cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Randomized controlled trial of a positive affect intervention for people newly diagnosed with HIV.

Objective We conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine whether IRISS (Intervention for those Recently Informed of their Seropositive Status), a positive affect skills intervention, improved positive emotion, psychological health, physical health, and health behaviors in people newly diagnosed with HIV. Method One-hundred and fifty-nine participants who had received an HIV diagnosis in the past 3 months were randomized to a 5-session, in-person, individually delivered positive affect skills intervention or an attention-matched control condition. Results For the primary outcome of past-day positive affect, the group difference in change from baseline over time did not reach statistical significance (p = .12, d = .30). Planned secondary analyses within assessment point showed that the intervention led to higher levels of past-day positive affect at 5, 10, and 15 months postdiagnosis compared with an attention control. For antidepressant use, the between group difference in change from baseline was statistically significant (p = .006, d = -.78 baseline to 15 months) and the difference in change over time for intrusive and avoidant thoughts related to HIV was also statistically significant (p = .048, d = .29). Contrary to findings for most health behavior interventions in which effects wane over the follow up period, effect sizes in IRISS seemed to increase over time for most outcomes. Conclusions This comparatively brief positive affect skills intervention achieved modest improvements in psychological health, and may have the potential to support adjustment to a new HIV diagnosis. (PsycINFO Database Record
Schedule-Induced Running and Chamber Size

Running-wheel behavior was examined as a function of the floor area of the experimental chamber in three food-deprived rats when a food pellet was delivered each minute and when it was omitted. Running-wheel behavior when food was omitted was unsystematically related to the floor area. When food was scheduled, three measures of running-wheel behavior were found to be decreasing functions of floor area: percentage of the session time spent in the wheel, percentage of the interfood intervals with a wheel entry, and the mean stay time per interfood interval with a wheel entry. Wheel revolutions per session varied unsystematically, and the local rate of running was an increasing function of floor area when food was scheduled. These results explicate some inconsistent findings in the literature, and provide support for the notion that wheel-running is not a schedule-induced behavior.
Intravascular shear wave propagation using acoustic radiation force generation from a 4.6 Fr transducer element

Cardiovascular disease, including atherosclerosis and critical limb ischemia, affects millions of people worldwide. There is a clinical need to base treatment decisions on quantitative analysis of the plaque composition. However, no reliable clinical methods to quantify the mechanical properties of plaque components and detect plaque vulnerability currently exist, particularly for coronary disease. Here we demonstrate the measurement of shear waves generated by acoustic radiation force (ARF) from an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) transducer prototype, as a potential means to quantifiably assess vascular plaques.
The Price and New Title Output of Scholarly Books: 2009–2016

The majority of scholars in the humanities and the social sciences, the scientific, technical, and medical, and the legal, tax, and regulatory fields are interested in the state of scholarly book publishing because these books often play a pivotal role in the often-opaque tenure, promotion, and grant application process. In the past, several studies analyzed new title output and scholarly book prices. However, no one investigated the impact of the Recession of 2007–2009 on scholarly books. This study looks at the impact of this recession, its impact on scholarly book prices and new title output between 2009 and 2016, and makes a series of recommendations for university presses.
Metabolomics Analysis of the Toxic Effects of the Production of Lycopene and Its Precursors

Using cells as microbial factories enables highly specific production of chemicals with many advantages over chemical syntheses. A number of exciting new applications of this approach are in the area of precision metabolic engineering, which focuses on improving the specificity of target production. In recent work, we have used precision metabolic engineering to design lycopene-producing Escherichia coli for use as a low-cost diagnostic biosensor. To increase precursor availability and thus the rate of lycopene production, we heterologously expressed the mevalonate pathway. We found that simultaneous induction of these pathways increases lycopene production, but induction of the mevalonate pathway before induction of the lycopene pathway decreases both lycopene production and growth rate. Here, we aim to characterize the metabolic changes the cells may be undergoing during expression of either or both of these heterologous pathways. After establishing an improved method for quenching E. coli for metabolomics analysis, we used two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GCxGC-MS) to characterize the metabolomic profile of our lycopene-producing strains in growth conditions characteristic of our biosensor application. We found that the metabolic impacts of producing low, non-toxic levels of lycopene are of much smaller magnitude than the typical metabolic changes inherent to batch growth. We then used metabolomics to study differences in metabolism caused by the time of mevalonate pathway induction and the presence of the lycopene biosynthesis genes. We found that overnight induction of the mevalonate pathway was toxic to cells, but that the cells could recover if the lycopene pathway was not also heterologously expressed. The two pathways appeared to have an antagonistic metabolic effect that was clearly reflected in the cells' metabolic profiles. The metabolites homocysteine and homoserine exhibited particularly interesting behaviors and may be linked to the growth inhibition seen when the mevalonate pathway is induced overnight, suggesting potential future work that may be useful in engineering increased lycopene biosynthesis.
Analysis of hummocky bedforms offshore Fire Island, New York, generated by superstorm Sandy

Abstract Hummocky bedforms are mainly studied in ancient sedimentary outcrops; they are interpreted to be associated with storms, an inference that is based on paleohydraulic conditions derived from sedimentary deposits. However, the modern hummocky bedform catalog is sparse, with few associations of hydraulic conditions resulting in their deposition and preservation. In this study we investigate small-scale (
Course 7 Low-temperature transport through a quantum dot

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the Kondo effect and shows that a quantum dot behaves essentially as an artificial magnetic impurity with spin S, coupled via exchange interaction to two conducting leads. Spin degeneracy is not the only possible source of the Kondo effect in quantum dots. It should be emphasized that in the usual geometry consisting of two leads attached to a Coulomb-blockaded quantum dot with S = 1/2, only the conventional Fermi-liquid behavior can be observed at low temperatures. The description based on the universal Hamiltonian is not applicable to large quantum dots subjected to a quantizing magnetic field. Such a field changes drastically the way the screening occurs in a confined droplet of a two-dimensional electron gas. The Kondo effect arises whenever a coupling to a Fermi gas induces transitions within otherwise degenerate ground state multiplets of an interacting system. Both coupling to a Fermi gas and interactions are naturally present in a nanoscale transport experiment.
Computational Approaches to Language Acquisition

Computational models have become increasingly important in the field of child language acquisition. This reflects not only the increased accessibility of hardware and software, but more importantly, significant advances in the field of machine learning that have led to more sophisticated understanding about biologically plausible learning mechanisms. Computational models have been useful as tools to make verbal theories more precise, to explore complex interactions and emergent phenomena, and to generate predictions that lead to new empirical research. Issues that have been the target of modeling include so-called ‘burst’ phenomena; U-shaped curves in learning; discovery of words, category, and grammatical structure; alternative to rule-based accounts; and the Poverty of the Stimulus hypothesis.
AEG-1/MTDH/LYRIC in Liver Cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly virulent malignancy with diverse etiology. Identification of a common mediator of aggressive progression of HCC would be extremely beneficial not only for diagnostic/prognostic purposes but also for developing targeted therapies. AEG-1/MTDH/LYRIC gene is amplified in human HCC patients, and overexpression of AEG-1/MTDH/LYRIC has been identified in a high percentage of both hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus positive HCC cases, suggesting its key role in regulating hepatocarcinogenesis. Important insights into the molecular mechanisms mediating oncogenic properties of AEG-1/MTDH/LYRIC, especially regulating chemoresistance, angiogenesis, and metastasis, have been obtained from studies using HCC model. Additionally, analysis of HCC model has facilitated the identification of AEG-1/MTDH/LYRIC downstream genes and interacting proteins, thereby unraveling novel players regulating HCC development and progression leading to the development of novel interventional strategies. Characterization of a hepatocyte-specific AEG-1/MTDH/LYRIC transgenic mouse (Alb/AEG-1) has revealed novel aspects of AEG-1/MTDH/LYRIC function in in vivo contexts. Combination of AEG-1/MTDH/LYRIC inhibition and chemotherapy has documented significant efficacy in abrogating human HCC xenografts in nude mice indicating the need for developing effective AEG-1/MTDH/LYRIC inhibition strategies to obtain objective response and survival benefits in terminal HCC patients.
Estimation of Lifting and Carrying Load During Manual Material Handling

Low back injuries and low back pain are often caused by improper task execution, overuse or lack of guidance and training. Our current understanding of dose-response relationships between risk factors that contribute to these injuries remains unclear. Enhanced monitoring of risk factors contributing to injuries could provide more complete exposure-response information. It is difficult to continuously monitor workers and their exposures to ergonomic risk factors using existing technologies. This paper presents a practical approach to advance continuous measurements of common risk factors by quantifying the weight of an object during lifting and carrying, lift frequency and lift duration during manual material handling (MMH). We estimate these parameters based on the ground reaction forces (GRF) and considering trunk dynamics. The results show that by considering trunk dynamics and applying simple signal processing techniques, we can precisely estimate these risk parameters. These parameters can then be used to estimate injury risk of workers. The developed methodology is designed for real-time continuous monitoring applications and sets the foundation for future development of in-field monitoring of workers with wearable sensors.
Fully Coupled Simulations of Megathrust Earthquakes and Tsunamis in the Japan Trench, Nankai Trough, and Cascadia Subduction Zone

Subduction zone earthquakes can produce significant seafloor deformation and devastating tsunamis. Real subduction zones display remarkable diversity in fault geometry and structure, and accordingly exhibit a variety of styles of earthquake rupture and tsunamigenic behavior. We perform fully coupled earthquake and tsunami simulations for three subduction zones: the Japan Trench, the Nankai Trough, and the Cascadia Subduction Zone. We use data from seismic surveys, drilling expeditions, and laboratory experiments to construct detailed 2D models of the subduction zones with realistic geometry, structure, friction, and prestress. Greater prestress and rate-and-state friction parameters that are more velocity-weakening generally lead to enhanced slip, seafloor deformation, and tsunami amplitude. The Japan Trench’s small sedimentary prism enhances shallow slip, but has only a small effect on tsunami height. In Nankai where there is a prominent splay fault, frictional parameters and off-fault material properties both influence the choice of rupture pathway in complex ways. The splay generates tsunami waves more efficiently than the decollement. Rupture in Cascadia is buried beneath the seafloor, but causes a tsunami that is highly complex due to the rough seafloor bathymetry. Neglecting compliant sediment layers leads to substantially different rupture behavior and tsunami height. We demonstrate that horizontal seafloor displacement is a major contributor to tsunami generation in all subduction zones studied. We document how the nonhydrostatic response of the ocean at short wavelengths smooths the initial tsunami source relative to commonly used approach for setting tsunami initial conditions. Finally, we determine self-consistent tsunami initial conditions by isolating tsunami waves from seismic and acoustic waves at a final simulation time and backpropagating them to their initial state using an adjoint method. We find no evidence to support claims that horizontal momentum transfer from the solid Earth to the ocean is important in tsunami generation.
A Low-Power FSK/Spatial Modulation Receiver for Short-Range mm-Wave Wireless Links

Space-shift keying (SSK) or spatial modulation can provide increased energy-efficiency by using antennas/beam switching to transfer data. Such links are attractive at mm-wave due to small physical size and potential applications in slow-varying short-range channels. Low-power pulsed phased-array mm-wave TX has been demonstrated that maintains energy-efficiency while providing beam switching functionality. In this work, a two-element mm-wave FSK/SSK RX is presented that can concurrently demodulate FSK and SSK by using relative outputs of a two-element combiner to detect angle-of-incidence. A 65-nm CMOS 68 GHz 2-element RX prototype is packaged with aperture-coupled PCB antennas to demonstrate >2 Gb/s data rates while consuming <30 mW across both elements. The first end-to-end CMOS SSK link using CMOS FSK-SSK TX and RX is demonstrated with 2 Gb/s data transfer across ˜6 cm in a reflective channel.
Interlaboratory Data Variability Contributes to the Differential Principal Components of Human Primed and Naïve-like Pluripotent States in Multivariate Meta-Analysis

ABSTRACT Currently, genome-wide data analyses have revealed significant differences between various human naive-like pluripotent states derived from different laboratory protocols, confounding the establishment of defining criteria of human naive pluripotency. Thus, it is imperative to understand the concept concerning the ground or naive pluripotent state of pluripotent stem cells, which was initially established in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Putative human pluripotency has been proposed, largely based on comparing genome-wide transcriptomic signatures of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) with human pre-implantation embryos and mESCs by several research groups. Current bioinformatics approaches, however, have inevitable conceptual biases and technological limitations, including the choices of datasets, analytic methods, and interlaboratory data variability. In this report, we performed a multivariate meta-analysis of major hPSC datasets via the combined analytic powers of percentile normalization, principal component analysis (PCA), t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE), and SC3 consensus clustering. This vigorous bioinformatics approach has significantly improved the predictive values of the current meta-analysis. Accordingly, we were able to reveal various fundamental inconsistencies between naive-like hPSCs and their human and mouse in vitro counterparts, which are likely attributed to interlaboratory protocol differences. Moreover, our meta-analysis failed to provide global transcriptomic markers that support the putative in vitro human naive pluripotent state, rather suggesting the existence of altered pluripotent states under current naive-like hPSC growth protocols.
Ceramic 3D Printed Direct Winding Heat Exchangers for Improving Electric Machine Thermal Management

Direct winding oil cooling offers more effective cooling than conventional alternatives and can therefore increase the torque density of electric machines; however, this technique is limited by the thermophysical properties of the oil. The use of a direct winding heat exchanger (DWHX) allows a glycol-water coolant mixture to be used which leads to a significant improvement in heat transfer and a reduction in the pumping losses compared to direct oil cooling. This paper proposed ceramic 3D printed direct winding heat exchangers (3D-DWHX) which can significantly improve the cooling of concentrated windings in electric machines due to the unique geometries enabled by 3D printing. Ceramics are also capable of withstanding extremely high temperatures. A closed-form analytical thermal model incorporating the temperature dependence of winding losses is proposed and used with empirical heat transfer correlations to design a micro-feature enhanced 3D-DWHX. The ceramic 3D-DWHX was built and tested in a motorette and shown to enable a continuous current density of 30.7 ARMS/mm2 while keeping the maximum winding temperature below 132°C.
Mix-Bricks and Flip-Lids: 3D Printed Devices for Simple, Simultaneous Mixing of Reactant Solutions.

Two types of 3D printed devices for simultaneous mixing of small volumes (e.g., 50–500 μL) of reactant solutions are described. One device (a “Flip-Lid”) is a specially designed lid for commerciall...
Sex Dimorphism in Muscle Damage-induced Inflammation.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of resistance exercise (RE)-induced hormonal changes on intramuscular cytokine gene expression after muscle damage in untrained men and women. Methods Men (n = 8, 22 ± 3 yr) and women (n = 8, 19 ± 1 yr) completed two sessions of 80 unilateral maximal eccentric knee extensions followed by either an upper body RE bout (EX) or a time-matched period (CON). Muscle samples (vastus laterals) were analyzed for mRNA expression of interleukin (IL) 6, IL-10, IL-15, TNFA, TGFB, CCL2, and CD68 at PRE, 12 h, and 24 h after the session. Results A significant time-sex-condition interaction was found for TGFB with an increase for EX in men at 12 h from PRE. For EX, TGFB was also greater in men than in women at 12 and 24 h. Significant time-sex and condition-sex interactions were found for IL-10 with an increase for men that was greater than for women at 12 and 24 h. IL-10 was lower in EX than CON for men. A significant time-sex interaction was found for TNFA with an increase for men that was greater than for women at 24 h. A significant time-condition interaction was found for CD68 with an increase at 12 h and decrease at 24 h for EX and CON. CD68 was lower in EX than CON at 12 h. A significant time effect was found for IL6 and CCL2 with an increase at 12 and 24 h. Conclusions Results suggest that women seem to have a muted intramuscular cytokine (i.e., IL-10, TNF-α, and TGF-β) response to muscle damage compared with men.
Shallow elasticity structure from colocated pressure and seismic stations in the Piñon Flat Observatory and estimation of Vs30

Author(s): Tanimoto, Toshiro; Wang, Jiong | Abstract: SUMMARY An algorithm developed in Tanimoto a Wang for deriving shallow elasticity structure from colocated pressure and seismic instruments is applied to data at nine stations in the Pinon Flat Observatory (PFO) in Southern California. Depth resolution kernels indicate that this approach can recover near-surface shear-modulus structure in the upper 50–100 m of the Earth. Our estimate for Vs30 at the closest station (BPH01) agrees with an independent result by Yong et al. which was based on an active source survey with a geophone array. Vs30 derived from the borehole S-wave speed model by Fletcher et al. also agrees with estimates at nearby locations, considering the size of uncertainties. Derived structures are much smoother than their models, however. This is because our method analyses slow quasi-static deformation of the solid Earth in the frequency range 0.005–0.05 Hz that inherently limits depth resolution. Lack of detailed variations in structures does not seem to be the problem for estimating Vs30 as Vs30 is an averaged quantity from the upper 30 m of the Earth. Also our estimates are not affected by different choices of frequency range in the inversion. However, our method may have some difficulty at stiff, hard-rock sites because ground deformation caused by surface pressure can become small and the key observables in our method, the ratios between seismic amplitude and surface pressure change, become difficult to measure accurately.
A 7-Year-Old Boy with Recurring Episodes of Abdominal Pain

Recurrent abdominal pain is a relatively common complaint in children who present to the emergency department. The etiology is often thought to be psychogenic, with an underlying organic cause present in less than 10% of patients. Intermittent ureteropelvic junction obstruction is usually not considered in the differential diagnosis of recurrent acute abdominal pain in children, which can cause a significant delay in diagnosis. In this condition, intermittent obstruction of the flow of urine from the renal pelvis to the proximal ureter occurs, which causes intermittent acute colicky abdominal pain and vomiting. This acute event, often referred to as a Dietl's crisis, either subsides after several hours or prompts a visit to the emergency department. Management often focuses on the identification of psychosocial issues or constipation, and routine abdominal imaging is not a common practice. The frequency of these events over time and the duration of each acute event are 2 components that factor into determining the loss of function in the affected kidney. The purpose of this case report is to increase awareness of intermittent ureteropelvic junction obstruction as a cause of recurring episodes of acute abdominal pain in children. Emphasis in this case report is on Dietl's crisis, how it presents, and how it is diagnosed and managed.
Apigenin by targeting hnRNPA2 sensitizes triple-negative breast cancer spheroids to doxorubicin-induced apoptosis and regulates expression of ABCC4 and ABCG2 drug efflux transporters

Acquired resistance to doxorubicin is a major hurdle in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) therapy, emphasizing the need to identify improved strategies. Apigenin and other structurally related dietary flavones are emerging as potential chemo-sensitizers, but their effect on three-dimensional TNBC spheroid models has not been investigated. We previously showed that apigenin associates with heterogeneous ribonuclear protein A2/B1 (hnRNPA2), an RNA-binding protein involved in mRNA and co-transcriptional regulation. However, the role of hnRNPA2 in apigenin chemo-sensitizing activity has not been investigated. Here, we show that apigenin induced apoptosis in TNBC spheroids more effectively than apigenin-glycoside, owing to higher cellular uptake. Moreover, apigenin inhibited the growth of TNBC patient-derived organoids at an in vivo achievable concentration. Apigenin sensitized spheroids to doxorubicin-induced DNA damage, triggering caspase-9-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway and caspase-3 activity. Silencing of hnRNPA2 decreased apigenin-induced sensitization to doxorubicin in spheroids by diminishing apoptosis and partly abrogated apigenin-mediated reduction of ABCC4 and ABCG2 efflux transporters. Together these findings provide novel insights into the critical role of hnRNPA2 in mediating apigenin-induced sensitization of TNBC spheroids to doxorubicin by increasing the expression of efflux transporters and apoptosis, underscoring the relevance of using dietary compounds as a chemotherapeutic adjuvant.
Hazardous alcohol use, antiretroviral therapy receipt, and viral suppression in people living with HIV who inject drugs in the United States, India, Russia, and Vietnam

Author(s): Wagman, Jennifer A; Wynn, Adriane; Matsuzaki, Mika; Gnatienko, Natalia; Metsch, Lisa R; Del Rio, Carlos; Feaster, Daniel J; Nance, Robin M; Whitney, Bridget M; Delaney, Joseph AC; Kahana, Shoshana Y; Crane, Heidi M; Chandler, Redonna K; Elliott, Jennifer C; Altice, Frederick; Lucas, Gregory M; Mehta, Shruti H; Hirsch-Moverman, Yael; El-Sadr, Wafaa M; Vu, Quan; Nguyen Thanh, Binh; Springer, Sandra A; Tsui, Judith I; Samet, Jeffrey H | Abstract: ObjectivesIn high-income countries, hazardous alcohol use is associated with reduced receipt of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and viral suppression among people living with HIV (PLHIV) who inject drugs. These associations are less understood in lower middle-income countries (LMIC) and upper middle-income countries.DesignWe examined associations between hazardous alcohol use, ART receipt, and viral suppression among PLHIV who reported current or former injection drug use. Participants were from nine studies in the United States (high-income country), India (LMIC), Russia (upper middle-income country), and Vietnam (LMIC).MethodsHazardous alcohol use was measured via Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Outcomes were HIV viral suppression (viral load of l1000 RNA copies/ml) and self-reported ART receipt. Logistic regression assessed associations between hazardous alcohol use and both outcome variables, controlling for age and sex, among participants with current and former injection drug use.ResultsAmong 2790 participants, 16% were women, mean age was 37.1 ± 9.5 years. Mean Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scores were 4.6 ± 8.1 (women) and 6.2 ± 8.3 (men); 42% reported ART receipt; 40% had viral suppression. Hazardous alcohol use was significantly associated with reduced ART receipt in India (adjusted odds ratio = 0.59, 95% confidence interval: 0.45-0.77, P l 0.001); and lower rates of viral suppression in Vietnam (adjusted odds ratio = 0.51, 95% confidence interval: 0.31-0.82, P = 0.006).ConclusionAssociations between hazardous alcohol use, ART receipt, and viral suppression varied across settings and were strongest in LMICs. Addressing hazardous alcohol use holds promise for improving HIV continuum of care outcomes among PLHIV who inject drugs. Specific impact and intervention needs may differ by setting.
A Representation of Symmetry Generators for Type IIB Superstring on a Plane Wave in the U(4) Formalism

We calculate the symmetry currents for type IIB superstring on a maximally supersymmetric plane wave background using the N = (2,2) superconformally covariant U(4) formulation developed by Berkovits, Maldacena and Maoz. An explicit realization of the U(4) generators together with 16 fermionic generators is obtained in terms of the N = (2,2) worldsheet fields. As the action is no longer quadratic, we use a light-cone version to display the currents in terms of the covariant worldsheet variables.
Mucosal penetration and clearance of gluten and milk antigens in eosinophilic oesophagitis.

Background The Th2 allergic pathway in eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) responds to food antigen exposure. Aim To compare the presence and temporal pattern of food antigen penetration in oesophageal mucosa in active and inactive EoE and controls METHODS: Thirty-two patients with EoE (20 active) and 10 controls were asked to eliminate all wheat and/or dairy 12, 24, 48, 72 or 96 hours before endoscopy. Immunostaining on endoscopic biopsies was performed for gliadin, casein and whey. Results Gluten, casein and whey were detected by positive staining in 17/32 (53.1%), 21/32 (65.6%), and 30/32 (92.0%) of patients, respectively. In active vs inactive EoE, 70.0% vs 25.0% (P 24 hours after exposure (P = 0.05) but no differences were detected when comparing active and inactive patients for casein and whey. There was greater staining density for whey than casein for all patients at ≤24 hours (mean 2.14 ± 0.91 and 1.07 ± 1.33, P = 0.02). In active EoE, IgG4 was present in 14/20 compared to one inactive patient. Conclusion The oesophageal epithelium is selectively permeable and has relatively long dwell times for food antigens known to trigger EoE. The precise mechanism of antigen-specific mucosal entry and the factors that determine the induction or effector trigger of the Th2 pathway activation merit further study.
Health Signatures During COVID-19: A Precision Fitness Case Study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Stay-at-home orders have proven a controversial, while effective, method of SARS-CoV-2 containment. However objective measures of how the pandemic and stay-at-home orders are affecting the daily health of uninfected individuals have been lacking. METHODS We investigated the effect of pandemic-related events on 61 individuals in San Antonio, Texas whose daily activity and sleep data were recorded via wearable activity trackers from April 2019 to August 2020. We assessed changes in six fitness metrics (steps walked, resting heart rate, sedentary minutes, wake duration after sleep onset, rapid eye movement (REM) duration, total sleep duration). Cluster analysis and time-course analysis identified trends in activity before, after and during stay-at-home orders. Quantitative measures of activities were compared to survey responses. RESULTS Four behavior patterns during stay-at-home orders were identified. Most individuals suffered declines in healthy habits compared to their daily activity in 2019 and early 2020 (e.g., up to −60% steps walked). Inflection points corresponded with key dates relevant to SARS-CoV-2 including the first reported case in the U.S. (Feb 29) and city-wide stay-at-home orders (Mar 23). Pre-existing conditions (diabetes, asthma) were associated with a steeper than average decline in sleep quality during stay-at-home orders. Unexpectedly, we also identified a group of predominately male individuals who improved their daily fitness during stay-at-home orders. CONCLUSIONS Objective measures of daily activity indicated most individuals’ fitness suffered at the onset of stay-at-home orders and slowly returned towards baseline. For a subset of individuals, fitness quantitatively improved – better sleep, more exercise, lower resting heart rate – during stay-at-home orders.
When to Praise the Machine: The Promise and Perils of Automated Transactional Drafting

Recent technological innovations hold the promise of streamlining legal research, managing massive due diligence projects, efficiently constructing contractual provisions, and analyzing inconceivably large quantities of data. But along with the excitement over the nearly limitless potential of rapidly advancing legal technology comes uncertainty about the future role of the human lawyer and a bevy of concerns for the profession. In artificial intelligence, attorneys see both a welcome liberation from picayune tasks and frightening implications for their work stream and the relevance of their existing skill set. While recent attention has been focused on new research and litigation capabilities, transactional and estate planning lawyers have utilized document automation and assembly software for decades. These programs can perform an array of functions, from populating repetitive fields in a simple purchase agreement to producing an entire portfolio of documents for a client’s estate plan. Like artificial intelligence programs, the proliferation of automation and assembly software presents both opportunities to improve the quality and efficiency of legal services and also difficult questions regarding the appropriate role of an attorney providing technology-assisted counsel. And despite decades of widespread use, scant attention has been paid to the ethical implications that reliance on technology may have on transactional practice. In particular, although automation can reduce technical errors and rapidly incorporate evolving laws and techniques, reliance on software creates risks of undue deference to computer-generated outputs and of temptation to undertake representations that strain an attorney’s sphere of proficiency. This Article addresses the expectations for effective transactional representation by highlighting several common missteps in typical transactional engagements. It then describes the increasingly sophisticated tools attorneys have used to more efficiently and effectively draft legal documents. The Article then turns to the potential of automation and artificial intelligence programs to eliminate drafting mistakes and to raise the standard of transactional practice. It implores caution, however, as attorneys rely more heavily on computer assistance in delivering legal services and products. As it becomes easier to generate a professional-looking work product in a wide range of complex areas of law, the risks of professional misadventure multiply. In this sense, technology amplifies some perils as it resolves others.
State Agency Discretion and the Radical Flank: An Examination of Stakeholder Opposition to Hydroelectric Facilities

Although scholarship has highlighted how stakeholders can influence firm outcomes, relatively few studies have examined how simultaneous different tactics can interact to impact firms. Critical to understanding this interaction is the radical flank effect, which asserts that the moderate and radical elements of social activist tactics can interact to either enhance or diminish a movement’s ability to accomplish its goals. However, not only is research unclear about when and whether radical flank will enhance or diminish activist influence, but it also says little about the institutional and organizational factors that may influence its effectiveness. We seek to address these limitations by examining stakeholder opposition to new facilities in the U.S hydroelectric power sector, from 1978-2014. Drawing upon management and political sociology studies, we argue that state regulatory discretion shifts the accountability for regulatory decision making in a manner that determines the direction of the radical flank effect on government-agency decision making. The results show that greater regulatory agency discretion enhances the radical flank effect, thereby enhancing stakeholders’ influence, while lower regulatory agency discretion reverses the radical flank effect, thereby diminishing their impact on organizational outcomes.
Coping with workplace racial discrimination: The role of internal communication

Abstract This study evaluates whether and how internal communication efforts are connected to racial minority employees’ coping strategies for workplace discrimination. Using a survey with 453 full-time employees, we found that racial minority employees were likely to choose emotion-focused rather than problem-focused coping strategies when experiencing discrimination at work, which in turn impacted the relational and behavioral employee outcomes. Transparent communication was found to reduce the negative impacts of discrimination experiences while increasing the motivation of adopting problem-focused approaches.
Temporal Trends, Predictors and Outcomes of Inpatient Palliative Care Use in Cardiac Arrest Complicating Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND Utilization of inpatient palliative care services (PCS) has been infrequently studied in patients with cardiac arrest complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI-CA). METHODS Adult AMI-CA admissions were identified from the National Inpatient Sample (2000-2017). Outcomes of interest included temporal trends and predictors of PCS use and in-hospital mortality, length of stay, hospitalization costs and discharge disposition in AMI-CA admissions with and without PCS use. Multivariable logistic regression and propensity matching were used to adjust for confounding. RESULTS Among 584,263 AMI-CA admissions, 26,919 (4.6%) received inpatient PCS. From 2000 to 2017 PCS use increased from <1% to 11.5%. AMI-CA admissions that received PCS were on average older, had greater comorbidity, higher rates of cardiogenic shock, acute organ failure, lower rates of coronary angiography (48.6% vs 63.3%), percutaneous coronary intervention (37.4% vs 46.9%), and coronary artery bypass grafting (all p < 0.001). Older age, greater comorbidity burden and acute non-cardiac organ failure were predictive of PCS use. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in the PCS cohort (multivariable logistic regression: 84.6% vs 42.9%, adjusted odds ratio 3.62 [95% CI 3.48-3.76]; propensity-matched analysis: 84.7% vs. 66.2%, p < 0.001). The PCS cohort received a do- not-resuscitate status more often (47.6% vs. 3.7%), had shorter hospital stays (4 vs 5 days), and were discharged more frequently to skilled nursing facilities (73.6% vs. 20.4%); all p < 0.001. These results were consistent in the propensity-matched analysis. CONCLUSIONS Despite an increase in PCS use in AMI-CA, it remains significantly underutilized highlighting the role for further integrating of these specialists in AMI-CA care.
Matrix Elasticity Directs Stem Cell Fates – How Deeply Can Cells Feel?

Cells make a number of key decisions by actively applying forces to the objects that they ‘touch’. Naive mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from human bone marrow will be shown to specify lineage and commit to phenotypes with extreme sensitivity to tissue level elasticity. Soft matrices that mimic brain appear neurogenic, stiffer matrices that mimic muscle are myogenic, and comparatively rigid matrices that mimic collagenous bone prove osteogenic. Inhibition of the motor protein myosin blocks all elasticity directed lineage specification. While the results have significant implications for understanding physical effects of the in vivo microenvironment around cells and also for use of materials in biological studies and therapeutic applications of stem cells, they raise additional questions such as how far cells can feel. This question is addressed with MSCs and a series of gels of controlled thickness, with the results showing that cells probe microns into matrix.
Enhancing Colloids Through the Surface

Advances in colloidal surface chemistry are enabling new shapes, structures, and methods of assembly, as well as new routes to high-performance devices
Preparation and technical considerations for percutaneous cannulation for veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Background The most frequent limb complications from peripheral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) are limb ischemia and localized bleeding. To minimize these risks, perfusion of the distal limb with peripheral percutaneous cannulation was done. Technique Percutaneous cannulation with a distal perfusion port was performed in all patients. During the VA-ECMO, distal limb perfusion was monitored using near-infrared spectroscopy to assess tissue oxygenation. At the decannulation, patch angioplasty was performed to prevent the development of narrowing of the artery at the cannulation site. Conclusions Using our standard technique, we have not experienced any limb loss related to ischemia or bleeding. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12058 (J Card Surg 2013;28:190–192)
Unsteady Thermocapillary Flow and Free Surface Deformation in a Thin Liquid Layer

The thermocapillary flow in a thin liquid layer is analyzed when the free surface is permitted to deform. The thin liquid layer is differentially heated at the end walls. The rigid boundary at the bottom and the free surface are assumed to be thermally insulated. The liquid layer is assumed to be infinitely long in the third dimension. The analysis is performed both under normal gravity, where the hydrostatic force controls the deformation of the free surface, and in reduced gravity, where surface tension controls the deformation. Buoyant convection is assumed to be negligible in the liquid layer. A perturbation solution is constructed, with the height to length ratio (aspect ratio) of the liquid as the small parameter. The leading order solution at steady state corresponds to a one dimensional temperature distribution along the layer, a parabolic velocity field across the layer, with a vanishing flow rate, in a region away from the end walls, and a deformed free surface. The free surface deformation is such that mass accumulates near the cold end wall and is depleted near the hot end wall. The evolution of the leading order velocity and temperature fields, and the free surface deformation is considered. During the transient period when the shape of the free surface is evolving, the net flow rate across the liquid layer, as well as the effect of convective heat transfer, does not vanish. Convection tends to weaken the temperature gradient over most of the free surface, and thereby diminish the thermocapillary stress that drives the flow. One wonders whether the transient problem, in which convective heat transfer and free surface deformation are coupled, admits a solution that is oscillatory in time. To analyze this possibility, a linear bifurcation analysis of the steady state solution has been performed. A perturbation solution of the steady state fields has been utilized in the bifurcation analysis. The results show that neutrally stable disturbances that have an oscillatory behavior in time exist for various values of the system parameters.
Software release policies with gain in reliability justifying the costs

An important question in the developing process of software products is when to stop testing to make the gain in reliability justify the costs. In this paper, a software reliabilitydcost model is presented to determine the optimal release policies that maximize the expected net gain in reliability. Several software cost factors are considered in this study, such as the cost of removing detected errors and the risk cost due to software failure. The error removal cost is modeled based on a stochastic process. A software reliability model based on the nondhomogeneous Poisson process is used. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the results.
New media and an old problem: Promoting democracy

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Radiotherapy, Three‐Dimensional Conformal

Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) is a technique used in the treatment of malignant tumors in which the radiation dose distribution is designed to conform to the contours of a target volume, keeping radiation doses to the surrounding uninvolved anatomic structures to within acceptable limits. Key components of 3DCRT include imaging the patient and tumor in three dimensions; precisely defining the target volumes, accounting for demonstrable tumor as well as microscopic disease, and accounting for motion and setup uncertainty; designing treatment portals based on visualization of the target volumes; calculating radiation dose using sophisticated mathematical models that accurately reflect energy transport; and implementing an integrated program for verifying that the dose prescribed is appropriately delivered in the correct amounts to the correct points. Clinical studies demonstrated that the increased radiation doses allowed by 3DCRT have the potential for increasing the rate of control of malignant disease. Keywords: radiation therapy; radiation treatment planning; radiation oncology imaging
Probabilistic combination of visual cues for object classification

Recent solutions to object classification have focused on the decomposition of objects into representative parts. However, the vast majority of these methods are based on single visual cue measurements. Psychophysical evidence suggests that humans use multiple visual cues to accomplish recognition. In this paper, we address the problem of integrating multiple visual information for object recognition. Our contribution in this paper is twofold. First, we describe a new probabilistic integration model of multiple visual cues at different spatial locations across the image. Secondly, we use the cue integration framework to classify images of objects by combining two-dimensional and three-dimensional visual cues. Classification results obtained using the method are promising.
African-American and Caucasian disparities in colorectal cancer mortality and survival by data source: An epidemiologic review

Over the past four decades in the United States, there has been a divergent trend in mortality rates between African-Americans and Caucasians with colorectal cancer (CRC). Rates among Caucasians have been steadily declining, whereas rates among African-Americans have only started a gradual decline in recent years. We reviewed epidemiologic studies of CRC racial disparities between African-Americans and Caucasians, including studies from SEER and population-based cancer registries, Veterans Affairs (VA) databases, healthcare coverage databases, and university and other medical center data sources. Elevated overall and stage-specific risks of CRC mortality and shorter survival for African-Americans compared with Caucasians were reported across all data sources. The magnitude of racial disparities varied across study groups, with the strongest associations observed in university and non-VA hospital-based medical center studies, while an attenuated discrepancy was found in VA database studies. An advanced stage of disease at the time of diagnosis among African-Americans is a major contributing factor to the racial disparity in survival. Several studies, however, have shown that an increased risk of CRC death among African-Americans remains even after controlling for tumor stage at diagnosis, socioeconomic factors, and comorbidity. Despite advances in treatment, improvements in the standard of care, and increased screening options, racial differences persist in CRC mortality and survival. Therefore, continued research efforts are necessary to disentangle the clinical, social, biological, and environmental factors that constitute the racial disparity. In addition, results across data sources should be considered when evaluating racial differences in cancer outcomes.
An automated solution for the wide band sonar equation

The Solution of the sonar equation for wideband echo-ranging systems requires the use of Urick's generalized form of the sonar equation, and necessitates laborious computation of many frequency-dependent quantities in the equation. The solution has been automated using standard digital computer techniques, and results in a frequency-range contour map from which the echo-to-interference ratio can be seen. The fundamental use of the solution is to assess the effectiveness of proposed target strength experiments with a variety of source, receiver, and operational parameters. However, with the addition of detection thresholds, the solution can map out a frequency-range detection contour. Examples are presented to illustrate the (known) poor performance of omnidirectional sources and receivers, and begins with the use of a SUS explosive sound source. The example continues by demonstrating the improvements which may be achieved by the addition of receiving directivity, and concludes with the analysis of a measurement system using another impulsive sound source, Hydroshock(R). This system can effectively measure submarine target strength throughout the entire sonar and weapon frequency ranges in a single experiment. The paper alse reviews Urick's generalized sonar equation, which equates the echo energy to the total interference energy both of which are received in a specific frequency and time window.