cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of ParentCorps in Prekindergarten on Child Mental Health and Academic Performance: Follow-up of a Randomized Clinical Trial Through 8 Years of Age

Importance Low-income minority children living in urban neighborhoods are at high risk for mental health problems and underachievement. ParentCorps, a family-centered, school-based intervention in prekindergarten, improves parenting and school readiness (ie, self-regulation and preacademic skills) in 2 randomized clinical trials. The longer-term effect on child mental health and academic performance is not known. Objective To examine whether ParentCorps delivered as an enhancement to prekindergarten programs in high-poverty urban schools leads to fewer mental health problems and increased academic performance in the early elementary school years. Design, Setting, and Participants This is a 3-year follow-up study of a cluster randomized clinical trial of ParentCorps in public schools with prekindergarten programs in New York City. Ten elementary schools serving a primarily low-income, black student population were randomized in 2005, and 4 consecutive cohorts of prekindergarten students were enrolled from September 12, 2005, through December 31, 2008. We report follow-up for the 3 cohorts enrolled after the initial year of implementation. Data analysis was performed from September 1, 2014, to December 31, 2015. Interventions ParentCorps included professional development for prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers and a program for parents and prekindergarten students (13 two-hour group sessions delivered after school by teachers and mental health professionals). Main Outcomes and Measures Annual teacher ratings of mental health problems and academic performance and standardized tests of academic achievement in kindergarten and second grade by testers masked to the intervention or control group randomization. Results A total of 1050 children (4 years old; 518 boys [49.3%] and 532 girls [50.7%]) in 99 prekindergarten classrooms participated in the trial (88.1% of the prekindergarten population), with 792 students enrolled from 2006 to 2008. Most families in the follow-up study (421 [69.6%]) were low income; 680 (85.9%) identified as non-Latino black, 78 (9.8%) as Latino, and 34 (4.3%) as other. Relative to their peers in prekindergarten programs, children in ParentCorps-enhanced prekindergarten programs had lower levels of mental health problems (Cohen d = 0.44; 95% CI, 0.08-0.81) and higher teacher-rated academic performance (Cohen d = 0.21; 95% CI, 0.02-0.39) in second grade. Conclusions and Relevance Intervention in prekindergarten led to better mental health and academic performance 3 years later. Family-centered early intervention has the potential to prevent problems and reduce disparities for low-income minority children. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01670227
Linking thermodynamics with life

One of the great triumphs of 19th-century science was the formulation of the first and second laws of thermodynamics. The first law is now simply seen as a rephrasing of the more basic notion of energy conservation, but the second law has several formulations, each with its own subtleties. These have, in turn, generated the introduction of new concepts, most importantly that of entropy. However, the interpretation of the second law is still a matter of debate, particularly in connection with our more recent improved understanding of the passage from reversible to irreversible thermodynamics.
Postprandial lipemic and inflammatory responses to high-fat meals: a review of the roles of acute and chronic exercise

Postprandial lipemia is an independent risk factor for development of cardiovascular disease. Postprandial inflammation following the prolonged elevation of triglycerides occurring subsequent to ingestion of high-fat meals, provides a likely explanation for increased disease risk. Substantial evidence has shown that acute exercise is an effective modality for attenuation of postprandial lipemia following a high-fat meal. However, much of the evidence pertaining to exercise intensity, duration, and overall energy expenditure for reducing postprandial lipemia is inconsistent. The effects of these different exercise variables on postprandial inflammation is largely unknown. Long-term, frequent exercise, however, appears to effectively reduce systemic inflammation, especially in at-risk or diseased individuals. With regard to an acute postprandial response, without a recent bout of exercise, high levels of chronic exercise do not appear to reduce postprandial lipemia. This review summarizes the current literature on postprandial and inflammatory responses to high-fat meals, and the roles that both acute and chronic exercise play. This review may be valuable for health professionals who wish to provide evidence-based, pragmatic advice for reducing postprandial lipemia and cardiovascular disease risk for their patients. A brief review of proposed mechanisms explaining how high-fat meals may result in pro-inflammatory and pro-atherosclerotic environments is also included.
Exosomal trafficking in Xenopus development.

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by many cell types in both normal and pathogenic circumstances. Because EVs, particularly exosomes, are known to transfer biologically active proteins, RNAs and lipids between cells, they have recently become the focus of intense interest as potential mediators of cell-cell communication, particularly in long-range and juxtacrine signaling events associated with adaptive immune function and progression of cancer. Among the EVs, exosomes appear particularly adapted for long-range delivery of cargoes between cells. Because of their association with disease states, the exciting potential for exosomes to serve as diagnostic biomarkers and as target-specific biomolecule delivery vehicles has stimulated a broad range of biomedical investigations to learn how exosomes are generated, what their cargoes are, and how they might be tailored for uptake by remote targets. Addressing these questions requires experimental models in which biochemically useful amounts of material can be harvested, gene expression easily manipulated, and interpretable biological assays developed. The early Xenopus embryo fulfills these model-system ideals in an in vivo context: during morphogenesis the embryo develops several large, fluid-filled extracellular compartments across which numerous tissue-specifying signals must cross, and which are abundantly endowed with exosomes and other EVs. Importantly, certain surface-facing tissues avidly ingest EVs during gastrulation. Recent work has demonstrated that EVs can be isolated from these interstitial spaces in amounts suitable for proteomic and transcriptomic analysis. With its large numbers, great cell size, well-understood fate map, and tolerance of a variety of experimental approaches, the Xenopus embryo provides a unique opportunity to both understand and manipulate the basic cell biology of exosomal trafficking in the context of an intact organism. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
An Arts-Based Instructional Model for Student Creativity in Engineering Design

Over the past twenty years, nearly all job growth in the United States has emerged from new companies and organizations with assumedly innovative products, services, and practices. Yet, the nurturing of student creative thinking and problem solving is infrequent in engineering education. Inherent to developing these creativity skills and attributes is the need to be exposed to difference — in people and environment. Engineering education rarely offers such opportunities. Additionally, engineering students are rarely presented opportunities to develop designs responding to real human problems. This paper puts forth a new instructional model to address these needs by utilizing arts processes and practices as catalysts for both creativity development in students and transdisciplinary collaboration on problems addressing deep human needs. This model is premised on the substantiated role of the arts in developing creativity and growing understanding of the human condition. This art-based instructional model was piloted as exploratory pedagogical research during the summers of 2015 and 2016 as a partnership between the Arts Nexus (IAN) and the School of Engineering at the University of Dayton. In each year, this program supported twelve student interns from engineering, business, science, the arts, and the humanities to develop innovative technologies and services meeting client needs. Student growth in creative problem-solving and transdisciplinary collaboration, as well as the success of the completed innovation technology prototype were assessed by the project mentors and participating students via survey evaluations and narrative responses. The assessment results revealed substantial student growth in student creativity and transdisciplinary collaboration and a remarkably strong evaluation of the success of the students’ innovations. Also realized for all students was a transformation in their perception of their place in the world as professionals post-graduation.
Marxism and Moral Judgment

Here I examine the question: what practical guidance can Marxism provide for resolving what are commonly thought of as concrete moral problems? This cautious formulation does not assume that Marxism is or includes a moral theory or is even compatible with a moral point of view. It leaves open the possibility that, as some defenders of Marx claim, Marx believed that morality is no more than an ideological smokescreen and that, properly speaking, there are no moral problems, only political ones.
Generalized Optimized Effective Potential for Orbital Functionals and Self-Consistent Calculation of Random Phase Approximations

A new self-consistent procedure for calculating the total energy with an orbital-dependent density functional approximation (DFA), the generalized optimized effective potential (GOEP), is developed in the present work. The GOEP is a nonlocal Hermitian potential that delivers the sets of occupied and virtual orbitals and minimizes the total energy. The GOEP optimization leads to the same minimum as does the orbital optimization. The GOEP method is promising as an effective optimization approach for orbital-dependent functionals, as demonstrated for the self-consistent calculations of the random phase approximation (RPA) to the correlation functionals in the particle–hole (ph) and particle–particle (pp) channels. The results show that the accuracy in describing the weakly interacting van der Waals systems is significantly improved in the self-consistent calculations. In particular, the important single excitations contribution in non-self-consistent RPA calculations can be captured self-consistently through...
Estimating the expected number of crashes with traffic conflicts and the Lomax Distribution - A theoretical and numerical exploration.

Abstract This paper justifies the Lomax distribution for counterfactual modeling of the probability of crash given a traffic conflict. The pre-crash process leading to a conflict or a crash as the result of a failure is discussed as this conceptualization is the basis for proposing a simple model of the probability of a crash at the moment when a conflict is still progressing. Then, a model applicable to heterogeneous conditions is derived; and the model’s relevance, useful properties, and limitations are discussed. The published concepts and study results that support the derived model are provided in the paper. The existing Maximum Likelihood Estimate (MLE) method and the Probability-Weighted Moments (PWM) method of estimating the probability of crash and the expected number of crashes based on the proposed theory are presented. Then, a new Single Parameter Estimation (SPE) method is proposed and evaluated with extensive Monte Carlo experiments. The performance of the MLE, PWM, and SPE methods are compared. The SPE method is found more accurate and efficient than the other two methods. Unlike the benchmark methods, the proposed method produces real estimates in each case. The most important outcome of the presented study is confirmation that traffic conflicts claimed based on sufficiently small threshold separation (such as Time to Collision) allow unbiased estimation of the expected number of crashes during the conflicts observation period. A practical procedure of estimating safety is proposed that identifies the longest suitable threshold separation for each case based on the trends in the estimation results.
Food acquisition methods and correlates of food insecurity in adults on probation in Rhode Island

Background Individuals under community corrections supervision may be at increased risk for food insecurity because they face challenges similar to other marginalized populations, such as people experiencing housing instability or substance users. The prevalence of food insecurity and its correlates have not been studied in the community corrections population. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in 2016, surveying 304 probationers in Rhode Island to estimate the prevalence of food insecurity, identify food acquisition methods, and determine characteristics of groups most at-risk for food insecurity. We used chi-square and Fisher's exact tests to assess differences in sociodemographics and eating and food acquisition patterns, GIS to examine geospatial differences, and ordinal logistic regression to identify independent correlates across the four levels of food security. Results Nearly three-quarters (70.4%) of the participants experienced food insecurity, with almost half (48.0%) having very low food security. This is substantially higher than the general population within the state of Rhode Island, which reported a prevalence of 12.8% food insecurity with 6.1% very low food security in 2016. Participants with very low food security most often acquired lunch foods from convenience stores (and less likely from grocery stores) compared to the other three levels of food security. Participants did not differ significantly with regards to places for food acquisition related to breakfast or dinner meals based upon food security status. In adjusted models, being homeless (AOR 2.34, 95% CI: 1.31, 4.18) and depressed (AOR 3.12, 95% CI: 1.98, 4.91) were independently associated with a greater odds of being in a food insecure group. Compared to having help with meals none of the time, participants who reported having meal help all of the time (AOR 0.28, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.64), most of the time (AOR 0.31, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.61), and some of the time (AOR 0.54, 95% CI: 0.29, 0.98) had a lower odds of being in a food insecure group. Food insecure participants resided in different neighborhoods than food secure participants. The highest density of food insecure participants resided in census tracts with the lowest median incomes for the general population. The areas of highest density for each level of food security for our participants were in the census tracts with the lowest levels of full-time employment for the general population. Conclusions The prevalence of food insecurity and very low food security were markedly higher in our probation population compared to the general RI population. These findings suggest that access to food on a regular basis is a challenge for adults on probation. Depression and being homeless were independently associated with a greater odds of being in a food insecure group. In addition to intervening directly on food insecurity, developing interventions and policies that address the contributing factors of food insecurity, such as safe housing and treatment for depression, are critical.
The Earth Restoration Project: An Overview

Emerging from policy discussions at the National Academy of Sciences and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), the ultimate objective of the project is to restore the integrity of the Earth System through the large scale application of proven scientific and indigenous knowledge; to focus initially upon critically important areas that are marginal to existing efforts in restoration – chiefly drylands, mountains, and upper-basin watersheds; to reinforce the integrity of associated social systems; to maintain an active program of related research, education, and outreach; and to carefully monitor program performance. The Project recognizes the varied and important contributions to environmental rehabilitation made by local populations, non-governmental organizations, governmental agencies, bilateral agencies, supranational bodies, and international organizations, and would prescriptively complement those efforts. Among the anticipated benefits of this project are the mitigation of global climate change; enhanced biological diversity and productivity; better adapted and more resilient societies, enhanced environmental stewardship; more dependable systems of food production; and a broad range of ecosystem services.
European Older Adults’ Social Activity Networks in National Context: A Cross-National Exploration of National Cultural, Policy, and Economic Characteristics

Previous sociological and gerontological research documents the benefits of social ties for older adults. By integrating literature on linked lives, activity theory, and social networks, I suggest the concept of a “social activity network” (SAN), which is a broad network composed of activity-related ties and family network ties. Studies of older adults’ social activity networks cross-nationally reveal regional and national differences. Scholars suggest that variation in older adults’ ties may reflect cultural, economic, and policy differences between nations. Few studies, however, specifically examine the potential contextualizing role of national culture and economy/policy using empirical cross-national measures. In this chapter, I combine data from six sources including the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), World Values Survey (WVS), European Values Study (EVS), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), World Bank (WB), and United Nations (UN). Utilizing this unique combination of data, I empirically document cross-national patterns in European older adults’ social activity networks and discuss broadly the potential of such publicly available national measures for the study of European older adults’ social lives in multiple contexts.
A Simulation Game Application for Improving the United States’ Next Generation Air Transportation System NextGen

Societies around the world depend on the proper functioning of various infrastructures. However, changes in technology, societal needs/expectations, political shifts, and environmental concerns cause infrastructure systems to underperform (i.e., congestion, energy shortage, air transportation delays, etc.). In order to accurately plan the next generation infrastructure systems, understanding the interactions between technical, political, and economic factors as well as stakeholders are of paramount importance. The current research pursued the development and deployment of a simulation game which aimed to serve as a venue to generate and evaluate data for next generation infrastructure development efforts. The problem domain was selected as the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) transition environment. The complex and stakeholder-rich environment of NextGen provided an accurate test-bed for the sociotechnical system transformation, highlighting the interaction of variables like system capacity, safety, public demand, and stakeholder behavior with diverging agendas under various world scenarios.
A note on how NK landscapes work

The NK landscape methodology has been used by much research in strategy and organizations, and the concept of “landscape” has become a popular business idea. Despite such popularity, exactly what NK landscapes are and how they work is typically obscure to all but a small specialist audience. This technical note clarifies the NK landscape methodology by explaining how an NK landscape is computed. This note also discusses ways in which NK landscapes are represented and used in research. The aim of this note is enabling more researchers to engage more deeply with the work that relies on the landscape concept.
Use of 131 I-rose bengal to follow bile leakage. Report of a case.

Since131I-rose bengal is cleared from the bloodstream by the liver, and enters the bile, it can be utilized as an indicator of fresh bile leakage. A technic for doing this when ascitic fluid is present was outlined, and illustrated by management of a case of bile escape following hepatic biopsy. Approaches to cases in which ascitic fluid is not present were discussed.
Corrosion of Aluminum and Copper Thin Films Under Simulated and Real Atmospheric Conditions in Laboratory Tests

Corrosion characteristics of Al and Cu thin films have been studied in cyclic fog tests using tap water fog and fog created with 0.1% NaCl solution in tap water. Likewise, their corrosion features have been analyzed in continuous immersion testing in the laboratory in distilled water, tap water, in 0.1% NaCl and 3.5% NaCl solutions in distilled water. The corrosion potentials and the corrosion currents of these thin films change and reach steady state values after some time. However, steady state is not realized in 3.5% NaCl solutions. The corrosion current density data have been used to calculate lifetime of 1 {mu}m thick thin films of Al and Cu in the various tests, and assuming that the fog test data would hold under normal exposure conditions, life spans for these thin film sensor elements in actual exterior exposure have also been calculated. According to estimates, an Al-TF of about 1 {mu}m would last about 9 months in exterior exposure in chloride containing atmospheres, such as in the coastal regions, but would survive nearly 2 years in normal atmospheres not having acidic or chloride pollutants. On the contrary, 1 {mu}m thick Cu-TF would last only for about 2.5 months in chloride-ladenmore » environments, but would last for about 2 years in normal atmospheres. However, Cu-TF would be corroded off faster in slightly alkaline atmospheric condensate under total immersion situation. Lifetime estimates are presented and discussed.« less
Safe Start Community Health Worker Program: A Multisector Partnership to Improve Perinatal Outcomes Among Low-Income Pregnant Women With Chronic Health Conditions.

Safe Start is a community health worker program representing a partnership between a high-volume, inner-city, hospital-based prenatal clinic; a community-based organization; a large Medicaid insure...
Executive function moderates naltrexone effects on methamphetamine-induced craving and subjective responses

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that opioid receptor antagonists, such as naltrexone, are effective pharmacotherapies for alcohol, opioid, and possibly stimulant use disorders. It is posited that naltrexone exerts its effects, in part, by increasing functional connectivity between neural reward circuitry and frontal systems implicated in executive function. Yet no studies had examined whether executive function moderates these effects. Objectives: This study examined whether a composite measure of executive function (EF) moderates the effect of naltrexone on craving for methamphetamine and subjective responses following infusion of the drug. Methods: Individuals with methamphetamine use disorder (N = 30; 27% female) completed baseline neurocognitive assessments of premorbid and executive function, and an executive function factor was computed. Participants then underwent a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study of titration with naltrexone and placebo. Participants then received a 30-mg intravenous methamphetamine infusion and completed subjective response questionnaires at 8 times in the 120 minutes post-infusion. Results: Multilevel mixed models indicated a significant EF × medication interaction, reflecting greater effects of naltrexone to decrease "desire to access the drug", "want more of the drug", "crave the drug", "feel drug effects" and "feel high" in participants with low EF compared to those with high EF (Bs = .36-1.29, SEs = .14-.17, ps<0.01). These effects remained significant after controlling for premorbid cognitive functioning, baseline responses to methamphetamine, severity of methamphetamine use, and methamphetamine-related functional problems. Conclusion: Naltrexone may be especially effective in methamphetamine-dependent individuals with low EF. Neuropsychological assessments may also provide predictive clinical utility not captured by traditional measures of substance use severity.
Did the conservative resurgence matter? A counterfactual replication of Pierson’s analysis on Reagan and Thatcher’s welfare state retrenchments

This paper offers a replication of the analysis presented in Pierson’s (1994) book, Dismantling the Welfare State? Reagan, Thatcher, and the Politics of Retrenchment. Since Pierson grounded his conclusions about the irrelevance of the conservative resurgence of the 1980s on a mere confrontation between Reagan and Thatcher’s plans and the retrenchments actually implemented, the replication was performed in a counterfactual framework. Specifically, adopting the synthetic control method, the trajectories of several UK and US welfare state measures, observed in the presence of Thatcher and Reagan’s administration, were compared with corresponding trajectories reconstructed in the absence of conservative governments. That comparison involved results substantially in line with Pierson’s main conclusion: in many policy arenas, the two conservative governments did not exercise a noticeable alteration. Nevertheless, the significant impacts that emerged for specific components of the two welfare states are, in several cases, different from those stressed in Pierson’s book.
The Future of Power Electronics Circuits: New Technologies and Managed Complexity Will Drive the Future

The field of power electronics advances through a number of different innovations, ranging from new and better semiconductors (e.g., power MOSFET, insulated-gate bipolar transistor, gallium nitride, silicon carbide), to improved passive components enabled through material science breakthroughs. Moreover, through improved integration and packaging, higher performance and more complex circuits can be implemented. Thanks to digital control and improved simulation tools, new circuit topologies that better utilize the active and passive devices can be implemented in practical designs. At the 10th IEEE Future of Electronic Power Processing and Conversion (FEPPCON X), several invited speakers and participants presented viewpoints and discussed ideas in the session "Future of Power Electronics Circuits." The two invited speakers were Prof. Johann Kolar of Power Electronic Systems Laboratory at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and Prof. David Perreault of the Power Electronics Research Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. The session also included two invited panelists, Dr. Isik Kizilyalli of the Advanced Research Project Agency for Energy (ARPA-E), Washington, D.C., and Prof. Cian O'Mathuna of Tyndall Institute, University College Cork, Ireland. In addition, Prof. Yan-Fei Liu of Queen's University, Canada, served as note-taker and panelist. Finally, serving as session organizer and panelist was Prof. Robert Pilawa-Podgurski of the University of California, Berkeley.
The Identification of RR Lyrae and δ Scutti Stars from Variable Galaxy Evolution Explorer Ultraviolet Sources

We identify the RR Lyrae and δ Scuti stars in three catalogs of Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) variable sources. The NUV amplitude of RR Lyrae stars is about twice that in V, so we find a larger percentage of low-amplitude variables than catalogs such as Abbas et al. Interestingly, the (NUV – V){sub 0} color is sensitive to metallicity and can be used to distinguish between variables of the same period but differing [Fe/H]. This color is also more sensitive to T {sub eff} than optical colors and can be used to identify the red edge of the instability gap. We find 8 δ Scuti stars, 17 RRc stars, 1 RRd star, and 84 RRab stars in the GALEX variable catalogs of Welsh et al. and Wheatley et al. We also classify 6 δ Scuti stars, 5 RRc stars, and 18 RRab stars among the 55 variable GALEX sources identified as 'stars' or RR Lyrae stars in the catalog of Gezari et al. We provide ephemerides and light curves for the 26 variables that were not previously known.
The Tax Lives of Uber Drivers: Evidence from Internet Discussion Forums

In this Article, we investigate the tax issues and challenges facing Uber and Lyft drivers by studying their online interactions in three internet discussion forums: Reddit.com, Uberpeople.net, and Intuit TurboTax AnswerXchange. Using descriptive statistics and content analysis, we examine (1) the substantive tax concerns facing forum participants, (2) how taxes affect their driving and profitability decisions, and (3) the degree of user sophistication, accuracy of legal advising, and other cultural features of the forums. We find that while forum participants displayed generally accurate understandings of tax filing and income inclusion obligations, their approaches to expenses and deductions were less accurate and more varied in sophistication and willingness to comply with tax law. Forum participants also frequently discussed whether driving was profitable and exhibited a range of awareness concerning how taxes affected profitability. Finally, while the forums contained a surprising degree of sophisticated and accurate tax and legal advice, they also contained many examples of inaccurate or confusing information. It is thus uncertain whether forum readers were able to successfully distinguish between accurate and inaccurate advice dispensed in the forums. Based on our findings, we make tentative recommendations for effective tax administration in the ridesharing and related sectors, including use of industry-specific guidance, clarification of how existing tax rules apply to ridesharing, and guidance on Form 1099-K interpretation. We analyze the implications of our findings regarding taxes and profitability for Uber’s business model and its potential regulation. Finally, we discuss the possible impacts of targeted tax compliance initiatives on internet communities.
Too Many Choices? Consumer Behavior in Fast Fashion Stores

This study examined the impact of product overload and store surroundings on retail shoppers' confusion and their avoidance shopping behavior during-store shopping at fast fashion stores based on the SOR framework. An online survey was performed using Qualtrics panels, and SEM was conducted to test the hypotheses. The findings confirmed that both cues from the store surrounding and the information rate are significantly related to shoppers' confusion and avoidance behavior. The dominant dimensions, efficiency, and helplessness, of retail shopper confusion in the context of fast fashion, indicated that their confusion tends to come from the utilitarian shopping value. Thus, retailers need to develop strategies that assist consumers in navigating in-store more efficiently and easing their information processing by improving product assortment planning and in-store display. Further research is required to understand what substantial strategies can reduce choice overload in fast fashion stores.
CoviSegNet - Covid-19 Disease Area Segmentation using Machine Learning Analyses for Lung Imaging

The Covid-19 is a highly contagious and virulent disease caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Corona Virus - 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Over 175 million cases and 3.8 million deaths were reported worldwide as of June 2021. Covid-19 disease induces lung changes observed in lung Computerized Tomography (CT) predominantly as ground-glass opacification (GGO) with occasional consolidation in the peripheries. It was revealed in some literature that 88% of Covid-19 positive patients' CT scans showed GGO and 32% showed consolidation. Moreover, it was reported that the percentage of the lung showing GGO, and consolidation is tied to disease severity. Thus, segmentation of ground-glass opacities and consolidations in CT images will help to quantify disease severity and assist physicians in disease triage, management, and prognosis. In this paper, we propose CoviSegNet, an enhanced U-Net model to segment these ground-glass opacities and consolidations. The performance of CoviSegNet was evaluated on three public CT datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed CoviSegNet is highly promising.
Evolution: Neutralist View

The neutralist view of molecular evolution maintains that the vast amount of molecular variation seen in natural populations is largely due to neutral mutations. Keywords: molecular; variation; evolution; selection; neutral theory
IDENTIFICATION OF A CONSERVED OXIDATION-SENSITIVE CYSTEINE RESIDUE IN THE NFI FAMILY OF DNA-BINDING PROTEINS

The nuclear factor I (NFI) family of site-specific DNA-binding proteins plays a role in both transcription and adenovirus DNA replication. The DNA binding domain of NFI family members contains 4 cysteine residues (Cys-2, Cys-3, Cys-4, and Cys-5) that are conserved in all NFI proteins. Mutation of the Cys-2, Cys-4, and Cys-5 residues in the human NFI-C protein to several other amino acids abolished DNA binding, while 8 of 10 mutations of the Cys-3 residue had little or no effect on binding. Wild-type NFI-C was inactivated by N-ethylmaleimide in vitro, while the active Cys-3 mutant proteins were resistant to N-ethylmaleimide. Treatment of wild-type NFI in vitro with the oxidizing agent diamide also inactivated DNA binding, and subsequent reduction with dithiothreitol restored binding activity. The active Cys-3 mutant NFI proteins were resistant to diamide-inactivation, indicating that the Cys-3 residue is required for modulation of DNA-binding by oxidation state. These studies indicate that oxidative-inactivation can play an important role in the modifying NFI-DNA-protein interactions. The presence of this nonessential Cys-3 residue in all known NFI proteins raises the possibility that it may function in a manner similar to redox-sensitive cysteine residues found in other site-specific DNA-binding proteins.
Using sediment porosity as an effective geoacoustic parameter for sonar performance prediction

The use of sediment porosity as an effective geoacoustic parameter for sonar performance prediction was presented. A systematic increase in bulk resistivity were observed as the test locations progressed from high to low porosity sediments. It was shown that the in situ measurements of porosity serve as an effective single parameter for characterizing seabed properties for both transmission loss and reverberation in sonar performance prediction.
Vortex plastic flow, local flux density, magnetization hysteresis loops, and critical current, deep in the Bose-glass and Mott-insulator regimes.

We present simulations of flux-gradient-driven superconducting vortices interacting with strong columnar pinning defects as an external field $H(t)$ is quasistatically swept from zero through a matching field ${B}_{\ensuremath{\varphi}}$. We analyze several measurable quantities, including the local flux density $B(x, y, H(t))$, magnetization $M(H(t))$, critical current ${J}_{c}(B(t))$, and the individual vortex flow paths. We find a significant change in the behavior of these quantities as the local flux density crosses ${B}_{\ensuremath{\varphi}}$, and quantify it for many microscopic pinning parameters. Further, we find that for a given pin density ${J}_{c}(B)$ can be enhanced by maximizing the distance between the pins for $Bl{B}_{\ensuremath{\varphi}}$.
Splitting of single photons by an ordinary beamsplitter

Summary form only given. The author has recently demonstrated a metallic beamsplitter and ultraviolet photons from an argon ion laser. The main experimental difficulty is the high rate of accidental counts that result from fluorescence and similar effects. The accidental rate is proportional to the square of the incident laser intensity, while the effect of interest is proportional to the intensity itself. Thus coincidence measurements at sufficiently low incident intensities can reduce the accidental events to an acceptably small level. Roughly one event per day was observed in which an incident photon was split into two secondary photons by a metallic beamsplitter.
Automatic reorientation of three-dimensional, transaxial myocardial perfusion SPECT images

UNLABELLED We developed a completely automatic technique to reorient transaxial images into short-axis (oblique) myocardial perfusion SPECT images. METHODS The algorithm starts by isolating (segmenting) the left ventricle (LV) myocardium using a combination of iterative clusterification and rule-based location/size/shape criteria. The three-dimensional, mid-myocardial LV surface is initially estimated as the locus of the trilinearly interpolated maxima for the count profiles originating from the center of mass of the segmented LV. The final mid-myocardial surface is obtained by iteratively applying this process, incorporating additional constraints of shape and texture and using the nonsegmented, nonthresholded transaxial image to obtain information on hypoperfused areas of the myocardium. It is then fitted to an ellipsoid, of which the major axis is assumed to represent the long axis of the LV, and the three-dimensional image volume is resliced perpendicularly to it. RESULTS The algorithm was retrospectively applied to 400 dual-isotope studies (200 rest 201TI, 200 stress 99mTc-sestamibi) from 200 consecutive patients. Segmentation was successful in 394/400 (98.5%) of the patients. The reproducibility of computer-based reorientation was perfect and significantly better than either intraobserver or interobserver reproducibility. CONCLUSION Automatic reorientation offers the potential for consistently faster and more accurate image processing and analysis and is an important step towards totally operator-less management of myocardial perfusion SPECT data.
Nucleotide excision repair of a DNA interstrand cross-link produces single- and double-strand breaks.

The DNA radical resulting from formal abstraction of a hydrogen atom from the thymidine methyl group, 5-(2′-deoxyuridinyl)methyl radical, forms interstrand cross-links with the opposing 2′-deoxyadenosine. This is the first chemically characterized, radical-mediated cross-link between two opposing nucleotides. In addition, cross-linking between opposing bases in the duplex is less common than between those separated by one or two nucleotides. The first step in cross-link repair was investigated using the UvrABC bacterial nucleotide excision repair system. UvrABC incised both strands of the cross-linked DNA, although the strand containing the cross-linked purine was preferred by the enzyme in two different duplexes. The incision sites in one strand were spaced 11−14 nucleotides apart, as is typical for UvrABC incision. The majority of incisions occur at the third phosphate from the 3′-side of the cross-link and eighth or ninth phosphate on the 5′-side. In addition, cleavage was found to occur on both strand...
Kinematics and Dynamics of Nanostructured Origami

Two-dimensional (2D) nanofabrication processes such as lithography are the primary tools for building functional nanostructures. The third spatial dimension enables completely new devices to be realized, such as photonic crystals with arbitrary defect structures and materials with negative index of refraction [1]. Presently, available methods for three-dimensional (3D) nanopatterning tend to be either cost inefficient or limited to periodic structures. The Nanostructured Origami method fabricates 3D devices by first patterning nanostructures (electronic, optical, mechanical, etc) onto a 2D substrate and subsequently folding segments along predefined creases until the final design is obtained [2]. This approach allows almost arbitrary 3D nanostructured systems to be fabricated using exclusively 2D nanopatterning tools. In this paper, we present two approaches to the kinematic and dynamic modeling of folding origami structures. The first approach deals with the kinematics of unfolding single-vertex origami. This work is based on research conducted in the origami mathematics community, which is making rapid progress in understanding the geometry of origami and folding in general [3]. First, a unit positive “charge” is assigned to the creases of the structure in its folded state. Thus, each configuration of the structure as it unfolds can be assigned a value of electrostatic (Coulomb) energy. Because of repulsion between the positive charges, the structure will unfold if allowed to decrease its energy. If the energy minimization can be carried out all the way to the completely unfolded state, we are simultaneously guaranteed of the absence of collisions for the determined path. The second method deals with dynamic modeling of folding multi-segment (accordion style) origamis. The actuation method for folding the segments uses a thin, stressed metal layer that is deposited as a hinge on a relatively stress free structural layer. Through the use of robotics routines, the hinges are modeled as revolute joints, and the system dynamics are calculated.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
An insulator-based (electrodeless) dielectrophoretic concentrator for microbes in water

Dielectrophoresis (DEP), the motion of a particle caused by an applied electric field gradient, can concentrate microorganisms non-destructively. In insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) insulating microstructures produce non-uniform electric fields to drive DEP in microsystems. This article describes the performance of an iDEP device in removing and concentrating bacterial cells, spores and viruses while operated with a DC applied electric field and pressure gradient. Such a device can selectively trap particles when dielectrophoresis overcomes electrokinesis or advection. The dielectrophoretic trapping behavior of labeled microorganisms in a glass-etched iDEP device was observed over a wide range of DC applied electric fields. When fields higher than a particle-specific threshold are applied, particles are reversibly trapped in the device. Experiments with Bacillus subtilis spores and the Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) exhibited higher trapping thresholds than those of bacterial cells. The iDEP device was characterized in terms of concentration factor and removal efficiency. Under the experimental conditions used in this study with an initial dilution of 1 × 105 cells/ml, concentration factors of the order of 3000× and removal efficiencies approaching 100% were observed with Escherichia coli cells. These results are the first characterization of an iDEP device for the concentration and removal of microbes in water.
Pain in older subacute care patients: associations with clinical status and treatment.

Objective. To examine the relationship between patient pain levels and clinical status and treatment in older adults. Design. A correlational study involving patient and nurse ratings of pain and retrospective review of clinical records. Setting. A subacute care inpatient facility. Patients. Seventy-five older adults (mean age: 75.9 years) who met entry criteria for pain, age, and mental status. Measurements. Patients and nurses made independent ratings of pain over a 7-day period. Clinical data included measures of mental status, depression, behavioral signs of discomfort, functional independence, and analgesic medication use. Results. Nurse ratings of patient pain were uncorrelated with patient ratings and underestimated pain relative to patient reports. Nurse ratings correlated with levels of behavioral discomfort and with doses of opioid medication. Patient ratings were associated with functional limitations, depression, and behavioral signs of discomfort, but were minimally related to administration of opioids or other pain medication. Patient mental status did not appreciably moderate these relationships. Conclusions. These findings support a growing literature indicating deficiencies in pain assessment of older patients and suggest inappropriate administration of analgesic medications for these patients. More systematic assessment of pain, including the use of instruments with established psychometric properties for older patients, may improve pain control and enhance functional rehabilitation in this group.
ON TRANSFORMATIONS OF WIENER SPACE

We consider transformations of the form ( T a x ) t = x t + ∫ 0 t a ( s , x ) d s on the space C of all continuous functions x = x t : [ 0 , 1 ] → ℝ , x 0 = 0 , where a ( s , x ) is a measurable function [ 0 , 1 ] × C → ℝ which is &#119966; ˜ s -measurable for a fixed s and &#119966; ˜ s is the σ -algebra generated by { x u , u ≤ t } . It is supposed that T a maps the Wiener measure μ 0 on ( C , &#119966; ˜ s ) into a measure μ a which is equivalent with respect to μ 0 . We study some conditions of invertibility of such transformations. We also consider stochastic differential equations of the form d y ( t ) = d w ( t ) + a ( t , y ( t ) ) d t , y ( 0 ) = 0 where w ( t ) is a Wiener process. We prove that this equation has a unique strong solution if and only if it has a unique weak solution.
An Interfacial Delamination Analysis for Multichip Module Thin Film Interconnects

Analysis of interfacial delamination for multichip module thin-film interconnects (MCM/TFI) is the primary objective of this paper. An interface crack model is integrated with finite-element analysis to allow for accurate numerical evaluation of the magnitude and phase angle of the complex stress intensity factor. Under the assumption of quasi-static delamination growth, the fate of an interfacial delamination after inception of propagation is determined. It is established that whether an interfacial delamination will continue to grow or become arrested depends on the functional behavior of the energy release rate and loading phase angle over the history of delamination growth. This functional behavior is numerically obtained for a typical MCM/TFI structure with delamination along die and via base, subjected to thermal loading condition. The effect of delamination interactions on the structural reliability is also investigated. It is observed that the delamination along via wall and polymer thin film can provide a benevolent mechanism to relieve thermal constraints, leading to via stress relaxation.
Adult Sex Typing of Children's Toys.

A primary focus of this study was to determine whether adults use traditional sex-type standards when choosing toys for boys or girls. I also investigated whether an adult's sex or gender role influences this decision. College students were shown pictures of 74 toys, and were asked to indicate whether they would buy each toy for a boy or girl. Traditional sex-type ratings were found. In addition, male subjects sex-typed toys to a greater extent than female subjects. Subjects' gender role was unrelated to sex-type ratings. Subjects also judged whether each toy provided educational value, required activity, and encouraged cooperation. Toys rated as requiring activity were not considered educational, but many toys considered educational were also rated as encouraging cooperation. In addition, toys considered masculine were rated as requiring more activity than feminine toys.
An empirical study of the determinants of revenues and marketing expenditures in the motion picture industry.

This paper presents an empirical study of the determinants of a motion picture's financial success. Among the many factors which are included in this study, we find that quality and marketing expenditures are important determinants. Film ratings, production cost, and the presence of star performers are only important determinants when marketing is not included. We find that marketing expenditures are positively related to production costs, winning Academy Awards and the presence of major stars.