cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental performance evaluations and empirical model developments of residential furnace blowers with PSC and ECM motors

Abstract The study reported herein is to experimentally evaluate and compare the performance of blowers driven by permanent split capacitor (PSC) motors and electronically commutated motors (ECMs) in residential non-weatherized, non-condensing gas furnaces. As a first step, twelve units from four manufacturers were selected, with six having PSC blowers and the other six having ECM blowers. Then, these blowers were tested in a well-instrumented laboratory facility with a nozzle airflow chamber. The furnace blower performance was characterized in terms of measured airflow rates and blower powers over a pressure range of 0.1–1.2 in. w.g. (25–300 Pa). Overall blower efficiencies were also determined from the airflow, pressure, and power measurements. The results of this study showed that PSC and ECM blowers have significantly distinct airflow and power performance in response to increasing external static pressures (ESPs). In addition to performance evaluations, empirical models that describe the airflow and efficiency behaviors of the PSC and ECM blowers with respect to external static pressures (ESPs) were developed from the experimental data. Of special importance, these empirical models can be used for the investigation of energy consumptions in residential central HVAC systems with PSC and ECM blowers at various operating conditions.
WTO Case Law of 2014: A Busy Year

The WTO adjudicating bodies were busy in 2014, as they issued 22 reports, a net increase of 15 reports when compared to 2013. In fact, the WTO was forced to hire additional staff to work on disputes, since the caseload overwhelmed the existing limited administrative capacity dedicated to dispute settlement.
From Prison to the Community: The AB109 Experience in Los Angeles County

California's Assembly Bill (AB) 109, commonly referred to as “realignment,” resulted from two major class action lawsuits, in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that inadequate medical and mental health care in the California state prisons was a violation of inmates’ Eighth Amendment rights protecting them from cruel and unusual punishment. These deficiencies were attributed to state prison overcrowding. California responded by enacting new legislation, AB109, which allowed transfer of responsibility for low-level offenders from the state to local counties. This qualitative pilot study used semi-structured interviews to examine the experiences of 10 mentally ill individuals on AB109 probation in Los Angeles County, including their experiences with community mental health services. Interviews with four treatment providers at a Los Angeles treatment program for AB109 probationers were also conducted to illustrate providers’ perspectives on the barriers and facilitators to providing treatment to AB109 probationers. AB109 probationers reported encountering several barriers that negatively impacted their ability to access and utilize mental health services, including lack of education about AB109; problems with housing, transportation, and funding; and lack of social support. Treatment providers reported similar barriers. Several recommendations are proposed to improve the AB109 experience and to help reduce recidivism, which was a goal of AB109. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rational Responsibility for Preferences and Moral Responsibility for Character Traits

A theory of rationality evaluates actions and actors as rational or irrational. Assessing preferences themselves as rational or irrational is contrary to the orthodox view of rational choice. The orthodox view takes preferences as given, holding them beyond reproach, and assesses actions as rational or irrational depending on whether the actions tend to serve as effective means to the satisfaction of the given preferences. Against this view, this paper argues that preferences themselves are indeed proper objects of rational evaluation. This evaluation of preferences is driven by whether holding and acting on them conduces to, or interferes with the satisfaction of other, more important preferences. Taking the lead from methods in moral theory of holding individuals responsible for their moral or immoral character traits, this paper goes on to sketch parallel ways of determining an agent's rational responsibility for her rational or irrational preferences.
Choosing Words Wisely in Communication With Patients With Heart Failure and Families

The complex and often unpredictable course of heart failure (HF) provides many opportunities for communication between clinicians and patients about important subjects as advance care planning, disease state education, therapeutic options and limitations, and end-of-life care. Studies of patients with HF demonstrate that, when engaging in such complex communication, specific language matters in patient experience and in shared decision-making with providers. To date, clinical reports have outlined useful frameworks for communication with patients with HF but have not yet broached specific language crucial to furthering whole person care, particularly in the complex and emotional realm of advancing disease and transitions to end-of-life care. In this work, the investigators unpack language commonly used in advanced HF care and provide explicit suggestions to better provide such pivotal communication. In conclusion, specific phrasing may significantly impact patient experiences and outcomes. Communication that focuses on the disease itself and the therapy or intervention in question may help remove the patient from potential negative emotions, thus facilitating more objective shared decision-making with the clinician.
Study on pathogens and antimicrobial resistance of urinary tract infection in children

Objective To investigate the new trend of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance of pathogens in children with urinary tract infection. Methods The clinical featrures, distribution of pathogens and the antimicrobial resistance of pathogens in 338 culture-positive hospitalized children with urinary tract infection from 2000 to 2006 were analyzed. Results Among 597 strains of bacterium, gram-negative bacilli accounted for 68.0% (with 40.2% of E Coli); gram-positive cocci accounted for 26.5% (with 17.8% of Enterococci); fungi accounted for 5.5%. Gram- negative bacilli had a high resistance rate towards Benzylpenicillin and many generations of cephalosporins, but it was very sensitive to imipenem and showed low resistance rate to aminoglycoside, quinolones and some second and third generation of cephalosporins. Enterobacteriae was 100% sensitive to vancomycin and showed low resistance rate to Furadantin. Conclusions E Coli is still the major pathogen in hospitalized children with complicated urinary tract infection. There is a tendency of increased proportion of Klebsiella and other enterobacteria. A substantial proportion of pathogens is resistant to antibiotics, some of which are mufti-resistant strains. Antimicrobial therapy should be initiated under the guidance of anti-microbial sensitivity test if possible.
Distribution of insecticide resistance of Culex pipiens complex in China

Objective To investigate the resistance geographical distribution of Culex pipiens complex in mainland and to explore the management strategies and measures,and provide the basis for mosquito control and resistant management. Methods Data were collected through Wanfang medicine network retrieval domestic published from the year of 1994 to 2012 Culex pipiens complex resistance related,and organized by Excel 2003. Statistical maps were drew by Maplnfo 7. 0. Results The ratios of higher than moderate resistance level of Culex pipiens complex against DDT,DDVP,malathion,fenobcarb,permethrin,deltamethrin,cypermethrin were 55. 6%,82. 4%,22. 7%,0,41. 5%,64. 4% and 86. 7% respectively. But the ratios of high resistance were 22. 2%,64. 7%,0,0,12. 2%,40. 7% and33. 3% respectively. The high resistance region of DDVP and deltamethrin overlaped 45. 9%. Conclusion Culex pipiens group in most of the monitoring area developes obvious resistance to pyrethroid and organophosphorus insecticides,but are sensitive to carbamate insecticides. High resistance region of organophosphorus insecticides and pyrethroid insecticides shares certain consistency. Comprehensive management strategies should be implemented in the control work of Culex pipiens complex.
ESCHERICHIA COLI DIARRHEA

SUMMARY E. coli diarrheal disease is becoming ever more complicated as more and more pathogenic mechanisms are identified. E. coli strains remain the major causes of infectious diarrhea worldwide. Presumptive diagnosis based on clinical and laboratory criteria is practical for strains known to be important in the United States. Specific diagnosis is not currently feasible outside of research centers. Therapy, when indicated, shortens the duration of illness. Research is proceeding rapidly at the molecular level and may lead to new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in the near future.
Genealogies of Four Critical Paradigms in Chinese-Language Film Studies

A remarkable thing about the rise of Chinese film studies in the English-speaking world in the last 30 years or so is the attendant self- reflexivity of the field. Even as scholars are tackling what appear to be Chinese films, nothing is self-evident or taken for granted. They constantly raise issues about what constitutes the very subject of Chinese cinema(s), what ought to be the range of investigation, what are the appropriate analytical tools and what are the suitable methodologies. This self-inquisitive spirit manifests itself again and again in scholarly publications. Critics with different backgrounds examine the state of the field from various angles and weigh in on disciplinary or interdisciplinary issues of Chinese cinema studies. Theories and ideas come and go. But those critical paradigms that seem to better circumscribe and explain the problems at hand tend to stay longer. It is easy to spot the inadequacies of this method or that approach. But it is far more fruitful, and more daunting, to produce sustained good analysis of particular issues, texts and phenomena in a given field.
“They Come from Chaos:” Considering the Power of Stories in Home-School Relationships

Complex depictions of home-school relationships examine the often-present gap between teacher perceptions and the lived experiences of families. One way to address this gap in understanding is by constructing narratives that detail the nuances of families’ involvement, countering potential misperceptions and narrow views. In addition to using tools such as counter-narrative to speak-back to deficit-laden stories told about marginalized families, researchers must also attempt to deeply understand all stories in order to think through what teachers’ stories mean for how they understand their work. Thus, this paper presents a case study of a Head Start prekindergarten teacher, showing how her stories about families are related to her identity as a Head Start teacher. The stories show how power, stereotypes, and perceptions of families relate to her ideas about home-school relationships. Further, her particular stories ask educators to consider who is responsible for creating chaotic images of families’ lives and what impact do stories characterized by chaos have when they are the ones told about families who live in poverty.
The promise of faculty care in undergraduate STEM courses

Work in Progress. Introductory, or “weed out” chemistry courses are well-known for deterring undergraduate students from pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Specifically, students' motivations resulting from experiences in these courses can influence STEM retention. Using grounded theory, our preliminary analysis of qualitative data collected in an undergraduate chemistry course has identified “faculty care” as an emergent construct of importance to student motivations. Our emergent definition of care is students' perception that their instructors recognize and communicate actionable steps towards self-improvement or illustrate concern, encouragement, or relational interest for the students in academic and non-academic settings, or in an unexpected, personal way. We found that students hold gendered interpretations of faculty care, and these interpretations may give rise to gendered motivational attitudes. This work raises questions about the ways specific classroom activities or faculty-student interactions allow faculty to communicate a sense of care for their students and thereby affect students' motivational attitudes in their classrooms. More broadly, this work may have implications for our understanding of the ways faculty can address gendered patterns in STEM participation.
CodeStitch: Leveraging Analogical Encoding in a Game Space

Computer programming is highly collaborative, whether practiced in the form of on-site pair-programming or asynchronous reusing and remixing of code. Digital games have become an attractive tool for teaching coding, yet rarely do they account for collaboration among players. The goal of this paper is to show how asynchronous collaboration can be leveraged in a game-space by facilitating players to share and compare their solution methods. By comparing and contrasting code side-by-side players are more likely to detect structural (rather than superficial) similarities and differences (analogical encoding). A pilot study involving pre-teens found that this design feature led to reflection on the differences and different affordances of the solution methods based on their deep structure.
Epiphanies of Unknowing

In the Christian contemplative tradition, there is the theme of approaching and encountering God with unknowing. In this tradition of unknowing, the intellectual and perceptual faculties are abandoned and not exercised. Writers who have counseled or described the way of unknowing from their own experience include the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing and St. John of the Cross. In the Bible itself there are references to clouds and darkness surrounding God.Those who have an unconscious epiphany are unaware of encountering God or the divine. In an epiphany of unknowing, by contrast, one is aware of the encounter, but the cognitive and perceptual faculties are not engaged. In this chapter, we present the reflections of Dionysius (or Pseudo-Dionysius) on Moses’ encounter with God in “the darkness of unknowing” and consider the spiritual exercise recommended by the author of The Cloud of Unknowing, and we consider how St. John of the Cross understood the darkness of infused contemplation and wisdom in relation to the dark night of the soul, as well as an epiphanic vision that St. Teresa of Avila experienced in which all ratiocinative and perceptual experience was eclipsed.
Characterization of chromia scales formed in supercritical carbon dioxide

AbstractInitial experimental work at 700°–800 °C is in progress to develop a lifetime model for supercritical CO2 (sCO2) compatibility for a 30-year lifetime of a >700 °C concentrated solar power system. Nickel-based alloys 282, 740H and 625 and Fe-based alloy 25 are being evaluated in 500-h cycles at 1 and 300 bar, and 10-h cycles in 1 bar industrial grade CO2. The alloys showed similar low rates of oxidation in 1 and 300 bar CO2 in 500-h cycles at 750 °C. However, in 10-h cycles, alloy 25 showed accelerated attack at 700° and 750 °C. Transmission electron microscopy scale cross-sections on alloy 25 after 1000 h at 700 °C in sCO2 and in air only showed a small row of carbides beneath the scale in the former environment. Similar characterisation was performed on alloys 625 and 282 after sCO2 exposure at 750 °C.
Management of the lateral neck compartment in patients with sporadic medullary thyroid cancer.

Background The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the benefits of an elective lateral neck dissection (ELND) in patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) without radiographically apparent lateral neck metastases. Methods Patients with sporadic MTC without radiographic evidence of lateral neck metastasis who underwent definitive surgery were divided into 2 groups based on surgical approach: no ELND (the observation group) and ipsilateral or bilateral ELND (the ELND group). Primary outcomes were biochemical cure, locoregional recurrence, distant metastasis, and overall survival (OS). Results Sixty-six patients met inclusion criteria: 44 patients (67%) in the observation group and 22 patients (33%) in the ELND group. Two of 44 patients (5%) in the observation group developed subsequent (ipsilateral) lateral neck disease. At last follow-up, locoregional disease control rates among the observation and ELND groups were 98% and 100% (P > .999), respectively, whereas biochemical cure rates were 82% and 85% (P > .999), respectively, and 5-year OSs were 84% and 100% (P = .156), respectively. Conclusion Patients with MTC without lateral neck metastasis have similar biochemical cure rates with observation or elective dissection of lateral neck compartments.
The Small Scavenger Guild of Massachusetts

The role of small scavengers (typically birds and small mammals) of large vertebrate remains in terrestrial environments is an under-researched aspect of forensic taphonomy. The present research examined the role of small scavengers in a wooded environment in Massachusetts. A sample of fresh, mostly defleshed pig (Sus scrofa) femora was placed in heavy mesh wire cages that restricted access by the largest scavengers but allowed full access by smaller scavengers. The bones were monitored with game cameras for a four-month period from 8 June through 7 October 2016, and bones were replaced frequently. A minimum of 8 bird and 10 mammalian taxa were detected scavenging the remains, including multiple Passerines, turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), mustelids, raccoon (Procyon lotor), Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), and rodents including eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and chipmunk (Tamias striatus). Gnawing damage to bone was accrued by fisher (Martes pennanti), but the remaining scavengers only consumed adhering soft tissue. The small scavenger guild in this region is diverse and has a high potential for involvement in the scavenging of human skeletal remains in exposed terrestrial environments. KEYWORDS: forensic anthropology, forensic taphonomy, scavenger guild, scavenging, bone gnawing, Massachusetts
Cervical Radicular Pain

Cervical radicular pain is pain along a dermatomal pattern that is caused by the irritation of a nerve root. It is mediated by phospholipase A2, interleukins 1 and 6, TNF-α, and nitric oxide. Cervical radicular pain is often, but not always, associated with nerve root compression, as evidenced by a patient with radicular pain but without evidence of nerve root compression on imaging. Cervical radicular pain is a separate entity from cervical radiculopathy, which involves a sensory or motor deficit from a dysfunctional nerve pathway.
The dynamic and stress-adaptive signaling hub of 14-3-3: emerging mechanisms of regulation and context-dependent protein–protein interactions

14-3-3 proteins are a family of structurally similar phospho-binding proteins that regulate essentially every major cellular function. Decades of research on 14-3-3s have revealed a remarkable network of interacting proteins that demonstrate how 14-3-3s integrate and control multiple signaling pathways. In particular, these interactions place 14-3-3 at the center of the signaling hub that governs critical processes in cancer, including apoptosis, cell cycle progression, autophagy, glucose metabolism, and cell motility. Historically, the majority of 14-3-3 interactions have been identified and studied under nutrient-replete cell culture conditions, which has revealed important nutrient driven interactions. However, this underestimates the reach of 14-3-3s. Indeed, the loss of nutrients, growth factors, or changes in other environmental conditions (e.g., genotoxic stress) will not only lead to the loss of homeostatic 14-3-3 interactions, but also trigger new interactions, many of which are likely stress adaptive. This dynamic nature of the 14-3-3 interactome is beginning to come into focus as advancements in mass spectrometry are helping to probe deeper and identify context-dependent 14-3-3 interactions—providing a window into adaptive phosphorylation-driven cellular mechanisms that orchestrate the tumor cell’s response to a variety of environmental conditions including hypoxia and chemotherapy. In this review, we discuss emerging 14-3-3 regulatory mechanisms with a focus on post-translational regulation of 14-3-3 and dynamic protein–protein interactions that illustrate 14-3-3’s role as a stress-adaptive signaling hub in cancer.
Clinical Features, Metastasis, and Survival in Patients Younger Than 21 Years With Posterior Uveal Melanoma.

Importance Given the rarity of posterior uveal melanoma in patients younger than 21 years, reporting clinical experience in this area has relevance. Objective To describe the baseline clinical features, treatment, and clinical course of a group of patients younger than 21 years who have primary posterior uveal melanoma. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective descriptive case series of patients younger than 21 years who have a primary choroidal or ciliochoroidal melanoma was conducted at a single-center subspecialty referral practice. Patients in the relevant age group who were treated in a single practice between July 1980 and December 2013 were included; clinical data collected through December 2017 were captured to permit adequate follow-up time in all cases. Main Outcomes and Measures Conventional descriptive statistics of relevant clinical variables (eg, demographic, tumor, treatment, and outcome variables) of each patient were recorded. Actuarial metastasis-free and overall survival curves were computed and plotted, as was a postdetection survival curve of patients who developed metastasis during available follow-up. Results Of 2265 patients with posterior uveal melanoma encountered by the authors during the study interval, 18 (0.8%) were younger than 21 years when diagnosed and treated. Ten were female and 8 male, and the mean (SD) age was 16.6 (4.2) years. Through available follow-up, 8 of these patients had developed metastatic uveal melanoma (44%). All 8 died of metastasis. Actuarial survival analysis showed that the cumulative probability of metastatic death in this group exceeded 50%. The median overall survival time after treatment of the primary intraocular tumor was 11.9 (95% CI, 7.3-16.5) years. The median survival time after detection of metastasis in the 8 patients who developed metastasis was 2.3 months (95% CI, 0.0-5.2) months. Conclusions and Relevance Posterior uveal melanoma in patients younger than 21 years appears to have a similar if not worse prognosis than patients with PUM in the population overall. Owing to the later onset of metastasis observed, patients younger than 21 years should continue to have surveillance tests for more than 10 years after treatment.
Equipping School Health Personnel for Diabetes Care with a Competency Framework and Pilot Education Program.

BACKGROUND Schools struggle to support health needs of students with diabetes due to limited funding/resources. A competency framework can help individual schools clarify the knowledge and skills required for school-based diabetes care within their unique context, and inform the development of standardized diabetes education for health staff. METHODS A consensus-building technique, known as the Delphi method, was used to create a competency framework for diabetes care at school with a panel of 37 stakeholders. A continuing education program based on the resultant framework was developed and pilot-tested with school nurses. Pretest and post-test scores on knowledge, perceived competence, and self-efficacy were compared to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. RESULTS Consensus was obtained for a total of 70 competencies: 22 competencies for health aids, 36 additional competencies for school nurses, and 12 additional competencies for diabetes resource nurses. Thirty school nurses completed the continuing education program and demonstrated significant improvement in diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, and competence in pathophysiology and diabetes care tasks (p < .01 for all). CONCLUSIONS Developing a consensus framework is an excellent starting place for stakeholders to identify the skills and knowledge required for various school personnel and to ensure that all school health staff members receive adequate diabetes education.
Spatial and temporal diving behavior of non-breeding common murres during two summers of contrasting ocean conditions

Abstract Successful foraging of marine predators depends on environmental conditions, which also influence prey availability . Neutral or negative El Nino Southern Oscillation and Pacific Decadal Oscillation ocean conditions during the summer of 2013 and strongly positive conditions during the summer of 2015 in the northern California Current System provided a case study to evaluate a marine predator's response to anomalously warm conditions. We used satellite transmitters with saltwater switches to track movements and estimate dive behavior among non-breeding common murres ( Uria aalge ) off Oregon prior to and during a marine heatwave. We quantified differences in space-use between years, applied linear mixed models to determine environmental influences (e.g. sea surface temperature , surface salinity , chlorophyll a , ocean depth, and calendar date) on dive frequency and dive duration, and contrasted dive activity between time of day, year, and sexes. The majority of birds dispersed away from capture locations, which were situated near the southern range limit of their population. In both years, murres used the Salish Sea and the Columbia River plume ; however, murres spent more time foraging in the Columbia River plume and in continental slope habitat during the marine heatwave of 2015. During 2015, dive frequency was reduced, and dive durations were almost twice as long during daytime indicating deeper or more dispersed prey. Increased dive frequency was positively associated with temperature, chlorophyll a , and crepuscular periods. Cluster analysis of dive activity and the top-ranked predictive dive duration model revealed associations between longer-duration dives and decreased dive frequency, marine slope habitat, and cooler ocean temperatures. Murres were relatively inactive throughout the night and we found no sex differences in dive activity. Changes in common murre foraging tactics were associated with ocean warming and revealed selectivity in spatial and temporal use of foraging habitats. Productive marine features including the Columbia River plume provided refuge for murres during apparently poor ocean conditions associated with the marine heatwave. Identifying refuge areas used by highly mobile species experiencing varying ocean conditions is critical for adaptive marine spatial planning that can accommodate a changing ocean climate.
Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase: A Regulator of Cell Growth, Inflammation, Chondrocyte and Bone Cell Receptor-Mediated Gene Expression

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family of signaling molecules. ERK is predominantly found in two forms, ERK1 (p44) and ERK2 (p42), respectively. There are also several atypical forms of ERK, including ERK3, ERK4, ERK5 and ERK7. The ERK1/2 signaling pathway has been implicated in many and diverse cellular events, including proliferation, growth, differentiation, cell migration, cell survival, metabolism and transcription. ERK1/2 is activated (i.e., phosphorylated) in the cytosol and subsequently translocated to the nucleus, where it activates transcription factors including, but not limited to, ETS, c-Jun, and Fos. It is not surprising that the ERK1/2 signaling cascade has been implicated in many pathological conditions, namely, cancer, arthritis, chronic inflammation, and osteoporosis. This narrative review examines many of the cellular events in which the ERK1/2 signaling cascade plays a critical role. It is anticipated that agents designed to inhibit ERK1/2 activation or p-ERK1/2 activity will be developed for the treatment of those diseases characterized by dysregulated gene expression through ERK1/2 activation.
Do China-financed dams in Sub-Saharan Africa improve the region's social welfare? A case study of the impacts of Ghana's Bui Dam

Abstract China has become an increasingly important financier of energy infrastructure development in the Global South, especially hydropower projects. Despite an increase in investigations on Chinese models of infrastructure financing in these regions, there is a lack of empirical research on the impacts of the China-financed infrastructure. Using data from Johns Hopkins SAIS CARI China-Africa Loan Database and the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) Program Database, we estimate the impacts of the China-financed Bui Dam in Ghana. We use two difference-in-differences models to identify change of the likelihood to have access to electricity, and to own several electric appliances among over 29,000 local households receiving electricity transmitted from Bui Dam. We found that after the Bui Dam's completion, the likelihood for households living in the treatment regions having access to electricity increased by about 4 percent. However, our models also show that urban households witness a much higher increase in their ownership of various electric appliances, suggesting that the Bui Dam's improvement of electrification may be predominant in the urban and rich households.
A Rare Case of Isolated Pulmonary Cryptococcoma in an Immunocompromised Host.

Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic fungal infection found in both immunocompromised and non-immunocompromised patients; however, it is particularly prevalent in those with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Patients with isolated pulmonary cryptococcosis can present with heterogeneous symptoms. The rarity of this entity makes it difficult to recognize and diagnose. We present a case of a 54-year-old female with poorly controlled HIV and seizure disorder, who presented with suspected seizures. Her CD4 count was 7. Due to fever and headache, cryptococcal meningitis was suspected, and she was empirically started on liposomal amphotericin and flucytosine. Computed tomography (CT) of the head was negative for any acute intracranial process. Serum cryptococcal antigen was positive; however cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies from lumbar puncture (LP) were entirely negative, including CSF cryptococcal antigen. CT thorax demonstrated interval development of two solid pulmonary nodules in the right upper lobe (RUL). There was no other evidence of disseminated cryptococcal disease. CT-guided biopsy of the larger RUL was compatible with Cryptococcus species. Fungal cultures of sputum and blood were negative. The patient improved, and therapy was de-escalated from liposomal amphotericin and flucytosine to oral fluconazole, with a plan to complete a six- to twelve-month course of therapy. This case illustrates that in rare cases, Cryptococcal disease may still be localized despite having a positive serum Cryptococcal antigen. It also emphasizes the importance of a thorough investigation with multimodal diagnostic tools to evaluate for disseminated Cryptococcal disease, especially in those with a history of immunocompromise.
The effects of aging on the distribution and strength of correlated neural inputs to postural muscles during unperturbed bipedal stance.

The present study investigated the effects of aging on the distribution of common descending neural drives to main postural muscles acting on the ankle, knee, hip, and lower trunk. The presence, distribution, and strength of these drives were assessed using intermuscular coherence estimations at a low-frequency band (0–55 Hz). Ten healthy older adults (68.7 ± 3.5 years) with no recent history of falls and ten healthy younger adults (26.8 ± 2.7 years) performed bipedal stances with eyes either opened or closed. Electromyographic (EMG) signals of six postural muscles were recorded. Estimations of intermuscular coherence were obtained from fifteen muscle pairs and four muscle groups. In general, single-pair and pooled coherence analyzes revealed significant levels of signal synchronization within 1–10 Hz. Significant common drives to anterior, posterior, and antagonist muscle groups were observed for both cohorts of participants. However, older participants showed significantly stronger EMG–EMG synchronization in the frequency domain compared to younger participants. It seems that age-related sarcopenia, visual-vestibular-proprioceptive decline, cortical activation increase, presynaptic inhibition modulation decrease, and co-contraction increase had a major impact on strengthening the common drives to the aforementioned muscle groups. Differently from young adults, the absence of visual inputs did not reduce the magnitude of signal synchronization in older adults. These results suggest that the aging central nervous system seems to organize similar arrangements of common drives to postural antagonist muscles at different joints, and to postural muscles pushing the body either forward or backward when visual information is not available.
Conservation and Diversity in the Primary Reverse Photodynamics of the Canonical Red/Green Cyanobacteriochrome Family.

In this report, we compare the femtosecond to nanosecond primary reverse photodynamics (15EPg → 15ZPr) of eight tetrapyrrole binding photoswitching cyanobacteriochromes in the canonical red/green family from the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme. Three characteristic classes were identified on the basis of the diversity of excited-state and ground-state properties, including the lifetime, photocycle initiation quantum yield, photointermediate stability, spectra, and temporal properties. We observed a correlation between the excited-state lifetime and peak wavelength of the electronic absorption spectrum with higher-energy-absorbing representatives exhibiting both faster excited-state decay times and higher photoisomerization quantum yields. The latter was attributed to both an increased number of structural restraints and differences in H-bonding networks that facilitate photoisomerization. All three classes exhibited primary Lumi-Go intermediates, with class II and III representatives evolving to a secondary Meta-G photointermediate. Class II Meta-GR intermediates were orange absorbing, whereas class III Meta-G had structurally relaxed, red-absorbing chromophores that resemble their dark-adapted 15ZPr states. Differences in the reverse and forward reaction mechanisms are discussed within the context of structural constraints.
Preparing Transit in the Advent of Automated Vehicles: A Focus-group Study in the Twin Cities

The proliferation of automated vehicles (AVs) will bring substantial changes to the transport system. This study illustrates planners’ understanding of the potential impacts of AVs on transit and social equity. A focus group discussion of planners from governments and transit agencies in the Twin Cities shows that AVs may bring both challenges and opportunities to the transit system. Policymakers need to take actions (such as securing funding sources, developing automated transit, using AVs for flexible services) to ensure the quality of transit service and regulate unoccupied AVs. However, social equity has yet to become a centerpiece in planners’ discussion.
Hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of a standardized pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit extract in high fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6 mice.

Diets rich in fats are linked to elevated systemic inflammation, which augments the progression of inflammatory-related disorders including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and neurodegene...
Increased Prevalence of Myocardial Injury in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Viremia.

Abstract Background Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have a high prevalence of detectable troponin and myocardial injury. In addition, a subset of patients with COVID-19 has detectable severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral loads. The objective of this study was to understand the relationship among SARS-CoV-2 viremia, detectable troponin, and myocardial injury in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Methods SARS-CoV-2 plasma viral load was measured in plasma samples drawn from patients hospitalized for COVID-19 at 2 academic medical centers. Baseline characteristics and clinically obtained high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) values were abstracted from the medical record. The main outcome was detectable hs-cTnT (≥6 ng/mL) and myocardial injury (hs-cTnT ≥14 ng/mL; >99th percentile for assay). Results A total of 70 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were included in this study, with 39% females and median age 58 ± 17 years; 21 patients (30%) were found to have detectable SARS-CoV-2 viral load and were classified in the viremia group. Patients with viremia were significantly older than those without viremia. All of the patients with viremia (100%) had detectable troponin during hospitalization compared with 59% of patients without viremia (P = 0.0003). Myocardial injury was seen in 76% of patients with viremia and 38% of those patients without viremia (P = 0.004). Conclusions Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 with SARS-CoV-2 viremia have a significantly higher prevalence of detectable troponin and myocardial injury during their hospitalization compared with patients who did not. This first report of the relationship among SARS-CoV-2 viremia, detectable troponin, and myocardial injury in patients with COVID-19 points to additional mechanistic pathways that require deeper study to understand the complex interplay among these unique findings, cardiovascular outcomes, and mortality in COVID-19.
Discovery, disclosure, and confidence

Abstract With the procedural tools of discovery and disclosure available, why would a plaintiff and a defendant fail to both understand the merits of the case and settle it out of court? I analyze a model in which initially the defendant has complete information about the case whereas the plaintiff knows nothing but can learn any fraction of the information, at no cost to himself, through discovery, after which the defendant can disclose any fraction of the remaining information at a constant marginal cost. The plaintiff may underutilize discovery so as to have a chance of privately identifying the defendant's type while still outwardly maintaining his belief that the defendant may have a weak case. For a defendant with a strong case, incomplete discovery can make it excessively costly to signal his strength through a high level of disclosure and excessively risky to signal his strength through a low settlement offer. I show that, in that situation, the availability of discovery actually decreases the probability of settlement.
The prevalence of COVID-19 in healthcare personnel in an adult and pediatric academic medical center.

BACKGROUND: It is vital to know which healthcare personnel (HCP) have a higher chance of testing positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted at Stanford Children's Health (SCH) and Stanford Health Care (SHC) in Stanford, California. Analysis included all HCP, employed by SCH or SHC, who had a COVID-19 reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test resulted by the SHC Laboratory, between March 1, 2020 and June 15, 2020. The primary outcome was the RT-PCR percent positivity and prevalence of COVID-19 for HCP and these were compared across roles. RESULTS: SCH and SHC had 24,081 active employees, of which 142 had at least 1 positive COVID-19 test. The overall HCP prevalence of COVID-19 was 0.59% and percent positivity was 1.84%. Patient facing HCPs had a significantly higher prevalence (0.66% vs 0.43%; Pâ¯=â¯.0331) and percent positivity (1.95% vs 1.43%; Pâ¯=â¯.0396) than nonpatient facing employees, respectively. Percent positivity was higher in food service workers (9.15%), and environmental services (5.96%) compared to clinicians (1.93%; P < .0001) and nurses (1.46%; P < .0001), respectively. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: HCP in patient-facing roles and in support roles had a greater chance of being positive of COVID-19.
Early-Stage Gas Identification Using Convolutional Long Short-Term Neural Network with Sensor Array Time Series Data

Gas identification/classification through pattern recognition techniques based on gas sensor arrays often requires the equilibrium responses or the full traces of time-series data of the sensor array. Leveraging upon the diverse gas sensing kinetics behaviors measured via the sensor array, a computational intelligence- based meta-model is proposed to automatically conduct the feature extraction and subsequent gas identification using time-series data during the transitional phase before reaching equilibrium. The time-series data contains implicit temporal dependency/correlation that is worth being characterized to enhance the gas identification performance and reliability. In this context, a tailored approach so-called convolutional long short-term memory (CLSTM) neural network is developed to perform the identification task incorporating temporal characteristics within time-series data. This novel approach shows the enhanced accuracy and robustness as compared to the baseline models, i.e., multilayer perceptron (MLP) and support vector machine (SVM) through the comprehensive statistical examination. Specifically, the classification accuracy of CLSTM reaches as high as 96%, regardless of the operating condition specified. More importantly, the excellent gas identification performance of CLSTM at early stages of gas exposure indicates its practical significance in future real-time applications. The promise of the proposed method has been clearly illustrated through both the internal and external validations in the systematic case investigation.
Synthesis of 3,5-Bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl-Substituted Pyrazole Derivatives as Potent Growth Inhibitors of Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Enterococci and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) are among the menacing bacterial pathogens. Novel antibiotics are urgently needed to tackle these antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. This article reports the design, synthesis, and antimicrobial studies of 30 novel pyrazole derivatives. Most of the synthesized compounds are potent growth inhibitors of planktonic Gram-positive bacteria with minimum inhibitory concertation (MIC) values as low as 0.25 µg/mL. Further studies led to the discovery of several lead compounds, which are bactericidal and potent against MRSA persisters. Compounds 11, 28, and 29 are potent against S. aureus biofilms with minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) values as low as 1 µg/mL.
Mortality after Lung Transplantation for Children Bridged with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

RATIONALE Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly used to bridge waitlisted children failing conventional respiratory support to lung transplantation. OBJECTIVES To compare in-hospital mortality and a composite outcome of 1-year mortality or re-transplantation in children bridged with ECMO with those on mechanical ventilation (MV), and neither support. METHODS The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) was used to analyze lung transplant recipients, aged ≤ 20 y, from January 2004 to August 2019. Recipients were categorized according to level of respiratory support at time of transplant, including ECMO, MV, or neither. Multivariable analysis was used to evaluate support type and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS Of 1,014 children undergoing lung transplant, 68 (6.7%) required ECMO as a bridge-to-transplant, 144 (14.2%) MV, and 802 (79.1%) neither. Primary diagnosis in the ECMO cohort included cystic fibrosis (43%), pneumonia/ARDS (10.3%), interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (7.4%) and pulmonary hypertension (5.9%). Number of patients bridged with ECMO increased throughout the study period from none in 2004 to 16.7% in 2018. Multivariable analysis showed bridging with both ECMO (aOR = 3.57; 95% CI: 1.42, 8.97) and MV (aOR = 2.67; 95% CI: 1.26, 5.57) increased in-hospital mortality after lung transplantation. However, there was no difference in composite outcome of mortality and re-transplantation at 1-year between the three groups. CONCLUSIONS ECMO to bridge children to lung transplantation has increased. Despite this, ECMO is a high-risk bridge strategy for children awaiting lung transplantation. Future research should target interventions that can be focused on improving survival in these patients.
Understanding the Role of Geometric and Electronic Structure in Bioinspired Catalyst Design: the Case of Formate Dehydrogenase

The design of bioinspired synthetic inorganic molecular complexes is challenging, due to a lack of understanding of enzyme action and the degree to which that action can be translated into mimics. Exemplary of this challenge is the reversible conversion of formate into CO2 by formate dehydrogenase (FDH) enzymes with Mo/W centers in large molybdopterin cofactors. Despite numerous efforts to synthesize Mo/W-containing molecular complexes, none have been demonstrated to reproduce the full reactivity of FDH. Here, we carry out a large-scale, high-throughput screening study on all mononuclear Mo/W complexes currently deposited in Cambridge Structural Database (CSD). Using density functional theory, we systematically investigate the individual effects of metal identity, ligand identity, oxidation state, and coordination number on structural, electronic and catalytic properties. We compare our results on molecular complexes with quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics simulations on a representative FDH enzyme to further elucidate the influence of the enzyme environment. These comparisons reveal that the enzyme environment primarily influences the metal-local geometry, and these metal-local structural variations can improve catalysis. Through a series of computational mutations on molecular complexes, we extend beyond the CSD structures to further identify the limits of varied chalcogen and metal identity. This broad set and comparison reveal relatively little variation of electronic properties of the metal center due to the presence of the enzyme environment or changes in metal-distant ligand chemistry. Instead, these properties are found to be much more sensitive to the identity of the metal and the nature of the bound terminal chalcogen.