cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Room temperature ionic liquid electrochemical gas sensor for rapid oxygen detection with transient double potential amperometry

Gas monitoring is of great interest due to the critical role gases play in human health and the severe threats they can exhibit to occupational safety. Intense study has been conducted to implement gas sensors with high sensitivity, reliability and long lifetime. Room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) based electrochemical sensors demonstrate many properties advantageous to these goals. This paper presents a microfabricated gas sensor with an RTIL electrolyte and gold electrode that was characterized for oxygen detection in air. In order to implement fast detection, a porous polytetrafluoroethylene substrate was utilized to increase gas permeability and decrease response time. Furthermore, a transient double potential amperometry (DPA) method was used for electrochemical analysis to greatly reduce measurement time and reverse reaction byproducts that could cause drift. Preliminary results indicate that the RTIL-based electrochemical gas sensor with transient DPA exhibits good sensitivity, linearity and reliability that is promising for practical real-world applications.
Be the Data: Social Meetings with Visual Analytics

Social meetings provide important venues for people to get connected. However, it is challenging to explore reasons of social gathering, identify its key impact factors, and further use it to support people's social activities. In this paper, we present an embodied visual analytics system, which highlights analyzing and displaying social-cluster related information in real time. In the system, each user represents a data point in a high-dimensional dataset, and their positions reflect a 2D projection of the dataset, by using weighted multidimensional scaling. As users move and socialize with others, the 2D projection is dynamically updated, and relevant information of user clusters is visually analyzed and presented through dimension reduction techniques. We conducted informal social meetings with participants who were a mix of strangers and friends. We found that there are 3 stages of social gathering, corresponding to different interactions in the system. Our results also suggest that the system assists social gathering with dimension reduction visualizations.
IT-based wellness tools for older adults: Design concepts and feedback

OBJECTIVE To explore older adults' preferences regarding e-health applications through use of generated concepts that inform wellness tool design. METHODS The 6-8-5 method and affinity mapping were used to create e-health design ideas that were translated into storyboards and scenarios. Focus groups were conducted to obtain feedback on the prototypes and included participant sketching. A qualitative analysis of the focus groups for emerging themes was conducted, and sketches were analyzed. RESULTS Forty-three older adults participated in six focus group sessions. The majority of participants found the wellness tools useful. Preferences included features that supported participants in areas of unmet needs, such as ability to find reliable health information, cognitive training, or maintaining social ties. Participants favored features such as use of voice navigation, but were concerned over cost and the need for technology skills and access. Sketches reinforced these wants, including portability, convenience, and simplicity. CONCLUSIONS Several factors were found to increase the desirability of such devices including convenient access to their health and health information, a simple, accessible interface, and support for memory issues. Researchers and designers should incorporate the feedback of older adults regarding wellness tools, so that future designs meet the needs of older adults.
Output signal-to-noise ratio and speech perception in noise: effects of algorithm.

AbstractObjective: The aims of this study were to: 1) quantify the amount of change in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as a result of compression and noise reduction (NR) processing in devices from three hearing aid (HA) manufacturers and 2) use the SNR changes to predict changes in speech perception. We hypothesised that the SNR change would differ across processing type and manufacturer, and that improvements in SNR would relate to improvements in performance. Design: SNR at the output of the HAs was quantified using a phase-inversion technique. A linear mixed model was used to determine whether changes in SNR across HA conditions were predictive of changes in aided speech perception in noise. Study sample: Two groups participated: 25 participants had normal-hearing and 25 participants had mild to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss. Results: The HAs programmed for both groups changed the SNR by a small, but statistically significant amount. Significant interactions in SNR changes were observed bet...
Default Contribution Rates and Participation in Automatic IRAs by Uncovered Workers

About half of workers are not covered by a retirement plan at work and these workers are unlikely to save for retirement. For this reason, a number of states have passed legislation that will require employers to automatically enroll their employees into an IRA sponsored by the state (an “auto-IRA”) and administered by a third party. An extensive literature suggests that automatic enrollment will lead to high rates of participation in auto-IRAs. But this literature is based on auto-enrolled 401(k) participants who are likely different from uncovered workers in observable and unobservable ways. This paper instead conducts a national survey of uncovered workers to determine how likely they are to participate in a state-sponsored IRA. The results are encouraging and suggest that uncovered workers are likely to participate at rates similar to those in 401(k) plans at default contribution rates of up to 6 per cent. However, regression analysis suggests that auto-escalation of the default above 6 per cent may result in increased opt-out.
Imaging of the pediatric peritoneum, mesentery and omentum

The normal peritoneal structures, including the mesenteries and the omenta, are only a few cell layers thick and are visible on imaging based upon the tissues (e.g., fat) and structures (e.g., blood vessels and lymph nodes) contained within them. These structures become more visible and change in appearance when involved by pathological processes. In this pictorial essay, we discuss the normal anatomy of the various abdominopelvic peritoneal structures and illustrate numerous developmental and acquired diagnoses that involve these structures in the pediatric and young adult population.
Transcriptional fidelities of human mitochondrial POLRMT, yeast mitochondrial Rpo41, and phage T7 single-subunit RNA polymerases

Single-subunit RNA polymerases (RNAPs) are present in phage T7 and in mitochondria of all eukaryotes. This RNAP class plays important roles in biotechnology and cellular energy production, but we know little about its fidelity and error rates. Herein, we report the error rates of three single-subunit RNAPs measured from the catalytic efficiencies of correct and all possible incorrect nucleotides. The average error rates of T7 RNAP (2 × 10-6), yeast mitochondrial Rpo41 (6 × 10-6), and human mitochondrial POLRMT (RNA polymerase mitochondrial) (2 × 10-5) indicate high accuracy/fidelity of RNA synthesis resembling those of replicative DNA polymerases. All three RNAPs exhibit a distinctly high propensity for GTP misincorporation opposite dT, predicting frequent A→G errors in RNA with rates of ∼10-4 The A→C, G→A, A→U, C→U, G→U, U→C, and U→G errors mostly due to pyrimidine-purine mismatches were relatively frequent (10-5-10-6), whereas C→G, U→A, G→C, and C→A errors from purine-purine and pyrimidine-pyrimidine mismatches were rare (10-7-10-10). POLRMT also shows a high C→A error rate on 8-oxo-dG templates (∼10-4). Strikingly, POLRMT shows a high mutagenic bypass rate, which is exacerbated by TEFM (transcription elongation factor mitochondrial). The lifetime of POLRMT on terminally mismatched elongation substrate is increased in the presence of TEFM, which allows POLRMT to efficiently bypass the error and continue with transcription. This investigation of nucleotide selectivity on normal and oxidatively damaged DNA by three single-subunit RNAPs provides the basic information to understand the error rates in mitochondria and, in the case of T7 RNAP, to assess the quality of in vitro transcribed RNAs.
Endometrial hyperplasia in women on cyclic or continuous estrogen regimens.

Twenty-five symptomatic postmenopausal women with an intact uterus were assigned in random double-blind fashion to receive 0.625mg of conjugated estrogens on either a cyclic (3 weeks on, 1 week off) or continuous (daily) basis. The incidence of endometrial hyperplasia as demonstrated by screening biopsies at 6 and 12 months of therapy was 4.5 per 100 woman-months in the cyclic group and 3.7 per 100 woman-months in the continuous group (a difference not statistically significant). Thus, in this study, cyclic therapy was found to offer no advantage over continuous therapy. In our opinion, the rate of hyperplasia development in both groups is unacceptably high, and efforts must be directed at reducing its incidence primarily.
Synthesis and chemical transformation of Ni nanoparticles embedded in silica

Ni nanoparticles (NPs) catalyze many chemical reactions, in which they can become contaminated or agglomerate, resulting in poorer performance. We report deposition of silica (SiO2) onto Ni NPs from tetraethyl orthysilicate (TEOS) through a reverse microemulsion approach, which is accompanied by an unexpected etching process. Ni NPs with an average initial diameter of 27 nm were embedded in composite SiO2-overcoated Ni NPs (SiO2-Ni NPs) with an average diameter of 30 nm. Each SiO2-Ni NP contained a ∼7 nm oxidized Ni core and numerous smaller oxidized Ni NPs with diameters of ∼2 nm distributed throughout the SiO2 shell. Etching of the Ni NPs is attributed to use of ammonium hydroxide as a catalyst for deposition of SiO2. Aliquots acquired during the deposition and etching process reveal agglomeration of SiO2 and Ni NPs, followed by dissociation into highly uniform SiO2-Ni NPs. This etching and embedding process may also be extended to other core materials. The stability of SiO2-Ni NPs was also investigated under high-temperature oxidizing and reducing environments. The structure of the SiO2-Ni NPs remained significantly unchanged after both oxidation and reduction, which suggests structural durability when used for catalysis.
What can machine learning do? Workforce implications.

Digital computers have transformed work in almost every sector of the economy over the past several decades ( 1 ). We are now at the beginning of an even larger and more rapid transformation due to recent advances in machine learning (ML), which is capable of accelerating the pace of automation itself. However, although it is clear that ML is a “general purpose technology,” like the steam engine and electricity, which spawns a plethora of additional innovations and capabilities ( 2 ), there is no widely shared agreement on the tasks where ML systems excel, and thus little agreement on the specific expected impacts on the workforce and on the economy more broadly. We discuss what we see to be key implications for the workforce, drawing on our rubric of what the current generation of ML systems can and cannot do [see the supplementary materials (SM)]. Although parts of many jobs may be “suitable for ML” (SML), other tasks within these same jobs do not fit the criteria for ML well; hence, effects on employment are more complex than the simple replacement and substitution story emphasized by some. Although economic effects of ML are relatively limited today, and we are not facing the imminent “end of work” as is sometimes proclaimed, the implications for the economy and the workforce going forward are profound.
Large Expansion of Operating Voltage Window in Polymer Based Flexible Solid State Supercapacitor

Specific demand of lightweight and high efficient flexible energy unit is increased day by day for its integration into bendable electronics devices. Super-capacitor is one of the promising power unit to meet the current requirement. Flexible metal oxide and polypyrrole based flexible electrode materials are prepared using electrodeposition. The calculated specific capacitances of the devices shows 0.5 mill farad per gram. The super-capacitor is ultra-flexible, stable with operational voltage window expands from 0.8 to 2.5 V which can help to reduce the number of super-capacitor in series connection to obtain the same output. In this study, a conductive polymer can be coupled with MnO2 to improve capacitance and conductivity of a hybrid structure based on MnO2.
Development of Focused Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Rodents by Copper-Array Shields

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is one of the most widely used noninvasive brain stimulation methods. It has been utilized for both treatment and diagnosis of many neural diseases, such as neuropathic pain and loss of function caused by stroke. Existing TMS tools cannot deliver focused electric field to targeted penetration depth even though many important neurological disorders are originated from there. A breakthrough is needed to achieve noninvasive, focused brain stimulation. We demonstrated using magnetic shield to achieve magnetic focusing without sacrificing significant amount of throughput. The shield is composed of multiple layers of copper ring arrays, which utilize induced current to generate counter magnetic fields. We experimentally set up a two-pole stimulator system to verify device simulation. A transient magnetic field probe was used for field measurements. The focusing effect highly depends on the geometric design of shield. A tight focal spot with a diameter of smaller than 5 mm (plotted in MATLAB contour map) can be achieved by using copper ring arrays. With properly designed array structures and ring locations, the combined original and induced counter fields can produce a tightly focused field distribution with enhanced field strength at a depth of 7.5 mm beyond the shield plane, which is sufficient to reach many deep and critical parts of a mouse brain.
Neighborhood Racial Diversity and Metabolic Syndrome: 2003–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

This study investigated the independent association between neighborhood racial/ethnic diversity and metabolic syndrome among US adults, and focused on how this association differed across individual and neighborhood characteristics (i.e., race/ethnicity, sex, age, urbanity, neighborhood poverty). Objectively-measured biomarker data from 2003 to 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were linked to census-tract profiles from 2000 decennial census (N = 10,122). Multilevel random intercept logistic regression models were estimated to examine the contextual effects of tract-level racial/ethnic diversity on individual risks of metabolic syndrome. Overall, more than 20% of the study population were identified as having metabolic syndrome, although the prevalence also varied across demographic subgroups and specific biomarkers. Multilevel analyses showed that increased racial/ethnic diversity within a census tract was associated with decreased likelihood of having metabolic syndrome (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.52–0.96), particularly among female (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.43–0.96), young adults (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.39–0.93), and residents living in urban (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.48–0.93) or poverty neighborhoods (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.31–0.95). The findings point to the potential benefits of neighborhood racial/ethnic diversity on individual health risks.
From the economics to the behavioral economics of privacy: a note

In this brief note, I summarize previous work and offer an overview of two related fields of research: the economics and the behavioral economics of privacy. The economics of privacy studies the trade-offs associated with the protection or revelation of personal information. However, theoretical models in this area sometimes make overly restrictive assumptions about individuals' decision making. The behavioral economics of privacy attempts to address such shortcomings. In doing so, it can help us gain a better understanding of how we value, and make (sometimes biased) decisions about, our personal data.
Language Education Policy in China

Since 1949, multilingual China's language education policy has evolved through three stages, culminating in the common language law of 2001. The first stage (1949–1957) was pluralistic, when Chinese education policy and minority language education policy were developed independently. The second (1958–1977) was integrationist, when Chinese was promoted to marginalize minority languages in minority schools. The third stage, from 1978 to the present, is bilingual/multilingual. Legislation has established Putonghua as the standard national language, with other Chinese dialects nonstandard and minority languages local. However, China's greatest challenge has always been policy implementation rather than policy making.
Implementation of Updated Hearing Screen Guidelines in a Level IV NICU-A Quality Improvement Project

Hearing loss is the most common congenital birth defect. In 2007, American Academy of Pediatrics updated the hearing screen guidelines to recommend hearing screen by 1 month of age, diagnostic evaluation by 3 months, and early interventions by 6 months. Early interventions have been shown to improve developmental outcome in children with hearing loss. Infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at higher risk for hearing loss. For infants born before 34 weeks' gestation, there are no guidelines for initial hearing screen. Although auditory brain stem response can be reliably performed at 32 to 34 weeks, in most NICUs, they are screened prior to discharge per universal hearing screen guidelines. In high-risk infants, often with prolonged hospitalization, this leads to missed opportunity for early detection and implementation of early intervention services. Using quality improvement methodology, an updated hearing screen algorithm was developed and implemented in our level IV NICU along with an electronic medical record tool to improve the process of identifying infants meeting criteria for hearing screen.
Investigating the Effectiveness of Cohort-Based Sleep Recommendations

Existing sleep-tracking apps and devices provide simple descriptive statistics or generic recommendations for everyone. In this work, we aim to leverage cohort-based sleep data to provide recommendations to improve an individual's sleep. We report a 4-week study (N = 39) conducted to compare three alternatives: 1) no recommendation, 2) general recommendation, and 3) cohort-based recommendation, using six sleep quality metrics. For the cohort-based recommendation, recommendations were generated based on "similar users" using about 40 million sleep events from Microsoft Band users. Our results indicate that cohort-based systems for health recommendations can prompt a desire for behavior change inspired by social comparison and increased awareness about sleep habits. However, in order to be effective, such systems need to establish their credibility and to be able to generate cohorts based on features that are important to users. Finally, we provide further suggestions and design implications for future cohort-based recommendation systems for healthy sleep.
Fullerene toxicity in the benthos with implications for freshwater ecosystem services.

Abstract Production of engineered carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) is rising, with increased risk of release to the environment during production, use, and disposal. This trend highlights a need to understand potential impacts of CNMs on the natural environment. Fullerenes are an emerging class of CNMs that are insoluble in water, and form aggregates that settle quickly, suggesting higher relative vulnerability of aquatic benthic ecosystems. This study assessed eco-toxicity of fullerenes (C60, C70) and the functionalized derivative, phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), on functionally representative benthic organisms in traditional laboratory assays, and evaluated how the potential lethal and sub-lethal effects of fullerenes may indirectly impact benthic ecosystem function, including decomposition, primary productivity and nutrient cycling in lake microcosms with natural sediments. Standard toxicity tests indicated that population growth of Lumbriculus variegatus was reduced at 25 to 150 mg C60 kg−1, but C70 and PCBM did not affect growth or weight of organisms in artificial sediments at 25 mg kg−1. Survivorship and growth were lower in natural sediments with historic contamination, but C60 did not exacerbate this effect. C60 inhibited photosynthesis by the benthic diatom Nitzschia palea, and at high exposure chlorophyll a increased, suggesting a shading response. L. variegatus had strong effects on benthic ecosystem function, especially metabolism and nitrogen cycling, but C60 ≤ 30 mg kg−1 sediment did not influence the role of L. variegatus in driving benthic processes. These observations suggest that at moderate to high concentrations, C60 may directly impact benthic organisms. However, under natural conditions with low to moderate concentrations, C60 has little effect and does not indirectly impact the ecosystem processes maintained by such organisms. These results are a step further towards a better understanding of potential impacts of fullerenes on aquatic ecosystems, and can aid in the development of regulatory policies.
Adaptive Neural Network Architectures for Power Aware Inference

When dealing with edge devices, diverse power and compute constraints impose tradeoffs among performance, accuracy, and energy requirements during inference. Thus, ensemble learning (multiple learning algorithms to obtain better predictive performance than could be obtained from any of the constituent learning algorithms alone) has been a popular emergent paradigm for accuracy improvement in such scenarios. In cases where powering of the edge devices varies, various ensemble models can be dynamically adopted to obtain the best performance-to-power ratio. This article describes how an agnostic to the base network method can adaptively boost the performance depending on energy availability. —Theocharis Theocharides, University of Cyprus —Muhammad Shafique, Technische Universitat Wien
Understanding provider-level properties that influence the transmission of healthcare associated infections using network analysis

Abstract The goal of this study is to determine which provider-level properties (e.g., provider types, patient contact factors) of healthcare workers (HCW) have the greatest impact on the transmission of healthcare associated infections (HAIs). This study focused on Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) acquisition for patients who stayed in a long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) in central Virginia during July and August 2014. We used both patient data (e.g., bed movement, screening results for CRE) and provider activity data documented through the electronic medical record. We created a network of patients for each HCW and performed Poisson regression analysis including the network measures. A total of 204 providers saw at least one of the nine positive patients who stayed in the LTACH over the study period. From the Poisson regression, provider types, total number of patients each provider saw, LTACH workdays, average number of patients per day during LTACH workdays, and the provider’s network were associated with the frequency of case contact. Our study demonstrated that in addition to patient data, provider activity logs that show provider-level properties can be used to assess the role of healthcare workers in transmitting HAIs and highlight risk mitigation opportunities.
Quantity or Quality: Are Self-Healing Polymers and Elastomers Always Tougher with More Hydrogen Bonds?

Polymer materials containing dynamic bonds have many potential applications including adhesives, elastomers, and coatings with long lifetimes. Interpenetrated networks (IPNs) were studied, where on...
Using social media and focused learning activities to impact self-efficacy of empathy.

Abstract Background and purpose Empathy is a component of emotional intelligence that is critical for healthcare professionals. Intentional learning activities utilizing social media platforms were developed to enhance student growth in self-efficacy of empathy and to assess how the incorporation of social media impacts pharmacy students' empathy and self-efficacy through self-reflection. Educational activity and setting Activities utilizing social media were implemented in a pharmacy skills lab course. This included following a social media story, focused classroom instruction, and writing personal reflections. Initial surveys assessed baseline empathy and self-efficacy. Post and “think back” surveys at the end of the semester re-assessed empathy and self-efficacy. Reflection assignments were designed to allow students to further self-reflect, and their responses provided qualitative data. Findings Data was analyzed for 138 students in the fall semester of study year 1 (SY1) and 111 students in the fall semester of study year 2 (SY2). Overall, student empathy significantly decreased in both study years. However, student self-efficacy demonstrated a non-significant increase in SY1 and a significant increase in SY2. The “think-back” survey results demonstrated a significant increase in total self-efficacy for nine of the ten individual constructs. Qualitative findings supported perceived areas of growth. Summary Although challenging to develop and assess empathy, social media can be an avenue for empathy skill development. This approach can easily be adapted by other schools of pharmacy and health professional programs to further develop self-efficacy regarding empathy.
Description of Bivalirudin Use for Anticoagulation in Pediatric Patients on Mechanical Circulatory Support.

Background: Although heparin has previously been the anticoagulant of choice during mechanical circulatory support (MCS), there is a lack of consistency in dose-response in pediatric patients. Biva...
A Cross-sectional Survey on the Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on the Clinical Practice of Endodontists across the United States.

This survey investigated the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the clinical practice of endodontics among the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) members by evaluating the impact on clinical activities, patient screening, infection control measurements, potential transmission, clinical protocols, as well as psychological concerns. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was developed to query AAE members from all 7 districts. The survey consisted of 24 questions, 8 demographic questions and 16 questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the clinical practice. A total of 454 AAE members participated in the survey. As of July 2020, most endodontists were active in front-line treatment of dental patients (82%). N95 respirator face mask was described by 83.1% of the participants as special measures beyond the regular personal protective equipment. Rubber dam isolation was recognized by the majority of the participants at some level to reduce the chance of COVID-19 cross infection. Most of the endodontist participants acknowledged trauma followed by swelling, pain, and postoperative complication to be emergencies. The majority of respondents reported being concerned about the effect of COVID-19 on their practice. No differences in worries about COVID-19 infection were related to demographics (P > .05). The majority of the endodontists are aware of the COVID-19 pandemic, are taking special precautions, and are concerned about contracting and spreading the virus. Despite the conflict between their roles as health care providers and family members with the potential risk of exposing their families, most of them remain on duty providing front-line care for dental treatment.
15N CPMG Relaxation Dispersion for the Investigation of Protein Conformational Dynamics on the µs-ms Timescale.

Protein conformational dynamics play fundamental roles in regulation of enzymatic catalysis, ligand binding, allostery, and signaling, which are important biological processes. Understanding how the balance between structure and dynamics governs biological function is a new frontier in modern structural biology and has ignited several technical and methodological developments. Among these, CPMG relaxation dispersion solution NMR methods provide unique, atomic-resolution information on the structure, kinetics, and thermodynamics of protein conformational equilibria occurring on the µs-ms timescale. Here, the study presents detailed protocols for acquisition and analysis of a 15N relaxation dispersion experiment. As an example, the pipeline for the analysis of the µs-ms dynamics in the C-terminal domain of bacteria Enzyme I is shown.
Working Capital: A Summary of Ratios by Industry, 2016

The case graphically presents various working capital ratios (days inventory outstanding, days sales outstanding, days payables outstanding, cash conversion cycle, and operating cycle) over the 2009-through-2012 period by industry and for specific well-known companies. Students are given the opportunity to craft an intuitive story around the ratios they are given in the case. The case works well as a supplement for classes on working capital management. It is designed to help students relate the often difficult-to-grasp concepts around working capital and working capital ratios to industries and companies that they are familiar with, using companies whose business models and business practices are particularly good illustrations of the relevant concepts. Excerpt UVA-C-2348 Rev. Jan. 6, 2015 WORKING CAPITAL: A SUMMARY OF RATIOS BY INDUSTRY This technical note presents various working capital ratios over the 2009 through 2012 period by industry and for some well-known companies. Working Capital Ratios The operating cycle covers the time from when a company purchases inventory to sell to when it collects cash payment from its customers for the sale of that inventory. It is the amount of time it takes a company to turn its purchase of inventory into cash received from customers. Several things happen during that operating cycle: the company purchases inventory, makes payment to suppliers for that inventory, sells that inventory to customers, and collects payment from customers. These events are depicted in Figure 1: . . .
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Staging: Differences Between Radiologic and Pathologic Systems and Relevance to Patient Selection and Outcomes in Liver Transplantation.

Please see the Editorial Comment by Kedar G. Sharbidre discussing this article. Liver transplant is indicated with curative intent for patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The ...
Minimally invasive multiple-rod constructs with robotics planning in adult spinal deformity surgery: a case series

Multiple-rod constructs (MRCs) are often used in deformity correction for increased stability and rigidity. There are currently no reports showing minimally invasive placement of MRCs in adult deformity surgery and its technical feasibility through preoperative software planning. Data were collected retrospectively from medical records of six consecutive patients who underwent minimally invasive MRCs with robotics planning by a single surgeon at an academic center between March–August 2020. A total of six patients (4 females, mean age 69.7 years) underwent minimally invasive long-segment (6 +) posterior fixation with multiple rods (3 +) using the Mazor X Stealth Edition robotics platform. Average follow-up was 14.3 months. All patients underwent oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) as a first stage, followed by second stage posterior fixation in the same day. The mean number of levels posteriorly instrumented was 8.8. One patient underwent 3 rod fixation (1 iliac, 2 S2AI) and 5 patients underwent quad rod fixation (2 iliac, 2 S2AI). The mean time to secure all rods was 8 min 36 s. Mean improvement in spinopelvic parameters was -4.9 cm sagittal vertical axis, 18.0° lumbar lordosis, and -10.7° pelvic tilt with an average pelvic incidence of 62.5°. Estimated blood loss (EBL) was 100–250 cc with no blood transfusions, and all but one patient ambulated on postoperative day 1 or 2. Spinal robotics brings us into a new era of minimally invasive construct design. To our knowledge, this is the first description of the technical feasibility of MRCs in minimally invasive adult spinal deformity surgery.
Role of Directional Configuration in Deep Brain Stimulation for Essential Tremor: A Single Center Experience.

Background: Traditionally, the standard of care for medication refractory essential tremor has been to utilize omnidirectional deep brain stimulation of the ventral intermediate nucleus. The advent of directional stimulation allows for spatial restriction of the stimulation on selected targets without involving the neighboring structures, thereby limiting off-target side effects and improving clinical utility. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients between February 2017 and September 2019 who had received ventral intermediate nucleus deep brain stimulation that allowed for directional programming (specifically Abbott/St. Jude). Initial and final major programming sessions post-operatively (approximately 30- and 90-days post-surgery) were examined to determine frequency and reason for use of directional programming. Results: A total of 33 total patients were identified. A little over half were males (58%, N = 19), with an average age of 68 years old (SD 9.3) at the time of surgery, and a disease duration of almost 30 years (27.2, SD 19) with a wide range from 2–62 years. After initial programming, over 50% (17 of 33) of patients were using directional configurations. This increased to 85% (28 of 33) at the 90-day programming. Reasons for conversion to directional configuration included avoidance of side effects (specifically, muscle contractions (9/33), paresthesia (5/33), dysarthria (1/33) and gait ataxia (1/33)) or improved tremor control (12/33). Discussion: Our single-center experience suggests that in the large majority of cases, directional leads were utilized and offered advantages in tremor control or side effect avoidance.
Independence Sans Accountability: A Case for Right to Information Against the Indian Judiciary

The Indian Supreme Court may be standing at a historic juncture where it could throw open the doors to the public to question its accountability by disclosing information pertaining to the assets and interests of the judges of the higher judiciary. The Supreme Court, however, seems reluctant to bring the higher judiciary under the purview of the Right to Information Act. A tussle has already emerged between the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court, with the former seeking to bring the higher judiciary under the information law and justifying the need for disclosure of assets of the judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts. The Supreme Court has been resisting the disclosure of such information on grounds of independence, confidentiality, and possible breach of fiduciary duty. In this Article, I chart the recent tussle and discuss the present law regarding the Right to Information in the country, specifically the exemptions to the general rule of disclosure, and examine the Supreme Court’s position. I analyze whether disclosure of assets and other interests of judges of the higher judiciary adversely affects the independence of the judiciary. I argue that in order to maintain the people’s faith in the judiciary and to promote democratically grounded judicial independence, it is imperative for the higher judiciary to adopt transparency in its functioning and salvage its reputation before the people’s confidence in it withers away forever.  France-ILO Chair at the Nantes Institute for Advanced Study, Nantes, France. Work on this article was done as a Rechtskulturen Fellow, Faculty of Law, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. I thank Debadyuti Banerjee for her research assistance for the article. I also thank the editorial team of the Wash. U. Global Stud. L. Rev. for their excellent editorial assistance. Remaining errors are my responsibility. Washington University Open Scholarship 322 WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY GLOBAL STUDIES LAW REVIEW [VOL. 13:321
A probability model for interaural phase difference

In this paper, we derive a probability model for interaural phase differences at individual spectrogram points. Such a model can combine observations across arbitrary time and frequency regions in a structured way and does not make any assumptions about the characteristics of the sound sources. In experiments with speech from twenty speakers in simulated reverberant environments, this probabilistic method predicted the correct interaural delay of a signal more accurately than generalized cross-correlation methods.
Chapter 6 Non-linear regression models

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a survey of nonlinear regression models, with an emphasis on the theory of estimation and hypothesis testing rather than on computation and applications. The advent of advanced computer technology has made it possible for the econometrician to estimate an increasing number of nonlinear regression models. Nonlinearity arises in diverse ways in econometric applications. Perhaps the simplest and best-known case of nonlinearity in econometrics arises as the observed variables in linear-regression models. Another well-known case is the distributed-lag model in which the coefficients on the lagged exogenous variables are specified to decrease with lags in certain nonlinear fashion, such as geometrically declining coefficients. In both of these cases, nonlinearity appears only in parameters but not in variables. More general nonlinear models are used in the estimation of production functions and demand functions. Even a simple Cobb–Douglas production function cannot be transformed into linearity if the error term is added rather than multiplied.
Enhancing Teaching & Learning: Harnessing Written Comments on Evaluations

Purposes of student evaluations include measuring teaching effectiveness and helping teachers improve teaching (Lang & Kersting, 2006, p. 1). Improvement of teaching and learning is the core of this SoTL project. This study reflects Lewis’ (1991) assertion that, when qualitatively analyzed, written comments on student evaluations can provide rich information for course improvement. Written comments from end of course and module evaluations for 49 students 15 students serving as a reference group, were analyzed in order to inform decisions about course revision. Module evaluations yielded higher completion rates and greater details about specific course activities than end of course evaluations.
The interaction of radiation-generated radicals with myoglobin in aqueous solution—VI: The reduction of ferrimyoglobin by α-hydroxyalkyl radicals

Abstract G -values of the formation of ferromyoglobin (Mb II ) have been determined for the continuous γ-radiolysis of N 2 O-saturated neutral aqueous solutions containing ferrimyoglobin (Mb III ) and a series of aliphatic alcohols (RH) under conditions such that the competition for the primary . OH radicals favors RH. A comparison of the efficiencies of reduction of Mb III by the secondary organic radicals formed via H-abstraction reactions with estimates from the literature of the fraction of . OH attack at the C-atom α to the —OH group indicates that α-hydroxyalkyl radicals are primarily responsible for the observed reduction. Significantly lower reduction yields are observed when RH = 1,2-diol, compared with the expected yields of strongly reducing 1,2-dihydroxyalkyl radicals; the initial reducing radicals convert into inactive β-alkanonyl analogues so that the reduction of Mb III is not kinetically competitive with the β-elimination process. Mb III is useful as a probe of the occurence of slow conversion processes involving radiolytically-generated radicals.
An elementary fact about unlinked braid closures

Let \(n \in \mathbb {Z}^+\). We provide two short proofs of the following classical fact, one using Khovanov homology and one using Heegaard–Floer homology: if the closure of an n-strand braid \(\sigma \) is the n-component unlink, then \(\sigma \) is the trivial braid.
Shake It Out! Belly Dance in Physical Education

Belly dance is a folk dance with a history that can be traced back to the beginnings of civilization. It is a form of expression and movement that has been used for hundreds of years in religious ceremonies, birthing rituals, and social and familial gatherings in the Middle East. Students of belly dance can increase their muscular strength and endurance through the muscle isolations and contractions that are characteristic of this dance form. They can also learn rhythm and movement patterns, respect for self and others in dance and performance settings, and can discover a new form of self-expression and creativity. Therefore, belly dance could be a welcome addition to the physical education curriculum. The purpose of this article is to share the fundamentals of a beginner-level belly dance unit for inclusion in a recreation, dance or physical education setting.
Temporal Artery Biopsy: Concise Guidelines for Otolaryngologists

Temporal arteritis, also known more accurately as giant cell arteritis (GCA), is a multisystem vasculitis of elderly people that involves large and medium-sized blood vessels with a particular predilection to the craniofacial branches of the carotid arteries, especially the temporal artery. Symptoms include visual loss, headaches, fever, audiovestibular symptoms, and jaw claudication. Otolaryngologists are consulted to care for these patients to confirm the diagnosis, to rule out other causes of face pain and headaches, to care for patients with audiovestibular manifestations of GCA, and to perform temporal artery biopsies. Consequently, it is important for consultants to understand the signs and symptoms and natural history of GCA and the indications, technique, and complications of temporal artery biopsy. GCA can appear with protean head and neck manifestations. Otolaryngologists should be aware of these and understand the issues concerning maximizing the yield from temporal artery biopsies.
Association between Hyperglycemia and Survival in 228 Horses with Acute Gastrointestinal Disease

Background: Glucose homeostasis is dysregulated in critically ill humans resulting in hyperglycemia and decreased survival. Hyperglycemia is common in horses presenting with abdominal crisis, and this might be associated with a worse prognosis for survival. Objective: To determine if hyperglycemia in horses with acute abdominal disease is associated with increased odds of failure to survive to hospital discharge. Animals: Two hundred and twenty-eight adult horses with acute gastrointestinal disease. Methods: Observational retrospective study. Records of horses > 1 year of age presenting for treatment of colic over a 3-year period were reviewed. Data collected included age, duration of colic, glucose, heart rate, PCV, total protein, anion gap, cost of hospitalization, breed, sex, pain at admission, diagnosis, whether surgery was performed, and life status at hospital discharge. Potential risk factors for nonsurvival were screened by univariable logistic regression and the best-fitting univariable model was used as the basis for multivariable regression modeling. Results: Mean blood glucose was 155 mg/dL (8.5 mM) with 45% of the population above the reference range; 16.7% (38 of 228) of horses had severe hyperglycemia (>195 mg/dL; 10.7 mM). Factors associated with increased odds of failure to survive included glucose, severity of pain at admission, heart rate, PCV, anion gap, and diagnosis. The best-fitting multivariable model included glucose and diagnosis, with age included as a confounding variable. The model correctly classified outcome for 92.5% of horses. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: This study has confirmed prior reports that hyperglycemia is common in horses with colic and is associated with a worse prognosis for survival to hospital discharge.
Cooperative Interactions and the Perception of Motion and Stationarity for Directionally Ambiguous Apparent-Motion Stimuli

Evidence is reported that stationarity rather than motion can be perceived for displaced stimuli, not because of insufficient motion energy for the stimulus to activate individual motion detectors, but because of cooperative interactions that actively suppress the perception of motion. A long row of evenly spaced dots was presented in counterphase; the dots presented during each 180 ms frame were located midway between the dots presented during the previous frame. When either a blank interval as brief as 15 ms was inserted between successive frames or the luminance polarity of the dots was reversed on successive frames, the unidirectional motion pattern perceived for small interdot distances (small displacements) was replaced by the perception of stationarity. However, when under the same conditions a single dot was displaced over the same small distances, motion rather than stationarity was perceived. The contrasting results for the long row of displaced dots and the single displaced dot indicated that w...
Electronic transport in Ce3Bi4Pt3: evidence for a temperature-dependent hybridization gap

Abstract We present an analysis of transport data from Ce 3 Bi 4 Pt 3 to deteermine the energy gap temperature dependence E g ( T ). E g ( T ) is a decreasing function of temperature. This result is consistent with the gap being a product of many-body correlations in which E g ( T ) is scaled by the Kondo energy scale T K .
Climate and economic competitiveness: Florida freezes and the global citrus processing industry

Casual observers of the impacts associated with four recent freezes in Florida's citrus producing areas might be inclined to agree with an assessment by Miami Herald reporters that these freezes had caused the ‘king of citrus’ to be toppled from its throne, enabling Brazil to take its place. Research on the citrus industry, however, reveals that the impacts of these recent freezes only explain part of the story of the interaction between climate variability and the relationship between the citrus industries of Florida and Brazil. Climate characteristics and their variability have directly as well as indirectly affected the economic competitiveness of citrus producers whose output is in large measure climate-dependent. Climate variability has had direct impacts on Florida's citrus industry by adversely affecting the productivity of citrus groves in some areas, by altering growers' perceptions of freeze probabilities and, occasionally, by suddenly reducing output, thus elevating the price that consumers must pay for that commodity. Indirectly, competition can be affected by climate as a potential producer identifies a weakness in the supply system of an existing industry and seeks to ‘fill the gap’.