cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Safety and outcomes of inpatient compared with outpatient surgical procedures for ankle fractures

Background: As the cost of health-care delivery rises in the era of bundled payments for care, there is an impetus toward minimizing hospitalization. Evidence to support the safety of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of ankle fractures in the outpatient setting is largely anecdotal. Methods: Patients who underwent ORIF from 2005 to 2013 were identified via postoperative diagnoses of ankle fracture and Current Procedural Terminology codes; patients with open fractures and patients who were emergency cases were excluded. Patients undergoing inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures were propensity score-matched to reduce differences in the baseline characteristics. Primary tracked outcomes included medical and surgical complications, readmission, and reoperation within 30 days of the procedure. Binary logistic regression models were created that determined the risk-adjusted relationship between admission status and primary outcomes. Results: Outpatient surgical procedures were associated with lower rates of urinary tract infection (0.4% compared with 0.9%; p = 0.041), pneumonia (0.0% compared with 0.5%; p = 0.002), venous thromboembolic events (0.3% compared with 0.8%; p = 0.049), and bleeding requiring transfusion (0.1% compared with 0.6%; p = 0.012). Outpatient status was independently associated with reduced 30-day medical morbidity (odds ratio, 0.344 [95% confidence interval, 0.201 to 0.589]). No significant differences were uncovered with respect to surgical complications (p = 0.076), unplanned reoperations (p = 0.301), and unplanned readmissions (p = 0.358). Conclusions: In patients with closed fractures and minimal comorbidities, outpatient ORIF was associated with reduced risk of select 30-day medical morbidity and no difference in surgical morbidity, reoperations, and readmissions relative to inpatient. Factors unaccounted for when creating matched cohorts may impact our results. Our findings lend reassurance to surgeons who defer admission for low-risk patients. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Spectral subtraction de-noising of MRI

De-noising techniques can improve the signal to noise ratio (SNR), and quality of magnetic resonance (MR) images. In this work, we introduce a spectral subtraction de-noising (SSD) method that operates directly on the acquired raw MR signals and then we reconstruct images using the de-noised signals to improve the SNR. MR images acquired using coil arrays and reconstructed using parallel imaging techniques exhibit spatially varying noise distribution, which hampers the performance of image de-noising techniques applied in the image domain. The proposed SSD method is applied in the k-space (Fourier) domain of each of the individual coil array elements and is thus not affected by non-uniform noise distribution. Using numerical simulations and experimental data, we show that up to 45% improvements in SNR in both single and multi-channel coil data can be achieved.
Well-posedness of a nonlinear boundary value problem for the Korteweg–de Vries equation on a bounded domain

Abstract Considered in this article is an initial-boundary-value problem (IBVP) for the Korteweg–de Vries equation u t + u x + u u x + u x x x = 0 posed on a finite interval I = ( 0 , L ) subject to the initial condition u ( x , 0 ) = ϕ ( x ) for x ∈ ( 0 , L ) and the nonhomogeneous nonlinear boundary conditions u x x ( 0 , t ) + u ( 0 , t ) − 1 6 u 2 ( 0 , t ) = h ( t ) , u ( L , t ) = 0 , u x ( L , t ) = 0 for t ≥ 0 , which was derived by Rosier [37] as a model to investigate the motion of water waves in a long canal with a moving boundary at the left of the canal (wavemaker) and a fixed boundary at the right by using Lagrangian coordinates. It is shown here, aided by the hidden regularities (or sharp Kato smoothing properties) of the associated linear problem, that the IBVP is well-posed in the space H s ( 0 , L ) for any s ≥ 0 and thus addresses a question left open by Rosier in [37] .
Performance characterization of hadoop workloads on SR-IOV-enabled virtualized InfiniBand clusters

Big Data Systems are becoming increasingly complex and generally have very high operational costs. Cloud computing offers attractive solutions for managing large scale systems. However, one of the major bottlenecks in VM performance is virtualized I/O. Since Big Data applications and middleware rely heavily on high performance interconnects such as InfiniBand, the performance of virtualized InfiniBand interfaces is vital. Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) is a hardware based approach which offers significant performance benefits as compared to software based I/O virtualization. With the increasing adoption of InfiniBand network for cloud computing, it is important to evaluate the performance benefits of SR-IOV for InfiniBand networks; especially to see the performance characteristics of Big Data applications and middleware under different scenarios. We characterize the main performance factors for different workloads through this study (such as map task scheduling, I/O, data replication, etc.). Our experimental evaluations show that the performance difference for a wide set of Big Data benchmarks and applications over SR-IOV with InfiniBand using RDMA-enabled Hadoop as compared to native InfiniBand network is just 5 -- 15%. In addition, with RDMA-enabled Hadoop, we see 20.9 -- 81.6% performance improvement for RDMA as compared to IPoIB.
Abstract 4588: Whole genome hypo- and hyper-methylation sequencing among Africa American patients with colorectal cancer

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) involves epigenetic changes including DNA hypomethylation, a paradigm shift in the role of DNA methylation alterations in colorectal carcinogenesis. Aim: Here we performed Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS) on a normal, and a tumor patient9s tissue DNA to elucidate hyper- and hypomethylaed target genes in colorectal cancer progression in this population. Methods: Genomic DNA was isolated from fresh frozen surgical tissues from a patient with normal colon, and from a carcinoma patient. RRBS was performed on these DNA samples for hyper- and hypomethylation targets identification. Alignment, mapping and CpG methylation analyses were performed. Preferential hypomethylated pathways were determined using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Results: We identified the hyper (6360 CpG sites) and hypo-methylation (4845 CpG sites) status of top genes in the CpG Island within promoter regions (19 and 18 genes respectively). Top hyper- and hypomethylated CpG Island outside promoter regions (16 and 18 genes, respectively) were also identified. Among these top genes, CDH4 and SOX21 were reported to be hypermethylated in CRC and SCUBE2 (112 methylated CpG) mapped by IPA to the Hedgehog, TGF-β, and VEGF Signaling pathways was reported to play a role in breast cancer. Among the top hypomethylated genes, ACOT9 (97 CpGI sites) and RIN2 (40 CpGI sites) might play a significant role in CRC in AAs, since IPA mapped these markers to the Wnt/β-catenin, VEGF and PTEN signaling pathways. ACOT9 was found to play a role in breast cancer. Conclusion: This work provides insight into differential CpG island hyper- and hypo-methylation profiles in CRC and provides a window into the more complex epigenetic events associated with CRC, including the hypomethylation of known and novel genes. Investigations into the possible roles of the novel gene targets in the context of early and prognostic methylation biomarkers are underway. Citation Format: Hassan Ashktorab, Afnan Shakoori, Shatha Zarnogi, Xueguang Sun, Sudhir Varma, Edward Lee, Babak Shokrani, Adeinko O. Laiyemo, Kareem Washington, Hassan Brim. Whole genome hypo- and hyper-methylation sequencing among Africa American patients with colorectal cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4588. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4588
ExploreKit: Automatic Feature Generation and Selection

Feature generation is one of the challenging aspects of machine learning. We present ExploreKit, a framework for automated feature generation. ExploreKit generates a large set of candidate features by combining information in the original features, with the aim of maximizing predictive performance according to user-selected criteria. To overcome the exponential growth of the feature space, ExploreKit uses a novel machine learning-based feature selection approach to predict the usefulness of new candidate features. This approach enables efficient identification of the new features and produces superior results compared to existing feature selection solutions. We demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of our approach by conducting an extensive evaluation on 25 datasets and 3 different classification algorithms. We show that ExploreKit can achieve classification-error reduction of 20% overall. Our codeis available at https://github.com/giladkatz/ExploreKit.
A compact and light-weight generator for backpack energy harvesting

The reciprocating linear motion of a heavy backpack during walking has proved to be a viable source from which significant amount of electricity can be harvested. The energy harvesting systems proposed so far either use a mechanical rack and pinion to convert the linear motion to rotation or use a direct drive permanent magnet linear generator. This paper makes the case for the use of a magnetic gear to convert the linear motion to rotation. Compared to the mechanical rack and pinion, the proposed system is expected to have less noise, friction, and maintenance requirement and to facilitate the packaging. Compared to a direct drive linear generator, the proposed system would be multiple times lighter and compacter. The principles of backpack energy harvesting are outlined and design specifications of the proposed system are derived. An initial design is presented along with some simulation results.
Development of a molecular-based index for assessing iron status in bloom-forming pennate diatoms.

Iron availability limits primary productivity in large areas of the world's oceans. Ascertaining the iron status of phytoplankton is essential for understanding the factors regulating their growth and ecology. We developed an incubation-independent, molecular-based approach to assess the iron nutritional status of specific members of the diatom community, initially focusing on the ecologically important pennate diatom Pseudo-nitzschia. Through a comparative transcriptomic approach, we identified two genes that track the iron status of Pseudo-nitzschia with high fidelity. The first gene, ferritin (FTN), encodes for the highly specialized iron storage protein induced under iron-replete conditions. The second gene, ISIP2a, encodes an iron-concentrating protein induced under iron-limiting conditions. In the oceanic diatom Pseudo-nitzschia granii (Hasle) Hasle, transcript abundance of these genes directly relates to changes in iron availability, with increased FTN transcript abundance under iron-replete conditions and increased ISIP2a transcript abundance under iron-limiting conditions. The resulting ISIP2a:FTN transcript ratio reflects the iron status of cells, where a high ratio indicates iron limitation. Field samples collected from iron grow-out microcosm experiments conducted in low iron waters of the Gulf of Alaska and variable iron waters in the California upwelling zone verify the validity of our proposed Pseudo-nitzschia Iron Limitation Index, which can be used to ascertain in situ iron status and further developed for other ecologically important diatoms.
Credit Default Swaps on Amr Corporation: Cash or Credit?

This case puts the students in the shoes of Jeff Thomas, a high-yield credit research analyst for a hedge fund. Thomas' portfolio manager has asked him to come up with a potential trade idea for AMR Corporation (the parent company of American Airlines) using a credit default swap (CDS). Thomas wanted to gauge whether the CDS spread prevailing in the market was too high or too low relative to AMR's credit outlook. He was going to use both structural and reduced form CDS pricing models and compare them against the prevailing CDS spreads in the market. More importantly, Thomas needed to come up with a trade recommendation. Excerpt UVA-F-1745 Mar. 9, 2016 Credit Default Swaps on AMR Corporation: Cash or Credit? As he drove home on a frigid night late on February 24, 2011, Jeff Thomas reflected on the day's events and started thinking about all the work that he would have to do after he got home. As a credit research analyst for Blue Hill Asset Management (BHAM), Thomas was a part of the hedge fund's high-yield team and was responsible for identifying “mispricings” in the credit market. He had joined the firm just six months earlier after graduating from his MBA program and had put in many long hours as he acclimated himself with the firm and his role. BHAM was a hedge fund that focused on fundamental relative value strategies. Its strategies were aimed at taking advantage of relative pricing discrepancies between similar securities or derivatives relative to the underlying security. BHAM combined quantitative, technical, and fundamental techniques to identify these strategies. Earlier that day, one of the senior portfolio managers had come by Thomas's desk after receiving a phone call from an investment bank. The investment bank was in the process of building a book for a private offering of senior secured notes by AMR Corporation (AMR), the parent company of American Airlines. It had called BHAM to gauge its interest. The portfolio manager had declined, but was intrigued about identifying potential strategies regarding the AMR credit. As a potential investment, AMR was an interesting high-yield opportunity, since American Airlines was the only major U.S. airline not to have filed for bankruptcy, which left it with a higher debt burden and labor costs than its competitors. The portfolio manager mentioned to Thomas that he was especially interested in trying to identify opportunities in credit derivatives, as this market tended to have better liquidity than the bond market. . . .
Digital Technologies and Intimate Partner Violence: A Qualitative Analysis with Multiple Stakeholders

Digital technologies, including mobile devices, cloud computing services, and social networks, play a nuanced role in intimate partner violence (IPV) settings, including domestic abuse, stalking, and surveillance of victims by abusive partners. However, the interactions among victims of IPV, abusers, law enforcement, counselors, and others --- and the roles that digital technologies play in these interactions --- are poorly understood. We present a qualitative study that analyzes the role of digital technologies in the IPV ecosystem in New York City. Findings from semi-structured interviews with 40 IPV professionals and nine focus groups with 32 survivors of IPV reveal a complex set of socio-technical challenges that stem from the intimate nature of the relationships involved and the complexities of managing shared social circles. Both IPV professionals and survivors feel that they do not possess adequate expertise to be able to identify or cope with technology-enabled IPV, and there are currently insufficient best practices to help them deal with abuse via technology. We also reveal a number of tensions and trade-offs in negotiating technology's role in social support and legal procedures. Taken together, our findings contribute a nuanced understanding of technology's role in the IPV ecosystem and yield recommendations for HCI and technology experts interested in aiding victims of abuse.
Rational-Emotive Therapy in Christian Perspective:

Rational-emotive therapy (RET), a common cognitive-behavioral approach to psychotherapy, is critiqued from a Christian perspective. Positively, RET is openly value-oriented, prizing of rationality, and balanced in its attempt to deal with the thoughts, behaviors, and feelings of the client from a rational perspective. Such an approach can be a helpful tool for the Christian therapist to use. Difficulties with RET thought from a Christian perspective include incompatibilities with values endorsed by RET, an overemphasis on rationality, problems with the understanding of rationality and emotion, and an overly atomistic view of the self. These tensions make it quite impossible for a truly Christian approach to therapy to be overly identified with RET. Two systems of “Christian counseling” which are quite akin to RET are briefly examined in light of the RET critique.
Social Comparisons and Need Fulfillment: Interpreting Video Game Enjoyment in the Context of Leaderboards

This study examines how social comparison information provided by video game leaderboards may influence players’ retrospective judgments of autonomy, competence, and relatedness need fulfillment. P...
Critical Thinking of Human Resources in the Goal: A Research Note

Recently, changes within the business industry have led to human resource management (HRM) positions and structures being reconsidered. Human resources (HR) used to be centralized, but the constant changes to organizational culture has caused HR to become decentralized. The HR operations have been incorporated into other departments, as well. Now, HRM is essential to business processes that mirror other departments, such as accounting and finance, but HR is still centralized in specialized areas, such as recruitment and compensation. Examining Goldratt & Cox's “The Goal” reveals its involvement with HRM. This study evaluates the implication of HRM on a business, its relationship to the Theory of Constraints (TOC), and the ways in which these concepts can aid a business in reaching its main objective.
PerfLoc (Part 2): Performance Evaluation of the Smartphone Indoor Localization Apps

This paper describes the structure of the PerfLoc Prize Competition organized by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The Competition consisted of collecting an extensive repository of smartphone data, releasing the data to researchers across the world to develop smartphone indoor localization algorithms, allowing them to evaluate the performance of their algorithms using a NIST web portal, and rigorous, live testing of the Android apps implementing the best algorithms at NIST. The paper presents detailed performance analysis of the algorithms developed by the top 10 participants as well as the Android indoor localization app that won the first prize in PerfLoc. It also provides a comparison of PerfLoc with other ongoing, annual indoor localization competitions.
Current State of Shared Decision-Making for CT Lung Cancer Screening and Improvement Strategies.

Introduction:Lung cancer remains the leading cause of oncologic mortality in the United States. Computed tomography (CT) screening has begun to combat this prevalent health problem. Prior to enroll...
The Nuss procedure for repair of pectus excavatum: 20 error traps and a culture of safety

In 1998, Donald Nuss changed the way the world thought about the surgical repair of pectus excavatum. The new operation adheres to sound orthopedic fundaments, but has a significantly higher learning curve than other operations in pediatric surgery. Variations in pectus excavatum type, severity, symmetry and chest wall pliability bring challenges. This article will detail common error traps and ways to avoid them when performing the Nuss procedure. As recent publications have shown, an operation done more than 50,000 times across the world may bring to light infrequent but devastating outcomes that may be preventable. The critical view of safety for pectus repair is discussed, as are areas where a culture of safety could optimize results on a larger scale. We will review potential opportunities to improve outcomes by identifying error traps in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care of patients undergoing the Nuss procedure.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Rectal Cancer

High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a pivotal role in the pretreatment assessment of primary rectal cancer. The success of this technique depends on obtaining good-quality high-resolution T2-weighted images of the primary tumor, orthogonal to rectal lumen. The goal of magnetic resonance staging is to identify patients who will benefit from neoadjuvant therapy prior to surgery to minimize postoperative recurrence and planning of optimal surgical approach. MRI also facilitates optimal identification of important prognostic factors, which improves both treatment selection and posttreatment follow-up. The objective of this article is to review the existing literature and provide a concise update on various aspects of rectal cancer imaging, discuss the current role of advanced imaging techniques such as diffusion-weighted and perfusion imaging in the evaluation of rectal cancer, and to assess response to therapy.
Liver Glycogen Phosphorylase Deficiency Leads to Profibrogenic Phenotype in a Murine Model of Glycogen Storage Disease Type VI.

Mutations in the liver glycogen phosphorylase (Pygl) gene are associated with the diagnosis of glycogen storage disease type VI (GSD-VI). To understand the pathogenesis of GSD-VI, we generated a mouse model with Pygl deficiency (Pygl -/-). Pygl -/- mice exhibit hepatomegaly, excessive hepatic glycogen accumulation, and low hepatic free glucose along with lower fasting blood glucose levels and elevated blood ketone bodies. Hepatic glycogen accumulation in Pygl -/- mice increases with age. Masson's trichrome and picrosirius red staining revealed minimal to mild collagen deposition in periportal, subcapsular, and/or perisinusoidal areas in the livers of old Pygl -/- mice (>40 weeks). Consistently, immunohistochemical analysis showed the number of cells positive for alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), a marker of activated hepatic stellate cells, was increased in the livers of old Pygl -/- mice compared with those of age-matched wild-type (WT) mice. Furthermore, old Pygl -/- mice had inflammatory infiltrates associated with hepatic vessels in their livers along with up-regulated hepatic messenger RNA levels of C-C chemokine ligand 5 (Ccl5/Rantes) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (Mcp-1), indicating inflammation, while age-matched WT mice did not. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were elevated in old Pygl -/- mice, indicating liver damage. Conclusion: Pygl deficiency results in progressive accumulation of hepatic glycogen with age and liver damage, inflammation, and collagen deposition, which can increase the risk of liver fibrosis. Collectively, the Pygl-deficient mouse recapitulates clinical features in patients with GSD-VI and provides a model to elucidate the mechanisms underlying hepatic complications associated with defective glycogen metabolism.
Safety of Lumbar Puncture (LP) and Instillation of Intrathecal (IT) Chemotherapy during Thrombocytopenia in Adults with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL).

Background: The platelet (PLT) count at which LPs can safely be performed in adults has varied in practice. A few pediatric studies have suggested a threshold level of 10 K/μL above which prophylactic PLT transfusion is not required; however, this has not been systematically studied in adults with ALL. We therefore investigated the incidence of traumatic LPs (TLP >10 RBCs/μL), the incidence of complications, and the relationship to thrombocytopenia. Methods: Adults with ALL undergoing frontline therapy with hyper-CVAD (fractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, dexamethasone alternating with methotrexate and cytarabine) or variations incorporating rituximab and/or imatinib were reviewed. Patients (pts) were stratified to receive standard intrathecal treatment (IT) with methotrexate alternating with cytarabine based on CNS risk assessment (proliferative index ≥ 14% or serum lactate dehydrogenase ≥ 1400) [Cortes et al, Blood 86:2091, 1995]. Low risk pts received 6 IT, high or indeterminate risk 8 IT, and BLL 16 IT. Pts with PLT count ≤ 30 K/μL received PLT transfusions immediately prior to LP. Procedures were performed by trained practitioners. Results: Outcome of 1998 LPs (282 pts) performed at our institution was reviewed. Median age was 42 years (range, 15–84). PLT count was ≤ 30 K/μL in 292 LPs (15%), 31–50 K/μL in 157 (8%), 51–80 K/μL in 211 (11%) and > 80 K/μL in 1338 (67%). Criteria for TLP was met in 910 (45%) of the LPs. The incidence of TLP was higher in patients with PLT count ≤ 50 K/μL (52% versus 44%, p=0.004). Four pts developed subdural hematomas. Of those, 3 had a history of CNS trauma, with only 1 considered possibly related to the LP. The latter occurred with PLT count of 28 K/μL prior to transfusion. Three pts developed diskitis or epidural abscesses after 3, 6 and 9 LPs, respectively, and were treated successfully with antibiotics. Conclusions: Although the incidence of TLP appears to be higher with a lower PLT, it appears safe to perform LPs in thrombocytopenic pts with a threshold of 30 K/μL for prophylactic PLT transfusion as per our standard practice. However, this study does not address whether a lower threshold for PLT count (e.g., 20 K/μL) would yield similar findings.
Practice 1: Minimally Committed Knowledge Baton Passers

This first practice describes how the crowds participated. Our findings indicate that individual participants, on the average, offer fewer than two posts! Their posts are short knowledge fragments (such as only a few sentences). They are not engaged in extensive back-and-forth questioning. They offer minimal social support for others’ posts. It is almost as though the posts serve as knowledge batons in a knowledge relay race. The participants will not be the same throughout the race. As in a relay, the knowledge posts act as knowledge batons passed from one leg of the race to another, where the next participant is whomever is interested in getting the baton with no direct communication between the runners themselves. Each participant just takes the baton and keeps the innovation process moving forward.
Thermoelectric properties of holey silicon at elevated temperatures

Abstract Compatibility to the semiconductor industry makes silicon thin-film devices attractive for thermoelectric applications. Silicon has a competitive thermoelectric power factor but a large thermal conductivity, which results in an overall small thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT. By patterning arrays of nano-sized holes with spacing less than the average phonon mean free path into the Si thin films, their thermal conductivity can be greatly suppressed, whereas their electronic properties are less affected. We fabricated and measured the electronic and thermal transport properties of such holey Si devices from 300 K to 650 K. Heat diffusion imaging, a hybrid approach that combines thermoreflectance imaging and the heat spreader method was used for the in-plane thermal conductivity measurement and gives a value of 6.00 ± 1.83 W/mK at room temperature. The power factor times temperature is about 0.52 ± 0.04 W/mK at 300 K and 1.10 ± 0.09 W/mK at 650 K. Therefore, ZT of the holey Si device is approximately 0.09 at room temperature and is at least 0.29 at 650 K. Further improvement is possible by optimizing the feature sizes and using surface doping.
Overlapping Neurobiological Substrates for Early-Life Stress and Resilience to Psychosis

Early-life stress, such as childhood maltreatment, is a well-known etiological factor in psychopathology, including psychosis. Exposure to early-life stress disrupts the neurodevelopment of widespread brain systems, including key components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis stress response, such as the amygdala, hippocampus, and medial prefrontal cortex, as well as key components of the brain's reward system, such as the nucleus accumbens and orbitofrontal cortex. These disruptions have a considerable impact on the function of emotion and reward circuitry, which play a central role in the emergence and severity of psychosis. While this overlap may provide insight into the pathophysiology of psychosis, it also provides unique opportunities to elucidate neurobiological substrates that may promote resilience to psychosis. In this review, we discuss the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis stress response, discuss the disruption in the neurodevelopment of emotion and reward processing associated with early stress exposures, and examine how this circuitry may contribute to resilience to psychotic disorders.
Effect of maleic acid on onset temperature and H2 release kinetics for thermal dehydrogenation of ammonia borane

Abstract Ammonia borane (AB, NH3BH3) has received great attention as an attractive hydrogen storage candidate because it has high hydrogen contents and releases hydrogen under mild operating conditions. Despite the favorable properties, AB thermolysis has several drawbacks such as long induction period, slow kinetics, and relatively high onset temperature, compared to hydrolysis approach. In this study, hydrogen release properties from AB were investigated in the addition of maleic acid (C4H4O4, MA). Using thermogravimetric analysis, temperature programmed reaction with mass spectrometry, and FTIR analyses, the solid and gaseous products generated by thermolysis of the AB-MA mixture were characterized to understand the reaction mechanism. It was found that with the addition of MA, hydrogen yield and release kinetics were enhanced, while the onset temperature reduced significantly to ~60 °C. It is likely that the hydrolysis between O–H bonds in MA and B–H bonds in AB was initiated, and the heat released from the hydrolysis triggers the thermolysis of AB. It was also confirmed that a combination of the two additives (MA and boric acid) enables a further increase of H2 yield while the onset temperature remains at ~60 °C. Our results suggest that MA is a promising additive to improve AB dehydrogenation.
The Emulation of Conversation: The Public Relations Case against Proposition 112 as a Spectrum of Persuasion

Abstract In 2018, the fracking industry in Colorado embarked on a public relations initiative to defeat Proposition 112, a measure that the industry saw as an existential threat. This study reviewed the messaging used by the fracking industry and its supporters, examining 1,515 text articles (e.g., news accounts, op-eds, etc.) and also 38 Facebook posts from pro-fracking groups. Using Schudson’s (1997) binary framework for public talk, we found that public relations messaging often moved beyond the two realms of problem-solving and sociable messaging. In this case, pro-fracking interests emulated public talk, or conversation, by also offering a blend of problem-solving and sociable talk, what this study calls an “interface” point between Schudson’s binary. This case study found this interface point to be characterized by cohesion messages, or messages that emphasized to audiences that the well-being of fracking operations and Colorado communities were interwoven. This study’s findings point to implications regarding how public relations can attempt to emulate public talk across a spectrum so as to influence democratic deliberation on contemporary issues.
NMR structure of a vestigial nuclease provides insight into the evolution of functional transitions in viral dsDNA packaging motors

Double-stranded DNA viruses use ATP-powered molecular motors to package their genomic DNA. To ensure efficient genome encapsidation, these motors regulate functional transitions between initiation, translocation, and termination modes. Here, we report structural and biophysical analyses of the C-terminal domain of the bacteriophage phi29 ATPase (CTD) that suggest a structural basis for these functional transitions. Sedimentation experiments show that the inter-domain linker in the full-length protein promotes oligomerization and thus may play a role in assembly of the functional motor. The NMR solution structure of the CTD indicates it is a vestigial nuclease domain that likely evolved from conserved nuclease domains in phage terminases. Despite the loss of nuclease activity, fluorescence binding assays confirm the CTD retains its DNA binding capabilities and fitting the CTD into cryoEM density of the phi29 motor shows that the CTD directly binds DNA. However, the interacting residues differ from those identified by NMR titration in solution, suggesting that packaging motors undergo conformational changes to transition between initiation, translocation, and termination. Taken together, these results provide insight into the evolution of functional transitions in viral dsDNA packaging motors.
Viral surface geometry shapes influenza and coronavirus spike evolution through antibody pressure

The evolution of circulating viruses is shaped by their need to evade antibody response, which mainly targets the glycoprotein (spike). However, not all antigenic sites are targeted equally by antibodies, leading to complex immunodominance patterns. We used 3D computational models to estimate antibody pressure on the seasonal influenza H1N1 and SARS spikes. Analyzing publically available sequences, we show that antibody pressure, through the geometrical organization of spikes on the viral surface, shaped their mutability. Studying the mutability patterns of SARS-CoV-2 and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic spikes, we find that they are not predominantly shaped by antibody pressure. However, for SARS-CoV-2, we find that over time, it acquired mutations at antibody-accessible positions, which could indicate possible escape as define by our model. We offer a geometry-based approach to predict and rank the probability of surface resides of SARS-CoV-2 spike to acquire antibody escaping mutations.
Using Quality Improvement Methods to Test and Implement Bilingual Patient Navigation in an Academic Medical Center Multi-specialty Pediatric Clinic

Purpose: Spanish-speaking families face multiple barriers to healthcare access and the complex environment of outpatient care in academic medical centers can magnify language barriers. We identified problems with satisfaction, flow, and no-show rates in an academic medical center multi-specialty pediatric clinic serving 15% Spanish-speaking families, and used quality improvement methodology to gradually test and implement bilingual patient navigators. Our aims were to: 1) Increase patient satisfaction, and 2) Improve patient flow by decreasing no-show rates. Methods We used PDSA (Plan, Do, …
Contributions of the specificity principle to theory, research, and application in the study of human development: A view of the issues

Abstract As articulated by Marc H. Bornstein, the Specificity Principle explains that specific outcomes in human development always involve coaction of specific individuals at specific times in specific places through specific processes. The articles in this Special Issue document contributions to developmental science through theory-predicated and methodologically rigorous and innovative research framed by the Specificity Principle. These articles illuminate some of the many ways in which the Specificity Principle improves research and applications aimed at advancing positive human development. The Specificity Principle encompasses diverse individuals, ontogenetic and historical periods, as well as national and cultural boundaries. It provides a regulative tenet that contrasts with nomothetic and/or variable-centered approaches to human development. It brings systematicity to the idiographic approach to human ontogeny by identifying individual and contextual conditions that promote specificity versus commonality in human development. As documented by the articles and commentary included in this Special Issue, the Specificity Principle underscores the ways in which each person can thrive across time and place and so enables developmental scientists to comprehensively describe, explain, predict, and enhance human development.
Consumer Dynamic Usage Allocation and Learning Under Multipart Tariffs

Multipart tariffs are widely favored within service industries as an efficient means of mapping prices to differential levels of consumer demand. Whether they benefit consumers, however, is far less clear as they pose individuals with a potentially difficult task of dynamically allocating usage over the course of each billing cycle. In this paper we explore this welfare issue by examining the ability of individuals to optimally allocate consumption over time in a stylized cellular-phone usage task for which there exists a known optimal dynamic utilization policy. Actual call behavior over time is modeled using a dynamic choice model that allows decision makers to both discount the future be myopic and be subject to random errors when making call decisions. Our analysis provides a "half empty, half full" view of intuitive optimality. Participants rapidly learn to exhibit farsightedness, yet learning is incomplete with some level of allocation errors persisting even after repeated experience. We also find evidence for an asymmetric effect in which participants who are exogenously switched from a low high to high low allowance plan make more fewer errors in the new plan. The effect persists even when participants make their own plan choices. Finally, interventions that provide usage information to help participants eradicate errors have limited effectiveness.
Impact of National Familial Culture on Economic Growth

We employ a two-step methodology to evaluate the impact of national familial culture on economic growth across countries. The composite measures of familial culture are created from three variables – the importance of family, perceived respect and love for parents, and perception of parents’ duties toward their kids. First-step micro regression results show that family is more important to female, richer, highly educated, unemployed, and married individuals. Male, poorer, less educated, and unemployed individuals are more likely to respect and love parents unconditionally. The same group is also more likely to think that parents must do the best for their kids. Finally, the results from the second step show that the strength of national familial culture explains differences in income across countries.
A Joint Resource Allocation and Request Dispatch Scheme for Performing Serverless Computing over Edge and Cloud

Serverless computing functions typically execute in the cloud. However, the high latency of accessing the cloud may require running them on edge servers, which have limited computing power and memory availability. This paper proposes a joint resource allocation and request dispatch scheme to execute serverless computing functions over edge and cloud collaboratively. This new scheme explicitly considers how to allocate server memory and operation budget for concurrent serverless computing requests considering the cold-start latency in design. The proposed scheme has been evaluated through extensive simulations. Its effectiveness has been proved by comparison with the upper-bound results.
Examination of near-wall hemodynamic parameters in the renal bridging stent of various stent graft configurations for repairing visceral branched aortic aneurysms

Objective This study examined the flow behavior of four stent graft configurations for endovascular repair of complex aneurysms of the descending aorta. Methods Computational fluid dynamics models with transient boundary conditions and rigid wall simplifying assumptions were developed and used with four distinct geometries to compare various near-wall hemodynamic parameters. Results Graphic plots for time-averaged wall shear stress, oscillating shear index, and relative residence time were presented and compared among the four stent graft configurations of interest. Conclusions Abrupt 90° and 180° changes in stent geometry (particularly in the side branches) cause a high momentum change and thus increased flow separation and mixing, which has significant implications in blood flow characteristics near the wall. By comparison, longer bridging stents provide more gradual changes in momentum, thus allowing blood flow to develop before reaching the target vessel.
Physical Properties and Interrelationships of Metallic and Semimetallic Elements

Publisher Summary The physical properties given in this compilation are listed in the accompanying tabulation according to the table given in this chapter in which they can be found. Values for two quantities that have frequently been used in alloying theory studies, viz., the metallic radius and electronegativity, are not included here. Other properties, such as magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity, which are generally of interest to those studying solids, are not included in this compilation primarily because such properties do not appear to be important in alloying theory. The derived properties and some interrelationships of the physical properties are examined and discussed in this chapter. Those subjects which also appear in tabulated form are listed in the accompanying tabulation. The initial goal in our alloy-theory program was a set of Gruneisen constants and a set of size factors. To calculate these quantities, almost all of the physical properties given herein are needed in the computations. Some of the other derived quantities are not only intermediate steps in the computations of the Gruneisen constant and size factor, but also serve as checks on the consistency of initial data (i.e., the measured physical properties of the elements). Some of the “constants” of the elements—that is, the Griineisen constant, entropy of fusion, etc., which have been derived for a few elements and then generally assumed to apply to all elements—are examined to see if this generalization is valid.
Designing transmission schedules for wireless ad hoc networks to maximize network throughput

We present a method for maximizing the throughput of mobile ad hoc packet radio networks using broadcast transmission scheduling. In such networks, a terminal may become a bottleneck if it is not allocated enough transmission slots in the current transmission schedule to handle the traffic flowing through it. Topology induced bottlenecks may arise frequently in ad hoc networks due to uneven distributions of terminals. Terminals in sparse areas of a network may be required to forward a large amount of traffic to facilitate communication between dense areas of the network. We address this problem by modifying the broadcast transmission schedule so that terminals handling more traffic have more opportunities to transmit. First, we describe a theoretical framework for analyzing the performance of a given schedule in terms of end-to-end stable throughput; we also define the upper bound for this performance. Next, we introduce a centralized algorithm that uses a process similar to simulated annealing to generate schedules with near optimal performance. We conduct simulation studies to show that transmission schedules produced by the centralized algorithm offer greatly improved performance over a simple, collision-free transmission schedule in terms of end-to-end packet delay, throughput, and completion rate. These studies are performed on a variety of test networks to generalize results and demonstrate the wide applicability of these principles.
Small-Scale Precipitation Elements in Midlatitude Cyclones Crossing the California Sierra Nevada

AbstractRadar data in some frontal systems passing over the Sierra Nevada of California show large variance on scales of ~10 km. The most prominent features are a few kilometers in scale and are similar to small-scale precipitation cells embedded in fronts seen over other mountain ranges. Other frontal systems crossing the Sierras are characterized by more uniform air motions. Updrafts in large-variance storms have characteristics of shear-induced turbulence, although buoyant instability may also contribute. Large-variance storms occur under stronger upstream winds and vertically integrated cross- and along-barrier moisture fluxes. Rain gauges indicate that large-variance storms have precipitation greater than smaller-variance storms. Stronger horizontal moisture fluxes may provide greater mean upslope condensation rates; however, it is hypothesized that accelerated microphysical processes are needed to most efficiently convert the condensate into precipitation that falls out on the lower slopes before be...
Multi-Dimensional Procurement Auctions for Power Reserves: Robust Incentive-Compatible Scoring and Settlement Rules

System operators in the electricity industry purchase reserve capacity in a procurement auction in which suppliers offer two-part bids, one part for making capacity available and another part for supplying incremental energy when called. Key ingredients of an efficient auction design are the scoring rule for comparing bids, and the settlement rule for paying accepted bids. We use the principle of incentive compatibility to establish that very simple rules suffice. In particular, the scoring rule uses only the capacity part of the bid, and energy supplies are paid the spot price. This is the design adopted in California.
Preparation of Mixed C18/C1 Horizontally Polymerized Chromatographic Phases

Abstract The horizontal polymerization of trichlorosilanes on silica is discussed with regard to its use in chromatographic separations to reduce silanol activity and improve hydrolytic stability. It is shown that the use of C1 spacers, which were previously demonstrated to provide very low silanol activity, are resistant to a pH 10 solution for at least 36 hr. It is also shown that the adsorptivity of water by silica gel is an important factor in achieving dense horizontal polymerization.
The Production of Counter-Publics and the Counter-Publics of Production

The last decades have seen an international revival of interest in public realm theory and it has become the foremost means to understand the changing social conditions for democratic practices. The debate about “public sociology” in the US initiated by Michael Burawoy’s address to the American Sociological Association has underscored the stakes of understanding how publics work: It reminds us that an analysis of the public sphere is not only a task for specialists within the academy, it is a condition of all intellectual practice that aims to be reflexive about the conditions of its own possibility and its effectiveness in the world.
An augmented double cantilever beam model for studying crack propagation and arrest

An improved analytical model for the double cantilever beam fracture specimen is developed by treating a finite length beam which is partly free and partly supported by an elastic foundation. The results obtained are shown to be in excellent agreement with established data for initial crack extension. Some preliminary computational results for unstable crack propagation are also presented.
Assessing Student Learning Online: Overcoming Reliability Issues.

Assessing students in online university courses poses challenges to the reliability factor of the measures being utilized. Some programs have the latitude to incorporate proctored assessments, but this is not always practical in asynchronously structured courses reaching out across a broad geographic region. This paper explores digital audio and video outputs as viable student pontification alternatives.
Auroral Electrons Observed Using a Mother-Daughter Rocket

This paper presents results obtained from the Skylark rocket, S77/1, launched from Esrange, Kiruna at 2226:50 U.T. on March 2, 1972. It was launched over a broad auroral band during the onset of a geomagnetic bay. With this experiment it was possible to resolve spatial and temporal intensity variations of precipitating auroral electrons. This was achieved by mounting a separate payload with its own telemetry and ejecting it axially forward from the main payload. It was ejected at an altitude of 93 km with a separation velocity of 24 m s−1. The horizontal separation between the two payloads, measured across magnetic field lines, increased throughout the flight to a maximum of 3 km.