cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The matricellular protein TSP1 promotes human and mouse endothelial cell senescence through CD47 and Nox1

Senescent cells withdraw from the cell cycle and do not proliferate. The prevalence of senescent compared to normally functioning parenchymal cells increases with age, impairing tissue and organ homeostasis. A contentious principle governing this process has been the redox theory of aging. We linked matricellular protein thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) and its receptor CD47 to the activation of NADPH oxidase 1 (Nox1), but not of the other closely related Nox isoforms, and associated oxidative stress, and to senescence in human cells and aged tissue. In human endothelial cells, TSP1 promoted senescence and attenuated cell cycle progression and proliferation. At the molecular level, TSP1 increased Nox1-dependent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to the increased abundance of the transcription factor p53. p53 mediated a DNA damage response that led to senescence through Rb and p21 cip , both of which inhibit cell cycle progression. Nox1 inhibition blocked the ability of TSP1 to increase p53 nuclear localization and p21 cip abundance and its ability to promote senescence. Mice lacking TSP1 showed decreases in ROS production, p21 cip expression, p53 activity, and aging-induced senescence. Conversely, lung tissue from aging humans displayed increases in the abundance of vascular TSP1, Nox1, p53, and p21 cip . Finally, genetic ablation or pharmacological blockade of Nox1 in human endothelial cells attenuated TSP1-mediated ROS generation, restored cell cycle progression, and protected against senescence. Together, our results provide insights into the functional interplay between TSP1 and Nox1 in the regulation of endothelial senescence and suggest potential targets for controlling the aging process at the molecular level.
Chronic kidney disease alters lipid trafficking and inflammatory responses in macrophages: effects of liver X receptor agonism

Our aim was to evaluate lipid trafficking and inflammatory response of macrophages exposed to lipoproteins from subjects with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), and to investigate the potential benefits of activating cellular cholesterol transporters via liver X receptor (LXR) agonism. LDL and HDL were isolated by sequential density gradient ultracentrifugation of plasma from patients with stage 3–4 CKD and individuals without kidney disease (HDLCKD and HDLCont, respectively). Uptake of LDL, cholesterol efflux to HDL, and cellular inflammatory responses were assessed in human THP-1 cells. HDL effects on inflammatory markers (MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-1β), Toll-like receptors-2 (TLR-2) and − 4 (TLR-4), ATP-binding cassette class A transporter (ABCA1), NF-κB, extracellular signal regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) were assessed by RT-PCR and western blot before and after in vitro treatment with an LXR agonist. There was no difference in macrophage uptake of LDL isolated from CKD versus controls. By contrast, HDCKD was significantly less effective than HDLCont in accepting cholesterol from cholesterol-enriched macrophages (median 20.8% [IQR 16.1–23.7] vs control (26.5% [IQR 19.6–28.5]; p = 0.008). LXR agonist upregulated ABCA1 expression and increased cholesterol efflux to HDL of both normal and CKD subjects, although the latter continued to show lower efflux capacity. HDLCKD increased macrophage cytokine response (TNF-α, MCP-1, IL-1β, and NF-κB) versus HDLCont. The heightened cytokine response to HDLCKD was further amplified in cells treated with LXR agonist. The LXR-augmentation of inflammation was associated with increased TLR-2 and TLR-4 and ERK1/2. Moderate to severe impairment in kidney function promotes foam cell formation that reflects impairment in cholesterol acceptor function of HDLCKD. Activation of cellular cholesterol transporters by LXR agonism improves but does not normalize efflux to HDLCKD. However, LXR agonism actually increases the pro-inflammatory effects of HDLCKD through activation of TLRs and ERK1/2 pathways.
Investigation of a DC bus differential mode EMI filter for AC/DC power adapters

For AC/DC adapters, the differential mode filter design becomes a significant factor for EMI filter size reduction as the input common mode choke can be removed with recent techniques. The paper investigates a DC bus EMI filter and compares it with AC line filter. The attenuation of DC bus filter is derived. The value and size of filter components are analyzed quantitively and the application conditions are introduced. Mixed-Mode noise and other issues when applying DC bus filter are analyzed. Experiments on an AC/DC Flyback adapter validate the analysis. Eventually, the feasibility of extending the DC bus filter to other converter topologies are discussed.
Knowing and Forgiving

The knowledge that retribution seeks is certain knowledge, gleaned from evidence, testimony, witness and confession. Such retribution is based on inchoate ideas about the justice of hurting the hurter, evening the score, although as long ago as Plato, the insight has been available that punishment only redoubles harm. Forgiveness, in contrast, seeks a knowledge that is inevitably partial, known only by the sufferer; and yet, forgiveness generates new knowledge, that the wrongdoer can be re-oriented toward the good. This process of restoration, toward the good, but also toward the repair of a broken relationship, is a long, mutual process of acknowledgement: of wrongdoing, of pain, of suffering; and it includes rebuke, the calling to attention of one’s moral transgression. According to the Bible, we bear a responsibility to rebuke offenders. Rebuke, from the Bible on through its commentators, holds a key place in the process of forgiveness, and we can see it at work in Hamlet: a play that stages rebuke, rather than retribution, as an effective response to transgression.
Predicting college students’ environmentally responsible behavior from personality, political attitudes, and place attachment: a synergistic model

Much research has examined the effect of personality, political attitudes, and place attachment on environmental concerns and behavior intentions. However, the effects of these factors have largely been studied separately from one another. Moreover, little research has focused on their relationship to environmentally responsible behaviors (ERB) directly. In the current study, a moderated mediation model was proposed to capture the synergistic effects of personality, political attitudes, and place attachment on ERB. An undergraduate sample (N = 475) completed an online survey of Big Five personality, political attitudes, place attachment, and participation in ERB. Correlation analyses suggested that openness to new experiences, liberal attitudes, and place identity had reliable, statistically significant relations with ERB. The moderated mediation analyses provided support for the synergistic model. Specifically, openness’ effect on the adoption of ERB was mediated by liberal attitudes and this mediation effect was further moderated by place identity. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
The Pediatric Psychologist

In a recent article, Kagan (1965) announced a marriage had taken place between pediatrics and psychology. If this union proceeds like most which are happy and productive, then we might soon look forward to a “blessed event.” The offspring could be of two sexes: the psychological pediatrician and the pediatric psychologist. The psychological pediatrician will be a scholar-professional who is trained both as a physician and as a behavioral scientist. He will emerge from the growing number of medical school programs which now combine the residency in a medical specialty with the PhD in a related academic area. At least one major program (University of Iowa) now offers the opportunity to combine a pediatric residency with a PhD in child psychology. The purpose of this article, however, is not to make presumptions regarding medical offspring but rather to focus on those of psychological gender.
18 – Elbow arthroplasty*

: Total elbow arthroplasty continues to evolve and its indications have expanded to include acute distal humerus fractures, post-traumatic osteoarthritis, distal humerus nonunions and reconstruction following tumor resection. Elbow arthroplasty is successful with regard to pain relief, motion and function. Its complicate rate, however, remains higher than arthroplasty of other joints. The overall success rate is best for patients with inflammatory arthritis and elderly patients with acute distal humerus fractures and is worse for patients with post-traumatic osteoarthritis. The most common complications of elbow arthroplasty include infection, loosening, wear, triceps weakness and ulnar neuropathy. When revision surgery becomes necessary, bone augmentation techniques provide a reasonable outcome.
The Use of C15O2 in the Evaluation of Cardiac Abnormalities

Carbon dioxide labeled with oxygen- 15 (t 1/2 = 124 sec) is a uniquely useful tracer for cardiopulmonary studies because it can be introduced selectively into the left heart by the simple noninvasive process of inhalation and breath-holding. Externally placed scintillation counters coupled with a high-speed multichannel recorder can be used to measure the rate of clearance of the tracer from the lungs and the rate of filling and emptying of the left heart. The presence of left-to-right intracardiac shunts or mitral or aortic valvular lesions can be inferred from the count rate vs. time curves. Scintigraphic images of the left ventricle in systole and diastole may be made using standard commercially available scintillation camera systems.
Coxsackievirus Cardiomyopathy in Animal Models, Including the Augmenting Effect of Exercise During the Acute Phase

In series of outbred and inbred mice we have studied coxsackievirus (CV) infections of the heart, both as acute diseases and in end point studies over time extending for 1 year. The disease may be benign (e.g., involving the interstitium of the heart including coronary arteries, veins, lymphatics, and pericardium) or virulent (involving muscle fibers). In benign disease, healing is complete, and myonecrosis and fibrosis are minimal. Virulent disease is destructive of muscle fibers with replacement by fibrous tissue. Recovery in the latter case is incomplete with residual scarring; chronic primary myocardial disease results [1].
Stripping Isn’t so Mysterious, or Anomalous Scope, Either

This paper discusses a common variety of ellipsis phenomena in English called Stripping, with particular focus on the observation of so-called anomalous scope of negation and auxiliaries in Stripping sentences, and the difficulties that this data poses for existing analyses of Stripping. I then propose an extension to a recent Hybrid Type-Logical Categorical Grammar account of Gapping that adequately covers Stripping while straightforwardly accounting for the scope anomalies. This anomalous scope is a fascinating formal problem on the syntax-semantics interface that has been thus far overlooked in the stripping literature.
Site-specific incidence of ring-related injuries in Rufous Fantails Rhipidura rufifrons

ABSTRACTAlthough colour-ringing is generally considered safe, a small proportion of avian species experience significant ring-related injuries. We report the first description of ring-related injur...
The Political Geography of Inter-District Integration.

AbstractIn this article we draw upon case studies of interdistrict integration programs in Omaha, Nebraska, and the Tinsley program in the region south of San Francisco to examine how race and space intersect to influence implementation of these programs. We discuss the origins of these programs, the challenges in implementing them, and the ongoing political tensions that have surrounded them. Our case studies of the two metro areas involved interviews with stakeholders, as well as document and secondary data analysis, and geospatial mapping. Based on our analyses, we conclude that civic capacity must be mobilized so that broad, regional, cross-sector policies can be adopted in the pursuit of educational equity.
The Impact of Caffeine and Coffee on Human Health

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and is also a major source of caffeine for most populations [...]
The Changing Landscape of Management of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: Current Treatment Options and Future Directions.

For the practicing clinician, the dilemma becomes how most appropriate to sequence the aforementioned regimens. It is challenging to be dogmatic, as there are no comparative studies juxtaposing novel front-line options directly—all of the available studies utilize a comparator arm of sunitinib. With this in mind, the selection of front-line therapy with a patient with mRCC should involve a thorough discussion of both efficacy and safety of available options. The oncologist must also weigh their ability to manage complex immune-related adverse events that can emerge from checkpoint inhibitors, particularly with dual regimens such as nivolumab/ipilimumab. For the patient with good-risk disease, VEGF-directed therapies should remain a component of treatment. The data from CheckMate-214 does not support the use of nivolumab/ipilimumab in this setting, and in fact suggests superiority with the approach of VEGF-TKIs. Until regulatory decisions have been made around bevacizumab/atezolizumab and axitinib/avelumab, sunitinib and pazopanib remain options for patients with good-risk disease, although cabozantinib should be a consideration as well. Although the CABOSUN study did not include patients with good-risk disease, it is important to bear in mind that this was more of a pragmatic decision—inclusion of these patients in the original design could have potentially lengthened the extent of necessary follow-up. From a mechanistic standpoint, there is no reason to assume that cabozantinib would not also achieve superiority to sunitinib in patients with good-risk disease. For patients with intermediate- and poor-risk disease, cabozantinib and nivolumab/ipilimumab represent the only reasonable options thus far that have achieved regulatory approval. As previously noted, nivolumab/ipilimumab has proven benefit in this setting, but should be used only by the oncologist who has ready access to subspecialists who can aid in managing immune-related adverse events. Prompt recognition of colitis, hepatitis, and other sequelae from these therapies is critical, as these toxicities can be life-threatening. If such resources are not available, then cabozantinib should be considered. Cabozantinib should further be contemplated in the subset of patients with bony metastatic disease, where it appears to offer substantial control. Of course, it also represents an option for those individuals who have contraindications to immunotherapy, such as rheumatologic and autoimmune disorders. When combinations of VEGF-directed and immunotherapies are approved, the clinician will have an even more complicated dilemma. Regimens such as a bevacizumab/atezolizumab offer an exceptional safety profile, which may weigh heavily in frail patients who cannot tolerate the side effect profile associated with VEGF-TKIs.
Peace, Justice and Nation-Building: Lessons from the Past

The tale of “how peace was made” in the 1950s and 60s suggests the fragility of any attempt to move beyond violence, but to an even greater extent its potential. (14)How a nation grapples with a hi...
Open for Learning: Encouraging Generalization Fosters Knowledge Transfer in Negotiation

We examined whether encouraging managers to attend to underlying principles in negotiation training examples rather than contextual specifics fosters openness to learning and enhances subsequent knowledge transfer to new negotiation situations. In an experimental study, 420 managers read a negotiation case study example set in a familiar or unfamiliar industry and answered either broadening or narrowing questions about an example. Managers given broadening questions about an example set in an unfamiliar industry were more open to learning than managers who were asked narrowing questions about an example set in a familiar industry. Openness to learning in turn fostered successfully applying the key negotiation principle to resolve a subsequent face‐to‐face negotiation. The findings suggest that negotiation training for professionals is unlikely to meet its intended purpose if it relies on offering managers examples set in their own industries and encouraging them to answer questions about the contextual specifics of those examples.
A systematic review of language-focused interventions for young children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Abstract As the population of young children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds grows in the U.S., so too does awareness of the need for interventions to promote their language development and reduce the “word gap.” This synthesis described and analyzed studies examining interventions for improving language outcomes for young, CLD children (birth through age 5). The purpose was to discuss how cultural and linguistic factors were addressed in the interventions, examine the methodological rigor of the studies, identify the outcomes and measures used, determine the efficacy of the interventions on language skills in English and in children’s home language(s), and describe the reported social validity of the interventions. Forty articles reporting on 41 studies met inclusionary criteria. Interventions focused on four areas: explicit instruction on targeted skills; classroom curriculum interventions; interactive book reading and/or book making interventions; and naturalistic, routines-based interventions. Most interventions were delivered to children above age 3 who were from Latino and/or Spanish-speaking backgrounds. Also, linguistic adaptations (primarily in Spanish) were more common in interventions as compared to cultural adaptations. Vocabulary was the most common outcome targeted, with a wide variety of measures used across studies. Most interventions had positive effects in English and/or a language other than English particularly when the interventions were linguistically- and culturally-responsive. Several cultural or linguistic factors were also identified as variables affecting intervention fidelity, engagement, and effects. Limitations of the current research base and implications for practice are discussed.
Friend, Ally, or Rival? Twitter Diplomacy as “Technosocial” Performance of National Identity

Drawing on the constructivist tradition in international relations, we examine the influence of national identity—or how a nation views itself in relation to other nations—on the tweeting practices of its diplomatic missions. Our analysis focuses on the use of Twitter by U.S. missions in Britain, India, and China over a four-month period brimming with diplomatic activity: June–September 2018. We find that not only do the three U.S. missions use Twitter in vastly different ways, but that their tweeting practices reflect and reproduce the specific identities the United States professes vis-a-vis these nations: a friend to Britain, an ally to India, and a rival to China. We argue that (1) Twitter is an emergent “technosocial” arena that enables nations to perform their identities online and (2) different national identities—friend, ally, and rival—derive their meanings in and through such practices. In addition, we distinguish a variety of tweeting practices and their symbolic significance in terms of national identity performance.
What Hope Isn’t and Is

Hope is central to Erich Fromm’s prophetic messianism. Far beyond simply inspiring people to work for the messianic age, hope, properly defined, offers an account of the relationship between the present and the future and of the implications of that relationship for social change. Furthermore, hope is the chief “proof” that Fromm offers for the attainability of the messianic age: it is only from the standpoint of hope that the possibility of the messianic age becomes visible.
Reservoir characterization and static earth model for potential carbon dioxide storage in Upper Pennsylvanian cyclothems, Nebraska, United States

This study estimates the carbon storage potential of interbedded shales and carbonate rocks (cyclothems) in the Pennsylvanian Lansing and Kansas City groups (LKC) on the Cambridge arch in southwestern Nebraska. This effort is essential to the development of a CO2 storage strategy for the Integrated Midcontinent Stacked Carbon Storage Hub project as part of the Department of Energy–National Energy Technology Laboratory’s Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise initiative. We present a static earth (SE) model representing the 250-ft (76-m)-thick LKCs. This model is based on vintage (mostly pre-1970) well logs from the Sleepy Hollow field (Red Willow County, Nebraska) as well as a new (June 2019) stratigraphic test well drilled expressly for the purpose of the present study. Interpretations of advanced petrophysical logs and cores from this new well were crucial ingredients in the development of the geologic framework for SE model development. Gamma-ray (GR) logs readily differentiate carbonate and mudstone units within the LKC, allowing the differentiation of three GR facies for use in a facies model. Carbonate rock units, which are composed of multiple textures, were correlated across the field. We capture the heterogeneity of these carbonates during petrophysical modeling using effective porosity logs along with Gaussian random function simulation conditioned by the three-dimensional facies model. The SE model was used in computing carbon storage estimates for each LKC carbonate zone over an area of 1 mi2. In total, supercritical CO2 storage is estimated at 602,157 t/mi2 (232,494 t/km2) when using a deterministic saline storage efficiency factor of 0.1.
NF-E2-Related Factor 2 Regulates Interferon Receptor Expression and Alters Macrophage Polarization in Lupus.

OBJECTIVE Pristane-induced lupus is associated with nonresolving inflammation and deficiency of proresolving macrophages. Proresolving nonclassic macrophages (NCMs) are less responsive to type I interferon (IFN) than classic macrophages (CMs; which are proinflammatory), reflecting their relative expression levels of the type I IFN receptor (IFNAR). This study was undertaken to investigate the regulation of IFNAR expression in macrophages. METHODS We carried out gene expression profiling of purified CMs and NCMs from mice treated with pristane (which develop lupus) or mineral oil (non-lupus controls). Macrophage differentiation and IFNAR expression were examined in mice treated with NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activators and inhibitors and in Nrf2-deficient mice. Nrf2 activity was also assessed in blood cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Significant differences were determined by Student's t-test. RESULTS RNA sequencing revealed increased expression of genes regulated by the transcription factor Nrf2 in NCMs from mineral oil-treated versus pristane-treated mice and in NCMs versus CMs. The Nrf2 activator CDDO-imidazole (CDDO-Im) decreased CMs (P < 0.0001) and promoted the development of proresolving NCMs (P = 0.06), whereas the Nrf2 inhibitor brusatol increased CMs (P < 0.05) and decreased NCMs (P < 0.001). CDDO-Im decreased Ifnar1 (P < 0.001) and IFN-stimulated gene (ISG) expression in macrophages and alleviated oxidative stress (P < 0.05), whereas brusatol had the opposite effect (P < 0.01). Moreover, Ifnar1 and ISG expression levels were higher in Nrf2-knockout mice than controls (P < 0.05). As seen in mice with lupus, SLE patients showed evidence of low Nrf2 activity. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that Nrf2 activation favors the resolution of chronic inflammation in lupus. Since autoantibody production and lupus nephritis depend on IFNAR signaling, the ability of Nrf2 activators to repolarize macrophages and reduce the INF signature suggests that these agents may warrant consideration for treating lupus.
Identification Is Not Causality, and Vice Versa

We distinguish between identification and establishing causality. Identification means forming a unique mapping from features of data to quantities that are of interest to economists. Establishing causality by finding sources of exogenous variation is often considered synonymous with identification, but these two concepts are distinct. Exogenous variation is only sometimes necessary and never sufficient to identify economically interesting parameters. Instead, even for causal questions identification must rest on an underlying economic model. We illustrate these points by analyzing identification in three recent papers and by examining the estimation of a simple dynamic model.
The Problem of "Core Moral Beliefs" as the Ground of Conscientious Objection.

Mark Wicclair’s defense of conscientious objection is grounded in an effort to respect the core moral beliefs of health care providers. While such a theoretical schema has merit, this paper argues that core moral beliefs should not serve as the basis of conscientious objection in health care because we, as a community, lack reliable access to a person’s core moral beliefs and because individuals are prone to be confused about the scope and extent of their core moral beliefs. Furthermore, a person’s confusion over their core moral beliefs is likely to be exacerbated when they lack time to investigate those beliefs and are under heightened external pressure to do so—both conditions frequently encountered by health care providers. Finally, the paper considers whether grounding conscientious objection in core moral beliefs might have the unintended consequence of further entrenching the practical problems that the move is aiming to solve.
Caffeine Intake During Pregnancy and Risk of Childhood Obesity: A Systematic Review.

Objective: This paper evaluates the association between caffeine consumption during pregnancy and overweight or obesity in the offspring. Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a literature search was conducted using MedLine, PubMed, CINAHL-Plus and Google Scholar databases. Inclusion criteria were cohort studies on participants with live singleton births at ?28 weeks gestation who had consumed caffeine during pregnancy. Included were studies reporting both measurement of maternal caffeine intake and offspring anthropometric measurements. Studies reporting serum paraxanthine, a measurement of caffeine intake, were also included. Results: After final elimination, there were eight studies meeting our inclusion criteria. From these studies, we deduced that caffeine intake during pregnancy between 50 mg and <150 mg/day was associated with increased risk of overweight and obesity by excess fat deposition or increased weight, and elevated BMI per International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria using a reference population. The majority of studies reported the strongest association with maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and overweight and obesity risk beginning at ?300 mg/day. Conclusions and Global Health Implication: The risk of childhood overweight or obesity was associated with caffeine consumption at 50 mg/day during pregnancy with a stronger association at intakes ?300 mg/day and higher. The current recommendation of <200 mg/day of caffeine during pregnancy is likely associated with lower risk of overweight or obesity in offspring but avoidance of the substance is recommended. Copyright © 2020 Frayer and Kim. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0.
Sex, Racial, and Ethnic Disparities in U.S. Cardiovascular Trials in More Than 230,000 Patients.

Background The current representation of female patients and racial and ethnic minorities in cardiovascular trials is unclear. We evaluated these groups’ inclusion in U.S. cardiovascular trials. Methods Using publicly available data from ClinicalTrials.gov , we evaluated cardiovascular trials pertaining to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), heart valve disease, aortic aneurysm, ventricular assist devices, and heart transplantation. This yielded 178 U.S. trials (159 completed, 19 active but not recruiting) started between September 1998 and May 2017, with 237,132 participants. To examine female patients’ and racial and ethnic minorities’ representation in these trials, we calculated participation-to-prevalence ratios (PPRs). Values of 0.8 to 1.2 reflect similar representation. Results All 178 trials reported sex distribution, whereas only 76 (42.7%) trials reported racial distribution and 52 (29.2%) trials reported ethnic (Hispanic vs non-Hispanic) distribution. Among all trials, participants were 28.3% female, 11.2% were Hispanic/Latino, 4.0% were African American, 10.4% were Asian, and 2.3% were other. The CABG PPR for female patients was 0.64, for Hispanic patients was 0.72, for African American patients was 0.28, and for Asian patients was 3.20. Between 2008-2012 and 2013-2017, the CABG PPR decreased for female patients (0.67→0.50) and African American patients (0.37→0.17) but increased for Hispanic patients (0.38→1.32) and Asian patients (3.51→4.57). Conclusions Participation in cardiovascular trials by female patients and minorities (except Asian patients) remains low. Given that inherent differences among the previously mentioned groups could affect outcomes, balance is clearly needed. The engagement of our surgical leadership, community, and industry to address these disparities is vitally important.
High Tax Compliance Results in Smaller Government

High tax compliance will reduce rather than facilitate the growth of government spending. There are several reasons for this. First, tax evasion reduces the effective price of public programs thus increasing the quantity demanded. Second, tax evasion is not uniform across income classes and the mix of public programs will be altered in favor of services with higher income elasticities if those evading are those with higher incomes. Third, tax evasion contributes to other forms of non-compliance and raises the cost of enforcement of laws in general.
Representation trends in radiation oncology training programs in the United States.

11043Background: The ASCO and American Society of Radiation Oncologists (ASTRO) have recently committed to initiatives on increasing URM representation in the radiation oncology workforce. This stu...
Higher Viral Load Drives Infrequent Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Transmission Between Asymptomatic Residence Hall Roommates.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic spread to >200 countries in <6 months. To understand coronavirus spread, determining transmission rate and defining factors that increase transmission risk are essential. Most cases are asymptomatic, but people with asymptomatic infection have viral loads indistinguishable from those in symptomatic people, and they do transmit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, asymptomatic cases are often undetected. METHODS: Given high residence hall student density, the University of Colorado Boulder established a mandatory weekly screening test program. We analyzed longitudinal data from 6408 students and identified 116 likely transmission events in which a second roommate tested positive within 14 days of the index roommate. RESULTS: Although the infection rate was lower in single-occupancy rooms (10%) than in multiple-occupancy rooms (19%), interroommate transmission occurred only about 20% of the time. Cases were usually asymptomatic at the time of detection. Notably, individuals who likely transmitted had an average viral load approximately 6.5-fold higher than individuals who did not (mean quantification cycle [Cq], 26.2 vs 28.9). Although students with diagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infection moved to isolation rooms, there was no difference in time to isolation between cases with or without interroommate transmission. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis argues that interroommate transmission occurs infrequently in residence halls and provides strong correlative evidence that viral load is proportional to transmission probability.
Letting Go of Old Ideas (Book Review)

Two recently published books apply a rigorous analytical lens to the same topic — the state of the legal profession — and come to dramatically different conclusions. Yet, what is more remarkable is the fact that the authors’ analyses neither overlap nor conflict with one another. One is backward-looking and filled with regret at the legacy we have squandered (Steven Harper’s The Lawyer Bubble); the other is forward-looking and bound to inspire a mix of fear and hope among its readers (Richard Susskind’s Tomorrow’s Lawyers). Similarly, there’s been a lot of public handwringing in recent years over the state of the legal industry, with some arguing that we are in crisis and others countering that the real problem is overzealous critics. Those looking for a common narrative to unify and lead law practitioners and students must grapple with these two important books. In this review, I suggest that arriving at such an understanding requires each of us to do something uncomfortable and unnatural — let go of old ideas.
Frustration in Complexity

The common thread between all complex systems may not be cooperation but rather the irresolvable coexistence of opposing tendencies.
Modeling strategic use of human computer interfaces with novel hidden Markov models.

Immersive software tools are virtual environments designed to give their users an augmented view of real-world data and ways of manipulating that data. As virtual environments, every action users make while interacting with these tools can be carefully logged, as can the state of the software and the information it presents to the user, giving these actions context. This data provides a high-resolution lens through which dynamic cognitive and behavioral processes can be viewed. In this report, we describe new methods for the analysis and interpretation of such data, utilizing a novel implementation of the Beta Process Hidden Markov Model (BP-HMM) for analysis of software activity logs. We further report the results of a preliminary study designed to establish the validity of our modeling approach. A group of 20 participants were asked to play a simple computer game, instrumented to log every interaction with the interface. Participants had no previous experience with the game’s functionality or rules, so the activity logs collected during their naive interactions capture patterns of exploratory behavior and skill acquisition as they attempted to learn the rules of the game. Pre- and post-task questionnaires probed for self-reported styles of problem solving, as well as task engagement, difficulty, and workload. We jointly modeled the activity log sequences collected from all participants using the BP-HMM approach, identifying a global library of activity patterns representative of the collective behavior of all the participants. Analyses show systematic relationships between both pre- and post-task questionnaires, self-reported approaches to analytic problem solving, and metrics extracted from the BP-HMM decomposition. Overall, we find that this novel approach to decomposing unstructured behavioral data within software environments provides a sensible means for understanding how users learn to integrate software functionality for strategic task pursuit.
Pheochromocytoma Hypertensive Crisis

Hypertensive crisis caused by pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma-related hypercatecholaminemia represents true endocrine emergency and associates with significant morbidity. Although rare, it is associated with potentially devastating complications and should be part of differential diagnosis in cases of treatment-resistant or paroxysmal hypertension, as well as hypertension of young patients. One also needs to remember that disease can be familial, can associate with multiple widely distributed tumors, as well as represent metastatic forms. Hypertensive crisis can be precipitated by numerous causes, including among others anesthesia, stress, exercise, and certain foods. While patients with known disease can be efficiently treated with aggressive regimen of α- and β-adrenergic or calcium-channel blockers and ultimately surgery, patients with unknown disease are the ones who develop acute severe hypertensive crisis during unrelated surgeries, manipulations in tumor areas, or physical/emotional stress. This calls for high degree of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma awareness and understanding that only rapid and intensive treatment can be efficient in management of these patients.
A population-based study of infection-related hospital mortality in patients with dermatomyositis/polymyositis.

Objective Dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM) are debilitating inflammatory myopathies associated with significant mortality. We evaluated the relative contribution of infection to hospital mortality in a large population-based study of individuals with PM/DM. Methods Data derive from the 2007 to 2011 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Inpatient Samples and include all hospital discharges that met a validated administrative definition of PM/DM. The primary outcome was hospital mortality. Variables for infections and comorbidities were generated from discharge diagnoses using validated administrative definitions. Logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between infection and mortality in individuals with PM/DM, adjusting for sociodemographics, utilization variables, and comorbidities. Relative risks (RRs) were calculated to compare the overall prevalence of specific infections and associated mortality in PM/DM hospitalizations with those seen in the general hospitalized population. Results A total of 15,407 hospitalizations with PM/DM met inclusion criteria for this study and inpatient mortality was 4.5% (700 deaths). In adjusted logistic regression analyses, infection (odds ratio [OR] 3.4, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 2.9–4.0) was the strongest predictor of hospital mortality among individuals with PM/DM. Bacterial infection (OR 3.5, 95% CI 3.0–4.1), comprised primarily of pneumonia and bacteremia, and opportunistic fungal infections (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.5–4.0) were independently associated with hospital mortality. The overall burden of infection in hospitalizations with PM/DM was significantly increased in comparison with the general hospitalized population (RR 1.5, 95% CI 1.4–1.6). Conclusion Among hospitalized individuals with PM/DM, infection is the leading cause of mortality. Strategies to mitigate infection risk in both the clinic and hospital settings should be evaluated to improve disease outcomes.
Pyritization induced by anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) – An example from the upper devonian shale succession, western New York, USA

Abstract The diagenetic history of the Upper Devonian Rhinestreet Shale of the western New York region of the Appalachian basin appears to reflect the upward diffusion of methane through these deposits shortly after their accumulation. The most obvious diagenetic signature of this process is numerous horizons of authigenic calcium carbonate concretions interpreted to reflect mineralization induced by the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) focused along the sulfate-methane transition (SMT) zone. Additionally, a 2-m-thick section of the lower Rhinestreet preserves a diagenetic record consistent with AOM in the form of two pyritiferous stratigraphic horizons. The stratigraphically lowest horizon is a 2-cm-thick layer containing abundant 34 S-enriched (11.8 and 18.4‰ V-CDT) coarsely crystalline pyrite. The thinness of this interval suggests that AOM-related diagenesis remained fixed at this stratigraphic position for a brief period of time before these deposits were buried below the SMT or the SMT shifted position within the sediment column. A second paleo-SMT appears to have stabilized 60 to 80 cm above the 2-cm-thick pyritiferous horizon, meter-scale carbonate concretions being the most obvious evidence of this episode of AOM. More than this, though, the apparently Fe-limited nature of the host black shale induced the downward diffusion of 34 S-enriched hydrogen sulfide produced by AOM resulting in the precipitation of 34 S-enriched (23.1 to 27.3‰ V-CDT) pyrite below the SMT. The maximum depth of diffusion of the sulfidization front was limited by the amount of hydrogen sulfide produced within and near the SMT as well as by the availability of reactive iron in underlying deposits. The focusing of AOM-related diagenesis at the two stratigraphic positions was likely caused by non-steady-state sedimentation. However, it is impossible to decipher relative timing of formation of the two paleo-SMTs.
Recognizing a heart attack: the process of determining illness

OBJECTIVE To examine the process by which patients with acute myocardial infarction recognize illness and the need for medical treatment. DESIGN Descriptive, exploratory, qualitative. SETTING The coronary care and progressive care units of two midwestern medical centers. SUBJECTS Thirty men and women with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. METHODS Open-ended interviews were conducted on the fourth or fifth day of hospitalization. All interviews were recorded on audiotape and transcribed. Data were analyzed by using grounded theory methods. RESULTS Findings of the study indicated that determining illness and the need for medical attention was often a difficult process involving phases. The first phase involved attending to or ignoring bodily sensations as they come and go or additional sensations develop. Some subjects moved precipitously to seeking treatment; others took days to attend to bodily sensations. The second phase involved comparing sensations with those from a previously experienced illness or with the subject's concept of sensations likely to accompany common ailments such as indigestion or flu or more serious illnesses such as ulcer, gallbladder disease, or heart attack. The quality of sensations experienced had an important influence on assigning probable cause and deciding that medical attention is warranted. CONCLUSIONS The disruptive nature of signs and symptoms and how closely signs and symptoms matched the subject's prototype for a heart attack greatly influenced the determination that illness was present and healthcare was needed. These findings have implications for educating the public about the complex and variable manifestations of a heart attack.
SD codes: erasure codes designed for how storage systems really fail

Traditionally, when storage systems employ erasure codes, they are designed to tolerate the failures of entire disks. However, the most common types of failures are latent sector failures, which only affect individual disk sectors, and block failures which arise through wear on SSD's. This paper introduces SD codes, which are designed to tolerate combinations of disk and sector failures. As such, they consume far less storage resources than traditional erasure codes. We specify the codes with enough detail for the storage practitioner to employ them, discuss their practical properties, and detail an open-source implementation.
Prey preferences of free-ranging American kestrels, Falco sparverius

Etude du comportement predateur de F. sparverius l'importance de trois caracteristiques de la proie (la taille, la couleur et l'activite) est evaluee ainsi que la relation pouvant exister entre taille et taux de deplacement. De plus, les reponses d'individus sauvages sont comparees a celles d'individus captifs
A first course on files

Students are exposed to various computer languages by means of introductory courses and texts. Often times, they do not have an adequate amount of time to become highly proficient in all aspects of a language. In the battle against time, often the material relating to file processing is omitted. This paper is about a course devoted entirely to file processing techniques as approached from several languages.
Tunneling states of CN - ions in RbCl crystals

Abstract Substitutional CN − impurity ions in RbCl crystals behave as hindered rotors. The energy levels for such rotors are divided into two types by the spacing of the levels. Relatively large energy intervals, 19 cm −1 , are due to exciting the CN − into torsional oscillation. These torsional oscillations sweep out small angles with respect to specific crystallographic axes. Overlaps exist between wave-functions for torsional oscillation about different axes. Overlaps introduce the second type of energy levels; these levels are best viewed as arising from a tunneling type of behavior. The overlaps remove degeneracies between the various orientations of the torsional oscillator by introducing energy splittings of ≲ l cm −1 . Such splittings are presently investigated by paraelectric-resonance measurements with 0.27 to 0.34 cm −1 microwaves. (This resonance measurement is the solid-state equivalent of measuring the microwave absorption in a dipolar gas under an applied (Stark) electric field.) The objectives are to obtain detailed information about the tunneling energy levels, wavefunction overlaps, and the validity of models for the energy-level spacings. Specifically, the following conclusions are obtained: The potential-energy curve (which controls the CN − hindered rotor) has energy-level minima on the 〈110〉 axes. The energy-level spacing is best fit by a model which is derived from averaging between a tunneling model and the free-rotor model. Such an averaging is necessary because the hindering potential energy is only slightly greater than the energy levels of a freely-rotating CN − . The lowest energy interval in the tunneling states is 0.16 cm −1 ; a width of 0.7 cm −1 is found for the entire manifold of tunneling states. The CN − exhibits a dipole moment of 0.102 e − × A = 0.49 Debye units. Thermal relaxation is characterized by time constants of 5 × 10 −10 sec and 1.3 × 10 −5 sec in the liquid-helium-temperature range. The present model also provides an interpretation to previous specific-heat, thermal-conductivity, i.r. and dielectric-constant measurements.