cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploratory secondary analyses of a cognitive-behavioral intervention for knee osteoarthritis demonstrate reduction in biomarkers of adipocyte inflammation.

Summary Objective To investigate the effects of pain coping skills training (PCST) and a lifestyle behavioral weight management (BWM) program on inflammatory markers and biomarker associations with pain and function in the OA LIFE study. Method Serum samples were available from a subset ( N = 169) of the overweight or obese knee OA participants in the OA LIFE study that evaluated: PCST, BWM, combined PCST + BWM, or standard care (SC). Inflammatory markers (hsCRP, IL-1ra, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, TNFRI, TNFRII, and hyaluronic acid (HA)), and adipokines (leptin and adiponectin) were measured before and after the 24-week treatment period. Biomarkers were assessed for effects of treatment and for associations with change in weight, pain and disability (unadjusted and adjusted for age, race, sex, baseline body mass index (BMI), and baseline biomarker concentration). Results PCST + BWM was associated with significant reductions in hsCRP ( P = 0.0014), IL-6 ( P = 0.0075), and leptin ( P = 0.0001). After adjustment, there was a significant effect of PCST + BWM on changes in leptin ( b = −0.19, P = 0.01) and IL-6 ( b = −0.25, P = 0.02) relative to SC. Reductions in leptin and IL-6 were significantly correlated with reductions in weight, BMI and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) pain; reductions in IL-6 were correlated with improvements in WOMAC and Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS) physical function. By mediation analyses, weight loss was responsible for 54% of the change in IL-6 and all of the change in leptin. Conclusions OA-related inflammatory markers were reduced by a 24-week combined PCST + BWM intervention. This suggests that the inflammatory state can be successfully modified in the context of a readily instituted clinical intervention with a positive clinical outcome.
Research of relay protection measurement apparatus testing and analyzing system based on virtual instrument

The performance of micro-relay protection measurement apparatus can not be examined at present.Based on GB 《Technical specifications of test equipment based on micro-computer for relaying protection》,the testing methods of micro-relay protection measurement apparatus's performance parameter are researched,then a test scheme is given,and finally a testing and analyzing system based on PCI and LabVIEW is realized.The system can meet the requirement of field testing.
Automated generation of diverse NPC-controlling FSMs using nondeterministic planning techniques

We study the problem of generating a set of Finite State Machines (FSMs) modeling the behavior of multiple, distinct NPCs. We observe that nondeterministic planning techniques can be used to generate FSMs by following conventions typically used when manually creating FSMs modeling NPC behavior. We implement our ideas in DivNDP, the first algorithm for automated diverse FSM generation.
Surgical management of large AVMs.

The surgical management of large AVMs (those greater than 6 cm in maximal diameter) should be based on a thorough understanding of the chronic hemodynamic changes produced by lesions and the acute stress placed on the cerebral vasculature by their removal. In addition to haemorrhage, seizure, and headache, these larger lesions often present with symptoms of cerebral vascular insufficiency3, 4, 12. Angiography frequently demonstrates a high-flow arteriovenous shunt with evidence of vascular steal from the surrounding brain. In many cases there is a virtual absence of normal hemispheric filling. When the steal is sufficient to produce an area of chronic ischaemia in the brain surrounding the AVM, there is an increased risk of swelling and haemorrhage associated with complete excision.
Metformin improves urine concentration in rodents with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus

Urine concentration is regulated by vasopressin. Congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) is caused by vasopressin type 2 receptor (V2R) mutations. We studied whether metformin could improve urine concentration in rodent models of congenital NDI by stimulating AMPK. To block the V2R in rats, tolvaptan (10 mg/kg/d) was given by oral gavage with or without metformin (800 mg/ kg/d). Control rats received vehicle with or without metformin. Tamoxifen-induced V2R KO mice were given metformin (600 mg/kg) or vehicle twice daily. Urine osmolality in tolvaptan-treated rats (1,303 ± 126 mOsM) was restored to control levels by metformin (2,335 ± 273 mOsM) within 3 days and was sustained for up to 10 days. Metformin increased protein abundance of inner medullary urea transporter UT-A1 by 61% and aquaporin 2 (AQP2) by 44% in tolvaptan-treated rats, and immunohistochemistry showed increased membrane accumulation of AQP2 with acute and chronic AMPK stimulation. Outer medullary Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter 2 (NKCC2) abundance increased (117%) with AMPK stimulation in control rats but not in V2R-blocked rats. Metformin increased V2R KO mouse urine osmolality within 3 hours, and the increase persisted for up to 12 hours. Metformin increased AQP2 in the V2R KO mice similar to the tolvaptan-treated rats. These results indicate that AMPK activators, such as metformin, might provide a promising treatment for congenital NDI.
EHP Highlights of the Past Year.

Approaching the first anniversary of my becoming Editor-in-Chief of EHP, I want to provide an update to our readers and authors about recent events and changes. My first priority is to thank our associate editors and reviewers, who donate their valuable time and expertise to ensure that peer review is fair and rigorous, and who help EHP publish the most credible and important environmental health research. One measure of their contribution is reflected in the increase in EHP’s impact factor from 7.98 in 2014 to 8.44 in 2015. Over the past 12 months, EHP continued to receive about 120 new submissions per month. We sent about 30% forward for peer review, with two-thirds of those becoming accepted after peer review, for a final acceptance rate of about 20%.
C1 Lateral Mass Displacement and Transverse Atlantal Ligament Failure in Jefferson's Fracture: A Biomechanical Study of the "Rule of Spence".

BACKGROUND Jefferson's fracture, first described in 1927, represents a bursting fracture of the C1 ring with lateral displacement of the lateral masses. It has been determined that if the total lateral mass displacement (LMD) exceeds 6.9 mm, there is high likelihood of transverse atlantal ligament (TAL) rupture, and if LMD is less than 5.7 mm TAL injury is unlikely. Several recent radiographic studies have questioned the accuracy and validity of the "rule of Spence" and it lacks biomechanical support. OBJECTIVE To determine the amount of LMD necessary for TAL failure using modern biomechanical techniques. METHODS Using a universal material testing machine, cadaveric TALs were stretched laterally until failure. A high-resolution, high-speed camera was utilized to measure the displacement of the lateral masses upon TAL failure. RESULTS Eleven cadaveric specimens were tested (n = 11). The average LMD upon TAL failure was 3.2 mm (±1.2 mm). The average force required to cause failure of the TAL was 242 N (±82 N). From our data analysis, if LMD exceeds 3.8 mm, there is high probability of TAL failure. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that although the rule of Spence is a conceptually valid measure of TAL integrity, TAL failure occurs at a significantly lower value than previously reported (P < .001). Based on our literature review and findings, LMD is not a reliable independent indicator for TAL failure and should be used as an adjunctive tool to magnetic resonance imaging rather an absolute rule.
An open source, wireless capable miniature microscope system

Objective. Fluorescence imaging through head-mounted microscopes in freely behaving animals is becoming a standard method to study neural circuit function. Flexible, open-source designs are needed to spur evolution of the method. Approach. We describe a miniature microscope for single-photon fluorescence imaging in freely behaving animals. The device is made from 3D printed parts and off-the-shelf components. These microscopes weigh less than 1.8 g, can be configured to image a variety of fluorophores, and can be used wirelessly or in conjunction with active commutators. Microscope control software, based in Swift for macOS, provides low-latency image processing capabilities for closed-loop, or BMI, experiments. Main results. Miniature microscopes were deployed in the songbird premotor region HVC (used as a proper name), in singing zebra finches. Individual neurons yield temporally precise patterns of calcium activity that are consistent over repeated renditions of song. Several cells were tracked over timescales of weeks and months, providing an opportunity to study learning related changes in HVC. Significance. 3D printed miniature microscopes, composed completely of consumer grade components, are a cost-effective, modular option for head-mounting imaging. These easily constructed and customizable tools provide access to cell-type specific neural ensembles over timescales of weeks.
Cyber Risk Management for Critical Infrastructure: A Risk Analysis Model and Three Case Studies

Managing cyber security in an organization involves allocating the protection budget across a spectrum of possible options. This requires assessing the benefits and the costs of these options. The risk analyses presented here are statistical when relevant data are available, and system-based for high-consequence events that have not happened yet. This article presents, first, a general probabilistic risk analysis framework for cyber security in an organization to be specified. It then describes three examples of forward-looking analyses motivated by recent cyber attacks. The first one is the statistical analysis of an actual database, extended at the upper end of the loss distribution by a Bayesian analysis of possible, high-consequence attack scenarios that may happen in the future. The second is a systems analysis of cyber risks for a smart, connected electric grid, showing that there is an optimal level of connectivity. The third is an analysis of sequential decisions to upgrade the software of an existing cyber security system or to adopt a new one to stay ahead of adversaries trying to find their way in. The results are distributions of losses to cyber attacks, with and without some considered countermeasures in support of risk management decisions based both on past data and anticipated incidents.
Adaptive Multiview Nonnegative Matrix Factorization Algorithm for Integration of Multimodal Biomedical Data

The amounts and types of available multimodal tumor data are rapidly increasing, and their integration is critical for fully understanding the underlying cancer biology and personalizing treatment. However, the development of methods for effectively integrating multimodal data in a principled manner is lagging behind our ability to generate the data. In this article, we introduce an extension to a multiview nonnegative matrix factorization algorithm (NNMF) for dimensionality reduction and integration of heterogeneous data types and compare the predictive modeling performance of the method on unimodal and multimodal data. We also present a comparative evaluation of our novel multiview approach and current data integration methods. Our work provides an efficient method to extend an existing dimensionality reduction method. We report rigorous evaluation of the method on large-scale quantitative protein and phosphoprotein tumor data from the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) acquired using state-of-the-art liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Exome sequencing and RNA-Seq data were also available from The Cancer Genome Atlas for the same tumors. For unimodal data, in case of breast cancer, transcript levels were most predictive of estrogen and progesterone receptor status and copy number variation of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status. For ovarian and colon cancers, phosphoprotein and protein levels were most predictive of tumor grade and stage and residual tumor, respectively. When multiview NNMF was applied to multimodal data to predict outcomes, the improvement in performance is not overall statistically significant beyond unimodal data, suggesting that proteomics data may contain more predictive information regarding tumor phenotypes than transcript levels, probably due to the fact that proteins are the functional gene products and therefore a more direct measurement of the functional state of the tumor. Here, we have applied our proposed approach to multimodal molecular data for tumors, but it is generally applicable to dimensionality reduction and joint analysis of any type of multimodal data.
Nonadditive Interactions Mediated by Water at Chemically Heterogeneous Surfaces: Nonionic Polar Groups and Hydrophobic Interactions.

We explore how two nonionic polar groups (primary amine and primary amide) influence hydrophobic interactions of neighboring nonpolar domains. We designed stable β-peptide sequences that generated globally amphiphilic (GA) helices, each with a nonpolar domain formed by six cyclohexyl side chains arranged along one side of the 14-helix. The other side of the helix was dominated by three polar side chains, from β3-homolysine (K) and/or β3-homoglutamine (Q) residues. Variations in this polar side chain array included exclusively β3-hLys (GA-KKK) and β3-hLys/β3-hGln mixtures (e.g., GA-QKK and GA-QQK). Chemical force measurements in aqueous solution versus methanol allowed quantification of the hydrophobic interactions of the β-peptide with the nonpolar tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM). At pH 10.5, where the K side chain is largely uncharged, we measured hydrophobic adhesive interactions mediated by GA-KKK to be 0.61 ± 0.04 nN, by GA-QKK to be 0.54 ± 0.01 nN, and by GA-QQK to be 0 ± 0.01 nN. This findin...
Optimal submodule capacitor sizing for modular multilevel converters with common mode voltage injection and circulating current control

Modular multilevel converters (MMCs), with the filter-less and transformer-less features, are considered as a promising topology for high-efficiency medium voltage (MV) high voltage (HV) drive systems. However, at low frequencies (< 30 Hz), a large current ripple flowing through the capacitors of each submodule will cause significant capacitor voltage fluctuation. This paper proposes an optimal submodule capacitor selection based on the common mode voltage injection. The proposed sizing model includes two functions: a) accurately estimating the capacitor voltage ripple based on the drive system parameters; and b) identifying the minimum capacitance of the submodule capacitors based on the allowed maximum capacitor voltage fluctuations. Simulation and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test results show that the error between the actual and estimated values of the voltage fluctuation is within 3% using the proposed model.
Some Accidents, Coincidents, and Intents: A Vocational Narrative

I offer here a narrative of vocation. It is not a psychological history, a mustering of affections and anxieties and aversions, a prowl through my unconscious. It is not a history of ideas, a recital of those connections or boundaries or passions of thought I have paused to notice. It is not a comment on other papers assembled here—which I have not yet seen—though perhaps it is a way of expressing appreciation for them. It is a chronicle of events and activities that have nudged me into one arena or contest or vocabulary rather than another.
Photodiscoloration of Orthotolidine and Artificial Standards for Free Chlorine Test in Water

As deterioration of the reagent used may seriously affect the accuracy of the determination of free chlorine in water, it seemed important to find out whether the discoloration and precipitate which we have observed in orthotolidine on its exposure to sunlight actually impaired its value. Ellms and Hauser (1) have found that the reagent does not deteriorate on standing; they do not mention the effect of direct sunlight, however, or of other extreme conditions. In order to ascertain this, one liter of orthotolidine solution was divided in half and put into clear glass bottles. One portion was exposed to south light and the other was stored in a dark cupboard. These two solutions were used at various intervals in free chlorine determinations. The color of the ortholidine reagents was also observed. The results of these observations are given in table 1. The reagent exposed to the light showed a discoloration at the end of about six weeks, and after two months, the solution became unreliable. The solution stored in the dark for eleven months showed no evidence of deterioration.
Semantic memories prime autobiographical memories: General implications and implications for everyday autobiographical remembering.

This study investigated the idea that semantic memory activation causes the activation of associated autobiographical memories (e.g., reading the word summer activates knowledge representations in semantic memory, as well as associated personal memories about summer in autobiographical memory). We tested this semantic-autobiographical memory priming hypothesis in three experiments. In Experiment 1, participants were primed with concepts (e.g., summer) on a familiarity task and were then given a word-cue voluntary autobiographical memory task. In support of the hypothesis, the results showed that primed participants had more autobiographical memories overlapping with the primed concepts than control participants. In Experiment 2, participants were similarly primed, but in this case they were given a measure of involuntary autobiographical memory (i.e., Schlagman and Kvavilashvili’s (Memory & Cognition, 36, 920–932, 2008) vigilance task). The results of this experiment also supported the semantic-autobiographical memory-priming hypothesis. Experiment 3 ruled out an alternative possibility (i.e., that autobiographical memory processing had occurred in the word familiarity task) by showing that semantic-autobiographical priming had resulted from a priming task (lexical decision) where autobiographical memory processing was unlikely. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Dynamic Regulation of Extracellular Superoxide Production by the Coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (CCMP 374).

In marine waters, ubiquitous reactive oxygen species (ROS) drive biogeochemical cycling of metals and carbon. Marine phytoplankton produce the ROS superoxide (O2-) extracellularly and can be a dominant source of O2- in natural aquatic systems. However, the cellular regulation, biological functioning, and broader ecological impacts of extracellular O2- production by marine phytoplankton remain mysterious. Here, we explored the regulation and potential roles of extracellular O2- production by a noncalcifying strain of the cosmopolitan coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi, a key species of marine phytoplankton that has not been examined for extracellular O2- production previously. Cell-normalized extracellular O2- production was the highest under presumably low-stress conditions during active proliferation and inversely related to cell density during exponential growth phase. Removal of extracellular O2- through addition of the O2- scavenger superoxide dismutase (SOD), however, increased growth rates, growth yields, cell biovolume, and photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm ) indicating an overall physiological improvement. Thus, the presence of extracellular O2- does not directly stimulate E. huxleyi proliferation, as previously suggested for other phytoplankton, bacteria, fungi, and protists. Extracellular O2- production decreased in the dark, suggesting a connection with photosynthetic processes. Taken together, the tight regulation of this stress independent production of extracellular O2- by E. huxleyi suggests that it could be involved in fundamental photophysiological processes.
It’s an Interesting MOF, but Is It Stable?

The mechanical stability of metal-organic framework (MOF) structures is key to their functionality. In this issue of Matter, Moghadam et al. use high-throughput simulations and machine learning to derive structure-mechanical properties and predict bulk moduli of MOFs from a few physical parameters.
Yap1 is required for maintenance of adult RPE differentiation.

Nuclear YAP1 plays a critical role in regulation of stem cell proliferation, tissue regeneration, and organ size in many types of epithelia. Due to rapid turnover of most epithelial cell types, the cytoplasmic function of YAP1 in epithelial cells has not been well studied. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a highly polarized epithelial cell type maintained at a senescence state, and offers an ideal cell model to study the active role of YAP1 in maintenance of the adult epithelial phenotype. Here, we show that the cytoplasmic function of YAP1 is essential to maintain adult RPE differentiation. Knockout of Yap1 in the adult mouse RPE caused cell depolarization and tight junction breakdown, and led to inhibition of RPE65 expression, diminishment of RPE pigments, and retraction of microvilli and basal infoldings. These changes in RPE further prompted the loss of adjacent photoreceptor outer segments and photoreceptor death, which eventually led to decline of visual function in older mice between 6 and 12 months of age. Furthermore, nuclear β-catenin and its activity were significantly increased in mutant RPE. These results suggest that YAP1 plays an important role in active inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and is essential for downregulation of β-catenin nuclear activity and prevention of dedifferentiation of adult RPE.
Chapter 7 – Common Diseases

Publisher Summary Many pathogens have been reported to cause disease in the laboratory rat. This chapter concentrates on the pathology of the more common pathogens of the laboratory rat. Based on serologic surveys, parvo viruses are some of the most common viral pathogens in wild and laboratory rat. In general, there are three main serogroups, including Rat virus (RV), H-1 virus, and Ratparvovirus (RPV). Both RPV and RV are tropic for many of the same tissues and they both may result in a persistent infection. However, RPV is antigenically and genetically distinct from RV, and it apparently does not cause clinical signs or lesions in infant rats. M. pulmonis causes natural disease in rats and mice. The infection in young rats is usually clinically silent. In older rats, there are nonspecific clinical signs such as snuffling, chromodacryorrhea, and face and ear rubbing. Several bacteria of the genus Streptococcus can cause clinical disease in rats. All of the streptococci of concern in rats are Gram-positive cocci, and are catalase-negative, nonfermentative, and generally nonmotile. Cilia-associated respiratory bacillus has been identified in rats. In rats, infection is usually asymptomatic although nonspecific clinical signs, such as weight loss and dyspnea, may be observed.
Underrepresentation in Gifted Education in the Context of Rurality and Socioeconomic Status

Proportional identification of students for gifted services in Florida school districts is an important goal. A multi-level model was used to analyze school district data from the Florida Departmen...
Evaluation of Causal Inference Techniques for AIOps

Inferring causality of events from log data is critical to IT operations teams who continuously strive to identify probable root causes of events in order to quickly resolve incident tickets so that downtimes and service interruptions are kept to a minimum. Although prior work has applied some specific causal inference techniques on proprietary log data, they fail to benchmark the performance of different techniques on a common system or dataset. In this work, we evaluate the performance of multiple state-of-the-art causal inference techniques using log data obtained from a publicly available benchmark microservice system. We model log data both as a timeseries of error counts and as a temporal event sequence and evaluate 3 families of Granger causal techniques: regression based, independence testing based, and event models. Our preliminary results indicate that event models yield causal graphs that have high precision and recall in comparison to regression and independence testing based Granger methods.
Of Socratic Teaching and Learning Styles: Exposing the Pervasiveness of Implicit Bias and White Privilege in Legal Pedagogy (Forthcoming, Hastings Journal of Race and Poverty Law)

Legal educators who deny the efficacy of utilizing learning style theory inaccurately support their dismissal through misunderstanding and misrepresenting the science supporting such techniques. These erroneous conclusions are often the result of implicit bias and dysconscious racism favoring dominant white male norms and privileges. Such denial is not only disingenuous and inaccurate, but also highly detrimental to legal education, perpetuating a system that discourages and devalues the contributions and efforts of minority students. Learning style preferences are a product of a student’s cultural background. Legal educators who recognize this and adapt their teaching methods to accommodate the modal preferences of an increasingly diverse student population encourage student motivation, confidence and ultimately success. Those who embrace learning style theory do not suggest that students can only be taught, or learn, in their preferred mode. Instead, they recognize the proven value of introducing new subject matter to adult learners mindful of these differences. This paper makes four recommendations toward increased understanding and effective use of multimodal teaching methods; (1) critically examine the misunderstanding and misapplication of scientific data that supports the effectiveness of adapting teaching methods to student learning preferences, including the prevalent nomenclature mistakes made by detractors that conflate the concepts of learning styles, preferences and methods, as well as the concepts of teaching and learning; (2) recognize implicit biases and other forms of racism that interfere with the ability to reach all students; (3) show respect for our culturally diverse students by acknowledging their differences and adapting our methods accordingly; and (4) encourage legal educators to engage in cross disciplinary collaboration with fields such as neuroscience and educational psychology which have already made headway in proving the learning benefits of multimodal instruction. Ultimately, there are voices from the privileged teaching class of the academy mischaracterizing learning science and teaching strategies to validate the mainstream way we have taught in law schools for more than a century. This mischaracterization perpetuates the exclusion of minority students from legal education, and the mischaracterization is palatable and readily accepted because of implicit bias and systemic racism.
Single-Cell Phenotypic Analysis and Digital Molecular Detection Linkable by a Hydrogel Bead-Based Platform

Cell heterogeneity, such as antibiotic heteroresistance and cancer cell heterogeneity, has been increasingly observed. To probe the underlying molecular mechanisms in the dynamically changing heterogeneous cells, a high throughput platform is urgently needed to establish single cell genotype-phenotype correlations. Herein, we report a platform combining single-cell viability phenotypic analysis with digital molecular detection for bacterial cells. The platform utilizes polyethylene glycol hydrogel that cross-links through a thiol-Michael addition, which is biocompatible, fast, and spontaneous. To generate uniform nanoliter-sized hydrogel beads (Gelbeads), we developed a convenient and disposable device made of needles and microcentrifuge tubes. Gelbead-based single cell viability and molecular detection assays were established. Enhanced thermal stability and uncompromised efficiency were achieved for digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and digital loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) within the Gelbeads. Reagent exchange for in situ PCR following viability phenotypic analyses was demonstrated. The combined analyses may address the genotypic differences between cellular subpopulations exhibiting distinct phenotypes. The platform promises unique perspectives in mechanism elucidation of environment-evolution interaction that may be extended to other cell types for medical research.
The Limits of a Centralized Bureaucracy: Evidence from the Stock Market in China

Recent research shows that political centralization can reduce elite capture and improve governance outcomes. Despite these benefits, we demonstrate that there is a limit for an independent-minded, centralized bureaucracy to eliminate the influence of private and local interests. We study a highly centralized approval-based system of initial public offerings (IPOs) in the Chinese stock market. Such a system is designed to avoid the influence of private, local interests and select well-performing firms for IPO based solely on efficiency criteria. However, we find that seemingly powerless provincial politicians can still strongly influence the allocation of IPOs in favor of loyal mayors by cooperating strategically with central bureaucrats. Hence, firms in loyal subordinates’ cities are more likely to receive IPO approval. These findings contribute to our understanding of the limits of centralized bureaucracy as a tool to improve governance outcomes and prevent the influence of local and private interests.
Differential Use of Pediatric Video Visits by a Diverse Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study

Objective: To describe and explore pediatric ambulatory video visit use by patient characteristics during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: We conducted an explanatory sequential mixed methods study with integration at the design and methods level. Phase 1 was a cross-sectional analysis of general and specialty pediatric ambulatory encounters to profile the use of video visits by patient characteristics. We performed descriptive analyses for each variable of interest and estimated a multivariable logistic regression model to analyze factors associated with the odds of having a video visit. Phase 2 was a qualitative exploration using semi-structured interviews with healthcare team members to understand the contextual factors influencing video visit usage. We used an interview guide to solicit information related to general perceptions about ambulatory video visits, reactions to the quantitative phase data, and strategies for optimizing equitable reach of video visits. Data were analyzed using a combination of deductive and inductive analysis. Results: Among the 5,464 pediatric ambulatory encounters completed between March 11 and June 30, 2020, 2,127 were video visits. Patient factors associated with lower odds of having a video visit rather than an in-person visit included being Spanish-speaking (aOR 0.27, 95% CI 0.20-0.37) and other non-English-speaking (aOR 0.50, 95% CI 0.34-0.75) in comparison to English-speaking. Patients with public insurance also had a lower odds of having a video visit in comparison to privately insured patients (aOR 0.77, 95% CI 0.67-0.88). Qualitative interviews identified five solution-based themes: (1) Promoting video visits in a way that reaches all patient families; (2) Offering video visits to all patient families; (3) Mitigating digital literacy barriers; (4) Expanding health system resources to support families' specific needs; and (5) Engaging and empowering health system personnel to expand video visit access. Conclusion: We identified differences in pediatric ambulatory video visit use by patient characteristics, with lower odds of video visit use among non-English-speaking and publicly insured patients. The mixed-methods approach allowed for the perspectives of our interview participants to contextualize the finding and lead to suggestions for improvement. Both our findings and the approach can be used by other health systems to ensure that all patients and families receive equal video visit access.
STRONGLY-INTERACTING ELECTROWEAK SECTOR AT e-e- COLLIDERS

We study the possible experimental signatures resulting from a strongly-interacting electroweak sector at e-e- colliders, emphasizing the signal enhancement by high beam polarization. We also discuss the unique role for operating the collider in e-γ mode to produce a heavy isosinglet vector state ωT.
Improving physical and mental health of college students through Consciousness-Based Education.

OBJECTIVE This study examined whether studying in a Consciousness-Based Education institution influenced college students' mental and physical health. Participants and methods: Undergraduate college students (n = 321) completed the Duke Health Profile, assessing 11 areas of mental and physical health, both as entering freshmen (2008-2014) and at graduation. The archived data was analyzed from 2019 to 2020. Results: Using ANOVA for all 11 subscales revealed significant increases in physical, mental, and general health, self-esteem (P < .001), perceived health (P < .017); and significant decreases in anxiety, depression, and anxiety-depression (P < .001). There were no significant group effects on pain, disability, or social health. Conclusions: Consciousness-Based Education was found to buffer the effects of stress on mental and physical health in college students. Consciousness-Based Education's influence in lowering anxiety and depression while improving self-esteem and general health presents an effective tool for educators and administrators to consider in assisting students combating the stress of college life.
Sets, Relations, and Preferences

Chapter 1 introduces elementary set theory and the notation to be used throughout the book. We also define the notions of a binary relation, of a function, as well as the axioms of a group and field. Finally we discuss the idea of an individual and social preference relation, and mention some of the concepts of social choice and welfare economics.
The Wildcard Set's Size in the Density Hales-Jewett Theorem

In this paper prove results concerning restrictions on the cardinality of the wildcard set in the density Hales-Jewett theorem, establishing in particular that for general $k$ one may choose this cardinality from any IP set and that for $k=2$ it may be chosen to be a square, thus providing an abstract extension of Sarkozy's theorem on square differences in sets of positive upper density.
Enhancing CS programming lab courses using collaborative editors

This paper describes the pedagogical implications of the GREWPtool (the Groupware Research in Education and the Workforce Project), a same time different place groupware tool built to support synchronous, collaborative coding among small to medium sized groups. GREWPtool exploits the educational benefits of paired programming while extending the model to allow students synchronous control of the same code. This effectively drops the constraints of turn taking, and allows for a richer interaction. The result was a powerful tool that can be used to provide interactive lectures, structure classroom activity, and facilitate paired programming during labs. In this paper we present the design and use of GREWPtool with an emphasis on how it enhances the classroom experience. In particular, we give a qualitative analysis of how this tool has been used in six lab courses over the past two years.
In Praise Of The Guilty Project: A Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Growing Anxiety About Innocence Projects

There is nothing more compelling than a story about an innocent person wrongly convicted and ultimately vindicated. An ordinary citizen is caught up in the criminal justice system through circumstances beyond his or her control, spends many years in prison, and then one day, with the assistance of a dedicated lawyer, is freed. Like many people, I am drawn to such stories. I have even told one myself. This is the rare crime story with a happy ending. The vindicated person emerges from prison and falls into the loving arms of family and friends. The lawyer is embraced as well. The front page of the local newspaper carries a photograph of the celebration. Sometimes even the victim is pleased. Often, when DNA is behind a vindication, not only is the innocent person exonerated but the true perpetrator is identified. This is a significant achievement even though it can also lead
Active exploration and learning in real-valued spaces using multi-armed bandit allocation indices

A method for active learning is introduced which uses Gittins multi-armed bandit allocation indices to select actions which optimally trade-off exploration and exploitation to maximize expected payoff. We apply the Gittins method to continuous action spaces by using the C4.5 algorithm to learn a mapping from state (or perception of state) and action to the success or failure of the action when taken in the state. The leaves of the resulting tree form a finite set of alternatives over the continuous space of actions. The action selected is from that leaf which, of the leaves consistent with the perceived state, has the highest Gittins index. We illustrate the technique with a simulated robot learning task for grasping objects where each grasping trial can be lengthy and it is desirable to reduce unnecessary experiments. For the grasping simulation, the Gittins index approach demonstrates statistically significant performance improvement over the Interval Estimation action selection heuristic, with little increase in computational cost. The method also has the advantage of providing a principled way of choosing the exploration parameter based on the expected number of repetitions of the task.
Survival after emergency department thoracotomy: review of published data from the past 25 years.

Abstract Background: Emergency department thoracotomy (EDT) has become standard therapy for patients who acutely arrest after injury. Patient selection is vitally important to achieve optimal outcomes without wasting valuable resources. The aim of this study was to determine the main factors that most influence survival after EDT. Study Design: Twenty-four studies that included 4,620 cases from institutions that reported EDT for both blunt and penetrating trauma during the past 25 years were reviewed. The primary outcomes analyzed were in-hospital survival rates. Results: EDT had an overall survival rate of 7.4%. Normal neurologic outcomes were noted in 92.4% of surviving patients. Factors reported as influencing outcomes were the mechanism of injury (MOI), location of major injury (LOMI), and signs of life (SOL). Survival rates for MOI were 8.8% for penetrating injuries and 1.4% for blunt injuries. When penetrating injuries were further separated, the survival rates were 16.8% for stab wounds and 4.3% for gunshot wounds. For the LOMI, survival rates were 10.7% for thoracic injuries, 4.5% for abdominal injuries, and 0.7% for multiple injuries. If the LOMI was the heart, the survival rate was the highest at 19.4%. The third factor influencing outcomes was SOL. If SOL were present on arrival at the hospital, survival rate was 11.5% in contrast to 2.6% if none were present. SOL present during transport resulted in a survival rate of 8.9%. Absence of SOL in the field yielded a survival rate of 1.2%. There was no clear single independent preoperative factor that could uniformly predict death. Conclusions: The best survival results are seen in patients who undergo EDT for thoracic stab injuries and who arrive with SOL in the emergency department. All three factors—MOI, LOMI, and SOL—should be taken into account when deciding whether to perform EDT. Uniform reporting guidelines are needed to further elucidate the role of EDT taking into account the combination of MOI, LOMI, and SOL.
Bypass testing of Web applications

Web software applications are increasingly being deployed in sensitive situations. Web applications are used to transmit, accept and store data that is personal, company confidential and sensitive. Input validation testing (IVT) checks user inputs to ensure that they conform to the program's requirements, which is particularly important for software that relies on user inputs, including Web applications. A common technique in Web applications is to perform input validation on the client with scripting languages such as JavaScript. An insidious problem with client-side input validation is that end users can bypass this validation. Bypassing validation can cause failures in the software, and can also break the security on Web applications, leading to unauthorized access to data, system failures, invalid purchases and entry of bogus data. We are developing a strategy called bypass testing to create client-side tests for Web applications that intentionally violate explicit and implicit checks on user inputs. This paper describes the strategy, defines specific rules and adequacy criteria for tests, describes a proof-of-concept automated tool, and presents initial empirical results from applying bypass testing.
Improved sexual and urinary function in women with sacral nerve stimulation.

Objectives: Urinary and sexual function improve following sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) for refractory overactive bladder. No significant associations between these changes have been found. Whether improvements in sexual function are independent of or secondary to improvements in urinary function remains unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze changes in urinary and sexual function in a homogeneous sample of patients undergoing SNS for urge urinary incontinence and subsequently identify associations between the two. Materials and Methods: A prospective database was created. Enrollees underwent a full history and physical examination at the first office visit. Multiple-day voiding diaries with validated and investigator-designed questionnaires were administered at baseline and follow-up as standard implantation procedures and to assess changes in urinary and sexual function, respectively. Analyses were completed using data from patients who were sexually active at baseline and follow-up. Results: Statistically significant improvements in urinary and sexual function occurred according to multiple metrics. Patient global impression scales categorized all patients' urinary conditions as improved, with most being less severe. Validated urinary symptom and quality of life scores improved significantly. After treatment, most patients were incontinent less often with sexual activity and felt less restricted from sexual activity by fear of incontinence. Validated quantification of sexual function demonstrated significant improvements in overall sexual function, arousal, and satisfaction. No significant associations between changes in urinary and sexual function were noted; however, trends appeared to exist between the two. Conclusions: Improved sexual function was not significantly associated with improved urinary function after SNS despite apparent trends between the two. Larger samples are required to definitively demonstrate this conclusion.
Inelastic Behavior of Random Arrays of Identical Spheres

Our overall goal is to derive an incremental, rate-independent continuum theory for an idealized granular material consisting of spherical particles from a consideration of force and moment equilibrium of the individual grains and simple but appropriate assumptions regarding the force of contact between grains and the statistical geometry of their packing.
Borderline Personality Disorder in 3-D: Dimensions, Symptoms, and Measurement Challenges

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a pervasive pattern of psychopathology characterized by unstable affect, suicidal behaviors, and identity problems (Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Washington, DC: Author; 2000). BPD is heterogeneous in nature, highly prevalent in clinical settings, and increasingly studied by clinical and social psychologists. This review highlights affective instability, impulsivity, and interpersonal hypersensitivity, the interaction of which we believe accounts for the symptoms of BPD, the BPD criteria most associated with these features, and the interrelationships among these underlying dimensions. We also discuss difficulties in measurement of these dimensions. Real-world assessment methods will assist in the measurement of timedependent processes and identify causes, covariates, or consequences of these processes to determine how these features manifest themselves in real life.
GCR Environmental Models I: Sensitivity Analysis for GCR Environments

Accurate galactic cosmic ray (GCR) models are required to assess crew exposure during long-duration missions to the Moon or Mars. Many of these models have been developed and compared to available measurements, with uncertainty estimates usually stated to be less than 15%. However, when the models are evaluated over a common epoch and propagated through to effective dose, relative differences exceeding 50% are observed. This indicates that the metrics used to communicate GCR model uncertainty can be better tied to exposure quantities of interest for shielding applications. This is the first of three papers focused on addressing this need. In this work, the focus is on quantifying the extent to which each GCR ion and energy group, prior to entering any shielding material or body tissue, contributes to effective dose behind shielding. Results can be used to more accurately calibrate model-free parameters and provide a mechanism for refocusing validation efforts on measurements taken over important energy regions. Results can also be used as references to guide future nuclear cross-section measurements and radiobiology experiments. It is found that GCR with Z>2 and boundary energies below 500 MeV/n induce less than 5% of the total effective dose behind shielding. This finding is important given that most of the GCR models are developed and validated against Advanced Composition Explorer/Cosmic Ray Isotope Spectrometer (ACE/CRIS) measurements taken below 500 MeV/n. It is therefore possible for two models to very accurately reproduce the ACE/CRIS data while inducing very different effective dose values behind shielding.
Cryogenic Coolers for IR Systems

The IR engineer has the choice of many types of cryogenic cooling systems which can be used for cooling components of IR systems. This article is intended to give some guidance in this selection process to the IR engineer, who may not be intimately familiar with various cooler types. The article briefly describes the characteristics of cryogenic coolers which are suitable for cooling components in IR systems to temperatures in the range of 4-120 K. It covers systems which are presently available, or will be available in the foreseeable future. The principles of operation of commonly available cooler types are described, the characteristics of each type are discussed, and the probable areas of application for each type are indicated. The following cooler types are discussed: open cycle systems using expendables (liquid cryogen, solid cryogen, and Joule-Thomson coolers); continuous flow, closed cycle refrigerators (Joule-Thomson and reversed Brayton cycle refrigerators); intermittent flow, closed cycle refrigerators (Stirling cycle; Gifford-McMahon cycle, and Vuilleumier cycle refrigerators, plus split cycle refrigerators based on these three cycles); and passive radiators. A bibliography, containing references to more detailed information on all cooler types, is included.