Results from non-conditional simple variant Logistic regression showed that such cases were associated with the following factors:age,family history of TS,severity of TS,coexisting diseases,basic diseases and perinatal abnormity(Pa0.05).And there was no significance with sex,the primary symptom and family relations(Pa0.05).Out of 6 suspicious factors,there were coexisting diseases(OR=84.088,95%CI 10.850-651.682),severity of TS(OR=13.956,95% CI 2.412-80.762),and family history of TS(OR=27.127,95% CI 1.047-702.831)of risk factors.Conclusion The long-term prognosis of children with TS may be related with coexisting disease,severity of TS and family history respectively.
Impact of a Bundled Payment System on Resource Utilization During Spine Surgery.

Background In a bundled payment system, a single payment covers all costs associated with a single episode of care. Spine surgery may be well suited for bundled payments because of clearly defined episodes of care, but the impact on current practice has not been studied. We sought to examine how a theoretical bundled payment strategy with financial disincentives to resource utilization would impact practice patterns. Methods A multiple-choice survey was administered to spine surgeons describing eight clinical scenarios. Respondents were asked about their current practice, and then their practice in a hypothetical bundled payment system. Respondents could choose from multiple types of implants, bone grafts, and other resources utilized at the surgeon9s discretion. Results Forty-three respondents completed the survey. Within each scenario, 24%-49% of respondents changed at least one aspect of management. The proportion of cases performed without implants was unchanged for four scenarios and increased in four by an average of 8%. Use of autologous iliac crest bone graft increased across all scenarios by an average of 18%. Use of neuromonitoring decreased in all scenarios by an average of 21%. Differences in costs were not statistically significant. Conclusions Financial disincentives to resource utilization may result in some changes to surgeons’ practices but these appear limited to items with less clear benefits to patients. Choices of implants, which account for the majority of intra-operative costs, did not change meaningfully. A bundling strategy targeting peri-operative costs solely related to surgical practice may not yield substantive savings while rationing potentially beneficial treatments to patient care. Level of Evidence: 5.
CLS to higher education administrator: the price they paid.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the barriers and/or obstacles these women experienced during their career paths as women clinical laboratory scientists who transitioned to higher education administration. To identify how being a woman influenced their careers as higher education administrators. METHODS: A multi-site case study design was selected for this qualitative research involving a purposive sample of eight research participants. Data collection was guided by ten open-ended questions in seven face-to-face and one telephone semi-formal interviews. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: The purposive sample included women clinical laboratory scientists who held a current higher education administrative position at the dean9s level, including associate and assistant dean positions, in a university setting. The participants were located in eight higher education institutions in Nebraska, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri, and Texas. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: The price women pay, gender considerations, a need for balance, existence/absence of the glass ceiling for women in higher education administration. RESULTS: Making personal sacrifices, struggling with gender stereotypes, being a woman, knowing you are okay, and possessing the ability to separate the personal from the professional were identified by this group of women as challenging experiences as they obtained and maintained a position as a higher education administrator. Additionally, they described the need for balance, a support system, and how they successfully managed their marriage, family, and career. The participants presented conflicting statements concerning the existence of the glass ceiling for women in higher education administration. CONCLUSION: The participants in this study obtained positions in higher education administration but they indicated they have paid a price. Each of the participants indicated their obstacles included making a personal sacrifice, being treated differently because they were women, and needing to find a balance in their responsibilities related to their careers, marriages, and families. The majority of the participants believe there is a slight increase in the number of opportunities for women in higher education administration.
ROADS AND DAMS: INFRASTRUCTURE-DRIVEN TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON

Desde los anos 1970 cuando fue construida la Carretera Transamazonica hasta hoy con la construccion de Belo Monte, la tercera mayor hidroelectrica del mundo, la Amazonia brasilena ha sentido los impactos de los grandes proyectos de infraestructura. Cuando fueron anunciados todos estos proyectos prometian progreso, integracion nacional, y desarrollo economico. Despues de varias decadas los resultados son otros: endeudamiento nacional, impactos negativos sobre la sociedad y el medio ambiente, y el desarrollo regional asumiendo un segundo lugar en relacion a otros objetivos tales como la produccion de energia y el Producto Interno Bruto. Sugerimos en este trabajo soluciones para reducir los impactos negativos, promover mejoranzas en las condiciones de vida de las personas, y desarrollo sustentable, sin abandonar los objetivos de desarrollo nacional.
Imperial Desire and Implications for Contemporary Representation of Colony

There has been much rigorous questioning about the idea and practice of colonialism in current reflections on colonialism and post/coloniality. Except for some serious intellectual examination over the inter-relations between gender and colonisation in Spivak‟s work on subalternity and gender, not much has been articulated about imperial desire and colonial sexualities. Moreover, there has been no signifying exploration of the distinction between imperialism and colonialism particularly as the difference is situated in desire. This paper attempts to locate the difference between imperial and colonial as they overlap in imperial desire. I also wish to expose its continuity in contemporary representations of colony, particularly in film and conclude by making comments on pedagogic practices in the current English studies classroom. In so doing, I intend to situate the politics, both cultural and sexual, within the current representational politics of post/coloniality. Keywords: Imperial, Colonial, Desire, Post/coloniality, Film, Pedagogic
Urinary Tract Infections in Hospitalized Ischemic Stroke Patients: Source and Impact on Outcome.

Background Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in ischemic stroke patients are a common occurrence and the frequent focus of quality improvement initiatives. However, many UTIs are community-acquired and the impact of such infections on patient outcomes remains controversial. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of our Stroke Center Database and electronic medical records to determine the incidence of both community-acquired UTI (CA-UTI) and hospital-acquired UTI (HA-UTI) in hospitalized ischemic stroke patients. We assessed risk factors for UTI, as well as clinical outcome, the length of stay (LOS), and hospital charges. Results In our study sample of 395 patients, UTIs were found in 11.7% and the majority of these (65%) were found on admission. Patients admitted from another hospital were more likely to be diagnosed with a UTI of any type compared to those arriving from home (odds ratio (OR) 2.42 95%, confidence interval (CI) 1.18, 4.95) and were considerably more likely to have an HA-UTI than a CA-UTI (OR 12.06 95% CI 2.14, 95.32). Those with a Foley catheter were also more likely to have a UTI (OR 2.65 95% CI 1.41, 4.98). In the multivariable analysis, we did not find a statistically significant relationship between any UTI or a specific UTI subtype and discharge modified Rankin Score (mRS), LOS, or hospital charges. Admission stroke severity remained associated with higher odds of discharge in poor condition (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 6.23 95% CI2.33, 16.62), an extended LOS (6.84 vs 5.07, p = 0.006), and higher hospital charges ($18,305 vs $12,162, p = 0.001). Conclusions: Urinary tract infections remain a common occurrence in stroke patients. However, the majority of UTIs are present on admission and may have little impact on discharge clinical condition, LOS, or hospital charges. These results may have implications for quality improvement (QI) initiatives that focus on the prevention and treatment of hospital-acquired UTIs.
Understanding Binary Interactions and Aging Effects in Catalyst Layer Inks for Controlled Manufacturing

The effect of perfluorosulfonated ionomer loading in carbon-based colloidal inks is investigated under static and dynamic operating conditions. The results show that both the solvent-type and polymer loading play a role in ink stability, aggregation, and aging. Dynamic light scattering and shear and creep rheological experiments show that the addition of a polymer to carbon inks can act as a stabilizing agent which increases steric repulsion and decreases the inks overall viscosity. As the polymer loading is increased above 30wt% a decrease of approximately 30 MPa-1 in compliance is observed. A decrease in compliance at high polymer loading suggests weak interactions between the underlying carbon materials and indicates that a critical polymer loadings may exist for different shear processing routes.
Paternal lineage early onset hereditary ovarian cancers: A Familial Ovarian Cancer Registry study

Given prior evidence that an affected woman conveys a higher risk of ovarian cancer to her sister than to her mother, we hypothesized that there exists an X-linked variant evidenced by transmission to a woman from her paternal grandmother via her father. We ascertained 3,499 grandmother/granddaughter pairs from the Familial Ovarian Cancer Registry at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute observing 892 informative pairs with 157 affected granddaughters. We performed germline X-chromosome exome sequencing on 186 women with ovarian cancer from the registry. The rate of cancers was 28.4% in paternal grandmother/granddaughter pairs and 13.9% in maternal pairs consistent with an X-linked dominant model (Chi-square test X2 = 0.02, p = 0.89) and inconsistent with an autosomal dominant model (X2 = 20.4, p<0.001). Paternal grandmother cases had an earlier age-of-onset versus maternal cases (hazard ratio HR = 1.59, 95%CI: 1.12–2.25) independent of BRCA1/2 status. Reinforcing the X-linked hypothesis, we observed an association between prostate cancer in men and ovarian cancer in his mother and daughters (odds ratio, OR = 2.34, p = 0.034). Unaffected mothers with affected daughters produced significantly more daughters than sons (ratio = 1.96, p<0.005). We performed exome sequencing in reported BRCA negative cases from the registry. Considering age-of-onset, one missense variant (rs176026 in MAGEC3) reached chromosome-wide significance (Hazard ratio HR = 2.85, 95%CI: 1.75–4.65) advancing the age of onset by 6.7 years. In addition to the well-known contribution of BRCA, we demonstrate that a genetic locus on the X-chromosome contributes to ovarian cancer risk. An X-linked pattern of inheritance has implications for genetic risk stratification. Women with an affected paternal grandmother and sisters of affected women are at increased risk for ovarian cancer. Further work is required to validate this variant and to characterize carrier families.
Beach Nourishment in the United States

Beach nourishment is a “soft” coastal erosion control strategy that involves the importation and emplacement of sand along dynamic shorelines in an attempt to stabilize and artificially maintain a minimum subaerial beach width. In the United States beaches are typically nourished to protect human economic development vulnerable to shoreline erosion/migration and coastal storms. While preferable to hard erosion control structures such as seawalls and groins, fiscal and economic issues have cast doubt on the efficacy of beach nourishment as an affordable, equitable and sustainable erosion response measure. Of particular concern are the delineation of costs and benefits, how costs and benefits are distributed and the possibility that storm damage reduction benefits – the economic force that drives nearly all beach nourishment projects – may never materialize. An accurate accounting of potential future costs must be combined with a pragmatic expectation of potential benefits before beach nourishment can be compared, let alone considered preferable, to non-traditional coastal erosion response measures such as retreat.
Detection of α-, β-, and γ-amanitin in urine by LC-MS/MS using 15N10-α-amanitin as the internal standard.

Abstract The majority of fatalities from poisonous mushroom ingestion are caused by amatoxins. To prevent liver failure or death, it is critical to accurately and rapidly diagnose amatoxin exposure. We have developed a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method to detect α-, β-, and γ-amanitin in urine to meet this need. Two internal standard candidates were evaluated, including an isotopically labeled 15N10-α-amanitin and a modified amanitin methionine sulfoxide synthetic peptide. Using the 15N10-α-amanitin internal standard, precision and accuracy of α-amanitin in pooled urine was ≤5.49% and between 100 and 106%, respectively, with a reportable range from 1–200 ng/mL. β- and γ-Amanitin were most accurately quantitated in pooled urine using external calibration, resulting in precision ≤17.2% and accuracy between 99 and 105% with calibration ranges from 2.5-200 ng/mL and 1.0–200 ng/mL, respectively. The presented urinary diagnostic test is the first method to use an isotopically labeled α-amanitin with the ability to detect and confirm human exposures to α-, β-, and γ-amanitin.
Compressing, Expanding, and Attending to Scientific Meaning: Writing the Semiotic Hybrid of Science for Professional and Citizen Scientists.

Drawing on a text-based ethnography of digital writing in a biology laboratory, this article examines the text trajectory of a scientific manuscript and a scientific team’s related writing for publ...
Reflections on relevance: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics in 2004.

Relevance of an article is a highly desirable yet hardly predictable quality at the time of its publication. Article relevance is frequently measured by the impact factor of the journal where the arti
Using citizen science to expand the global map of landslides: Introducing the Cooperative Open Online Landslide Repository (COOLR)

Robust inventories are vital for improving assessment of and response to deadly and costly landslide hazards. However, collecting landslide events in inventories is difficult at the global scale due to inconsistencies in or the absence of landslide reporting. Citizen science is a valuable opportunity for addressing some of these challenges. The new Cooperative Open Online Landslide Repository (COOLR) supplements data in a NASA-developed Global Landslide Catalog (GLC) with citizen science reports to build a more robust, publicly available global inventory. This manuscript introduces the COOLR project and its methods, evaluates the initial citizen science results from the first 13 months, and discusses future improvements to increase the global engagement with the project. The COOLR project (https://landslides.nasa.gov) contains Landslide Reporter, the first global citizen science project for landslides, and Landslide Viewer, a portal to visualize data from COOLR and other satellite and model products. From March 2018 to April 2019, 49 citizen scientists contributed 162 new landslide events to COOLR. These events spanned 37 countries in five continents. The initial results demonstrated that both expert and novice participants are contributing via Landslide Reporter. Citizen scientists are filling in data gaps through news sources in 11 different languages, in-person observations, and new landslide events occurring hundreds and thousands of kilometers away from any existing GLC data. The data is of sufficient accuracy to use in NASA susceptibility and hazard models. COOLR continues to expand as an open platform of landslide inventories with new data from citizen scientists, NASA scientists, and other landslide groups. Future work on the COOLR project will seek to increase participation and functionality of the platform as well as move towards collective post-disaster mapping.
Effects of prefrontal tDCS on dopamine-mediated behavior and psychophysiology

The ability to manipulate dopamine in vivo through non-invasive, reversible mechanisms has the potential to impact clinical, translational, and basic research. Recent PET studies have demonstrated increased dopamine release in the striatum after prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We sought to extend this work by examining whether prefrontal tDCS could demonstrate an effect on behavioral and physiological correlates of subcortical dopamine activity. We conducted a between-subjects study (n = 30) with active and sham tDCS and used spontaneous eye blink rate (EBR), facial attractiveness ratings, and greyscales orienting bias as indirect proxies for dopamine functioning. The initial design and analyses were pre-registered (https://osf.io/gmnpc). Stimulation did not significantly affect any of the three measures, though effect sizes were often moderately large and were all in the predicted directions. Additional exploratory analyses suggested that stimulation9s effect on EBR might depend on pre-stimulation dopamine levels. Our results shed light on the sensitivity of indirect measures of dopamine in humans and add to a growing body of work demonstrating the importance of examining individual differences in tDCS response.
Nuclear Medicine Dose Assessment

Radiation dose estimates are necessary for evaluating risks and benefits from medical examinations using radiopharmaceuticals, in particular for therapeutic applications. This chapter describes standardized methods and models for calculating internal doses from radiopharmaceutical studies. Standard organ and marrow dose models are described, techniques for obtaining data from animal or human studies are outlined, with examples given, and discussion of patient-individualized dosimetry and the biological response of tissues to dose from ionizing radiation is also provided.
The role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in predicting overall survival in patients undergoing laser interstitial thermal therapy for glioblastoma

Abstract Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) offers a minimally-invasive treatment option for glioblastomas (GBM) which are relatively small or in eloquent areas. While laser ablation for malignant gliomas has been shown to be safe and effective, the role of the subsequent immune response in not well established. In this study we aim to analyze the prognostic potential of edema volume and acute inflammation, quantified as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), in predicting overall survival. Twenty-one patients were identified with new or recurrent GBMs that were candidates for LITT. Laser ablation was performed using standard solid tumor protocol for treatment volume, intensity and duration. Edema volume was quantified using MRI imaging, while retrospective chart review was performed to calculate NLR and survival. In patients treated with LITT for GBM, peri-tumoral vasogenic edema volumes did not significantly change post-operatively, p > 0.200, while NLR significantly increased, p = 0.0002. The degree of NLR increase correlated with longer overall survivals, and ROC analysis demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.827, p = 0.0112. A delta-NLR cutoff of 7.0 results in positive and negative predictive values of 78% and 75%, respectively, in predicting overall survival >1 year. Patients with with delta-NLR > 7.0 lived significantly longer that those with delta-NLR
This Wide and Universal Stage: How Empathy and Presence Inform the Contribution of TheatricalPractice to the Physician’s Art

Presence has been defined by Arthur Kleinman as ‘the intensity of interacting with another human being that animates both being there for, and with, that person.’ The interpersonal space of presence is considered in this essay to reflect the ‘transitional space’ of child development put forth by Winnicott which in adulthood is retained in the experience of the arts, imaginative living, and creativity. It examines the space of presence in the practice of medicine as influenced by the performing arts, using theatre as its exemplar. The space between self and other in which mediation of care and healing occurs is recreated in no small part in the complex space between self and other in the theatre. Here the theatrical space is a place of holding and containing, a place of permission, and a model of creativity and problem-solving as contrasted with the sense of confusion, isolation, and fear that is associated with ambiguity and shame that can accompany illness and disease. The dialogic model of empathy in theatre is examined as a necessary element in healing and in the effective communication within the provision of health care.
The Utility of an English Semantics Measure for Identifying Developmental Language Disorder in Spanish-English Bilinguals.

Purpose We examined the English semantic performance of three hundred twenty-seven 7- to 10-year-old Spanish-English bilinguals with (n = 66) and without (n = 261) developmental language disorder (DLD) with varying levels of English experience to classify groups. Method English semantic performance on the Bilingual English-Spanish Assessment-Middle Extension Experimental Test Version (Pena et al., 2008) was evaluated by language experience, language ability, and task type. Items that best identified DLD for children with balanced and high English experience were selected. Separately, items that best identified children with high Spanish experience were selected. Results Typically developing bilingual children performed significantly higher than their peers with DLD across semantic tasks, with differences associated with task type. Classification accuracy was fair when item selection corresponded to balanced or high level of experience in English, but poor for children with high Spanish experience. Selecting items specifically for children with high Spanish experience improved classification accuracy. Conclusions Tailoring semantic items based on children's experience is a promising direction toward organizing items on a continuum of exposure. Here, classification effectively ruled in impairment. Future work to refine semantic items that more accurately represent the continuum of exposure may help rule out language impairment.
Estimating the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) Losses from COVID-19 Infections in the United States

Over 90 percent of the U.S. population was under stay at home orders by April 2020. These social distancing measures to slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 or novel coronavirus have led to over 20 million new applications for unemployment benefits. Are these economic losses justified? We find the value of statistical lives lost (VSL) from an unconstrained spread of the virus which hypothetically infected 81 percent of the population would amount to $8 to $60 trillion.
YouTube as an Educational Resource in Medical Education: a Scoping Review.

YouTube has emerged as a growing educational resource for medical learners and educators; yet, its broad implementation may lack guidance from evidence-based evaluations. This article presents a scoping review of the utility, effectiveness, and validity of YouTube video resources in medical education. Of the 113 articles identified, 31 articles met inclusion criteria that focused on use of YouTube in medical education. Only 19.4% of the articles (n = 6) reported evaluative outcomes related to the use of YouTube for instructional purposes. Recommendations are offered for improving the usefulness and quality of YouTube videos as an educational resource in medical education.
Clinical Reasoning: Therapeutic considerations in myasthenic crisis due to COVID-19 infection.

In mid-March 2020, a 45-year-old woman with acetylcholine receptor antibody–positive myasthenia gravis (MG) presented to a Northern California emergency department with 1 week of fever, sore throat, cough, as well as worsened diplopia, dysphagia, and slurred speech. She had been in contact with her father, who had similar upper airway symptoms followed by respiratory compromise and was in critical condition at another hospital.
Exploring the Smart Future of Participation: Community, Inclusivity, and People With Disabilities

COVID-19 is having an enormous impact on civic life, including public services, governance, and the well-being of citizens The pace and scope of technology as a force for problem solving, connecting people, sharing information, and organizing civic life has increased in the wake of COVID-19 This article critically reviews how technology use influences the civic engagement potential of the smart city, in particular for people with disabilities The article aims to articulate new challenges to virtual participation in civic life in terms of accessibility, usability, and equity Next, the article proposes a framework for a smart participation future involving smarter communities that utilize universal design, blended bottom-up, and virtual community of practice (VCoP) approaches to planning and connecting citizens with disabilities to smart cities Policy and ethical implications of the proposed smart participation future are considered
THE LARSON-TINSLEY EFFECT IN THE ULTRAVIOLET: INTERACTING VERSUS 'NORMAL' SPIRAL GALAXIES

We compare the UV-optical colors of a well-defined set of optically selected pre-merger interacting galaxy pairs with those of normal spirals. The shorter wavelength colors show a larger dispersion for the interacting galaxies than for the spirals. This result can best be explained by higher star formation rates on average in the interacting galaxies, combined with higher extinctions on average. This is consistent with earlier studies which found that the star formation in interacting galaxies tends to be more centrally concentrated than in normal spirals, perhaps due to gas being driven into the center by the interaction. As noted in earlier studies, there is a large variation from galaxy to galaxy in the implied star formation rates of the interacting galaxies, with some galaxies having enhanced rates but others being fairly quiescent.
An exploration of patient-provider dynamics and childbirth experiences in rural and urban Peru: a qualitative study.

Between 2006 and 2013, Peru implemented national programs which drastically decreased rates of maternal and neonatal mortality. However, since 2013, maternal and neonatal mortality in Peru have increased. Additionally, discrimination, abuse, and violence against women persists globally and impacts birthing experiences and mental health. This qualitative study sought to better understand the attitudes and beliefs regarding childbirth among women and providers in Southern Peru. This study also explores how these beliefs influence utilization of skilled care, patient-provider dynamics, and childbirth experiences and identifies factors that impact providers’ provision of care. Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants from rural Colca Canyon and 15 participants from urban Arequipa between April and May 2018. In each region, 10 women who had experienced recent births and five providers were interviewed. Provider participants predominantly identified as female and were mostly midwives. All interviews were conducted, transcribed, and coded in Spanish. A framework analysis was followed, and data were charted into two separate thematic frameworks using contextual and evaluative categories of conceptualization of childbirth. All recent births discussed were facility-based births. Four domains emerged: women’s current birth experiences, provision of childbirth care, beliefs about childbirth among women and providers, and future health-seeking behavior. Findings suggest that women’s feelings of helplessness and frustration were exacerbated by their unmet desire for respectful maternity care and patient advocacy or companionship. Providers attributed strain to perceived patient characteristics and insufficient support, including resources and staff. Our findings suggest current childbirth experiences placed strain on the patient-provider dynamic and influenced women’s attitudes and beliefs about future experiences. Currently, the technical quality of safe childbirth is the main driver of skilled birth attendance and facility-based births for women regardless of negative experiences. However, lack of respectful maternity care has been shown to have major long-term implications for women and subsequently, their children. This is one of the first studies to describe the nuances of patient-provider relationships and women’s childbirth experiences in rural and urban Peru.
Unnecessary Antibiotic Prescribing in Dental Practices and Associated Adverse Effects

Dentists prescribe 10% of outpatient antibiotics in the USA; we discuss recent data evaluating antibiotic use in dentistry and opportunities for improvement. We review the indications for antibiotics in dentistry, recent data highlighting frequent unnecessary use of antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental procedures, adverse effects associated with antibiotic use in dentistry, and examples of successful stewardship interventions in the dental setting. Antimicrobial stewardship in dentistry is nascent and current data suggest antibiotic use can be significantly improved in this setting which may lead to improved patient outcomes and decreased risk of adverse drug effects.