cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exergy Based Design Methodology for Airfoil Shape Optimization and Wing Analysis

As modern aircraft wings have evolved, the structural designs of aircraft wings have adopted a variety of mechanical systems for aerodynamic control, including flaps, slats, ailerons, and spoilers. Wings also have become fuel tanks, antennae, and payload carriers, in addition to generating lift. Wings have continued to evolve geometrically by incorporating taper, winglets, and sweep to improve aerodynamic efficiency. In the second century of flight, adaptive-surface flow control and conformal morphing are technologies that will be further incorporated into wing design. The integration of adaptive control surfaces into aircraft designs will allow wings to actively respond to their environment. Whether the airplane is taking off, ascending, cruising, descending, loitering, or landing, this technology will allow a wing to tailor its shape to achieve optimal flight conditions. Our interest lies in the potential use of exergy-based strategies for aircraft systems integration and design. The approach focuses on the useful component of energy (i.e., exergy) necessary to operate the system. Because energy is required for the functioning of any system, exergy naturally becomes a common currency for comparing multisystem designs. According to the second law of thermodynamics, exergy is not conserved during any real process. It is consumed to meet system objectives, but in doing so, some is irreversibly destroyed. This destruction represents a real cost for executing the process. The destruction of exergy is proportional to the corresponding entropy generation. So, minimizing entropy generation leads to a better use of exergy. That is why entropy generation minimization (EGM) methods have been used for many thermodynamic optimization problems. At the heart of exergy-based systems integration are the analytical methods used to characterize each system and to optimize within and between systems. Within this chapter, we will examine methods that optimize 2-D airfoil shapes
Modeling and Analyzing Multi-Agent Systems based on π-net

A general formal method(π-net) is presented,which integrates two complementary formalisms,namely Object-Oriented Petri nets and π-calculus.In π-net,OPN is employed to visually model the system architecture and system behaviors,and π-calculus is employed to describe the system evolution.Based on the πnet,a visual multi-agent systems architecture model(MASAM) is presented from the point of view of software architecture.MASAM divides multi-agent systems(MAS) into computing agents,connecting agents and configuration module,and MAS evolution is described in details;the consistency of MAS architecture is analyzed.Consequently the defects in early design stage can be detected,and the correctness and reliability of MASAM can be ensured.
Globalization and the Changing Function of the State in Social Security——On the Dual Effects of WTO Membership on China's Social Security Policies

In globalization process,how state adjust its social security policies to meet the faster and more comprehensive resource flows becomes one of the most debated academic inquires.In the past thirty something years,drastic changes have taken place in China's relations with the outside world.In view of this situation,the paper intends to discuss the changing social security policies of China since China's accession to the WTO.The paper argues that globalization has showed "dual effects" on China's domestic security policies.On the one hand,the state now places more emphases on the efficiency of social development so as to reduce its responsibilities for social protection.Meanwhile,non-state organizations are introduced to compensate for the reduced duties of the state for social security.On the other hand,the state increases its function in basic social security to provide better welfare for low-income groups.With the dual effects of globalization,the state is able to reduce the burden of public expenditure and at the same time maintain social stability and regime legitimacy,which are essential for the state to face new challenges brought about by globalization.
Comprehensive Assessment of Factors Associated With In-Hospital Mortality After Elective Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair.

Importance Patient- and hospital-level factors affecting outcomes after open and endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair are each well described separately, but not together. Objective To describe the association of patient- and hospital-level factors with in-hospital mortality after elective AAA repair. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective review of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database (January 2007-December 2011). The review included all patients undergoing elective open AAA repair (OAR) or endovascular AAA repair (EVAR) and was conducted between December 2014 and January 2015. Main Outcomes and Measures Factors associated with in-hospital mortality were analyzed for OAR and EVAR using multivariable analyses, adjusting for previously defined patient- and hospital-level risk factors. Results Of the 166 443 surgeries (131 908 EVARs and 34 535 OARs) that were performed at 1207 hospitals, 133 407 patients (80.2%) were men, 123 522 patients (89.6%) were white, and the mean (SD) age was 73 (0.04) years. Overall in-hospital mortality was 0.7% for EVAR and 3.8% for OAR. Mortality after EVAR was significantly higher among hospitals with high general surgery mortality (mortality quartile ≥ 50%; odds ratio [OR], 1.37; 95% CI, 1.01-1.86; P = .04) and there was no difference in mortality among hospitals meeting the Leapfrog criteria for AAA repair (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.38-1.09; P = .09). Mortality after OAR was significantly lower among hospitals performing at least 25% of AAA repairs using open techniques (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.52-0.88; P = .004). Neither hospital bed size nor teaching status was significantly associated with mortality after either EVAR or OAR. Overall, OAR (OR, 6.07; 95% CI, 4.92-7.49) and intrinsic patient risk (Medicare score; OR, 4.81; 95% CI, 3.45-6.72) were most likely associated with in-hospital mortality after AAA repair, although hospitals with poor general surgery performance (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.06-1.63) and those with at least a 25% proportion of open cases (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.10-1.75) were also significantly associated with mortality (all P P Conclusions and Relevance Patient-level factors were associated with in-hospital mortality outcomes after elective AAA repair. Hospital case volume and practice patterns were also associated. This demonstrates the importance of adequate institutional experience with OAR techniques, which appear to be critically declining. Based on these data, appropriate patient selection and medical optimization appear to be the most important means by which we can improve outcomes following elective AAA repair, although patient referral to high-volume aortic centers of excellence should be a secondary consideration.
Use of Close-Packed Vesicular Dispersions to Stabilize Colloidal Particle Dispersions against Sedimentation.

For many applications of colloidal dispersions, the particles must be suspended for a long time. This is often accomplished by preventing agglomeration, which generates aggregates of increasing size. Nevertheless, many colloidal dispersions of dense particles may settle even without agglomeration. Preventing sedimentation without significantly increasing the bulk dispersion viscosity is difficult and has received little attention in the literature. However, settling can be drastically reduced through the novel use of close-packed vesicular dispersions at high enough concentrations, which are non-Newtonian shear-thinning fluids. Such dispersions have much higher viscosities at the low shear stresses “felt” by sedimenting colloidal particles than at the high shear stresses relevant to bulk dispersion flow. In a practical example, dense TiO2 nanoparticles which normally would settle rapidly can remain suspended for at least 6 months without any observable sedimentation when they are introduced into a close-p...
Clonal hematopoiesis: a "CHIP" off the old block.

In this issue of Blood , [Steensma et al][1] propose that we add a new disorder to the spectrum of myelodysplastic diseases (and the myeloid leukemias), which they call clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP).[1][2] ![Figure][3] A schematic relationship among the disorders
Finite-Element Modeling of One-Component Solute Transport

This chapter presents four basic solute transport models. Four basic flow models were presented in the third chapter of a companion book (Yeh, 1999). Based on these eight basic models, many more complicated models could be constructed. Each transport and its corresponding flow model form a pair of transport and flow models. Each transport model can be used as a stand-alone model to simulate contaminant transport using known flow fields from either measurements or simulations by other flow models. It can also be used in tandem with its corresponding flow model to simulate contaminant transport with the flow model creating hydrological variables.
The Cstf2t Polyadenylation Gene Plays a Sex-Specific Role in Learning Behaviors in Mice

Polyadenylation is an essential mechanism for the processing of mRNA 3′ ends. CstF-64 (the 64,000 Mr subunit of the cleavage stimulation factor; gene symbol Cstf2) is an RNA-binding protein that regulates mRNA polyadenylation site usage. We discovered a paralogous form of CstF-64 called τCstF-64 (Cstf2t). The Cstf2t gene is conserved in all eutherian mammals including mice and humans, but the τCstF-64 protein is expressed only in a subset of mammalian tissues, mostly testis and brain. Male mice that lack Cstf2t (Cstf2t-/- mice) experience disruption of spermatogenesis and are infertile, although female fertility is unaffected. However, a role for τCstF-64 in the brain has not yet been determined. Given the importance of RNA polyadenylation and splicing in neuronal gene expression, we chose to test the hypothesis that τCstF-64 is important for brain function. Male and female 185-day old wild type and Cstf2t-/- mice were examined for motor function, general activity, learning, and memory using rotarod, open field activity, 8-arm radial arm maze, and Morris water maze tasks. Male wild type and Cstf2t-/- mice did not show differences in learning and memory. However, female Cstf2t-/- mice showed significantly better retention of learned maze tasks than did female wild type mice. These results suggest that τCstf-64 is important in memory function in female mice. Interestingly, male Cstf2t-/- mice displayed less thigmotactic behavior than did wild type mice, suggesting that Cstf2t may play a role in anxiety in males. Taken together, our studies highlight the importance of mRNA processing in cognition and behavior as well as their established functions in reproduction.
Mining What We Know about Handheld Computers: A Review of the [Anecdotal] Evidence.

Handheld computers have gone beyond the world of business and are finding their way into the hands of teachers and students. The empirical evidence suggests that the integration of handheld technology into the K-12 classrooms promotes 1) teacher productivity and 2) student-centered learning. Despite a wealth of anecdotal evidence little research has been conducted to date.
EARLY DIASTOLIC MITRAL ANNULAR VELOCITY AT PEAK EXERCISE DETERMINES PEAK AEROBIC EXERCISE CAPACITY IN HEART FAILURE WITH PRESERVED EJECTION FRACTION

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a clinical syndrome characterized by impaired cardiac function, resulting in exertion-limiting shortness of breath and fatigue. Assessing diastolic Doppler echocardiographic parameters, including transmitral diastolic inflow
MetaKV: A Key-Value Store for Metadata Management of Distributed Burst Buffers

Distributed burst buffers are a promising storage architecture for handling I/O workloads for exascale computing. Their aggregate storage bandwidth grows linearly with system node count. However, although scientific applications can achieve scalable write bandwidth by having each process write to its node-local burst buffer, metadata challenges remain formidable, especially for files shared across many processes. This is due to the need to track and organize file segments across the distributed burst buffers in a global index. Because this global index can be accessed concurrently by thousands or more processes in a scientific application, the scalability of metadata management is a severe performance-limiting factor. In this paper, we propose MetaKV: a key-value store that provides fast and scalable metadata management for HPC metadata workloads on distributed burst buffers. MetaKV complements the functionality of an existing key-value store with specialized metadata services that efficiently handle bursty and concurrent metadata workloads: compressed storage management, supervised block clustering, and log-ring based collective message reduction. Our experiments demonstrate that MetaKV outperforms the state-of-the-art key-value stores by a significant margin. It improves put and get metadata operations by as much as 2.66× and 6.29×, respectively, and the benefits of MetaKV increase with increasing metadata workload demand.
Glomerular Disease Pathology in the Era of Proteomics: From Pattern to Pathogenesis.

Among glomerular diseases, even the very uncommon ones, fibrillary GN (FGN) has always been among the most poorly understood. From an early description as “Congo red-negative amyloidosis-like glomerulopathy,”[1][1] its ultrastructural appearance has both captivated and confused renal
A 23.6Mb/mm 2 SRAM in 10nm FinFET technology with pulsed PMOS TVC and stepped-WL for low-voltage applications

The emergence of cloud computing and big data analytics, accompanied by a sustained growth of battery-powered mobile devices, continues to drive the importance of energy and area efficient CPU and SoC designs. Low-voltage operation remains one of the primary approaches for active power reduction, but SRAM l/ MIN can limit the minimum operating voltage. Device size quantization continues to be a challenge for compact 6T SRAM design in FinFET technologies, where careful co-optimization of the technology and assist circuit design is required for high-density low-voltage array implementations. This paper presents two SRAM array designs in a 10nm low-power CMOS technology featuring 3rd generation FinFET transistors: a high-density 23.6Mb/mm2 array and a low-voltage 20.4Mb/mm2 array.
Automatic Hierarchical Parallelization of Linear Recurrences

Linear recurrences encompass many fundamental computations including prefix sums and digital filters. Later result values depend on earlier result values in recurrences, making it a challenge to compute them in parallel. We present a new work- and space-efficient algorithm to compute linear recurrences that is amenable to automatic parallelization and suitable for hierarchical massively-parallel architectures such as GPUs. We implemented our approach in a domain-specific code generator that emits optimized CUDA code. Our evaluation shows that, for standard prefix sums and single-stage IIR filters, the generated code reaches the throughput of memory copy for large inputs, which cannot be surpassed. On higher-order prefix sums, it performs nearly as well as the fastest handwritten code from the literature. On tuple-based prefix sums and digital filters, our automatically parallelized code outperforms the fastest prior implementations.
Prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome presenting with symptoms in an ulnar nerve distribution: A prospective study

Introduction Patients presenting with symptoms of pain/paresthesias primarily in an ulnar nerve distribution may be noted to have exclusive median mononeuropathy at the wrist on subsequent electrodiagnostic testing. There has been limited research looking at the prevalence of this clinical presentation. Methods A cohort of adults were surveyed to assess for severity and localization of hand symptoms using the Katz hand diagram and Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire Symptoms Severity Scale. Thirty volunteers met our case definition for ulnar neuropathy and underwent a standardized physical examination, electrodiagnostic testing, and nerve ultrasound. Results Eleven of 30 subjects (37%) were found to have exclusive median mononeuropathy at the wrist. Discussion Carpal tunnel syndrome should remain high on the differential for patients presenting with symptoms of pain/paresthesias primarily in an ulnar nerve distribution. Muscle Nerve 59:60-63, 2019.
Thermodynamic Properties of Magnesium-Boron Binary Alloys Determined Using Solid-State Electrochemical Measurements

This study provides the thermodynamic properties of the Mg-B binary alloys. Experiments were performed to measure the electromotive force (emf) as a function of temperature (773 K to 873 K) using a solid-state electrochemical cells that can be represented as $$ ( - ){\text{Pt}},{\text{Ar}}/\{ {\text{Mg}} + {\text{CaF}}_{2} \cdot{\text{MgF}}_{2} \} \left\| {{\text{CaF}}_{2} } \right\|\{ {\text{Mg}}({\text{alloy}}) + {\text{CaF}}_{2} \cdot{\text{MgF}}_{2} \} /{\text{Ar}}, {\text{Pt}}( + ) $$ The activities of Mg in Mg-B alloys were calculated from the experimental emf data. The activity coefficients of Mg in Mg-B alloys were also determined. The integral Gibbs energies of formation (∆G f ° ) of alloys were calculated from the activities of the Mg using tangent rule. The integral Gibbs energies of formation (∆G f ° ) of MgB2, MgB4, and MgB7 are − 15.48, − 22.03, and − 15.89 kJ/mol-atoms at 873 K.
The STING agonist 5,6-dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid (DMXAA) stimulates an antiviral state and protects mice against herpes simplex virus-induced neurological disease.

Abstract Herpes simplex virus (HSV)− 1 is the most common cause of sporadic viral encephalitis and accounts for 5–10% of cases worldwide. A key factor in host control of viral infection is the initiation of the interferon (IFN) response, mediated in part by the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway. In these studies, we examined the ability of 5,6-dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid (DMXAA), a STING agonist, to protect against HSV-1 infection. DMXAA reduced viral replication through increased production of type I IFN in vitro. Furthermore, administration of DMXAA to HSV-1 infected mice resulted in a reduction of viral burden in the peripheral and central nervous systems. This reduced viral burden also correlated with increased survival of DMXAA-treated infected mice. These results therefore demonstrate the potential of STING agonists for immunotherapy against HSV-1.
Economic, ecological, and equity dimensions of brownfield redevelopment plans for environmental justice communities in the USA

ABSTRACTThis paper employs qualitative content analysis to assess 28 brownfield redevelopment plans produced as part of a US Environmental Protection Agency programme. The analysis framework follow...
Human Papillomavirus 16/18–Associated Cervical Lesions: Differences by Area-Based Measures of Race and Poverty

Introduction This analysis evaluates trends in cervical lesions with human papillomavirus 16/18 detected by area-based measures of race, ethnicity, and poverty during 2008–2015. Methods Trends in the proportion of lesions with human papillomavirus 16/18 detected among residents of New Haven County, Connecticut were examined by area-based measures of race, ethnicity, and poverty. Area-based measures are aggregate descriptors of census tract characteristics useful for measuring differences in health outcomes in the context of where people live. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was conducted, adjusted for individual-level race, ethnicity, and insurance status to assess the independent effects of area-based measures. Data were analyzed in 2018–2019. Results Among women aged 21–24 years and 25–29 years, significant declines in the proportion of lesions with human papillomavirus 16/18 were observed. Among women aged 21–24 years, declines began earlier and were greater in magnitude in areas of lower poverty (OR=0.55, 95% CI=0.36, 0.85 for 2010–2012 vs 2008–2009 and OR=0.30, 95% CI=0.18, 0.51 for 2013–2015 vs 2008–2009) compared with higher poverty (OR=1.66, 95% CI=0.86, 3.21 and OR=0.48, 95% CI=0.19, 1.20). Similar patterns were observed for women aged 25–29 years, and for area-based measures of race and ethnicity. Conclusions Differences were observed in declines in the proportion of human papillomavirus 16/18 lesions by area-based measures since the introduction of human papillomavirus vaccines, with greater and earlier declines in areas with fewer residents living in poverty and racial minorities. Ongoing human papillomavirus vaccine impact monitoring is necessary to track differences by sociodemographic characteristics.
Irradiation-induced internal stresses in polycrystalline α-uranium: a mesoscale mechanical approach

Abstract Several advanced nuclear reactor designs incorporate metallic fuel; however, the initial stages of metallic fuel microstructure evolution have not been studied since the 1960s. The development of new fuels and fuel performance models can be greatly accelerated by understanding the physical mechanisms driving the early evolution of fuel microstructure during irradiation. In this work, a mesoscale model based on irradiation-induced growth strains of single crystal α -uranium is developed to understand the initial irradiation-induced deformation of polycrystalline α -uranium. Three-dimensional simulations on single crystal and polycrystalline α -uranium are performed to study irradiation-induced distortion and the development of internal stresses within the material. The elastic strain energy density, von Mises stress and hydrostatic stress are investigated to understand how plasticity and fracture may develop in the material. It is found that at extremely low burnups (e.g., 0.0005 atomic %, or 4.7 MWd/MTU), tensile internal stresses on the order of hundreds of megapascals develop on the grain boundaries and triple points, making either plastic deformation or intergranular cracking likely, depending on the strength of the grain boundaries. In addition, it is found that the application of external stress, even 100 MPa of hydrostatic compression, will not suppress the development of the tensile internal stresses, indicating that plastic flow or fracture will occur during irradiation regardless of other stresses that may arise in service.
Negotiating HIV and pregnancy prevention and sexual pleasure amongst heterosexual men and women in South Africa

Heterosexual sex, foremost its gender-power dynamics, is embedded in and informed by the socio-historical context in which it occurs. While safer sexual communication skills are well documented as ...
Level of Evidence and Publication Rates of Abstracts Presented at the American Society for Surgery of the Hand Annual Meetings: Comparison Over 23 Years.

Purpose The primary aims of this study were to determine how level of evidence and publication rates of American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) abstracts presented at the national meeting have changed over the past 23 years. Methods Abstracts presented at the ASSH annual meeting from 1992 to 2014 were reviewed. Level of evidence (LoE) and publication status for each abstract were recorded. We calculated annual and overall LoE, publication rates, average time to publication, and top journals of publication for abstracts presented from 1992 to 2014. The LoE was categorized into level 1 or 2 studies, levels 3 to 5 studies, or nonclinical study. Results A total of 1,757 abstracts were presented at ASSH meetings from 1992 to 2014; 942 abstracts were published in peer-reviewed journals for an overall publication rate of 53.6%. There was a significant increase in the proportion of levels 1 to 2 LoE abstracts over time (18% in 2007–2014 vs 11% in 1999–2006 and 2% in 1992–1998). There was also a significantly higher percentage of abstracts published over time (62% in 2007–2014 vs 52% in 1999–2006 and 47% in 1992–1998). Levels 1 to 2 LoE studies were associated with higher publication rates than nonclinical or levels 3 to 5 LoE studies. Conclusions This research provides historical trends on the LoE of abstracts presented at the ASSH annual meetings. Our study shows there are increasing numbers of levels 1 to 2 studies as well as higher publication rates of abstracts presented at more recent ASSH annual meetings. Levels 1 to 2 studies are more likely to be published than nonclinical or levels 3 to 5 studies. Clinical relevance Although not all questions can be feasibly answered with level 1 or level 2 studies, authors should continue to search for ways to strengthen study designs, producing more valid and comparable results with increased likelihood of publication driving forward the quality of hand surgery research. Higher recent publication rates may be partially due to the increased number of available journals for publication.
A Polynomial Chaos-based Approach to Sizing of Virtual Synchronous Generators

This paper proposes a Generalized Polynomial Chaos (gPC)-based approach to determine sizes of Virtual Synchronous Generator (VSG) units to enhance the dynamic performance of power systems. With the high integration of renewable energy sources, distributed generators, and energy storage units, the overall system inertial level has reduced. VSGs have the potential to compensate for the reduced inertia and enhance stability margins of electric power systems. On the other hand, determining the minimum sizes of VSGs units under several system uncertainties is challenging and requires advanced stochastic approaches. Monte Carlo simulation and Perturbation techniques have been used for a long time to quantify impacts of stochastic variables on power systems. These approaches are computationally involved especially for large systems. The gPC-based method provides a faster and efficient method to quantify uncertainties in various power system problems where the behavior of random variables is represented as a series of orthogonal polynomials that can be easily evaluated. In the proposed approach, the time domain simulation approach for multi-machine systems is integrated with the gPC to estimate the sizes of VSG units under various failure conditions. The proposed method is demonstrated on the reduced WECC-9 bus system. The results are compared with Monte Carlo simulation to validate the accuracy and efficiency of gPC.
Potent ex vivo armed T cells using recombinant bispecific antibodies for adoptive immunotherapy with reduced cytokine release.

Background T cell-based immunotherapies using chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) or bispecific antibodies (BsAb) have produced impressive responses in hematological malignancies. However, major hurdles remained, including cytokine release syndrome, neurotoxicity, on-target off-tumor effects, reliance on autologous T cells, and failure in most solid tumors. BsAb armed T cells offer a safe alternative. Methods We generated ex vivo armed T cells (EATs) using IgG-[L]-scFv-platformed BsAb, where the anti-CD3 (huOKT3) scFv was attached to the light chain of a tumor-binding IgG. BsAb density on EAT, in vitro cytotoxicity, cytokine release, in vivo trafficking into tumors, and their antitumor activities were evaluated in multiple cancer cell lines and patient-derived xenograft mouse models. The efficacy of EATs after cryopreservation was studied, and gamma delta (γδ) T cells were investigated as unrelated alternative effector T cells. Results The antitumor potency of BsAb armed T cells was substantially improved using the IgG-[L]-scFv BsAb platform. When compared with separate BsAb and T cell injection, EATs released less TNF-α, and infiltrated tumors faster, while achieving robust antitumor responses. The in vivo potency of EAT therapy depended on BsAb dose for arming, EAT cell number per injection, total number of EAT doses, and treatment schedule intensity. The antitumor efficacy of EATs was preserved following cryopreservation, and EATs using γδ T cells were safe and as effective as αβ T cell-EATs. Conclusions EATs exerted potent antitumor activities against a broad spectrum of human cancer targets with remarkable safety. The antitumor potency of EATs depended on BsAb dose, cell number and total dose, and schedule. EATs were equally effective after cryopreservation, and the feasibility of third-party γδ-EATs offered an alternative for autologous T cell sources.
Concurrent COVID-19 infection in children with acute appendicitis: a report of three cases.

Literature describing patients with concomitant COVID-19 infection with acute appendicitis in pediatric patients is growing, and understanding the clinical picture of such patients is relevant in their treatment. We report three male children who were surgically treated for acute appendicitis and had concomitant SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our first patient was a 12-year-old male who presented with symptoms indicative of appendicitis but no respiratory symptoms associated with COVID-19 (e.g. cough, shortness of breath). Laboratory evaluation revealed leukopenia and an elevated C-reactive protein; imaging was consistent with acute appendicitis and an acute pulmonary viral infection. Though he lacked diffuse peritonitis on physical examination or a leukocytosis, he was found to have perforated appendicitis in the operating room. Our second patient was another 12-year-old male whose suspected appendicitis was confirmed via ultrasound and surgery. He tested positive for COVID-19 one month prior and he continued to test positive for infection on admission without any associated respiratory symptoms. Our third patient was a 13-year-old patient who also presented with symptomatic acute appendicitis without apparent COVID-19 manifestations. These cases provide further examples of pediatric patients with concomitant acute appendicitis and COVID-19 infection, namely an unusual presentation of perforated appendicitis with asymptomatic COVID-19-related pulmonary infection and the more common acute appendicitis with asymptomatic COVID-19 infection.
Analysis of the SPARK study COVID-19 parent survey: Early impact of the pandemic on access to services, child/parent mental health, and benefits of online services.

Children with ASD receive a multitude of educational, medical, and therapeutic services. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, all of these services came to a complete halt following strict lockdowns. Many services have resumed in a hybrid format using face to face and virtual modes of delivery. This study describes findings from the COVID-19 impact survey administered at the onset of the pandemic in a subgroup of families from the SPARK cohort (N = 6393), one of the largest ASD cohorts in the US. The differential early impact of COVID-19 on various subgroups of children with ASD and their families was examined. Caregivers of children and adolescents with ASD between 19 months and 18 years completed an online survey inquiring about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on access to services, parent concerns about the same, impact on child's ASD-related behaviors, child, and parent mental health, and the benefits/potential benefits of online/future online services. Analysis revealed that certain demographic (age, income/SES) and child-related factors (repetitive behaviors, language, functional, cognitive, and motor impairments, and child's understanding), as well as parent's past mental health were associated with/predicted greater service disruptions, greater ASD-related behaviors, and greater negative impact on parent mental health. In conclusion, younger children, children from low-income families, and children with greater impairment severity (more severe repetitive behaviors, language, cognitive, function, language, and motor impairments) were more negatively impacted by the pandemic through service disruptions, increased ASD-related behaviors, parent health/family impact, and found online interactions to be less beneficial. LAY SUMMARY: The SPARK study impact survey shows that at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents reported significant service disruptions, negative impact on their child's ASD-related behaviors as well as their own mental health; which was greater in families with younger children, children with greater ASD severity, and children from low-income families. Majority of families did not report significant benefits of online services whereas some families did. Low-income families were hopeful about receiving benefits through future online services. Overall, these findings have important implications for future clinical care delivery and healthcare policies to ensure that healthcare services are not interrupted during a potential resurgence of COVID-19 or other pandemics. A combination of in-person and online healthcare and family support services must be implemented to prevent negative health impacts in the future.
Repression of CENP-A assembly in metaphase requires HJURP phosphorylation and inhibition by M18BP1

Centromeres are the foundation for mitotic kinetochore assembly and thus are essential for chromosome segregation. Centromeres are epigenetically defined by nucleosomes containing the histone H3 variant CENP-A. CENP-A nucleosome assembly is uncoupled from replication and occurs in G1 but how cells control this timing is incompletely understood. The formation of CENP-A nucleosomes in vertebrates requires CENP-C and the Mis18 complex which recruit the CENP-A chaperone HJURP to centromeres. Using a cell-free system for centromere assembly in X. laevis egg extracts, we discover two activities that inhibit CENP-A assembly in metaphase. HJURP phosphorylation prevents the interaction between HJURP and CENP-C in metaphase, blocking the delivery of soluble CENP-A to centromeres. Non-phosphorylatable mutants of HJURP constitutively bind CENP-C in metaphase but are not sufficient for new CENP-A assembly. We find that the M18BP1.S subunit of the Mis18 complex also binds to CENP-C to competitively inhibit HJURPs access to centromeres. Removal of these two inhibitory activities causes CENP-A assembly in metaphase.
Scaffolded input promotes atomic organization in the recurrent neural network language model

The recurrent neural network (RNN) language model is a powerful tool for learning arbitrary sequential dependencies in language data. Despite its enormous success in representing lexical sequences, little is known about the quality of the lexical representations that it acquires. In this work, we conjecture that it is straightforward to extract lexical representations (i.e. static word embeddings) from an RNN, but that the amount of semantic information that is encoded is limited when lexical items in the training data provide redundant semantic information. We conceptualize this limitation of the RNN as a failure to learn atomic internal states - states which capture information relevant to single word types without being influenced by redundant information provided by words with which they co-occur. Using a corpus of artificial language, we verify that redundancy in the training data yields non-atomic internal states, and propose a novel method for inducing atomic internal states. We show that 1) our method successfully induces atomic internal organization in controlled experiments, and 2) under more realistic conditions in which the training consists of child-directed language, application of our method improves the performance of lexical representations on a downstream semantic categorization task.
Effects of woodland restoration and management on the community of surface-active arthropods in the metropolitan Chicago region

Abstract Restoration of woodlands that have been invaded by exotic plants has primarily focused on restoring vegetation structure by removing invaders and planting native species that have declined in abundance. Management practices to date continue to focus on plant communities, but if restoring ecosystem integrity is the goal of restoration, knowledge of how the fauna has recovered is essential. We examined the impact of vegetation restoration and management on the surface-active arthropod community across a spectrum of 22 woodland sites in the greater metropolitan Chicago region. Sites were grouped into three categories based on existing condition. Invaded sites had never been restored or managed (“Control”, n = 5); had been undergoing restoration for 3–21 years (“Managed-int”, n = 12) but were not yet near the management goal; or were restored plots (11–21 years of management) that land managers identified as representative of their restoration target based upon the vegetation present (“Managed-REF”, n = 5). Each site was a one-ha plot containing four pitfall traps used to assess activity-densities of 35 taxa of epigeic arthropods. Permutational analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) and subsequent canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP) revealed that arthropod community structure varied between Control and Managed-REF sites, with the Managed-int sites demonstrating convergence toward the Managed-REF. The activity-densities of non-native isopods (detritivores) were nearly twice as high in Control sites compared to Managed-REF sites, whereas traps in Managed-REF sites had four times the number of Collembola (fungivores). Distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) revealed that invasive woody plant cover and rates of uptake of soil P and NO3− by root simulators explained over 40% of the variation in arthropod community structure. Our findings suggest that restoration management targeted at the vegetation also restores the arthropod community in woodlands to a composition that has fewer non-native arthropods.
Tax Ethics for Benefit Corporations

Traditional corporations have engaged in tax mitigation schemes that have deprived society of their fair share of taxes. In defense, these corporations have argued that they owe their shareholders the duty to minimize the tax bill under all possible legal methods, even if they do not pass the smell test. Benefit corporations, on the other, strive for a higher code of ethics. The purpose of this paper is to outline certain basic tax-avoidance schemes that benefit corporations should avoid. While they may be legal and defensible (by some) for a traditional corporation, benefit corporations should avoid these schemes.
The Candidate's Coattails

THE HANDS OF NED HOLCOMB'S WATCH stood at twelve-forty five and he rose from his chair. Stepping to the podium, he smiled confi dently to his right, then to his left along the speakers' table, then out into this great hangar of a room. His prefatory act was silencing the clatter of tableware and sending the waitresses toward the doors to the kitchen. Seated at thirty tables, Cedar Rapids' principal citizens were breaking off their conversations and turning their attention to the dais. They were members of The Rapids Civic Association and as its vice-president he knew these people well and felt he could earn their further respect in the next few moments.
Modified Nissen fundoplication and the “gas-bloat” syndrome as measured by the inability to vomit

Summary An experiment was carried out to test the hypothesis that a fundoplication procedure that incompletely enveloped the esophagus would be less likely to interfere with vomiting and eructation than would a fundoplication that completely enveloped the esophagus. It was also postulated that both types of repair would prevent esophageal reflux. A series of dogs was operated on to produce a model having free reflux by reimplanting the distal esophagus into the anterior wall of the fundus. A modified Nissen procedure was added in which the fundoplication was two-thirds complete around the esophagus. The dogs were later tested with an emetic and with barium roentgenograms, pH studies, and esophagoscopy. Most of the dogs were unable to vomit. All of the dogs that were unable to vomit also showed no reflux on radiologic examination whereas the one dog that could vomit had free reflux radiologically. It was concluded that the ability to eructate or vomit after a fundoplication type repair is an indication of technical failure and that the ability of the repair to prevent reflux carries with it the inability to belch or vomit.
The Structure of Globular Clusters

We report the preliminary results of a CCD surface photometry survey of a large fraction of all known Galactic globular clusters. About 1/5 of all surveyed clusters show a characteristic post-core-collapse (PCC) morphology. The PCC clusters are on average closer to the Galactic center than the King-mode1–1ike clusters.
A Clinical Study of Duodenitis, Gastritis and Gastrojejunitis

Excerpt In a statistical study of 2,000 necropsies, Robertson and Hargis were able to demonstrate scars or ulcers in the stomach or duodenum in almost 20 per cent. Various hypotheses have been adva...
Smooth Muscle Actin (SMA1) Stain Lungs and Heart on a Strain of CUX-1 Transgenic mice

Cux-1 is a gene controlling G1-S phase by repressing cyclin-kinase inhibitors p21 and p27. CUX mice develop fibrotic damage in kidneys, testis, and liver by aberrant repression of p27. These mice s...
Evidence-Based Practice Goes beyond Google.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is applying research to assist in the selection of interventions that result in increased client quality care. Recently the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Healt...
IIR Architecture Analysis

This chapter contains sections titled: Overflow Prevention L P Norm Bounds L 2 Overflow Prevention L 2 Norm Determination L 2 Norm Caveat L ?> Norm Bounds L 1 Norm Bound Noise Power Gain State-Determined Noise Analysis Similarity Transformation ]]>
Potential for oxytocin use in children and adolescents with mental illness.

Background Oxytocin, long known for its role in childbirth and breastfeeding, has recently come under investigation for its psychoactive properties. We investigated its potential for use in adolescent psychiatric populations for anxiety, depression, attachment disorders, and conduct disorder. Methods We conducted a thorough search of the literature using the Pubmed and Psychinfo databases and reviewed both the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry from January 2000 until June 2010 and the new research abstracts from the 2009 and 2008 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry conferences. We also surveyed the studies, both ongoing and recruiting, currently receiving National Institutes of Health funding to study oxytocin. Results We found numerous articles outlining benefits of intranasal oxytocin administration on individual traits, both in healthy and psychiatric populations. We also found ongoing phase II clinical trials for oxytocin uses as an antipsychotic or anxiolytic. Conclusions Given the research already conducted, we recommend investigation into the therapeutic use of oxytocin in adolescent populations for anxiety, psychosis, attachment disorders, and conduct disorder. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nondivergent pseudopotential treatment of spin-polarized fermions under one- and three-dimensional harmonic confinement

Atom-atom scattering of bosonic one-dimensional (1D) atoms has been modeled successfully using a zero-range $\ensuremath{\delta}$-function potential, while that of bosonic 3D atoms has been modeled successfully using Fermi-Huang's regularized $s$-wave pseudopotential. Here, we derive the eigenenergies of two spin-polarized 1D fermions under external harmonic confinement interacting through a zero-range potential, which only acts on odd-parity wave functions, analytically. We also present a divergent-free zero-range potential treatment of two spin-polarized 3D fermions under harmonic confinement. Our pseudopotential treatments are verified through numerical calculations for short-range model potentials.
Developing a Legal, Ethical, and Socially Responsible Mindset for Sustainable Leadership

One of the main responsibilities of educators is to prepare the future leaders for our communities and society so they can think of the legal, ethical, social, and environmental consequences of the ...
Direct spectrophotometric method for measurement of bilirubin in newborns: comparison with HPLC and an automated diazo method.

The measurement of serum total bilirubin is one of the most frequently performed tests in newborns (1)(2)(3). Direct spectrophotometry for the measurement of bilirubin in sera from newborns is a simple and rapid method that requires minimal sample for analysis (4). The direct spectrophotometric assay is based on the absorbance of bilirubin at 454 nm; by contrast, hemoglobin absorbs equally at both 454 and 528 nm. Subtraction of the absorbance at 528 nm from that at 454 nm eliminates the effect of hemolysis and yields a value that can be attributed primarily to bilirubin. Unfortunately, other pigments, such as carotenoids, also absorb at 454 nm, thus limiting this technique to neonates <2–3 weeks of age. Direct spectrophotometric methods have been compared with diazo (Jendrassik–Grof-based) bilirubin methods (5)(6)(7)(8)(9), but sample hemolysis can increase or decrease the results obtained by the latter procedure, depending on the concentrations of hemoglobin and bilirubin in the sample (10)(11). Most such studies either do not describe the effect of sample hemolysis on the agreement between methods or report poorer agreement between methods or increased scatter around the regression line (6)(8)(9). HPLC for measurement of serum bilirubin concentrations is labor-intensive and not practical for routine use; …
Temporal patterning of feeding by hummingbirds

Abstract For five species of hummingbirds in the laboratory, time between meals was related to energy intake on the first meal and rate of energy expenditure between meals. Field observations gave similar results. Average meal sizes were similar at one intake rate independent of food caloric density; females averaged longer bouts than males. When rate of intake was approximately halved, meal duration approximately doubled and volume intake remained similar. We postulate that feeding is initiated when crop contents reach a lower threshold and that feeding is terminated after ingestion of an optimal volume determined by the added weight of the meal.
Community Health Worker Home Visits for Adults With Uncontrolled Asthma: The HomeBASE Trial Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Asthma is often poorly controlled. Home visitation by community health workers (CHWs) to improve control among adults has not been adequately evaluated. Objective To test the hypothesis that CHW home visits for adults with uncontrolled asthma improve outcomes relative to usual care. Design, Setting, and Participants Randomized parallel group study with 1-year follow-up, conducted 2008 through 2011 at homes of low-income adults aged 18 to 65 years with uncontrolled asthma living in King County, Washington. Interventions The CHWs provided a mean of 4.9 home visits during a 1-year period to assess asthma control, self-management, and home environment and to support asthma self-management practices. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary prespecified outcomes were symptom-free days (number of 24-hour periods in prior 2 weeks without asthma symptoms), asthma-related quality of life (Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire), and asthma-related unscheduled health care use. Results Of 463 individuals who completed eligibility screening, 443 were eligible, 366 participated (177 in intervention and 189 in control groups), and 333 completed the study (91%). The intervention group had significantly greater increases in mean symptom-free days per 2 weeks (2.02 [95% CI, 0.94-3.09]; P P P P P = .83 comparing groups). Conclusions and Relevance The provision of in-home asthma self-management support by CHWs to low-income adults with uncontrolled asthma improves asthma control and quality of life but not unscheduled health care use. Additional studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine the value of wider implementation of this approach. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01783028