cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Advantages of Teaching American Government

Many arguments support mandating American National Government for undergraduates. South Carolina is one of the few states with such a legal mandate, but the law is badly flawed. We briefly review the history of a failed 1994 effort by the SC Political Science Association to improve the law and encourage implementation. We examine the impact of an “American Political Institutions” general education requirement implemented at our school in 2001 on knowledge and political attitudes. Our data come from two studies. The first study looks at short-term impacts of the course and includes over 3,100 students as they enter and exit the course over 13 years. We find a variety of positive impacts for students completing the course. The second study, performed in 2011 on over 500 students, looks at medium-term impacts of having taken American Government and/or American History at some point in their college career. We find a variety of significant positive impacts from taking either course, and we find even greater i...
Etiology of Renal Cell Carcinoma: Incidence, Demographics, and Environmental Factors

The worldwide incidence of kidney cancer has been increasing for many years likely as a consequence of numerous factors, including the increased utilization of abdominal imaging with an increased incidental diagnosis of small renal tumors, the aging of the population, and the increased prevalence of environmental and lifestyle risk factors for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). A wide variability in geographic, gender, and ethnic differences has been observed relative to RCC around the world, with tobacco use, obesity, and hypertension emerging as the primary environmental factors that predispose to RCC.
A Taxonomy of Extractions

Much of the work that has been done on economic linkage measures that are derived from input-output data has been or can be cast in the framework of partitioned matrices. In this paper, we explore the ramifications of alternative hypothetical extractions within that framework. We examine all possible extractions and speculate on the plausibility of the economic stories that might underpin them, as well as whether or not they measure any interesting kind of linkage. We demonstrate that a number of alternative extractions produce identical results for certain measures of sectoral importance. In numerical illustrations, we find that an even larger number of the extractions produce identical rankings of sectors.
Perceived Social Support Trajectories and the All-Cause Mortality Risk of Older Mexican American Women and Men

Although numerous studies of non-Hispanic Whites and Blacks show that social integration and social support tend to favor longevity, it is unclear whether this general pattern extends to the Mexican American population. Building on previous research, we employed seven waves of data from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly to examine the association between perceived social support trajectories and the all-cause mortality risk of older Mexican Americans. Growth mixture estimates revealed three latent classes of support trajectories: high, moderate, and low. Cox regression estimates indicated that older Mexican American men in the low support trajectory tend to exhibit a higher mortality risk than their counterparts in the high support trajectory. Social support trajectories were unrelated to the mortality risk of older Mexican American women. A statistically significant interaction term confirmed that social support was more strongly associated with the mortality risk of men.
Interaction energies of CO2·amine complexes: effects of amine substituents.

To focus on the identification of potential alternative amine carbon capture compounds, CO2 with methyl, silyl, and trifluoromethyl monosubstituted and disubstituted amine compounds were studied. Interaction energies of these CO2·amine complexes were determined via two methods: (a) an ab initio composite method, the correlation consistent composite approach (ccCA), to determine interaction energies and (b) density functional theories, B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ and B97D/aug-cc-pVTZ. Substituent effects on the interaction energies were examined by interchanging electron donating and electron withdrawing substituents on the amine compounds. The calculations suggested two different binding modes, hydrogen bonding and acid–base interactions, which arise from the modification of the amine substituents, echoing previous work by our group on modeling protein·CO2 interactions. Recommendations have been noted for the development of improved amine scrubber complexes.
"Epithelial transformation" of human synovial connective tissue cells: cytologic and biochemical consequences.

SummaryPrimary cultures of fibroblast-like cells from rheumatoid synovial tissue changed in vitro to a cell population exhibiting epithelial morphology, heteroploidy, altered growth characteristics, and decreased capacity to synthesize hyaluronic acid. Quantitative changes in the protein and nucleic acid composition of the cells were also demonstrated.
Systematic and Biological Studies on North American Chiggers of the Genus Trombicula, Subgenus Eutrombicula (Acarina, Trombiculidae),

The purpose of this paper is to give as completely as possible a systematic and biological report on the species of the subgenus Eutrombicula found in Kansas and surrounding states together with a systematic review of the North American species. In making the systematic study, about 5,000 specimens were examined and compared with specimens from other areas. Attempts were made to correlate larvae, nymphs, and adults by rearing in the laboratory and collecting in the field. The ecology, life history and time of maximum abundance were studied. As a result of these investigations the author recognizes three species in Kansas. One of these is a new species, one is a new state record, and one is a common chigger mite found throughout much of the Western Hemisphere.
Suppression of flutter by parametric excitations

The Galerkin procedure is used to discretize the nonlinear partial differential equation and boundary conditions governing the flutter of a simply supported panel in a supersonic stream. These equations have repeated natural frequencies at the onset of flutter. The method of multiple scales is used to derive five first-order nonlinear ordinary differential equations governing the modulation of the amplitudes and phases of the excited modes. Then, the modulation equations are used to calculate the equilibrium solutions and their stability, and hence to identify the excitation parameters that suppress flutter and those that lead to complex motions. A combination of a shooting technique and Floquet theory is used to calculate limit cycles and their stability. The numerical results indicate the existence of a sequence of perioddoubling bifurcations that culminates in chaos. The complex motions are characterized by using phase planes, power spectra, Lyapunov exponents, and dimensions.
Clinical study on subcortical somatosensory evoked potential monitoring in scoliosis surgery

Objective: To study the use of subcortical somatosensory evoked potential monitoring in scoliosis surgery so as to prevent intraoperative neurological complications. Method: 41 cases with scoliosis underwent corrective operation monitored by somatosensory evoked potential(SEP) that included both subcortical somatosensory evoked potential(SubCSEP) and cortical somatosensory evoked potential(CSEP).The critical limits of SubCSEP intraoperative monitoring were set in advance. Result: Anesthetic agents could affect CSEP prominently but SubCSEP could hardly vary.5 cases overtook the critical limits and 3 of them were false positive.There were no false negative and the accuracy of SubCSEP was 927%. Conclusion: SubCSEP is an ideal method to monitor the spinal cord function in scoliosis surgery
Advances in research on risk assement technology for vectors and vector-borne diseases

Risk assessment technology is more and more wildly applied in the control of vectors and vector-borne diseases.This paper discusses the theory of risk management,and reviews the latest research advances in qualitative risk analysis and quantitative risk analysis,with emphasis on the application of risk assessment matrix,Delphi method,mathematical statistics,mathematical modeling,and geographic information system in this field,and compares the two risk analysis methods.
Abstract IA10: Combination checkpoint blockade

Given the activity noted with both CTLA-4 or PD-1 blockade, clinical trials are now investigating combination checkpoint blockade. The most mature data with a combination of ipilimumab + nivolumab in melanoma showed a response rate of 40% across dose cohorts with >50% in some cohorts in the context of manageable toxicity. Such responses are generally durable, even when treatment was stopped early for toxicity. Unlike in studies of PD-1 blockade monotherapy, there was no significant difference in clinical activity based on tumor expression of PD-L1. Phase 2 and 3 trials of this combination have similarly shown high rates of activity in melanoma with phase 1 programs in numerous other tumor types. Attention is being paid to the reasons underlying the efficacy of checkpoint blockade in certain malignancies. One hypothesis has been that cancers having a high mutational load may be more amenable to immune modulation by virtue of the larger number of potential neo-epitopes present, fostering baseline immune recognition that can then be potentiated by checkpoint blockade. We have found that melanoma patients having long term clinical activity with ipilimumab have a significantly greater median number of non-synonymous passenger mutations, compared with patients who do not respond or those who have only short-term regression. Strategies to enhance baseline immune reactivity are therefore necessary to investigate as means to improve the impact of checkpoint blockade on a broad spectrum of cancers. Citation Format: Jedd D. Wolchok. Combination checkpoint blockade. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; September 16-19, 2015; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(1 Suppl):Abstract nr IA10.
Subterm induction of labor in the management of erythroblastosis fetalis.

Summary An analysis has been made of 4,000 private patients with 6,003 pregnancies, with special reference to cases of Rh incompatibility, their incidenee and their treatment. We feel that we are justified in stating that the obstetrician can and should assist constructively in the reduction of the mortality rate in erythroblastosis of the newborn. Too many erythroblastotic infants die in utero during the last month of gestation; therefore, this month is crucial to the life of the infant. In selected cases as determined by specific criteria, subterm induction offers increased fetal salvage. Induction should not be treated lightly but must be done only after careful and extensive clinical evaluation of each case. No specific time has been determined arbitrarily for this induction. In the hands of a trained team of an obstetrician, pediatrician, and laboratory workers, this method can be employed successfully, usually without damage to the mother or the infant.
Empowering workers and clients for organizational change, by Cohen, M. B., & Hyde, C. A. : (2014). Chicago, IL: Lyceum Books, Inc. (232 pp., $34.95, ISBN 978-1-935871-34-7)

Immediately, the authors, Marcia B. Cohen and Cheryl A. Hyde (2014), in Empowering Workers and Clients for Organizational Change disclose the purpose of their text: “to prepare students to engage i...
Patient-Centered Medical Home Membership Is Associated with Decreased Hospital Admissions for Emergency Department Behavioral Health Patients

Abstract The objective was to examine the impact of a multipayer patient-centered medical home (PCMH) on health care utilization for behavioral health patients seen at a tertiary care emergency department (ED). A retrospective health records review was performed for PCMH and non-PCMH patients who presented and received a psychiatric consultation during a 2-year period in the ED of the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. Univariable and multivariable associations with the outcomes of admission and return visits within 72 hours were evaluated using logistic regression models and summarized with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). There were 5398 visits among 3815 patients during the study period. Among these, there were 2440 (45%) PCMH patient visits. There were 2983 (55%) total patient visits resulting in an admission. In a univariable model, PCMH patients (53%) were less likely to be admitted from the ED compared with non-PCMH patients (57%) (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.76–0.94; P = 0.00...
Self-intermediate scattering function analysis of supercooled water confined in hydrophilic silica nanopores.

We study the temperature dependence of the self-intermediate scattering function for supercooled water confined in hydrophilic silica nanopores. We simulate the simple point charge/extended model of water confined to pores of radii 20 A, 30 A, and 40 A over a temperature range of 210 K to 250 K. First, we examine the temperature dependence of the structure of the water and find that there is layering next to the pore surface for all temperatures and diameters. However, there exists a region in the center of the pore where the density is nearly constant. Using the density profile, we divide confined water into different regions and compare the dynamics of the water molecules that start in these regions. To this end, we examine the mean-squared displacement and the self-intermediate scattering functions for the water hydrogens, which would allow one to connect our results with quasi-elastic neutron scattering experiments. We examine the dependence of the self-intermediate scattering function on the magnitude and direction of the wavevector, as well as the proximity to the silica surface. We also examine the rotational-translational decoupling. We find that the anisotropy of the dynamics and the rotational-translational decoupling is weakly temperature dependent.
Effect of polycarbonate film surface morphology and oxygen plasma treatment on mode I and II fracture toughness of interleaved composite laminates

Abstract Polycarbonate (PC) offers excellent impact resistance, high elongation at break and high glass transition temperature making it a candidate for toughening composite laminates. Therefore, PC films were selected to interleave bi-directional glass fiber (GF)/epoxy composites to study mode I and mode II interlaminar fracture toughness. PC films with smooth and textured surface finishes and oxygen plasma treatment were used to examine their effect on composite toughening using double cantilever beam and end notched flexure tests for mode I and II interlaminar fracture toughness characterization, respectively. Oxygen plasma functionalization improved wetting and adhesive bonding of PC film with epoxy. Increase up to 71% in mode I and 42% in mode II interlaminar fracture toughness for interleaved composites was measured. The microscopic observations of fractured surfaces indicate that improved toughness in the case of PC interleaves is related to promoting cohesive-adhesive failure of the film, providing additional energy dissipating mechanisms during delamination propagation. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that PC films are able to preserve high operational temperature of composite.
Synthetic Cannabinoid Abuse and a Rare Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Mutant Causing Acute Fulminant Hepatitis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) abuse is on the rise because they are easily obtained over the counter; they are potent psychoactive compounds and routine drug testing does not detect them. As their abuse is on the rise, so are their detrimental side effects; however, the occurrence of acute hepatitis due to SCs abuse has been reported only once before. In this case, testing revealed that the patient was also heterozygous for alpha-1-antitrypsin (A-1-AT) with the phenotype of PI EM. This mutant phenotype has never been reported as a cause of A-1-AT disease and the abuse of SCs in a patient with this phenotype has also never been reported. This case illustrates the possible need to expand routine drug testing for SCs and consider A-1-AT phenotyping in certain clinical scenarios.
Effects of unexpected visual motion on postural sway and motion sickness.

Abstract Motion sickness is thought to occur when the brain's assumptions about incoming sensory information do not match the actual signals received. These signals must involve the vestibular system for motion sickness to occur. In this paper, we describe an experiment in which subjects experienced unexpected visual motions, or perturbations, as they navigated a virtual environment (VE) while standing and wearing a head mounted display (HMD) or while viewing a monitor. We found that postural instability, as measured by a balance board, increased with time only when perturbations were present. HMD users exhibited greater sway when exposed to visual perturbations than did monitor users. Yet motion sickness increased only when an HMD was used and occurred with or without participants undergoing perturbations. These results suggest that the postural instability which is generated by unexpected visual perturbation does not necessarily increase the likelihood of motion sickness in a virtual environment.
Estimating stand-level economic impacts of black bear damage to intensively managed forests

Black bears (Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780) peel conifers in early spring to forage on energy-rich vascular tissues, resulting in damage to timber stands. The objective of our study was to develop ...
X-ray Scattering

Structure characterization in Fourier space uses X-ray, neutron, or light scattering to analyze structural correlations on a molecular or supramolecular length scale. Unlike microscopy, the probed sample volume for scattering techniques is macroscopically large, and the generated structural information is not a direct image of the structure. Using adequate data analysis, Fourier space characterization can provide quantitative information both on structural units (e.g., unit cells, discrete particles) and on their mutual arrangement (ordered, disordered, preferentially oriented). Experimental scattering techniques do not destroy the sample and can be carried out in situ .
Highly Scalable Multiphysics Computational Framework for Propulsive Energetic Systems

A computational framework to perform multiphase ow simulation is described and one of its application is focused on modelling of solid-propellant rocket motors. This framework allows to compute the chamber dynamics of the gas mixture, investigate the evolution of Al Lagrangian burning droplets and understand the generation of alumina smoke. Unstructured grids are used to enable meshing of geometrically complex configurations. An efficient parallel droplet-localization algorithm has been developed for unstructured mixed meshes.
Sodium-glucose co-transport inhibitors: progress and therapeutic potential in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The kidney plays a major role in glucose homeostasis because of its role in gluconeogenesis and the glomerular filtration and reabsorption of glucose in the proximal convoluted tubules. Approximately 180 g of glucose is filtered daily in the glomeruli of a normal healthy adult. Typically, all of this glucose is reabsorbed with <1% being excreted in the urine. The transport of glucose from the tubule into the tubular epithelial cells is accomplished by sodium-glucose co-transporters (SGLTs). SGLTs encompass a family of membrane proteins that are responsible for the transport of glucose, amino acids, vitamins, ions and osmolytes across the brush-border membrane of proximal renal tubules as well as the intestinal epithelium. SGLT2 is a high-capacity, low-affinity transporter expressed chiefly in the kidney. It accounts for approximately 90% of glucose reabsorption in the kidney and has thus become the focus of a great deal of interest in the field of diabetes mellitus.
Creating 3D city models with building footprints and LIDAR point cloud classification: A machine learning approach

Abstract The increasing availability of open geospatial data, such as building footprint vector data and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) point clouds, has provided opportunities to generate large-scale 3D city models at low cost. However, using unclassified point clouds with building footprints to estimate building heights may yield erroneous results due to potential errors and anomalies in both datasets and their integration. Some of the points within footprints often reflect irrelevant objects other than roofs, leading to biases in height estimation, and few studies have developed systematic methods to filter them out. In this paper, a LiDAR point classification methodology is proposed that extracts only rooftop points for building height estimation. The LiDAR points are characterized by point, footprint, and neighborhood-based features and classified by the Random Forest (RF) algorithm into four classes – rooftop, wall, ground, and high outlier. The percentage of correctly classified points among 15,577 sample points in Columbus, Ohio, amounts to 96.5%. Conducting this classification separately for different building types (commercial, residential, skyscraper, and small constructions) does not significantly change the overall accuracy. The footprint-based features contribute most to predicting the classes correctly. Height validation results based on a sample of 498 buildings show that (1) using average or median heights with classified points provides the best estimates, minimizing the disparities between computed heights and ground truth and (2) the RF method yields outcomes much closer to ground truth than earlier classification approaches. Some outcomes are visualized in 3D format using Google Earth 3D Imagery and ArcScene.
Distributed Training with Mobile Agents: Optimization Over Dynamic Directed Graphs

Motivated by various applications from large-scale data science to mobile wireless sensor networks, we present a computationally efficient fast distributed optimization algorithm, TV-$\mathcal{A}\mathcal{B}$, over time-varying directed graphs where the global objective function is formed by the sum of local convex functions at every agent. To overcome the information asymmetry inherent to directed communication topologies, the proposed algorithm, rather than using the push-sum consensus [1], [2], relies on a novel information mixing approach that exploits both row- and column-stochastic weights for directed graphs. We establish the linear convergence of TV-$\mathcal{A}\mathcal{B}$ provided the smoothness and strong-convexity of the global objective and bounded strong-connectivity of the underlying (time-varying) graph. The convergence results are based on the stability analysis of a linear system of inequalities and a matrix perturbation argument.
Smartphone technology and its applications in urology: a review of the literature

Smartphone technology has propelled the evolution of health-related mobile technology, referred to as mobile health (mHealth). With the rise of smartphone ownership and the growing popularity of health-related smartphone usage, mHealth offers potential benefits for both patients and health care providers. The objective of this review is to assess the current state of smartphone technology in urology. A literature search of PubMed database was conducted to identify articles reporting on smartphone technology in urology. Publications were included if they focused on smartphone mHealth technology pertinent to the field of urology or included an evaluation of urological applications in digital stores. We identified 50 publications focused on the use of smartphones in urology. Studies were then grouped into the following categories: smartphones employing the built-in camera and light source, applications specific to prostate cancer, urolithiasis, pediatric urology, and as educational tools for urologists. In 23/50 (46%) studies, smartphone technology/intervention was compared to a control group or to standard of care. In this regard, smartphone technology did not demonstrate benefit over standard of care in 13 studies. In contrast, in 10 studies, smartphone interventions were proven beneficial over current practice. Smartphone technology is constantly evolving and has the potential to improve urological care and education. Of concern to consumer and urologist alike is that these downloadable programs are limited due to the accuracy of their content, risk of confidentiality breach, and the lack of central regulation and professional involvement in their development.
Modeling study of scattering and absorption properties of tar-ball aggregates

Atmospheric tar balls (TBs) form an important class of atmospheric brown carbon (BrC) particulates. The morphology of the individual TBs is typically described as amorphous and nearly spherical. However, several studies reported observations of TBs aggregated with other aerosols or agglomerations consisting of up to tens of individual TBs. We use the superposition $T$T-matrix method to compute the scattering matrix elements and optical cross sections for a variety of TB aggregates, each of which is composed of a number of monomers whose sizes follow a lognormal distribution. The results for a TB aggregate can differ fundamentally from those calculated for two simplified models commonly used in climate modeling; viz., the external mixture of TBs and the respective volume-equivalent sphere model. Clustering of individual TBs into an aggregate can either enhance or weaken absorption depending on the wavelength, the monomer size, and how absorptive the BrC material is. In the case of strongly absorptive BrC, aggregation results in enhanced absorption only at 1064 nm, while at 355 and 532 nm TB aggregates become less effective absorbers relative to the corresponding external mixtures. The effect of aggregation is always to increase the single-scattering albedo and asymmetry parameter, sometimes more than tenfold. The significant scattering-matrix differences between a TB aggregate, the "equivalent" external mixture, and the volume-equivalent sphere model demonstrate the failure of the conventional Lorenz-Mie theory to represent the scattering properties of morphologically complex BrC aerosols. We show that TB aggregates can help explain exceptionally strong and spectrally dependent lidar depolarization ratios reported in several recent studies.
The role of wind driving in OB star bow nebulae

Bow-shaped mid-infrared emission regions have been discovered in satellite observations of numerous late-type O and early-type B stars with moderate velocities relative to the ambient interstellar medium. Previously, hydrodynamical bow shock models have been used to study this emission. It appears that such models are incomplete in that they neglect kinetic effects associated with long mean free paths of stellar wind particles, and the complexity of Weibel instability fronts. Wind ions are scattered in the Weibel instability and mix with the interstellar gas. However, they do not lose their momentum and most ultimately diffuse further into the ambient gas like cosmic rays, and share their energy and momentum. Lacking other coolants, the heated gas transfers energy to interstellar dust grains, which radiate it. This process, in addition to grain photo-heating, provides the energy for the emission. A weak R-type ionization front, formed well outside the infrared emission region, generally moderates the interstellar gas flow into the emission region. The theory suggests that the infrared emission process is limited to cases of moderate stellar peculiar velocities, evidently in accord with the observations.
Creation of a Continent Urinary Bladder Reservoir Vascularized by Omentum as a Possible Surgical Option for Canine Trigonal/Urethral Urothelial Carcinoma

Surgical procedures that maintain continence with minimal complication following resection of trigono-urethral urothelial carcinoma (UC) are limited in canines; therefore, palliative options are of...
Cardiac index is associated with oxygenation in COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome

Eleven participants with COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring mechanical ventilation underwent pulmonary artery catheterization for clinical indications. Clinical interventions or events concurrent with hemodynamic were recorded. Increased cardiac index was associated with worse hypoxemia. Modulation of cardiac index may improve hypoxemia in patients with COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Pre-implant left ventricular dimension is not associated with worse outcomes after left ventricular assist device implantation

Background Left ventricular dimension has the potential to impact clinical outcomes following implantation of left ventricular assist devices (LVAD). We investigated the effect of pre-implant left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) on outcomes following LVAD implantation. Methods Patients implanted with a continuous-flow LVAD between 2004 and 2018 at a single institution were included. The primary outcome was death while on LVAD support. Secondary outcomes included adverse event rates such as renal failure requiring dialysis, device thrombosis, and right ventricular failure. The LVEDD measurements were dichotomized using restricted cubic splines and threshold regression. Survival was determined using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine risk-adjusted mortality based on LVEDD. Results A total of 344 patients underwent implantation of a continuous flow LVAD during the study period. The optimal cut point for LVEDD was 65 mm, with 126 (36.6%) subjects in the 65 mm group. The LVEDD 0.05). Risk-adjusted survival at 1-year (OR 1.3, 95% CI: 0.6-2.5, P=0.53) was also comparable between the groups. Furthermore, incremental increases in LVEDD when modeled as a continuous variable did not impact overall mortality (OR 0.98, 95% CI: 0.9-1.0, P=0.09). Conclusions Preoperative LVEDD was not associated with rates of major morbidities or mortality following LVAD implantation.
USPSTF found insufficient evidence on benefits and harms of screening for vitamin D deficiency in asymptomatic adults.

SOURCE CITATION Krist AH, Davidson KW, Mangione CM, et al. Screening for vitamin D deficiency in adults: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2021;325:1436-42. 33847711.
CARING FOR OUR PEOPLE: INDIGENOUS RESPONSES TO COVID-19 ERA INFORMATIC COLONIALISM

Based on qualitative and quantitative analyses, activist work and HCI approaches, these papers show how organizations formed partnerships to curate information resources, and deploy community Wi-Fi and Internet infrastructure across southwest US Indigenous communities during the most challenging months of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. For Native Americans this means ideating while navigating colonial inequality. Through an investigation of sociotechnical interdependencies across a broadband network cooperative, tribes, and university labs, an HCI team reflects on how relational stability sustains fragile Internet ecologies stretched to capacity by the needs of users deeply affected by COVID-19 in New Mexico and Arizona. Through an autoethnography of community-centered digital solutions for Navajo Nation, a member of the Nation considers how the role of K’e informs a system of infrastructural care in a nation struggling with high rates of infection and systemic lack of adequate infrastructure. Through an advocacy-oriented analysis of social media content, a Dine and Lakota social media scholar discerns the relationship between community enforcement of social distancing, the loss of interpersonal interaction, mutual aid, and the impact of public health memes for the Navajo Nation. Through radical librarianship practices, a Tohono O’odham librarian and artist counteracts the values of ‘information neutrality’ shaping whiteness-centering American librarianship by generating a community-curated solution to actionable information about COVID-19 for Indigenous communities. This panel models decolonial liberation rooted in responsiveness across mediated layers of Indigenous belonging. The authors express Indigenous interpretations of collective autonomy vis-a-vis strategic Internet assemblages, and particularly, how an Indigenous ethics of care intersects with the dream of an Internet for social good.
Parental Barriers in Seeking Mental Health Services for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children: Systematic Review:

Objective:Many children at risk for negative outcomes related to untreated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not receive necessary mental healthcare. Parents’ mental health-seeking...
Vacations in GI^X/M^Y/1 systems and Riemann boundary value problems

We consider systems of GI/M/1 type with bulk arrivals, bulk service and exponential server vacations. The generating functions of the steady-state probabilities of the embedded Markov chain are found in terms of Riemann boundary value problems, a necessary and sufficient condition of ergodicity is proved. Explicit formulas are obtained for the case where the generating function of the arrival group size is rational. Resonance between the vacation rate and the system is studied. Complete formulas are given for the cases of single and geometric arrivals.
Tetrahydrobiopterin lowers muscle sympathetic nerve activity in patients with chronic kidney disease (852.8)

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by chronic overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) that contributes to increased blood pressure and cardiovascular risk. One contributing factor to SNS overactivation in this population is decreased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is a necessary cofactor for endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) that has been shown to increase NO bioavailability in experimental models of CKD. We conducted a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial testing the potential benefits of oral BH4 treatment on SNS activity in CKD patients. 36 patients with CKD and hypertension were randomized to 12 weeks of: 1) 200mg BH4 twice daily + 1mg folic acid once daily; versus 2) matching placebo twice daily + 1mg folic acid once daily. The primary endpoint was change in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) assessed via microneurography. Secondary endpoints included ambulatory and clinic blood pressures, endothelial function via bra...
Learning techniques for software verification and validation: special track at ISoLA 2010

Learning techniques are used increasingly to improve software verification and validation activities. For example, automata learning techniques have been used for extracting behavioral models of software systems. Such models can serve as formal documentation of the software and they can be further verified using automated tools or used for model-based test case generation. Automata learning techniques have also been used for automating compositional verification and for building abstractions of software behavior in the context of symbolic or parameterized model checking. Furthermore, various machine-learning techniques have been used in fine-tuning heuristics used in constraint solving, in coming up with new abstraction techniques in the context of bounded model checking or shape analysis, in inferring invariants of parameterized systems, or in classifying data in black box testing.
On-Line, Reflexive Constraint Satisfaction for Hybrid Systems: First Steps

We can achieve guaranteed constraint satisfaction of a hybrid dynamical system (which takes into account the underlying continuous dynamics) in a simple, hierarchical control algorithm. Two layers of functionality, (1) piece-wise viable servo controllers and (2) a “reflex controller,” are required for guaranteed constraint satisfaction. The resulting control structure allows higher-levels of “intelligence” or functionality to be added which don't have to worry about guaranteeing constraints. The structure acts as an on-line filter which approves any actions that will maintain constraints but denies any requests that would result in behavior outside that specified.
Psychosocial benefits of a novel mindfulness intervention versus standard support in distressed women with breast cancer

Objective It is well documented that stress is associated with negative health outcomes in cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a novel mindfulness intervention called mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) versus standard educational support, on indices of stress and quality of life in breast cancer patients with high stress levels. Methods A total of 191 women were enrolled, stratified by age and stress level, and randomized to receive either an 8-week MBAT intervention or a breast cancer educational support program of equal time and duration. Psychosocial stress was measured using the Symptoms Checklist-90-Revised, and quality of life was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 6 months. Results Results showed overall significant improvements in psychosocial stress and quality of life in both the MBAT and educational support groups immediately post-intervention; however, participants with high stress levels at baseline had significantly improved overall outcomes only in the MBAT group, both immediately post-intervention and at 6 months. In addition, at 6 months follow-up, participants attending five or more sessions trended toward retaining treatment effects better in the MBAT than in the control group. Finally, black women and white women were similar in terms of how they benefited from the MBAT intervention, even though white participants tended to have higher educational level and marital status. Conclusions In conclusion, MBAT is associated with significant, sustained benefits across a diverse range of breast cancer patients, particularly those with high stress levels. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Proof-Theoretic Reduction As A Philosopher's Tool

1. PROOF-THEORETIC REDUCTION AND HILBERT ’ S PROGRAM Hilbert’s program in the philosophy of mathematics comes in two parts. One part is a technical part. To carry out this part of the program one has to prove a certain technical result. The other part of the program is a philosophical part. It is concerned with philosophical questions that are the real aim of the program. To carry out this part one, basically, has to show why the technical part answers the philosophical questions one wanted to have answered. Hilbert probably thought that he had completed the philosophical part of his program, maybe up to a few details. What was left to do was the technical part. To carry it out one, roughly, had to give a precise axiomatization of mathematics and show that it is consistent on purely finitistic grounds. This would come down to giving a relative consistency proof of mathematics in finitist mathematics, or to give a proof-theoretic reduction of mathematics on to finitist mathematics (we will look at these notions in more detail soon). It is widely believed that Godel’s theorems showed that the technical part of Hilbert’s program could not be carried out. Godel’s theorems show that the consistency of arithmetic can not even be proven in arithmetic, not to speak of by finitistic means alone. So, the technical part of Hilbert’s program is hopeless, and since Hilbert’s program essentially relied on both the technical and the philosophical part, Hilbert’s program as a whole is hopeless. Justified as this attitude is, it is a bit unfortunate. It is unfortunate because it takes away too much attention from the philosophical part of Hilbert’s program. And this is unfortunate for two reasons. First, because it is not at all clear what the philosophical part of Hilbert’s program comes down to. What of philosophical importance about mathematics would Hilbert have shown if the technical part of his program would have worked? Secondly, because even though the technical part of Hilbert’s original program is hopeless, there are modified versions of Hilbert’s program that do not have the technical difficulties that Hilbert’s original program has. In fact, for so-called relativized versions of Hilbert’s program the technical parts are known to work. 1 However, the people working on the technical results related to relativized versions of Hilbert’s program have
Structure, phase transitions and ionic conductivity of K3NdSi6O15·xH2O. II. Structure of β-K3NdSi6O15

Hydrothermally grown crystals of β-K3NdSi6O15, potassium neodymium silicate, have been studied by single-crystal X-ray methods. Under appropriate conditions, the compound crystallizes in space group Bb21m and has lattice constants a = 14.370 (2), b = 15.518 (2) and c = 14.265 (2) A. There are 30 atom sites in the asymmetric unit of the basic structure. With eight formula units per unit cell, the calculated density is 2.798 Mg m−3. Refinement was carried out to a residual, wR(F2), of 0.1177 [R(F) = 0.0416] using anisotropic temperature factors for all atoms. The structure is based on (Si2O52−)∞ layers, connected by Nd polyhedra to form a three-dimensional framework. Potassium ion sites, some of which are only partially occupied, are located within channels that run between the silicate layers. The silica–neodymia framework of β-K3NdSi6O15, in particular the linkages formed between the silicate layers and Nd polyhedra, bears some similarities to that of the essentially isocompositional phase α-K3NdSi6O15·2H2O. In both, the silicate layers are corrugated so as to accommodate a simple cubic array of NdO6 octahedra with lattice constant ∼ 7.5 A. Furthermore, the Si2O5 layers in β-K3NdSi6O15 are topologically identical to those of the mineral sazhinite, Na2HCeSi6O15. Although β-K3NdSi6O15 and sazhinite are not isostructural, the structures of each can be described as slight distortions of a high-symmetry parent structure with space group Pbmm.
Use of static or articulating spacers for infection following total knee arthroplasty: a systematic literature review.

Background: The so-called gold standard for treatment of periprosthetic joint infection following total knee arthroplasty is two-stage reimplantation. However, it is unclear whether use of static or articulating antibiotic-impregnated spacers during the interim period between these two stages is superior. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of static and articulating spacers in the treatment of infection following total knee arthroplasty. Methods: A systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature indexed by MEDLINE and Embase was performed to identify studies reporting the outcomes of antibiotic spacers in the treatment of infection following total knee arthroplasty. Seven Level-III comparative studies and thirty-two Level-IV case series remained following the screening process. The data in these studies were extracted and aggregated to compare the reinfection rate, range of knee motion, functional scores, and complication rates between static and articulating spacers. Results: The two types of spacers demonstrated similar reinfection rates (7% for articulating and 12% for static, p = 0.2). However, the articulating spacers resulted in significantly greater range of knee motion after reimplantation (101° for articulating and 91° for static, p = 0.0002). Despite this difference in ultimate knee motion, functional scores in the treatment groups were similar. Rates of wound-related and spacer-related complications were similarly low with both types of spacers. Conclusions: Our review failed to identify a significant difference in the ability of static or articulating spacers to eradicate periprosthetic infection following total knee arthroplasty. Compared with static spacers, articulating spacers provided improved knee motion following reimplantation, although functional scores were similar in the two treatment groups. We encourage arthroplasty surgeons to consider both static and articulating spacers in the treatment of infection following total knee arthroplasty and to tailor treatment on the basis of patient-related factors. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Small race Entamoeba histolytica.

Summary 1.A brief history of the small race Entamoeba histolytica has been given. 2.The diagnostic problem presented by the small race E. histolytica, both parasitologic and clinical, has been discussed. 3.A summary of findings in patients with amebiasis has been presented from two laboratories in the Chicago area. In one laboratory, 57 per cent of the cases had small race E. histolytica; and in the other laboratory, representing a highly selected group of patients with chronic gastrointestinal disease, 81.5 per cent had the small race. 4.The possible implications of differences in observable cultural, clinical, and general characteristics between the small and the large race of E. histolytica have been pointed out, suggesting the possibility of reclassification. 5.It has been suggested that the conditions existing in humans infected with small and with large race E. histolytica present different clinical pictures, but this needs further study and differentiation. 6.The problem of determining what role the small race of E. histolytica plays in those patients with chronic gastrointestinal disease in whom this organism is present has been discussed. Certain points for investigation have been suggested.
Erythropoietin in thyroid cancer.

Erythropoietin (Epo) and the eporeceptor (EpoR) have been implicated in tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. We previously demonstrated Epo and EpoR expression in a small group of archived papillary thyroid cancers (PTC), but were unable to examine functional integrity using formalin-fixed tissues. In the present study, we examined the in vitro expression, induction and function of Epo and EpoR in papillary (NPA), follicular (WRO) and anaplastic (ARO-81) thyroid cancer cells. We found that all three cell lines expressed Epo and EpoR mRNA and that the hypoxia-mimetic cobalt induced Epo expression in all cell lines. None of the growth factors we examined (thyrotropin, vascular endothelial growth factor, IGF-I, or human Epo) altered Epo or EpoR gene expression. Importantly, however, administration of Epo to NPA but not WRO cells resulted in significant alterations in the expression of several mitogenic genes including cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), β-casein (CSN2), wild type p53-induced gene-1 (WIG1) and cathepsin D (CTSD). Epo treated ARO-81 cells only had an increase in CSN2 expression. We conclude that Epo and EpoR are expressed by thyroid cancers and that stimulation of the Epo/EpoR signal pathway results in changes that could impact on the clinical behavior of thyroid cancers.
Metabolism of a new thiazolidinedione hypoglycemic agent CP-68,722 in rat: metabolite identification by gas chromatography mass spectrometry.

1. After i.v. administration to rat of CP-68, 722, a new thiazolidinedione antidiabetic drug, four metabolites were excreted in bile, as glucuronide conjugates.2. Incubation of the drug with a rat liver microsomal preparation yielded the four in vivo metabolite aglycones and several additional in vitro metabolites.3. Seven in vivo-generated metabolites were isolated by h.p.l.c. Each metabolite was converted to stable isotope labelled or non-labelled derivatives. Capillary g.l.c.-mass spectrometric analysis of the derivatives indicated that five metabolites result from hydroxylation and one from oxidation to the chromanone. The sites of metabolism were deduced from the electron ionization spectra.4. Authentic standards for five metabolites were synthesized. Agreements of mass spectra and chromatographic retention times confirmed the five proposed structures. Two metabolites, detected only in vivo, await structure confirmation.