cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
N‐Benzyloxycarbonyloxy ‐5‐norbornene ‐2,3‐dicarboximide

[62210-73-5] C17H15NO5 (MW = 313.30) InChI = 1S/C17H15NO5/c19-15-13-11-6-7-12(8-11)14(13)16(20)18(15)23-17(21)22-9-10-4-2-1-3-5-10/h1-7,11-14H,8-9H2/t11-,12+,13-,14+ InChIKey = SSVLHTOYYHGIND-KPWCQOOUSA-N (reagent for the installation of a carboxybenzyl [Cbz] protecting group, selective for unhindered amines) Alternate Names: N-(benzyloxycarbonyloxy)norbornan-5-ene-2,3-dicarboximide; benzyl N-(4,4a,7,7a-tetrahydro-4,7-methano-1,3-dioxoisoindolinyl) carbonate; 2-(benzyloxycarbonyloxy)-3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydro-4,7-methano-2H-isoindole-1,3-dione; 3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydro-1,3(2H)-dioxo-4,7-methano-1H-isoindol-2-yl (benzyloxy)formate; NBND. Physical Data: mp 121–123 °C. Solubility: soluble in methanol, ethanol, dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, dimethylsulfoxide, and mixed solvent systems involving water. Physical Appearance: white crystalline solid. Preparative Methods: see Refs 1-3. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: air stable, best maintained in the absence of moisture.
Transition to a wavy vortex regime in convective flow between inclined plates

Experimental results concerning the supercritical behaviour of instabilities occurring in the thermal convective flow between inclined plates are presented. For inclination δ between 90° and 10° (δ = 0° is the vertical orientation), with the bottom plate hotter, it is known that the primary instabilities are longitudinal convective rolls with axes oriented up the slope. These rolls are found to become wavy at a supercritical Rayleigh number Ra(δ, Pr), with an upslope wavelength which seems to be related directly to the wavelength of the original rolls. Measurements indicate that these transitions take place at Reynolds numbers which are probably too small for the process to be attributed to a shear instability. It is thought that the cross-slope derivative of the buoyancy force, which exists because of the tilted geometry, is important in generating the required vorticity. The transition is crucial to the development of violent unsteadiness. The breaking of the waves leads to turbulence at much lower Rayleigh numbers than those required in convection between horizontal plates. The transition to wavy vortices appears to be very similar to that which occurs for Taylor vortices in cylindrical Couette flow.
Equation of state of partially-ionized plasmas

The equation of state of partially ionized plasmas is receiving renewed attention due to recent helio- and astero-seismic measurements and laboratory experiments. The new data encompasses a wide range of parameter space, ranging from weakly to strongly coupled. Theoretical methods to treat these plasmas must confront issues concerning plasma screening of bound states, how strong coupling affects ionization balance, and how to include electron degeneracy and diffraction. Two types of methods are used to treat complicated mixtures, such as occur in stars. Chemical picture methods are based on free energy minimization and must assert the effect the plasma has on bound states. Physical picture methods view the plasma in terms of its fundamental constituents so that plasma screening arises naturally. Herein I give a brief summary of the physical picture method.
Disparities in depression treatment for Latinos and site of care.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the impact of patient characteristics and source of care on differences between whites and Latinos in use and quality of depression treatment in managed primary care settings. METHODS: Data were examined for 1,175 patients (398 Latinos and 777 whites) in 46 managed primary care practices who screened positive for probable depressive disorder. Patient baseline assessments were used to compile sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and to derive variables for receipt of any depression care and depression care that met minimum guidelines (antidepressant use or specialty counseling) in the past six months. Clinics were classified by the percentage of their patient population that consisted of Latinos to determine whether patients in highly Latino clinics reported lower rates of care. Predictors of use and quality of depression care were examined by using logistic regression. RESULTS: Rates of receipt of any depression care and guideline-level depression care were low, and...
Bathtub failure rate and upside-down bathtub mean residual life

This paper shows that: (1) the mean residual life (MRL) of a component has an upside-down bathtub-shape if the component has a bathtub-shape failure-rate function, but the converse does not hold; and (2) there is an optimal burn-in policy to maximize the MRL when the underlying lifetime distribution has a bathtub-shape failure rate. >
Additional sources of bias in half-life estimation

Recently, an increasing amount of attention is being paid to biases in the measurement of time series dynamics based on calculations of half-life. In particular, this issue amplifies the controversy surrounding the purchasing power parity doctrine. Cross-sectional and temporal aggregations, along with mis-specified models, were previously identified as sources of this bias. We identified several other sources of bias, namely, sampling error, incorrect approximations, and structural breaks in time series. These sources should also receive sufficient attention for a sound measurement of half-life.
A Brief History of Hair Cell Regeneration Research and Speculations on the Future

Millions of people worldwide suffer from hearing and balance disorders caused by loss of the sensory hair cells that convert sound vibrations and head movements into electrical signals that are conveyed to the brain. In mammals, the great majority of hair cells are produced during embryogenesis. Hair cells that are lost after birth are virtually irreplaceable, leading to permanent disability. Other vertebrates, such as fish and amphibians, produce hair cells throughout life. However, hair cell replacement after damage to the mature inner ear was either not investigated or assumed to be impossible until studies in the late 1980s proved this to be false. Adult birds were shown to regenerate lost hair cells in the auditory sensory epithelium after noise- and ototoxic drug-induced damage. Since then, the field of hair cell regeneration has continued to investigate the capacity of the auditory and vestibular epithelia in vertebrates (fishes, birds, reptiles, and mammals) to regenerate hair cells and to recover function, the molecular mechanisms governing these regenerative capabilities, and the prospect of designing biologically-based treatments for hearing loss and balance disorders. Here, we review the major findings of the field during the past 25 years and speculate how future inner ear repair may one day be achieved.
A linear statistical analysis for full-chip leakage power with spatial correlation

In this paper, we present an approved linear-time algorithm for statistical leakage analysis in the present of any spatial correlation condition (strong or weak). The new algorithm adopts a new set of uncorrelated variables over virtual grids to represent the original physical random variables and the grid size (thus of number of new random variables) is determined by the spatial correlation length. In this way, each physical variable is always represented by virtual variables locally. We prove that the number of neighboring virtual grids for each grid is not related to condition of spatial correlation, which leads to linear time complexity in terms of number of gates. We compute the gate leakage by the orthogonal polynomials based collocation method. The total leakage of a whole chip can be computed by simply summing up the coefficients of corresponding orthogonal polynomials for each grid. Furthermore, look-up table can be created to cache statistical information for each type of gates in library instead of calculating leakage for every single gate on chip. As a result, we end up with O(N) time complexity, where N is the number of grids on chip. The proposed method has no restrictions on static leakage models, types of statistical distributions for leakage currents. Experimental results show that the proposed method is about 1000X faster than the recently proposed grid-based method [2] with similar accuracy and many orders of magnitude times over the Monte Carlo method.
Success of Active Revegetation after Tamarix Removal in Riparian Ecosystems of the Southwestern United States: A Quantitative Assessment of Past Restoration Projects

Invasion by the non-native tree Tamarix has led to implementation of restoration projects aimed at maintaining the ecological integrity of many riparian communities in the southwestern United States. These restoration efforts may include Tamarix removal, manipulation of hydrologic regimes, and active revegetation of native species. The goal of this study was to determine which site characteristics are correlated with restoration success, defined in terms of reductions of undesirable species such as Tamarix and establishment of desirable, native species. To accomplish this, vegetative and environmental data were collected at 28 sites in the southwestern United States where active revegetation was completed after Tamarix removal. These data were incorporated into regression tree models with predictor variables that included number of years since removal (1‐18 years) and multiple management, climate, soils, and hydrological variables to determine success of Tamarix control, revegetation success, and general plant community responses. Our results suggest that there are easily measurable site characteristics that are associated with greater native cover and richness, planting success, and Tamarix control. Close proximity to perennial water, sufficient precipitation, recent flooding, and good drainage as well as coarser soil texture, and lower soil pH all 4 favored native species. Overall, those site characteristics associated with native species success were the same as those related to lower Tamarix cover. These quantitative models are intended to assist researchers and land mangers to design more effective riparian restoration efforts in this critical arid lands ecosystem type.
ACTION POTENTIALS IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM OF THE CRAYFISH : IV. INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON NERVE IMPULSES ARISING "SPONTANEOUSLY" IN ABDOMINAL GANGLIA.

Increase in temperature elicits an increase in the number of nerve impulses arising spontaneously from deafferented crayfish ganglia. This alteration in gross frequency gives an apparent temperature characteristic of 27,000 calories. Changes in the number of active fibers and in the frequency of discharge of individual units account for the alterations in the gross frequency. The change in number of active units gives a n value of 17,500 calories. Individual fibers fall into two groups with respect to the effect of temperature on their frequency of discharge. One of these groups exhibits a µ value of 14,500 calories and the other yields a µ value of 7,000 calories.
The acoustic properties of SCBA equipment and its effects on speech communication

In assessing system requirements for effective communication in public safety applications, a number of challenges exist. The Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) mask air-delivery system is essential equipment in certain public service activities, mainly firefighting and HAZ-MAT (hazardous materials) operations. It is important that high-quality and reliable communications are maintained when SCBA equipment is employed. An SCBA mask encloses the face and mouth, which alters articulation and distorts the speech spectrum. SCBA system noises such as alarms and air-regulator noise, in addition to environmental noises, add to the deterioration of speech quality in an SCBA-fronted communication system. A digital speech codec adds another potential source of speech distortion and diminished intelligibility when noise-corrupted speech is processed. This article characterizes some of the effects of SCBA equipment on speech quality and intelligibility in the context of a radio communications system and outlines parameters that should be considered in communications system design and interfacing.
Evaluating the Welfare Effects of Drug Advertising

Direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals has led to questions of whether consumers benefit from the additional drug information, or are harmed by being induced to pursue prescriptions that are unnecessary or even dangerous. We conducted an empirical study of the relation between advertising and prescribing for Cox-2 inhibitors, one of the most controversial drug classes over the past decade. We find that the net effect of advertising is to get patients in front of their physicians. More surprising, we find that increased advertising is connected with a decrease in the rate of Cox-2 prescriptions for people at risk from the drugs.
Participant-Direction in a Culturally Diverse, Rural Population The Hawaìi Community Living Program

The Hawaii Community Living Program was a participant-direction pilot project aimed at rural, multicultural, and community-dwelling older adults at risk of institutionalization. This evaluation examined participant outcomes, and explored the role of culture, health literacy, and rural settings in participant-direction programs. The program enrolled 91 participants and, of these enrollees, helped 84 (92.3%) participants avoid institutionalization and spend down to Medicaid. Findings indicated that Program Coaches needed to be culturally appropriate and creative in arranging for services and the delivery of goods and supplies. Results suggested that participants need to be health literate to direct their care, but further research is needed.
Evaluation of a Pest Control Technique: Fall-spray Control of Alfalfa Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Alfalfa Fields

A procedure for control of adult alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal), during the fall was analyzed and compared with the common practice of treating in the spring when indications of crop damage appear. Insecticides were sprayed when the majority of adult weevils were present in a narrow band at the perimeter of an alfalfa field. Data were collected and analyzed to test hypotheses about effectiveness of this practice. A model for economic evaluation of this technique was developed using dimensions of the field and the area treated, costs of pesticides, and probability of an outbreak of alfalfa weevil the following spring. As a control tactic, the fall perimeter-spray technique may have advantages over other alfalfa weevil control methods because of lower costs, fewer personnel and equipment hours required, and lower environmental impacts.
Under complicated electromagnetic environment signal monitor model building

In a complex electromagnetic environment, the signal and background noise have very strong time and frequency coupling feature, the traditional signal monitoring model is difficult to achieve high precision monitoring under low SNR.Based on fractional Fourier transform is a kind of higher order cumulants of the rear signal monitoring model under complex electromagnetic environment. Signal model building under complicated electromagnetic environment, feature extraction of signal preprocessing, and then to improve the traditional model of fractional Fourier transform, using 4 order cumulant is not sensitive to gaussian noise and non-gaussian noise suppression performance, effectively restrain complex electromagnetic environment, enhance monitoring performance. Simulation results show that the model can effectively implement under the complex electromagnetic environment of low SNR of signal monitoring, monitoring of high probability, superior performance.
Patient death or renal graft loss within 3 yr of transplantation in a county hospital : importance of poor initial graft function

Our purpose was to study the factors predictive of graft loss or patient death within 3 yr of renal transplant in a county population, 363 renal transplants performed between 1984 and 1991 at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center were reviewed. There were 16 recipients (4%) who died and 76 (21%) who lost their grafts within 3 yr. Known causes of death were cardiac (44%), infection (38%) and malignancy (6%). There was a higher proportion of diabetics (44%), hypertensives (69%) and those with a past cardiac history (38%). There was also a high delayed graft function rate (56%). Of the 76 grafts that failed in the first 3 yr, 14% were due to noncompliance, 20% to grafts that never functioned, 9% to technical problems, 21% to acute rejection, 9% to recurrent disease and 26% to chronic rejection. The noncompliance group were younger (mean 34 yr), and more likely to be a first transplant (90%) and be non-white (82%). The rejection group was significant for high delayed graft function rate (84%) and frequent and early rejection (76% at least one rejection). We conclude that fair organ allocation requires a balance between equity and utility, but patient death or graft loss within 3 yr benefits neither the patient or society. Patient survival may be improved with diligent cardiac evaluation, particularly in older patients and diabetics. Patient education and monitoring for noncompliance is essential, particularly in young first-time recipients. Maneuvers to decrease delayed graft function are essential to improve long-term results.
The Correlation of Electronic Structures of Indole Derivatives with their Biological Activities

Much of our work to date has been focussed on indolealkylamines, and recently some calculations of hallucinogenic amphetamines have been made. Indoles were selected for several reasons. They have varied, potent, and important biological activities, and some, like 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin), are widely distributed in nature, including mammalian tissues. Many studies have been published quantitatively describing the actions of congeners on different biological systems. Furthermore, enough information is available on the chemistry of indoles to test the reasonableness of the results of the calculations. In addition, being heterocycles and relatively large they typify many biochemicals and drugs, and as a planar ring system, they are more easily amenable to analysis. Finally, since molecular orbital methods have accounted for some of the chemical activities of indoles; it was hoped that a comparable approach could help to account for their biological activities. Amphetamines were studied for many of the same reasons including the fact that they have some of the same biological actions as do indoles and in some biological systems even act on the same receptors.
PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH

When considering how to allocate scarce resources for the development of public infrastructure, many countries have a tendency to neglect maintenance in favor of new infrastructure investment projects. We examine the role of maintenance expenditures on output and on the distribution of wealth in a heterogeneous agents model. In our model, maintenance affects the quality of existing infrastructure and thus the flow of services derived from it. Furthermore, maintenance expenditures also affect the depreciation rates of both public infrastructure and private capital. We calibrate our model to Mexico and consider several policies that increase the flow of resources to infrastructure and find that a policy that allocates all additional resources to new investment is dominated by policies that allocate at least some of the additional resources to maintenance. Specifically, focusing all additional resources on maintenance is shown to generate the largest reduction in inequality, while a more balanced policy that increases both investment and maintenance maximizes output growth. (JEL E00, E62, H54)
Membranes and Secretion

Utilizing the pancreatic exocrine cell as prototype and the technique of pulse chase radioautography, it has been possible to follow the orderly flow of secretory proteins from their site of synthesis to their ultimate discharge. Thus it has been learned that a number of different operations are involved in this process and that all of them are related to the intracellular membrane system of the cell.
DYNAMIC HETEROGENEOUS RESPONSE OF ALUMINUM AND COPPER TO STRESS WAVES

Holographic interferometry is used to measure the time and space resolved dynamic response of materials to stress waves. For free surface accelerations in the range − 1011 cm/sec2 to 1010 cm/sec2 and pressures less than 2 GPa we find that the grain structures of the polycrystalline metals aluminum and copper are correlated to the observed heterogeneous response. The response depends on the grain size, whether the material is being compressed or unloaded from a shock compressed state and the rate of compression and decompression. Other factors, such as material strength, viscosity, and wave interactions, that may influence heterogeneous response are discussed.
Case 67: Persistent Stapedial Artery

A 4-year-old girl presented with hearing loss in her left ear that had begun 1 year earlier. She had chronic otitis media of the left ear 2 years ago, which was treated with antibiotics and insertion of a tympanostomy tube. She also had one instance of substantial bleeding from the left ear during the course of otitis media. She did not have a history of meningitis. The findings of an otoscopic examination were unremarkable. Audiologic evaluation revealed profound conductive hearing loss in the left ear but normal hearing in the right. Computed tomographic (CT) (Hispeed; GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wis) evaluation of the temporal bones was performed, and 1-mm sections were obtained in the transverse and coronal imaging planes. All images were subjected to unilateral retargeting and postprocessing with a thin-section bone algorithm and a small field of view (9.6 cm). Relevant CT scans of the left temporal bone were obtained. The findings of a CT examination of the right temporal bone were unremarkable.
Development of a Multicenter Ward–Based AKI Prediction Model

Background and objectives Identification of patients at risk for AKI on the general wards before increases in serum creatinine would enable preemptive evaluation and intervention to minimize risk and AKI severity. We developed an AKI risk prediction algorithm using electronic health record data on ward patients (Electronic Signal to Prevent AKI). Design, setting, participants, & measurements All hospitalized ward patients from November of 2008 to January of 2013 who had serum creatinine measured in five hospitals were included. Patients with an initial ward serum creatinine >3.0 mg/dl or who developed AKI before ward admission were excluded. Using a discrete time survival model, demographics, vital signs, and routine laboratory data were used to predict the development of serum creatinine–based Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes AKI. The final model, which contained all variables, was derived in 60% of the cohort and prospectively validated in the remaining 40%. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated for the prediction of AKI within 24 hours for each unique observation for all patients across their inpatient admission. We performed time to AKI analyses for specific predicted probability cutoffs from the developed score. Results Among 202,961 patients, 17,541 (8.6%) developed AKI, with 1242 (0.6%) progressing to stage 3. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the final model in the validation cohort were 0.74 (95% confidence interval, 0.74 to 0.74) for stage 1 and 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.83 to 0.84) for stage 3. Patients who reached a cutoff of ≥0.010 did so a median of 42 (interquartile range, 14–107) hours before developing stage 1 AKI. This same cutoff provided sensitivity and specificity of 82% and 65%, respectively, for stage 3 and was reached a median of 35 (interquartile range, 14–97) hours before AKI. Conclusions Readily available electronic health record data can be used to improve AKI risk stratification with good to excellent accuracy. Real time use of Electronic Signal to Prevent AKI would allow early interventions before changes in serum creatinine and may improve costs and outcomes.
Mark Sanders’ Learning Zulu

Mark Sanders’ Learning Zulu cuts through mythic constructs of “Zulu-ness” and the history of African national languages along the axis of a psychopolitics of language-learning that is itself anchor...
Quantification and visualization of injury and regeneration in the developing ciliated epithelium using quantitative flow imaging and speckle variance optical coherence tomography (Conference Presentation)

Premature infants are at a high risk for respiratory diseases owing to an underdeveloped respiratory system that is very susceptible to infection and inflammation. One aspect of respiratory health is the state of the ciliated respiratory epithelium which lines the trachea and bronchi. The ciliated epithelium is responsible for trapping and removing pathogens and pollutants from the lungs and an impairment of ciliary functionality can lead to recurring respiratory infections and subsequent lung damage. Mechanisms of cilia-driven fluid flow itself but also factors influenced by development like ciliary density and flow generation are incompletely understood. Furthermore, medical interventions like intubation and accidental aspiration can lead to focal or diffuse loss of cilia and disruption of flow. In this study we use two animal models, Xenopus embryo and ex vivo mouse trachea, to analyze flow defects in the injured ciliated epithelium. Injury is generated either mechanically with a scalpel or chemically by calcium chloride (CaCl2) shock, which efficiently but reversibly deciliates the embryo skin. In this study we used optical coherence tomography (OCT) and particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) to quantify cilia driven fluid flow over the surface of the Xenopus embryo. We additionally visualized damage to the ciliated epithelium by capturing 3D speckle variance images that highlight beating cilia. Mechanical injury disrupted cilia-driven fluid flow over the injured site, which led to a reduction in cilia-driven fluid flow over the whole surface of the embryo (n=7). The calcium chloride shock protocol proved to be highly effective in deciliating embryos (n=6). 3D speckle variance images visualized a loss of cilia and cilia-driven flow was halted immediately after application. We also applied CaCl2-shock to cultured ex vivo mouse trachea (n=8) and found, similarly to effects in Xenopus embryo, an extensive loss of cilia with resulting cessation of flow. We investigated the regeneration of the ciliated epithelium after an 8 day incubation period, and found that cilia had regrown and flow was completely restored. In conclusion, OCT is a valuable tool to visualize injury of the ciliated epithelium and to quantify reduction of generated flow. This method allows for systematic investigation of focal and diffuse injury of the ciliated epithelium and the assessment of mechanisms to compensate for loss of flow.
On-Line Identification of State-Space Models via Exploitation of Displacement Structure

Abstract The computational burden of state space model identification has limited its real-time application though it offers some important advantages over other methods based on input/output transfer functions. A recently proposed state space identification method [1] uses ideas from the theory of displacement structure and significantly reduces the computational burden. For an M x N data matrix (N > M), this batch method requires only O(MN) flops while the existing method takes O(MN 2 ) flops. However, for slowly changing systems, it is more desirable to update the model as time goes on with the minimal computational burden. In this paper, we extend our results of the batch processing algorithm to allow updating of the identified state space model with O(M 2 ) flops. Again, the theory of displacement structure and of the fast subspace decomposition (FSD) technique are essential to the derivation of this fast algorithm. Some computer simulation results are also presented.
Sinc-Galerkin Methods

In this chapter we consider an FK2 of the form (1.2.2): ϕ(x) — λ ∫ a b k(x,s)ϕ(s)ds = f (s), where a ≤ x,s ≤ b, and the kernel k(x,s) has a weak singularity at an endpoint. In numerical approximations, whether in quadrature, finite differences,finite elements, and the like, the computational methods generally use polynomials as basis functions to obtain approximate solutions that are sufficiently accurate in a region where the function to be approximated is ‘smooth’ (or analytic). However,such methods fail significantly in a neighborhood of singularities of the function.An analytic function ϕ has a singularity at a point at which ϕ does not exist and at the endpoints of an interval or a contour. On the other hand, the numerical approximation obtained by using Whittaker’s cardinal function C(ϕ, h, x) yields much better results than those obtained by polynomial methods in the case when singularities are present at an endpoint of an interval. This method, however,may or may not yield better results in the absence of singularities. The function C(ϕ, h, x) is called the cardinal interpolant to ϕ(x).
Intravascular Filters and Stents

In 1953, Sven Ivar Seldinger solved the problem of simple vascular access and opened the door to the current era of endovascular diagnostics and therapeutics (1). Twenty years later, Greenfield introduced the pulmonary embolectomy catheter and vena caval filter for treatment of pulmonary embolism (2). The introduction of intravascular stents by Palmaz in 1985 marked the most recent advance in the progress toward less invasive treatment for vascular disease (1).
Comparisons of the Framingham and Pooled Cohort Equation Risk Scores for Detecting Subclinical Vascular Disease in Blacks Versus Whites.

The pooled cohort Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) risk calculator is designed to improve cardiovascular risk estimation compared with the Framingham Risk Score, particularly in blacks. Although the ASCVD risk score better predicts mortality and incident cardiovascular disease in blacks, less is known about its performance for subclinical vascular disease measures, including arterial stiffness and carotid intima-media thickness. We sought to determine if the ASCVD risk score better identifies subclinical vascular disease in blacks compared with the Framingham risk score. We calculated both the Framingham and ASCVD cohort risk scores in 1,231 subjects (mean age 53 years, 59% female, 37% black) without known cardiovascular disease and measured the extent of arterial stiffness, as determined by pulse wave velocity (PWV), central pulse pressure (CPP), and central augmentation index (CAIx), and subclinical atherosclerosis, as determined by carotid-IMT (C-IMT). Compared with whites, blacks had higher CAIx (23.9 ± 10.2 vs 22.1 ± 9.6%, p = 0.004), CPP (36.4 ± 10.5 vs 34.9 ± 9.8 mmHg, p = 0.014), PWV (7.6 ± 1.5 vs 7.3 ± 1.3 m/s, p = 0.004), and C-IMT (0.67 ± 0.10 vs 0.65 ± 0.10 mm, p = 0.005). In a multivariable analysis including race and Framingham risk score, race remained an independent predictor of all measures of subclinical vascular disease; however, models with race and the ASCVD risk score showed that race was not an independent predictor of subclinical vascular disease. In conclusion, greater subclinical vascular disease in blacks was not estimated by the Framingham risk score. The new ASCVD risk score provided a better estimate of racial differences in vascular function and structure.
Sparse-spectrum receiver processing for position-adaptive radar in urban environments

This paper discusses results from a hardware simulation and instrumentation system development effort that led to a series of tests pertaining to positive-adaptive radar concepts in outdoor urban environments. The focus of the investigation and subsequent discussion in this paper is on the development of “sparse spectrum” intelligent processing waveforms developed specifically for detecting moving vehicles that are embedded between two buildings.
Emerging Health Perspectives

According to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than half of Americans who are 12 years of age or older report being current drinkers. Approximately 19.9 million Americans of the same age group admitted to using at least one illicit drug in the past month—approximately 8% of the nation’s population 12 and older. Although marijuana remains the most commonly used illicit drug by Americans (14.4 million admitting to past-month use), non-therapeutic or non-medical use of prescription drugs comes in second in terms of use (6.9 million users 12 and older). It has been recognized that prescription opioids are associated with higher rates of abuse and dependence than other substances, as well as increased mortality. At the same time, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 19.5 million people who have been identified as having a substance use disorder do not feel they need treatment. Early screening, brief intervention, referral, and treatment can have a profound impact on identifying and treating those who do not acknowledge their substance use disorder or are in the early stages of the disorder. By integrating substance abuse treatment into the primary care setting, individuals who do not present to specialty facilities can be reached and referred to treatment. For those who have sought treatment, the flexibility to create a treatment program that meets their specific needs—culturally, physically, etc.—is critical. Substance abuse treatment must be holistic. The Access to Recovery program provides a voucher system that allows clients to choose services and providers that meet their specific needs. Medication-Assisted Treatment programs for opioids-dependent clients also have proven their success in delivering effective treatment. However, diversion and mortality concerns need to be continuously tracked and addressed. Finally, the influence of parity law and impending health care reform needs to be addressed regarding substance abuse treatment programs and services to ensure that when changes are initiated, substance abuse treatment is included.
The Channel-Hillslope Integrated Landscape Development Model (CHILD)

Numerical models of complex Earth systems serve two important purposes. First, they embody quantitative hypotheses about those systems and thus help researchers develop insight and generate testable predictions. Second, in a more pragmatic context, numerical models are often called upon as quantitative decision-support tools. In geomorphology, mathematical and numerical models provide a crucial link between small-scale, measurable processes and their long-term geomorphic implications. In recent years, several models have been developed that simulate the structure and evolution of three-dimensional fluvial terrain as a consequence of different process “laws” (e.g., Willgoose et al., 1991a; Beaumont et al., 1992; Chase, 1992; Anderson, 1994; Howard, 1994; Tucker and Slingerland, 1994; Moglen and Bras, 1995). By providing the much-needed connection between measurable processes and the dynamics of long-term landscape evolution that these processes drive, mathematical landscape models have posed challenging new hypotheses and have provided the guiding impetus behind new quantitative field studies and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) -based analyses of terrain (e.g., Snyder et al., 2000). The current generation of models, however, shares a number of important limitations. Most models rely on a highly simplified representation of drainage basin hydrology, treating climate through a simple “perpetual runoff” formulation.
Uncertainties in Rydberg Atom-Based RF E-Field Measurements

Ahstract- A Rydberg atom-based electric-field measurement approach is being investigated by several groups around the world as a means to develop a new SI-traceable RF E-field standard. For this technique to be useful it is important to understand the uncertainties. In this paper, we examine and quantify the sources of uncertainty present with this Rydberg atom-based RF electric-field measurement technique.
The association of radiographic changes of osteoarthritis of the hand and hip in elderly women.

Objective. To examine the association of radiographic features of hand and hip osteoarthritis (OA) in elderly women. Methods. Hand and hip radiographs were read for changes of OA from a sample of 1422 women aged 65 and above who were participants in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. Definite hip OA required the presence of 2 or more of the following : moderate or large osteophytes, moderate or severe joint space narrowing, subchondral sclerosis, cysts, and femoral head deformity. Definite hand OA required moderate or large osteophytes at 2 or more of the following 6 sites : 2nd and 3rd distal and proximal interphalangeal joints and 1st interphalangeal and carpometacarpal joints. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression adjusting for age, weight at age 50, and current height. Results. Overall, 147 (10.4%) women had radiographic changes of definite hip OA and 68 (4.8%) had severe hip OA ; 56 had bilateral and 87 had unilateral disease. Definite hand OA was present in 732 (51.4%) women. Hand OA was significantly associated with definite hip OA [odds ratio (OR) = 3.25, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 2.19, 4.84], and severe hip OA (OR = 3.23, 95% CI 1.82, 5.73). Hand OA was significantly associated with bilateral hip OA (OR = 3.54, 95% CI 1.87, 6.73) as well as unilateral hip OA (OR = 3.06, 95% CI 1.84, 5.08). Conclusion. These data are consistent with the inclusion of radiographically defined hip OA in the construct of generalized OA, particularly in elderly women.
Thompson Sampling for Multinomial Logit Contextual Bandits

We consider a dynamic assortment selection problem where the goal is to offer a sequence of assortments that maximizes the expected cumulative revenue, or alternatively, minimize the expected regret. The feedback here is the item that the user picks from the assortment. The distinguishing feature in this work is that this feedback has a multinomial logistic distribution. The utility of each item is a dynamic function of contextual information of both the item and the user. We propose two Thompson sampling algorithms for this multinomial logit contextual bandit. Our first algorithm maintains a posterior distribution of the true parameter and establishes $\tilde{O}(d\sqrt{T})$ Bayesian regret over $T$ rounds with $d$ dimensional context vector. The worst-case computational complexity of this algorithm could be high when the prior distribution is not a conjugate. The second algorithm approximates the posterior by a Gaussian distribution, and uses a new optimistic sampling procedure to address the issues that arise in worst-case regret analysis. This algorithm achieves $\tilde{O}(d^{3/2}\sqrt{T})$ worst-case (frequentist) regret bound. The numerical experiments show that the practical performance of both methods is in line with the theoretical guarantees.
Traffic Analysis: Learning How Users Got to Your Website

You can learn about who your users are through visitor analysis and begin to understand why they may have come to your website through traffic analysis. These analyses are exploratory in nature—you describe the categories that your users fit into in terms of size and how those different categories behave, and look for patterns that emerge. Web analytics allows you to delve in to how many times users visit your website, and how many days have passed since their last visit. You can find out how much time users spend on your website and how many pages they view, where they are located, and what sort of device they use to access your website. This chapter discusses two approaches to analyzing the keywords that your users searched for: the quick way of analyzing the most frequently searched keywords (the “head” of the long tail), and how to approach the full breadth of keywords.
Clinical Distancing and Mitigation of Coronavirus Disease 2019

Social distancing as a technique to limit transmission of infectious disease has come into common parlance following the arrival and rapid spread of a novel coronavirus disease around the world in 2019 and 2020 But in the face of an emerging pandemic threat, it is crucial that we start to apply these principles to the clinic, the emergency department, and the hospital ward We propose that this dynamic situation calls for a parallel "Clinical Distancing" in which we as a medical culture go against many of our fundamental instincts and, at least in the short term, begin to reduce unnecessary patient-care contacts for the benefit of our patients and our ability to continue to provide care to those who need it most In this commentary, we provide specific recommendations for the rapid implementation of clinical distancing techniques
Dynamics of COVID-19 using inverse problem for coefficient identification in SIR epidemic models

Abstract This work deals with the inverse problem in epidemiology based on a SIR model with time-dependent infectivity and recovery rates, allowing for a better prediction of the long term evolution of a pandemic. The method is used for investigating the COVID-19 spread by first solving an inverse problem for estimating the infectivity and recovery rates from real data. Then, the estimated rates are used to compute the evolution of the disease. The time-depended parameters are estimated for the World and several countries (The United States of America, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, Russia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand) and used for investigating the COVID-19 spread in these countries.
Development and implementation of a primary care clinic workflow protocol to meet opioid prescribing guidelines.

BACKGROUND Nearly 50% of opioid overdose deaths in the United States involve the use of prescription opioids. Primary care providers can help decrease the risk of opioid overdose deaths by adhering to opioid prescribing guidelines for chronic pain management. LOCAL PROBLEM Ten Washington State primary care clinics had gaps in guideline adherence and mandated electronic medical record (EMR) documentation for prescribing opioids. METHODS A quality improvement project using an educational intervention was implemented. INTERVENTIONS Primary care providers and support staff (defined as registered nurses and medical assistants) from the 10 primary care clinics viewed the project's instructional YouTube webinar that explained the project's primary care clinic workflow protocol, opioid prescribing best practice guidelines, and the organization's mandated EMR charting for chronic pain management. Preintervention and postintervention measures, which included five different documented patient completion rates of the organization's best practices for opioid prescribing, were used to assess for improvement to guideline adherence. Additionally, participants completed a questionnaire regarding their perceptions of the webinar as an educational tool. RESULTS Postintervention data showed significantly (p ≤ .05) increased completion rates for three of five outcome measures, indicating improvement in guideline adherence. The majority of participants reported that the webinar information would help them better adhere to best practice guidelines. CONCLUSIONS A workflow protocol for opioid prescribing taught via a YouTube webinar was an effective method for disseminating and implementing best practices in the primary care setting. Similar workflow protocols, taught via webinar, could be equally beneficial in other primary care clinics.
Familien mit Kindern psychisch kranker Eltern: Ein Überblick über ambulante, familienorientierte Komplexangebote im deutschsprachigen Raum

Ziel Ziel der vorliegenden Ubersichtsarbeit ist es, alle im deutschsprachigen Raum bekannten ambulanten, familienorientierten Komplexangebote fur Kinder psychisch kranker Eltern anhand definierter Minimalanforderungen zu identifizieren und einen Uberblick uber deren Struktur, Inhalt und Wirksamkeitsnachweise zu geben. Methodik Die Angebote wurden mittels Internet- und Literaturrecherche identifiziert. Bei Erfullung der definierten Kriterien, wurden die Anbieter kontaktiert und um die Teilnahme an einer schriftlichen oder telefonischen Befragung gebeten. Ergebnisse Insgesamt konnten 512 Angebote identifiziert werden, von denen 46 als familienorientiertes Komplexangebot einzustufen waren. Nur wenige Angebote wurden bisher systematisch evaluiert. Schlussfolgerung Es besteht eine Vielzahl an Interventionen fur die Kinder psychisch kranker Eltern, familienorientierte Komplexangebote sind jedoch bisher selten. Zudem besteht ein erheblicher Bedarf an Evaluationsstudien.
COVID-19 Endothelial Dysfunction Can Cause Erectile Dysfunction: Histopathological, Immunohistochemical, and Ultrastructural Study of the Human Penis.

PURPOSE: A pilot study to describe histopathological features of penile tissue of patients who recovered from symptomatic COVID-19 infection and subsequently developed severe erectile dysfunction (ED). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Penile tissue was collected from patients undergoing surgery for penile prosthesis for severe ED. Specimens were obtained from two men with a history of COVID-19 infection and two men with no history of infection. Specimens were imaged with TEM and H&E staining. RT-PCR was performed from corpus cavernosum biopsies. The tissues collected were analyzed for endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS, a marker of endothelial function) and COVID-19 spike-protein expression. Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) function was assessed from blood samples collected from COVID-19 (+) and COVID-19 (-) men. RESULTS: TEM showed extracellular viral particles ~100 nm in diameter with peplomers (spikes) near penile vascular endothelial cells of the COVID-19 (+) patients and absence of viral particles in controls. PCR showed presence of viral RNA in COVID-19 (+) specimens. eNOS expression in the corpus cavernosum of COVID-19 (+) men was decreased compared to COVID-19 (-) men. Mean EPC levels from the COVID-19 (+) patients were substantially lower compared to mean EPCs from men with severe ED and no history of COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to demonstrate the presence of the COVID-19 virus in the penis long after the initial infection in humans. Our results also suggest that widespread endothelial cell dysfunction from COVID-19 infection can contribute to ED. Future studies will evaluate novel molecular mechanisms of how COVID-19 infection leads to ED.
On the existence of spheres and dual spheres without gap points

It is shown that every infinite-dimensional Banach space (resp., non-Schur space) (X,q) admits an equivalent norm p (resp., r) such that q ≦ p (resp., r ≦ q) and gap points do not exist between the q-sphere and p-sphere (resp., r-sphere) or their duals. The same conclusion is shown to hold in the case of the Schur space l1 in its usual norm.
Attitudes About Voter Registration: The Influence of Teaching

Political socialization in primary and secondary schools typically emphasizes the importance of voting for democratic citizens. Yet, possible obstacles to participation are seldom discussed. In college, students frequently discover that turnout in the United States is lower than in most other democracies, and they may learn that voter registration helps account for this difference. This research addresses how experiences in the college classroom affect students’ attitudes about voter registration by employing a quasi-experimental, pre-post survey design. The experimental stimulus was a course assignment in which students completed voter registration forms under four scenarios designed to simulate different circumstances frequently encountered by college students. The students in the experimental group became much less sanguine about the ease of registration and the ability of most citizens to correctly navigate the process, yet became more confident in the voter registration process in general. This raises interesting questions about how attitudes about the political process are shaped by students’ classroom experiences.