cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microplaque Reduction: New Assay for Neutralizing Antibody to Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus

A plaque-reduction neutralization test for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus was developed; microtiter dilution techniques and assay plates were used for the new test. Plaques develop by day 4 after inoculation of serum and lymphocytic chorio-meningitis virus into 5-mm cups containing agarose suspension of baby hamster kidney cells. The method lends itself well to the titration of neutralizing antibody and gives rapid results with great economy of reagents. When tested with one batch of 55 lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-positive sera, the plaque reduction test was more senstive for detection of specific antibody than either the immunofluorescence or the complement fixation method.
The Study of the Optimum Model for Double Helix Single Screw Pump Short-amplitude Linetypes

According to overall principle of double helix single screw pump for linear optimization,we ensure the optimization goal and restrain terms to set up a noptimization mathematics model.Based on Visual C++ programming language,we adopt complex method to optimize the set up mathematics model to obtain a coefficient k=0.5.When isometry radius becomes infinite great the line shape is the best.Combining practical application,we calculate the geometry parameter within the optimized range of double helix single pump,which offer a reference for further study in this field.
Application of Time Series Method to Prediction of Bacillary Dysentery Incidence Rate

Objective:To predict Bacillary Dysentery incidence rate through application of time series method.Methods:To establish a model of seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average ARIMA(p,d,q)(P,D,Q)s based on monthly incidence rate from 2001 to 2007 of Bacillary Dysentery,and to predict the monthly incidence rate of Bacillary Dysentery in 2008.SPSS11.5 softwares was used to perform the above statistical analyses.Results:The model of ARIMA(1,0,0)×(1,1,0)12 was established.The results showed that trend of incidences rate in 2008 estimated by the model was consistent with the actual values.The 95% confidence interval contained all of the actual values,the average of absolute error was 13.02% in 2008,and that was only 4.91% from January to June.Conclusions:The model of ARIMA can be used to forecast incidence rate of Bacillary Dysentery and it might have a high prediction precision for short-term time series.It could be provide scientific evidence for Bacillary Dysentery control and prevention.
An Online Data Debugging Model Based on Naming Variables

With the development of the embedded system framework and application software, the existing processor-oriented debugging methods do not satisfy the requirement for system debugging. This paper introduces a debugging model for viewing and updating the variables’ values in all the boards of a device via variable names, and describes the debugging framework. The key technologies of an algorithm for the address calculating of the "struct" type variables and the dynamic registration method of debugging are implemented in this model. This model with a visual tools application for variable debugging is shown in this paper. This model can be used in a embedded system composed of many CPU boards. The debugging method does not affect a system operation when viewing the plug-in dynamic object member variables and memory region information, and the embedded devices only need to provide a debug interface for debugging, which saves some hardware resources.
Hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid in liver of chronic carriers. Correlation with serum markers and changes associated with loss of hepatitis B e antigen after antiviral therapy.

Abstract Patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving antiviral or immunomodulatory therapy were prospectively studied to determine the relationship between the state of hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid in liver and the levels of serum markers of hepatitis B virus infection. Hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid was quantitated and the molecular forms determined using molecular hybridization in two separate liver specimens taken at least 1 yr apart. All 30 patients initially had hepatitis B surface antigen and e antigen in serum and all had hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid, including replicative intermediate forms, present in liver. The amount of viral deoxyribonucleic acid in liver correlated significantly with the e antigen titer in serum. At the time of the second liver biopsy, e antigen was no longer detectable in the serum of 12 patients although all except 1 patient still had detectable hepatitis B surface antigen. In this group, the amount of hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid in liver had decreased significantly and replicative viral intermediates had disappeared. In contrast, among patients who remained e antigen-positive, the amount of viral deoxyribonucleic acid did not change appreciably and replicative intermediate forms were still detectale.These findings imply that in chromic hepatitis B, loss of eantigen is usually associated with resolution of hepatitis B virus replication.
Wherewithal of Life: Ethics, Migration, and the Question of Well-Being

Preamble Emmanuel Roberto Ibrahim Postscript Appendix: Existential Mobility Acknowledgments Notes Index
Neurologic and neuroimaging manifestations of Cantú syndrome A case series

Objective: To describe the neurologic and neuroimaging manifestations associated with Cantu syndrome. Methods: We evaluated 10 patients with genetically confirmed Cantu syndrome. All adult patients, and pediatric patients who were able to cooperate and complete the studies, underwent neuroimaging, including vascular imaging. A salient neurologic history and examination was obtained for all patients. Results: We observed diffusely dilated and tortuous cerebral blood vessels in all patients who underwent vascular imaging. White matter changes were observed in all patients who completed an MRI brain study. Two patients had a persistent trigeminal artery. One patient had an occluded right middle cerebral artery. One patient had transient white matter changes suggestive of posterior reversible encephalopathic syndrome. Four patients had migraines with one patient having complicated migraines. Seizures were seen in early life but infrequent. The majority of patients had mild developmental delays and one patient had a diagnosis of autism. Conclusions: Cantu syndrome is associated with various neurologic manifestations, particularly cerebrovascular findings including dilated and tortuous cerebral vessels, white matter changes, and persistent fetal circulation. Involvement of the KATP SUR2/Kir6.1 subtype potentially plays an important role in the neurologic manifestations of Cantu syndrome.
IDEAL FERMI SYSTEMS

This chapter gives a thermodynamic overview of an ideal Fermi gas. The fugacity of the gas in the Fermi case can take on unrestricted values ranging from zero to infinity. Moreover, in view of the Pauli exclusion principle, the question of a large number of particles occupying a single energy state does not even arise in this case, because of which there is no phenomenon like Bose–Einstein condensation in an ideal Fermi gas. Nevertheless, at sufficiently low temperatures, Fermi gas displays its own brand of quantal behavior. In quantum statistics, an effect that is totally absent in classical statistics is diamagnetic in character and arises from the quantization of the orbits of charged particles in the presence of an external magnetic field or from the quantization of the energy of charged particles associated with their motion perpendicular to the direction of the field. The equilibrium state of a gas of non-interacting fermions in the presence of an external magnetic field is calculated by determining the net magnetic moment acquired by the gas and then calculating its susceptibility. In general, the magnetic behavior of a Fermi gas is determined jointly by the intrinsic magnetic moment of the particles and the quantization of their orbits. If the spin-orbit interaction is negligible, the resultant behavior is obtained by a simple addition of the two effects. The chapter also gives a brief account of the phenomena of thermionic and photoelectric emission of electrons from metals and examines the influence of a moderately strong electric field on the thermionic emission from a metal.
Introduction and Guide to This Text

Although it is generally the case that thermodynamic concepts can be derived from detailed statistical mechanical considerations (and not vice versa) and therefore statistical mechanics is more general than thermodynamics, one can still learn a lot from thermodynamics. As one example, standard manipulations of partial derivatives [1.1] yields a relation between the specific heat in constant magnetic field, cB(T), and that at constant magnetization, cm(T), for any material: $${c_B}\left( T \right) - {c_m}\left( T \right) = T\left( {\partial m/\partial T} \right)_B^2/{\left( {\partial m/\partial B} \right)_T}$$ (1.1) .
Engaged Scholarship: (Re) Focusing on Our Mission

Although the mission statements of most comprehensive teaching institutions of higher education include serving as a resource for the global and local community, the tenure and promotion process typically does not recognize these community partnerships as research endeavors, even when the nature of the work is firmly grounded in sound empirical practice. This paper shares the process a faculty task force undertook to gain consensus and incorporate language on engaged scholarship within the College’s personnel document. The process took four years and included five steps: (a) establish a definition of engaged scholarship grounded in scholarly literature, (b) gather practice-oriented information regarding best practices as well as faculty perceptions of engaged scholarship practice, (c) create policy language for department personnel documents, (d) generate consensus among faculty for the policy language, and (g) submit final documents to the University Personnel committee for approval. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for policy and practice.
A two-phase automatic static correction method

Statics are an effective approach to correct for complex velocity variations in the near surface, but so far, to a large extent, a general and robust automatic static correction method is still lacking. In this paper, we propose a novel two-phase automatic static correction method, which is capable of handling both primary wave statics (PP statics) and converted-wave statics (S-wave statics). Our method is purely data driven, and it aims at maximizing stacking power in the target zone of the stack image. Low-frequency components of the data are analysed first using an advanced genetic algorithm to estimate seed statics and the time structure for an event of interest, and then the original full-band data are further aligned via the back-and-forth coordinate descent method using the seed statics as initial values and the time structure for event alignment guidance. We apply our new method to two field datasets, i.e., one for 2D PP static correction and the other for 3D S-wave static correction.
Combining Proteomics and Gene Expression Profiling Identifies Proteins/Genes Associated with Short Overall Survival in Multiple Myeloma

Abstract 197 We and others have used gene expression profiling to classify multiple myeloma into high and low risk groups; here, we report the first combined GEP and proteomics study of a large number of baseline samples (n=85) of highly enriched tumor cells from patients with newly diagnosed myeloma. Peptide expression levels from MS data on CD138-selected plasma cells from a discovery set of 85 patients with newly diagnosed myeloma were used to identify proteins that were linked to short survival (OS CACYBP , FABP5 , and IQGAP2 retained significance after competing with the remaining probe sets in the analysis. CACYBP had the highest hazard ratio (HR 2.70, P-value 0.01). We then performed the univariate and multivariate analyses on the TT2 test set where CACYBP , CORO1A , ENO1 , and STMN1 were selected by the multivariate analysis, and CACYBP had the highest hazard ratio (HR 1.93, P-value 0.004). CACYBP was the only gene selected by multivariate analyses of both test sets. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Full-field infrared phase sensitive thermography for microstructural investigation of giant magnetostrictive materials

Giant magnetostrictive materials are increasingly proposed for smart material applications such as in sensors, actuators, and energy harvesting applications. However, reviewing the literature on this topic, the reader observes a large amount of variability in the reported properties that are typically generated from overall strain or point-value strain measurements obtained with strain gages using the far field estimate to project the internal magnetic field in the specimen. A full-field phase-sensitive thermography method is proposed to correlate the full-field infrared measurements to changes in the microstructure induced by a cyclic magnetic field in a giant magnetostrictive alloy material. The results show the potential of the proposed method in rapidly uncovering the effects of geometry and defects on the magnetostrictive response. The results show responses at the microstructure level from both magnetocaloric and magnetostrictive effects. The effects of the magnetostrictive material’s microstructural spatial variability and the specimen geometry on the localized magnetostrictive response warrant serious considerations but so far have not received significant attention. The method proposed is capable of highlighting magneto-elastic coupling in the composite specimens using the cycle magnetic field.
Efficacy of iron supplementation may be misinterpreted using conventional measures of iron status in iron-depleted, nonanemic women undergoing aerobic exercise training

Background: Despite its known detrimental effects, iron deficiency remains the most common micronutrient deficiency in the world. Many interventions that aim to improve iron status involve physically active populations. Intense aerobic exercise training negatively affects iron status; however, the impact of regular moderate aerobic exercise on the effectiveness of iron supplementation remains unclear.Objective: This study aimed to determine whether aerobic training modifies the assessment of the effectiveness of iron supplementation in improving conventional iron status measures.Design: Seventy-two iron-depleted, nonanemic Chinese women [serum ferritin (sFer) 110 g/L] were included in an 8-wk, partially blinded, randomized controlled trial with a 2 × 2 factorial design including iron supplements (42 mg elemental Fe/d) or placebo and aerobic training (five 25-min sessions/wk at 75-85% of maximum heart rate) or no training. Linear mixed models were used to evaluate the relation between supplement type, training, and changes in iron status over time, measured by sFer, hemoglobin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and estimated total body iron.Results: After treatment, both the iron-supplemented trained and untrained groups showed significantly improved sFer, sTfR, and body iron values compared with either of the placebo groups. Similarly, trained participants had significantly higher aerobic fitness measures than untrained participants. Training modified the sFer response to supplementation (training by supplement interaction, P = 0.07), with the iron-supplemented trained group having significantly lower sFer than the iron-supplemented untrained group at week 8 (mean ± SD: 31.8 ± 13.5 and 47.6 ± 15.7 μg/L, respectively; P = 0.042), whereas there was no significant difference between the placebo trained and untrained groups (21.3 ± 12.2 and 20.3 ± 7.0 μg/L, respectively; P = 1.00).Conclusions: Regular aerobic training reduces the apparent effectiveness of iron supplementation in improving sFer and calls into question whether conventional measures of iron status accurately reflect iron metabolism in physically active, nonanemic women. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03002090.
Neural networks supporting audiovisual integration for speech: A large-scale lesion study.

Abstract Auditory and visual speech information are often strongly integrated resulting in perceptual enhancements for audiovisual (AV) speech over audio alone and sometimes yielding compelling illusory fusion percepts when AV cues are mismatched, the McGurk-MacDonald effect. Previous research has identified three candidate regions thought to be critical for AV speech integration: the posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS), early auditory cortex, and the posterior inferior frontal gyrus. We assess the causal involvement of these regions (and others) in the first large-scale (N = 100) lesion-based study of AV speech integration. Two primary findings emerged. First, behavioral performance and lesion maps for AV enhancement and illusory fusion measures indicate that classic metrics of AV speech integration are not necessarily measuring the same process. Second, lesions involving superior temporal auditory, lateral occipital visual, and multisensory zones in the STS are the most disruptive to AV speech integration. Further, when AV speech integration fails, the nature of the failure—auditory vs visual capture—can be predicted from the location of the lesions. These findings show that AV speech processing is supported by unimodal auditory and visual cortices as well as multimodal regions such as the STS at their boundary. Motor related frontal regions do not appear to play a role in AV speech integration.
Comparing Jokes with NLP: How Far Can Joke Vectors Take Us?

This paper describes the results of comparison of jokes based on neural network language models and the General Theory of Verbal Humor knowledge resources. The question to be explored is whether joke similarity can be inferred from joke text similarity. Our results indicate that while similarities in text can be detected by doc2vec and jokes with somewhat similar texts can be consistently clustered, there is very little, if any, correlation between doc2vec cosine similarity and KR-annotated joke similarity.
A longitudinal study of risk factors for otitis media in African American children.

Objective: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common health care problem for children. The purpose of this study was to examinefactors that place children at risk for OME such as age, type of child care, number of people in the household, and smoking in thehousehold. Methods: Eighty-six African American children, enrolled in center-based child care in infancy, entered the study at a mean age of 8.2 months and were followed prospectively until 48 months of age. Ear status was documented biweekly using pneumatic otoscopy and tympanometry. Data on risk factors were collected every 6 months. Results: Results indicated that children had a marked decrease in the proportion of time with OME between 6 and 48 months. The rate of OME decline was faster in the first 2.5 years than in subsequent years. Children in center-based child care showed a slightly slower rate of decline than did children in non-center-based care. Longitudinal analysis indicated that the age of the child and the number of other children in the household were significant predictors of OME. For each additional child under 12 years of age in the home, there was a 2% increase in the proportion of time with OME. Conclusion: While attendance in group child care predicted a risk for OME, children's age and the number of other children in the household were still contributing risk factors for OME.
Verification of Synchronous Sequential Circuits Obtained from Algorithmic Specifications

Abstract High-level synthesis systems take as input algorithmic, rather than declarative, specifications. To prove the correctness of the hardware designs they produce, one must say precisely what such specifications mean. An inherent difficulty in this respect is that these specifications are typically incomplete: they do not specify the exact timing of I/O operations. The exact timing is determined by high-level synthesis during scheduling, which assigns operations to clock cycles. Our approach back-annotates a specification according to the schedule chosen by the synthesis system, by adding clock statements to indicate the clock cycle boundaries. We give a formal semantics for the resulting clocked algorithmic specification. This allows us to define its I/O behavior also temporally, and to stipulate that the synthesized implementation is correct iff its I/O behavior coincides with the I/O behavior of the clocked algorithmic specification. Topics: Formal Verification, Synthesis.
Online Algorithms to Generate Slices for Regular Temporal Logic Predicates

Predicate detection, which involves determining if a distributed computation satisfies a given predicate, may require searching a state space that is exponential in the number of processes. To ameliorate this problem of state explosion, the notion of a computation slice was introduced. A computation slice is a concise representation of the consistent cuts of a computation that satisfy a given predicate. It suffices to search the state-space of the slice to detect a predicate, which is generally much smaller than the original computation. Traditionally, algorithms for computation slicing have been offline in nature, where the entire set of events is known apriori. Online algorithms are useful in applications where detecting a fault as soon as it arises is critical. To be practical, online algorithms must only perform incremental updates to the slice, and not recompute it from scratch. In this paper, we present online algorithms to generate the slice with respect to temporal logici¾?or path based predicates AGB, EGB and EFB, when B is a regular state-based predicate. To our knowledge, these are the first online algorithms that compute slices for path-based predicates. Our algorithms are efficient, with an amortized time complexity of On 2, where n is the number of processes.
Abstract 4137: Inhibition of protein synthesis with polyamine depletion in high-risk neuroblastoma

The MYC family of oncogenes coordinately deregulate cellular programs that link cell cycle progression with the requisite biomass and energy creation. Neuroblastoma is a MYC-driven, commonly lethal pediatric tumor, with a high proportion of tumors containing MYCN amplification. Polyamine synthesis is a pathway downstream of MYC, with polyamines functioning, in part, to support protein synthesis. ODC1 encodes ornithine decarboxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine synthesis, and we found that ODC1 is co-amplified with MYCN in a subset of high-risk neuroblastomas (~8%). Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) is an irreversible inhibitor or ornithine decarboxylase and is an approved agent for the treatment of Trypanosomiasis. We have previously shown that DFMO inhibits tumor progression and synergizes with chemotherapy in murine mouse models of neuroblastoma, and we postulate that inhibition of protein synthesis is a predominant mechanism of anti-tumor activity. The effects of polyamine depletion on specific components of protein translational machinery have yet to be defined. Here, we show inhibition of global protein synthesis of up to 90% after treatment with various concentrations of DFMO in vitro, with a larger decrease in protein synthesis generally correlating with the presence of MYCN amplification. We found that colony formation is inhibited at DFMO exposures as low as 150 to 500 μM DFMO, which are achievable concentrations in adults based on previous clinical trials. We also show via isoelectric focusing that treatment of neuroblastoma cells in vitro with DFMO leads to a marked decrease in the proportion of hypusinated, or active, eIF5A (an elongation factor important in translation of polyproline stretches and possibly broader influence on translation initiation). To interrogate influences of polyamine depletion on the cap-dependent translation eIF4F complex, we evaluated for changes in the phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 in DFMO treatment conditions, though no changes in phosphorylation were seen compared to controls. Studies to further elucidate the protein synthetic components affected by polyamine depletion are ongoing, as are studies to assess for selective effects of DFMO on polyproline-containing proteins via eIF5A. Further elucidation of the mechanisms of DFMO activity will identify opportunities for drug synergy and provide a responder hypothesis to test in upcoming pivotal Phase 2 and 3 clinical trial of DFMO in the treatment of neuroblastoma. Citation Format: Andrea T. Flynn, Kangning Liu, Annette Vu, Michael D. Hogarty. Inhibition of protein synthesis with polyamine depletion in high-risk neuroblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4137.
Environmental uncertainty and corporate social responsibility

This study examines the impact of environmental uncertainty on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Using a 23-year panel sample with 3,053 unique US firms and 23,742 firm-year observations, we test the ethics view and risk management view of corporate social responsibility. We find a significant and negative relationship between environmental uncertainty and corporate social responsibility, suggesting that firms are less likely to engage in corporate social responsibility activities when faced with an uncertain environment. Our results support the ethics view of corporate social responsibility. These insights should interest policymakers who implement guidelines on CSR and firms that are considering adjusting their CSR levels. Our results should also provide practitioners with useful insights regarding which specific determinants are associated with a company's level of CSR activities, and interest firms that attempt to incorporate CSR in their business systems.
Remediation Models Used in a Pharmacy Calculations Course.

Remediation is a required component of pharmacy programs. In a pharmacy calculations course, two student-centered models of remediation have been utilized. These models were a shift from an intensive, hands-on infrastructure of faculty and student engagement to a more student self-directed process. The models utilized development of an individualized plan for each student, clearly outlined expectations, faculty availability for consultation, as well as flexibility in remote completion of the assigned activities. Both models resulted in student success. Article Type: Note
Nature of distracted driving in various physiological conditions

Road traffic injury has appeared as a severe problem today, claiming more than 1.25 million lives each year worldwide and draining 3% of the total global GDP. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, about half a million people got injured in 2014 due to distracted driving related car clashes. In this work, we have considered the brainwave, heart rate and blood pressure level of a distracted driver. Within the various source of distraction (e,g, multitasking, severe weather condition, external sound effects) we monitored the driving behavior through EEG signal. In particular, the alpha, beta, gamma, delta and theta brainwaves have a significant connection with the emotion, stress and other psychological responses. Our EEG data analysis can provide a pathway to detect the physiological condition of distracted drivers and avoid road accidents.
Curating Islamic Art in the Central United States: New Approaches to Collections, Installations and Audience Engagement

In the early twentieth century, museums across the central United States built collections showcasing world art, including often-impressive holdings of art from the historical Islamic lands. Now, a century later, we view these objects through different lenses. Even though the objects and their aesthetic achievements have not changed, their interpretation has, due to new cultural and political contexts, larger and more diverse museum audiences and the changing role of museums in contemporary society. This chapter examines and compares how three Midwestern museums are negotiating these changes through recent exhibitions and reinstallations of their Islamic collections. The chapter particularly explores how updated engagement with community partnerships have been critical in the successful development of these projects. These museums have all negotiated, and in some cases challenged, institutional models in order to frame Islamic art for its twenty-first-century audiences.
Fatty Acid Composition, Proximate Analysis, and Consumer Sensory Evaluation of United States Retail Grass-Fed Ground Beef1

The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition, consumer liking, and consumer acceptability of ground beef with 2 finishing diets. Three ground beef treatments were used in this study and included grass-fed, grain-fed Angus, and grain-fed commodity beef. Ground beef samples were evaluated for consumer sensory response, pH, proximate composition, and fatty acid composition. Grain-fed samples were rated higher (P 0.05) for all 3 types of ground beef. Consumers preferred (P 0.05) flavor acceptability and overall acceptability to Angus and grass-fed ground beef. Grass-fed, Angus, and commodity ground beef were similar (P > 0.05) for moisture, fat, and protein content. Commodity ground beef had a higher pH (P 0.01) across all treatments. Omega-3 fatty acids were found in the greatest (P < 0.05) proportions in samples from grass-fed beef. Additionally, the omega-6:omega-3 ratio for grass-fed ground beef was lower (P < 0.05) than grain-fed source. Angus and commodity ground beef were more palatable, and there was no evidence of higher PUFA in grass-fed ground beef.
Anxiety and Bereavement

Anxiety is a common emotional response following the loss of a loved one. For some individuals, anxiety during bereavement may reach clinical levels of severity and impairment. In addition, studies suggest that anxiety symptoms and disorders may complicate the grieving process and contribute to prolonged periods of acute grief. This chapter will review the relevant research on the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and disorders among bereaved individuals as well as predictors and risk factors of anxiety in this population. In addition, the authors will suggest areas for future research that can lead to a better understanding of anxiety in the context of bereavement as well as improved recognition of and intervention for anxiety and associated impairment among the bereaved.
Careers beyond the bench.

The motivation for this Special Issue on careers outside the traditional academic track comes from my own professional journey as well as those of the many people I met who chose to do ‘something else’ after receiving their PhD.
Analyzing Dry Electrodes for Wearable Bioelectrical Impedance Analyzers

Dry electrodes are gaining popularity in the area of electronic health for biosignal measurements due to their reusability and comfort as compared to traditional gel-based wet Ag/AgCl electrodes. This paper presents a performance comparison of dry and wet electrodes for medical devices, in particular, for bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). BIA is an emerging technology widely used for body composition analysis by computing the impedance of the human body. The designed system for BIA consists of a wearable silicone ring with four copper electrodes. The experiment is conducted on 40 healthy human subjects using both the ring and the Ag/AgCl electrodes. The linear regression demonstrates a high correlation between both electrodes (r = 0.96 for resistance and r = 0.93 for reactance). The measurement of root mean square noise is determined for both electrodes. The dry electrodes demonstrate a higher noise level (1.96 mV) as compared to the wet electrodes (0.282 mV), mainly due to the absence of conductive gel. Moreover, fast Fourier transform is performed to determine and filter out unwanted signals and to reduce the noise level in the dry electrodes. The results demonstrate that the designed ring electrodes have a comparable performance with commercial Ag/AgCl electrodes and can be used in mobile wearable medical devices.
Organized Labor Strikes and Social Spending in Latin America: The Synchronizing Effect of Mass Protest

The theories and evidence about relationships between democracy and social spending in Latin America are highly contested. A recent study shows that collective protest by organized labor effectively increases social security and welfare spending, whereas mass protest does not have comparable effects on human capital spending in Latin American democracies. This article reexamines the analysis and demonstrates that organized labor alone cannot sway democratic governments. Labor strikes require the synchronizing effect of mass protest to obtain government concessions. Only through concurrent episodes of mass protest can organized labor overcome the numerical disadvantage of pressing democratic government for social welfare spending. In understanding the relationship between labor protests and social welfare spending through the lens of insider-outsider dichotomy, it is critical to consider the synchronizing effect of mass protests. The findings remain robust with alternative measures of democracy and various model specifications.
Optical Strain Gauge-Based on a Hetero-Core Fiber Macro-Bending Sensor

This paper describes a novel approach for optical strain sensing based on a hetero-core fiber optic macro-bending sensor. A gauge substrate for the proposed sensor was designed to transduce the tensile and compression strain by changing to a gentle bending curvature on the fiber; thus, the hetero-core fiber detects the strain on the substrate as the transmitted light lost. Because optical fibers perform as a flexible structure in a buckling scheme owing to their slenderness, the mechanical properties of the proposed sensor can be widely tuned by the shape and mechanical properties of the gauge substrate. Experiments demonstrated that the proposed strain gauge with a spring-structured substrate made of SUS304 showed a strain applied within $\pm 3100~\mu \epsilon $ with a sensitivity of up to $- 9.14\times 10^{-4}$ dB/ $\mu \epsilon $ , and responded to temperature changes from 0 °C to 60 °C with $- 1.10\times 10^{-2}$ dB/°C owing to the thermal expansion of the substrate. Furthermore, both the strain and temperature sensitivities are tunable by changing the geometrical parameters of the gauge substrate.
Capsular release following total shoulder arthroplasty: an analysis of early outcomes

The purpose of this study is to analyze the outcomes of open and arthroscopic capsular release following total shoulder arthroplasty. Over 15 years, 19 patients experienced persistent shoulder stiffness after anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty refractory to nonoperative treatment, requiring either open (n = 5) or arthroscopic (n = 14) capsular release. There were seven (39%) patients who had a prior diagnosis of stiffness before the primary arthroplasty. At a follow-up of 2.3 years (1–5.5), there were changes in range of motion, including forward flexion (77°–117°), abduction (49°–98°), external rotation (9°–19°), internal rotation at 0° (Sacrum to L1), and pain (4.1–2.3) scores (p < 0.01). There were seven (37%) patients that required a reoperation following the initial capsular release. The survival-free of reoperation at 2 and 5 years was 76% and 53%, respectively, while the survival-free of revision surgery at 2 and 5 years was 83%. Furthermore, three (16%) patients required a repeat capsular release. Overall, there were 11 (58%) complications, including stiffness (n = 9), infection (n = 1), subscapularis rupture (n = 2), glenoid loosening (n = 3), and pain with weakness requiring reoperation (n = 1). Shoulder stiffness after total shoulder arthroplasty is a very difficult pathology to treat, with high rates of complications and reoperations after capsular release. Overall, in patients that do not develop glenoid loosening, capsular release does improve the patient’s pain and shoulder motion. Furthermore, when patients develop stiffness, it is critical to rule out other etiologies, such as glenoid loosening, prior to proceeding with capsular release. Retrospective case series.
The along-track etching structure of fission tracks in apatite: Observations and implications

Abstract Interpretation of apatite fission-track length data rests on the assumptions that etching fully reveals latent tracks, and that laboratory annealing of induced tracks constitutes a good proxy for geological annealing of spontaneous tracks. Recent work using improved step-etching procedures questions both of these assumptions. Step etching experiments interrogating the etching structure of tracks near and beyond their tips have shown that tracks are often not etched to their full extent of latent track damage in a standard single-step, 20-s etch, and that the etching structure in this outer region differs between fossil and induced tracks. In this study, we develop a more complete picture of track revelation for fossil and unannealed and annealed induced tracks in Durango apatite. Using first steps as early as 10 s after the beginning of etching, we discern differences in etching structure between various track types, and document a gradual fall-off in etching velocity from the track interior toward its tips. When effective etching time is constrained by selecting earlier-etching confined tracks for later analysis, mean lengths are longer, but length dispersion is not diminished. Although some proportion of unannealed tracks are under-etched after 20 s of etching, with increased levels of annealing the probability of an induced track being fully etched increases. We use an etch-anneal-etch procedure, consisting of partially etching tracks, annealing the apatite grains, and then continuing etching, to establish bulk etching rates at track tips. Bulk etching is effectively isotropic, as is etching velocity in the central portions of tracks, away from their tips. We use our data to compare two end-member possibilities for along-track etching structure, which provides a first step toward a deeper understanding of annealing and development of a more robust standard etching protocol.
Anesthesia for Maternal-Fetal Interventions: A Consensus Statement From the American Society of Anesthesiologists Committees on Obstetric and Pediatric Anesthesiology and the North American Fetal Therapy Network

Maternal-fetal surgery is a rapidly evolving specialty, and significant progress has been made over the last 3 decades. A wide range of maternal-fetal interventions are being performed at different stages of pregnancy across multiple fetal therapy centers worldwide, and the anesthetic technique has evolved over the years. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) recognizes the important role of the anesthesiologist in the multidisciplinary approach to these maternal-fetal interventions and convened a collaborative workgroup with representatives from the ASA Committees of Obstetric and Pediatric Anesthesia and the Board of Directors of the North American Fetal Therapy Network. This consensus statement describes the comprehensive preoperative evaluation, intraoperative anesthetic management, and postoperative care for the different types of maternal-fetal interventions.
#ActuallyAutistic Sense-Making on Twitter

Autistic individuals engage in sense-making as they seek to better understand themselves and relate to others within a society formed by neuro-typical social norms. Our research examines the ways in which autistic individuals engage in sense-making activities about autism on Twitter. We collected autism-oriented Twitter conversations and Twitter user profiles data of people participating in those conversation. Our research contributes empirical evidence demonstrating that that autistic sense-making on Twitter is constituted by (1) engaging in dynamic discussions of life experiences, (2) countering stigma with actions of advocacy, and (3) enacting neuro-atypical social norms.
Is There an Ethical Upper Limit on Risks to Study Participants

Are some risks to study participants too much, no matter how valuable the study is for society? This article answers in the negative.
Effect of Insulator Bulk Conductivity Non-uniformity on Surface Charge Accumulation

In order to clarify the effect of insulator bulk conductivity non-uniformity, controlled by electric field, on surface charge accumulation under dc high voltage, a simulation model involving multi-physics, which includes transition from initial capacitive to stationary resistive field, is established. In terms of this, the characters of surface charge accumulation are obtained. It is found that non-uniformity of electric conductivity contributes to the change of surface charge distribution profile, but not to the increase of the maximum surface charge density when the applied voltage is less than 1000 kV. After voltage exceeds 1000 kV, the maximum charge density becomes smaller compared to the case with uniform conductivity. The results indicate that electric conductivity non-uniformity relating to electric field is a source contributing to surface charge accumulation through insulator bulk, and should not be neglected.
Malpractice Payouts and Malpractice Insurance: Evidence from Texas Closed Claims, 1990–2003

Using medical malpractice claims with payments of $25,000 or more that closed in Texas from 1990 to 2003, this study quantifies physicians' insurance limits and examines the connection between policy size and payments on claims. It finds that most physicians had less than $1 million (nominal) in coverage, that real policy size declined, that settlements at the policy limits were common, that payment size was stable or falling, and that payments above the policy limits were rare. It also finds that physicians rarely made out-of-pocket payments, suggesting the policy limits often cap recoveries, and that the frequency of out-of-pocket payments declined as policy size increased. Results are presented separately for “perinatal physicians.”
Examining Changes to Food and Beverage Availability and Marketing in a Low-Income Community after the Opening of a High-End Supermarket

Objective In 2016, a Whole Foods Market© opened in the Englewood community of Chicago, IL - a predominately low-income African American community. This study aimed to examine changes to food and beverage availability and marketing in Englewood's existing food stores after the opening of this supermarket. Design Quasi-experimental study. Setting Two low-income African American communities in Chicago, IL. Participants Fieldworkers audited all small grocery and limited-service stores (e.g., convenience stores, liquor stores, dollar/discount stores) located within one-square mile of the new supermarket and a one-square mile area of a demographically comparable community that also lacked a supermarket. Stores were audited before (2016) and after (2017 and 2018) the supermarket opened. Results Of the 78 stores audited at baseline, 71.8% were limited-service stores and 85.9% accepted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Overall, the availability of healthy food and beverage options in nearby small stores was low at baseline and both follow-up periods. Difference-in-Difference regression models revealed a significant increase in 1) the percentage of stores in the intervention community (i.e., Englewood) offering regular cheese and promoting salty snacks at check-out from 2016 - 2017 and 2) the percentage of stores in the comparison community with interior store promotions for other sweetened beverages from 2016 - 2018. Conclusions Minimal changes in food and beverage availability and marketing occurred one and two years after the opening of a new supermarket. However, the wide range of staple food items offered by the supermarket expanded healthy food retail in Chicago's Englewood community.
Complications and Unsuccessful Same-Day Discharge Following Outpatient Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) in the Medicare Population: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Clinical Impact

In 2020, total hip arthroplasty (THA) was removed from the inpatient-only list by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The objective was to analyze outpatient THA in the Medicare population to understand incidence of failed same-day discharge (SDD) and risk factors for complications and extended length of stay (LOS). The 2015–2019 American College of Surgeons—National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for Medicare patients (≥ 65 years) undergoing outpatient THA. Short-term complications, LOS, and discharge destination were evaluated. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate risk factors for complications, failed SDD, reoperation, readmission, and non-home discharge disposition. Overall, 2,063 THAs were included. Complication rate was 7.4%. The number of patients staying in the hospital ≥ 1 day was 1,080 (52%). A total of 151 patients (7.3%) experienced a non-home discharge. Predictors for having any complication was an extended LOS ≥ 1 day (odds ratio [OR] 2.86), p II (OR 1.67), and age ≥ 71 (OR 1.31) (all p ≤ 0.004). Significant predictors for a non-home discharge were LOS ≥ 1 day (OR 13.71), American Society of Anesthesiologists Class > II (OR 2.36), age ≥ 71 (OR 2.07), operative time ≥ 82 minutes (OR 1.88), and female gender (OR 1.81), all p ≤ 0.003. The current study identifies the incidence, risk factors, and clinical impact of postoperative complications and prolonged LOS in Medicare-aged patients undergoing outpatient THA. Providers should consider preoperatively risk stratifying patients to reduce the costs associated with extended LOS, complication, and unplanned discharge destination.
Computer Method Research on Risk Control Identification System Based on Deep Learning

Computer technology has penetrated more and more into the field of daily life. Artificial intelligence is helping us solve many complex problems. With the explosive popularization of financial information, it is more characteristic of the times to choose P2P (Peer to Peer) network platform for borrowing and financing. Its characteristics of quickness, high income and easy lending quickly attracted a large number of small and micro enterprises, individuals and investors. However, its risks should not be underestimated, especially the borrowers in the platform are mostly users who cannot apply for lending through traditional financial banks, which increases the difficulty of risk control of P2P platform. Because the credit evaluation of small and micro enterprise lending is closely related to the personal credit situation of small and micro enterprise owners, Therefore, this paper will take the public data on the lending club lending platform as the simulation sample of the main credit data of small and micro enterprises, A concise and clear P2P credit application risk control identification mechanism is constructed. The mechanism is based on AI (Artificial Intelligence) to build a black box prediction model to assist in decision-making on possible risks, and proposes countermeasures and solutions to face risks. The future development trend of online lending platform is prospected to promote the healthy and orderly development of the industry.