cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolving Trends in Size and Structure of Group Dental Practices in the United States

In this study, the authors examined recent trends in the growth of dental establishments and dental firms, including geographic location. In this article, they also present information about the demographic characteristics of dentists who work in a dental practice that is part of a larger company that delivers dental care in multiple locations. The number of dental establishments (single locations) and the average size of these establishments grew from 1992 to 2007. Large multi-unit dental firms grew in terms of number of establishments and the percentage of total receipts. Large multi-unit dental firms represent a small but growing segment of the dental market. Dentists less than thirty-five years old were most likely to work in a practice that was part of a larger company, and females were more likely than males to work in such a setting. The percentage of dentists working in these settings was also found to vary by region and state. The authors present a typology of dental group practice and suggest that future research should take into account the differences so that appropriate conclusions can be drawn and generalizations across categories are not made.
Microtubules Grow and Shorten at Intrinsically Variable Rates

Microtubules were assembled from pure tubulin with axonemal pieces serving as nuclei. They were observed by video-enhanced differential-interference-contrast light microscopy. Their lengths were measured from videotaped images at frequent intervals (0.13-5 s). Error analysis indicated that the uncertainty in measuring a single length was quite small; the 95% confidence limit approximated the microscope's limit of resolution. Rates of growth and shortening of the dynamically unstable microtubules, obtained from the length-versus-time data, were found to be highly variable. The variability was far too large to be attributed to known random error of measurement and must be a property of the microtubules. Further experiments were aimed at finding its structural cause. The variability of rates exhibited by a single microtubule was as great as that of the whole population. The locations at which a growing microtubule changed its rate of growth were not related to the locations at which rates changed during its subsequent shortening. The cause of the variability must therefore be both small relative to the size of a microtubule and transient relative to its lifetime. Fluctuations in configuration of the microtubule's cap appear to be the likeliest source.
The Interaction of Epidermal Protein with Aluminum Salts

Aluminum ion is bound to human keratinous materials. Aluminum interaction with (guinea pig) epidermis is strongly dependent upon pH. The carboxylate groups of the protein are probably the primary sites of aluminum sorption.
Probabilistic methods for centroidal Voronoi tessellations and their parallel implementations

Centroidal Voronoi tessellations (CVTs) are Voronoi tessellations of a region such that the generating points of the tessellations are also the centroids of the corresponding Voronoi cells. In this paper, some probabilistic methods for determining CVTs and their parallel implementations on distributed memory systems are presented. By using multi-sampling in a new probabilistic algorithm we introduce, more accurate and efficient approximations of CVTs are obtained without the need to explicit construct Voronoi diagrams. The new algorithm lends itself well to parallelization, i.e., near prefect linear speed up in the number of processors is achieved. The results of computational experiments performed on a CRAY T3E-600 system are provided which illustrate the superior sequential and parallel performance of the new algorithm when compared to existing algorithms. In particular, for the same amount of work, the new algorithms produce significantly more accurate CVTs.
Artemisinin-Resistant Plasmodium falciparum Parasites Exhibit Altered Patterns of Development in Infected Erythrocytes

Artemisinin derivatives are used in combination with other antimalarial drugs for treatment of multidrug-resistant malaria worldwide. Clinical resistance to artemisinin recently emerged in southeast Asia, yet in vitro phenotypes for discerning mechanism(s) of resistance remain elusive. Here, we describe novel phenotypic resistance traits expressed by artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum. The resistant parasites exhibit altered patterns of development that result in reduced exposure to drug at the most susceptible stage of development in erythrocytes (trophozoites) and increased exposure in the most resistant stage (rings). In addition, a novel in vitro delayed clearance assay (DCA) that assesses drug effects on asexual stages was found to correlate with parasite clearance half-life in vivo as well as with mutations in the Kelch domain gene associated with resistance (Pf3D7_1343700). Importantly, all of the resistance phenotypes were stable in cloned parasites for more than 2 years without drug pressure. The results demonstrate artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum has evolved a novel mechanism of phenotypic resistance to artemisinin drugs linked to abnormal cell cycle regulation. These results offer insights into a novel mechanism of drug resistance in P. falciparum and new tools for monitoring the spread of artemisinin resistance.
Rapid Formation of a Semiquinone Species on Oxidation of Quinol by the Cytochrome bo3 Oxidase from Escherichia coli

Many bacterial oxidases utilize dihydroquinols, such as ubiquinol or menaquinol, rather than cytochrome c as a substrate. The best-characterized ubiquinol oxidase is cytochrome bo 3 from Escherichia coli. In this work, the initial oxidation of ubiquinol by this ubiquinol oxidase is examined. Stopped-flow UV-visible spectroscopy and rapid freeze-quench electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies were used to examine the oxidation of ubiquinol-2 (UQ2H2) by cytochrome bo 3 under multiple turnover conditions. The results show the rapid appearance of the semiquinone radical, coincident with the reduction of the low-spin heme b component of the enzyme. The rate of formation of the semiquinone radical is consistent with the proposition that this is a kinetically relevant intermediate in the reaction sequence. As UQ2H2 is depleted, the radical decays and the enzyme forms a “peroxy,” or P, complex with dioxygen. No detectable protein radical is associated with the P complex.
The Changing Ecology of IT Management: Cross-Disciplinary Explorations of Context and Content

In the past decade, the context of Information Technology (IT) management changed in seminal areas: the circle of players, the tools, the emergence of Internet technologies, the evolution of information societies and digital economies, and critical questions of ethics and equity. These seismic changes can be captured if corresponding shifts occur in the content and context of IT education. A shift in context alters courses, methods, and materials but also the curriculum itself. The author identifies a variety of projects that immerse students in the altered ecologies of IT management and of IT education. The paper describes one of these projects--a student-authored proposal for a textbook on international information systems.
Why We Need to Think Young.

Overlooked and often marginalized, the young are our most precious resource. They are the future teachers, parents, health workers, political leaders, scientists, laborers, innovators, and world citizens. So why do I suggest that they're overlooked, or more so, marginalized? Let me explain. First, young people, defined here and elsewhere as individuals 12 to 24 years of age,1 are underrepresented in the issues that most impact their lives. While the period known as adolescence can vary across countries, societal and economic factors of the past century, particularly in high-income countries, have extended this developmental phase. Today, education in such settings often extends past secondary school to university and, for some, beyond to post-graduate study and a more prolonged state of economic dependence. Left out of decision-making bodies and community councils, voiceless in policy-making circles and boards, the young, who represent 28% of the world's population,2 entrust their wellbeing and the future...
‘Night’ and ‘Day’ in John 9.4–5: A Reassessment*

This article argues that John 9.4–5 should be reanalysed as an appeal parallel to 12.35–6, so that the ‘night … when no one can work’ of 9.4 corresponds to the avoidable ‘darkness’ of 12.35. Viewed in this manner, ‘night’ represents the condemned state of the unbelieving after the departure of Jesus. Jesus urges his disciples to ‘work the works’ of God so that, at the historical onset of ‘night’, the Paraclete may mediate a continuing, covert experience of ‘day’ within them. That onset, then, marks a critical phase in the eschatological separation of the ‘children of light’ from ‘the world’.
Sickle cell-hemoglobin C disease. Quantitative determination of iron kinetics and hemoglobin synthesis.

Quantitative determinations of iron kinetics and hemoglobin synthesis were made on five patients with sickle cell-hemoglobin C disease. The anemia was mild in all patients but one who had the hemoglobin of 10.1 Gm. per cent. All patients were in a steady state during the period of this study. The ferrokinetic determinations demonstrated a hemolytic process in all cases. The mean erythrocyte life span in these patients was 18, 20, 29, 46 and 56 days respectively (normal range, 110-130 days). The hemoglobin synthesis was increased in all. Reduced to terms of daily hemoglobin production per liter of blood, the values were 2.2 Gm., 2.9 Gm., 3.6 Gm., 5.8 Gm. and 6.6 Gm. The latter figure represents a five fold increase over the normal mean value of daily hemoglobin synthesis of 1.3 Gm. (normal range, 1.0 to 1.6 Gm. of hemoglobin per liter of blood per day). The results of the in vivo organ counts demonstrated a significant degree of sequestration of red blood cells in the spleen of two patients. The question of advisability of splenectomy in such patients was discussed.
Professional Development to Differentiate Kindergarten Tier 1 Instruction: Can Already Effective Teachers Improve Student Outcomes by Differentiating Tier 1 Instruction?

Two primary purposes guided this quasi-experimental within-teacher study: (a) to examine changes from baseline through 2 years of professional development (Individualizing Student Instruction) in kindergarten teachers’ differentiation of Tier 1 literacy instruction; and (b) to examine changes in reading and vocabulary of 3 cohorts of the teachers’ students (n = 416). We observed teachers’ instruction and assessed students on standardized measures of vocabulary and word reading. Results suggested that teachers significantly increased their differentiation and students showed significantly greater word reading outcomes relative to baseline. We observed no change for vocabulary. The results have implications for supporting teacher effectiveness through technology-supported professional development.
Surface Acoustic Wave Pulsed-Correlator Transceiver for Aerospace Applications

This paper will present current efforts on wireless passive surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor transceiver development for aerospace applications. Our group's SAW sensor work has been sponsored by NASA for the past ten years in efforts to develop wireless sensing for ground base and space exploration in extreme environments. The devices are radiation hard and work from cryogenic to several hundred degrees centigrade with standard device processing. The focus of this paper will be on a synchronous, pulsed correlator transceiver for interrogation of SAW delay-line sensors. The 915-MHz system has a bandwidth of 15 MHz and uses a pulsed noise-generated signal of 1-\(\mu \) s duration. The design principles, system analysis, and receiver measurements are given. The prediction of signal-to-noise ratio versus range is shown for given system parameters. The system development leading to the first testing of SAW liquid level sensors at NASA KSC will be discussed.
Secular Humanism and Atheism beyond Progressive Secularism

The organized atheist and secular humanist movements have long operated under the premis secularism progressing in American society. In the last two decades, however, progressive secular has come under increasing criticism. This article examines how atheists and secular humanists-lectively, "freethinkers"-have responded to the failure of secularism to become a dominant fore the United States and how they have rethought their role and strategy from that of acting as the se lar vanguard to assuming a subcultural identity and engaging in defensive competition in order to a place in American society. They have done so by adopting three strategies: (1) creating a niche secular humanism among the unchurched and "secular seekers"; (2) mimicking and adapting var aspects of evangelicalism, even as they target this movement as their main antagonist; and (3) n ing use of minority discourse and identity politics.
An Examination of Integrative Social Contracts Theory: Social Hypernorms and Authentic Community Norms in Corporate Drug Testing Programs

This manuscript discusses the utility of Integrative Social Contracts Theory in describing the social conduct of corporations in the area of drug testing. As a hybrid of classical contractarian theory and descriptive organizational theory, Integrative Social Contracts Theory (ISCT) occupies conceptual space at the intersection of normative and empirical approaches to analysis of business phenomena. Therefore, ISCT does not lend itself well to empirical testing in the positivist tradition. However, the expectations derived from ISCT can be examined through empirical testing and observation to determine if ISCT is useful in describing corporate conduct. This study asks not if ISCT is scientifically correct, but rather is it analytically insightful. The results suggest that ISCT provides a valuable framework for identifying areas of disagreement and convergence on important social and moral issues in business and society. However, the principle of implied consent through failure to exit may not be as strong as originally thought.
Connecticut Unscathed: Victory in the Great Narragansett War, 1675–1676. By Jason W. Warren. (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2014. Pp. xiv, 249. $29.95.)

This fascinating and powerful book makes a compelling argument that challenges a number of historians’ ideas about what we all assumed was a well‐known event: King Philip's War. Jason Warren says t...
Celiac disease: a clinical review

Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated inflammatory enteropathy triggered by gluten exposure in genetically susceptible individuals. It has a high prevalence approaching 1% of the US population. A high index of suspicion is warranted to diagnose CD as frequently patients present with extraintestinal or atypical manifestations. CD is diagnosed by a combination of serum serologies and duodenal biopsies. The majority of patients will respond to a lifelong gluten-free diet which is the cornerstone of therapy. Complications such as refractory CD, ulcerative jejunoileitis, enteropathy associated T-cell lymphoma and small bowel adenocarcinoma occur in a minority of patients.
Modified Fickian Model for Predicting Dispersion

The ordinary Fickian model for longitudinal dispersion is modified by using a time or distance dependent dispersion coefficient with a time-scale much greater than the Fischer time scale. From the three bulk flow properties U*, A, and d¯, the asymptotic dispersion coefficient D\dL and the peak concentration C\Dmax\N in natural streams can be predicted within a factor of 2.5 and 1.6, respectively. The model is useful for the prediction of longitudinal spread of pollutants in rivers over both short and long distances.
Modulation of Spatiotemporal Particle Patterning in Evaporating Droplets: Applications to Diagnostics and Materials Science.

Spatiotemporal particle patterning in evaporating droplets lacks a common design framework. Here, we demonstrate autonomous control of particle distribution in evaporating droplets through the imposition of a salt-induced self-generated electric field as a generalized patterning strategy. Through modeling, a new dimensionless number, termed “capillary-phoresis” (CP) number, arises, which determines the relative contributions of electrokinetic and convective transport to pattern formation, enabling one to accurately predict the mode of particle assembly by controlling the spontaneous electric field and surface potentials. Modulation of the CP number allows the particles to be focused in a specific region in space or distributed evenly. Moreover, starting with a mixture of two different particle types, their relative placement in the ensuing pattern can be controlled, allowing coassemblies of multiple, distinct particle populations. By this approach, hypermethylated DNA, prevalent in cancerous cells, can be...
Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome Hypertension

Obesity is a growing problem worldwide, and excess visceral adiposity is a major risk factor for many metabolic, kidney, and cardiovascular disorders including primary (essential) hypertension. The mechanisms by which obesity leads to hypertension and kidney dysfunction are not completely understood, but physical compression of the kidneys and activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone and sympathetic nervous systems appear to initially increase renal sodium reabsorption, impair renal-pressure natriuresis, and ultimately raise blood pressure. Other factors such as lipotoxicity and endothelial and vascular dysfunction may accompany and/or exacerbate increased blood pressure as obesity is sustained. Concomitant vascular and metabolic derangements such as hyperglycemia and inflammation interact with increased blood pressure to cause kidney injury which exacerbates the hypertension, making it more difficult to control while causing further renal injury. Maintenance of a healthy weight is important for primary prevention of hypertension and kidney disease. Weight loss, if it can be achieved, appears to be effective in treating many patients with chronic hypertension and kidney disease. However, long-term weight management is challenging for many people, and more effective therapeutic options are needed.
Law of Large Numbers, Heavy-Tailed Distributions, and the Recent Financial Crisis

In this paper we examine some possible inter-relationships between, on the one hand, the law of large numbers as it applies to cumulative sums of independent and identically distributed random variables where the distribution of each random variable is heavy-tailed, and on the other hand, the recent financial crisis. For the purposes of the present article, a distribution function \({\it \Phi}_{X}(\cdot)\) of a random variable X is said to be ’heavy-tailed’ if X has a finite first moment (i.e. an expected value) but not a finite second moment. It is of course possible to construct distribution functions where even the first moment fails to exist. But this case is of no interest to us, because in such a situation it would not make sense to talk about ’law of large numbers’.
Skin/Connective Tissue/Metabolic Disease

A 15-year-old female, 38 kg, is scheduled for a total shoulder replacement. She has a history of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, status post bilateral total hip replacements and bilateral total knee replacements. She also had a tracheostomy for one of her hip replacements following intubation attempts that lasted 3 h. Vital signs are BP 90/60 mmHg, P 92 bpm, and T 37°C. Her hemoglobin is 11.5 g/dL. She has been on gold therapy, but currently is only on methotrexate and prednisone 20 mg, qod.
Distribution of Kriging error and stationarity of the variogram in a coal property

If a particular distribution for kriging error may be assumed, confidence intervals can be estimated and contract risk can be assessed. Contract risk is defined as the probability that a block grade will exceed some specified limit. In coal mining, this specified limit will be set in a coal sales agreement. A key assumption necessary to implement the geostatistical model is that of local stationarity in the variogram. In a typical project, data limitations prevent a detailed examination of the stationarity assumption. In this paper, the distribution of kriging error and scale of variogram stationarity are examined for a coal property in northern West Virginia.
Conservative management of eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract. Report of a case.

A case of probable diffuse polyenteric eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract is reported.
Fertility Preservation at an Advanced Reproductive Age: When Hope and Reality Collide

A 41-year-old G2P0020 female with a history of endometriosis and newly diagnosed stage I estrogen receptor positive, progesterone receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (ER+/PR+/HER2−) breast cancer presented to discuss fertility preservation. The patient was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 months prior to presentation and had undergone a bilateral mastectomy with concurrent reconstruction with tissue expanders. BRCA testing was negative. Her treatment plan included a 10-year tamoxifen course but no requirement for chemotherapy. Her medical oncologist was willing to delay therapy to allow for fertility preservation.
Careers in construction: An examination of the career narratives of young professionals and their emerging career self-concepts

Abstract This study explores the experiences of young professionals as they move through different career paths and narrate their careers. Drawing primarily from semi-structured in-depth interviews with 40 young professionals with at least three years of professional employment post-graduation from the same program of study as well as data obtained from the subjects' LinkedIn profiles, our findings suggest that young professionals engage in a dynamic process of constructing their career narratives with often complex emerging career self-concepts. While prior research suggests that people move toward an increasingly stable and cohesive self-concept as they attain a professional occupation, we find that there is an interplay between the need for flexibility to explore opportunities and to adapt to challenges, as well as the desire for stability and predictability that drives the construction of young professionals' careers. We also find that the way young professionals communicate their career narrative can differ in substantive ways from their external-facing resume, raising the potential for dissonance. Exploring the intricacies of developing career narratives is important for understanding how young professionals make sense of their career, which can better inform career counselors, recruiters, and hiring managers—as well as young professionals themselves—on how to integrate past, current, and desired future career experiences to allow for continuity and resiliency in their career self-concept and planning.
Polymer/Graphene Composites via Spinodal Decomposition of Miscible Polymer Blends

Conductive polymer composites (CPCs) enjoy broad industrial applications such as electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection. Herein, we constructed CPCs by first solution blending graphene nanoplatel...
Tots on Bots: Looking at Intentional Movement in Young Infants Using a Robotic Mobility Device

Date Presented 04/05/19 The purpose of this presentation is to present findings from a study of precrawling infants as they learned to drive a robotic mobility device, and to relate these findings to dynamic systems theory. Thelen (2005) argues that developmental change occurs with the organization of many individual elements within the infant and the environment. In this study, the infant’s intentional movement increased as nonintentional movement decreased over mobility sessions, demonstrating self-organization. Primary Author and Speaker: McKenna Pols Additional Authors and Speakers: Hana Motoki, Sarah O'Hagen, Carole Dennis
Evaluating Travel Distance to Radiation Facilities Among Rural and Urban Breast Cancer Patients in the Medicare Population.

Purpose The distance patients travel for specialty care is an important barrier to health care access, particularly for those living in rural areas. This study characterizes the actual distance older breast cancer patients traveled to radiation treatment and the minimum distance necessary to reach radiation care, and examines whether any patient demographic or clinical factors are associated with greater travel distance. Methods We used data from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database. Our cohort included 52,317 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2004 and 2013. Driving distances were calculated using Google Maps. We used generalized estimating equations to estimate associations between patient demographic and disease variables and travel distance. Findings Patients living in rural areas traveled on average nearly 3 times as far as those from urban areas (40.8 miles vs 15.4 miles), and their nearest facility was more than 4 times farther away (21.9 miles vs 4.8 miles). Older age, being single or widowed, and lower household income were significantly associated with shorter actual travel distance, while increasing rurality was significantly associated with greater actual and minimum travel distance to radiation treatment. Disease severity (stage, grade, etc) was not significantly associated with actual or minimum travel distance. Conclusions In this insured population, travel distance to radiation facilities may pose a significant burden for breast cancer patients, particularly among those living in rural areas. Policymakers and patient advocates should explore service delivery models, reimbursement models, and social supports aimed at reducing the impact of travel to radiation treatment for breast cancer patients.
Genarris 2.0: A random structure generator for molecular crystals

Abstract Genarris is an open source Python package for generating random molecular crystal structures with physical constraints for seeding crystal structure prediction algorithms and training machine learning models. Here we present a new version of the code, containing several major improvements. A MPI-based parallelization scheme has been implemented, which facilitates the seamless sequential execution of user-defined workflows. A new method for estimating the unit cell volume based on the single molecule structure has been developed using a machine-learned model trained on experimental structures. A new algorithm has been implemented for generating crystal structures with molecules occupying special Wyckoff positions. A new hierarchical structure check procedure has been developed to detect unphysical close contacts efficiently and accurately. New intermolecular distance settings have been implemented for strong hydrogen bonds. To demonstrate these new features, we study two specific cases: benzene and glycine. Genarris finds the experimental structures of the two polymorphs of benzene and the three polymorphs of glycine. Program summary Program Title: Genarris 2.0 Program Files doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/grx6mz4pjn.1 Licensing provisions: BSD-3 Clause Programming language: Python, C External routines/libraries: Spglib, ASE, pymatgen, SciPy, mpi4py, scikit-learn, PyTorch, FHI-aims. Nature of problem: Molecular crystal structure prediction. Solution method: Genarris 2.0 generates molecular crystal structures over the 230 space groups, on general and special Wyckoff positions, using physical constraints. Down-sampling of the generated structures may be performed subsequently, based on molecular crystal packing descriptors and an unsupervised machine learning algorithm. Lastly, ab initio structure relaxation may be performed for the final pool. Depending on the user-defined workflow implemented, Genarris may be used to generate diverse molecular crystal datasets to seed evolutionary algorithms or to train machine learning algorithms or as a standalone crystal structure prediction method. Restrictions: For crystal structure generation, the molecule of interest must be semi-rigid with no bond rotational degrees of freedom. Unusual features: Genarris 2.0 is a highly distributed program, making use of MPI for Python parallelization. The user has the ability to design and implement workflows by executing a user-defined list of procedures. Genarris 2.0 offers new features including a machine learning model for estimating the molecular volume in the solid state from the single molecule structure, structure generation in special Wyckoff positions of space groups, hierarchical structure checks including rigorous treatment of non-orthogonal structures, and clustering and down-selection workflows combining first principles simulations with machine learning.
Molecular matching and treatment strategies for advanced stage lung cancer at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center: A three-year review of a Molecular Tumor Board.

Abstract Matching of actionable tumor mutations with targeted therapy increases response rates and prolongs survival in lung cancer patients. Drug development and trials targeting genetic alterations are expanding rapidly. We describe the role of a Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) in the design of molecularly informed treatment strategies in our lung cancer patient population. Tumor DNA was sequenced using a 50-gene targeted next-generation sequencing panel. Cases were evaluated by a multidisciplinary MTB who suggested a course of treatment based on each patient’s molecular findings. During a three-year period, 21 lung cancer patients were presented at the MTB. All patients lacked common activating EGFR mutations and ALK rearrangements. One patient had Stage IIIb disease; all others were Stage IV; 18 patients had received ≥1 prior line of therapy (range 0–5). Suggestions for treatment with a targeted therapy were made for 19/21 (90.5%) patients, and four patients (21%) underwent treatment with a targeted agent, two as part of a clinical trial. Identified barriers to treatment with targeted therapy included: ineligibility for clinical trials (n ​= ​2), lack of interest in study/distance to travel (n ​= ​2), lack of disease progression (n ​= ​2), poor performance status (n ​= ​5), decision to treat next with immunotherapy (n ​= ​3), and unknown (n ​= ​1). For the majority of lung cancer patients, the MTB provided recommendations based on tumor genetic profiles. Identified barriers to treatment suggest that presentation to the MTB at earlier stages of disease may increase the number of patients eligible for treatment with a genetically informed targeted agent.
Developing a Machine Learning Tool for Dynamic Cancer Treatment Strategies

With the rising number and complexity of cancer therapies, it is increasingly difficult for clinicians to identity an optimal combination of treatments for a patient. Our research aims to provide a decision support tool to optimize and supplant cancer treatment decisions. Leveraging machine learning, causal inference, and decision analysis, we will utilize electronic medical records to develop dynamic cancer treatment strategies that advice clinicians and patients based on patient characteristics, medical history, and etc. The research hopes to bridge the understanding between causal inference and decision analysis and ultimately develops an artificial intelligence tool that improves clinical outcomes over current practices.
The primary afferent activity cannot capture the dynamical features of muscle activity during reaching movements.

Abstract The stabilizing role of sensory feedback in relation to realistic 3-dimensional movement dynamics remains poorly understood. The objective of this study was to quantify how primary afferent activity contributes to shaping muscle activity patterns during reaching movements. To achieve this objective, we designed a virtual reality task that guided healthy human subjects through a set of planar reaching movements with controlled kinematic and dynamic conditions that minimized inter-subject variability. Next, we integrated human upper-limb models of musculoskeletal dynamics and proprioception to analyze motion and major muscle activation patterns during these tasks. We recorded electromyographic and motion-capture data and used the integrated model to simulate joint kinematics, joint torques due to muscle contractions, muscle length changes, and simulated primary afferent feedback. The parameters of the primary afferent model were altered systematically to evaluate the effect of fusimotor drive. The experimental and simulated data were analyzed with hierarchical clustering. We found that the muscle activity patterns contained flexible task-dependent groups that consisted of co-activating agonistic and antagonistic muscles that changed with the dynamics of the task. The activity of muscles spanning only the shoulder generally grouped into a proximal cluster, while the muscles spanning the wrist grouped into a distal cluster. The bifunctional muscle spanning the shoulder and elbow were flexibly grouped with either proximal or distal cluster based on the dynamical requirements of the task. The composition and activation of these groups reflected the relative contribution of active and passive forces to each motion. In contrast, the simulated primary afferent feedback was most related to joint kinematics rather than dynamics, even though the primary afferent models had nonlinear dynamical components and variable fusimotor drive. Simulated physiological changes to the fusimotor drive were not sufficient to reproduce the dynamical features in muscle activity pattern. Altogether, these results suggest that sensory feedback signals are in a different domain from that of muscle activation signals. This indicates that to solve the neuromechanical problem, the central nervous system controls limb dynamics through task-dependent co-activation of muscles and non-linear modulation of monosynaptic primary afferent feedback. New & Noteworthy Here we answered the fundamental question in sensorimotor transformation of how primary afferent signals can contribute to the compensation for limb dynamics evident in muscle activity. We combined computational and experimental approaches to create a new experimental paradigm that challenges the nervous system with passive limb dynamics that either assists or resists the desired movement. We found that the active dynamical features present in muscle activity are unlikely to arise from direct feedback from primary afferents.
A Model to Explain Statewide Differences in COVID-19 Death Rates

COVID-19 death rates per 100,000 vary widely across the nation. As of September 1, 2020, they range from a low of 4 in Hawaii to a high of 179 in New Jersey. Although academic research has been conducted at the county and metropolitan levels, no research has rigorously examined or identified the demographic and socioeconomic forces that explain state-level differences. This study presents an empirical model and the results of regression tests that help identify these forces and shed light on the role they play in explaining COVID-19 deaths. A stepwise regression model we tested exhibits a high degree of explanatory power. It suggests that two measures of density explain most of the state-level differences. Less significant variables included the poverty rate and racial/ethnic differences. We also found that variables relating to health, air travel, and government mandates were not significant in explaining COVID-19 deaths at the state level. This study also examines the elasticities of those variables we found significant. We measured both average and constant elasticities to determine the relationship between changes in COVID-19 deaths and percentage changes in the relevant explanatory variables. In an analysis of residuals, we found that the unexplained variation was found to be related mainly to factors site-specific to individual states. Unlike the empirical results of several academic studies, our model found that the density of a state is the most important factor explaining COVID-19 deaths. The role that density plays in the transmission of COVID-19 has important policy implications in responding to the challenges posed by the coronavirus and future pandemics.
Deuterium permeation and retention in 316L Stainless Steel Manufactured by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Abstract Deployment of additively manufactured materials into nuclear energy systems requires investigation of the full range of the unique environmental effects on these materials. Hydrogen isotopes are common gaseous species in nuclear reactors and exhibit ample high mobility in most materials. While hydrogen isotopes mobility in wrought stainless steel is well understood, this property is not thoroughly studied for its additively manufactured variants. In this study, we investigated the deuterium permeation and retention in 316L stainless steel manufactured by laser powder bed fusion. The results showed that the deuterium permeability in the as-built additively manufactured 316L stainless steel (AM SS316L) is greater than that of the reference wrought 316L stainless steel by a factor of 2.8. However, the stress-relieved and solution-annealed AM SS316L samples exhibit lower deuterium permeability in comparison with the as-built condition. Following the solution annealing, the deuterium permeability of AM SS316L is comparable with that of the reference wrought SS316L. Deuterium retention in the as-built AM SS316L is 45% higher than that of the wrought 316L stainless steel and slightly higher than that of the two thermally annealed AM SS316L materials. Transmission electron microscopy and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy were used to obtain microstructural information used to determine deuterium permeation and retention behavior in the studied materials.
COVID-19 in Lung-Transplant Recipients: A Descriptive Study

Purpose Transplant recipients are more susceptible to infection, however the medical literature lacks sufficient data regarding COVID-19 post transplantation, especially in lung-transplant recipients. This population appears to be at higher risk for critical illness due to comorbidities and chronic immunosuppressive state Methods This was a single-center, retrospective study of 7 lung-transplant recipients who were symptomatic and tested positive for COVID-19 between Feb 2020 and Oct 2020. Demographics, including single vs double lung transplantation, time from transplant were included. Laboratory data on admission, immunosuppressive regimen and adjustment during hospitalization, oxygen requirements and outcomes were also collected Results To date, 7 out of 227 post-lung transplant patients followed at our center became symptomatic with COVID-19 infection. The average age was 60.5 years and 70% were female. All patients had double lung transplantation performed between Apr 2010 and Nov 2019. The average body mass index was 27.0 kg/m2. 85% required hospitalization, three had to be admitted to the intensive care unit, two required invasive mechanical ventilation. Two patients died (one due to acute kidney injury and refractory shock and one refused intubation). One patient on mechanical ventilation required VV ECMO 3 days after admission as a bridge to recovery. All patients were on standard triple immunosuppressive regimen [tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and prednisone]. Mycophenolate was stopped for all patients at the time of the infection, and those who required oxygen supplementation (n=5) received dexamethasone and convalescent plasma. Two of them were not eligible for Remdesivir. Elevated d-dimer (0.78 - 5.57 mg/L), LDH (253 - 985 U/L) and the degree of hypoxemia on admission correlated to worse outcomes Conclusion COVID-19 infection in lung transplant patients has a variable course. In our study, d-dimer, LDH and the degree of hypoxemia on admission had a linear correlation with unfavorable outcome, similar to what has been reported for non lung-transplant patients with COVID-19. Intubation and mechanical ventilation portend a poor prognosis. In our cohort reduction in net immunosuppression (stopping anti-metabolite) and supportive treatment was utilized. Prevention remains the best intervention for COVID-19
Unexpected suppression of tumorigenesis by c-MYC via TFAP4-dependent restriction of stemness in B lymphocytes.

The proliferative burst of B lymphocytes is essential for antigen receptor repertoire diversification during the development and selective expansion of antigen-specific clones during immune responses. High proliferative activity inevitably promotes oncogenesis, the risk of which is further elevated in B lymphocytes by endogenous gene rearrangement and somatic mutations. However, B cell-derived cancers are rare, perhaps owing to putative intrinsic tumor-suppressive mechanisms. We show that c-MYC not only facilitates B cell proliferation as a pro-tumorigenic driver but unexpectedly also co-engages counteracting tumor suppression through its downstream factor TFAP4. TFAP4 is mutated in human lymphoid malignancies, particularly in >10% of Burkitt lymphomas, and reduced TFAP4 expression was associated with poor survival in MYC-high B-ALL cases. In mice, insufficient TFAP4 expression accelerated c-MYC-driven transformation of B cells. Mechanistically, c-MYC suppresses the stemness of developing B cells by inducing TFAP4 and restricting self-renewal of proliferating B cells. The pursuant transcription factor cascade thus functions as a tumor suppressor module that safeguards against the transformation of developing B cells.
What do we know about suppression of attention capture

Luck et al. [(2021). Progress toward resolving the attentional capture debate. Visual Cognition, 29(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/13506285.2020.1848949] proposed singleton suppression as a prom...
Evolution of Complexity. Molecular Aspects of Preassembly

An extension of neo-Darwinism, termed preassembly, states that genetic material required for many complex traits, such as echolocation, was present long before emergence of the traits. Assembly of genes and gene segments had occurred over protracted time-periods within large libraries of non-coding genes. Epigenetic factors ultimately promoted transfers from noncoding to coding genes, leading to abrupt formation of the trait via de novo genes. This preassembly model explains many observations that to this present day still puzzle biologists: formation of super-complexity in the absence of multiple fossil precursors, as with bat echolocation and flowering plants; major genetic and physical alterations occurring in just a few thousand years, as with housecat evolution; lack of precursors preceding lush periods of species expansion, as in the Cambrian explosion; and evolution of costly traits that exceed their need during evolutionary times, as with human intelligence. What follows in this paper is a mechanism that is not meant to supplant neo-Darwinism; instead, preassembly aims to supplement current ideas when complexity issues leave them struggling.
U.S. MBA and Management Training Programs in Central and Eastern Europe

The transfer of the American model of management education to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is the subject of this paper. It specifically looks at the impact of a U.S. government-funded program to promote linkages between U.S. business schools and institutions in the CEE region. In 1990, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was authorized by the Congress to develop a program to assist the countries of the CEE region in their transition from command to market economies. This would consist of training and education in economics and management in nine countries from the Baltic states in the north to Albania in the south. This program, known as the Management Training and Economics Education Project (MTEEP) would include twelve grants amounting to nearly $100 million to eleven U.S. universities that would partner with 14 local institutions of higher education. The paper does not purport to contribute to theoretical literature, but rather to chronicle a trend in technology transfer. The author maintains that over a 10-year period MTEEP has contributed to a significant transfer of educational technology in the form of management education, especially in the establishment of MBA and executive MBA programs as well as management training programs.
Clinical Studies with Tumour Necrosis Factor

The mechanism of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) cytotoxicity remains unknown. The in vivo antitumour effects of TNF may be related to direct cytotoxicity, immunomodulatory effects or endothelial effects on tumour vasculature. Phase I and early Phase II clinical trials of human recombinant TNF are under way in Japan, the USA, the UK and Germany. The maximum Phase II dose for TNF has not been established. The clinical toxicity of TNF is generally similar to that of other biological agents. Systemic toxicity, including fever, chills, anorexia and nausea, has been seen in most patients treated with TNF and has not been clearly related to dose. Other toxicities have included liver function abnormalities, hypotension, transient neurological changes and haematological abnormalities. Few clinical responses have been reported but organized Phase II testing remains to be completed. Combination trials with interferons have recently been initiated. Phase II efficacy studies of TNF as a single agent and in combination are needed for an assessment of the value of this agent in cancer therapy.
ProteinShop and POSE: bringing robotics and intelligent systems into the field of molecular modeling

ProteinShop and POSE are graphical infrastructures for the interactive modeling, manipulation, optimization and analysis of molecules. They were designed to bring interactive computer graphics in the field of molecular modeling to a level not attempted by other visualization programs. To achieve that goal, we adapted inverse kinematics algorithms commonly used in robotics to permit interactive manipulation of protein structures in a natural and intuitive way.
Intensivist-Led Management of Brain-Dead Donors Is Associated with an Increase in Organ Recovery for Transplantation

The disparity between the number of patients in need of organ transplantation and the number of available organs is steadily rising. We hypothesized that intensivist-led management of brain dead donors would increase the number of organs recovered for transplantation. We retrospectively analyzed data from all consented adult brain dead patients in the year before (n = 35) and after (n = 43) implementation of an intensivist-led donor management program. Donor characteristics before and after implementation were similar. After implementation of the organ donor support team, the overall number of organs recovered for transplantation increased significantly (66 out of 210 potentially available organs vs. 113 out of 258 potentially available organs, p = 0.008). This was largely due to an increase in the number of lungs (8 out of 70 potentially available lungs vs. 21 out of 86 potentially available lungs; p = 0.039) and kidneys (31 out of 70 potentially available kidneys vs. 52 out of 86 potentially available kidneys; p = 0.044) recovered for transplantation. The number of hearts and livers recovered for transplantation did not change significantly. Institution of an intensivist-led organ donor support team may be a new and viable strategy to increase the number of organs available for transplantations.
Implementing database solutions on the web with aspect-oriented programming

This paper uses Aspect-Oriented Programming to provide an elegant solution to the problem of concurrent database access on the web. Code tangling and code scattering, typical problems in development of such Java-based solutions, disappear during the implementation of concurrency (avoiding the lost update, the dirty read, and the inconsistent analysis) and serializability (using two-phase locking protocol).