cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robustness of road systems to extreme flooding: using elements of GIS, travel demand, and network science

The main objective of this article is to study the robustness of road networks to extreme flooding events that can negatively affect entire regional systems in a relatively unpredictable way. Here, we adopt a deterministic approach to simulate extreme flooding events in two cities, New York City and Chicago, by removing entire sections of road systems using U.S. FEMA floodplains. We then measure changes in the number of real trips that can be completed (using travel demand data), Geographical Information Systems properties, and network topological indicators. We notably measure and discuss how betweenness centrality is being redistributed after flooding. Broadly, robustness in spatial systems like road networks is dependent on many factors, including system size (number of nodes and links) and topological structure of the network. Expectedly, robustness also depends on geography, and cities that are naturally more at risk will tend to be less robust, and therefore the notion of robustness rapidly becomes sensitive to individual contexts.
An Exploration of Offshoring in Audit Practice and the Potential Consequences of Associated Work “Redesign” on Auditor Performance

SUMMARY This paper explores the nature of the offshoring process in auditing and examines how audit performance is affected by changes in the design of staff auditors' work resulting from offshoring. These issues are studied using a combination of in-depth exploratory interviews and an experiment. Offshoring represents a significant shift in audit practice, but prior research offers limited insight into the audit offshoring process and its potential effects on audit work. The exploratory in-depth interviews suggest that a key rationale behind offshoring is to provide enhanced opportunities for local auditors, by employing offshore auditors to complete basic audit work. However, due to the liaison role that local team members assume, as well as time constraints and a lack of trust in offshore auditors, interviewees indicate that local auditors often complete work started by offshore professionals. Theory suggests that such changes in the design of local staff auditors' work could adversely affect performan...
Risk premia and ambiguity in an experimental market featuring a long-lived asset

Abstract This study reports consistent pricing below expected value in a laboratory market featuring a long-lived asset. I posit that this result reflects risk premia. The emergence of statistically significant risk premia appears to stem from the austerity and simplicity of the experimental design, the starkness and centrality of the risk/return relationship within the market environment, attempts to focus subjects’ attention on the risk/reward relationship, and the experience level of the subjects. The proposition that the addition of ambiguity increases expected returns is tested, and no evidence of such a relationship is found.
Generators of a general ideal

Let R be a commutative ring and A = R[X1, …,X n ]. Let I m be the ideal generated by X1, …,X m , 0 < m < n+1, and r a positive integer. We show here that, for all (m − 1) <k < (r + 1) ,GL(k, A) acts transitively on the the set of all (f1, …, f k ) which generate I m , if and only if for all k (r + 1), all unimodular elements in A k are completable to k × k-invertible matrices over A.
Identification of a Novel 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydrobenzo[b][1,6]naphthyridine Analogue as a Potent Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitor with Improved Aqueous Solubility for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.

Phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) hydrolyzes cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) leading to increased levels of the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), a transcriptional factor involved with learning and memory processes. We previously reported potent quinoline-based PDE5 inhibitors (PDE5Is) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the low aqueous solubility rendered them undesirable drug candidates. Here we report a series of novel PDE5Is with two new scaffolds, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[b][1,6]naphthyridine and 2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[3,4-b]quinolin-1-one. Among them, compound 6c, 2-acetyl-10-((3-chloro-4-methoxybenzyl)amino)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[b][1,6]naphthyridine-8-carbonitrile, the most potent compound, has an excellent in vitro IC50 (0.056 nM) and improved aqueous solubility as well as good efficacy in a mouse model of AD. Furthermore, we are proposing two plausible binding modes obtained through in silico docking, which provide insights into the structural basis of the activit...
Genealogies and Futures of Queer STS: Issues in Theory, Method, and Institutionalization

What is Queer STS, and what is new about it? In this “News in Focus” piece we situate recent efforts by various STS scholars to tinker and play with the intersections of queer studies and social studies of science and technology within a longer history of sexuality studies. We also narrate several critical new developments in academic collaborations in this growing subfield, from workshops to conference roundtables, and attempt to further develop Queer STS theory and praxis while negotiating the role of this nascent sphere of academic practice.
Abstract 378: Cholecystokinin Upregulates Cholesterol Absorption in Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells

Excessive absorption of intestinal cholesterol is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. We previously reported that cholecystokinin (CCK) increases intestinal cholesterol absorption and plasma cholesterol level in mouse models. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of CCK on cholesterol absorption and Niemann-Pick C1 Like 1 (NPC1L1) expression in human primary intestinal epithelial cells (HPIECs). Normal HPIECs were isolated from small bowl resection specimens, and purchased from the Lonza Group (Walkersville, MD) . Cholesterol absorption was determined by measuring transcellular cholesterol transport in adherent cell culture and cholesterol association and release in suspension cell culture. Surface NPC1L1 was isolated using a biotinylation kit and detected by western blotting. Our data demonstrate that HPIECs express both CCK receptor-1 and -2 (CCK1R; CCK2R). Treatment of HPIECs with 3 nM [Thr28, Nle31]-CCK for 60 min increased transcellular cholesterol transport, cholesterol association and release by ~38, 32 and 44%. Selective inhibition of CCK1R and CCK2R with antagonists (1 μM lorglumide or L365260) or selective knockdown of CCK1R and CCK2R with siRNAs attenuated CCK-induced cholesterol absorption. In the cells cultured on transwell membranes, CCK increased the level of NPC1L1 in the apical membrane by ~35% but did not alter the total NPC1L1 protein expression. Inhibition or knockdown of NPC1L1 attenuated CCK-induced cholesterol absorption. These data imply that activation of CCK1R/2R enhances cholesterol absorption by induction of NPC1L membrane translocation. [This study was supported by NIH grants U54MD0007593, UL1TR000445, and SC1HL101431]
Uncertainty in Structural Response Prediction of Composite Structures Subjected to Blast Loading: Modeling, Quantification, and Reduction

Composite or sandwich structures are being studied for application in marine structures to resist the blast loads due to the high strength-to-weight ratio. Heterogeneous uncertainty sources both in the blast event and in the composite material properties result in large variability in the structural response. This chapter presents a systematic uncertainty quantification (UQ) and uncertainty management (UM) framework for the design of composite marine structures subjected to blast loads. The uncertainty sources in marine structures subjected to blast loads are analyzed first. Based on the analysis of uncertainty sources, modeling methods are discussed to represent the uncertainty sources using statistical techniques. After that, this chapter introduces approaches to quantify the variability of structural response by propagating the uncertainty sources through structural analysis. To mitigate the effects of uncertainty sources on the structural response, this chapter also presents insights into how to reduce the uncertainty sources in the analysis and how to perform design optimization in the presence of uncertainty sources. A sandwich beam with a compliant core subjected to underwater explosion is used as an example to explain the presented UQ/UM framework throughout this chapter.
Soybean Improvements through Plant Breeding and Genetic Engineering

The soybean, even though known as a miracle crop, is far from perfect. Among the major problems with soybeans are their beany flavor, flatus-producing ability, oxidative and flavor instability, deficiency of sulfur-containing essential amino acids, presence of antinutritional factors, and proneness to attacks by such production hazards as diseases, insects, and weeds. Therefore, soybean improvements are always needed with respect to both agronomic performance and quality of end products. Improvements in agronomic performance would lead to increased productivity whereas improvements in quality would result in enhanced values of finished products as well as new ways of using soybeans. All of these improvements would help increase soybean use and enhance profitability.
Protein disulfide isomerase does not act as an unfoldase in the disassembly of cholera toxin

Cholera toxin (CT) is composed of a disulfide-linked A1/A2 heterodimer and a ring-like, cell-binding B homopentamer. The catalytic A1 subunit must dissociate from CTA2/CTB5 to manifest its cellular activity. Reduction of the A1/A2 disulfide bond is required for holotoxin disassembly, but reduced CTA1 does not spontaneously separate from CTA2/CTB5: protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is responsible for displacing CTA1 from its non-covalent assembly in the CT holotoxin. Contact with PDI shifts CTA1 from a protease-resistant conformation to a protease-sensitive conformation, which is thought to represent the PDI-mediated unfolding of CTA1. Based solely on this finding, PDI is widely viewed as an "unfoldase" that triggers toxin disassembly by unfolding the holotoxin-associated A1 subunit. In contrast to this unfoldase model of PDI function, we report the ability of PDI to render CTA1 protease-sensitive is unrelated to its role in toxin disassembly. Multiple conditions that promoted PDI-induced protease sensitivity in CTA1 did not support PDI-mediated disassembly of the CT holotoxin. Moreover, preventing the PDI-induced shift in CTA1 protease sensitivity did not affect PDI-mediated disassembly of the CT holotoxin. Denatured PDI could still convert CTA1 to a protease-sensitive state, and equal or excess molar fractions of PDI were required for both efficient conversion of CTA1 to a protease-sensitive state and efficient disassembly of the CT holotoxin. These observations indicate the "unfoldase" property of PDI does not play a functional role in CT disassembly and does not represent an enzymatic activity.
Clinical and manometric characteristics of women with paradoxical puborectalis syndrome.

BackgroundA subset of patients with functional defecation disorders have predominance of the puborectalis muscle (PRM) on three-dimensional high definition anorectal manometry (HDARM), known as par...
Multidisciplinary quality improvement initiative to standardize reporting of lung cancer screening

Structured reporting of lung cancer screening (LCS) results with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is necessary for appropriate follow-up and management of lung nodules. We describe processes for standardizing the reporting and tracking of screen-detected lung nodules by increasing documentation of Lung-RADS categorization of lung nodules. Our multidisciplinary team developed a project charter and key driver diagram, revised the radiology reporting template, and provided monthly audit reports to thoracic radiologists. Quarterly from Q1-2015 to Q2-2016, we measured the proportion of screening LDCT reports that included a documented Lung-RADS category. In Q1- and Q2-2015, no LDCT scans contained a Lung-RADS assessment. By the end of Q1-2016, 94% of screening LDCTs contained a Lung-RADS assessment with a recommended follow-up action. We developed systematic processes for lung nodule categorization, documentation, and tracking using Lung-RADS that improved structured reporting at one academic medical center.
Ivacaftor improves rhinologic, psychologic, and sleep-related quality of life in G551D cystic fibrosis patients.

BACKGROUND Ivacaftor is a cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) potentiator that improves pulmonary function in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with at least 1 copy of the G551D CFTR mutation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of ivacaftor on chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) symptoms in this population. METHODS The G551D Observational (GOAL) study was a multicenter prospective cohort study enrolling CF patients ≥6 years with at least 1 G551D mutation. Subjects were provided 20-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-20) questionnaires prior to ivacaftor therapy and at 1, 3, and 6 months afterward. The impact on rhinologic (R), psychological (P), sleep (S), and ear/facial (E) quality of life (QOL) domains was evaluated separately. RESULTS Of 153 subjects, 129 (84%) completed all questionnaires. Typical baseline symptom burden was low (75% with scores <1) and degree of improvement (ie, reduced scores) was greater with higher baseline scores. SNOT-20 decreased, reflecting improvement, at all follow-up intervals (1 month: [mean change ± standard deviation] -0.25 ± 0.53, p < 0.01; 3 months; -0.29 ± 0.58, p < 0.01; 6 months: -0.21 ± 0.58, p = 0.02), but less than the prespecified minimal clinically important difference (0.8). Significant improvement was observed at 1, 3, and 6 months in the R domain (1 month: -0.24, p < 0.01; 3 months: -0.34, p < 0.01; 6 months: -0.25, p < 0.01) and P domain (1 month: -0.25, p < 0.01; 3 months: -0.32, p < 0.01; 6 months: -0.26, p < 0.01), and 1 and 3 months in the S domain (1 months: -0.35, p < 0.01; 3 months: -0.32, p < 0.01; 6 months: -0.18, p = 0.07). There was no improvement in the E domain at any time point. CONCLUSION Ivacaftor improves QOL in the R, P, and S domains in G551D CF patients, although QOL instruments validated for CRS may not translate well to CF CRS patients because symptom burden was surprisingly low.
The young and the restless: housing access in the critical years

AbstractHow do governmental housing policies affect the ability of young people to exit the parental home? This paper makes three claims. First and most important, governments that create accessibl...
Respiratory modulation of peripheral vasoconstriction: a modeling perspective

Although respiratory sinus arrhythmia and blood pressure variability have been investigated extensively, there have been far fewer studies of the respiratory modulation of peripheral blood flow in ...
kBot: Knowledge-Enabled Personalized Chatbot for Asthma Self-Management

There is a well-recognized need for a shift to proactive asthma care given the impact asthma has on overall healthcare costs. The demand for continuous monitoring of patient's adherence to the medication care plan, assessment of environmental triggers, and management of asthma can be challenging in traditional clinical settings and taxing on clinical professionals. Recent years have seen a robust growth of general purpose conversational systems. However, they lack the capabilities to support applications such an individual's health, which requires the ability to contextualize, learn interactively, and provide the proper hyper-personalization needed to hold meaningful conversations. In this paper, we present kBot, a knowledge-enabled personalized chatbot system designed for health applications and adapted to help pediatric asthmatic patients (age 8 to 15) to better control their asthma. Its core functionalities include continuous monitoring of the patient's medication adherence and tracking of relevant health signals and environment data. kBot takes the form of an Android application with a frontend chat interface capable of conversing in both text and voice, and a backend cloud-based server application that handles data collection, processing, and dialogue management. It achieves contextualization by piecing together domain knowledge from online sources and inputs from our clinical partners. The personalization aspect is derived from patient answering questionnaires and day-to-day conversations. kBot's preliminary evaluation focused on chatbot quality, technology acceptance, and system usability involved eight asthma clinicians and eight researchers. For both groups, kBot achieved an overall technology acceptance value of greater than 8 on the 11-point Likert scale and a mean System Usability Score (SUS) greater than 80. A demo of our kBot application is available at this URL: https://bit.ly/kBot\_demo.
Surveillance after primary breast cancer treatment: What motivates ASCO experts?

e19593 Background: Breast carcinoma is the most common cancer among American women except for skin cancer. Over 200,000 patients are diagnosed with breast cancer annually in the U.S. Most receive c...
The Gut-Microbiome in Gulf War Veterans: A Preliminary Report.

Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic multi-symptom disorder affecting the central nervous system (CNS), immune and gastrointestinal (GI) systems of Gulf War veterans (GWV). We assessed the relationships between GWI, GI symptoms, gut microbiome and inflammatory markers in GWV from the Boston Gulf War Illness Consortium (GWIC). Three groups of GWIC veterans were recruited in this pilot study; GWV without GWI and no gastrointestinal symptoms (controls), GWV with GWI and no gastrointestinal symptoms (GWI-GI), GWV with GWI who reported gastrointestinal symptoms (GW+GI). Here we report on a subset of the first thirteen stool samples analyzed. Results showed significantly different gut microbiome patterns among the three groups and within the GWI +/−GI groups. Specifically, GW controls had a greater abundance of firmicutes and the GWI+GI group had a greater abundance of the phyla bacteroidetes, actinobacteria, euryarchaeota, and proteobacteria as well as higher abundances of the families Bacteroidaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, and Bifidobacteriaceae. The GWI+GI group also showed greater plasma levels of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-RI and they endorsed significantly more chemical weapons exposure during the war and reported significantly greater chronic pain, fatigue and sleep difficulties than the other groups. Studies with larger samples sizes are needed to confirm these initial findings.
Surgical Techniques and Pitfalls for Excision and Grafting

To highlight the surgical techniques of Peyronie plaque excision with grafting technique. We also sought to help the surgeon with important aspects of pre-operative and post-operative counseling. The pre-operative discussion is imperative in setting expectations and goals of care. The ideal graft has yet to be developed, but improvements have been made with decreased risks of infection and contracture rates. We have learned that Peyronie’s disease is still a surgically treatable disease. Excision and grafting is a complex procedure, but with an appropriate technique, complex curvatures can be managed in trained hands. Patient selection is imperative in deciding whether concomitant penile prosthesis should be placed. Graft choice is left up to the operating surgeon, but use of non-autologous grafts appears to be increasing.
Receiving addiction treatment in the US: Do patient demographics, drug of choice, or substance use disorder severity matter?

Abstract Background Understanding addiction treatment needs and utilization is important to health systems and government to develop policies that effectively address substance use disorders (SUDs) at a population level. This study aims to describe differences in treatment receipt by diagnostic category, drug of choice, and demographic characteristics in an effort to identify potential disparities in receipt of care. Methods Using data from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, we calculated the proportion of various groups that received treatment and conducted binary logistic regression to determine the association between addiction treatment receipt and SUD severity, drug of choice, and patient demographics. Results Using DSM-5, 16.7 million Americans (age 12 and older) are estimated to have a mild SUD, 5.2 million a moderate SUD, and 4.6 million a severe SUD. The two greatest predictors of treatment receipt are addiction severity and probation status. People with severe opioid use disorder have the greatest probability of treatment receipt with a 55.6% predicted probability of receiving treatment, while people with a mild alcohol use disorder are the least likely to receive treatment with a predicted probability of 1.8% receiving treatment. People with mild alcohol use disorder make up the largest proportion of people identified as needing but not receiving treatment when assuming all people with a diagnosis need treatment. Conclusions Improving use of existing specialty addiction treatment capacity to address the needs of the 8.5 million Americans with moderate or severe SUD and better use of the general health care system to treat mild or stable SUD may be a better focus for health system planners and government than adding new capacity for specialty treatment.
Presentation, Surgical Management, and Postoperative Outcome of a Fourth Ventricular Cavernous Malformation: Case Report and Review of Literature

Background Brainstem cavernous malformations (CMs) represent dangerous clinical entities associated with high rates of rebleeding and morbidity compared with those in other locations. Particularly rare are those located within the fourth ventricle. Although fourth ventricular CMs are favorable from a surgical standpoint, there are no defined guidelines on definitive indications and optimal timing of surgery. In addition, the surgical approaches, anatomic considerations, and general observations regarding these lesions are not well reported in the literature. Case Presentation A 27-year-old man with a known history of a CM on the floor of the fourth ventricle presented with new cranial nerve deficits and signs of increased intracranial pressure. Imaging revealed acute bleeding from a fourth ventricular CM. The patient was urgently taken to surgery for resection. Despite a noneventful surgery which resulted in gross total resection, the patient developed a unique constellation of cranial nerve deficits postoperatively, most notably of which was eight-and-a-half syndrome. Conclusions CMs of the fourth ventricle are rare clinical entities that can be treated successfully with surgery. The indications for surgery may not always be clear-cut; therefore, the neurosurgeon's decision to proceed with surgery must reside on a case-by-case basis using a multifactorial approach. The location of these lesions presents unique challenges given their proximity to vital structures and the technical difficulty required. For these reasons, the resection of these lesions often results in new or persistent neurologic deficits. However, despite the associated risks, the potential benefits of surgery oftentimes outweigh the risks of the alternative.
Loss-Aware Efficient Energy Balancing in Mobile Opportunistic Networks

Energy management is a challenging issue to be addressed in networks consisting of battery-powered devices. With the recently emerging wireless power transfer technology, many studies have utilized wireless charging to address this problem and provide energy ubiquitously to these devices for making them functional continuously. Besides the well- studied problems such as optimal scheduling of mobile chargers, recently an interesting problem of energy balancing among a population of mobile nodes has been considered to prolong the lifetime of the network through the opportunistic energy exchanges between the nodes. The state-of-the-art solutions target an energy balance among the devices as fast as possible but they waste energy due to the loss during peer-to-peer energy transfer. In this paper, we study the energy balancing problem that aims to minimize both the energy difference between nodes and the energy loss during this process. To this end, we propose three different energy sharing protocols between nodes based on different heuristics. Through simulations, we show that all the proposed algorithms show better performance than the state-of-the-art. The third proposed algorithm achieves the best performance by reaching an energy balance between nodes while keeping the maximum possible energy in the network (i.e., minimum loss).
Synthesis, Structure, and Bonding of d3 Molybdenum-Oxo Complexes.

Reduction of d2 metal-oxo ions of the form [MO(PP)2 Cl]+ (M=Mo, W; PP=chelating diphosphine) produces d3 MO(PP)2 Cl complexes, which include the first isolated examples in group 6. The stability and reactivity of the MO(PP)2 Cl compounds are found to depend upon the steric bulk of the phosphine ligands: derivatives with bulky phosphines that shield the oxo ligand are stable enough to be isolated, whereas those with phosphines that leave the oxo ligand exposed are more reactive and observed transiently. Magnetic measurements and DFT calculations on MoO(dppe)2 Cl indicate the d3 compounds are low spin with a 2 [(dxy )2 (π*(MoO))1 ] configuration. X-ray crystallographic and vibrational-spectroscopic studies on d2 and d3 [MoO(dppe)2 Cl]0/+ establish that the d3 compound possesses a reduced M-O bond order and significantly longer Mo-O bond, accounting for its greater reactivity. These results indicate that the oxo-centered reactivity of d3 complexes may be controlled through ligand variation.
Toxic Uncertainties and Epistemic Emergence: Understanding Pesticides and Health in Lao PDR

Agrichemicals and other toxicants are now ubiquitous in both human bodies and the environment, yet public debate and scientific practice on their effects are still mired in uncertainty. Recent rese...
The past, present, and future of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators

Abstract The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) has become a routine part of medical care to prevent sudden cardiac death from ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). The initial creation and design of this life-saving device was primarily due to the work of Dr. Michel Mirowski and others. Since first implantation in humans nearly 40 years ago, numerous studies have shown the efficacy of ICDs in decreasing mortality in populations that have sustained or are at risk for developing a life-threatening VA. There has been a tremendous evolution in the size, function, and mechanisms by which ICDs treat VAs in the past decades. Continued research and development, will allow for further refinement of this life-saving technology.
Observations of poorly-known features of the 239Pu and 235U prompt fission neutron spectra

Prompt fission neutron spectrum (PFNS) evaluations use provide nuclear data for the PFNS across a wide range of incident and outgoing neutron energies. However, experimental data underlying the evaluation are sparse, inconsistent, and incomplete with respect to the desired incident and outgoing energy coverage. As such, evaluations sometimes predict features of the PFNS, such those relating to multi-chance fission and pre-equilibrium pre-fission neutron emission, without any experimental validation. The Chi-Nu experiment at Los Alamos National Laboratory has recently obtained high-precision results for the 239 Pu and 235 U PFNS which, for the first time in both cases, have shed light on multi-chance fission and pre-equilibrium contributions to the observed fission neutron spectrum. In addition to providing the first experimental data on some of these fission properties, the angular coverage of the Chi-Nu experiment allows for the extraction of angular distributions of pre-equilibrium pre-fission neutrons. PFNS results of multi-chance fission and pre-equilibrium pre-fission neutron emission are discussed in this proceedings in terms of the observed neutron spectrum and the average PFNS energies.
A workplace well-being game intervention for health sciences librarians to address burnout.

Objective: The authors measured burnout among health sciences librarians at our institution and determined whether a serious game intervention could improve personal and workplace well-being. Methods: A modified American Medical Association Mini-Z burnout survey was administered to library faculty in 2016 and both library faculty and staff in 2017. A three-month team-based game was implemented and assessed as an intervention to improve well-being among library employees. After the game, the burnout survey was re-administered to employees in 2018. Results: Library faculty scored poorly on burnout indicators, with 38%–73% of faculty reporting emotional exhaustion and 54%–91% reporting job-related stress over the years. In 2017, 62% of library staff members reported experiencing burnout and 38% indicated they felt a great deal of stress because of their jobs. Regarding the game intervention, 70% of post-game survey respondents reported that the game encouraged them to socialize with colleagues. Qualitative coding of survey responses resulted in 4 themes describing the most enjoyable aspects of the game: sociability, motivation, game play, and fun. Employees found that the game was a useful strategy for encouraging a more social culture with fun activities. Conclusions: Similar to previous studies of librarians and health professionals, health sciences librarians at our institution experienced burnout. Although the game intervention did not significantly reduce burnout or increase job satisfaction, it improved collegiality and recognition. Therefore, a workplace well-being game can encourage team building but may not sufficiently address the root causes of health sciences librarian burnout.
Undergoing an Arthroscopic Procedure Prior to Shoulder Arthroplasty is Associated With Greater Risk of Prosthetic Joint Infection.

Purpose To utilize a national all-payer claims dataset to understand whether a history of a prior shoulder arthroscopy is associated with adverse outcomes or complications after the index shoulder arthroplasty itself. Methods The Symphony Integrated DataVerse, an all-payer claims database, was used to identify patients undergoing primary shoulder arthroplasty (hemiarthroplasty, anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty, or reverse total shoulder arthroplasty) between 2017 to 2018. Current Procedural Terminology codes were used to identify patients who had undergone a shoulder arthroscopic procedure on the ipsilateral side within 2 years before the arthroplasty. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess whether prior shoulder arthroscopy was associated with higher risks of wound complications, postoperative stiffness, mechanical complications, prosthetic joint infection, revision surgery and readmissions within 90 days of the arthroplasty. Results In total, 19,429 patients were included, of which 837 (4.3%) had undergone shoulder arthroscopy within 2 years before the arthroplasty. Prior shoulder arthroscopy was associated with a significantly higher risk of prosthetic joint infection (odds ratio [OR] 2.74 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.51-4.69]; P Conclusions Undergoing an arthroscopic procedure of the ipsilateral shoulder before undergoing an arthroplasty was associated with greater risk of prosthetic joint infection. Furthermore, it appears that patients who received arthroscopy within the 3 months before arthroplasty had the highest risk of prosthetic joint infections. Physicians should not only anticipate possible inferior outcomes in patients who have had prior arthroscopy, but also consider delaying the arthroplasty by at least 3 months after the arthroscopy to mitigate the risks of experiencing this costly adverse event. Level of Evidence III
The Effect of a Points System on Incentivizing Academic Behaviors of Attending Ophthalmologists

(1) Background: Little is known regarding the best ways to promote academic throughput within the ranks of attending ophthalmology physicians. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effect of a monetized points system on incentivizing research output and other academic activity in academic ophthalmology attendings. (2) Methods: This is a retrospective study of 15 academic ophthalmology attendings at a single academic teaching hospital from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2020. A points system was implemented in the 2017 academic year (1 July 2016-30 June 2017), in which ophthalmology attendings accrued points for eight categories of academic achievement. We compared the overall number of publications, number of first/senior author publications, and corresponding impact factors of journals via the PubMed database in the two years of data before and after the points system was implemented. We analyzed points awarded for eight categories of academic achievement in the first, second, and third year of the program. (3) Results: There was no significant change in research productivity for attending ophthalmologists after institution of the points system. From 2017 to 2019, Mann-Whitney analysis revealed a significant increase in points awarded for mentorship per physician (p = 0.013). (4) Conclusions: Our data suggest that within the framework of the points system, attendings-rather than prioritizing publications-gravitated towards mentorship activities to accrue points.
TEAM: A Multiple Testing Algorithm on the Aggregation Tree for Flow Cytometry Analysis

In immunology studies, flow cytometry is a commonly used multivariate single-cell assay. One key goal in flow cytometry analysis is to pinpoint the immune cells responsive to certain stimuli. Statistically, this problem can be translated into comparing two protein expression probability density functions (PDFs) before and after the stimulus; the goal is to pinpoint the regions where these two pdfs differ. In this paper, we model this comparison as a multiple testing problem. First, we partition the sample space into small bins. In each bin we form a hypothesis to test the existence of differential pdfs. Second, we develop a novel multiple testing method, called TEAM (Testing on the Aggregation tree Method), to identify those bins that harbor differential pdfs while controlling the false discovery rate (FDR) under the desired level. TEAM embeds the testing procedure into an aggregation tree to test from fine- to coarse-resolution. The procedure achieves the statistical goal of pinpointing differential pdfs to the smallest possible regions. TEAM is computationally efficient, capable of analyzing large flow cytometry data sets in much shorter time compared with competing methods. We applied TEAM and competing methods on a flow cytometry data set to identify T cells responsive to the cytomeglovirus (CMV)-pp65 antigen stimulation. TEAM successfully identified the monofunctional, bifunctional, and polyfunctional T cells while the competing methods either did not finish in a reasonable time frame or provided less interpretable results. Numerical simulations and theoretical justifications demonstrate that TEAM has asymptotically valid, powerful, and robust performance. Overall, TEAM is a computationally efficient and statistically powerful algorithm that can yield meaningful biological insights in flow cytometry studies.
Whither Transcendence? Immanence and Critique in The Self-Emptying Subject

This paper engages Alex Dubilet’s The Self-Emptying Subject: Kenosis and Immanence, Medieval to Modern and his account of immanence and kenosis as exhibited in his reading of Hegel’s concept of Entauserung [externalization]. Specifically, I focus on the “problematic of desubjectivation” that centers Dubilet’s critique of transcendence and its relationship to subjection and subjectivity. I reconsider the relationship made between this problematic, the ethics of kenosis, and the concept of immanence so as to demonstrate the ways in which Dubilet attempts to depart from transcendence, subjectivity, and their concomitant ethics. In particular, I consider his reading of Hegel’s concept of Entauserung and its similarities to the Young Hegelians’ understanding of this concept. My reading of Dubilet suggests that while he seeks to depart from transcendence, he reintroduces transcendence through the “problematic of desubjectivation” and its relationship to kenosis. In conclusion, I question the philosophical import of immanence in contemporary critical inquiry and why its conceptualization is often positioned in opposition to transcendence.
Nonlinear Least Squares for Large-Scale Machine Learning using Stochastic Jacobian Estimates.

For large nonlinear least squares loss functions in machine learning we exploit the property that the number of model parameters typically exceeds the data in one batch. This implies a low-rank structure in the Hessian of the loss, which enables effective means to compute search directions. Using this property, we develop two algorithms that estimate Jacobian matrices and perform well when compared to state-of-the-art methods.
The Adaptation Needs of International Social Work Students: A Proposed Mentoring Approach

Given the increasing numbers of international social work students in the United States, it is incumbent upon social work faculty to understand their needs for appropriate support as they adjust to life as foreign-born students. This paper has two main goals. First, we discuss contributions and challenges faced by international social work students. Second, as a form of support, we propose a mentoring approach pairing retired social work professionals with international social work students and argue that this may provide a mutually beneficial experience for both. That is, this study identifies adaptation needs specific to international social work students, describes the proposed paired-mentoring approach, and discusses implications of this approach.
KEKE motifs: Proposed roles in protein—protein association and presentation of peptides by MHC Class I receptors

Abstract A stretch of 28 ‘alternating’ lysine (K) and glutamate (E) residues is found in an activator of the multicatalytic protease. Such ‘KEKE sequences’ are also present in subunits of the multicatalytic protease, in subunits of the 26S protease and in a variety of chaperonins. We propose that KEKE regions promote association between protein complexes. Furthermore, they may contribute to the selection of peptides presented on MHC Class I receptors.
Hybrid Vγ-Cβ TCR chains support T cell development and an immunocompetent T cell repertoire (LYM7P.713)

Developing T cells undergo VDJ recombination at four T cell receptor (TCR) loci (γ, δ, β and α) to generate a highly diverse γδ or αβ TCR. During the CD4-CD8- (DN) stage of development, simultaneous recombination at the TCRγ, TCRδ and TCRβ loci can result in unusual interchromosomal trans rearrangements between these loci, particularly between TCRβ and TCRγ, creating hybrid TCR genes encoded by two different chromosomes. We have found that in-frame trans rearrangements between the Vγ2 gene and a variety of Dβ and Jβ genes are transcribed, spliced and expressed on the surface of a small population of peripheral T cells. Vγ2-Cβ hybrid TCR chains are capable of mediating β-selection and require the expression of TCRα for subsequent developmental transitions. However, the relatively low frequency of these cells has made analysis of their function difficult. Here we report that transgenic expression of a Vγ2-Jβ2.4 trans rearrangement is capable of driving T cell development in the thymus through the CD4/CD8 double positive (DP) and single positive (SP) stages as well as maintaining a robust population of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the periphery. These mice are also capable of mounting a T-dependent IgG1 response to peptide immunization. These data suggest that non-conventional Vγ-Cβ TCR chains are sufficient to support the development of an immunocompetent T cell repertoire.
Elliptic flow from quark coalescence: mass ordering or quark number scaling?

We show that either mass ordering or quark number scaling of anisotropic flow can result from quark coalescence, depending on the nature of phase space correlations at hadronization. Quark number scaling signals nonequilibrium dynamics because it can only appear when hydrodynamic correlations break down. However, the scaling does not hold for all nonthermal distributions, and is compatible with covariant transport theory only if remarkable cancellations occur at RHIC.
Evaluating global sensitivity analysis methods for hydrologic modeling over the columbia river basin

Global Sensitivity Analysis (GSA) approach helps to identify the effectiveness of model parameters or inputs and thus provides essential information about the model performance. The effects of 14 parameters and one input (forcing data) of the Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting (SAC-SMA) model are analyzed by using two GSA methods: Sobol’ and Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test (FAST). The simulations are carried out over five sub-basins within the Columbia River Basin (CRB) for three different periods: one-year, four-year, and seven-year. The main parameter sensitivities (first-order) and the interactions sensitivities (second-order) are evaluated in this study. Our results show that some hydrological processes are highly affected by the simulation length. In other words, some parameters reveal importance during the short period simulation (e.g. one-year) while other parameters are effective in the long period simulations (e.g. four-year and sevenyear). Moreover, the reliability of the sensitivity analysis results is compared based on 1) the agreement between the two sensitivity analysis methods (Sobol’ and FAST) in terms of highlighting the same parameters or input as the most influential parameters or input and 2) how the methods are cohered in ranking these sensitive parameters under the same conditions (sub-basins and simulation length). The results show that the coherence between the Sobol’ and FAST sensitivity analysis methods. Additionally, it is found that FAST method is sufficient to evaluate the main effects of the model parameters and inputs. This study confirms that the Sobol’ and FAST methods are reliable GSA methods that can be applied in different scientific applications. Finally, as a future work, we suggest to study ii the uncertainty associated with the sensitivity analysis approach regarding the reliability of evaluating different sensitivity analysis methods.
Taking atomic force microscope advances to the university classroom

Because of the current and future importance of the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) in education and research, our team has been working on transferring this technology to the college classroom. In this paper we present the initial findings of a case study in which two years of cutting-edge AFM research was transferred to the college classroom in the form of a one-semester course. The course was developed before the research was completed and published in final form. While, the course centered on the re-creation and explanation of the most recent advances in building high-throughput AFMs, it also implemented and assessed the use of two online AFMs. Student response to the initial course offering, its content, and the tools used, was very positive. The students rated the course above the department average on 14 of the 15 survey metrics and claimed that the teaching method would help them remember more than other classes (average 8 on a ten-point scale. N=24). As a result of the course, several students have shown interest in pursuing work and research in this field. These results indicate that the course has successfully broadened the horizons of undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Nevada Reno, which had no microtechnology or AFM course offering prior to this work. It has also demonstrated the potential of using the AFM as the center focus of a MEMS/Nano-technology course. Finally, this case study may serve as a model for future technology transfer to the classroom by Ph.D. candidates who have not fully completed their technical research.
Mongolian Gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) Absorb β-Carotene Intact from a Test Meal

Because a yellow color has been observed in the fat pads of Mongolian gerbils fed a nonpurified diet, we designed the current study to determine whether adult male gerbils would absorb beta-carotene intact from a test meal. Thirty-five gerbils (80-90 g) were adapted to the laboratory and fed a standard purified diet free of beta-carotene for 16-19 d. Gerbils were then fed a test meal consisting of 279 nmol of beta-carotene as 10% water-soluble beadlets suspended in 0.5 mL of Ensure. Gerbils (n = 5) were killed at 0, 2, 4, 6, 12, 24 or 72 h after the test meal, blood was obtained by cardiac puncture, and tissues were taken for beta-carotene analysis. No beta-carotene was detected in serum at 0 or 72 h, whereas beta-carotene was present at all other sampling times. Serum beta-carotene peaked at 4 h, at a level of 88 nmol/L. beta-Carotene was detected in the liver of all groups; however, the concentration increased from -34 pmol/g to a maximum concentration of 926 pmol/g at 24 h after the test meal. Other tissues also contained beta-carotene. The results demonstrate that Mongolian gerbils, like ferrets and preruminant calves, absorb beta-carotene intact when beta-carotene is provided at a physiological level in a test meal. This species may be particularly useful for evaluation of the role of antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, in LDL oxidation.
Leading in the digital age

Communication professionals used social media extensively in their work.Social media use was closely related to professionals' leadership behaviors.Demographics and psychographics impacted professionals' social media management.Communication professionals' strategic vision predicted their social media use. This study examined: (1) how communication professionals' understanding of social media's strategic role was associated with their active social media use, and (2) how strategic social media management was related to communication professionals' leadership behaviors. Analysis of an online survey from a national sample of communication professionals (n=461) revealed the following. First, social media use was closely related to participants' leadership behaviors. Second, years of experience, organizational type and size, size of communication staff, and professionals' primary role as managers significantly impacted the social media use in communication-related work. Finally, communication professionals' strategic vision about social media predicted their social media use.
Detection of an Abundant Plant-Based Small RNA in Healthy Consumers.

The mechanisms of delivery of plant small RNAs to consumers must be investigated in order to harness this technology to positively impact biotechnology. Two groups have used honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) feeding regimes to detect a plant-based small RNA, termed MIR2911, in sera. Meanwhile, numerous groups have failed to detect dietary plant-based small RNAs in consumers. Here we catalog levels of MIR2911 in different herbs, and suggest that in particular herb MIR2911 levels are elevated. Feeding these different herb-based diets to mice, we found MIR2911 levels in the sera and urine were associated with dietary intake levels. Abundance was not the sole determinate of apparent RNA bioavailability, as gavage-feeding large-doses of synthetic MIR2911 permitted only small transient increases in serum levels. Dietary MIR2911 were not modified in circulation by association with the host’s RNA-induced silencing complex, as the RNA did not co-immunoprecipitate with AGO2. The stability of dietary MIR2911 in circulation differed from synthesized small RNAs, as tail vein administration of various synthetic plant-based small RNAs resulted in rapid clearance. However, synthetic MIR2911 appeared to be more stable than the other plant miRNAs tested. Notably, this uptake of dietary MIR2911 was not related to perturbations in the host’s microbiome or gut permeability. We suggest dietary uptake of MIR2911 is commonplace in healthy consumers, and reproducible detection of plant-based small RNAs in consumers depends on dietary abundance, RNA stability and digestion from within the food-matrix.