cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Impact of an Academic Teacher Development Program: Practical Realities of an Evidence-Based Study

This study aimed to assess the impact of an entire academic teacher development programme at a Midwestern masters comprehensive university in the United States over a period of five years by examining changes in teaching and student outcomes of nine randomly selected programme participants. Researchers analysed syllabi, course evaluations, grade distributions, programme activity reports, interviews and vita, and concluded that the centre’s impact was greatest on tenure-track faculty who struggled with their teaching. Far more useful to future improvement, however, were the insights gained from reflection on study methods, the researchers’ emotional responses to their findings, their struggle to make sense of the data and grappling with the definition of ‘impact’. In this paper, the researchers share useful lessons learned and illustrate the difficulties inherent in evaluating academic development programmes, with a view to qualifying recommendations currently prevailing in the literature.
Predicting Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Acute Mesenteric Ischemia

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMsI) is an infrequent but catastrophic condition associated with high mortality and morbidity. Thromboembolism due to atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the causes of AMsI, but the overall effect of AF and anticoagulation on outcomes in these patients is not known. The
Contralateral disconnection of the rat prelimbic cortex and dorsomedial striatum impairs cue-guided behavioral switching

Switches in reward outcomes or reward-predictive cues are two fundamental ways in which information is used to flexibly shift response patterns. The rat prelimbic cortex and dorsomedial striatum support behavioral flexibility based on a change in outcomes. The present experiments investigated whether these two brain regions are necessary for conditional discrimination performance in which a switch in reward-predictive cues occurs every three to six trials. The GABA agonists baclofen and muscimol infused into the prelimbic cortex significantly impaired performance leading rats to adopt an inappropriate turn strategy. The NMDA receptor antagonist D-AP5 infused into the dorsomedial striatum or prelimbic cortex and dorsomedial striatum contralateral disconnection impaired performance due to a rat failing to switch a response choice for an entire trial block in about two out of 13 test blocks. In an additional study, contralateral disconnection did not affect nonswitch discrimination performance. The results suggest that the prelimbic cortex and dorsomedial striatum are necessary to support cue-guided behavioral switching. The prelimbic cortex may be critical for generating alternative response patterns while the dorsomedial striatum supports the selection of an appropriate response when cue information must be used to flexibly switch response patterns.
Public Health Informatics

Public health informatics applies computer and information science methods to promote population health and support the business of public health. Although computers have long been used to capture, manage and process information on population health statistics, the field of public health informatics is an emerging discipline that goes beyond numbers. Information systems that receive and send data to electronic health records are increasingly implemented in governmental public health agencies in the U.S. as well as around the world. These systems support a number of core public health business processes, including surveillance, prevention, and community health assessment. Like in clinical contexts, information systems are making public health business processes more efficient, which leads to better understanding of population health status as well as the identification of emerging health threats. This chapter defines the scope of public health informatics and discusses how the emerging field complements and relates to clinical informatics. Clinical informaticians will likely interact with public health agencies to establish information exchange for compliance with public health laws as well as a channel to receive knowledge relevant to the health status and threats facing their populations and communities.
Is Implicit Theory of Mind the ‘Real Deal’? The Own‐Belief/True‐Belief Default in Adults and Young Preschoolers

Recent studies reveal spontaneous implicit false-belief understanding in infancy. But is this early ability genuine theory-of-mind? Spontaneous tasks may allow early success by eliminating the selection-response bias thought to underlie later failure on standard (verbal) tasks. However, using anticipatory eye gaze, we find the same bias in non-verbal tasks in both preschoolers and adults. We argue that the bias arises from theory-of-mind competence itself and takes the form of a rational prior to attribute one's own belief to others. Our discussion then draws attention to a number of other inferential hallmarks of early belief-desire reasoning that together suggest it is the real deal.
Sustained increases in plasma epinephrine concentration do not modulate renin release.

We examined the relationship between plasma renin activity (PRA) and renal arterial pressure (RAP) during 1) control conditions, 2) acute, and 3) chronic intravenous epinephrine (EPI) infusion (125 ng.kg-1.min-1). In eight conscious uninephrectomized dogs maintained on a normal sodium intake, the renin stimulus-response curve (RSRC) was determined by a stepwise reduction in RAP with an inflatable occluder around the renal artery controlled by a servo unit. The RSRC could be approximated by two lines intersecting at a threshold pressure (approximately 20 mmHg below control RAP). In the high-pressure range, PRA was relatively insensitive to changes in RAP, whereas, below threshold pressure, changes in RAP had large effects on PRA. During acute EPI infusion there was approximately a 40% increase in heart rate (control = 57 +/- 3 beats/min) and hematocrit (control = 30 +/- 1%) in association with a rise in plasma EPI concentration from 73 +/- 16 to 1,413 +/- 100 pg/ml; mean arterial pressure (MAP) was unchanged (94 +/- 3 mmHg). Moreover, EPI acutely increased basal PRA from 0.3 +/- 0.1 to 0.8 +/- 0.3 ng angiotensin I.ml-1.h-1 and shifted the RSRC to the right (increasing threshold pressure 7 mmHg) without altering the slope of the RSRC curve either above or below threshold pressure. In contrast, although plasma EPI concentration and hematocrit remained elevated during chronic EPI infusion, heart rate and basal PRA returned to preinfusion values. In addition, there were no significant long-term changes in MAP or in any of the parameters of the RSRC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Continuum Radio Emission and Galactic Structure

Recent studies of high latitude brightness have shown that in several regions a significant proportion of it is due to loop features. The largest of these are now thought to be local (within a few hundred parsecs) and perhaps to be due to supernova events.
Quantitative proteomics in development of disease protein biomarkers

Abstract The technology and application of mass spectrometry (MS)-based quantitative proteomics in the discovery and validation stages of the development pipeline of protein biomarkers for human diseases are discussed in this chapter. For protein biomarker discovery, label-free, metabolic labeling, chemical tagging of stable isotope labels, and enzymatic 18O-labeling approaches are discussed, followed by the applications in discovering disease biomarkers, including differentially expressed proteins, disease-specific protein isomers, and abnormal protein activities. For biomarker candidate validation, multiple reaction monitoring or selected reaction monitoring and parallel reaction-monitoring MS of signature peptides for protein targets are discussed. The analyte complexity and sample throughput aspect of MS-based proteomics and its implication in the biomarker development are discussed, together with a selected discussion on public resources for biomarker development.
Large coherent apertures: Improvements in deep abdominal imaging and fundamental limits imposed by clutter

Reverberation and aberration clutter can significantly degrade the ability to image deep abdominal structures in clinical practice. Despite increased hardware complexity and computing power, modern ultrasound arrays are still commonly limited to a length of several centimeters. We hypothesize that using a larger active aperture will improve image quality even in the presence of clutter. We use a simulated abdominal wall model to study the impact of an extended aperture and analyze both the point spread function and lesion imaging performance over a range of aperture sizes from 1 cm to 10 cm. Simulations demonstrate improved image quality as described by resolution and lesion detectability with growing aperture size up to the full extent of the 10 cm aperture. Although clutter degrades the overall imaging performance, it does not appear to impose a limit on the gains that can be made with increasing array size.
Integrating the Izof and Iapz models to assess individual feeling states and performance during tennis matches

For researchers and practitioners interested in optimal performance in sport, feeling states are one of the most important predictors of performance. In this study, the Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning (IZOF; Hanin, 2000) and Individual Affect Performance Zone (IAPZ; Kamata et al., 2002; Tenenbaum et al., 2008) idiographic models were combined by developing probabilistic estimates for discrete feelings (e.g., angry, relaxed, strong, focused, etc.). Ten male NCAA tennis players volunteered to participate in this studyâ€”providing 918 observations. Each participant developed individualized profiles with 12-13 feelings, identified four 'trigger-feelings' that each player felt were most important to his performance, and then monitored the intensity of each feeling in the profile during competitive intra-squad matches. Their discrete feelings were organized into four categories based on valence and functionality: positive-helpful, positive-harmful, negative-helpful, and negative-harmful. Ordinal logistic regressions were conducted to create probabilistic performance curves for poor, average, and good performances. Statistical analyses supported the validity of the combined IZOF-IAPZ method as well as the idiosyncratic nature of feeling-performance relationships: 76% of profiles were unique in either the size or the location of each performance zone. The four-category (valence-function) model predicted performance correctly 63.5% of the timeâ€”more than twice that of chance. The four trigger-feelings were even more accurate at 66.4%, and the top three trigger feelings were accurate 70.0% of the time. The results of this study provide alternative ways to apply the IZOF and IAPZ models, such as by establishing OLR-curves for discrete feelings, grouping feelings into function-valence categories, and developing simplified models that use only three or four feelings to predict performance.Acknowledgments: The study was supported by Michigan State University's Dissertation Completion Fellowship.
Effectiveness of Engineered and Natural Wastewater Treatment Processes for the Removal of Trace Organics in Water Reuse

Abstract The physicochemical and biological determinants of removal efficiencies in a variety of engineered and natural processes were explored for 55 frequently encountered trace organic compounds...
Photoionization Efficiencies of Five Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

We have measured photoionization-efficiency curves for pyrene, fluoranthene, chrysene, perylene, and coronene in the photon energy range of 7.5–10.2 eV and derived their photoionization cross-section curves in this energy range. All measurements were performed using tunable vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation generated at the Advanced Light Source synchrotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The VUV radiation was used for photoionization, and detection was performed using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. We measured the photoionization efficiency of 2,5-dimethylfuran simultaneously with those of pyrene, fluoranthene, chrysene, perylene, and coronene to obtain references of the photon flux during each measurement from the known photoionization cross-section curve of 2,5-dimethylfuran.
Copula parameter estimation using Bayesian inference for pipe data analysis

Water main systems are aging and becoming a growing concern for maintenance. The structural deterioration of water mains is affected by different factors, such as pipe age, pipe material, soil cond...
Peripheral Nerves, Sensory Receptors, and Spinal Roots

Peripheral nerves are composed of the axons of sensory and motor neurons, along with the investing connective tissue sheaths (endoneurium, perineurium, and epineurium) (see Landon, 1976). The axons may be myelinated or unmyelinated. In cutaneous nerves, the largest axons belong to the Aαβ class (Erlanger and Gasser, 1937), while the small myelinated fibers belong to the Aδ group. Aαβ fibers conduct at 30–100 m/s, and Aδ fibers at 4–30 misec (Boivie and Perl, 1975). Unmyelinated afferents are often designated C fibers; they conduct at less than 2.5 m/s (Gasser, 1950). Joint and visceral nerves share the terminology of cutaneous nerve axons. However, a different terminology is used for muscle nerves. The myelinated fibers are subdivided into groups I, II, and III (Lloyd and Chang, 1948), conducting at 72–120, 24–71, and 6– 23 m/s, respectively (Hunt, 1954). Muscle nerves also contain numerous unmyelinated, or group IV, afferents (Stacey, 1969), conducting at less than 2.5 m/s.
Normal Form, Invariants, and Bifurcations of Nonlinear Control Systems in the Particle Deflection Plane

This paper addresses the problem of bifurcation analysis for nonlinear control systems. It is a review of some results published in recent years on bifurcations of control systems based on the normal form approach. We address three problems for systems with a single uncontrollable mode, namely the problem of normal forms, bifurcations of control systems, and bifurcation control by state feedback.
Nonperturbative Treatment of Magnetic Interactions at Short Distances and a Simple Magnetic Model of Matter

In these lectures I discuss some properties of large magnetic dipole fields, the phenomenon of magnetic resonances in dipole fields, and a dynamical model of hadrons and heavy leptons based on magnetic resonances.
Biocompatibility of Bioactive Polymeric Systems

It is obvious that the general area of bioactive polymeric systems is an extremely broad area of science which includes systems intended for human use, animal use, agriculture applications, and diagnostic assays. While biocompatibility considerations are important to all of these areas, the determination of biocompatibility is of utmost importance to those areas where bioactive polymeric systems are considered for human or animal use. In particular, the evaluation of biocompatibility of systems intended for implantation or injection in humans or animals is a necessary step in the research and development of such systems. It is the intent of this paper to briefly outline and describe biocompatibility procedures and methods for the evaluation of systems intended for implantation or injection into humans or animals.
Steps to a theory of social behavior

Let me briefly recapitulate. An English literature major at college, I got into sociology through almost pure chance. When I graduated from Harvard in 1932, I was one of the few persons in Cambridge who had read Pareto's Traite de Sociologie Generale,3 and Lawrence Joseph Henderson, a distinguished Professor of Biological Chemistry and the first teacher at Harvard of the history of science, was an earlier addict of Pareto's. In 1933 Henderson proposed to give the first seminar on Pareto offered in the United States and wanted an assistant. Through my old tutor, Bernard DeVoto, a friend of Henderson's, he knew that I was familiar with Pareto's Sociologie and offered me the job. I was unemployed and accepted. I shall say no more about the seminar, which has been described elsewhere.4 One of its members was Charles P. Curtis, Jr., a friend of mine and of my family's, a Boston lawyer, and a member of the Harvard Corporation. He suggested that we should write a book introducing the Sociologie to English-speaking readers: it had not yet been translated. We did so, and An Introduction to Pareto came out in 1934.5 It is still a good introduction.
Contribution of HIV Infection, AIDS, and Antiretroviral Therapy to Exocrine Pathogenesis in Salivary and Lacrimal Glands

The structure and function of exocrine glands are negatively affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and its co-morbidities, including innate and adaptive immune responses. At the same time, exocrine function may also be influenced by pharmacotherapies directed at the infectious agents. Here, we briefly review the role of the salivary glands and lacrimal glands in normal physiology and exocrine pathogenesis within the context of HIV infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), including the contribution of antiretroviral therapies on both. Subsequently, we discuss the impact of HIV infection and the types of antiretroviral therapy on disease management and therapy development efforts.
Experimental study of drop shape and wake effects on particle scavenging for non-evaporating drops using ultrasonic levitation

Abstract Single drop particle scavenging was experimentally measured for a non-evaporating drop using an ultrasonic levitation technique. This technique enabled measurements of scavenging efficiency, E, for individual drops, and allowed for control of drop axis ratio, α , drop shape oscillations, and Reynolds number, Re , independently from drop diameter. Non-evaporating drops were used which resulted in essentially zero temperature and vapor concentration difference between the drop surface and the surrounding air, virtually eliminating the possibility of confounding phoretic effects. Plots of E versus Stokes number, Stk , became independent of α when Stk was calculated using the Sauter mean diameter (as opposed to the equivolume diameter). Furthermore, E was shown to be insensitive to both Re and drop shape oscillations, suggesting that wake effects do not have a measurable impact on E. Finally, a method was developed to relate E for spherical drops, which are assumed for existing scavenging model predictions, to E for arbitrarily deformed drops, such as those occurring in rain. Of note, these are the first measurements of droplet scavenging using ultrasonic levitation.
Pearls & Oy-sters: Enhancing vigilance for detection of cerebral air embolism: From syncope to death

∙ Cerebral air emboli (CAE) are scattered, small, distally located, and characteristically of low density on CT scan.
Bridging the Diversity Gap in Computer Science with a Course on Open Source Software

Stereotype threat, impostor syndrome, lacking a sense of belonging, and misconceptions about the field are just some of the reasons that contribute to the increasing diversity gap in Computer Science. To address this, our institution has developed an undergraduate course in which students contribute to Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) projects under the guidance of a dedicated mentor. By contributing to FOSS projects, students can: find a mentor or role model; collaborate with, participate in, and contribute to a welcoming and supporting community; and see that they can have real-world positive impact. This paper describes the course and our experiences in teaching it, and provides evidence that it can have a positive impact on diversity by increasing retention and improving students’ confidence.
Carotid foramen size in the human skull tracks developmental changes in cerebral blood flow and brain metabolism

OBJECTIVES In humans, neuronal processes related to brain development elevate the metabolic rate of brain tissue relative to the body during early childhood. This phenomenon has been hypothesized to contribute to slow somatic growth in preadolescent Homo sapiens. The uncoupling of the brain's metabolic rate from brain size during development complicates the study of the evolutionary emergence of these traits in the fossil record. Here, we extend a method previously developed to predict interspecific differences in cerebral blood flow (a correlate of cerebral glucose use) to predict ontogenetic changes in human brain metabolism. MATERIALS AND METHODS Radii of the carotid foramen from an ontogenetic series of modern human crania were used to predict blood flow rates through the internal carotid arteries (ICA), which were compared to empirically measured ICA flow and brain metabolism values. RESULTS Predictions of both absolute ICA blood flow rates and perfusion (ICA blood flow rates relative to brain size) generally match measured values in infancy and childhood. Maximum predicted ICA blood flow rates and perfusion were found to occur between ages 5 and 8, which roughly correspond to the age of maximum measured ICA blood flow rate and absolute and brain mass-specific rate of whole brain glucose uptake. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that, during human growth and development, the size of the carotid foramen corresponds well to blood flow requirements through the ICA, and the method tested here may provide new opportunities for studying developmental changes in brain metabolism using osteological samples, including fossil hominins.
THE EFFECT OF CORPORATE INCOME TAX INCENTIVE ON THE PERFORMANCE OF EPZ FIRMS IN KENYA

The contemporary world is characterized with intergovernmental competition for the sole purpose of attracting multinational companies and this has made fiscal incentives to become a global phenomenon. Poor African countries rely on tax holidays and import duty exemptions, while industrial western European countries allow investment allowances or accelerated depreciation. It is for this reason that this study intended to investigate the influence of effect of corporate income tax incentive on the performance of EPZ firms in Kenya. The research design was correlation research design. Correlation research design was best suited since panel data was used. Census survey was adopted because the population of interest was small. A sample size of all the 86 registered EPZs firms was used in this study. Primary data was obtained using questionnaires. Secondary data from the registered firms was collected on; ROA, number and value of jobs and the length of stay of the firms. The study used both descriptive and inferential statistics to conduct data analysis. The results of study revealed that at 5% significance level, corporate income tax incentives had a positive and significant relationship with performance of EPZ firms measured using ROA. The results further revealed that at 5% significance level corporate income tax incentives were found to have positive and significant effect on number of jobs by EPZ firms and length of stay. The study concluded that increase in corporate income incentive led to an increase in the ROA, number of jobs and length of stay of the EPZ firms in Kenya. The study recommended that stakeholders in tax policy should reconsider the economic value of corporate tax incentive.
Post-Transcriptional Noise Control.

Recent evidence indicates that transcriptional bursts are intrinsically amplified by messenger RNA cytoplasmic processing to generate large stochastic fluctuations in protein levels. These fluctuations can be exploited by cells to enable probabilistic bet-hedging decisions. But large fluctuations in gene expression can also destabilize cell-fate commitment. Thus, it is unclear if cells temporally switch from high to low noise, and what mechanisms enable this switch. Here, the discovery of a post-transcriptional mechanism that attenuates noise in HIV is reviewed. Early in its life cycle, HIV amplifies transcriptional fluctuations to probabilistically select alternate fates, whereas at late times, HIV utilizes a post-transcriptional feedback mechanism to commit to a specific fate. Reanalyzing various reported post-transcriptional negative feedback architectures reveals that they attenuate noise more efficiently than classic transcriptional autorepression, leading to the derivation of an assay to detect post-transcriptional motifs. It is hypothesized that coupling transcriptional and post-transcriptional autoregulation enables efficient temporal noise control to benefit developmental bet-hedging decisions.
Modulating charge transport in MOFs with zirconium oxide nodes and redox-active linkers for lithium sulfur batteries

Abstract Despite the promises of high specific energy density and low cost, lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries still face major challenges in long-term cyclability due to polysulfide dissolution. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have unique advantages as porous sulfur hosts due to their high chemical and structural tunability. Herein, we demonstrate that MOFs consisting of functionalized metal oxide nodes and redox-active linkers influence charge transport and enhance Li-S cycling. We show that anthraquinone-based Zr-MOF composite cathodes display higher maximum capacity and longer cycle life compared to sulfur/carbon electrodes. Lithiating the terminal ligands and bridging hydroxides in the Zr6(μ3-O)4(μ3-OH)4 nodes further improves battery performance at high charge rates. We hypothesize that the additional redox sites within the linkers and the presence of lithiated clusters permit greater electrochemical accessibility to the polysulfides by providing additional electron and ion conduction pathways. Moreover, the pore structure plays a critical role in available conduction pathways. Our efforts demonstrate the utility of metal oxide clusters for modulating charge transport and provide structure–function relationships to direct design of novel materials for energy storage devices.
Egypt, Empire, and the Gaelic Literary Imagination

This article presents an edition, translation, and analysis of a Scottish Gaelic song by the Reverend Seumas MacLagain [James McLagan] (1728-1805) about the battle of Alexandria of 1801. This text, which has not received any previous scholarly attention, is a rare illustration of an attempt of a member of the Gaelic intelligentsia to re-frame Gaelic identity and history so as to reconcile them with the agenda of British imperialism. While largely unmentioned in analysis of Gaelic Scotland, the victory in Egypt was a crucial moment that was used by McLagan and others to draw the Gaidhealtachd into a British sphere more completely than ever before. By exploring the motifs, formulas, and devices used by McLagan in his song, and contrasting them with other Gaelic and pan-British approaches to the victory in Egypt, this article challenges assumptions about the nature of Gaelic military song in this era and suggests the importance of British imperialism to the Gaelic literary imagination in the early nineteenth century.
Isolated in vivo hepatorenal perfusion in the dog: Circulatory and functional response of the kidney to hepatic anoxia

Abstract An experimental technique has been utilized in which the isolated liver and kidney are perfused through a pump oxygenator circuit and various observations made on hepatic and renal hemodynamics and function. Hepatic anoxia induced by direct clamping of the hepatic artery with its rich surrounding plexus of autonomic nerves results in a sudden increase in renal vascular resistance and a concomitant decrease in renal function. When hepatic anoxia was induced by clamping the tubing from the pump oxygenator circuit, changes in renal hemodynamics and function were much less impressive. Under the circumstances of these experiments, the effects of neural stimulation of the autonomic plexus in the gastrohepatic ligament seemed to have more effect on renal hemodynamics and function than hepatic anoxia alone.
Creating Competitive Advantage: The Growth of Independent Bookstores in the U.S. 2009–2018

Independent bookstores (often called “indies” or “independents”) sustained threats to their basic business model because of the growth of national bookstore chains and the proliferation of book sales online, in price clubs, supermarkets, convenience stores, mass merchants, and specialty stores, the emergence of digital e-books and eReaders, and the U.S. recession of 2007–2009. These events triggered the closing of hundreds of independent bookstores. In spite of stiff online and brick-and-mortar competition and the recession, many independents were able to grow in size and importance. This article outlines the competitive advantages utilized by many independent bookstores between 2009 and 2018, resulting in an increase in the number of independent bookstores between 2009 (1651) and 2018 (2470).
CYP2D6 Genotype-guided Metoprolol Therapy in Cardiac Surgery Patients: Rationale and Design of the Pharmacogenetic-guided Metoprolol Management for Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in Cardiac Surgery (PREEMPTIVE) Pilot Study.

Objectives The Preemptive Pharmacogenetic-guided Metoprolol Management for Atrial Fibrillation in Cardiac Surgery (PREEMPTIVE) pilot trial aims to use existing institutional resources to develop a process for integrating CYP2D6 pharmacogenetic test results into the patient electronic health record, to develop an evidence-based clinical decision support tool to facilitate CYP2D6 genotype-guided metoprolol administration in the cardiac surgery setting, and to determine the impact of implementing this CYP2D6 genotype-guided integrated approach on the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF), provider, and cost outcomes. Design One-arm Bayesian adaptive design clinical trial. Setting Single center, university hospital. Participants The authors will screen (including CYP2D6 genotype) up to 600 (264 ± 144 expected under the adaptive design) cardiac surgery patients, and enroll up to 200 (88 ± 48 expected) poor, intermediate, and ultrarapid CYP2D6 metabolizers over a period of 2 years at a tertiary academic center. Interventions All consented and enrolled patients will receive the intervention of CYP2D6 genotype-guided metoprolol management based on CYP2D6 phenotype classified as a poor, intermediate, extensive (normal), or ultrarapid metabolizer. Measurements and Main Results The primary outcome will be the incidence of postoperative AF. Secondary outcomes relating to rates of CYP2D6 genotype-guided prescription changes, costs, lengths of stay, and implementation metrics also will be investigated. Conclusions The PREEMPTIVE pilot study is the first perioperative pilot trial to provide essential information for the design of a future, large-scale trial comparing CYP2D6 genotype-guided metoprolol management with a nontailored strategy in terms of managing AF. In addition, secondary outcomes regarding implementation, clinical benefit, safety, and cost-effectiveness in patients undergoing cardiac surgery will be examined.
Disappearing acts: Content moderation and emergent practices to preserve at-risk human rights–related content:

Human rights groups, journalists, and “open source investigators” increasingly depend on social media platforms to collect eyewitness media documenting possible human rights violations and conflict...
Community QE2: New Key Provisions and an Updated ‘Game Plan’ for State and Municipal Action

On April 28th the Fed announced it would already be loosening the terms of its an unprecedented new Municipal Liquidity Facility (‘MLF') for States and their Subdivisions now struggling to address the nation’s COVID-19 pandemic. This is effectively ‘Community QE2’ in all but name. Because Community QE, which is still in the process of being operationalized, will constitute a literal lifeline to States and their Subdivisions, and is in light of its novelty still as unfamiliar as it is essential, this Memorandum briefly summarizes what the new Facility enables now and will likely enable in future. On this basis it then recommends a three-phase ‘Game Plan’ for States and their Subdivisions to put into operation immediately – that is, during the first week of May.
Preventive healthcare policies in the US: solutions for disease management using Big Data Analytics

Data-driven healthcare policy discussions are gaining traction after the Covid-19 outbreak and ahead of the 2020 US presidential elections. The US has a hybrid healthcare structure; it is a system that does not provide universal coverage, albeit few years ago enacted a mandate (Affordable Care Act-ACA) that provides coverage for the majority of Americans. The US has the highest health expenditure per capita of all western and developed countries; however, most Americans don’t tap into the benefits of preventive healthcare. It is estimated that only 8% of Americans undergo routine preventive screenings. On a national level, very few states (15 out of the 50) have above-average preventive healthcare metrics. In literature, many studies focus on the cure of diseases (research areas such as drug discovery and disease prediction); whilst a minority have examined data-driven preventive measures—a matter that Americans and policy makers ought to place at the forefront of national issues. In this work, we present solutions for preventive practices and policies through Machine Learning (ML) methods. ML is morally neutral, it depends on the data that train the models; in this work, we make the case that Big Data is an imperative paradigm for healthcare. We examine disparities in clinical data for US patients by developing correlation and imputation methods for data completeness. Non-conventional patterns are identified. The data lifecycle followed is methodical and deliberate; 1000+ clinical, demographical, and laboratory variables are collected from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Multiple statistical models are deployed (Pearson correlations, Cramer’s V, MICE, and ANOVA). Other unsupervised ML models are also examined (K-modes and K-prototypes for clustering). Through the results presented in the paper, pointers to preventive chronic disease tests are presented, and the models are tested and evaluated.
Deep Channels to a Presidency: Occupations and Careers

This chapter investigates the occupational categories and career trajectories that produce the fields of presidential aspirants, the individuals who collectively become the focus of nominating politics at any given point in time. A focus on these dominant seedbeds for presidential nomination produces three major ongoing influences on their composition: the mechanics of the nominating process, the internal character of the political parties, and the balance between them in the larger society. Along the way, federal executives, congresspersons, governors, and senators—along with the intermittent military hero—all have their day, while at the end, a distinctly modern era emerges, with a late and tantalizing twist.
Using Machine Teaching to Investigate Human Assumptions when Teaching Reinforcement Learners

Successful teaching requires an assumption of how the learner learns - how the learner uses experiences from the world to update their internal states. We investigate what expectations people have about a learner when they teach them in an online manner using rewards and punishment. We focus on a common reinforcement learning method, Q-learning, and examine what assumptions people have using a behavioral experiment. To do so, we first establish a normative standard, by formulating the problem as a machine teaching optimization problem. To solve the machine teaching optimization problem, we use a deep learning approximation method which simulates learners in the environment and learns to predict how feedback affects the learner's internal states. What do people assume about a learner's learning and discount rates when they teach them an idealized exploration-exploitation task? In a behavioral experiment, we find that people can teach the task to Q-learners in a relatively efficient and effective manner when the learner uses a small value for its discounting rate and a large value for its learning rate. However, they still are suboptimal. We also find that providing people with real-time updates of how possible feedback would affect the Q-learner's internal states weakly helps them teach. Our results reveal how people teach using evaluative feedback and provide guidance for how engineers should design machine agents in a manner that is intuitive for people.
Hypertonic saline-induced urolithiasis presenting as acute renal failure in a child with traumatic brain injury: A case report.

Abstract We report the case of a 4 year old female with severe traumatic brain injury who developed bilateral obstructing ureteral stones after hypertonic saline treatment. She developed calcium phosphate stones after two weeks of hypertonic saline therapy, and was successfully treated with ureteral stents and ureteroscopy. She has remained stone-free since that time. We postulate that an incomplete type 1 renal tubular acidosis made her intolerant to the acid and sodium load of the saline, and discuss other lithogenic factors of her presentation.
Giant dipole moment induced by an interface

Abstract When a small particle is illuminated by a laser beam, an oscillating electric dipole moment is induced. When located near an interface, the reflected laser light will change the local electric field, and thereby the dipole moment. However, also the dipole radiation, emitted by the particle, reflects at the interface, and contributes to the electric field at the location of the particle. This reflected field alters the dipole moment. We find that, under certain circumstances, the induced dipole moment by the dipole's own radiation far exceeds the dipole moment induced by the laser.
Critical COVID-19 complicating recovery from surgical repair of congenital heart disease.

This case highlights the need for accurate and rapid testing for SARS-CoV-2 and also underscores the need for caregivers to remain vigilant for COVID-19 in the post-operative setting despite negative pre-operative testing.
Nuclear Power

Nuclear power has never been free from the stifling involvement of government. Heavy regulation has reduced the ability of entrepreneurs to develop and provide new means for the generation of energy using nuclear fuel. The strict parameters dictated by government officials are based upon outdated technology, an improper regulatory philosophy, and preclude innovation in nuclear power generation. Anti-market environmentalists misunderstand the implications of a free market in nuclear power and argue against it based on problems that are actually caused by government involvement. Our position is neither for nor against nuclear power. We advocate a hands-off policy where the nuclear industry is left to its own devices, free from governmental regulations and subsidies: free to succeed or fail on its own. Thus, our position is neither right-wing conservative (removing regulations), nor left-wing liberal (removing subsidies). Very much to the contrary of both positions, we propose a free-market in nuclear power.
The relevance of pre-exposure prophylaxis in gay men's lives and their motivations to use it: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND HIV has affected gay men disproportionately in the U.S. for four decades. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was developed as a prevention strategy for individuals at high risk of HIV infection. Although highly effective, many gay and other men who have sex with men continue not to take PrEP. Researchers have focused on sexual risk behaviors as the primary determinant of who should be on PrEP and identified various objective systemic and societal barriers to PrEP access. Public health measures have promoted PrEP based on these objective criteria. Researchers have recently begun to inquire into subjective and relational motivators for PrEP usage beyond self-perceived risk. METHODS Participants were recruited through snowball sampling. Data were collected between August and November 2018 from PrEP users (n = 7) and PrEP non-users (n = 6). Data were analyzed in a modified grounded theory qualitative analysis. RESULTS The thirteen participants' narratives contained three superordinate categories: (1) what it's like to be someone on PrEP, (2) an environment of changing sexual norms, and (3) the continued importance of education. These categories comprised ten themes, each of which had various repeating ideas. The ten themes were the following: (1) PrEP's social acceptability, (2) PrEP and HIV stigma, (3) PrEP and sexual relationships, (4) dissatisfaction with condoms, (5) negotiating risk, (6) peace of mind, (7) developing a relationship with PrEP, (8) putting yourself first, (9) PrEP awareness, and (10) PrEP logistics. CONCLUSIONS The gay men in our study took into consideration their social roles and relationships, their personal beliefs, and emotional histories as well as risk as prominent motivators for PrEP use. They stated that PrEP use is associated with their sense of belonging, trust, and security about their sexuality. They also identified the most relevant aspects of the medication (e.g., side effects, adherence, and awareness) to their lives.
ELECTIONS Ethics in Government: Revise Campaign Contribution Regulations

The Act prohibits insurers, industrial loan licensees, and political action committees from making contributions to or on behalf of a candidate for the office of Commissioner of Insurance.
Interaction between Neurotensin and Selective Opioid Agonists Modulates Body Temperature in the Rat

Biologically active peptides found within the central nervous system affect a variety of physiological processes, including food intake, sleep, hibernation, reproduction, nociception and temperature regulation. The opioid peptides affect temperature regulation via specific opioid receptors (1). At normal ambient temperatures, opioid agonists selective for the μ receptor induce hyperthermia with alteration of set point through an increase in metabolic rate (1–3). Kappa-selective agonists, such as dynorphin A1–17 (DY) or U50, 488H (U50), reduce metabolic rate, resulting in hypothermia (1–3). Within normal ambient temperatures, the δ opioid receptor appears to have only a minor role in temperature regulation (1–3). In contrast to opioid-induced hypothermia, neurotensin-induced hypothermia (4, 5) results from activation of heat loss mechanisms (6). Several studies have examined the interaction between neurotensin (NT)- and opioid-induced antinociception (7–10). The purpose of the present study was to examine the interactions of the highly selective opioid agonists, PL-017, DY, U50, and (D-Pen2-D-Pen5)-enkephalin (DPDPE) and NT on body temperature (Tb).
Chapter 12 Discussion of the paper by A.W. Duggan and C.R. Morton, entitled 'Tonic descending inhibition and spinal nociceptive transmission'

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the tonic descending inhibition and spinal nociceptive transmission. Dr. Duggan raised the question concerning tonic inhibition in the awake animals. The studies conducted in the awake animals show that there are mechanisms in the conscious animal that are capable of influencing the response properties of neurons in either the spinal or the medullary dorsal horn. Behavioral paradigms may influence the modulation of dorsal horn neurons, however to which extent this modulation is tonically active in the absence of the behavioral training that emphasizes detection of noxious stimuli, should also be known. It has been observed that methysergide alters some response properties that are evoked by non-noxious stimuli. Thus, the tonic inhibition in the preparation has a global influence than just the modulation of noxiously evoked activity. The tonic inhibitory systems do influence dorsal horn neurons in awake animals.
An Ultraviolet View of the Luminous Blue Variables

It is, perhaps, tautological to say that the luminous blue variables (LBVs), being luminous and blue, should be ideal targets for space ultraviolet observation. In fact, many have been observed on occasion and these will be discussed in this article. Mitigating circumstances, however, conspire to make this study difficult. The LBVs are rare and tend to be apparently faint, and since they are massive and formed in the plane in our Galaxy and in active star-forming regions in other galaxies, they tend to be heavily reddened. The stars were not really studied at all in the ultraviolet until the launch of the International Ultraviolet Explorer Satellite (IUE), with the notable exceptions of photometric observations of several of the galactic stars with ANS and TD-1 and Copernicus observations of P Cygni (Hutchings et al. 1987). IUE, a small aperture (45 cm) spectrographic satellite, covering the spectral range from 1200 to 3300 A, allows for an adequate characterization of the UV properties of these stars.
Myeloperoxidase and free iron levels: potential biomarkers for early detection and prognosis of ovarian cancer.

Objective: The study sought to identify whether a relationship exists between serum myeloperoxidase (MPO) and free iron with stages of ovarian cancer. Methods: Serum and tissue samples were collected from women with stages I through IV ovarian cancer, benign gynecologic conditions, inflammation, and healthy controls. Myeloperoxidase ELISA and VITROS Fe Slide assays were used to measure serum and tissue MPO and free iron levels, respectively. Data were analyzed with a one-way ANOVA with post-hoc comparisons ( p< 0.05 considered significant). Results: There was a significant increase in the level of free iron in serum and tissues obtained from stages II-IV as compared to early-stage (stage I) ovarian cancer. There was an overlap between early-stage and inflammation serum MPO levels, however serum free iron levels were significantly higher in early-stage. There was no significant change in serum free iron levels between non-cancer groups. In contrast, there was a significant increase in serum free iron levels in early-stage as compared to non-cancer groups. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings clearly indicate a role for the combination of serum MPO and free iron as biomarkers for early detection and prognosis of ovarian cancer.
Impact of strong direct blast on active sonar systems

Pulsed active sonar (PAS) and continuous active sonar (CAS) in the presence of a strong direct blast are studied for the Doppler-tolerant linear frequency modulation waveform. A comparative analysis is done between PAS and CAS based on the range-Doppler and range-compression images obtained. Furthermore, a generalized likelihood ratio–based criterion is developed for moving target detection. CAS is further studied with a Doppler-sensitive SHAPE waveform, and weighted range-Doppler processing for CAS-SHAPE system is introduced.
Physique Pioneers: The Politics of 1960s Gay Consumer Culture

This study outlines the rise of gay consumer culture from 1945 to 1969—an examination of the production, sale, and consumption of physique magazines, paperback novels, greeting cards, and other items available through gay-oriented mail order catalogs. It agues that purchasing such consumer items validated gay men’s erotic attraction to other men, contributed to their sense of participating in a larger community, and provided particular class-, race-and gender-based models for what it meant to be gay. It examines how physique magazine publishers, in their legal struggles with censorship laws, marshaled a ground-breaking rhetoric of legal rights and collective action that led to the first gay judicial victories establishing the right to market such commodities. It demonstrates that a national gay commercial market preceded the development of a national gay political community and that the development of that market by a small group of gay entrepreneurs was a key, overlooked catalyst to the rise of a gay movement in America.