cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Micromotors Spontaneously Neutralize Gastric Acid for pH‐Responsive Payload Release

The highly acidic gastric environment creates a physiological barrier for using therapeutic drugs in the stomach. While proton pump inhibitors have been widely used for blocking acid-producing enzymes, this approach can cause various adverse effects. Reported herein is a new microdevice, consisting of magnesium-based micromotors which can autonomously and temporally neutralize gastric acid through efficient chemical propulsion in the gastric fluid by rapidly depleting the localized protons. Coating these micromotors with a cargo-containing pH-responsive polymer layer leads to autonomous release of the encapsulated payload upon gastric-acid neutralization by the motors. Testing in a mouse model demonstrate that these motors can safely and rapidly neutralize gastric acid and simultaneously release payload without causing noticeable acute toxicity or affecting the stomach function, and the normal stomach pH is restored within 24 h post motor administration.
64-Pixel solid state CMOS compatible ultrasonic fingerprint reader

We report on a 1D linear array of GHz ultrasonic transducers as an ultrasonic impedance imager for fingerprint sensing. This device is based on an all solid state aluminum nitride (AlN) transducer array that eliminates the need for released membranes. Compared to lower frequency (10–50 MHz) ultrasonic sensors, our device uses GHz ultrasonic pulses, generated by driving AlN pixel transducers at resonance with 1.3 GHz RF pulses at a CMOS compatible voltage of 2V. In addition to faster acquisition speed, GHz ultrasonic imaging enables much higher resolution owing to the smaller wavelength by phase driving several pixels. From noise levels of signals and point measurements, we estimate that the ultimate single point resolution possible for the sensor is 15–20 um or ∼1700 dpi.
Imaging in Cirrhotic Patients Undergoing Surgical Procedures

Preoperative imaging plays an important role in cirrhotic patients undergoing surgery. The imaging may make an initial diagnosis of cirrhosis in a patient with no known history of liver disease and demonstrate findings of advanced liver disease, such as ascites, splenomegaly, and portosystemic collateral pathways. In both scenarios, the identification of cirrhosis and complications is important in the preoperative setting, since cirrhotic patients have increased risk of surgical complications. In this chapter, we will discuss the imaging findings used to make the radiographic diagnosis of cirrhosis. Extrahepatic manifestations of cirrhosis will also be reviewed with an emphasis on portal hypertension and portosystemic collaterals. Further, the clinical implication of some of these findings will be touched upon.
Global uniform stabilization to nontrivial equilibrium of a nonlinear fluid viscoelastic-structure interaction

AbstractUniform stability to a non-trivial equilibrium of a nonlinear fluid structure interaction model is studied. To achieve this goal, control action depending on the equilibrium and applied to the fluid is proposed. The stabilization result obtained is global and no assumptions on the smallness of the initial data or the size of equilibrium point are needed. Due to viscoelasticity, the boundary transmission conditions are highly unbounded, which requires perturbation independent argument. To overcome this difficulty, we seek to construct special multipliers based on the Stokes solver and the projection operator from to a special subspace expanded by the eigenfunction corresponding to the smallest eigenvalue of with zero Neumann boundary condition.
Effect of Progesterone on Cerebral Vasospasm and Neurobehavioral Outcomes in a Rodent Model of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Background Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) induces widespread inflammation leading to cellular injury, vasospasm, and ischemia. Evidence suggests that progesterone (PROG) can improve functional recovery in acute brain injury owing to its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, which could also be beneficial in SAH. We hypothesized that PROG treatment attenuates inflammation-mediated cerebral vasospasm and microglial activation, improves synaptic connectivity, and ameliorates functional recovery after SAH. Methods We investigated the effect of PROG in a cisternal SAH model in adult male C57BL/6 mice. Neurobehavioral outcomes were evaluated using rotarod latency and grip strength tests. Basilar artery perimeter, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1)/synaptophysin colocalization, and Iba-1 immunoreactivity were quantified histologically. Results PROG (8 mg/kg) significantly improved rotarod latency at day 6 and grip strength at day 9. PROG-treated mice had significantly reduced basilar artery vasospasm at 24 hours. GluR1/synaptophysin colocalization, indicative of synaptic GluR1, was significantly reduced in the SAH+Vehicle group at 24 hours, and PROG treatment significantly attenuated this reduction. PROG treatment significantly reduced microglial cell activation and proliferation in cerebellum and cortex but not in the brainstem at 10 days. Conclusions PROG treatment ameliorated cerebral vasospasm, reduced microglial activation, restored synaptic GluR1 localization, and improved neurobehavioral performance in a murine model of SAH. These results provide a rationale for further translational testing of PROG therapy in SAH.
State-of-the-Art Techniques in Treating Peripheral Nerve Injury

Background:Peripheral nerve injuries remain a major clinical concern, as they often lead to chronic disability and significant health care expenditures. Despite advancements in microsurgical techniques to enhance nerve repair, biological approaches are needed to augment nerve regeneration and improv
Paternal priming of maternal tissues to optimise pregnancy success.

The question of ‘how does the allogeneic fetus survive gestation in the face of the maternal immune system?’ has yet to be definitively answered. Several acceptable mechanisms exist to facilitate survival of the semi-allogeneic fetus in various species; paramount is the immunological separation of maternal and fetal tissues during gestation. However, keen observation of the maternal immune system during pregnancy has noted maternal immune tolerance to paternal-specific antigens. A mechanism by which the maternal immune system tolerates specific paternal antigens expressed on the fetus would be far more beneficial than the previously proposed immune indolence that would leave the mother susceptible to infection. In species like human or rodent, implantation occurs days after fertilisation and, as such, the mechanisms to establish antigen-specific tolerance must be initiated very early during pregnancy. We and others propose that these mechanisms are initiated at the time of insemination when paternal antigens are first introduced to the maternal immune system. Indeed, a new paradigm demonstrating the importance of paternal–maternal communication at the time of insemination is becoming evident as it relates to maternal tolerance to fetal antigen and ultimately pregnancy success.
CRNET: An efficient sampling approach to infer functional regulatory networks by integrating large-scale ChIP-seq and time-course RNA-seq data

Motivation NGS techniques have been widely applied in genetic and epigenetic studies. Multiple ChIP-seq and RNA-seq profiles can now be jointly used to infer functional regulatory networks (FRNs). However, existing methods suffer from either oversimplified assumption on transcription factor (TF) regulation or slow convergence of sampling for FRN inference from large-scale ChIP-seq and time-course RNA-seq data. Results We developed an efficient Bayesian integration method (CRNET) for FRN inference using a two-stage Gibbs sampler to estimate iteratively hidden TF activities and the posterior probabilities of binding events. A novel statistic measure that jointly considers regulation strength and regression error enables the sampling process of CRNET to converge quickly, thus making CRNET very efficient for large-scale FRN inference. Experiments on synthetic and benchmark data showed a significantly improved performance of CRNET when compared with existing methods. CRNET was applied to breast cancer data to identify FRNs functional at promoter or enhancer regions in breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Transcription factor MYC is predicted as a key functional factor in both promoter and enhancer FRNs. We experimentally validated the regulation effects of MYC on CRNET-predicted target genes using appropriate RNAi approaches in MCF-7 cells. Availability and implementation R scripts of CRNET are available at http://www.cbil.ece.vt.edu/software.htm. Contact xuan@vt.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Experimental determination of stability constant of ferrous iron borate complex [FeB(OH) 4 + ] at 25 °C from solubility measurements: Implications for transport of iron in reducing environments

Abstract In this study, the formation constant (log10β10) for FeB(OH)4+ as expressed in the following reaction, Fe 2 + + B OH 4 − ⇌ FeB OH 4 + is determined as 3.70 ± 0.10 (2σ) at 25 °C based on our long-term solubility experiments up to 2121 days on Fe(OH)2(cr) in the presence of borate ranging from 0.01 to 0.03 mol·kg−1. In our solubility measurements, the equilibrium was attained from the direction of supersaturation. In the experimental design, we used Fe2(OH)3Cl (pure iron end member of hibbingite) as the starting material. When Fe2(OH)3Cl was in contact with solutions without background concentrations of chloride, it was completely converted to Fe(OH)2(cr). The stability constant of FeB(OH)4+ is expected to find applications in many areas of study. For instance, FeB(OH)4+ may have played an important role in transport of ferrous iron in primitive oceans at the surface of the Earth. In the near-field of geological repositories, the formation of FeB(OH)4+ can sequestrate soluble borate, lowering borate concentrations available to the formation of the Am(III)-borate aqueous complex.
Abstract 15914: Mitochondrial Short Form Sulfonylurea Receptors-2A Splice Variant Protects Hearts From Ischemia Reperfusion Injury.

Sulfonylurea receptor-2 is a subunit of ATP-sensitive K-channels (KATP) that have been implicated in protecting hearts from ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury. Surprisingly, SUR2 knockout (SUR2KO) male mice are protected against I/R injury. A 55kDa intra-exonic splice variant of SUR2A (SUR2A-55) unique to mitochondrial membrane fractions forms functional KATP channels and is more abundant in mitochondria of SUR2KO mice than in wild type (Wt). We hypothesized that increased expression of SUR2A-55 protects hearts from I/R injury. We established three transgenic (Tg+) mouse lines with 1, 3 or >5 copies of the SUR2A-55 transgene using a cardiac specific α-MHC promoter in the Wt background. Cardiac specific mitochondrial expression of SUR2A-55 increased in the order Wt < Tg+1 < Tg+3 < Tg+5 by immunoblotting and RT-PCR. Survival of the Tg+5 mice was low presumably due to toxic over-expression. After 30 min ischemia and 24 h reperfusion, the infarct sizes in Tg+1 (10±3%, n=11, p<0.05) and Tg+3 (7±3%, n=9, p<0.001...
Growth and Development of Infant Squirrel Monkeys during the First Six Months of Life

The experiences of several laboratories over the last few years have demonstrated that the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciure-us) can be bred under a variety of captive conditions and that the offspring can be maintained with little difficulty (Hayes, Fay, Roach and Stare, 1972; Rosenblum, 1972; Taub, Adams and Auerbach, 1977; Kaplan, 1977c). This is particularly significant for the investigator who is interested in reproductive and developmental processes of primates but limited in terms of space and budget. The small size and relatively tractable nature of the squirrel monkey make it an excellent subject for many research objectives.
Techniques for generating optimal, robust plans when temporal uncertainty is present

Planning under uncertainty has been well studied, but usually the uncertainty is in action outcomes. This work instead investigates uncertainty in the amount of time that actions require to execute. In addition to this temporal uncertainty, the problems being studied must have robust solution plans that are optimized based on an objective function. This thesis summary details two iterative approaches that have been used to solve these type of problems and discusses future work, including MDP approaches.
Stability of a Chiral Breaking Vaccuum

We would like to discuss an effective potential approach to dynamical symmetry breaking. [1, 2, 3] In this approach, stationary points of the effective potential correspond to solutions of a Schwinger-Dyson equation. The second derivatives of the effective potential give a stability condition. We will exhibit a case in which a symmetry breaking solution of the Schwinger-Dyson equation corresponds to a saddle point of the effective potential and hence is based on a presumed vacuum state that is unstable.1
Ethics in Academic Medicine

Membership in academic medicine carries with it special challenges and responsibilities in such matters as patient-physician relations, physician conduct and practice, and conflict of interest. This chapter addresses a limited selection of ethical issues in academic medicine that particularly apply to women’s healthcare.
Meaningful Connections: Making Inclusion Work.

For many years, students with disabilities were educated in separate facilities on separate campuses from their same aged peers. With the original passing of what we now call the Individuals with D...
Policy and Payment Changes Create New Opportunities for Occupational Therapy in Acute Care

Importance Changes in health care policy and payment over the past decade have resulted in a greater emphasis on cost effectiveness, quality outcomes, and the health care consumer's experience. Payers' response to the new policies and their expectations have created expanded opportunities for occupational therapy practitioners in health care overall but particularly in acute care hospitals. Objective The objective of this article is to empower occupational therapy directors, practitioners, educators, and students to be proactive in a rapidly changing acute care setting. Evidence review Research on policy and payment changes since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. 111-148) was synthesized with evidence related to occupational therapy practice and education. Findings Occupational therapy practitioners in acute care environments are experiencing expanded roles in optimizing patient readiness for safe community discharge, decreasing lengths of stay, and protecting them from hospital-acquired conditions. Conclusions and relevance Policy and payment initiatives reward health care organizations for the added value occupational therapy practitioners bring to acute care teams. What this article adds This article details how occupational therapy practitioners can advance consumer satisfaction, outcomes, and efficiency in acute care, which can lead to increased recognition of the vital role that occupational therapy can play, thus leading to expanded opportunities.
Total knee arthroplasty outcomes in lupus: a study using the US National Inpatient Sample.

OBJECTIVE To assess whether patients with lupus have more complications and/or health care utilization than patients without lupus after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS We used diagnostic codes to identify lupus (710.0) in patients who underwent primary TKA (procedure code, 81.54) in the US National Inpatient Sample from 1998-2014. We performed separate logistic regression analyses to assess whether lupus was associated with each in-hospital post-primary TKA complication (implant infection, implant revision, transfusion, mortality) or health care utilization for the index hospitalization. RESULTS Our study cohort consisted of 8 127 282 primary TKAs with a mean age of 66.4 years, 63% were female, 68% White, 97% with OA, and the Deyo-Charlson comorbidity score was zero in 51%; 30 912 TKAs were performed in people with lupus. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, lupus was independently associated with a significantly higher risk of transfusion, but no significant difference in implant infection, implant revision or mortality, with respective odds ratios [ORs] (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 1.34 (1.25, 1.42), 1.38 (0.73, 2.60), 1.35 (0.83, 2.19) and 0.83 (0.34, 2.03). Lupus was independently associated with a significantly higher risk of total hospital charges above the median, the length of hospital stay >3 days (median) and discharge to an inpatient facility, respective ORs (95% CI) were 1.42 (1.22, 1.66), 1.09 (1.04, 1.15) and 1.34 (1.27, 1.41). CONCLUSION Our finding of higher transfusion rate and health care utilization in lupus compared with non-lupus patients undergoing primary TKA informs surgeons, patients and policy makers regarding TKA outcomes in lupus, and can also guide appropriate resource allocation.
Are the Benefits of Value-Based Insurance Design Conclusive?

Questions about the clinical significance of improvements to medication adherence resulting from value-based insurance design (VBID) policies persist in the literature. Given the lack of conclusive...
Design, Development, and Control of a Fabric-Based Soft Ankle Module to Mimic Human Ankle Stiffness

This paper investigates the design of a robotic fabric-based, soft ankle module capable of generating 50% of the human ankle stiffness, in plantarflexion and dorsiflexion for walking. Kinematics, dynamics, and anatomy of the human ankle joint are studied to set the functional requirements of the module. The design of the compliant and lightweight soft ankle module uses fabric-based inflatable actuator arrays for actuation. Models for the human ankle stiffness, as well as a data-driven model of soft ankle module is presented. A high-level stiffness controller utilizing the human ankle and soft ankle model with a low-level pressure controller is implemented. We demonstrate the ability to closely follow the ankle stiffness trajectory using soft ankle module.
Focusing the Video Lenses Tool to Build Deeper Understandings of Early Childhood Contexts

This chapter describes how the Video Lenses tool in the Classroom Practices Module from the Teachers Empowered to Advance Change in Mathematics (TEACH Math) project can be used to support teachers to learn to teach mathematics in ways that are developmentally responsive. We see this as particularly useful for teacher educators who may not have ever taught in early childhood contexts or may not have earned a degree related to early childhood or elementary teacher preparation but who are nonetheless responsible for preparing PK-3 teachers in mathematics methods courses. We suggest extending the Video Lenses tool with questions particular to early childhood contexts (e.g., “How long are children expected to engage in a particular task” and “Does the task design allow children to act like children?”), provide analyses of freely available videos, and suggest other videos to use in mathematics methods coursework.
News From the Background to the Foreground: How People Use Technology To Manage Media Transitions: A Study of Technology-mediated News Behaviors in a Hyper-connected World

People are the designers and curators of their own news and information ecosystems, due to the disruption of the news industry and developments in media technology. To understand how people use technology to manage their news consumption, we conducted a two-week diary study with 14 participants, focusing on how people transition between news content and behaviors via different media, sources, platforms and devices. We used an inductive, qualitative analysis of the diary study data to analyze the news behaviors and their underlying motivations and found that people frequently shift their focus between ambient background news streams and active foreground news behaviors. Although people often passively consume news content as a background activity, they also actively manage background news habits to increase the chances of relevant foreground experiences. People manage news consumption by developing routines that are often supported by technology use and social interactions. We encourage product designers to treat backgrounding as an essential part of news consumption behavior and suggest new design directions that employ ubiquitous computing technologies---such as context sensing and routine modeling---to more effectively attend to background-to-foreground behaviors and transitions.
Guillain-Barre syndrome observed with adoptive transfer of lymphocytes genetically engineered with an NY-ESO-1 reactive T-cell receptor

Adoptive transfer of autologous T-lymphocytes transduced with a high affinity NY-ESO-1-reactive T-cell receptor (NY-ESO-1c259 T-cells) has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with refractory synovial sarcoma. Secondary autoimmune T-cell mediated toxicities can occur long after initial adoptive T-cell transfer. We report on the first two cases of the development and management of Guillain-Barre syndrome in synovial sarcoma patients who received NY-ESO-1c259 T-cells. A 47 year-old woman and 39 year-old woman with refractory metastatic SS were treated with fludarabine-cyclophosphamide lymphodepletion followed by adoptive transfer of NY-ESO-1c259 T-cells. On day 42 after adoptive T-cell therapy, patient one presented to the emergency room with a one-week history of numbness, paresthesia, and heaviness to both legs progressing to difficulty walking on the day of presentation. Although MRI brain and lumbar puncture were negative, electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS) of the lower extremities and right arm performed revealed an abnormal study suggestive of a very mild, distal, motor, axonal polyneuropathy. Patient two presented on day 113 with bilateral foot numbness, left foot drop, unsteady gait, and pain in the left thigh, which progressed over two week to bilateral leg weakness, inability to walk, and numbness bilaterally in the hands, legs, and feet. Both patients received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) 0.4 g/kg/day for 5 days for possible acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) likely related to NY-ESO-1 targeting T-cell therapy. After 3 and 5 doses, respectively, of IVIG, the patients reported improvement in symptoms and strength, and were later transferred to an inpatient rehabilitation facility to continue gaining strength. At patient one’s neurology follow-up on day 95, she reported only mild left lower extremity (LLE) weakness and was gradually successfully regaining independence in motor function. At patient two’s 9-month follow-up, the patient had regained normal function and independence. Given the expanding applications of immunotherapy in cancer management, clinicians should stay vigilant against the potential development of unusual but life-threatening immune-mediated toxicities.
[Epidemiologic features and space-time clustering analysis of human schistosomiasis in Hubei Province from 2015 to 2016].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the space-time patterns of schistosomiasis after the stage of transmission controlled in Hubei Province, so as to provide the reference for precise controlling. METHODS The data of human schistosomiasis cases in Hubei Province from 2015 to 2016 and basic information of human schistosomiasis cases and serum antibody titer of human schistosomiasis cases in 2016 were collected and analyzed. The spatial clustering of human schistosomiasis was detected by the Flexible spatial scan statistics and Kulldorff circular scan statistic, respectively. RESULTS Totally 64 819 serological positive cases from 51 counties and 1 504 stool hatching positive cases from 17 endemic counties were reported in Hubei Province in 2015, and 39 365 serological positive cases were reported from 48 counties in 2016. All of them were identified as the research objects. No stool hatching positive cases were reported from the routine work in the whole province in 2016. There were 1 603 cases of the highest antibody titer (1∶80 or more), with the proportion of 4.07%. According to the results of Kulldorff spatial clustering analysis, there were eight and six spatial clustering areas in the distribution of serological positive cases and stool hatching positive cases in 2015, respectively. The numbers of spatial clustering areas in the distribution of serological positive cases and the cases of the highest antibody titer (1∶80 or more) were eight and five in 2016, respectively. According to the results of Flexible spatial clustering analysis, there were three and two spatial clustering areas in the distribution of serological positive cases and stool hatching positive cases in 2015, respectively. The numbers of spatial clustering areas in the distribution of serological positive cases and the cases of highest antibody titer (1∶80 or more) were two and one in 2016, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The distribution of human schistosomiasis cases is not balanced, and there is spatial clustering in Hubei Province. So the key area for prevention and control is on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the future.
Intra-Operative Amiodarone-Releasing Hydrogel to Prevent Post Lung Transplant Atrial Fibrillation: A Pilot Clinical Trial

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of topical amiodarone applied to the atria and pulmonary veins at the time of lung transplantation (LTx) in decreasing postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF). Methods Twenty patients undergoing LTx at a single institution were enrolled in this prospective pilot study and compared to 40 historical controls. An Amiodarone-containing hydrogel was created using CoSeal Surgical Sealant (Baxter Healthcare) and Amiodarone, which was applied to the pulmonary vein anastomoses and atria at time of LTx in the study group. The primary endpoint was development of POAF. Data for the control group was obtained by retrospective chart review. Results The demographic and clinical information for both groups is demonstrated in Table 1. In the study group, 6 patients (30%) developed POAF (Figure 1), 2 (10%) of which lasted less than 24 hours in duration. In the control group, 18 (52.9%) patients developed POAF, 9 (26.5%) of which lasted less than 24 hours in duration. Three patients in the study group and 4 control patients required cardioversion. In the study group, 20% of patients were discharged home on an anti-arrhythmic medication compared to 47.1% in the control group. There were no adverse outcomes related to the application of Amiodarone Hydrogel. Conclusion In this small pilot study, the intra-operative application of Amiodarone-containing hydrogel to the pulmonary vein anastomoses and atria appeared to decrease the rates of POAF when compared to historical controls from the same institution.
Modeling photon, electron, and chemical interactions in a model hafnium oxide nanocluster EUV photoresist

Despite years of research and development, the fundamental processes of photoionization, secondary electron generation, recombination, diffusion, and resist switching are poorly understood at the atomic level for EUVL. Multiscale modeling of these physical and chemical processes can provide answers to questions that are difficult or impossible to answer with experiment alone. A modeling pipeline that includes Monte Carlo modeling of photon- and electron-matter interactions, along with density functional theory calculations of chemical switching will be introduced in this proceeding. The Hf4O2(OMc)12 nanocluster resist will be presented as a case study. Photon and secondary electron yields, electron energy and spatial distributions, and a quantum chemical pathway for negative tone switching will be presented. Fundamental learning from studies like this can be used to improve resist design including improving contrast of these materials.
Infectious Complications of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Hematological Malignancies

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors represent the standard of care for several diseases and drug targets in hematologic malignancies. Infectious complications vary by disease status and prior therapy, but overall incidence of infections generally is low. In chronic diseases, such as chronic myeloid leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, patients can remain on tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy for many years, with few infectious complications from therapy. Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors overall are well tolerated in lymphoproliferative disorders, with long-term follow-up of many years in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Although opportunistic infections have been reported, they are uncommon and routine prophylaxis is not recommended.
Competency based Career planning for reference and user services professionals: Jo Bell Whitlatch and Beth S. Woodard, Chicago, IL, ALA Editions, 2020, 216 pp., $58.00 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-8389-1780-0

Professional competencies have become guiding documents for librarians on how to better their skills and be most effective in their job duties. These guidelines are often published by professional ...
Data and Power: Archival Appraisal Theory as a Framework for Data Preservation

Digital data pervades everyday life, from personal photos shared on social media to voice commands for Amazon Alexa. A widespread industry culture of 'move fast and break things,' however, has compelled data management practices that prioritize profit over preservation. This paper draws from archival theories of appraisal to foreground control, power, subjectivity, and emotion in computing practices that treat data storage as a neutral or objective cost-center. We draw on postmodern archival appraisal theory that recognizes the archive as a powerful and subjective curator of identity and memory. The theoretical basis of archival decision practices, in turn, establishes the value of the archival record and thus the need to save it. With three primary issues of appraisal theory as a framework, we report on an interview study with adults (N=17), ages 51-72, who are in a transitional life-stage that focuses them on their experiences and memories that are worth keeping or discarding. We sketch implications for data management paths that forefront legacy, life transitions, precarity, and control.
Quantification of MagLIF morphology using the Mallat scattering transformation

The morphology of the stagnated plasma resulting from magnetized liner inertial fusion is measured by imaging the self-emission x rays coming from the multi-keV plasma. Equivalent diagnostic responses can be generated by integrated radiation-magnetohydrodynamic (rad-MHD) simulations from programs such as HYDRA and GORGON. There have been only limited quantitative ways to compare the image morphology, that is the texture, of simulations and experiments. We have developed a metric of image morphology based on the Mallat scattering transformation (MST), a transformation that has proved to be effective at distinguishing textures, sounds, and written characters. This metric is designed, demonstrated, and refined by classifying ensembles (i.e., classes) of synthetic stagnation images and by regressing an ensemble of synthetic stagnation images to the morphology (i.e., model) parameters used to generate the synthetic images. We use this metric to quantitatively compare simulations to experimental images, experimental images to each other, and to estimate the morphological parameters of the experimental images with uncertainty. This coordinate space has proved to be very adept at doing a sophisticated relative background subtraction in the MST space. This was needed to compare the experimental self-emission images to the rad-MHD simulation images.
Bilateral Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Orchiopexy for Undescended Testes.

Objective To describe our technique for surgically treating cryptorchidism with bilateral robot-assisted laparoscopic orchiopexy. Background Nonpalpable, undescended testes are commonly seen by the pediatric urologist. It is recommended to surgically bring the testis into the scrotum early in life to decrease the higher risk of future testicular carcinomas seen in abdominal testes. Diagnostic laparoscopy with laparoscopic orchiopexy for viable, intraabdominal testes is the current standard of treatment. Materials and Methods After confirming viable, intraabdominal testes with diagnostic laparoscopy, we used an umbilical camera port and docked the robot with two additional 8-mm ports one handsbreadth to the right and left of the umbilicus. We first mobilized the right testis due to its more proximal location. We incised the gubernaculum distally, and then dissected the vas deferens medially. We carried this mobilization to the left side and mobilized the left testis in a similar fashion. After incising the peritoneum and confirming adequate testicular laxity, we made two transscrotal incisions and pulled either testis into its respective hemiscrotum with a laparoscopic grasper and placed them into a subdartos pouch. Results This technique demonstrated that robot-assisted laparoscopic orchiopexy is feasible when treating cryptorchidism. This is most applicable at institutions that already have robotic surgery capacity and are comfortable operating robotically. Limitations include that use of the robot usually increases the operative time and therefore length of anesthesia for the patient. There does not appear to be a significant difference in cost associated with robotic versus laparoscopic orchiopexy at our institution, though this may not be the case everywhere. Conclusion Here we demonstrate successful use of bilateral robot-assisted laparoscopic orchiopexy to treat bilateral undescended testes in a pediatric male. Pediatric urologists can consider using this technique instead of traditional laparoscopic orchiopexy.
Conspiring Against White Pleasures

The ubiquity of Black death—specifically, the intense decade-long viral stream of trigger-happy police—confirms that, whether the 1930s or the 2000s, it’s always hunting season. The spring of 2020 ...
Safe Affine Transformation-Based Guidance of a Large-Scale Multiquadcopter System

This article studies the problem of affine transformation-based guidance of a multiquadcopter system (MQS) in an obstacle-laden environment. Such MQSs can perform a variety of cooperative tasks including information collection, inspection mapping, disinfection, and fire-fighting. The MQS affine transformation is an approach to a decentralized leader–follower coordination guided by $n+1$ leaders, where leaders are located at vertices of an $n$ -D simplex, called leading simplex , at any time $t$ . The remaining agents are followers by acquiring the desired affine transformation via local communication. Followers are contained in a rigid-size ball at any time $t$ but they can be distributed either inside or outside the leading simplex. By eigendecomposition of the affine transformation coordination, safety in a large scale MQS coordination can be ensured by constraining eigenvalues of the affine transformation. Given the initial and final configurations of the MQS, A* search is applied to optimally plan safe coordination of a large-scale MQS, minimizing the travel distance between the the initial and final configuration. The article also proposes a proximity-based communication topology for followers to assign communication weights with their in-neighbors and acquire the desired coordination with minimal computation cost.
Genetic underpinnings of the transition from alcohol consumption to alcohol use disorder: shared and unique genetic architectures in a cross-ancestry sample

Abstract Recent GWAS of alcohol-related traits have uncovered key differences in the underlying genetic architectures of alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorder (AUD), with the two traits having opposite genetic correlations with psychiatric disorders. Understanding the genetic factors that underlie the transition from heavy drinking to AUD has important theoretical and clinical implications. We utilized longitudinal data from the cross-ancestry Million Veteran Program sample to identify 1) novel loci associated with AUD and alcohol consumption [measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C)] and 2) genetic variants with direct effects on AUD not mediated through alcohol consumption. We identified 26 loci associated with AUD, including 5 ancestry-specific and 6 novel loci and 22 loci associated with AUDIT-C, including 3 ancestry-specific and 8 novel loci. In secondary GWAS that excluded individuals who report abstinence, we identify 7 additional loci for AUD and 8 additional loci for AUDIT-C. We demonstrate that, although the heterogeneity of the abstinent group biases the GWAS findings, unique variance between alcohol consumption and disorder remains after the group is excluded. Finally, using mediation analysis, we identified a set of variants with effects on AUD that are not mediated through alcohol consumption. The distinct genetic architectures of alcohol consumption and AUD suggest different biological contributions to the traits. Genetic variants with direct effects on AUD are potentially relevant to understanding the transition from heavy alcohol consumption to AUD and targets for translational prevention and treatment efforts.
Hearing Outcomes after Revision Stapedectomy Managed with Total Ossicular Prostheses.

Objectives(1) To describe the use of total ossicular prostheses (TOPs) in the setting of stapedectomy requiring an incus bypass procedure. (2) To analyze the short- and long-term audiometric results of TOP utilization in the setting of stapedectomy for an incus bypass procedure.Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingTertiary neurotologic referral center.Subjects and MethodsSeventeen cases of TOP reconstruction after stapedectomy were performed due to advanced incus erosion. The cases were assessed for pre- and postoperative bone conduction and air conduction pure-tone averages (PTAs; 0.5, 1, 2, 3 kHz), including high-tone bone conduction (1, 2, 4 kHz), air-bone gap, and speech discrimination scores. Hearing outcomes were measured: short-term (3 weeks) and long-term (average, 22 months).ResultsAmong 17 ears undergoing revision stapedectomy managed with TOP reconstruction, the average number of previous revision attempts was 1.0 (SD, 1; range, 1-5). The preoperative bone conduction PTA was 30.7 dB...
TRANSFORMATIONS OF SPERM NUCLEI UPON INSEMINATION

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the transformations of the sperm nuclei upon insemination. Normal interactions between the nucleus and cytoplasm are of fundamental importance at all stages of embryonic development. However, during fertilization, a unique situation exists that demonstrates rather dramatically the presence of the conditions within the eggs that bring about major changes in nuclear morphology and function. The relationship and possible functional equivalence of the transformations, the maternally and paternally derived chromatin, undergoes at fertilization and the changes in size and behavior of the transplanted nuclei has been discussed in the chapter. At fertilization, the sperm nucleus is reorganized to form the male pronucleus. Transformation of the sperm nucleus into a male pronucleus involves morphological changes similar to those that have been described for the transplanted nuclei; they include: chromatin decondensation and nuclear enlargement. The activity of the genes has been shown to depend on the association of regulatory proteins with particular regions of chromosomes. The transformations of the sperm nucleus at fertilization into a male pronucleus may be grouped into three processes that are described ultrastructurally in a number of animals and include: (1) breakdown of the sperm nuclear envelope, (2) chromatin dispersion, and (3) formation of a “new” nuclear envelope.
It Was a Great Marvel That He Was in the Father without Knowing Him (II): Winter, 1962: Tucson AZ

JIM NOT THAT WAY JIM. That's no way to treat a garage door, bending stiffly down at the waist and yanking at the handle so that the door jerks up and out jerky and hard and you crack your shins and my ruined knees, son. Let's see you bend at the healthy knees. Let's see you hook a soft hand lightly over the handle feeling its subtle grain and pull just as exactly gently as will make it come to you. Experiment, Jim. See just how much force you need to start the door easy, let it roll up out open on its hidden greasy rollers and pulleys in the ceiling's set of spider-webbed beams. Think of all garage doors as the well-oiled open-out door of a broiler with hot meat in, heat roiling out, hot. Needless and dangerous ever to yank, pull, shove, thrust. Your mother is a shover and a thruster, son. She treats bodies outside herself without respect or due care. She's never learned that treating things in the gentlest most relaxed way is also treating them and your own body in the most efficient way. It's Marlon Brando's fault, Jim. Your mother back in California before you were born, before she became a devoted mother and long-suffering wife and bread-winner, son, your mother had a bit part in a Marlon Brando movie. Her big moment. Had to stand there in saddle shoes and bobby-socks and ponytail and put her hands over her ears as really loud motorbikes roared by. A major thespian moment, believe you me. She was in love from afar with this fellow Marlon Brando, son. Who? Who. Jim, Marlon Brando was the archetypal new-type actor who ruined it looks like two whole generations' relations with their own bodies and the everyday objects and bodies around them. No? Well it was because of Brando you were opening that garage door like that, Jimbo. The disrespect gets learned and passed on. Passed down. You'll know Brando when you watch him, and you'll have learned to fear him. Brando, Jim, jesus, b-r-a-n-d-o. Brando the new archetypal tough-guy rebel and slob type, leaning back on his chair's rear legs, coming crooked through doorways, slouching against everything in sight, trying to dominate objects,
Social Control and Community Care

Community mental health is often viewed as an alternative to the more segregative forms of treatment/control that prevailed before World War II. It has been regarded as a self-determinate system best characterized by the notions of community care, community treatment, and community control. This paper takes issue with the more traditional understanding of community mental health. Drawing on a historical and political-economic analysis of the wider processes of social reproduction and social control and on a general theory of capitalist regulation, it identifies three processes- expansion, neutralization, and privatization-that link the rise of community mental health during the post-war period to basic tendencies of U.S. capitalist formation.
Human parotid proline-rich proteins: Correlation of genetic polymorphisms to dental caries

Parotid saliva contains a variety of proline-rich proteins. This study found that, among 306 children between the ages of 5 to 15 years, there is a significant increase in the decayed-missing-filled tooth surface (DMFS) score of the permanent teeth with age in children with the specific proline-rich protein phenotypes Pa and Pr. However, the increase in DMFS score of the permanent teeth of children was significantly greater in children with Pa+ and Pr22 than in those with the other phenotypes (Pa- or Pr11 and Pr12). The previously established close correlation between the Pa and Pr phenotypes and the genetic variants of salivary peroxidase (a powerful antibacterial system in the oral cavity) may provide an explanation for the relationship of certain proline-rich protein phenotypes to dental caries.
A method for assessing residents' satisfaction with community-based services: a quality-of-life perspective

A method for assessing residents' satisfaction with community-based services is developed and tested using four samples. The method is based on the theoretical notion that consumer satisfaction with individual government services (e.g., police, fire/rescue, and library), business services (e.g., banking/savings, insurance, and department stores), and nonprofit services (e.g., alcohol/drug abuse services, crisis intervention, and religious services) affect satisfaction with the community at large (global community satisfaction). Ultimately, this global community satisfaction, together with satisfaction with other relevant life domains (work, family, leisure, etc.), affect global life satisfaction. The theoretical notions are explained using bottom-up spillover theory -- a theory highly established in quality-of-life research. This theory applied to the proposed method explains that residents' overall satisfaction with a community can be decomposed into a variety of sub-domains, each of which contributes to their overall feelings about the community. Survey data from four different communities were collected to test the validity of the method. The results provided support to the model and the assessment method and measures used. From a managerial perspective, we showed how the model and the assessment method can be used by community leaders to tap citizens' perception of community quality-of-life and its determinants, identify strategic gaps or problem areas, and take corrective action.
William Hutt and the Economics of Apartheid

The work of William Hutt is well knownin the fields of labor economics, monetary economics and politicaleconomy. A hundred years after his birth it is appropriate totake note of a less well known work of his, The Economics ofthe Color Bar. This book, first published in 1964, is an in-depthexamination of the origins and implications of apartheid in SouthAfrica his adopted country of residence for 38 years of his life.It can be read today not only as an authoritative and illuminatingpolitical and social history of South Africa from its first colonizationuntil the time of writing, but also as a window into the originsof South Africas current dilemmas.
Phloem long-distance transport of CmNACP mRNA: implications for supracellular regulation in plants

Direct support for the concept that RNA molecules circulate throughout the plant, via the phloem, is provided through the characterisation of mRNA from phloem sap of mature pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) leaves and stems. One of these mRNAs, CmNACP, is a member of the NAC domain gene family, some of whose members have been shown to be involved in apical meristem development. In situ RT-PCR analysis revealed the presence of CmNACP RNA in the companion cell-sieve element complex of leaf, stem and root phloem. Longitudinal and transverse sections showed continuity of transcript distribution between meristems and sieve elements of the protophloem, suggesting CmNACP mRNA transport over long distances and accumulation in vegetative, root and floral meristems. In situ hybridization studies conducted on CmNACP confirmed the results obtained using in situ RT-PCR. Phloem transport of CmNACP mRNA was proved directly by heterograft studies between pumpkin and cucumber plants, in which CmNACP transcripts were shown to accumulate in cucumber scion phloem and apical tissues. Similar experiments were conducted with 7 additional phloem-related transcripts. Collectively, these studies established the existence of a system for the delivery of specific mRNA transcripts from the body of the plant to the shoot apex. These findings provide insight into the presence of a novel mechanism likely used by higher plants to integrate developmental and physiological processes on a whole-plant basis.
Game approach to the optimal stopping problem

The game approach to the theory of optimal stopping assumes two players, the “controller” and the “stopper”. The reward of the game is a nonnegative process Y with RCLL paths on a time-horizon [0,T...
Too Little mTORC1 Activity Injures the Liver

Obesity promotes chronic activation of mTORC1 and is a known risk factor for hepatic injury, inflammation, and carcinogenesis. In this issue, Umemura et al. (2014) demonstrate that a persistent reduction in hepatic mTORC1 activity also promotes cell damage and inflammation and sensitizes the liver to cancer development.