cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Pre-Screening Questionnaire to Predict Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder (N24HSWD) among the Blind.

Study Objectives: There is currently no questionnaire-based pre-screening tool available to detect non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder (N24HSWD) among blind patients. Our goal was to develop such a tool, derived from gold standard, objective hormonal measures of circadian entrainment status, for the detection of N24HSWD among those with visual impairment. Methods: We evaluated the contribution of 40 variables in their ability to predict N24HSWD among 127 blind women, classified using urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin period, an objective marker of circadian entrainment status in this population. We subjected the 40 candidate predictors to 1,000 bootstrapped iterations of a logistic regression forward selection model to predict N24HSWD, with model inclusion set at the p < 0.05 level. We removed any predictors that were not selected at least 1% of the time in the 1,000 bootstrapped models and applied a second round of 1,000 bootstrapped logistic regression forward selection models to the remaining 23 candidate predictors. We included all questions that were selected at least 10% of the time in the final model. We subjected the selected predictors to a final logistic regression model to predict N24SWD over 1,000 bootstrapped models to calculate the concordance statistic and adjusted optimism of the final model. We used this information to generate a predictive model and determined the sensitivity and specificity of the model. Finally, we applied the model to a cohort of 1,262 blind women who completed the survey, but did not collect urine samples. Results: The final model consisted of eight questions. The concordance statistic, adjusted for bootstrapping, was 0.85. The positive predictive value was 88%, the negative predictive value was 79%. Applying this model to our larger dataset of women, we found that 61% of those without light perception, and 27% with some degree of light perception, would be referred for further screening for N24HSWD. Conclusions: Our model has predictive utility sufficient to serve as a pre-screening questionnaire for N24HSWD among the blind.
Effects of dimaprit, prostacyclin, and acetylcholine on renal blood flow and function.

SummaryRenal excretion of water and solutes is enhanced during intraarterial infusion of various vasodilator drugs into the canine kidney, although the mechanism mediating increased excretion is uncertain. We studied effects of infusing dimaprit, acetylcholine, and prostacyclin into the left renal artery of anesthetized dogs. Blood flow in the vessel was estimated with an electromagnetic blood flowmeter. GFR was determined from the clearance of exogenously administered creatinine. Other estimated renal functions included excretion of chloride and total osmolytes. Infusion of each of the vasodilator drugs in doses which increased renal blood flow by approximately 50% caused significant increases in GFR, fractional and total chloride excretion, and total solute excretion. Both circulatory and excretory responses to dimaprit were virtually abolished by cimetidine. Dimaprit and prostacyclin appear to increase renal excretion of water and solutes mainly through their vasodilator actions, whereas acetylcholine ...
Cardiovascular implantable electronic device infection: a complication of medical progress.

As more of these devices are placed in older and sicker patients, more infections can be expected.
QCA and Causal Inference: A Poor Match for Public Policy Research

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) offers distinctive research tools that, according to its practitioners, yield a productive solution to many problems and limitations of conventional quantitative methods. This article analyzes the contributions of QCA to policy evaluation vis-a-vis standard means for obtaining for causal inference and finds the method lacking.
Epidemiological Analysis on Notifiable Foodborne Diseases in Anhui Province in 2005

Objective To explore the epidemiological characteristics of foodborne diseases incidence, so as to provide scientific basis for developing policies. Methods Cases of food poisoning and six kinds of notifiable foodborne gastrointestinal infectious diseases in Anhui Province in 2005 were collected and analyzed. Results 43371 cases of gastrointestinal infectious diseases were reported in Anhui Province in 2005. Infectious diarrhea that ranked the first accounted for 54.13% of the total cases. Next was bacillary dysentery. The annual incidence of foodborne infectious diseases was 67.5/100,000. Foodborne infectious diseases had an obvious seasonal incidence peak during May - October, and the peak months were occurred during June - July. Most cases occurred in peasants and children less than 5-years-old; male were more than female. The annual incidence of food poisoning was 0.384/ 100,000, and the fatality rate was 5.22%.The death resulted from pesticides and other chemicals. Conclusion To eliminate and control foodborne diseases hazards, infectious diarrhea and food poisoning prevention and control should be strengthened in the future and surveillance system of foodborne disease should be improved.
Supravital blood studies, using acridine orange fluorescence.

A simple method for supravital fluorochroming of blood with acridine orange has been described. The supravital method is of value in distinguishing nucleated cellular elements, reticulocytes and erythrocytic inclusions. Preliminary studies of peripheral blood in leukemia indicate that it may be helpful in differentiating certain abnormal cellular elements. The chemistry of acridine orange with respect to metachromatic color differentiation of DNA and RNA has been discussed. Based on supravital observations of the L. E. cell phenomenon, speculation has been offered as to the site of interaction of the L.E. factor with DNA.
Normal Growth and Essential Fatty Acid Status in Children With Intestinal Failure on Lipid Limitation.

ABSTRACTObjectives:Lipid limitation, that is, ≤1 g · kg−1 · day−1 of soy oil lipid emulsion (SOLE), has been suggested as a method to reduce the risk of intestinal failure (IF)–associated liver disease (IFALD). There are limited data as to the effects of this strategy on growth and essential fatty a
Adrift in the Great Depression

Looking back at the Great Depression from the vantage point of half a century later, it can be difficult to grasp how extensively working people's lives were disrupted. Historians' tendency to reduce the crisis of the thirties to a series of impersonal events – the stock market crash, unemployment, mortgage foreclosures, bank failures – obscures the reality of these disasters as people experienced them. The following portraits recapture some of the ways that the early depression materially and emotionally devastated Chicago workers and their families, as it undermined the survival strategies that they had developed during the 1920s. For John Norris, a structural iron worker, the Great Depression meant the ruin of his carefully laid plans for retirement, to say nothing of his family's present livelihood. In 1927, Norris had invested his life savings in a two-apartment building costing $17,500. He put every penny that he had saved into the down payment and planned to pay off the rest over the next ten years from his earnings, his wife's boarders, and the rent from the second apartment. But by the later 1920s, Norris began to face more frequent layoffs from work. In no time, he lost his job entirely. The boarders were in no better shape and finally left, owing $300.
Prescriptive language attitudes in a dual language elementary school

Language misconceptions are still very prevalent among the public, partially due to lack of linguistic education in schools. Language misconceptions can influence language attitudes, including the language attitudes of language-minority children towards their native language. In this study, 5th graders enrolled in a dual language program participated in an 18-lesson language awareness curriculum and completed Likert-type pre/posttest surveys and pretest/posttest interviews. Students' prescriptive language attitude results are compared to those of an English-instruction control group that did not receive language awareness lessons. Both bilingual and monolingual students believed formal, school-based language to be superior to informal language. Despite having received language awareness instruction, students in the treatment group continued to hold prescriptivist language attitudes. Implications for future language awareness curricula are discussed.
Perceived Cross-Orientation Infidelity: Heterosexual Perceptions of Same-Sex Cheating in Exclusive Relationships

For individuals in exclusive romantic relationships, the dynamics of sexual experimentation are nuanced. Extradyadic behavior outside of a relationship may be perceived as cheating or infidelity, with much of those perceptions driven by the biological sex of the perceiver. This study significantly reframes seminal research on perceptions of cheating with third-party friends by Kruger et al. (2013), to further nuance an evolutionary threat-based model. In doing so, this furthers our understanding of the associated perceptions of individuals in heterosexual relationships when confronted by partners' cheating with their same-sex cross-orientation friends. Results indicate that perceptions of same-sex infidelity vary widely depending on the nature of the behaviors, with decreasing attribution given to sexual and erotic behaviors, close relational behaviors, and casual social interaction behaviors, respectively. Implications are discussed for a variety of sexual communities, as well as the impact of gender and relational status on perceptions of infidelity.
Chronic Graft vs. Host Disease (cGVHD) Hinders Long-Term Functional Recovery after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.

The growing number of long-term HCT survivors has created the need to identify factors that could play a critical role in the survivors’ reintegration into daily life, which in turn would inform the quality of life (QOL) of the survivors. Using a longitudinal study design, we administered the City of Hope-QOL instrument to evaluate the four domains of QOL (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being), as well as fatigue, anxiety, distress, and return to full-time work in a large cohort of patients undergoing HCT at City of Hope. The outcomes were evaluated before transplantation, at 6m, 1y, 2y, and 3y. Longitudinal trends for these outcomes were evaluated using the Generalized Estimating Equation method, adjusting for potential confounders such as age, race, BMI, disease. Our cohort included 313 adults (median age at HCT 48y; 56% males) undergoing autologous (n=181) or allogeneic (n=132) HCT for hematologic malignancies or severe aplastic anemia; 111 patients (65.3% of eligible) completed 3y follow-up so far. Overall, the mean scores for psychological, social, and spiritual well-being improved significantly over time compared to pre-HCT levels (p
Slow light by hybridized double split ring resonators

Here, we design, fabricate, and characterize EIT-metamaterials by hybridizing two DSRRs into a single unit cell. First we, develop a method to determine the effective thickness of metamaterials which is crucial in calculating the group velocity of light. Then, we present a novel approach to enhance and dynamically tune the slow light characteristic by twisting the inner SRRs of two hybridized DSRRs in a flexible EIT-metamaterial. The design reduces the speed of light by 0.06 time compared with air.
Phase I trial and pharmacokinetic (PK) study of satraplatin in children and young adults with refractory solid tumors including brain tumors.

2554 Background: Satraplatin is an orally bioavailable platinum analog. Based on pre-clinical activity (IC500.02-8 µg/ml) including activity in cisplatin resistant cell lines, and clinical activity without neuro-, nephro-, or ototoxicity in adults with refractory tumors, we developed a phase 1 trial to determine the toxicities, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), and PKs of satraplatin in children with refractory solid tumors. Methods: Satraplatin (10 and 50 mg capsules) was administered orally once daily on days 1 - 5 of a 28 day cycle to cohorts of 3-6 patients (pts) at 60 mg/m2/dose (DL 1) and 80 mg/m2/dose (DL 2). Plasma ultrafiltrate (PUF) platinum was measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy during cycle 1 for PK analysis. Results: 9 pts [5 male, 4 female, median age 17 years (range 8-19)] with malignant glioma (n=4), ependymoma (n=2), medulloblastoma (n=1), osteosarcoma (n=1), or hepatoblastoma (n=1) received 1-10+ cycles (median 2). The MTD was exceeded at DL 2 as 2/4 pts had dose limiting toxiciti...
Posttraumatic Stress in Mothers Related to Giving Birth Prematurely: A Mixed Research Synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Globally the preterm birth rate for 184 countries in 2010 was 11.1%. Preterm births can be a traumatic experience for mothers. OBJECTIVE: This article provides a mixed research synthesi...
Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER): An Innovative Emergency Management Tool in the United States.

Objectives. To demonstrate how inclusion of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) as a tool in Public Health Preparedness Capabilities: National Standards for State and Local Planning can increase public health capacity for emergency response.Methods. We reviewed all domestic CASPER activities (i.e., trainings and assessments) between fiscal years 2012 and 2016. Data from these CASPER activities were compared with respect to differences in geographic distribution, type, actions, efficacy, and usefulness of training.Results. During the study period, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted 24 domestic in-person CASPER trainings for 1057 staff in 38 states. On average, there was a marked increase in knowledge of CASPER. Ninety-nine CASPERs were conducted in the United States, approximately half of which (53.5%) assessed preparedness; the others were categorized as response or recovery (27.2%) or were unrelated to a...
Implementation of Health Insurance Support Tools in Community Health Centers

Background: Health information technology (HIT) provides new opportunities for primary care clinics to support patients with health insurance enrollment and maintenance. We present strategies, early findings, and clinic reflections on the development and implementation of HIT tools designed to streamline and improve health insurance tracking at community health centers. Methods: We are conducting a hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial to assess novel health insurance enrollment and support tools in primary care clinics. Twenty-three clinics in 7 health centers from the OCHIN practice-based research network are participating in the implementation component of the trial. Participating health centers were randomized to 1 of 2 levels of implementation support, including arm 1 (n = 4 health centers, 11 clinic sites) that received HIT tools and educational materials and arm 2 (n = 3 health centers, 12 clinic sites) that received HIT tools, educational materials, and individualized implementation support with a practice coach. We used mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative) to assess tool use rates and facilitators and barriers to implementation in the first 6 months. Results: Clinics reported favorable attitudes toward the HIT tools, which replace less efficient and more cumbersome processes, and reflect on the importance of clinic engagement in tool development and refinement. Five of 7 health centers are now regularly using the tools and are actively working to increase tool use. Six months after formal implementation, arm 2 clinics demonstrated higher rates of tool use, compared with arm 1. Discussion: These results highlight the value of early clinic input in tool development, the potential benefit of practice coaching during HIT tool development and implementation, and a novel method for coupling a hybrid implementation-effectiveness design with principles of improvement science in primary care research.
Risk Analyses Applicable to Water Resources Program and Project Planning and Evaluation

Water resources project planning and evaluation involve engineering and economic types of analyses; and both are valid only to the extent that future events are correctly estimated. Each assumption, each conclusion is dependent on the analysts’ ability to estimate future events. Regardless of the analysts’ experience or the magnitude of the data base, all estimates of future events are inherently uncertain.
LITHOLOGY AND FOSSIL DISTRIBUTION, FRANCIS CREEK SHALE IN NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS

ABSTRACT The Francis Creek Shale in northeastern Illinois shows striking patterns of lithologic changes and distributions of fossil assemblages. Outcrops along Mazon and Nettle Creeks in Grundy County consist of alternating sandstones, which are often massive and cross-bedded, and shales, which are variably silty or interlayered with siltstones. The fossiliferous ironstone concretions occur in patchy concentrations in the shales. Rapid sedimentation is shown by climbing ripple drift in silty shales and by excellent preservation of the fossils in conceretions. Further west in LaSalle County the Francis Creek is more uniform in lithology as a fine argillaceous shale with thin sandstone beds only near the top. Concretions are abundant east of Ottawa but decrease in size and abundance as the Francis Creek thins westward across LaSalle County, and preservational quality of fossils is also found to decrease to the west. Collections from more than 100 strip and shaft mines reveal great variations in content, abundance and preservation of fossil assemblages. An abrupt change from the fresh or minimally brackish Braidwood to the marine-brackish Essex association is observed near Braidwood in Will County and at Morris in Grundy County.
Changes of mediolateral soft tissue gaps in total knee arthroplasty after suturing medial extensor in navigation.

Purpose:Aim is to investigate the changes of mediolateral soft tissue gaps in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) after suturing medial extensor.Methods and materials:We compared the differences of medial and lateral gap values that were shown by the computer navigation at 0°, 45°, 90°, and 120° knee flexion during patella in situ and during patella repaired by a towel clip on two constant sites. Fifty consecutive knees (43 patients) scheduled for TKA due to varus knee osteoarthritis, from February 2017 to May 2017, were enrolled in this prospective study.Results:The medial gaps with patella repaired were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the medial gaps with patella in situ at 45°, 90°, and 120° knee flexion. Differences in the medial gap were largest at 90, with the difference of 0.87 mm. Twenty-four of 50 cases (48%) showed medial gap differences of 1 mm or over, and 13 of 50 cases (26%) showed medial gap differences of 2 mm or over. The variation in the medial gap at 90° following patellar repair showed s...
Meta-analysis of the relationship between academic achievement and broad abilities of the Cattell-horn-Carroll theory.

Abstract Interpretation of intelligence tests has changed over time, from a focus on the elevation of general ability in the early 1900s, to the shape and/or scatter of subtest and index scores in the mid-1900s to the early 2000s, and back to elevation today. The primary emphasis of interpretation now, however, is widely recommended to be on normative strengths and weaknesses of scores reflecting broad and narrow abilities in the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory (Schneider & McGrew, 2012). Decisions about which abilities are important to assess for the diagnosis of learning difficulties are based largely on literature reviews by Flanagan, Ortiz, Alfonso, and Mascolo (2006) and McGrew and Wendling (2010). These were narrative research syntheses, however, and did not attempt to estimate the magnitude of the relations between CHC abilities and academic achievement. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to conduct a meta-analysis to determine the effect size for these relations across age groups. Results of our analyses found that psychometric g and one or more broad cognitive abilities are substantially related to each area of academic achievement. Across all achievement domains and ages, g had by far the largest effect, with a mean effect size of r2 = 0.540. In fact, psychometric g explained more variance in academic outcomes than all broad abilities combined. Most broad abilities explained less than 10% of the variance in achievement and none explained more than 20%. Some age-related changes in cognitive ability-achievement relations were also observed. In sum, results of our meta-analysis support the interpretation of the overall score on intelligence tests as a measure of psychometric g for diagnosing difficulties in reading and mathematics, but only the interpretation of index scores measuring Comprehension-Knowledge (Gc) when diagnosing difficulties in reading. Implications of these results for research and practice are discussed.
§1.7 Evidence Errors—Harmless

This article discusses when evidentiary error is harmless. It addresses the Kotteakos guidelines and the competing standards set forth by courts. It also addresses the several ways by which evidentiary error may be cured at trial.
Highly Efficient In Vivo Targeting of the Pulmonary Endothelium Using Novel Modifications of Polyethylenimine: An Importance of Charge

Pulmonary vascular disease encompasses a wide range of serious afflictions with important clinical implications. There is critical need for the development of efficient, nonviral gene therapy delivery systems. Here, a promising avenue to overcome critical issues in efficient cell targeting within the lung via a uniquely designed nanosystem is reported. Polyplexes are created by functionalizing hyperbranched polyethylenimine (PEI) with biological fatty acids and carboxylate-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) through a one-pot 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride/N-hydroxysuccinimide reaction. Following intravenous injection, polyplexes show an exceptionally high specificity to the pulmonary microvascular endothelium, allowing for the successful delivery of stabilized enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) expressing messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA). It is further shown, quantitatively, that positive surface charge is the main mechanism behind such high targeting efficiency for these polyplexes. Live in vivo imaging, flow cytometry of single cell suspensions, and confocal microscopy are used to demonstrate that positive polyplexes are enriched in the lung tissue and disseminated in 85-90% of the alveolar capillary endothelium, whilst being sparse in large vessels. Charge modification, achieved through poly(acrylic acid) or heparin coating, drives a highly significant reduction in both targeting percentage and targeting strength, highlighting the importance of specific surface charge, derived from chemical formulation, for efficient targeting of the pulmonary microvascular endothelium.
In Advanced L2 Reading Proficiency Assessments, Should the Question Language Be in the L1 or the L2?: Does It Make a Difference?

When investigating foreign language (FL) proficiency in reading in higher education, one must first determine what proficient reading entails and how to operationalize it. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines provide a starting point in this process, but they do not provide instructions for assessing reading. Clifford and Cox (Foreign Lang Ann 46(1):45–61, 2013) define proficient reading as “the active, automatic, far-transfer process of using one’s internalized language and culture expectancy system to efficiently comprehend an authentic text for the purpose for which it was written (p. 50).” According to this definition, reading is an asynchronous, written two-way interaction between author and reader, in which the reader’s primary task is to comprehend the author’s intent. However, since the cognitive processes involved in reading cannot be directly observed, researchers use observable tasks (e.g., answering questions, reading aloud, etc.) to make inferences about the FL learner’s reading proficiency. Shohamy (Lang Test 1(2):147–170, 1984) notes that this reliance on indirect methods of assessment places a “heavy burden on the testing method and therefore may create greater variations in scores obtained as a result of these methods” (p. 149). Thus, researching how test method affects test scores is paramount to ensure that any variance in scores is due to differences in proficiency rather than choice of test method. In designing tasks to assess reading comprehension, the issue of question language (QL) arises. That is, scholars must decide whether the QL should be in the same language as the reading passage—the learners’ second language (L2) or in the native language (L1) of the learner. When the QL is in the L1, it is easier to infer what the reader has understood. When the QL is in the L2, the responses are dependent on the examinees’ comprehension of both the questions and the text. However, as L2 learners gain reading proficiency, they should also better be able to comprehend questions in the L2. The present study sought to fill these gaps in the research literature by examining the effect of QL on the scores of advanced readers of Russian on a criterion-referenced test of reading proficiency. Understanding the effect of QL on readers with Advanced-level proficiency will allow practitioners to make more informed decisions about design of reading assessments in general and of high-stakes, criterion-referenced tests of reading proficiency in particular.
Dimensionless Numbers to Analyze Expansive Growth Processes

Cells of algae, fungi, and plants have walls and exhibit expansive growth which can increase their volume by as much as 10,000 times. Expansive growth is central to their morphogenesis, development, and sensory responses to environmental stimuli. Equations describing the biophysical processes of the water uptake rate and the wall deformation rate have been derived, validated, and established. A significant amount of research provides insight into the molecular underpinnings of these processes. What is less well known are the relative magnitudes of these processes and how they compare during expansive growth and with walled cells from other species. Here, dimensionless numbers (Π parameters) are used to determine the magnitudes of the biophysical processes involved in the expansive growth rate of cells from algae (Chara corallina), fungi (Phycomyces blakesleeanus), and plants (Pisum satinis L.). It is found for all three species that the cell’s capability for the water uptake rate is larger than the wall plastic deformation rate and much larger than the wall elastic deformation rate. Also, the wall plastic deformation rates of all three species are of similar magnitude as their expansive growth rate even though the stress relaxation rates of their walls are very different. It is envisioned that dimensionless numbers can assist in determining how these biophysical processes change during development, morphogenesis, sensory responses, environmental stress, climate change, and after genetic modification.
Several Problems of Continua Theory

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses some problems related to the concept of the confluency of mappings. The problems discussed are whether confluent mappings preserve rational continua and whether weakly confluent mappings preserve Class A. Both monotone mappings and open mappings are confluent, and it is rather easy to prove that they do preserve rational continua. However, in general, first problem seems to be more involved than in the case of monotone or open mappings. What probably causes the difficulty is the fact that a slightly larger class of continua, namely that of Suslinian ones, is preserved by confluent mappings and too many examples of nonrational Suslinian continua are not known. A continuum is Suslinian provided that each collection of mutually disjoint non-degenerate subcontinua of it is countable. Weakly confluent mappings preserve the class of Suslinian continua; however, they do not necessarily preserve rational continua.
Planting Seeds of Hope: Teacher Collaboration to Support Student Inquiry

This chapter narrates the journey of three teachers and the author, with the strong support of a nonprofit law firm and a university, as we interrupted Eurocentric learning environments and tailored curricula to fit the overall goal presented by the group of student activists by reinforcing positive collective ancestral identities toward el vivir comunitario. This chapter also details challenges that we encountered along the way.
Mandated Community Treatment in Services for Persons with Mental Illness

This chapter addresses a complex and persistent challenge for mental health services delivery: What to do about adult members of our communities who suffer from debilitating psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia but fail to receive consistent and effective treatment. Many are gravely disabled and/or pose a danger to themselves or others, but are often unable or unwilling to adhere to recommended treatment until they deteriorate to the point of requiring involuntary hospitalization or are arrested for a minor crime. Involuntary outpatient commitment—often termed ‘assisted outpatient treatment’—was developed as one potential remedy to address this population of ‘revolving door’ patients. In this civil court procedure, a judge orders a person with mental illness to comply with recommended treatment. We discuss involuntary outpatient commitment in the broader context of mandated community treatment, review the controversies about its effectiveness, the ethics of its use and discuss some potential alternative approaches. Mandated community treatment, if properly targeted and implemented with sufficient resources, can offer a less-restrictive alternative to hospitalization or arrest with the goal of ensuring that beneficial treatment is consistently maintained, rather than delaying intervention until confinement is required.
Modeling the scatter of sunlight from starshade edges

A sunflower-like starshade positioned between an exoplanet host star and a telescope forms a deep shadow at the telescope enabling the faint exoplanet to be viewed without being overwhelmed by veiling glare from the star. The starshade perimeter has hundreds of meters of sharp edge that are directly exposed to sunlight. The sunlight diffracts and reflects from the edge resulting in a glint pattern that can be brighter than the exoplanet. We have developed models of the edge glint to explain laboratory measurements, to guide the development of edges with minimum glint, and to determine the fundamental glint floor which is set by diffraction. The models include finite difference time domain calculations, Sommerfeld's half-plane diffraction expressions, and a micro-facet scattering model. Models successfully reproduce the features and magnitude of the measured polarization-dependent scatter and show that measured edges are performing near the theoretical limit.
HEAD-FAKE: TWO JOKES IN LUCRETIUS 3.136–50

Towards the beginning of Book 3, Lucretius starts his description of the soul. According to Epicurus, the soul is divided into two, an irrational part, which is coextensive with the body, and a rational part, the ‘mind’, which is located in the chest. This position is a relic from an earlier, non–philosophical tradition, and was adopted by several different philosophers. But Alexandrian doctors would soon correctly locate the mind in the head, and later Epicureans would have to defend an increasingly uncomfortable and out-of-date position.
Ocean acidification and hypoxia can have opposite effects on rockfish otolith growth

Abstract Climate change is predicted to alter ocean chemistry through warming temperatures, increases in CO2 (i.e., ocean acidification), and reductions in dissolved oxygen (DO) (i.e., hypoxia). Past research has shown that early life stages of marine fishes are sensitive to all three stressors, but with sometimes different directions of response. In this study, we examined the separate effects of ocean acidification and hypoxia on otolith growth in two species of juvenile rockfish (copper rockfish, Sebastes caurinus, and blue rockfish, Sebastes mystinus). Fishes were collected at settlement stage from kelp forests on the central California coast and reared in the laboratory for up to 6 months in 4 separate pH treatments (pH = 7.3, 7.6, 7.8, and a control of 8.0), simulating the effects of ocean acidification through the addition of CO2, and 4 separate dissolved oxygen treatments (DO = 2.2, 4.1, 6.0, and a control of 8.7 mg/L), simulating the effects of hypoxia. For both species, otoliths were smaller for a given fish length in response to hypoxia but were larger (trend was non-significant for copper rockfish) in response to elevated CO2. The results suggest that otolith growth may respond differently to ocean acidification and hypoxia for some species, which has implications for sensory development, ecological performance, and interpretations of the permanent record of fish growth in hard parts such as otoliths.
Surrogate modeling of hydrodynamic forces between multiple floating bodies through a hierarchical interaction decomposition

Abstract Efficient estimation of wave interactions between multiple floating bodies (diffraction forces and radiation coefficients) is of importance to many applications, with a key one being the layout optimization of arrays of wave energy converter. The computational complexity for this estimation dramatically increases for configurations with large number of bodies. To address this challenge, a data-driven surrogate modeling implementation is discussed in this paper. The foundation of the approach is an innovative application of the many-body expansion principle that overcomes the curse of dimensionality for the surrogate model development. Instead of using a single surrogate model to predict the hydrodynamic characteristics of the multi-body configuration, multiple surrogate models corresponding to clusters with fewer bodies are employed. These lower-order surrogate models can be developed at a substantial smaller computational cost, especially for the first terms of the many-body expansion that contribute dominantly to the total hydrodynamic characteristics. Additional enhancements for the surrogate modeling implementation pertain to the characterization of the surrogate model input and output, exploiting symmetry and invariance principles for the hydrodynamic problem. Using Kriging as surrogate model, the approach is demonstrated for predicting the hydrodynamic characteristics for an array of vertical axisymmetric bodies, but it is extendable to similar multi-body interaction problems or other surrogate modeling techniques. Several numerical case studies are finally presented, showcasing the computational efficiency and prediction accuracy of the proposed method, as well as its scalability to arrays of large size, and the advantages it can offer within the context of layout optimization for wave energy converters.
Secrecy, the patent puzzle and endogenous growth

Abstract Endogenous growth models typically assume that innovations are protected solely by patents. Consequently, they predict that strengthening patent protection stimulates innovation by increasing the private return to R&D. This contrasts with empirical evidence that: (1) firms routinely employ a combination of patents and secrecy and (2) stronger patent regimes have been associated with increased patenting but not increased innovation, a finding referred to as the “patent puzzle.” In this paper, I develop a novel model of endogenous growth that is consistent with this evidence. Successful innovators’ choose an appropriation strategy in the form of a patent, secrecy mix. Both protection methods are imperfect, and innovators face a trade-off between secrecy’s superior protection against imitation and patenting’s protection against rival innovation. I demonstrate that growth oriented policy changes generate important economic effects through their impact on the endogenous appropriation strategies of innovators.
What about COVID-19 and arachidonic acid pathway?

COVID-19 is a highly contagious viral disease. In this study, we tried to define and discuss all the findings on the potential association between arachidonic acid (AA) pathway and COVID-19 pathophysiology. A literature search across PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane database was conducted. A total of 25 studies were identified. The data elucidated that COX-2 and prostaglandins (PGs), particularly PGE2, have pro-inflammatory action in COVID-19 pathophysiology. Arachidonic acid can act as endogenous antiviral compound. A deficiency in AA can make humans more susceptible to COVID-19. Targeting these pro-inflammatory mediators may help in decreasing the mortality and morbidity rate in COVID-19 patients. PGE2 levels and other PGs levels should be measured in patients with COVID-19. Lowering the PGE2 levels through inhibition of human microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) can enhance the host immune response against COVID-19. In addition, the hybrid compounds, such as COX-2 inhibitors/TP antagonists, can be an innovative treatment to control the overall balance between AA mediators in patients with COVID-19.
The roles of histone variants in fine-tuning chromatin organization and function

Histones serve to both package and organize DNA within the nucleus. In addition to histone post-translational modification and chromatin remodelling complexes, histone variants contribute to the complexity of epigenetic regulation of the genome. Histone variants are characterized by a distinct protein sequence and a selection of designated chaperone systems and chromatin remodelling complexes that regulate their localization in the genome. In addition, histone variants can be enriched with specific post-translational modifications, which in turn can provide a scaffold for recruitment of variant-specific interacting proteins to chromatin. Thus, through these properties, histone variants have the capacity to endow specific regions of chromatin with unique character and function in a regulated manner. In this Review, we provide an overview of recent advances in our understanding of the contribution of histone variants to chromatin function in mammalian systems. First, we discuss new molecular insights into chaperone-mediated histone variant deposition. Next, we discuss mechanisms by which histone variants influence chromatin properties such as nucleosome stability and the local chromatin environment both through histone variant sequence-specific effects and through their role in recruiting different chromatin-associated complexes. Finally, we focus on histone variant function in the context of both embryonic development and human disease, specifically developmental syndromes and cancer.
Convergent Nature of Modeling Principles Across the STEM Fields: A Case Study of Preservice Teacher Engagement

This chapter highlights how modeling principles across mathematics, science, and engineering converge toward a construct of integrated STEM modeling. These processes were framed as a disciplined inquiry approach that embraced cross-disciplinary connections to solve problems and/or better understand real-world phenomena. In particular, this instrumental case study investigated preservice teachers enrolled in a six-credit-hour graduate-level integrated STEM course. Course activities were steeped in modeling tasks regarding content and pedagogy involved in meaningful integrated STEM processes. The main research questions involved whether immersing future teachers in integrated STEM modeling tasks could increase their interest in STEM content and how preservice teachers interpret these integrated STEM principles into their burgeoning pedagogical practices. Findings suggested that preservice teachers could both prepare and enact integrated STEM approaches and recognized the creative freedom and motivation it brought both to the children they taught and themselves. Ultimately, the authors propose a model for the convergence of STEM practices and articulate the value for STEM modeling in elementary contexts.
Ms. Categorized: Gender, notability, and inequality on Wikipedia:

Gender is one of the most pervasive and insidious forms of inequality. For example, English-language Wikipedia contains more than 1.5 million biographies about notable writers, inventors, and acade...
Septic Arthritis of the Temporomandibular Joint—Unusual Presentations

This report describes 2 patients whose septic arthritis of the temporomandibular joint (SATMJ) presented atypically, resulting in treatment delay and complications. A 49-year-old man developed left-side facial allodynia, which was first treated unsuccessfully as trigeminal neuralgia. On day 21, the patient sustained facial trauma from a fall and presented to the emergency department (ED). Maxillofacial contrast-enhanced computed tomographic (CT) scan was suggestive of parotiditis, SATMJ, or hemarthrosis. His condition did not improve with empiric antibiotic treatment. On day 30, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed SATMJ. Incision and drainage yielded 6 mL of pus and produced clinical improvement. Cultures grew methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which was treated with amoxicillin plus clavulanate and sulfamethoxazole plus trimethoprim for 30 days. On day 59, the patient still had slight preauricular pain and CT-proved TMJ osteoarthritic changes. A 56-year-old woman developed right-side facial pain after a crown procedure on her right mandibular second molar. Oral prednisone (and clindamycin) produced partial relief. Her primary physician suspected temporal arteritis, but its biopsy result on day 11 was normal. Gradually, the patient developed trismus and malocclusion refractory to various medicines. On day 49, she presented to the ED. A contrast-enhanced maxillofacial CT scan suggested SATMJ. Incision and drainage yielded 30 mL of pus and produced clinical improvement. During days 50 to 57, the patient received intravenous ampicillin plus sulbactam and metronidazole. However, preauricular tenderness and drainage from the surgical incision persisted. On day 55, CT scan showed a residual abscess. Secondary debridement yielded 5 mL of pus. Culture grew coagulase-negative S aureus. On day 141, the patient still had slight preauricular pain and TMJ osteoarthritic changes on MRI. In these cases, the SATMJ diagnosis was delayed owing to the mildness of local and systemic manifestations, the possibility of confounding conditions, and the rarity of SATMJ. Contrast-enhanced CT and MRI facilitated the diagnosis. Abscess drainage alleviated the symptoms. Postinfectious osteoarthritis developed possibly from treatment delay. SATMJ should be considered in all patients with enigmatic preauricular pain, trismus, or malocclusion.
Not Just an Empty Threat: Subgame-Perfect Equilibrium in Repeated Games Played by Computationally Bounded Players

We study the problem of finding a subgame-perfect equilibrium in repeated games. In earlier work [Halpern, Pass and Seeman 2014], we showed how to efficiently find an (approximate) Nash equilibrium if assuming that players are computationally bounded (and making standard cryptographic hardness assumptions); in contrast, as demonstrated in the work of Borgs et al. [2010], unless we restrict to computationally bounded players, the problem is PPAD-hard. But it is well-known that for extensive-form games (such as repeated games), Nash equilibrium is a weak solution concept. In this work, we define and study an appropriate notion of a subgame-perfect equilibrium for computationally bounded players, and show how to efficiently find such an equilibrium in repeated games (again, making standard cryptographic hardness assumptions). As we show in the full paper, our algorithm works not only for games with a finite number of players, but also for constant-degree graphical games.
Cardiac resuscitation from recurrent ventricular fibrillation occurring in a physician's office: Report of a case

Abstract Cardiac resuscitation in a 40 year old man with acute myocardial infarction who had a sudden cardiac arrest in a physician's office is described. Successful external defibrillation was accomplished 55 minutes after onset of cardiac arrest. The postfibrillatory course was complicated by cardiac arrhythmias, recurrence of ventricular fibrillation, central nervous system manifestations of convulsions, confusion and amblyopia. Eight months after the onset of infarction, the patient is asymptomatic and preparing to return to his occupation as a mail carrier.
Regeneration: Growth Factors in Limb Regeneration

Different tissues and growth factors permit and direct limb patterning at the cellular and molecular level during regeneration in amphibians. Keywords: regeneration; growth factors; transferrin; Distal-less; fibroblast growth factor
Formate dehydrogenase from Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b. Purification and spectroscopic characterization of the cofactors.

NAD(+)-coupled formate dehydrogenase has been purified to near-homogeneity from the obligate methanotroph Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b. The inclusion of stabilizing reagents in the purification buffers has resulted in a 3-fold increase in specific activity (98 microM/min/mg; turnover number 600 s-1) and as much as a 25-fold increase in yield over previously reported purification protocols. The enzyme, (molecular weight 400,000 +/- 20,000) is composed of four subunit types (alpha, 98,000; beta, 56,000; gamma, 20,000; delta, 11,500) apparently associated as 2 alpha beta gamma delta protomers. The holoenzyme contains flavin (1.8 +/- 0.2), iron (46 +/- 6), inorganic sulfide (38 +/- 4), and molybdenum (1.5 +/- 0.1). The flavin is optically similar to the common flavin cofactors, but it is chromatographically distinct. Anaerobic incubation of the enzyme with formate, NADH, or sodium dithionite, resulted in approximately 50% reduction of the iron and elicited an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum (approximately 2.5 spins/protomer) from which the spectra of five distinct EPR-active centers could be resolved in the g = 1.94 region. Four of these spectra were characteristic of [Fe-S]x clusters. The fifth (gave = 1.99; approximately 0.1 spins/protomer) was similar to that observed for the molybdenum cofactor of xanthine oxidase, and it exhibited the expected hyperfine splitting when the enzyme was enriched with 95Mo (I = 5/2). Mossbauer spectroscopy showed that all of the iron in the enzyme became reduced upon the addition of a redox mediator, proflavin, to the dithionite reduced enzyme at pH 8.0. Nevertheless, a decrease in the EPR-active spin concentration in the g = 1.94 region of the spectrum occurred and was attributed to the reduction of the molybdenum center to the EPR-silent Mo(IV) state (S = 1). The fully reduced enzyme also exhibited a new species with an S = 3/2 ground state (1-2 spins/protomer). Addition of 50% ethylene glycol to the fully reduced enzyme revealed no new species, but caused an increase in the EPR-detectable spin quantitation to 5-6 spins/protomer. This suggests that cluster spin-spin interactions may occur in both the partially and fully reduced native enzyme.