cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Income differences among grade skippers and non-grade skippers across genders in the Terman sample, 1936–1976

Abstract Full-grade acceleration , also called grade skipping , is a widely supported practice among gifted education experts. Yet, the impacts of grade skipping in adulthood are unclear. Using data from Terman's longitudinal study of gifted children, we examined income differences from 1936 to 1976 between grade skippers and non-grade skippers after controlling for birth year, IQ, home environment, personality, and intellectual, social, and activity interests via propensity score modeling. After also controlling for adult education attainment, men who had skipped a grade earned an average of 3.63%–9.35% more annually than non-grade skipping men. The impact for grade skipping women was much smaller: −2.02%–0.42% annually. These results indicate no association between full-grade acceleration and income for women in this historic dataset, but suggest a slight relationship between the two variables for men (though whether this relationship is causal is unknown). Additionally, income gaps between accelerated and non-accelerated students did not narrow until the subjects were nearing the end of their careers. We discuss these findings in the context of gifted education policy and other research on academic acceleration.
Experimental study of flow boiling in a compact hierarchical manifold microchannel heat sink array

This work focuses on the fabrication and experimental characterization of a two-phase hierarchical manifold microchannel heat sink array for intrachip high-heat-flux dissipation. A test device with a 5 mm × 5 mm heated area and 9 × 9 array of heat sinks, each with 18 parallel channels (19 µm × 155 µm), is fabricated in silicon. A multi-layer hierarchical manifold fabricated in silicon is bonded to the heat sink array. Flow boiling experiments are conducted using HFE-7100 as the working fluid at mass fluxes of 200 kg/m2s and 300 kg/m2s. The test device is able to dissipate heat fluxes up to 445 W/cm2 at a chip temperature of less than 40 °C above the fluid and at a pressure drop less than 80 kPa. A maximum heat transfer coefficient of 31,900 W/m2K occurred at a mass flux of 300 kg/m2s and a heat flux of 301 W/cm2. The effects of heat flux on chip temperature, heat transfer coefficient, and pressure drop are investigated.
A Sound for a Sound: Mitigating Acoustic Side Channel Attacks on Password Keystrokes with Active Sounds

Keyboard acoustic side channel attacks have been shown to utilize the audio leakage from typing on the keyboard to infer the typed words up to a certain degree of accuracy. Researchers have continued to improve upon the accuracy of such attacks by employing different techniques and attack vectors such as feature extraction and classification, keyboard geometry and triangulation.
Understanding the blob bloom: Warming increases toxicity and abundance of the harmful bloom diatom Pseudo-nitzschia in California coastal waters.

Abstract The toxic diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia produces environmentally damaging harmful algal blooms (HABs) along the U.S. west coast and elsewhere, and a recent ocean warming event coincided with toxic blooms of record extent. This study examined the effects of temperature on growth, domoic acid toxin production, and competitive dominance of two Pseudo-nitzschia species from Southern California. Growth rates of cultured P. australis were maximal at 23 °C (∼0.8 d−1), similar to the maximum temperature recorded during the 2014–2015 warming anomaly, and decreased to ∼0.1 d−1 by 30 °C. In contrast, cellular domoic acid concentrations only became detectable at 23 °C, and increased to maximum levels at 30 °C. In two incubation experiments using natural Southern California phytoplankton communities, warming also increased the relative abundance of another potentially toxic local species, P. delicatissima. These results suggest that both the toxicity and the competitive success of particular Pseudo-nitzschia spp. can be positively correlated with temperature, and therefore there is a need to determine whether harmful blooms of this diatom genus may be increasingly prevalent in a warmer future coastal ocean.
THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT: RELIABILITY OF AN IPHONE APP TO ASSESS UPPER EXTREMITY PROPRIOCEPTION AND STABILITY

Background The ability to maintain joint stability and motion control of the extremities is important in injury prevention and recovery. Quantitative measurement of proprioception, especially the upper extremity, is difficult and requires expensive equipment. Objective We investigated the reliability of a custom iPhone app to compile accelerometer data and calculate a path length of movement during 20 second trials. Design This study used a prospective test-retest design. Subjects completed three trials on each upper extremity (RA and LA) 48 hours apart (MWF). A convenience sample of subjects was used. Setting The study was conducted at a small liberal arts undergraduate institution. Patients (or Participants) Subjects were students associated with exercise science or athletic training programs. The activity level ranged from recreational athlete to NCAA Division II athletes. Twenty-three subjects started with 15 completing all upper extremity trials. Exclusion criterion was an upper extremity injury in the last month. Interventions (or Assessment of Risk Factors) An iPhone 6 app was developed to utilize accelerometer data in a Cartesian grid. Data was obtained at 20 Hz to calculate a path length of motion for each trial. Each subject stood, holding the iPhone in the palm of the hand directly in front of the shoulder with palm up, attempting to minimize motion for 20 seconds. Main Outcome Measurements Reliability measures were calculated between trials using the path length of motion in each trial. Results The mean path length for RA was 2669 with a standard error of 372, with LA being 2774 and 424. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.86 for the right arm and 0.74 for the left across three trials. Conclusions The accelerometer in an iPhone 6 is a moderately reliable instrument for assessing motion control stability in the upper extremity. We plan to add additional data filtering to the app.
A retrospective analysis of funding and focus in US advanced fission innovation

Deep decarbonization of the global energy system will require large investments in energy innovation and the deployment of new technologies. While many studies have focused on the expenditure that will be needed, here we focus on how government has spent public sector resources on innovation for a key carbon-free technology: advanced nuclear. We focus on nuclear power because it has been contributing almost 20% of total US electric generation, and because the US program in this area has historically been the world's leading effort. Using extensive data acquired through the Freedom of Information Act, we reconstruct the budget history of the Department of Energy's program to develop advanced, non-light water nuclear reactors. Our analysis shows that—despite spending $2 billion since the late 1990s—no advanced design is ready for deployment. Even if the program had been well designed, it still would have been insufficient to demonstrate even one non-light water technology. It has violated much of the wisdom about the effective execution of innovative programs: annual funding varies fourfold, priorities are ephemeral, incumbent technologies and fuels are prized over innovation, and infrastructure spending consumes half the budget. Absent substantial changes, the possibility of US-designed advanced reactors playing a role in decarbonization by mid-century is low.
Cataract Video Coaching: Surgical Curriculum Enhancement in a U.S. Residency Program

The aim of this study was to examine the perceived utility of a video-coaching curriculum in cataract surgery training. This study took place in a conference room at the Emory University School of Medicine. This is an evaluation study using questionnaires after each resident's presentation. A curriculum was developed with a resident presenting surgical cases to a group of students, residents, and faculty. All participants filled out a survey focused on video coaching, performance, and an Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill (OSATS) evaluation. Thirteen presenting residents, 99 observing residents, and 35 faculty provided responses for 12 video-coaching sessions. The average OSATS score was lower for presenting residents (3.32) compared with observing residents (4.14) and faculty (4.20) ( p
An examination of UV radiation tolerance and photoenzymatic repair capabilities across temperature in the freshwater cladocerans Scapholeberis mucronata, Diaphanosoma birgei, and Moina spp

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation has multiple consequences to freshwater organisms. Some zooplanktons use photoenzymatic repair (PER), which is a process that utilizes ultraviolet-A and visible light (ph...
Lie’s Theory of Transformation Groups: 1874–1893

At the time that Lie was making the decision to devote himself to working out a theory of continuous transformation groups, he was ideaily situated to carry out such a monumental task.1 In February 1872 the Norwegian National Assembly established by a large majority vote a personal chair of mathematics for him. This gesture on the part of the Norwegian government was prompted by Lie’s application for a position that had opened up in Lund, Sweden. The Norwegian professorship put Lie in a position to devote himself with few distractions to his creative work. Teaching duties seem to have been minimal and to have required little or no preparation time, and although he was involved with the publication of Abel’s collected works during the period 1873–81, the lion’s share of the work was done by Sylow.
Metal organic framework-modified nitrogen-doped graphene oxygen reduction reaction catalyst synthesized by nanoscale high-energy wet ball-milling structural and electrochemical characterization

Nitrogen-doped graphene (N-G) is a promising non-platinum group metal catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction. A new N-G/metal organic framework (MOF) catalyst is derived by the modification of MOF on N-G catalysts to enhance the electrochemical performance of N-G by increasing the surface area and porosity in this paper. The characterization confirmed that the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface areas of N-G/MOF catalysts are 13–66 times larger than the original N-G catalyst. The highest current density (5.02 mA/cm2) and electron transfer number (3.93) of N-G/MOFs are higher than the N-G catalyst. The current density of N-G/MOF catalyst is even higher than 10 wt% Pt/C catalyst.
Perioperative risk factors for hospital readmission after elective endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.

Abstract Background Elective endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is generally well tolerated. However, the incidence of hospital readmission after EVAR and the risk factors and reasons for it are not well studied. This study sought to determine the incidence, to characterize the indications, and to identify perioperative patient-centered risk factors for hospital readmission within 30 days after elective EVAR. Methods All patients who underwent EVAR electively in 2012 to 2013 were identified from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Targeted Vascular database (n = 3886). Preoperative demographics, operation-specific variables, and postoperative outcomes were compared between those who were readmitted within 30 days of the index operation and those who were not. Multivariate logistic regression was then used to determine independent predictors of hospital readmission. Results The unadjusted 30-day readmission rate after EVAR was 8.2%. Of all readmissions, 55% were for reasons related to the procedure. Median time to readmission was 12 days. Significant preoperative risk factors associated with readmission were female sex, preoperative steroid use, congestive heart failure, and dialysis dependence ( P P P P P Conclusions Hospital readmissions remain a costly problem after vascular surgery and are associated with 30-day mortality after elective EVAR. Whereas female sex and certain irreversible medical comorbidities are nonmodifiable, focusing on medical optimization and identifying those perioperative variables that can affect the need for post-EVAR interventions will be an important step in decreasing hospital readmission.
The Immune Revolution: A Case for Priming, Not Checkpoint

Most tumors are unresponsive to immune checkpoint blockade, especially if deep immunosuppression in the tumor develops prior to and prevents T cell immunosurveillance. Failed or frustrated T cell priming often needs repair before successful sensitization to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. CD40 activation plays a critical role in generating T cell immunity, by activating dendritic cells, and converting cold tumors to hot. In preclinical studies, agonistic CD40 antibodies demonstrate T cell-dependent anti-tumor activity, especially in combination with chemotherapy, checkpoint inhibitory antibodies, and other immune modulators. With the advent of multiple CD40 agonists with acceptable single-agent toxicity, clinical evaluation of CD40 combinations has accelerated.
Late effect of the food consumption on colorectal cancer rate.

Studies have suggested that higher meat intake may increase colorectal cancer (CRC) risk while higher vegetable intake may reduce this risk. There is a substantial lag between the time of exposure ...
The Generalized Cauchy Functional Equation

The Cauchy functional equation and the Cauchy-Pexider functional equation are generalized, and their solutions are determined.
Computational Discovery of New High-Nitrogen Energetic Materials

High-nitrogen-content energetic compounds containing multiple N–N bonds are an attractive candidate for new generation of environmentally friendly, and more powerful energetic materials. High-N content translates into much higher heat of formation resulting in much larger energy output, detonation pressure, and velocity upon conversion to large amounts of non-toxic, strongly bonded \(\text {N}_{2}\) gas. This chapter describes recent advances in the computational discovery of a new family of polynitrogen pentazolate compounds using powerful first-principles evolutionary crystal structure prediction methods. After description of the methodology of the first-principles crystal structure prediction, several new high-nitrogen-content energetic compounds are described. In addition to providing information on structure and chemical composition, theory/simulations also suggests specific precursors, and experimental conditions that are required for experimental synthesis of such high-N pentazolate energetic materials. To aid in experimental detection of newly synthesized compounds, XRD patterns and corresponding Raman spectra are calculated for several candidate structures. The ultimate success was achieved in joint theoretical and experimental discovery of cesium pentazolate, which was synthesized by compressing and heating cesium azide \(\text {CsN}_{3}\) and \(\text {N}_{2}\) precursors in diamond anvil cell. This success story highlights the key role of first-principles structure prediction simulations in guiding experimental exploration of new high-N energetic materials.
Management Options for Gastric Variceal Hemorrhage.

Importance Varices are one of the main clinical manifestations of cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Gastric varices are less common than esophageal varices but are often associated with poorer prognosis, mainly because of their higher propensity to bleed. Observations Currently, treatments used to control and manage gastric variceal bleeding include β-blockers, endoscopic injection sclerotherapy, endoscopic variceal ligation, endoscopic variceal obturation, shunt surgery, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts, balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO), and modified BRTO. In the past few decades, Western (United States and Europe) interventional radiologists have preferred transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts that aim to decompress the liver and reduce portal pressure. Conversely, Eastern radiologists (Japan and South Korea) have preferred BRTO that directly targets the gastric varices. Over the past 20 years, BRTO has evolved and procedure-related risks have decreased. Owing to its safety and efficiency in treating gastric varices, BRTO is now starting to gain popularity among Western interventional radiologists. In this review, we present a comprehensive literature review of current and emerging management options, including BRTO and modified BRTO, for the treatment of gastric varices in the setting of cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Conclusions and Relevance Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration has emerged as a safe and effective alternative treatment option for gastric variceal hemorrhage. A proper training, evidence-based consensus and guideline, thorough preprocedural and postprocedural evaluation, and a multidisciplinary team approach with BRTO and modified BRTO are strongly recommended to ensure best patient care.
Methods to Investigate the Roles for β-Arrestin-2 in Allergic Inflammatory Airway Disease

Spatial and temporal control of gene expression using cre/loxP technology is a major methodological advance for biomedical research. The ability to alter gene expression after an in vivo disease model has been established and allows researchers the opportunity to examine the impact of that gene on the perpetuation of a disease, a mechanistic insight that is arguably more therapeutically relevant than developmental mechanisms.We used the cre/LoxP technology in mice to show that β-arrestin-2, a gene previously shown to be required for the development of the asthma phenotype, is also required for the perpetuation of, at least, the airway hyperresponsiveness characteristic of that phenotype. Here we describe stepwise methods for the activation of the cre-loxP technology and induction of murine allergic inflammatory airway disease. We comment on the unanticipated problems encountered, which we speculate were a result of interactions between the allergen and β-arrestin-2 gene (Arrb2) regulation and the effect of tamoxifen on the asthma phenotype. The issues encountered here may be generally applicable to cre/loxP utilization in inflammatory disease models, especially if the gene of interest is associated with the inflammatory cascade.
Utility of Patch Testing and Lymphocyte Transformation Testing in the Evaluation of Metal Allergy in Patients with Orthopedic Implants.

Total joint arthroplasties are increasingly common orthopedic procedures performed throughout the United States. Implant failure after these procedures occurs due to a number of causes such as infection or mechanical problems, with metal hypersensitivity being an area of growing interest. The nature and mechanism of a causative relationship between metal hypersensitivity and implant failure have been unclear as it is not known whether implant failure occurs due to a previous metal allergy or metal allergy results from secondary sensitization via metal exposure in existing failing implants. Overall, there appears to be growing support and evidence for metal-hypersensitive patients having worse outcomes with regard to total hip and knee arthroplasties. However, there are conflicting recommendations (outside of Nuss procedures) for pre-implant testing for metal hypersensitivity as testing has not consistently been shown to change patient outcomes.
Development and Evaluation of a Preoperative Trigeminal Neuralgia Scoring System to Predict Long-Term Outcome Following Microvascular Decompression.

BACKGROUND Microvascular decompression (MVD) can be an effective intervention for trigeminal neuralgia (TN); however, an optimal system for patient selection and surgical outcome prediction has not been defined. OBJECTIVE To develop and validate a preoperative TN grading system for the prediction of long-term pain relief after MVD. METHODS This retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients suffering unilateral TN who underwent MVD with >18-mo follow-up. A grading system was formulated using 3 previously validated preoperative characteristics. The primary end-point was long-term, pain-free status without use of medication. Ability to predict pain-free status was analyzed by multiple regression and assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Clinical utility to predict MVD success and reduce unnecessary surgeries was assessed by decision-curve analysis. RESULTS Of 208 patients analyzed, 73% were pain-free without medication at >18-mo follow-up. Pain-free status was predicted by classical TN type, positive response to carbamazepine and/or oxcarbazepine, and presence and nature of neurovascular compression demonstrated on MRI (all P < .01). The TN grading system demonstrated good discriminatory ability for prediction of pain-free status (AUC 0.85, 95% CI 0.80-0.91). Decision-curve analysis demonstrated a net reduction of 20 cases likely to be unsuccessful per 100 patients evaluated with this grading system above a decision threshold of 80%. CONCLUSION This TN grading system reliably predicts long-term pain-free status without medications following MVD. The use of the TN grading system as part of a comprehensive work-up may reduce the number of unsuccessful operations.
DNS privacy in practice and preparation

An increased demand for privacy in Internet communications has resulted in privacy-centric enhancements to the Domain Name System (DNS), including the use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) for DNS queries. In this paper, we seek to answer questions about their deployment, including their prevalence and their characteristics. Our work includes an analysis of DNS-over-TLS (DoT) and DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) availability at open resolvers and authoritative DNS servers. We find that DoT and DoH services exist on just a fraction of open resolvers, but among them are the major vendors of public DNS services. We also analyze the state of TCP Fast Open (TFO), which is considered key to reducing the latency associated with TCP-based DNS queries, required by DoT and DoH. The uptake of TFO is extremely low, both on the server side and the client side, and it must be improved to avoid performance degradation with continued adoption of DNS Privacy enhancements.
Comparison of Survival Estimates Following Recurrence, Persistence, or Second Primary Malignancy in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

ObjectiveThis study investigated survival among patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) after recurrence, persistence, and second primary malignancies (SPMs).Study DesignRetrosp...
A Stochastic Framework for Virtualization Layer Deployment in Vehicular Cloud Networks.

Vehicular cloud computing (VCC) has emerged with the growth of calculation and communication capabilities of modern vehicles mounted with powerful hardware resources (including CPU, memory, storage, and communication devices) for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications. The objective of VCC is to disseminate data and workload among vehicles and network infrastructures using V2X technologies. Implementation of VCC elicits the deployment of virtualization layers on mobile vehicles to orchestrate their hardware resources. Dynamics of mobile vehicles and limited coverage areas of V2X, however, pose a great challenge to the deployment optimization due to the high risk of resource loss in a short time. In this paper, we formulate explicit models of this optimization problem through quantifying the risk of hardware loss from a macroscopic perspective on mobile vehicles. We then prove its NP-hardness and attack it with an efficient Virtualization Layer Deployment algorithm, VLaDa, to deploy virtualization layers on the vehicles within extensive VCC topologies. The experimental results show that, compared to random deployment, our algorithm can reduce more than 30% expected delay in a large-scale scenario.
SphericRTC: A System for Content-Adaptive Real-Time 360-Degree Video Communication

We present the SphericRTC system for real-time 360-degree video communication. 360-degree video allows the viewer to observe the environment in any direction from the camera location. This more-immersive streaming experience allows users to more-efficiently exchange information and can be beneficial in the real-time setting. Our system applies a novel approach to select representations of 360-degree frames to allow efficient, content-adaptive delivery. The system performs joint content and bitrate adaptation in real-time by offloading expensive transformation operations to the GPU via CUDA. The system demonstrates that the multiple sub-components -- viewport feedback, representation selection, and joint content and bitrate adaptation -- can be effectively integrated within a single framework. Compared to a baseline implementation, views in SphericRTC have consistently higher visual quality. The median Viewport-PSNR of such views is 2.25 dB higher than views in the baseline system.
Biodiesel from waste cooking soybean oil under ultrasonication as an alternative fuel for diesel engine

Abstract Biodiesel is derived from renewable resources has recently been making it more appealing for the environment. Day by day, the world is being modernized and developed. The effect is a rising number of automobiles and motors. However, energy sources used in these engines are small and steadily diminishing. This leads to the need for an alternative diesel fuel. Biodiesel is the ester of vegetable oil or animal fats. Waste cooking oil is not environmentally friendly to dispose of and its use is very harmful to health. It is best used for industrial purposes for the best and most efficient solution, namely to make it into biodiesel. Ultrasonic process techniques have been applied to turn waste cooking oil directly into biodiesel. This research work presents the biodiesel production process under ultrasonication with frequency 20 kHz using alcohol as methanol with calcium oxide (CaO) was used as a catalyst and provide 98 wt% at the optimum response conditions of 70 °C reaction temperature for the best result with biodiesel yield, 6:1 methanol/oil molar ratio, 1.5 wt% of the catalyst dosage and 60 min reaction period. Prepared biodiesel is used in diesel engines to check the performance evaluation and emission properties similar to those of diesel petroleum. Results show that waste cooking oil biodiesel under ultrasonication is a promising renewable source for diesel engines.
Surgical intervention in relapsed ovarian cancer is beneficial: contra

Secondary cytoreduction in the management of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer is a commonly employed strategy. Unfortunately, there remain ‘no evidence-based phase III trial data’ to demonstrate the survival benefits of this approach compared with the reintroduction of chemotherapy without surgery at the time of documented progression of the cancer. In the absence of such evidence, it is critical that gynecologic oncologists employ their best clinical judgment when deciding if an individual patient is an appropriate candidate for this as yet unproven strategy.
Assessing the value of cooperative membership: A case of dairy marketing in the United States

Abstract The existence of cooperative organizations in today’s business environment, particularly in agriculture, signals their continued ability to provide value to their member owners. However, due largely to data limitations, we know very little about the monetary value of ownership held by members and how value changes across members of differing characteristics. Through a discrete choice experiment with more than 200 dairy farmers in the United States, we examine these issues explicitly for dairy marketing cooperatives that purchase their members’ milk and process it into finished dairy products. Results suggest that dairy farmers, on aggregate, are willing to accept lower per hundredweight compensation, 2.3% of the average milk price, to be cooperative members relative to selling to independent handlers. Results also suggest dairy farmers actively consider the industry wide impacts within pricing offers on preferences for other milk pricing attributes. The inclusion of demographic covariates highlights preferences important to understanding heterogeneous member interests and, thus, informing improved cooperative governance strategies and board decision making to address them.
19734 L-type calcium channels in cerebellar neuron development and motor learning

ABSTRACT IMPACT: We aim to understand how LTCCs impact cerebellar function. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) are important in activity-dependent neurite outgrowth, which comprises neurite initiation and elongation. We used cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) to differentiate between LTCC effects on neurite initiation vs elongation. We also tested cerebellar function in mice lacking specific LTCCs with behavioral assays. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: CGNs were cultured from 129SvEv mouse pups at P4-P6. Potassum chloride (50mM) was used to stimulate neuronal cultures for 24 hours. Isradipine (20nM) was added to culture medium to inhibit all LTCCs for 1 hour. For Cav1.2 deletion, we crossed Cav1.2 conditional knockout mice (Cav1.2-cKO) to Syn-Cre mice (for deletion in most neurons) or Atoh1-Cre mice (for deletion in CGNs). The Cav1.2-cKO line was maintained on a 129SvEv background. For constitutive Cav1.3 deletion, mice were maintained on a C57BL/6NTac. Behavioral tasks included open field, rotarod, and Erasmus Ladder. Data were analyzed with sexes combined and separated to assess for sex as a biological variable. Studies were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, or generalized linear mixed model, where appropriate. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: CGNs exhibited an increase in neurite initiation but not elongation when stimulated with potassium chloride, consistent with previous reports of activity-dependent neurite outgrowth in this cell type. LTCC inhibition with isradipine blunted KCl-induced neurite initiation. We observed no change in the length of either primary or secondary neurites with isradipine treatment with or without KCl stimulation. In our behavioral experiments, we observed no deficits in open field, rotarod, or Erasmus Ladder when Cav1.2 was deleted in most neurons (driven by Syn-Cre expression) or in cerebellar granule neurons (driven by Atoh1-Cre expression). In contrast, loss of Cav1.3 was associated with impaired motor learning in the rotarod task without evidence of ataxia on Erasmus Ladder. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: We show a specific role for LTCCs in activity-dependent CGN neurite initiation. While loss of Cav1.2 does not affect motor learning, loss of Cav1.3 does impair motor learning. Our results help expand our understanding of LTCC function in cerebellar neurodevelopment and function.
Comorbid Affective Symptomatology and Neurocognitive Performance in College Athletes.

OBJECTIVES The current study aims to examine the prevalence rates and the relationship of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and comorbid depression/anxiety with neurocognitive performance in college athletes at baseline. We hypothesized a priori that the mood disturbance groups would perform worse than healthy controls, with the comorbid group performing worst overall. METHODS Eight hundred and thirty-one (M = 620, F = 211) collegiate athletes completed a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery at baseline which included self-report measures of anxiety and depression. Athletes were separated into four groups [Healthy Control (HC) (n = 578), Depressive Symptoms Only (n = 137), Anxiety Symptoms Only (n = 54), and Comorbid Depressive/Anxiety Symptoms (n = 62)] based on their anxiety and depression scores. Athletes' neurocognitive functioning was analyzed via Z score composites of Attention/Processing Speed and Memory. RESULTS One-way analysis of variance revealed that, compared to HC athletes, the comorbid group performed significantly worse on measures of Attention/Processing Speed but not Memory. However, those in the depressive symptoms only and anxiety symptoms only groups were not significantly different from one another or the HC group on neurocognitive outcomes. Chi-square analyses revealed that a significantly greater proportion of athletes in all three affective groups were neurocognitively impaired compared to the HC group. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that collegiate athletes with comorbid depressive/anxiety symptoms should be identified, as their poorer cognitive performance at baseline could complicate post-concussion interpretation. Thus, assessing for mood disturbance at baseline is essential to obtain an accurate measurement of baseline functioning. Further, given the negative health outcomes associated with affective symptomatology, especially comorbidities, it is important to provide care as appropriate.
Editorial for the Special Issue on Semiconductor Infrared Devices and Applications.

Infrared radiation (IR) was accidentally discovered in 1800 by the astronomer Sir William Herschel [...]
Non-STEM Teachers Finding Their Place in STEM

The goal of this qualitative study was to examine how non-STEM teachers worked to find their place in a K-12 school district implementing a district-wide STEM initiative. Teachers of individual STE...
Racial/ethnic, social characteristics and geographic disparities of childhood cancer late-stage diagnosis in Texas, 2005 to 2014

This study investigated childhood cancer disparities in the state of Texas based on data from 1995 to 2014 from the perspective of race/ethnicity, geographic location, and social factors. The enhan...
Medicare and telehealth: The impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

Study rationale The swift progression of the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to facilitate the increase in telehealth utilization. However, it is clear neither how telehealth was offered by providers nor how it was used by patients during this time of unusual and rapid change within the health industry. Aim To investigates the telehealth utilization patterns of Medicare beneficiaries during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods and materials A cross-sectional study design was used to examine the responses of 9686 Medicare beneficiaries to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, Fall 2020 COVID-19 Supplement. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between telehealth offering and beneficiaries' sociodemographic variables. Results Over half (58%) of primary care providers provided telehealth services, while only 26%-28% of specialists did. Less than 8% of Medicare beneficiaries reported that they were unable to obtain care because of COVID-19. Conclusions This research found that changes in Medicare policy, associated with CMS' declaration of telehealth waivers during the Public Health Emergency (PHE), likely increased the proliferation and utilization of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing important access to care for certain populations. With the impending conclusion of the PHE, policymakers must 1) ascertain which elements of the new telehealth landscape will be retained, 2) modernize the regulatory, accreditation and reimbursement framework to maintain pace with care model innovation and 3) address disparities in access to broadband connectivity with a particular focus on rural and underserved communities.
An Unusual Presentation of Osteogenesis Imperfecta: A Case Report.

Case We report an 18-year-old patient with a clinical phenotype consistent with severe osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) with frequent fractures, short stature, shortening and bowing of extremities, and unusual radiographic features of severe fibrous dysplasia, including lytic lesions and a "ground-glass" appearance. Genetic testing for the patient was notable for a c.119C>T (p.Ser40Leu) variant in exon 1 of IFITM5 and a c.676C>A (Pro226Thr) variant in exon 5 of CREB3L1. Conclusion This unusual skeletal presentation was in the setting of a rare IFITM5 mutation and represents a unique case of severe OI.
Sematech: Saving the U.S. Semiconductor Industry

Although the microchip is an American invention, early, unbridled competition among U.S. companies and the worldwide race for new products allowed the Japanese to move in on the microchip market. By the mid-1980s, Japan dominated the industry, in this country as well as abroad, and the U.S. semiconductor industry faced irrecoverable loss of production capability. Desperation led to the creation of Sematech. In "Sematech, " Larry D. Browning and Judy C. Shetler trace the history of Sematech, a consortium formed by fourteen major American semiconductor manufacturers and the U.S. government. Sematech's founders were aware that consortia emphasizing cooperative research had been unsuccessful; Sematech planned a different approach. Its founding charter stated its goal: "To provide the U.S. semiconductor industry the capability for world leadership in manufacturing"; in other words, improve core manufacturing competence without making end products. By 1994, U.S. chip makers were once again ahead in global market share, and Sematech began to phase out government funding. Sematech's success was based on first identifying the companies with the best operating solutions to each problem and then disseminating these practices to the industry. Sematech not only provided a solution to many problems of the U.S. semiconductor industry, it also provided a template for other public/private enterprises. Examining what Sematech did and how it did it is important to the health of the U.S. economy in an increasingly multinational competitive environment. Browning and Shetler's well-written, thoughtful history will inform and engage business historians, managers, public policy scholars, and others interested in the development and success of the U.S. computer chip industry and the application of its techniques to other fields of business.
A jump start course in C++ programming

DAY 1: Why Learn C++? How C++ Improves Upon C Structures and Classes Constructors and Destructors A Complex Number Class CIN and COUT A Simple Example: Income Taxes DAY 2: Writing a Fibonacci Series The Copy Constructor Bulletproofing Your Programs Inheritance Encapsulation of Methods and Data More on Virtual Functions Object-Oriented Design Programming Style in C++ DAY 3: Files and Streams Using Friend Relationships Static Members Templates Multiple Inheritance Advanced C++ Examples Mkclass A Generic Linked List Class Simplex Optimization of Variables Implementing Neural Networks Drawing Fractals.
Debt Covenants and Capital Structure: Evidence froman Exogenous Shock to Debt Capacity

This paper empirically examines how debt covenants impact the capital structure choices of firms, by utilizing an exogenous accounting based shock to the distance to covenant violation. We find that, on average, the shock to debt capacity had a positive impact on the debt choices of all treated firms, but the response was strongest by firms that were close to violating or in violation of the affected covenants, and that were otherwise financially unconstrained. Our findings suggest that debt covenants are a key component of the capital structure trade-off that influences debt choices well before they are triggered. We proceed to examine how the additional debt affected firms' corporate financial behavior and find that it did not result in an increase in investments or cash holdings, but rather was associated with lower profitability and a lower likelihood to enter default or bankruptcy. Some firms even maintained or increased their dividend payouts.
Primary cutaneous extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the eyelid skin: Diagnostic clues and distinction from other ocular adnexal diseases

A 60-year-old man developed a rubbery thickening and erythema of his left lateral upper and lower eyelids and lateral canthus over several months. He was treated for an extended period of time for blepharitis and chalazia. Incisional biopsy eventually disclosed microscopically a hypercellular lymphoid population sparing the epidermis that surrounded adnexal structures and infiltrated between orbicularis muscle fibers. Immunohistochemically, the lesion was found to be composed of neoplastic, kappa-restricted B cells with an equal number of reactive T cells and small reactive follicles. The diagnosis was a primary cutaneous extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the eyelid skin (EMZL). We review the distinguishing clinical, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical features of cutaneous EMZL and contrast those with EMZL of other ocular adnexal sites. Also offered is a differential diagnosis of cutaneous lymphomas of the eyelid skin, which are predominately T-cell lesions.
Modelling tools built upon the hardware description language foundation

Hardware description languages (HDLs), mainly Verilog and VHDL including their analogue/mixed-signal (AMS) extensions, represent a significant investment by the electronic design automation community. HDL technology promises productivity advances, such as a medium for intellectual property exchange, model portability, model productivity, improved design collaboration, top-down design for AMS, AMS synthesis and rich mixed-level, mixed-signal simulation for improved simulation throughput. Modelling tools represent a step towards completion of the dwelling electronic design automation community's seek to build upon the HDL foundation. One such environment of tools described here is Paragon. Paragon is described and demonstrated on both behavioural models using multiple HDLs and compact device modelling applications. The various processes and modelling methodologies that are useful in designing and modelling complex mixed-signal circuits and systems are explored. The model creation processes of mixed-signal and mixed-technology systems at various levels of abstraction and hierarchy are described. Creation of compact behavioural models at a more abstract and language-independent level using these modelling methodologies is illustrated.
Life, liberty, and the handgun: The function of synecdoche in the Brady Bill debate

This essay identifies the debate over the Brady Bill as part of a longstanding public argument rooted in two conflicting views of handguns that conceptualize competing social realities, and it argues that the social constructions of the handgun, in divergent synecdochic forms, shape the debate and maintain controversy over gun control. The divergent representations of the handgun in the debate are viewed as tactical components of competing discourses that function to sustain the practice of handgun ownership rights on the one hand, and to replace that practice on the other. Thus the critical task in this essay is to identify these synecdochal representations of the handgun as vital to both the construction and maintenance of competing social realities in the debate over the Brady Bill, and to demonstrate how such representations serve as divergent rhetorical constructs for competing interests.
LOCATION OF PROTEIN AND POLYSACCHARIDE HYDROLYTIC ACTIVITY IN SUSPENDED AND BIOFILM WASTEWATER CULTURES

Abstract Macromolecular compounds such as proteins and polysaccharides can comprise a significant portion of dissolved organic carbon in wastewater, but limited information is available on how these compounds are degraded in biological wastewater treatment systems. Bacteria cannot assimilate intact macromolecules but must first hydrolyze them to monomers or small oligomers. Whether this hydrolysis occurs in contact with cells or by enzymes released into bulk solution is critical to an understanding of macromolecule metabolism. This study used the fluorescent model substrate analogs l -leucine-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin·HCl (Leu-MCA) and 4-methylumbelliferyl-α-glucoside (MUF-α-glc) to determine the location of leucine aminopeptidase and α-glucosidase activity in wastewater inoculated biofilm and suspended cultures and in trickling filter effluent. In biofilm cultures, no more than 3% of total hydrolytic activity was located in the cell-free bulk solution. Similar results were obtained in suspended culture where 97% of leucine aminopeptidase and 93% of α-glucosidase activity occurred in contact with cells. In trickling filter effluent, hydrolysis was also predominantly cell-associated. Hydrolysis rates were at least five times higher in contact with cells and sloughed biofilm pieces than in cell-free solution. When considered with the results of other experiments demonstrating that hydrolytic fragments of proteins and polysaccharides accumulate in bulk solution during macromolecule degradation, these experiments support a generalized mechanism for macromolecule degradation that features cell-associated hydrolysis followed by the release of hydrolytic fragments back into bulk solution. This cell-associated hydrolysis and release is repeated until hydrolytic fragments are small enough to be assimilated by cells. Use of this macromolecule degradation mechanism can help refine wastewater treatment models so that they can more accurately predict the performance of bioreactors treating complex wastewaters. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
Improving Managerial Effectiveness in the Workplace: The Case of Sexual Harassment of Navy Women1

A decision-making model is used to test causal relationships between a set of constructs thought to be important in understanding the organizational effects of sexual harassment. The model explores the causal linkages between women Navy personnel perceptions of the organization's climate regarding sexual harassment, experiences, and judgments of inappropriate sexual behaviors, and resulting decisions ultimately affecting the organization. The findings advance our understanding of important causal variables in preventing sexual harassment, along with providing managers an early warning or screening device to aid in moderating this contemporary workplace issue.
Structuring the Debate on Consolidation: A Response to Leland and Thurmaier

In their essay “When Efficiency Is Unbelievable: Normative Lessons from 30 Years of City–County Consolidations,” published in the July/August 2005 issue of PAR, Leland and Thurmaier make an important contribution to understanding how city–county consolidation occurs. They revise the widely accepted Rosenbaum and Kammerer model of consolidation and posit that “strong arguments” based on economic development, especially in the absence of organized opposition, led to victory for consolidation advocates. In this response, we argue that efforts to identify a set of arguments or charter provisions that will lead to successful consolidation are misguided. The real story in consolidation campaigns is how participants use heresthetical arguments in an effort to turn their opponents into political losers. What makes arguments strong or weak is not their substantive policy focus, but how they are structured.
Nature and nurture in development of the autonomic neuron

Arguments are presented for the hypothesis that during an early stage of development the cells which become principal neurons of the autonomic nervous system possess information regarding the positions they will occupy within the body. A second stage of development, during which a decision is made regarding which neurotransmitter to employ, is delayed until each neuron has assumed its permanent position in the body and has sampled, presumably via its growing axons, the peripheral field which it will innervate. The development of cholinergic mechanisms takes precedence; adrenergic neurons may develop only when cholinergic sites have been occupied. An extended period during which the differentiation of transmitter mechanisms may be modulated permits the neuron to adequately sample the periphery prior to commitment to a specific transmitter economy.