cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pain and Urinary Symptoms Should Not be Combined into a Single Score: Psychometric Findings from the MAPP Research Network

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to create symptom indexes, that is scores derived from questionnaires to accurately and efficiently measure symptoms of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, collectively referred to as urological chronic pelvic pain syndromes. We created these indexes empirically by investigating the structure of symptoms using exploratory factor analysis.Materials and Methods: As part of the MAPP (Multi-Disciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain) Research Network 424 participants completed questionnaires, including GUPI (Genitourinary Pain Index), ICSI (Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index) and ICPI (Interstitial Cystitis Problem Index). Individual items from questionnaires about bladder and pain symptoms were evaluated by principal component and exploratory factor analyses to identify indexes with fewer questions to comprehensively quantify symptom severity. Additional analyses included correlating symptom i...
Liberals and conservatives: Non-convertible currencies

Duarte et al. are correct that the social science enterprise would improve on several fronts if the number of politically conservative researchers were to increase; however, because they misunderstand the degree to which liberals and conservatives are dispositionally different, they fail to appreciate the full range of reasons that conservatives are reluctant to enter the modern social sciences.
Definitive evidence for renin in rat brain by affinity chromatographic separation from protease

1. Angiotensin I-generating activity of rat brain extract was separated into two components by affinity chromatography on a casein—Sepharose gel column. 2. The component without affinity to the gel was identified as true renin on the basis of its sensitivity to anti-renin antibody and the lack of protease activity. 3. The second renin-like component with affinity to the gel was a protease insensitive to the anti-renin antibody. Its renin-like activity examined with sheep substrate was pronounced compared with the rate of angiotensin I generation from the rat substrate. 4. It was concluded that rat brain contains true renin, which can be detected by the use of rat substrate but can be masked when examined with sheep substrate.
A rapid method for the isolation of glomeruli from the human kidney.

Uniformly decapsulated glomeruli were obtained from human kidney in less than 20 minutes. The kidney was perfused with cold isotonic saline solution. After removal of the medulla the cortex was cut into small fragments and forced through an 80-mesh stainless steel sieve. The cortical mash on the bottom surface of the sieve was then collected and suspended in 50 ml. cold saline solution. The cortical suspension was poured onto a 120-mesh wire cloth resting 10 cm. above a 200-mesh sieve. Each sieve was washed with 200 ml. saline solution. The material on top of the 200-mesh sieve, containing a pure preparation of glomeruli, was collected and centrifuged at 1,060 × g. for 3 min. The wet glomerular pellet was then buttered through a clean 200-mesh sieve and washed with 10 ml. saline solution. The emerging suspension contained uniformly decapsulated glomeruli with minimal glomerular disintegration. The suspension was centrifuged at 1,060 × g. for 2 min., the supernatant decanted and the residue lyophilized. The glomerular pellet, obtained from one human kidney, weighed 10 ± 3.0 mg.
Comparisons Between Nicotine Tannate and Arsenate of Lead as Codling Moth Poisons

Nicotine tannate kills the more mature eggs and the young crawling larvae of codling moth by contact. Sprayed apple foliage retains its toxicity to codling moth larvae for at least 21 days. Nicotine tannate appears to be more toxic as a stomach poison to codling moth than arsenate of lead. Success with this insecticide depends on its proper preparation and use and directions for its preparation are given.
Adapting Collaborative Chat for Massive Open Online Courses: Lessons Learned.

In this paper we explore how to import intelligent support for group learning that has been demonstrated as effective in classroom instruction into a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) context. The Bazaar agent architecture paired with an innovative Lobby tool to enable coordination for synchronous reflection exercises provides a technical foundation for our work. We describe lessons learned, directions for future work, and offer pointers to resources for other researchers interested in computer supported collaborative learning in MOOCs.
Malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast with heterologous high-grade angiosarcoma

Phyllodes tumors (PTs) account for < 3% of fibroepithelial breast lesions and for 0.3% to 1.0% of primary breast tumors. They occur predominantly in middle-aged women (mean age range, 40–50 years). PTs can be categorized into benign, borderline, and malignant; the first 2 categories are distinguished only by degree of cellular atypia and mitotic activity. Malignant PTs are more frequent among persons of Hispanic ethnicity, especially those born in Central America or South America. Heterologous sarcomatous elements may be present in malignant PTs, predominantly liposarcoma and rarely fibrosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and chondrosarcoma. Breast angiosarcoma (BA) is a rare heterologous, sarcomatous element that may arise secondary to malignant PT. We report a 47-year-old woman with no history of previous surgery or radiation therapy who presented to the emergency department with a painful right breast mass. She admittedly noticed the right breast mass for many years; however, recently it increased in size. Mammography and ultrasonography identified a partially cystic mass. Core needle biopsy showed dense hyalinized fibrous tissue with old blood clots, suggestive of infarcted fibroadenoma. The patient received antibiotics and analgesics; however, she reported intractable pain and a worsening skin rash of her right breast. Chest computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a doubling in mass size, with pectoralis major muscle involvement. Incisional biopsy showed malignant PT with heterologous high-grade angiosarcoma. The diagnosis of angiosarcoma was confirmed through immunoreactivity for CD31, FLI1, and ERG immunostains.
Rehabilitation for Thoracic Surgical Patients: Why, When, and How

Currently, only 10–20 % of patients diagnosed with lung cancer are eligible for curative surgical resection. Reasons to dismiss surgical treatment are not only related to advanced oncologic disease but also to severe comorbid conditions and poor functional capacity. Indeed, aerobic fitness has been associated with clinical outcome in lung cancer patients beyond staging. Low peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) or poor exercise tolerance has been identified as a strong predictor of perioperative complications and postoperative short-term mortality. Therefore implementation of pre- and postoperative muscle training to improve fitness, as best estimated by cardiopulmonary exercise test measuring VO2peak, should be considered to downgrade high-risk patient into a lower-risk profile. Over these last two decades, numerous studies have been published, supporting the safety and feasibility of implementing physical training programs. However, we urgently need high-quality research studies in order to more precisely tailor these rehabilitation programs to each specific group of patients.
Appearance Counting as Reality? Some Considerations on Stability and Unpredictability in Social Institutions

Social institutions are considered as generally stable entities but, at the same time, prone to unpredictable and even dramatical changes. The paper draws some considerations on this issue by means of an analysis of the notions of validity and objectivity, seen in the light of the critical situations that institutions may face. Consider the case of an irregular election that leads anyhow to a result accepted by authorities and population at large. Such an election seems to be valid and not valid at the same time. These contrasting intuitions reflect the twofold nature of institutional reality: it depends on one side on what is accepted by those who are dealing with it, but on the other side also on what it is actually going on according to its rules. The article frames this problem in terms of response-dependence. In this respect, it follows, but also expands, Hindriks (2006), to reach the conclusion that institutions are easily prone to fall apart. Anyway, not in all cases this actually happens; on the contrary, institutions seem to be quite stable. We propose that what makes them stable, but also unpredictable, is, in a sense, a sort of misunderstanding among the involved agents. Explaining such misunderstanding amounts to analyze the notion of objectivity in social reality. We argue that objectivity is more a requirement than a feature of institutional systems, being institutional objects mind and context-dependent.
Sensitivity of Responding to Simple vs. Complex Contingencies of Reinforcement

Five rats were trained under second-order schedules in which the completion of 10 short fixed intervals (2, 4, or 8 sec) produced food reinforcement, and then to yoked variable-ratio schedules, in which the individual ratios corresponded to the ratios of responses to reinforcement obtained under the second-order schedules. Changes from second-order to yoked variable-ratio schedules resulted in increases both in overall response rate and running rate for all rats. Response rates decreased whenever the second-order schedules were reinstated for all but one rat. Response rates under the second-order schedules were inversely related to the value of the fixed-interval component. Positively accelerated responding was evident within some interrein forcement intervals under the second-order schedules at all three fixed-interval values studied, but this pattern of responding was more pronounced at the higher fixed-interval values. The yoked variable-ratio schedules, by contrast, generated short postreinforcement pauses followed by uniformly high response rates, and no evidence of positively accelerated responding. To the extent that different rates of responding were maintained by the second-order and yoked variable-ratio schedules, responding can be considered sensitive to the temporal contingency imposed by the fixed-interval component of the second-order schedules.
The 5-year cost-effectiveness of two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion or cervical disc replacement: a Markov analysis.

Abstract Background Context Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and cervical disc replacement (CDR) are both acceptable surgical options for the treatment of cervical myelopathy and radiculopathy. To date, there are limited economic analyses assessing the relative cost-effectiveness of two-level ACDF versus CDR. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the 5-year cost-effectiveness of two-level ACDF versus CDR. Study Design The study design is a secondary analysis of prospectively collected data. Patient Sample Patients in the Prestige cervical disc investigational device exemption (IDE) study who underwent either a two-level CDR or a two-level ACDF were included in the study. Outcome Measures The outcome measures were cost and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Materials and Methods A Markov state-transition model was used to evaluate data from the two-level Prestige cervical disc IDE study. Data from the 36-item Short Form Health Survey were converted into utilities using the short form (SF)-6D algorithm. Costs were calculated from the payer perspective. QALYs were used to represent effectiveness. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) was performed using a Monte Carlo simulation. Results The base-case analysis, assuming a 40-year-old person who failed appropriate conservative care, generated a 5-year cost of $130,417 for CDR and $116,717 for ACDF. Cervical disc replacement and ACDF generated 3.45 and 3.23 QALYs, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated to be $62,337/QALY for CDR. The Monte Carlo simulation validated the base-case scenario. Cervical disc replacement had an average cost of $130,445 (confidence interval [CI]: $108,395–$152,761) with an average effectiveness of 3.46 (CI: 3.05–3.83). Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion had an average cost of $116,595 (CI: $95,439–$137,937) and an average effectiveness of 3.23 (CI: 2.84–3.59). The ICER was calculated at $62,133/QALY with respect to CDR. Using a $100,000/QALY willingness to pay (WTP), CDR is the more cost-effective strategy and would be selected 61.5% of the time by the simulation. Conclusions Two-level CDR and ACDF are both cost-effective strategies at 5 years. Neither strategy was found to be more cost-effective with an ICER greater than the $50,000/QALY WTP threshold. The assumptions used in the analysis were strongly validated with the results of the PSA.
Soldiers and Subordinates

Praetorianism is rule by or on the sufferance of the military. Praetorianism causes war by its jingoistic nationalism, its dysfunctional decision-making, its weak claim to legitimacy, its diffusion of power to imprudent subordinates, and its concentration of authority in the hands of men with strong yearnings for honor, glory and power but flawed judgment. This is demonstrated by investigations of four wars initiated by military dictatorships: Imperial Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941; Pakistan’s invasion of Kashmir in 1965; Egypt’s mobilization against Israel in 1967; and Argentina’s seizure of the Malvinas Islands in 1982. All four of these actions ended badly, which confirms suspicions that the advisory process of these regimes does little to correct the miscalculations of their dictators.
Evaluation of oral liposomal drug delivery with 99mTc-labeling and simulated gastric and bile fluid incubation

278 Objectives Oral drug administration is a convenient and safe treatment method. Previous research has shown the great potential and advantages of nanoparticle-based oral drug delivery for immunization and disease treatment. Herein, we report our results on the use of liposomes with various lipid formulations for drug delivery with oral drug administration. Methods 99mTc-radiolabeling, which simulates drug encapsulation by ammonium sulfate gradient, was used for the convenient evaluation with radioactivity measurement. Liposomes comprised of 40% cholesterol and 60% combinations of DSPC and amino acid-based lipids were radiolabeled by remote loading of 99mTc-BMEDA complex. To understand the influence of gastric and bile fluids on the digestive passage of 99mTc-liposomes after oral administration, 99mTc-liposomes were incubated with 1% pepsin fluid at pH 1.9, 3% bile fluid at pH 7.4, or PBS, pH 7.4 buffer (control group) for 1, 4 and 20 h. Percent of 99mTc-activity associated with liposomes at various times were assayed by size-exclusion spin columns. Results At 1, 4, 20 h, there were 96±1.8%, 96±0.9% and 94±1% 99mTc associated with liposomes in control group compared with 95±2.2%, 94±2.4% and 89±4% in gastric fluid, respectively. In bile fluid, % 99mTc associated with liposomes decreased to 55±6%, 58±4% and 55±15.5%, respectively. These results suggest that liposomes can safely cross the stomach despite the low pH and gastric enzymes; but have some drug release in bile fluid due to its detergent-like influence on liposome stability. Conclusions Use of 99mTc-labeling technique is a convenient method to test the stability of orally administered liposomes in gastrointestinal environments. Potential of liposome-based oral drug administration is shown
Characteristics of Ethanol Drinking Patterns under Schedule-Induced Polydipsia

Rats were induced to consume concentrations of ethanol between 5% and 10% (w/v) using the schedule-induced polydipsia technique. Although the substitution of ethanol solutions for water disrupted the usual post-pellet pattern of drinking, large amounts of ethanol were consumed and sound-induced convulsions were observed during ethanol withdrawal. In subsequent experiments, other rats chose 5% and sometimes 10% ethanol solutions over water where both water and ethanol were freely available during the first session of exposure to ethanol. Convulsions and wild running behavior could be observed in some of these rats after only 8 days of drinking, even though ethanol was freely available at all times. Use of the schedule-induced polydipsia technique served to bring the rats into early contact with the ethanol, but rats that received the same number of food pellets in a dish rather than by the schedule drank almost as much ethanol as did the rats receiving ethanol by the schedule. Rats with free access to food pellets drank very little ethanol.
Artifact Recognition and Solutions in Urodynamics

Artifacts occurring during the performance of urodynamic studies are observations or findings that are not naturally present in the patient’s normal micturition process, and are the result of the study process itself. They can arise from technical problems with catheters, electrodes, transducers, or other electrical equipment. The unnatural conditions of the urodynamic experience may trigger patient behaviors, such as psychogenic inhibition, making it challenging to evaluate voiding function. Here we characterize common pressure artifacts such as signal mismatch and drift of Pves and Pabd, EMG problems, and issues arising from spurious uroflowmetry and patient factors. Potential solutions to these technical problems are offered to facilitate a more complete, accurate, and useful urodynamic study.
Insulin regimens and insulin adjustments in diabetic children, adolescents and young adults: personal experience.

Des etudes multicentriques recentes montrent que, meme dans les pays developpes sans restriction financiere et disposant des memes moyens therapeutiques, le traitement du diabete des jeunes est souvent inadequat avec des taux d'hemoglobine glyquee (HbA1c), en moyenne, assez mauvais, mais tres variables d'un centre a l'autre. Les equipes de diabetologie devraient individuellement dresser leur bilan, et s'interroger sur leurs echecs sans prejuges ni biais. Le « bon » traitement du diabete donne une bonne HbA1c associee au meilleur bien-etre possible, et n'est pas necessairement exportable sans adaptation aux conditions de vie locales. L'HbAlc doit etre inferieure a 7 % si la limite superieure normale est 6 %, ce qui est possible, dans notre experience, meme chez les enfants et les adolescents diabetiques. Nos recettes sont resumees. Le nombre d'injections d'insuline, 2 ou 4, per se, n'a pas d'influence sur l'HbA1c, mais le systeme basal-prandial permet plus de liberte, tenant compte de ce que l'adaptation adequate des doses d'insuline est plus complexe et difficilement maitrisable avant l'adolescence. La reussite du controle glycemique chez les jeunes patients diabetiques depend essentiellement de la qualite et de l'intensite de l'education a l'autogestion. Tout dogmatisme doit etre evite; seul le resultat compte.
Automated expiratory ventilation assistance through a small endotracheal tube can improve venous return and cardiac output

Positive pressure ventilation can decrease venous return and cardiac output. It is not known if expiratory ventilation assistance (EVA) through a small endotracheal tube can improve venous return and cardiac output. In a porcine model, switching from conventional positive pressure ventilation to (EVA) with − 8 cmH20 expiratory pressure increased the venous return and cardiac output. The stroke volume increased by 27% when the subjects were switched from conventional ventilation to EVA [53.8 ± 7.7 (SD) vs. 68.1 ± 7.7 ml, p = 0.003]. After hemorrhage, subjects treated with EVA had higher median cardiac output, higher mean systemic arterial pressure, and lower central venous pressure at 40 and 60 min when compared with subjects treated with conventional ventilation with PEEP 0 cmH20. The median cardiac output was 41% higher in the EVA group than the control group at 60 min [2.70 vs. 1.59 L/min, p = 0.029]. EVA through a small endotracheal tube increased venous return, cardiac output, and mean arterial pressure compared with conventional positive pressure ventilation. The effects were most significant during hypovolemia from hemorrhage. EVA provided less effective ventilation than conventional positive pressure ventilation.
Autobiography of a Disease

Autobiography of a Disease documents, in experimental form, the experience of extended life-threatening illness in contemporary US hospitals and clinics. The narrative is based primarily on the author’s sudden and catastrophic collapse into a coma and long hospitalization thirteen years ago; but it has also been crafted from twelve years of research on the history of microbiology, literary representations of illness and medical treatment, cultural analysis of MRSA in the popular press, and extended autoethnographic work on medicalization. An experiment in form, the book blends the genres of storytelling, historiography, ethnography, and memoir. Unlike most medical memoirs, told from the perspective of the human patient, Autobiography of a Disease is told from the perspective of a bacterial cluster. This orientation is intended to represent the distribution of perspectives on illness, disability, and pain across subjective centers—from patient to monitoring machine, from body to cell, from caregiver to cared-for—and thus makes sense of illness only in a social context.
Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander Student Progression Through Community College: A Disaggregated Transcript Analysis

Background/ContextResearch on the postsecondary education of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) students has typically focused on attainment within four-year colleges and neglected the experiences of...
Medical Approach for Weight Loss in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has reached epidemic proportions due to obesity in the modern world. Although treatments are in development, weight loss remains the most definitive and impactful approach to treating this disease and with it the other multisystemic complications of obesity. In this review, we summarize the current medical therapies for weight loss in NAFLD, including patient evaluation, counseling, and incorporation of medications for obesity. Despite need for weight loss as treatment for NAFLD, few achieve successful weight loss. Weight loss medications lead to weight loss of 5 to 10%, the amount expected to improve NAFLD steatosis and fibrosis. Ultimately, a multimodal approach is necessary to achieve successful weight loss. Medical management for weight loss in NAFLD requires fibrosis staging and developing a patient-centered approach to assessment of patient weight and behavioral change goals.
Dos especies nuevas de Creptotrema (Digenea: Allocreadiidae) de America del Sur

DOS ESPECIES NUEVAS DE DIGENEOS PERTENECIENTES A CREPTOTREMA TRAVASSOS, ARTIGAS Y PEREIRA, 1928 FUERON DESCRITAS DE EJEMPLARES DEPOSITADOS EN LA COLECCION DE INVERTEBRADOS DEL MUSEO DE HISTORIA NATURAL DE GINEBRA, SUIZA. CREPTOTREMA LAMOTHEI N. SP. FUE DESCRITA EN AGENEIOSUS BREVIFI LIS VALENCIENNES IN CUVIER Y VALENCIENNES, 1840 (SILURIFORMES: AGENEIOSIDAE), AUCHENIPTERUS NUCHALIS (SPIX Y AGASSIZ, 1829) (SILURIFORMES: AUCHENIPTERIDAE), Y BRYCONOPS MELANURUS (BLOCH, 1794) (CHARACIFORMES: CHARACIDAE) EN EL RIO PARAGUAY, PARAGUAY. CREPTOTREMA SUCUMBIOSA N. SP. FUE DESCRITA DE TETRAGONOPTERUS ARGENTEUS, CUVIER 1816 (CHARACIFORMES: CHARACIDAE) EN EL RIO AQUARICO, ECUADOR. CREPTOTREMA LAMOTHEI DIFIERE DE SUS CONGENERES POR TENER TESTICULOS CON CONTORNOS IRREGULARES EN CONTRASTE CON LOS QUE PRESENTAN CONTORNOS ENTEROS. CREPTOTREMA SUCUMBIOSA DIFIERE DE SUS CONGENERES POR TENER UN OVARIO BILOBULADO EN CONTRASTE CON LOS QUE PRESENTAN OVARIOS ENTEROS. AMBAS ESPECIES DIFIEREN DE SUS CONGENERES POR TENER ESPACIOS POST-TESTICULARES RELATIVAMENTE MAS LARGOS, REPRESENTANDO 25-30% Y 24-28% DEL LARGO DEL CUERPO, RESPECTIVAMENTE, COMPARADO CON APROXIMADAMENTE 6-19 PORCIENTO EN OTRAS ESPECIES.
New or Persistent Right Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction Is Associated With Worse Outcomes in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Objectives The trajectory and importance of right ventricular systolic function and pulmonary hypertension during the course of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome are unknown. We hypothesized that new or persistent right ventricular systolic dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension would be associated with worse patient outcomes. Design Retrospective, single-center cohort study. Setting Tertiary care, university-affiliated PICU. Patients Children who had at least two echocardiograms less than 8 days following pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome diagnosis. Interventions None. Measurements and main results Between July 1, 2012, and April 30, 2018, 74 children met inclusion criteria. The first echocardiogram was performed a median of 0.61 days (interquartile range, 0.36-0.94 d) and the second echocardiogram was performed a median of 2.57 days (interquartile range, 1.67-3.63 d) after pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome diagnosis. Univariate analyses showed that new or persistent right ventricular systolic dysfunction as defined by global longitudinal strain or free wall strain was associated with a greater number of ICU days in survivors (global longitudinal strain p = 0.04, free wall strain p = 0.04), lower ventilator-free days at 28 days (global longitudinal strain p = 0.03, free wall strain p = 0.01), and higher rate of PICU death (global longitudinal strain p = 0.046, free wall strain p = 0.01). Mixed-effects multivariate modeling showed that right ventricular global longitudinal strain and right ventricular fractional area change stayed relatively constant over the course of the first 8 days in nonsurvivors and that there was a linear improvement in global longitudinal strain (p = 0.037) and fractional area change (p = 0.05) in survivors. Worsening right ventricular dysfunction at the time of repeat echocardiogram as defined by global longitudinal strain and free wall strain were independently associated with decreased probability of extubation (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.30 [0.14-0.67]; p = 0.003 and subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.47 [0.23-0.98]; p = 0.043, respectively). In univariate and multivariate analyses, pulmonary hypertension had no significant associations with outcomes in his cohort. Conclusions New or persistent right ventricular systolic dysfunction over the first week following pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome onset is associated with worse patient outcomes, including decreased probability of extubation and higher PICU mortality.
Kolhberg at the “Is-Ought” Gap

In an impressive monograph on moral developmental psychology, entitled “From is to ought,”Professor Lawrence Kohlberg makes some rather extraordinary claims about both psychology and philosophy, claims that are so appealingly audacious that the reader feels as Adam should have felt when offered a bite of the apple from the tree of knowledge, that is, inclined to search, if not for a serpent, at least for a worm. Kohlberg, thoroughly familiar with philosophical literature from Socrates to Rawls, appreciates the arguments of the Wittgensteinians as to why psychology cannot be value-neutral. He maintains that psychology should engage in dialogue with moral philosophy and claims that his own empirical studies, conducted in accordance with the highest standards of experimental research, have enabled him to arrive at solutions to the most vexing problems of substantive and procedural ethics. In his view the logical relations among ethical principles, as well as the stages of development of moral consciousness both in the child and in the human race, reveal a pre-established harmony, somewhat like Leibnizian clocks that simultaneously peal the arrival of enlightenment.
Cross-Infectivity of Powdery Mildew Isolates Originating from Hemp (Cannabis sativa) and Japanese Hop (Humulus japonicus) in New York

In the recent decade, agricultural production of both hemp (Cannabis sativa) and hop (Humulus lupulus) has expanded throughout the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and Eastern United States to support t...
Solving Program Sketches with Large Integer Values.

Program sketching is a program synthesis paradigm in which the programmer provides a partial program with holes and assertions. The goal of the synthesizer is to automatically find integer values for the holes so that the resulting program satisfies the assertions. The most popular sketching tool, Sketch, can efficiently solve complex program sketches, but uses an integer encoding that often performs poorly if the sketched program manipulates large integer values. In this paper, we propose a new solving technique that allows Sketch to handle large integer values while retaining its integer encoding. Our technique uses a result from number theory, the Chinese Remainder Theorem, to rewrite program sketches to only track the remainders of certain variable values with respect to several prime numbers. We prove that our transformation is sound and the encoding of the resulting programs are exponentially more succinct than existing Sketch encodings. We evaluate our technique on a variety of benchmarks manipulating large integer values. Our technique provides speedups against both existing Sketch solvers and can solve benchmarks that existing Sketch solvers cannot handle.
Pharmacologic inhibition of mTORC1 mimics dietary protein restriction in a mouse model of lactation

Understanding the mechanisms of N utilization for lactation can lead to improved requirement estimates and increased efficiency, which modern dairy diets currently fail to maximize. The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is a central hub of translation regulation, processing extra- and intra-cellular signals of nutrient availability and physiological state, such as amino acids and energy. We hypothesized that dietary amino acids regulate lactation through mTORC1, such that inhibition of mTORC1 will lead to decreased lactation performance when amino acids are not limiting. Our objectives were to assess lactation performance in lactating mice undergoing dietary and pharmacologic interventions designed to alter mTORC1 activity. First lactation mice (N = 18; n = 6/treatment) were fed an adequate protein diet (18% crude protein), or an isocaloric protein-restricted diet (9% crude protein) from the day after parturition until lactation day 13. A third group of mice was fed an adequate protein diet and treated with the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin (4 mg/kg every other day) intraperitoneally, with the first two groups treated with vehicle as control. Dams and pups were weighed daily, and feed intake was recorded every other day. Milk production was measured every other day beginning on lactation day 4 by the weigh-suckle-weigh method. Tissues were collected after fasting and refeeding. Milk production and pup weight were similarly decreased by both protein restriction and rapamycin treatment, with final production at 50% of control (P = 0.008) and final pup weight at 85% of control (P < 0.001). Mammary phosphorylation of mTORC1’s downstream targets were decreased by protein restriction and rapamycin treatment (P < 0.05), while very little effect was observed in the liver of rapamycin treated mice, and none by protein restriction. Overall, sufficient supply of dietary amino acids was unable to maintain lactation performance status in mice with pharmacologically reduced mammary mTORC1 activity, as evidenced by diminished pup growth and milk production, supporting the concept that mTORC1 activation rather than substrate supply is the primary route by which amino acids regulate synthesis of milk components.
Charge response and energy calibration of ProtoDUNE-SP

ProtoDUNE-SP at the CERN Neutrino Platform is a test bed liquid argon time pro- jection chamber (LArTPC) for the far-detector in the Deep Underground Neutrino Ex- periment (DUNE). Space charge eects, attenuation due to electronegative impurities, diusion, and electronics gain variations cause nonuniformities in charge deposition per unit length (dQ/dx) within a LArTPC. Corrections for space charge eects with measured electric-eld maps and attenuation with purity-monitor data were applied. A sample of cosmic-ray muons crossing the cathode is used to calibrate the detector response to get a uniform dQ/dx over space and time. Using cosmic-ray stopping muons, which have a well-known energy loss per unit length (dE/dx), the absolute energy scale was determined. These calibration factors were uploaded to a database for use in further physics analysis.
Wear Performance of incoloy 800HT and inconel 617 in various surface conditions for high-temperature gas-cooled reactor components

Abstract Incoloy™ 800HT and Inconel™ 617 are primary candidate structural materials for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs). Impurities (e.g., H2O, CH4) in the coolant induce corrosion reactions that affect tribological behavior. We investigate the high-temperature tribological performance of the alloys under surface conditions including: conditioned in H2O-containing helium at elevated temperatures, hardened via the carbon-diffusion Kolsterising® treatment, and conditioned after hardening. Initial friction coefficients and volume removed serve as metrics for wear performance. We find that wear mechanisms including scuffing, glaze-oxide formation, and oxide-layer wear and break-through are governed by surface hardness, chemistry, and applied load. The formation of a glaze-oxide layer is achieved with an oxide of sufficient mechanical integrity if the oxide-substrate interface is strong and the load is low.
Real Effects in the Option Market

I investigate whether and how managers extract private information from the option market to guide investment decisions. The level of private information is negatively associated with the sensitivity of both investment amount and timing to implied volatility. This finding is consistent with the real options theory, where managers extract market-expected uncertainty from the option market. Managerial learning from the option market is beneficial to firms by improving investment efficiency. Cross-sectional variation in real effects aligns with predictions based on investment irreversibility, executive incentives, and industry competition. The results are robust to alternative explanations.
Developing Music-based Emotion Regulation (MBER): A theoretical model for age-related depression prevention

Abstract Despite growing numbers of the aging population, a dearth of theories that focus on older adults and emotion regulation makes it difficult to design interventions that address emotional needs of older persons. The author proposes the Music-based Emotion Regulation (MBER), a theoretical model that targets age-related depression prevention. The model suggests four emotion regulation strategies: Intentional Selection, Attentional Control, Cognitive Stimulation, and Social Interaction. Older adults can achieve a desired emotional state by intentionally selecting emotionally meaningful situations (i.e., Intentional Selection); optimizing attentional control through sensory processing of music elements and musical interactions with therapists and other community dwelling older adults (i.e., Attentional Control); actively engaging in music learning (i.e., Cognitive Stimulation); and engaging in productive and socially supportive music experiences (i.e., Social Interaction). In the following paper, music-based clinical applications, implications for music therapy research and practice, and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Integrated Magnetics Design for a Three-Phase Differential-Mode Rectifier

In this article, the design methodology of integrated magnetics (IM) for a three-phase differential-mode Ĉuk rectifier (DMCR) is outlined. The design and optimization of the IM are so achieved such that the inductor current ripple, total harmonic distortion of the input current, and magnetics loss are optimized without compromising the stability of the DMCR. The optimization and design of the IM are conducted using the Maxwell and SaberRD software tools, and subsequently, the results are compared with a plurality of other IM structures for performance comparison. Finally, the experimental hardware for the DMCR comprising the optimized IM is fabricated to validate its performance and compare it with a DMCR fabricated solely using discrete magnetics.
Despite Sustained Economic Growth, Michigan Local Government Fiscal Health Still Lags

This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ assessments of their jurisdictions’ fiscal conditions and the actions they plan to take in the coming year given their financial situations. The findings are based on responses from ten statewide survey waves of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) conducted annually each spring from 2009 through 2018.
Disclosure Regulation, Investor Behavior, and Market Integration: Evidence from Form 20-F Reconciliation Elimination

In 2007, the SEC eliminated the Form 20-F reconciliation requirement for cross-listed firms that prepare financial statements under IFRS (IFRS filers). We examine the effect of this elimination on investors’ information acquisition decisions and how accounting information is used across multiple markets. Using a difference-in-differences analysis with non-IFRS filers as a control sample, we show that investors download fewer Form 20-F filings after the elimination, if IFRS filers’ 20-Fs are filed with a significant delay. Consistent with a shift of investors’ attention away from Form 20-Fs to local earnings announcements, we also find greater US market reactions to IFRS filers’ home-country earnings announcements. In addition, we find that the reconciliation elimination increases return co-movement between the US ADR market and IFRS filers’ home-country stock market, especially during months of IFRS filers’ home-country earnings announcements. Our results bring novel insights regarding the cross-market impact of the disclosure policy change.
Patient Factors and Hospital Outcomes Associated With Atypical Presentation in Hospitalized Older Adults With COVID-19 During the First Surge of the Pandemic.

Background Literature indicates an atypical presentation of COVID-19 among older adults (OAs). Our purpose is to identify the frequency of atypical presentation and compare demographic and clinical factors, and short-term outcomes, between typical versus atypical presentations in OAs hospitalized with COVID-19 during the first surge of the pandemic. Methods Data from the inpatient electronic health record were extracted for patients aged 65 and older, admitted to our health systems' hospitals with COVID-19 between March 1 and April 20, 2020. Presentation as reported by the OA or his/her representative is documented by the admitting professional and includes both symptoms and signs. Natural language processing was used to code the presence/absence of each symptom or sign. Typical presentation was defined as words indicating fever, cough, or shortness of breath; atypical presentation was defined as words indicating functional decline or altered mental status. Results Of 4 961 unique OAs, atypical presentation characterized by functional decline or altered mental status was present in 24.9% and 11.3%, respectively. Atypical presentation was associated with older age, female gender, Black race, non-Hispanic ethnicity, higher comorbidity index, and the presence of dementia and diabetes mellitus. Those who presented typically were 1.39 times more likely than those who presented atypically to receive intensive care unit-level care. Hospital outcomes of mortality, length of stay, and 30-day readmission were similar between OAs with typical versus atypical presentations. Conclusion Although atypical presentation in OAs is not associated with the same need for acute intervention as respiratory distress, it must not be dismissed.
Maintaining Essential Course Features When Moving Introductory Physics Labs Online

The sudden transition to online teaching due to the pandemic in spring 2020 provided us the opportunity to experience firsthand the challenges involved in delivering labs online. After learning that our introductory lab courses would be taught online fall 2020 and spring 2021, which involve over 2200 students, the decision was made to invest significant effort into redesigning the labs for online delivery, and this effort became part of the teaching load for the first author. This paper discusses the decisions made, innovations implemented to maintain essential features of our in-person labs, and lessons learned.
Real-time Optimal Landing Control of the MIT Mini Cheetah.

Quadrupedal landing is a complex process involving large impacts, elaborate contact transitions, and is a crucial recovery behavior observed in many biological animals. This work presents a real-time, optimal landing controller that is free of pre-specified contact schedules. The controller determines optimal touchdown postures and reaction force profiles and is able to recover from a variety of falling configurations. The quadrupedal platform used, the MIT Mini Cheetah, recovered safely from drops of up to 8 m in simulation, as well as from a range of orientations and planar velocities. The controller is also tested on hardware, successfully recovering from drops of up to 2 m.
Conflict Behaviors Mediate Effects of Manipulated Leader-Member Exchange on Team-Oriented Outcomes

We tested an underexplored component of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory that high LMX is associated with valuing team-interests whereas low LMX is associated with valuing self-interests. We experimentally manipulated leaders’ behaviors to create different LMX conditions within novel teams. We also manipulated LMX conditions between members within teams to affect LMX relational separation (LMXRS; the degree to which one’s LMX is different from the average within the team). We expected that LMXRS would exaggerate the effects of LMX, particularly for those in low LMX conditions. We examined individuals’ collectivistic and individualistic conflict behaviors as behavioral mediators and indicators of team- and self-interest, respectively. Participants were 316 undergraduate students in teams of three participant followers with one confederate leader who followed a script to manipulate LMX(RS). Results suggest low LMX, particularly when coupled with high LMXRS, is associated with greater use of individualistic conflict behaviors and lower use of collectivistic conflict behaviors. The greater use of individualistic conflict behaviors and lower use of collectivistic conflict behaviors partially mediated the relationship between lower LMX condition and lower levels of leader satisfaction, teammate satisfaction, and motivation to work with the team, as well as higher levels of negative affect. Results hold implications for the prescriptive use of LMX theory, social ostracism within teams, and future research at the intersection of leadership and team research.
Quasiconformal Actions on Domains in Space

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the topological and analytical restrictions on a domain D in euclidean n-space R n on which an infinite discrete quasiconformal group can act. We will see that the restrictions are indeed severe, unlike the case of a discrete group of topological or differentiable homeomorphisms.
Ischemic Stroke Patients with Active Malignancy or Extracardiac Shunts Are More Likely to Have a Right-to-Left Shunt Found by TCD Than Echocardiogram

Although the association between patent foramen ovale and ischemic stroke is controversial, the evaluation for a right-to-left shunt remains part of the standard workup for cryptogenic stroke. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiogram (TTE and TEE) are the screening test and gold standard to evaluate for right-to-left shunt, respectively. Studies comparing TTE or TEE to transcranial Doppler (TCD) have shown that 15-25 % of patients test positive for right-to-left shunt on TCD but are negative on TTE or TEE. We sought to further explore this phenomenon in patients with recent ischemic stroke. Between 2011 and 2013, 109 ischemic stroke patients had both a TCD and TTE or TEE bubble study. We abstracted 12 comorbid medical conditions and stroke subtype according to the TOAST classification. The majority of TCD and TTE or TEE showed agreement on right-to-left shunt status (80/109, 73 %). Two percent (2/109) of patients were negative on TCD and positive on TTE or TEE, while 25 % (27/109) had a positive TCD and negative TTE or TEE (TCD+Echo-). The TCD+Echo- patients were more likely to have active malignancy and the delayed arrival of contrast bubbles than the remainder of the cohort (15 vs. 2 %, p = 0.032; 51 vs. 18 %, p = 0.001). Our results confirm previous reports that TCD is superior to echocardiography in the detection of right-to-left shunt. The TCD+Echo- patients were more likely to have active malignancy and findings suggestive of an extracardiac shunt. These results could lead to more comprehensive evaluation for occult malignancy or a pulmonary arteriovenous malformation, both potentially treatable etiologies of ischemic stroke.
Black, Brown, Yellow, and Left: Radical Activism in Los Angeles

List of Illustrations List of Tables Acknowledgments Introduction Part I. Race, Class, and Activism 1. Race and Political Activism 2. Differential Racialization in Southern California 3. The Politicization of the Third World Left Part II. The Third World Left 4. Serving the People and Vanguard Politics: The Formation of the Third World Left in Los Angeles 5. Ideologies of Nation, Class, and Race in the Third World Left 6. The Politics of Solidarity: Interethnic Relations in the Third World Left 7. Patriarchy and Revolution: Gender Relations in the Third World Left 8. The Third World Left Today and Contemporary Activism Notes Bibliography Index
Presidential Promises and the Uniting American Families Act: Bringing Same-Sex Immigration Rights to the United States

Binational same-sex couples in the United States all too often face a difficult reality. Due to discriminatory immigration laws, which prevent United States citizens from sponsoring their same-sex partners for permanent residence, same-sex couples must choose between deportation and separating their families. The Uniting American Families Act, however, offers a remedy to this unacceptable inequality. Yet the Act currently does not have the congressional support it needs to pass. This Note argues that President Obama, as the country’s Executive, should use his “bully pulpit” to inspire the Act’s passage. Specifically, this Note examines the manifestation and extent of Executive power in relation to immigration, the timeliness of the issue, and the recent broadening of Executive power to support a conclusion that Mr. Obama should take
Accounting Issues: An Essay Series Part VIII Stockholders Equity

This eighth installment in the series on accounting theory pertains to stockholders’ equity and its related conceptual, measurement and ethical issues. Coverage includes the associated theoretical, empirical, and popular literature.
Synthetic replacement of the methylamino group of neocarzinostatin chromophore with hydroxyl prohibits thiol activation in organic solvents and diminishes the rate and efficiency of thiol-promoted DNA cleavage in water

Abstract A synthesis of the neocarzinostatin chromophore analog 2 , in which the 2′- N -methylamino group of the natural product has been replaced by a hydroxyl group, is described. Thiol addition experiments in organic solvents and DNA-cleavage studies in aqueous solution are also described, and provide further support for the proposed participation of the carbohydrate methylamino group in neocarzinostatin activation.