cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stretch of Active Muscle during the Declining Phase of the Calcium Transient Produces Biphasic Changes in Calcium Binding to the Activating Sites

In voltage-clamped barnacle single muscle fibers, muscle shortening during the declining phase of the calcium transient increases myoplasmic calcium. This extra calcium is probably released from the activating sites by a change in affinity when cross-bridges break (Gordon, A. M., and E. B. Ridgway, 1987. J. Gen. Physiol. 90:321-340). Stretching the muscle at similar times causes a more complex response, a rapid increase in intracellular calcium followed by a transient decrease. The amplitudes of both phases increase with the rate and amplitude of stretch. The rapid increase, however, appears only when the muscle is stretched more than approximately 0.4%. This is above the length change that produces the breakpoint in the force record during a ramp stretch. This positive phase in response to large stretches is similar to that seen on equivalent shortening at the same point in the contraction. For stretches at different times during the calcium transient, the peak amplitude of the positive phase has a time course that is delayed relative to the calcium transient, while the peak decrease during the negative phase has an earlier time course that is more similar to the calcium transient. The amplitudes of both phases increase with increasing strength of stimulation and consequent force. When the initial muscle the active force. A large decrease in length (which drops the active force to zero) decreases the extra calcium seen on a subsequent restretch. After such a shortening step, the extra calcium on stretch recovers (50 ms half time) toward the control level with the same time course as the redeveloped force. Conversely, stretching an active fiber decreases the extra calcium on a subsequent shortening step that is imposed shortly afterward. Enhanced calcium binding due to increased length alone cannot explain our data. We hypothesize that the calcium affinity of the activating sites increases with cross-bridge attachment and further with cross-bridge strain. This accounts for the biphasic response to stretch as follows: cross-bridges detached by stretch first decrease calcium affinity, then upon reattachment increase calcium affinity due to the strained configuration brought on by the stretch. The experiments suggest that cross-bridge attachment and strain can modify calcium binding to the activating sites in intact muscle.
On polyhedral approximations to a sphere

The authors investigate methods by which successive approximations to a sphere can be generated from polyhedra. Each approximation can be obtained by bevel-cutting each edge of the previous approximation with a plane tangent to the sphere. They show that each member of the sequence of polyhedra can be associated with a Voronoi tessellation of the sphere. Under this formulation, the bevel-cutting operation can be defined by the insertion of points into the Voronoi tessellation. The algorithm is defined such that affine combinations of the polyhedra will converge to affine operations of the sphere. The method is useful as a modeling operation and as a level-of-detail representation for a sphere.
ROBUSTNESS OF THE HEADQUARTERS‐CITY EFFECT ON STOCK RETURNS

Recent studies report that U.S. firms headquartered near each other experience positive comovement in their stock returns, a finding suggestive of local biases in equity trading activity. We investigate the robustness of these findings and find that including additional pricing factors in models for monthly stock returns materially reduces the magnitude of the headquarters-city effect in stock returns. Additionally, we find that an implicit null hypothesis of zero local return comovement is inappropriate as there is positive comovement between a stock’s return and returns on portfolios of stocks from nonheadquarters cities, on average. Nevertheless, results benchmarked against estimates based on resampling methods indicate a significant and robust headquarters-city effect in stock returns.
Signal model to extract intrinsic parameters of high-Q dielectric resonators from noisy measurements

We report characterization of an open dielectric resonator with Q of 4000 to 7000 in the 25-40 GHz frequency range. Because of its small size, the measured parameters are very sensitive to background noise contributed by the coupling mechanism, package modes, radiation, etc. Therefore, it becomes important to properly calibrate out this parasitic influence in order to accurately measure the unloaded Q factor of the resonator. We report an accurate software calibration procedure based on a state-space spectral estimation algorithm, which effectively filters out the background noise and facilitates linear extraction of the unloaded Q
LIVER TRANSPLANTATION: Selection, Listing Criteria, and Preoperative Management

In 1997, liver disease was implicated in more than 25,000 deaths and was the 10th leading cause of mortality in the United States. 24 In addition to decreased life expectancy, advanced liver disease also results in a diminished quality of life. 103 Therapy for decompensated liver disease has, until recently, been merely supportive. Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) now offers definitive therapy for decompensated liver disease. Whereas the one-year survival for patients with decompensated cirrhosis is less than 10%, OLT offers overall 5-year survival rates of greater than 60% to 70%. 128 Orthotopic liver transplantation is limited, however, by the number of available donor organs. Since 1988, the number of individuals on the waiting list for OLT has grown from 616 to just over 12,000 (United Network of Organ Sharing [UNOS] data) in the United States (Fig. 1). The timing of referral for OLT is a difficult decision in the care of patients with liver disease. Fortunately, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases has recently developed practice guidelines that address when patients should be referred and perioperative risks. 21 Although innovations such as split-liver transplants and living related donations (see article by Drs. Ghobrial and Busuttill) will likely expand the donor pool, the donor shortage will likely remain critical for the foreseeable future. Patients listed for OLT usually have a protracted wait and are at risk of potentially lethal complications of liver disease. The prolonged waiting period is reflected in the increased disease severity of patients undergoing OLT. 103 An increasing number of recipients are sent to transplant surgery from intensive care unit beds. Between 1988 and 1997, the percentage of patients waiting more than 6 and 12 months has increased from 36% to 69% and from 22% to 48.3%, respectively. Two important factors associated with prolonged waiting times are older age of entry (50 to 64 years) and blood type B. 103
Circular RNAs Co-Precipitate with Extracellular Vesicles: A Possible Mechanism for circRNA Clearance

Backspliced circular RNAs (circRNAs) are prevalent in many eukaryotic systems and are spliced from thousands of different genes. Where examined, circRNAs are often highly stable and the mechanisms by which cells degrade and/or clear circRNAs from the cells are unknown. Here we investigated the possibility that cells can eliminate circRNAs into extracellular space, possibly within released vesicles such as exosomes and microvesicles. From three different cell lines and examining multiple circRNAs, we show that extracellular vesicle (EVs) preparations recovered from cell culture conditioned media contain established circRNAs. Moreover, these circRNAs are enriched over their linear counterparts within EV preparations when compared to the producing cells. This supports the idea that expulsion from cells into extracellular space, as by EVs release, can be a mechanism by which cells clear circRNAs. Moreover, since EVs can be taken up by other cells, excreted circRNAs could contribute to cell to cell communication.
Equivalence of Methionine Hydroxy Analog and Methionine for Chickens Fed Low-Protein Diets

Abstract WHEN chicks are fed methionine-deficient diets containing at least 20% protein, the growth response obtained by supplementation with methionine hydroxy analog (MHA) 1 is equivalent to that obtained from dl -methionine (Bird, 1952; Gordon et al., 1954) even when compared on a weight for weight basis (Gordon and Sizer, 1955). Sullivan and Bird (1957) however, have reported that MHA as a supplement to diets containing only 12 to 14% protein failed to support growth equivalent to dl -methionine, unless nitrogen from diammonium citrate (DAC) or urea was added to these diets. In the experiments presented we have found that even with a low protein level the growth response to MHA and dl -methionine were equivalent. EXPERIMENTAL Except where indicated, day-old New Hampshire cockerels obtained from a commercial hatchery were used throughout. They were divided into groups of 20 birds each. The chicks were reared in wire-floored electrically heated batteries in an air-conditioned room. Feed …
Density-Gradient Sedimentation of Skin-Sensitizing Antibody and β2A-Globulin in Serum of Allergic Individuals.

SummaryThe molecular size of the skin-sensitizing antibody in the serum of 4 ragweed-sensitive patients was studied, using the method of sucrose density-gradient sedimentation. The skin-sensitizing activity was present in a protein fraction of serum which sedi-mented somewhat faster than the 7S globulins but definitely slower than the 19S globulins. The skin-sensitizing antibody was associated with β2A-globulin, although the latter extended into the lighter 7S region.
Stereotaxic biopsy diagnosis of central nervous system lymphoma.

Twelve cases of central nervous system lymphoma diagnosed by stereotaxic brain biopsy are reviewed to determine the most effective method to establish the diagnosis given the small amount of tissue obtained by this technique. The stereotaxic biopsy material was examined cytologically, histologically, and immunocytochemically. The diagnosis was established by a smear made at the time of biopsy in eight cases. Histologic sections were diagnostic of lymphoma in 11 of 12 cases. Accurate classification according to the Working Formulation was possible in six cases, with diagnoses of diffuse small non-cleaved non-Burkitt’s in three, large cell immunoblastic in two, and mixed small and large cell type in one. Five additional cases were diagnosed as high-grade lymphoma but could not be further subclassified because of the small biopsy size or for-malin fixation. Immunocytochemical stains for lymphoid markers on paraffin-embedded material confirmed the diagnosis in ten cases, and, in one of these, the demonstration of monoclonality on air-dried cytospins identified an atypical polymorphous lymphocytic population as neoplastic.
Are statins protective or harmful to cognitive function

In February 2012, the FDA issued safety label changes and monitoring requirements for statin therapy. A risk of cognitive impairment was noted, although evidence was largely based on observational data, including case reports. In 2014, the National Lipid Association's safety task force found that evidence does not support cognitive decline as a classwide effect for statins. Some evidence has shown that statins may actually have beneficial effects on cognition. This article discusses management of statin therapy in patients with cardiovascular risk who may experience cognitive decline or have cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer disease.
House Cricket Acetylcholinesterase: Histochemical Localization and in Situ Inhibition by O,O-Dimethyl S-Aryl Phosphorothioates,

The distribution of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the central nervous system of the house cricket, Acheta domesticus L., was investigated by histochemical localization. Abundant enzyme activity was evident in the head in the frontal ganglion, cerebrum, subesophageal ganglion, and optical lobes; and in the thorax in the ganglia and interganglionic connectives. AChE was concentrated in areas of complex synapses but was also present in the cell body region and in interganglionic connectives. The patterns of in situ inhibition of AChE by O,O -dimethyl S -aryl phosphorothioates were investigated. At the hyperactive state of poisoning AChE was reduced throughout the brain and in the peripheral areas of the thoracic ganglia and interganglionic connectives. In the paralytic stage, enzyme activity was still further decreased, and a few hours after knockdown, the enzyme activity had virtually disappeared. However, some spontaneous reactivation of AChE in dead animals was observed after 48 hours.
Current Status of Oral Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer

The treatment of advanced colorectal cancer over the past 4 decades has required the use of intravenous chemotherapy, most typically fluorouracil (5-FU). The possibility of providing
Decidability and Efficiency

Section 9.1 describes a method for recognizing grammatical recursions in LA-grammar. Section 9.2 defines the procedure for constructing finite “representative samples” for a large subclass of the C-LAGs, called D-LAGs. Section 9.3 extends this method to the simultaneous construction of representative samples for two D-LAGs. Representative samples provide the basis for deciding, in the case of arbitrary D-LAGs G1, G2, whether L(G1) = 0, whether L(G1) is ambiguous, whether L(G1) ⊂ L(G2), and whether L(G1) = L(G2). Section 9.4 discusses methods for avoiding redundancies and other inefficiencies. Section 9.5 shows how these methods can be used to the handle ambiguities.
Polynanocrystalline Graphite: A New Carbon Anode with Superior Cycling Performance for K-Ion Batteries

We synthesized a new type of carbon-polynanocrystalline graphite-by chemical vapor deposition on a nanoporous graphenic carbon as an epitaxial template. This carbon is composed of nanodomains being highly graphitic along c-axis and very graphenic along ab plane directions, where the nanodomains are randomly packed to form micron-sized particles, thus forming a polynanocrystalline structure. The polynanocrystalline graphite is very unique, structurally different from low-dimensional nanocrystalline carbon materials, e.g., fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene, nanoporous carbon, amorphous carbon and graphite, where it has a relatively low specific surface area of 91 m2/g as well as a low Archimedes density of 0.92 g/cm3. The structure is essentially hollow to a certain extent with randomly arranged nanosized graphite building blocks. This novel structure with disorder at nanometric scales but strict order at atomic scales enables substantially superior long-term cycling life for K-ion storage as an anode, where it exhibits 50% capacity retention over 240 cycles, whereas for graphite, it is only 6% retention over 140 cycles.
Regional Nerve Blocks Improve Pain and Functional Outcomes in Hip Fracture: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives To compared outcomes of regional nerve blocks with those of standard analgesics after hip fracture. Design Multisite randomized controlled trial from April 2009 to March 2013. Setting Three New York hospitals. Participants Individuals with hip fracture (N = 161). Intervention Participants were randomized to receive an ultrasound-guided, single-injection, femoral nerve block administered by emergency physicians at emergency department (ED) admission followed by placement of a continuous fascia iliaca block by anesthesiologists within 24 hours (n = 79) or conventional analgesics (n = 82). Measurements Pain (0-10 scale), distance walked on Postoperative Day (POD) 3, walking ability 6 weeks after discharge, opioid side effects. Results Pain scores 2 hours after ED presentation favored the intervention group over controls (3.5 vs 5.3, P = .002). Pain scores on POD 3 were significantly better for the intervention than the control group for pain at rest (2.9 vs 3.8, P = .005), with transfers out of bed (4.7 vs 5.9, P = .005), and with walking (4.1 vs 4.8, P = .002). Intervention participants walked significantly further than controls in 2 minutes on POD 3 (170.6 feet, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 109.3-232 vs 100.0 feet, 95% CI = 65.1-134.9; P = .04). At 6 weeks, intervention participants reported better walking and stair climbing ability (mean Functional Independence Measure locomotion score of 10.3 (95% CI = 9.6-11.0) vs 9.1 (95% CI = 8.2-10.0), P = .04). Intervention participants were significantly less likely to report opioid side effects (3% vs 12.4%, P = .03) and required 33% to 40% fewer parenteral morphine sulfate equivalents. Conclusion Femoral nerve blocks performed by emergency physicians followed by continuous fascia iliaca blocks placed by anesthesiologists are feasible and result in superior outcomes.
Diagnostics of quasi mono-energetic photon sources in a single shot using CCD trackers

Laser plasma accelerators generate GeV electrons within centimeters. MeV-level mono-energetic photon sources can be produced by scattering laser photons off the GeV electrons. The MeV mono-energetic photon sources can be used in radiography, photo-fission and nuclear resonance fluorescence to detect special nuclear materials for nonproliferation purposes. A diagnostic system is needed to characterize the energy and angular deviations of the photons. We propose a diagnostic scheme of using a thin scatter foil to induce Compton electrons. The electrons produce tracks when being captured by the scientific CCDs. The energies and directions of the electrons estimated from the tracks are used to compute the energies and positions of the incoming photon sources. Diagnostics of a nominal source and four variations are simulated in GEANT4. Quadratic classifiers achieve a mean accuracy of 86% when discriminating sources of 7 × 108 photons with different angular spreads.
Conflicting perspectives on spotted owls, wildfire, and forest restoration

Evidence of increasing fire extent and severity in the western US in recent decades has raised concern over the effects of fire on threatened species such as the spotted owl (Strix occidentalis Xantus de Vesey), which nests in forests with large trees and high canopy cover that are vulnerable to high-severity wildfire. A dichotomy of views exists on the impact of high-severity wildfire on the spotted owl. One view holds that reduction in the extent of forests with large trees and high canopy cover due to high-severity wildfire is a primary threat to spotted owls, and that fuels reduction treatments that successfully reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire can aid in sustaining desired conditions for this owl. A conflicting view maintains that high-severity wildfire was relatively common in many forest types occupied by spotted owls and does not pose an immediate threat to spotted owls, and that fuels reduction treatments are misguided because they degrade owl habitat and do not reduce the extent of high-severity fire. Based on the existing literature, we argue that considerable uncertainty remains regarding the response of spotted owls to high-severity wildfire, especially over longer time frames and across the three subspecies (California [Strix occidentalis occidentalis Xantus de Vesey], Mexican [S. o. lucida Nelson], and northern [S. o. caurina Merriam]) of spotted owls. The considerable extent of high-severity wildfire within the ranges of these subspecies over recent years, coupled with the trend toward increasing extent and severity of megafires, suggests that the cumulative effects of these fires could be significant throughout the range of this owl. Forest restoration or fuels reduction treatments may aid in reducing habitat loss, particularly when strategically located to optimize reduction of fire risk, but also may locally impact spotted owl habitat. We advocate further evaluation of both the impacts of such treatments to spotted owls and the effectiveness of such treatments in mitigating fire behavior. We also advocate wider use of managed fire to reduce risk of high-severity wildfire. Finally, given the paucity of long-term data on this topic, we recommend targeted research aimed at a decade or longer time periods after fires. These studies should include measures of demographic performance, and should be designed to elucidate differences in those metrics related to landscape pattern, forest type, and subspecies ecology. Such information would inform the debate over how to integrate the conservation of spotted owls and their habitat with fuels reduction and forest restoration objectives.
Infant feeding-related maternity care practices and maternal report of breastfeeding outcomes.

Background Evidence-based maternity practices and policies can improve breastfeeding duration and exclusivity. Maternity facilities report practices through the Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey, but individual outcomes, such as breastfeeding duration and exclusivity, are not collected. Methods mPINC data on maternity care practices for 2009 were linked to data from the 2009 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), which collects information on mothers' behaviors and experiences around pregnancy. We calculated total mPINC scores (range 0-100). PRAMS data on any and exclusive breastfeeding at 8 weeks were examined by total mPINC score quartile. Results Of 15 715 women in our sample, 53.7% were breastfeeding any at 8 weeks, and 29.3% were breastfeeding exclusively. They gave birth at 1016 facilities that had a mean total mPINC score of 65/100 (range 19-99). Care dimension subscores ranged from 41 for facility discharge care to 81 for breastfeeding assistance. In multivariable analysis adjusting for covariates, a positive relationship was found between total mPINC score quartile and both any breastfeeding (quartile 2: odds ratio [OR] 1.40 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.08-1.83], quartile 3: OR 1.50 [95% CI 1.15-1.96], quartile 4: OR 2.12 [95% CI 1.61-2.78] vs quartile 1) and exclusive breastfeeding (quartile 3: OR 1.41 [95% CI 1.04-1.90], quartile 4: OR 1.89 [95% CI 1.41-2.55] vs quartile 1) at 8 weeks. Conclusions These data demonstrate that evidence-based maternity care practices and policies are associated with better breastfeeding outcomes. Maternity facilities may evaluate their practices and policies to ensure they are helping mothers achieve their breastfeeding goals.
Short-Term Global Cardiovascular Disease Risk Prediction in Older Adults

Abstract Background Current prevention guidelines recommend using the Pooled Cohort Equation (PCE) for 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment. However, the PCE has serious limitations in older adults: it excludes heart failure (HF) hospitalization, estimates 10-year risk, which may not be the most relevant time frame, and is not indicated for individuals age >79 years. Objectives This study sought to determine whether adding biomarkers to PCE variables improves global CVD (coronary heart disease, stroke, and HF) risk prediction in older adults over a shorter time period. Methods Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study participants without prevalent CVD including HF (n = 4,760; age 75.4 ± 5.1 years) were followed for incident global CVD events. Adding N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein to the PCE and a “lab model” with the biomarkers, age, race, and gender were assessed for prediction improvement. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and net reclassification index (NRI) were calculated. Results Over median follow-up of ∼4 years, incident HF was the leading CVD event (n = 193 vs. 118 coronary heart disease and 81 stroke events). Compared to the PCE, each biomarker improved risk prediction. The largest improvement in risk prediction metrics was with the addition of all 3 biomarkers (ΔAUC 0.103; continuous NRI 0.484). The lab model also performed better than the PCE model (ΔAUC 0.091, continuous NRI 0.355). Conclusions Adding biomarkers to the PCE or a simpler “lab model” improves short-term global CVD risk prediction and may be useful to inform short-term preventive strategies in older adults.
Assisted reproductive technologies : estimates of their contribution to multiple births and newborn hospital days in the United States

Objective Estimate the contribution of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in the United States to multiple gestation births and newborn hospital days. Design Analysis of successful ART conceptions occurring during 1990 to 1991 compared with vital statistics. Newborn hospital days are estimated from the 1990 National Hospital Discharge Survey. Setting The American Fertility Society and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology registry. Patients Infants delivered from ART. Interventions Assisted reproductive technology. Main Outcome Measures Number of multiple gestation infants and newborn hospital days. Results Approximately 12,327 live-born infants were delivered from ART conceptions during 1990 to 1991, representing 22.2% of all live-born triplet, 17.3% of quadruplet, and 11.4% of quintuplet infants born in the United States. The number of newborn hospital days attributed to ART infants was 87,135 days. Between the periods 1972 through 1974 and 1990 through 1991, the rate of triplet and higher order multiple gestation infants per 100,000 white live births increased by 191%, with 38% due to ART conceptions and 30% to increased childbearing among older women. Conclusions Assisted reproductive technology contributed 22% of U.S. triplet and higher order multiple births during 1990 to 1991.
Coherent State Path Integrals

The usual, irreducible Heisenberg operators Q and P are the basic building blocks of the operators in quantum mechanics.
Analysis of Genetic Structure of Populations: Meaning, Methods, and Implications

Genetic structure of a population is characterized by the number of subpopulations within it, the frequencies of different genetic variants (alleles) in each subpopulation, and the degree of genetic isolation of the subpopulations. Understanding of genetic structure of populations had been the focus of attention of population geneticists from the inception of this discipline. Like any other topics of population genetics, the study of population structure also did not escape Haldane’s attention (see e.g.Haldane and Moshinsky, 1939;Haldane, 1954), but Sewall Wright (1989-1988), another poineering population geneticist, is credited for the first mathematical conceptualization of the study of genetic structure of populations.
Data structure and vectorixation in a two-dimensional Free-Lagrangian code

The data structures used to define the mesh and drive the physics calculations of a 2-D Free-Lagrangian hydro code are described. The mesh contains three and four sided zones but the data structures can be generalized to support n-sided zones. The mesh is redundantly described by three different data structures: zone oriented, node oriented, and edge oriented. Physics algorithms, graphics routines, and reconnection algorithms use the data structure that is easiest to use or that results in the best execution rate.On the Cray computer, these data structures are sufficient to vectorize most of the physics algorithms.The basic vectorization methods will be discussed. From experience, given a physics algorith, a data structure can be constructed that will vectorize the algorithm.
Structural Analysis and Modifications of the Hairpin Ribozyme

The hairpin ribozyme is a catalytic RNA molecule that has been the subject of increasing interest. The majority of recent work in the hairpin ribozyme system, including that summarized in this review, involves in vitro and cellular studies of trans-acting derivatives (reviewed by Burke 1994). However, it is important to recognize that, in nature, the ribozyme and its target are derived from the negative-polarity strand 359nt satellite RNA associated with tobacco ringspot virus (-)sTRSV and related plant satellite RNA replicons (Prody et al. 1986). The hairpin ribozyme represents the segment of the satellite RNA that contains the activity responsible for site-specific cleavage and ligation reactions required for minus strand replication (Feldstein et al. 1989; Hampel and Tritz 1989; Haseloff and Gerlach 1989). The ribozyme’s substrate is typically an oligonucleotide containing the (-)sTRSV processing site; it contains the sequences that are recognized by the ribozyme. Interestingly, the analogous RNA processing reactions that occur during replication of the plus strand utilize the hammerhead motif (Long and Uhlenbeck 1993). In contrast to phylogenetically abundant RNA catalysts such as self-splicing group I and group II introns, only three naturally occurring variants of the hairpin ribozyme have so far been identified (Rubino et al. 1990). All three are within RNA replicons associated with plant viruses.
EVAQ: person-specific large crowd evacuation modeling

Timely crowd evacuation in life-threatening situations such as fire emergency or chemical attack is a significant concern for authorities and first responders. An individual's fate in this situation is dependent on several factors, namely (i) decision dynamics: how egress strategy is selected and executed, (ii) hazard dynamics: how hazards propagate and impair the surrounding environment with time, (iii) environment layout: how space layout effects habitats' lives in emergency evacuation. This paper presents the implementation of EVAQ, a simulation tool developed by the authors in Python for evaluating emergency mapping strategies. Two person-specific egress simulation in fire emergency (an airport terminal and a shopping mall) are presented and results are discussed. Findings confirm that EVAQ can successfully simulate large crowd evacuation by modeling evacuees' personal (i.e., age, gender, disability) and interpersonal (i.e., group interactions) attributes, and situational awareness in a deteriorating environment. Results also show the effectiveness of EVAQ in simulating the impact of the space design (e.g., shape and size of rooms and obstacles, number and width of exits) in crowd evacuation. As personalized sensing and information delivery platforms are becoming more ubiquitous, findings of this work are ultimately sought to assist in developing and executing more robust and adaptive emergency mapping and evacuation plans, ultimately promoting people's lives and wellbeing.
Tuned Pipes: End-to-End Throughput and Delay Guarantees for USB Devices

A fundamental problem in real-time computing is handling device input and output in a timely manner. For example, a control system might require input data from a sensor to be sampled and processed at a regular rate so that output signals to actuators occur within specific delay bounds. Input/output (I/O) devices connect to the host computer using different types of bus interfaces. One of the most popular interfaces in use today is the universal serial bus (USB). USB is now ubiquitous, in part due to its support for many classes of devices with simplified hardware needed to connect to the host. However, typical USB host controller drivers suffer from potential timing delays that affect the delivery of data between tasks and devices. Consequently, this paper introduces tuned pipes, a host controller driver and system framework that guarantees end-to-end latency and throughput requirements for I/O transfers. We expand on our earlier work involving USB 2.0 to support higher bandwidth USB 3.x communication. As a case study, we show how a USB-Controller Area Network (CAN) guarantees temporal isolation and end-to-end guarantees on communication between a set of peripheral devices and host tasks. A comparable USB-CAN bus setup using Linux is not able to achieve the same level of temporal guarantees, even when using SCHED_DEADLINE.
Collaborative Meaning-Making and Dialogic Interactions in Critical Friends as Co-Authors

ABSTRACTFrom this year-long study, we offer new perspectives for being and becoming critical friends as co-authors. Informed by the Transactional Theory of Reading, a narrative view of experience a...
Correlation of a Commercial Genomic Risk Classifier with Histological Patterns in Prostate Cancer.

Purpose:RNA expression based molecular testing has the potential to improve clinical decision making as an adjunct to histopathological interpretation of prostate cancer biopsies. The GPS (Oncotype...
Tropical Garden Cities: Cultural Values and Sustainability in the Amazon's "Arc of Deforestation"

In Garden Cities of Tomorrow (1902), Ebenezer Howard proposed a model of sustainable urban development, "garden cities." as an alternative to industrial urbanism. A forerunner of the urban green movement, he envisioned a type of galactic urbanism as an alternative to industrial urbanism. The model proposed tightly integrated networks of towns, each gravitating around a central public park, orbiting around a core town. Towns were linked by well-developed transportation and communication networks and the multi-centric form produced a more subtle gradient between urban and rural areas and coupled with well-developed transportation networks. Recent archaeology and indigenous history conducted in the Upper Xingu area has revealed small garden city-like clusters of settlements, composed of a central plaza settlement and four cardinally oriented satellite plaza settlements, tightly integrated by major roads and surrounded by mosaic countryside of fields, orchards, gardens, and forest. Far from stereotypical models of small tropical forest tribes, these patterns were carefully engineered to work with the forest and wetland ecologies in complex urbanized networks. Such multi-centric, networked forms were quite common, if not typical, in many parts of the pre-Industrial world, particularly major forest regions. This paper explores land-use and dynamic change in coupled human-natural systems, or bio-historical diversity, during the past millennium in the Upper Xingu. In particular, it examines how archaeology and historical memory not only provide means to consider what the Amazon was like 500 years ago but also have vital implications to urgent questions of sustainability and cultural heritage and rights in the face of rapid landscape change related to economic development in the southern Amazon, the "arc of deforestation." It promotes grounded or context-specific participatory approaches to sustainable development, which require robust collaboration between diverse stakeholders, each with very different social and cultural values and interests.
Approaching the One-Sided Exemplar Adjacency Number Problem

The one-sided Exemplar Adjacency Number (EAN) is a known problem for computing the exemplar similarity between a generic linear genome ${\mathcal G}$ G with gene duplications and an exemplar genome $H$ H (over the same set of $n$ n gene families). In this problem, we need to compute an exemplar genome $G$ G , which is a permutation obtained from ${\mathcal G}$ G , such that the number of common adjacencies between $G$ G and $H$ H is maximized. Unfortunately, the problem is not only NP-hard but also NP-hard to approximate. In this paper, we approach the problem by relaxing the constraint such that a sub-permutation $G^{+}$ G + obtained from ${\mathcal G}$ G does not have to include all the gene families, but still needs to have a length at least $k$ k . Hence $G^{+}$ G + is called a pseudo-exemplar genome. Then, a slightly more general problem (One-sided EAN+) is defined: compute a pseudo-exemplar genome $G^{+}$ G + from ${\mathcal G}$ G such that the number of common adjacencies between $H$ H and $G^{+}$ G + is maximized. Certainly One-sided EAN+ contains One-sided EAN as a special case; moreover, it presents some flexibility in designing algorithms. First, we relax and formulate the One-sided EAN+ problem as the maximum independent set (MIS) on a colored interval graph and hence reduce the appearance of each gene to at most two times. We show that this new relaxation is still NP-complete, though a simple factor-2 approximation algorithm can be designed; moreover, we also prove that the problem cannot be approximated within $2-\varepsilon$ 2 - ɛ by a local search technique. We then show that this relaxed version is fixed-parameter tractable (FPT). Second, to ensure that each gene appears in $G^+$ G + at most once, we use integer linear programming (ILP) to solve this problem. Finally, we implement our algorithm and compare it with the up-to-date software GREDU, with simulated signed and unsigned genomes. It turns out that our algorithm is more stable and can process genomes of length up to 12,000 for signed genomes (while GREDU can falter on such a large signed genome and it cannot handle unsigned genomes at all).
PROMIS Physical and Emotional Health Scores Are Worse in Musculoskeletal Patients Presenting to Physiatrists than to Other Orthopedic Specialists.

BACKGROUND Physiatrists' unique training in person-centered biopsychosocial management of complex problems may influence musculoskeletal patients' expectations and self- and/or physician-referral patterns to physiatrists. Consequently, average patient complexity and need for multi-disciplinary services may be increased in physiatric patients. OBJECTIVE To compare musculoskeletal patients' self-reported physical and emotional health according to provider specialty. Researchers tested the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference in Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scores between patients who present to physiatrists in comparison to other musculoskeletal specialists. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Orthopedic department of a tertiary academic medical center. PATIENTS Participants included 31 791 new adult patients (mean age 52.6 ± 16.2 years) who presented for initial elective evaluation of a musculoskeletal problem by an orthopedic surgeon or sports medicine trained emergency medicine, family medicine, pediatric, or physiatric physician. METHODS Patients completed the PROMIS computer adaptive test (CAT) Physical Function, Pain Interference, Anxiety, and Depression domains at department check-in prior to the physician encounter. Score differences by provider type were assessed using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS Mean PROMIS score in each domain subdivided by physiatric, surgical, and other nonsurgical provider type. RESULTS In total, 2081 patients presented to physiatrists, 28 267 presented to surgeons, and 1443 presented to other nonsurgical providers. For each respective provider type, average PROMIS scores were Physical Function 38.9 ± 8.2, 41.5 ± 9.5, and 43.5 ± 8.2; Pain Interference 62.6 ± 7.2, 60.9 ± 7.7, and 59.2 ± 6.8; Anxiety 54.5 ± 10.4, 51.9 ± 10.6, and 49.8 ± 9.8; and Depression 49.3 ± 10.4, 47.0 ± 10.0, and 44.2 ± 8.7. Physiatric patients had significantly worse average scores for all domains compared to surgical (P < .001) and other nonsurgical patients (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Average PROMIS Physical Function, Pain Interference, Anxiety, and Depression scores were worse in musculoskeletal patients who presented to physiatrists in comparison to surgical or other nonsurgical providers. This suggests that some patients who choose to see or are referred to see physiatrists may have more or be more willing to endorse having biopsychosocial impairments. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III.
Novel Modalities to Diagnose and Prevent Compartment Syndrome

Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) of an extremity following trauma is a diagnostic challenge. The clinical signs and symptoms of ACS are variable and unreliable, also being commonly present in patients without ACS. Objective diagnostic tests based on the measurement of muscle pressure are sensitive, but not specific, with a high false-positive rate that leads to overtreatment. Clinicians have to rely as much on their clinical judgment to determine when fasciotomy is necessary as on the values of any specific test.
Scaffolding in teaching knowledge representation

Knowledge representation is one of the most difficult tasks for students in introductory Artificial Intelligence courses. We study the impact of varying levels and types of scaffolding in teaching students how to model automated planning problems in a first-order logic-like language called the planning domain definition language (PDDL). We select two well-known problems: the sliding tile puzzle and the towers of Hanoi for our evaluation. The results suggest that scaffolding does increase proficiency, and that the type of scaffolding gives rise to different obstacles in learning. We discuss these learning obstacles and implications that they have upon the modeling process.
COVID-19 on TikTok: harnessing an emerging social media platform to convey important public health messages.

Objectives TikTok is a popular social media platform, especially among those who are 13-24 years of age. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to describe the content of COVID-19 material on TikTok. Methods A total of 100 videos posted under the hashtag #Coronavirus were included in this study along with all (n=17) posts uploaded by the World Health Organization (WHO). Results Overall, these videos were viewed 1,194,081,700 times. The most commonly cited topics included anxiety (14.5%) with more than 190.6 million views and quarantine (10.3%) with 106.6 million views. Fewer than 10% of videos mentioned how the virus is transmitted, symptoms, and prevention. WHO videos more often focused on viral transmission and symptoms but covered these topics in fewer than 10% of the videos. Conclusions Although research suggests that cases of COVID-19 may be less severe in those under 18 years of age, social distancing remains paramount due to the possibility of transmission even in those with minimal or no symptoms. For young adults in particular, the WHO suggests staying connected through social media and making every attempt to stay positive. TikTok has the potential, not only to convey important health information, but to address these aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic as well.
Stabilizing role of seed banks and the maintenance of bacterial diversity

ABSTRACT Coexisting species often exhibit negative frequency dependence due to mechanisms that promote population growth and persistence when rare. These stabilizing mechanisms maintain diversity through interspecific niche differences, but also through life-history strategies like dormancy that buffer dynamics in fluctuating environments. However, there are few tests demonstrating how seed banks contribute to long-term community dynamics and the maintenance of diversity. Using multi-year, high-frequency bacterial community data from a north temperate lake, we documented patterns consistent with stabilizing coexistence, including differential responses of bacterial taxa to environmental conditions and the presence of a seed bank. By maintaining rare taxa over winter periods, the seed bank contributed to recurrent seasonal dynamics. Last, strong negative frequency dependence in rare, but metabolically active, taxa suggested biotic interactions promoted coexistence. Together, our results provide field-based evidence that niche differences and seed banks stabilize bacterial community dynamics and contribute to the maintenance of microbial diversity in nature.
Plants and Vegetation: Origins, Processes, Consequences

Preface Acknowledgements 1. Plants and the origin of the biosphere 2. Description of vegetation: the search for global patterns 3. Resources 4. Stress 5. Competition 6. Disturbance 7. Herbivory 8. Positive interactions: mutualism, commensalism, and symbiosis 9. Time 10. Gradients and plant communities: description at local scales 11. Diversity 12. Conservation and management References.
Tort Law and Corrective Justice

This article offers arefutation of the corrective justiceinterpretation of tort law – the view that itis essentially a system of corrective justice. It introduces a distinction between primary andsecondary tort duties and claims that tort lawis best understood as the union of its primaryand secondary duties. It then advances twoindependent criticisms of the correctivejustice interpretation. The article firstargues that primary tort duties have nothingfundamentally to do with corrective justice andthat, if one understands what is meant by``primary tort duties,'' one is compelledto regard this fact as a decisive objection tothe corrective justice interpretation. Second,it argues that, whatever relation thereis between secondary tort duties and correctivejustice, that relation also holds betweencorrective justice and secondary duties ofother legal branches. In sum, the concept ofcorrective justice is neither capable ofunifying tort law nor of demarcating it fromother legal branches.
Microbiology of Lebanon Bologna

Various aspects of the microbiology of the Lebanon bologna process were studied. Manufacture of Lebanon bologna appeared to be similar to that of summer sausage and other fermented sausages and consisted of a lactic acid fermentation by lactobacilli accompanied by the production of cured meat color from the reduction of nitrate by micrococci. The traditional process consists of aging coarse ground beef at 5 C for several days. Aging the beef for about 10 days was necessary to allow development of lactic acid bacteria; for successful fermentation, the concentration of lactic acid producers must be 10(4)/g or more. At least 3% NaCl was necessary to suppress the development of pseudomonads during the aging period; higher concentrations of salt suppress the development of the lactic acid-producing flora. During aging, in the presence of salt, the predominant flora developing on the meat consisted of catalase-positive, gram-positive rods and cocci; during fermentation at 35 C, the predominant flora became catalase-negative, gram-positive rods with characteristics of lactobacilli. Lebanon bologna could be made from frozen beef if the meat was thawed, salted, and aged. However, bolognas could not be made from unaged beef unless a lactic acid starter culture was used. The microflora of several commercial bolognas is reported also.
Cuticular strength and pigmentation of rust-red and black strains of Tribolium castaneum: Correlation with catecholamine and β-alanine content

Abstract Rust-red wild and black mutant strains of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, were used to investigate temporal patterns of catecholamine and β-alanine content during sclerotization and pigmentation of adult cuticle and to relate these patterns to corresponding changes in cuticle resistance to puncture. Rust-red elytral cuticle sclerotized more rapidly than black cuticle until 6 days after adult eclosion when both became equal in puncture resistance. The cuticular concentrations of N-β- alanyldopamine (NBAD), β-alanine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) increased more rapidly in the rust-red strain than in the black strain during the first 7 days following adult eclosion. Conversely, cuticular dopamine increased more rapidly in black than in the red strain. Thus the rust-red pigmentation and rapid sclerotization appear to be related to the availability of β-alanine, N-β- alanyldopamine and DOPAC. Melanization was prevented and rust-red pigmentation induced by injections of β-alanine or NBAD into newly ecdysed black mutant beetles. Crosses of the two strains generally had intermediate levels of cuticular dopamine and β-alanine, but the NBAD levels were similar to those of the rust-red strain. Dopamine, NBAD and DOPAC levels became similar in both black and rust-red strains about 6 days after adult ecdysis as did resistance to puncture. Therefore, dopamine appears to be directed initially into the melanin pathway in black adults due to a temporary lack of N- acylation with β-alanine. After the melanization phase, dopamine is metabolized to sclerotization precursors eventually resulting in normal physical properties of the exoskeleton.