cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
App Development Paradigms for Instructional Developers

To create instructional apps for desktop, laptop and mobile devices, developers must select a development tool. Tool selection is critical and complicated by the large number and variety of app development tools. One important criterion to consider is the type of development environment, which may primarily be visual or symbolic. Those distinct environments give rise to competing development paradigms. This work contrasts LiveCode and MoSync, tools from the two paradigms, which enables informed tool selection. Contrasts are drawn with respect to prerequisite knowledge requirements for development, differences in the development of user interfaces, as well as differences in computer programming and app deployment. To maximize utility of the contrasts, this article considers the differences in apps developed for the same instructional purpose. Using a drag and drop technique with feedback, users learn to identify paintings created by Rembrandt. Additionally, the apps provide a method for storing results in a database.
Effect of Time Step Size in MM5 Simulations of a Mesoscale Convective System

Abstract Results from simulations of a mesoscale convective system (MCS) that occurred in a weakly forced large-scale environment show significant sensitivity to the time step size chosen for model integration. As the time step is decreased, the movement and longevity of the simulated MCS depart further from the observations. It is found that the time step–dependent formulation of the numerical diffusivity is responsible for a major part of this sensitivity in the simulated MCS. The changes contributed by truncation errors may or may not be negligible, depending on the physics schemes used in the simulations. This suggests that the choice of a specific linearly stable model time step, in combination with the definition of the numerical diffusivity, may at times be as important as the choice of the basic model configuration.
Drug carrier interaction with blood: a critical aspect for high-efficient vascular-targeted drug delivery systems

Vascular wall endothelial cells control several physiological processes and are implicated in many diseases, making them an attractive candidate for drug targeting. Vascular-targeted drug carriers (VTCs) offer potential for reduced side effects and improved therapeutic efficacy, however, only limited therapeutic success has been achieved to date. This is perhaps due to complex interactions of VTCs with blood components, which dictate VTC transport and adhesion to endothelial cells. This review focuses on VTC interaction with blood as well as novel ‘bio-inspired’ designs to mimic and exploit features of blood in VTC development. Advanced approaches for enhancing VTCs are discussed along with applications in regenerative medicine, an area of massive potential growth and expansion of VTC utility in the near future.
The Effects of Progestational Agents on Hyperplasia and Carcinoma in Situ of the Endometrium

In predisposed individuals the unopposed action of estrogenic substances for a considerable period of time will result in adenomatous hyperplasia carcinoma in situ and carcinoma. The optimum therapeutic approach depends on the age of the individual and on the reversibility of the lesions. In the postmenopausal patient the obvious treatment is hysterectomy while in a young woman a conservative approach is desirable. In these patients the clinician should make every effort to secure regular ovulation and cyclic secretory differentiation of the endometrium followed by shedding; subsequent therapy with cortisone or clomiphene to encourage pregnancy should be carried out; if pregnancy is impossible exogenous progestin should be administered in cyclic fashion. A study conducted on several premenopausal patients having atypical hyperplasia or carcinoma in situ of the endometrium showed that treatment with progestational agents for periods from 3 weeks to 2 months reduced the carcinoma in situ to the basal layer of the endometrium. Although progestational agents are able to effect changes in the morphology of the endometrial glands they are in no way a substitute for the usual medical diagnostic procedures and appropriate therapy. Hysterectomy is indicated for any degree of endometrial hyperplasia only in the postmenopausal patient.
Metabolite profiles of repeatedly sampled urine from male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) contain unique lipid signatures following exposure to anti-androgens

The purpose of this study was twofold. First, we sought to identify candidate markers of exposure to anti-androgens by analyzing endogenous metabolite profiles in the urine of male fathead minnows (mFHM, Pimephales promelas). Based on earlier work, we hypothesized that unidentified lipids in the urine of mFHM were selectively responsive to exposure to androgen receptor antagonists, which is otherwise difficult to confirm using established fish toxicity assays. A second goal was to evaluate the feasibility of non-lethally and repeatedly sampling urine from individual mFHMs over the time course of response to a chemical exposure. Accordingly, we exposed mFHM to the model anti-androgens vinclozolin or flutamide. Urine was collected from each fish at 48hour intervals over the course of a 14day exposure. Parallel experiments were conducted with mFHM exposed to bisphenol A or control water. The frequent handling/sampling regime did not cause apparent adverse effects on the fish. Endogenous metabolite profiling was conducted with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which exhibited lower variation for the urinary metabolome than was found in earlier work with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Specifically, for inter- and intra-individual variations, the median spectrum-wide relative standard deviation (RSD) was 32.6% and 33.3%, respectively, for GC-MS analysis of urine from unexposed mFHM. These results compared favorably with similar measurements of urine from other model species, including the Sprague Dawley rat. In addition, GC-MS allowed us to identify several lipids (e.g., certain saturated fatty acids) in mFHM urine as candidate markers of exposure to androgen receptor antagonists.
Optical Activity (CD and CPL) as a Probe of Ion Pairing and Solution Structure of Macrocycle Complexes

The nature, significance and methods of evaluating ion pairing effects are reviewed, particularly with respect to the complexes of crown ethers and related macrocycles. The application of chiroptical techniques, specifically circular dichroism (CD) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL), to the investigation of ion pairing and related solution structural phenomena in complexes of chiral crown ethers with alkali, alkaline earth, transition metal and lanthanide ions is described. The use of induced optical activity of crown substituent π → π* transitions, cation d → d and f → f transitions and anion n → π* transitions is illustrated. Emphasis is placed on recent results of the use of NO 3 - and NO 3 - n → π* CD as a probe of ion pairing in alkali and alkaline earth complexes of four chiral derivatives of 18-crown-6 in chloroform and on related studies in various solvents of the f → f CPL of europium(III) nitrate, Perchlorate and chloride complexes of the same macrocycles. Structural deductions based on the chiroptical results are correlated with total luminescence, vibrational spectroscopy, conductance and crystal structure data, as appropriate.
Plasma ionized calcium concentration: important determinant of the hemodynamic response to calcium infusion.

We compared hemodynamic consequences of calcium infusion at different initial plasma ionized calcium concentrations ([Ca++]) in the anesthetized closed-chest dog. In one group of animals (n = 6) [Ca++] was first acutely lowered from normal ([Ca++] = 1.07 ± 0.02 mM) to 0.43 ± 0.03 mM by infusion of citrate and maintained at that hypocalcemic level for 25 minutes. Calcium chloride (12 mg/kg, over 30 seconds) was then administered and the resulting near normal [Ca++] concentration (0.91 ± 0.02 mM) maintained for 20 minutes by further CaCl2 infusion at a slow rate. In another group of halothane-anesthetized closed-chest dogs (n = 4) CaCl2 was infused (12 mg/kg, over 30 seconds) and the resulting hypercalcemia level ([Ca++] = 1.68 ± 0.08 mM) was maintained for 20 minutes by further CaCl2 infusion at a slow rate. In both groups, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) increased (p
Federal Trade Commission Privacy Law and Policy

The Federal Trade Commission, a US agency created in 1914 to police the problem of 'bigness', has evolved into the most important regulator of information privacy - and thus innovation policy - in the world. Its policies profoundly affect business practices and serve to regulate most of the consumer economy. In short, it now regulates our technological future. Despite its stature, however, the agency is often poorly understood by observers and even those who practice before it. This volume by Chris Jay Hoofnagle - an internationally recognized scholar with more than fifteen years of experience interacting with the FTC - is designed to redress this confusion by explaining how the FTC arrived at its current position of power. It will be essential reading for lawyers, legal academics, political scientists, historians and anyone else interested in understanding the FTC's privacy activities and how they fit in the context of the agency's broader consumer protection mission.
Element-level reconfigurable direct-sample receive module for digital radar

This paper presents a reconfigurable direct RF sample receive module architecture for phased array element-level digitization. The architecture utilizes very wide RF input bandwidth Track and Hold (T/H) device in front of a high resolution (12-Bit) and high speed (3.6 GSPS) Analog to Digital Converter (ADC). Using an external wideband T/H can extend the input RF frequency and bandwidth of operation and directly samples the RF band with higher dynamic range than the ADC is capable of. A compact integrated module has been designed using reconfigurable filters for S- and X-Band operation, T/H and ADC devices. The module utilizes surface mount technology (SMT) packaged components on multilayer printed circuit board. For an S or X-Band RF input, SNRs of 63 dB for NB of 15 MHz and 55 dB for WB of 400 MHz are demonstrated which correspond to a dynamic range of 82.8 dB for NB and 74.8 dB over a processing bandwidth of 5 MHz.
The effect of short (2-weeks) versus long (6-weeks) post-operative restrictions following lumbar discectomy: a prospective randomized control trial.

We sought to evaluate how short (2-week) versus long (6-week) post-operative restrictions following lumbar discectomy impacted outcomes and reherniation rates for a period up to 1 year following surgery. This study included 108 patients undergoing index lumbar discectomy. Patients were randomized immediately following surgery. Outcomes included back and leg visual analog pain scales (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and reherniation rates at 2-weeks, 6-weeks, 3-months, and 1-year following surgery. Differences in reherniation rates were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test. VAS and ODI scores were evaluated using Student’s t test. Six patients (11%) in the 2-week restriction group had a reherniation event and four patients (7%) in the 6-week restriction group experienced a reherniation (p = 0.52). VAS back pain (p < 0.001), leg pain (p < 0.001), and ODI scores (p < 0.001) were significantly improved for both cohorts as compared to baseline at the 2-week time point and remained significantly improved through 1-year [VAS back (p < 0.001); VAS leg (p < 0.001); ODI (p < 0.001)]. No significant differences in ODI, VAS back, or VAS leg scores were detected at any of the time points between the 2- and 6-week restriction groups. The results of this randomized trial suggest equivalent clinical outcomes irrespective of the length of post-operative restriction. From a clinical perspective, if patients are deemed at low risk for a reherniation event they may be confidence that early return to activity at 2 weeks will not compromise outcomes and may not adversely impact the risk of reherniation. Level of Evidence II.
Relationship of Telephone Crisis Intervention Process to Successful Crisis Resolution

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to test if systematic variations in the helper's behavior, or the occurrence of phases during a call, are related to a successful outcome. Helper statements made in sampled calls were coded by raters using the Crisis Call Interaction Form. Following each call, the Crisis Call Outcome Form was completed. Systematic changes in three of the four helper behavior categories during the crisis call were found to predict a successful outcome. On the basis of the findings a three phase model of telephone crisis intervention is proposed.
Prenatal Diagnosis: Screening and Diagnostic Tools

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that all pregnant women be offered aneuploidy screening or diagnostic testing. A myriad of screening and testing options are available to patients based on their risk profile and gestational age. Screening options include traditional serum analyte screening, such as first-trimester screening or quadruple screening, and more recently, cell-free DNA. Diagnostic testing choices include chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis. The number of screening and diagnostic modalities complicates prenatal counseling for physicians and can be difficult for patients to grasp. Appropriate pretest and posttest counseling is important to ensure adequate understanding of results and ensure testing strategy is concordant with patient goals.
Challenging School Segregation in the Twenty-first Century: How Districts can Leverage Dual Language Education to Increase School and Classroom Diversity

ABSTRACTNationally, schools are increasingly segregated by race and poverty as a result of demographic shifts and a changing legal and political landscape. Based on evidence that students benefit academically and socially from attending integrating settings, many school districts are exploring options for providing diverse learning experiences. We examine dual language education as a means for promoting ethnically, racially, and linguistically diverse learning experiences. First, we describe the various advantages of dual language both in general and specifically to the creation of diverse schools and classrooms. Next, we provide recommendations for how districts can effectively implement dual language education in a manner that also advances diversity goals.
A performance-based design framework for the integrated collapse and non-collapse assessment of wind excited buildings

Abstract Current prescriptive design provisions are moving towards performance-based design approaches in which system-level probabilistic measures are used to explicitly describe performance. While earthquake engineering has embraced these changes over the last few decades, the same cannot be said for wind engineering where design provisions have remained predominantly prescriptive. The significant wind related economic losses incurred each year around the world has spurred strong interest in developing general performance-based wind engineering frameworks. To this end, this paper presents a simulation-based framework for multistory wind excited buildings that rigorously integrates system-level estimates of both collapse and non-collapse losses. In particular, it is proposed to use the theory of dynamic shakedown as an efficient means for describing the collapse probability of the main wind force resisting system. The practicality and potential of the proposed framework is illustrated on a full scale case study.
Bowel Anastomosis in Acute Care Surgery

Acute care surgery encompasses the disciplines of trauma, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care. Inherent in the disease processes of trauma and emergency general surgery is the potential for profound physiologic and anatomic derangements that make the decision to create an intestinal anastomosis, as well as the technique used, a vital step in having a successful outcome for the patient. The trauma literature is rife with conflicting data regarding ideal techniques for anastomosis creation. Two series by Brundage and colleagues suggest that handsewn techniques are superior, which was then contradicted by Witzke et al. Vasopressor usage and blood transfusion appear to put the patient at higher risk for anastomotic failure, as does the utilization of damage control techniques. The emergency general surgery literature is similarly contradicting, with one large retrospective study suggesting handsewn techniques to be superior and a subsequent prospective multicenter study suggesting no difference. Damage control patients do appear to have higher anastomotic failure rates, with the noted absence of good data regarding colorectal resections and ideal management strategies. With the conflicting messages throughout the literature, the acute care surgeon must utilize sound surgical principles and techniques when deciding to perform an anastomosis and choosing a technique to utilize.
Batteries: Bigger and better

Micrometre-sized silicon particles are attractive negative-electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries but are prone to mechanical failure during electrochemical cycling. Now, graphene cages grown conformally around the micro-silicon particles are shown to improve their cycling stability.
There's a Lot More to Being a Physician: Insights From an Intensive Clinical Shadowing Experience in Internal Medicine

ABSTRACTPhenomenon: Although most premedical students shadow physicians prior to starting medical school, there is no set of guidelines or expectations to facilitate effective experiences for students and physicians, nor is there data on the value of shadowing medical trainees as a way to learn about the training environment. We sought to understand premedical student perspectives on an intensive resident shadowing experience. Approach: This was a qualitative study using anonymous data from focus groups conducted with premedical student participants in a month-long time motion analysis of internal medicine interns at two large academic medical centers. The authors convened, professionally transcribed verbatim, and analyzed data using step-by-step thematic analysis from 3 focus groups in 2012. Focus group questions included goals of participants, shadowing experiences, patient safety experiences, and thoughts on physician training. Findings: Twenty of the 22 students who were involved in the time motion st...
Outcomes and predictors of success of a radiofrequency- or cryothermy-simplified left-sided maze procedure in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY Restoration of sinus rhythm with a maze procedure after concomitant mitral valve (MV) surgery has been shown to reduce the rate of stroke and improve cardiac function and quality of life compared to MV surgery alone. Unlike the classical Cox-Maze III operation, a simplified left-sided maze procedure can be performed without any significant increase in operative complexity. METHODS Outcomes were compared retrospectively between radiofrequency (RF) and cryothermy as an energy source and analyzed predictors of outcome in 73 consecutive patients undergoing MV surgery with a concomitant simplified left-sided maze procedure. Clinical characteristics as well as rhythm and complication rate at follow up were assessed by review of medical records and patient and physician interview. RESULTS There were no complications associated directly with the maze procedure. At an average follow up of 342 days, 69% of patients were in normal sinus rhythm. Of the remainder, 30% had recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) and 1% atrial flutter. In addition, 7% of patients required cardioversion and 14% required anti-arrhythmic therapy to maintain sinus rhythm. Patients with recurrent AF were more likely to have an enlarged right atrium or Carpentier Type IIIa mitral regurgitation on preoperative echocardiography, and more likely to have undergone concomitant aortic or tricuspid valve surgery. There was no difference in outcome between RF and cryothermy as an energy source in unadjusted or adjusted analyses. CONCLUSION The results of the study helped to establish RF- or cryothermy-simplified left-sided maze procedure as being efficacious and without associated complications in patients having MV surgery and a history of AF. Further investigations are warranted to better define the clinical predictors of recurrent AF to improve patient selection and potentially to modify current maze techniques.
Fairtrade Certification, Labor Standards, and Labor Rights: Comparative Innovations and Persistent Challenges

Fairtrade International certification is the primary social certification in the agro-food sector intended to promote the well-being and empowerment of farmers and workers in the Global South. Although Fairtrade9s farmer program is well studied, far less is known about its labor certification. Helping fill this gap, this article provides a systematic account of Fairtrade9s labor certification system and standards and compares it to four other voluntary programs addressing labor conditions in global agro-export sectors. The study explains how Fairtrade International institutionalizes its equity and empowerment goals in its labor certification system and its recently revised labor standards. Drawing on critiques of compliance-based labor standards programs and proposals regarding the central features of a ‘beyond compliance’ approach, the inquiry focuses on Fairtrade9s efforts to promote inclusive governance, participatory oversight, and enabling rights. I argue that Fairtrade is making important, but incomplete, advances in each domain, pursuing a ‘worker-enabling compliance’ model based on new audit report sharing, living wage, and unionization requirements and its established Premium Program. While Fairtrade pursues more robust ‘beyond compliance’ advances than competing programs, the study finds that, like other voluntary initiatives, Fairtrade faces critical challenges in implementing its standards and realizing its empowerment goals.
INTERPRETIVE MODELS, DEVELOPMENT OF

This article reviews the history of interpretive models in archaeology. It emphasizes the relationship between these models and different theoretical understandings of the concept of culture including Classical Evolutionism, Culture History, Functionalism, Processualism, Postprocessualism, and Practice Theory.
A phosphate transporter with enhanced expression in proteoid roots of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.)

Two full-length cDNAs encoding putative plant phosphate (Pi) transporters were isolated from proteoid roots of Pi-starved white lupin plants 7 and 10 days after emergence (DAE). The deduced amino acid sequences of LaPT1 and LaPT2 are 75.7% identical and both display the typical 12 membrane spanning domains characteristic of other plant Pi transporters. The LaPT1 transcript was expressed most strongly in −P roots (both normal and proteoid) and less so in −P stems and leaves. Transcripts of LaPT1 were low to nondetectable in +P plants. The LaPT2 transcript was highly expressed in roots in both +P and −P treatments. LaPT1 is much more dramatically induced by P deficiency over time, and is more highly expressed in −P proteoid than −P normal root tissue. In contrast, LaPT2 expression was fairly similar over time and in +P and −P normal and −P proteoid roots. While LaPT1 was expressed only under P deficiency, LaPT2 was uniformly expressed by plants exposed to excess Al and deficiencies of N, Mn, Fe and P. The LaPT1 gene was isolated and shown to have two exons interrupted by one intron. The sequence of the 5′-upstream putative promoter was determined.
Infrared spectroscopy of jet-cooled HCCl singlet chlorocarbene diradical: CH stretching and vibrational coupling dynamics

Quantum shot noise limited laser absorption methods are used to obtain first high-resolution infrared rovibrational spectra of jet cooled chlorocarbene (HCCl) diradical in a supersonic slit-jet discharge expansion spectrometer. The rotationally resolved absorption spectra of the C-H stretch ν1 fundamental are analyzed in the framework of a Watson non-rigid asymmetric rotor Hamiltonian model. Further analysis of the mid-infrared data reveals the additional presence of what has nominally been assigned as the X ( 012 ) combination band with one quantum of the H-C-Cl bend (ν2) and two quanta of the C-Cl stretch (2ν3). Rovibrational constants are obtained from least squares fits for each of the four excited vibrational states built on the ν1 fundamental X ( 100 ) and the X ( 012 ) combination mode for each 35Cl and 37Cl atom isotopologue. The four bands occur within a narrow spectral window, requiring detailed comparison of multiple spectral properties (e.g., rotational constant dependence on vibrational excitation, band types/transition dipole moment alignment in the body-fixed frame, etc.) to aid in the vibrational assignment. Indeed, the IR transition intensities arise from strong anharmonic mixing between the "bright" ν1 C-H stretch and "dark" X 012 H-C-Cl bend/C-Cl stretch combination modes, resulting in nearly equal amplitudes for the zeroth order X ( 100 ) and X 012 harmonic states. Finally, to aid the spectral search for HCCl in the interstellar medium, ground state two-line combination differences are combined with previous laser-induced fluorescence results to predict precision microwave transitions for HC35Cl and HC37Cl.
An Embedded Domain Decomposition Method for Time-Harmonic Electromagnetic Problems

This paper introduces a finite element based embedded domain decomposition method (DDM) for time-harmonic Maxwell's equations. In the method, we decompose a computational domain into a background subdomain and several embedded subdomains. Information exchange between the subdomains are addressed in their shared regions, including four ingredients: field continuity, material difference, perfect electrical conductor (PEC), and port. The proposed method allows for completely nonconformal subdomains, thus offering great flexibility for electromagnetic modeling and design.
Spatial and Temporal Expanses

In the flow of time, the humans land in commonsense, seek guidance from religion, and find truth by way of science. Now and then, they live through ups and downs of commonsense, feel in fear and awe for a supernatural entity or force of religion, and embrace logic and law over the realm of science. Across the expanse of space, the humans survive tenaciously against the reality of commonsense, pray wishfully for protection through religion, and benefit in actuality from the evidence of science. Here and there, they struggle over commonsensical routines and rituals, wrestle with religious purposes and destinies, and rely upon scientific reasons and findings. This chapter delineates human evolution in time and across space. On “outcome,” it presents a few arguments: (1) Nothing develops into everything; (2) Everything moves toward nothing; (3) From the beginning, phenomenon goes home in the end; (4) In the end, existence falls back to the origin at the beginning; and (5) In the particular lodge specific outcomes whereas in the general inhere universal movements.
God's wife, God's servant : the God's Wife of Amun (ca. 740-525 BC)

Mariam F. Ayad explores how five women were elevated to a position of supreme religious authority. Drawing on a variety of textual, iconographic, and archaeological evidence, and containing fifty-one black and white and colour illustrations, the volume discusses this often neglected subject, placing the women within the broader context of the politically volatile, turbulent seventh and eighth centuries BCE.
Target Localization with Drones using Mobile CNNs

Fast and accurate visual search is an enabler for many applications of drones. Prior works use POMDPs to produce effective search strategies. As the observation models are from heuristics, the robustness of these approaches on the field is unclear. This work builds a testbed that combines latest developments in related areas, including mobile CNNs for inference on mobile platforms and policy search with point based methods, in a POMDP framework. A dataset for a simple but realistic application, search for a single basketball, is collected to train the perception modules, investigate their error characteristics and validate the control algorithm. From simulation using realistic parameters, we found the significant role persistent factors in the environment can play in designing a fast search strategy. Failure to taking these factors into account results in up to 60% longer search time at the same success rate. Our empirical tests using mobile CNN and real data reveals that prior assumptions on error rates as functions of heights are wrong. The errors grows non-linearly, and there is significant between false positive and false negative rates. Our findings shed new lights on what to consider in designing visual search strategies in a drone platform and is one step towards a fast and robust algorithm.
Outcomes After Declining Increased Infectious Risk Kidney Offers for Pediatric Candidates in the United States.

BACKGROUND Kidneys from infectious risk donors (IRD) confer substantial survival benefit in adults, yet the benefit of IRD kidneys to pediatric candidates remains unclear in the context of high waitlist prioritization. METHODS Using 2010-2016 Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data, we studied 2417 pediatric candidates (age <18 y) who were offered an IRD kidney that was eventually used for transplantation. We followed candidates from the date of first IRD kidney offer until the date of death or censorship and used Cox regression to estimate mortality risk associated with IRD kidney acceptance versus decline, adjusting for age, sex, race, diagnosis, and dialysis time. RESULTS Over the study period, 2250 (93.1%) pediatric candidates declined and 286 (11.8%) accepted an IRD kidney offer; 119 (41.6%) of the 286 had previously declined a different IRD kidney. Cumulative survival among those who accepted versus declined the IRD kidney was 99.6% versus 99.4% and 96.3% versus 97.8% 1 and 6 years post decision, respectively (P = 0.1). Unlike the substantial survival benefit seen in adults (hazard ratio = 0.52), among pediatric candidates, we did not detect a survival benefit associated with accepting an IRD kidney (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.791.723.73, P = 0.2). However, those who declined IRD kidneys waited a median 9.6 months for a non-IRD kidney transplant (11.2 mo among those <6 y, 8.8 mo among those on dialysis). Kidney donor profile index (KDPI) of the eventually accepted non-IRD kidneys (median = 13, interquartile range = 6-23) was similar to KDPI of the declined IRD kidneys (median = 16, interquartile range = 9-28). CONCLUSIONS Unlike in adults, IRD kidneys conferred no survival benefit to pediatric candidates, although they did reduce waiting times. The decision to accept IRD kidneys should balance the advantage of faster transplantation against the risk of infectious transmission.
Multidimensional Measure of Risk: Prospect Rating Vector (PRV)

Single-dimensional measures of risk, such as variance, semi-variance, entropy, etc., are necessarily incomplete. Aggregating potentially rich sources of information into a single, global index has been a long standing practice in most of economics and operations research. Concepts of utility functions, present values, global cost-benefit indexes, etc., are all characterized by a very inefficient utilization of information on which they are based. Risk, for example, is a multiple criteria concept and should be expressed componentwise, as a vector. Higher moments of probability distributions do not represent multiple criteria but only partial descriptions of a single stochastic criterion: anticipated return on investment. We introduce a multidimensional probabilistic measure of risk — Prospect Rating Vector (PRV). This concept is developed in concordance with the principles of stochastic dominance in a distribution-free framework.
A multi-disciplinary model of survivorship care following definitive chemoradiation for anal cancer

Following definitive chemoradiation for anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC), patients face a variety of chronic issues including: bowel dysfunction, accelerated bone loss, sexual dysfunction, and psychosocial distress. The increasing incidence of this disease, high cure rates, and significant long-term sequelae warrant increased focus on optimal survivorship care following definitive chemoradiation. In order to establish our survivorship care model for ASCC patients, a multi-disciplinary team of experts performed a comprehensive literature review and summarized best practices for the multi-disciplinary management of this unique patient population. We reviewed principle domains of our survivorship approach: (1) management of chronic toxicities; (2) sexual health; (3) HIV management in affected patients; (4) psychosocial wellbeing; and (5) surveillance for disease recurrence and survivorship care delivery. We provide recommendations for the optimization of survivorship care for ASCC patients can through a multi-disciplinary approach that supports physical and psychological wellness.
Determining number of sites on ceria stabilizing single atoms via metal nanoparticle redispersion

Abstract Single atom catalysts have recently attracted interest due to their maximization of the utilization of expensive noble metals as well as their unique catalytic properties. Based on its surface atomic properties, CeO2 is one of the most common supports for stabilizing single metal atoms. Many single atom catalysts are limited in their metal contents by the formation of metal nanoparticles once the catalyst support capacity for single atoms has been exceeded. Currently, there are no direct measurements to determine the capacity of a support to stabilize single atoms. In this work we develop a nanoparticle-based technique that allows for quantification of that capacity by redispersing Ru nanoparticles into single atoms and taking advantage of the different catalytic properties of Ru single atoms and nanoparticles in the CO2 hydrogenation reaction. This method avoids complications in metal loading caused by counterions in incipient wetness impregnation and can eventually be applied to a variety of different metals. Results using this technique follow trends in oxygen vacancy concentration and surface oxygen content and show promise as a new method for quantifying support single atom stabilization capacity.
Air quality changes in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In December 2019, a new, severe coronavirus (COVID-19) appeared in Wuhan, China. Shortly after, the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the United States. The emergence of this virus led many United States governors to enact executive orders in an effort to limit the person-to-person spread of the virus. One state that utilized such measures was New York, which contains New York City (NYC), the most populous city in the United States. Many reports have shown that due to the government-backed shutdowns, the air quality in major global cities improved. However, there has been only limited work on whether this same trend is seen throughout the United States, specifically within the densely populated NYC area. Thus, the focus of this study was to examine whether changes in air quality were observed in NYC resulting from New York State's COVID-19-associated shutdown measures. To do this, daily concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were obtained from 15 central monitoring stations throughout the five NYC boroughs for the first 17 weeks (January through May) of 2015-2020. Decreases in PM2.5 (36%) and NO2 (51%) concentrations were observed shortly after the shutdown took place; however, using a linear time lag model, when changes in these pollutant concentrations were compared to those measured during the same span of time in 2015-2019, no significant difference between the years was found. Therefore, we highlight the importance of considering temporal variability and long-term trends of pollutant concentrations when analyzing for short-term differences in air pollutant concentrations related to the COVID-19 shutdowns.
The Left and Henri Bergson

This article studies the polarizing role Henri Bergson played in twentieth-century political theory in France and beyond. A controversial and charismatic philosopher, Bergson’s thought traveled a notoriously convoluted itinerary. Though his critiques of scientific positivism before the First World War endeared him to Catholic intellectuals, sectors of the French left were his most committed interpreters, a fact that mystified and enraged his contemporaries. Tracing the assorted ways the left took up Bergson—from syndicalism to negritude—brings into focus the left’s historically bipolar relationship to scientific progress and its promise of emancipation. It also underscores something fundamental about the history of the twentieth-century left: It maintained an ideologically unpredictable yet indispensable concern for “lived experience.”
Not-NUTs at WNUT-2020 Task 2: A BERT-based System in Identifying Informative COVID-19 English Tweets.

As of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic is full-blown on a global scale, people’s need to have access to legitimate information regarding COVID-19 is more urgent than ever, especially via online media where the abundance of irrelevant information overshadows the more informative ones. In response to such, we proposed a model that, given an English tweet, automatically identifies whether that tweet bears informative content regarding COVID-19 or not. By ensembling different BERTweet model configurations, we have achieved competitive results that are only shy of those by top performing teams by roughly 1% in terms of F1 score on the informative class. In the post-competition period, we have also experimented with various other approaches that potentially boost generalization to a new dataset.
Plasma cell myeloma: role of histopathology, immunophenotyping, and genetic testing

Myeloma is a malignant neoplasm of plasma cells with complex pathogenesis. Diagnosis and risk stratification require the integration of histology, radiology, serology, and genetic data. Bone marrow biopsies are essential for myeloma diagnosis by providing material for histologic and cytologic assessment as well as immunophenotypic and genetic studies. Flow cytometry and genetic studies are, in particular, becoming increasingly important for diagnosis, risk stratification, and assessment of treatment response. Myeloma has traditionally been characterized by recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities that can be divided into two subtypes: hyperdiploid, characterized by trisomies, and non-hyperdiploid, characterized by translocations involving chromosome 14. These abnormalities are thought to be primary events, initiating a premalignant state, which progresses to myeloma through the acquisition of secondary mutations. The emergence of next-generation sequencing has led to the discovery of numerous mutations and gene fusions that comprise the heterogenous genomic landscape of myeloma. As the underlying pathogenesis of myeloma continues to be delineated, possible therapeutic targets have also emerged. Herein, we describe the importance of histology, immunophenotype, and mutational analysis in the assessment of myeloma.
Double Robust Semi-Supervised Inference for the Mean: Selection Bias under MAR Labeling with Decaying Overlap

Semi-supervised (SS) inference has received much attention in recent years. Apart from a moderate-sized labeled data, L, the SS setting is characterized by an additional, much larger sized, unlabeled data, U. The setting of |U| >> |L|, makes SS inference unique and different from the standard missing data problems, owing to natural violation of the so-called 'positivity' or 'overlap' assumption. However, most of the SS literature implicitly assumes L and U to be equally distributed, i.e., no selection bias in the labeling. Inferential challenges in missing at random (MAR) type labeling allowing for selection bias, are inevitably exacerbated by the decaying nature of the propensity score (PS). We address this gap for a prototype problem, the estimation of the response's mean. We propose a double robust SS (DRSS) mean estimator and give a complete characterization of its asymptotic properties. The proposed estimator is consistent as long as either the outcome or the PS model is correctly specified. When both models are correctly specified, we provide inference results with a non-standard consistency rate that depends on the smaller size |L|. The results are also extended to causal inference with imbalanced treatment groups. Further, we provide several novel choices of models and estimators of the decaying PS, including a novel offset logistic model and a stratified labeling model. We present their properties under both high and low dimensional settings. These may be of independent interest. Lastly, we present extensive simulations and also a real data application.
The power of parent scientists.

Parent scientists lead a journey to bring surveillance severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing to public schools across the state of Massachusetts and beyond.
Operational Revenue Insufficiency in Highly Renewable DC and AC-based LMP Markets

In this paper, we analyze the operational revenue insufficiency of generators for future high renewable energy scenarios. The “missing money” problem originates from flaws in energy price formulation in competitive wholesale electricity markets and is directly tied to revenue sufficiency. In addition to fundamental market inefficiencies, the problem is amplified by low and near-zero marginal cost generation and its variability. Low marginal cost generation has depressive impacts on electricity prices in energy markets, which can widen the gap. Here, we analyze the operational revenue of three future renewable scenarios under a DC optimal power flow (OPF) (without losses) and AC optimal power flow (OPF) (with losses) locational marginal price (LMP)-based market without line flow constraints. Simulations are shown for a modified IEEE-30 bus test network with high renewable penetration. Results indicate a decrease in profit for fossil-fuel generators as renewable penetration increases and a slight overall increase in the variance of profits under AC versus DC OPF.
Finite element viscoelastic simulations of rutting behavior of hot mix and warm mix asphalt overlay on flexible pavements

The implementation of warm mix asphalt and chemical compaction aids is becoming more widespread. A growing number of contractors are using warm mix asphalt technologies to reduce mixing and compaction temperatures, reduce fuel consumption, improve compatibility, and increase economic and environmental value. In 2009, three pavement overlay projects were constructed in the state of Iowa using both hot mix aphalt and warm mix asphalt mixes to compare their performance. A series of dynamic modulus tests were conducted using field and laboratory mixtures of hot mix asphalt and warm mix asphalt. For each project, twelve specimens, including six hot mix asphalt specimens and six warm mix asphalt specimens, were tested to determine dynamic modulus and phase angles. These results were used as input parameters for designing each pavement in the mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG) and in finite element viscoelastic simulations to predict the performance behavior of warm mix asphalt and hot mix as phalt. A step-by-step framework to convert dynamic modulus results to Prony series to use in finite element simulation models was developed and is detailed for one mixture. This research compared predicted rutting damage by MEPDG design, estimated rutting from finite element simulations, and measured rutting in the field. The results show that MEPDG based on linear elastic theories may overestimate the rutting of pavements while the finite element based on viscoelastic theory accurately predicted the rutting of pavements. Therefore, a series of proposed calibration coefficients from this research can be useful for industrial applications and design engineers to modify and correct MEPDG overlay design thicknesses on top of hot mix asphalt, and jointed plain concrete pavement surfaces with either hot mix asphalt and warm mix asphalt mixtures.
Teaching Telehealth During a Pandemic and Beyond: an Intern's Survival Guide for Virtual Medicine.

The rapid transition to telemedicine at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic required many providers to learn telemedicine “on the fly.” As virtual care will likely remain a mainstay of outpatient medicine, it is imperative that telemedicine training be incorporated into graduate medical education. Design a telemedicine curriculum for internal medicine residents based on principles of experiential learning. VA-based internal medicine primary care clinic. Sixteen first-year internal medicine residents participated in the curriculum. The curriculum included a didactic session followed by four simulated patient encounters focused on troubleshooting technical issues, performing the virtual physical exam, coordinating team-based care, and tackling emergencies. Participants reported minimal previous experience with telemedicine. After completing the training, resident confidence in conducting video visits increased from an average score of four to seven (on a 10-point scale). Residents were more likely to agree that video visits would allow them to build bonds and effectively address their patients’ needs. This increased confidence persisted at 3 months after training. Using experiential learning, we identified strategies which increased the confidence of internal medicine trainees in conducting telemedicine visits. Further research is needed to validate our findings across different practice settings.
Synchronous satellites of Venus

Abstract Synchronous satellites of Venus have long been thought unstable, but we use Poincare’s surface of section technique to show that synchronous quasi-satellites orbiting just outside Venus’ Hill sphere are quite stable, at least for centuries. Such synchrosats always remain within a few degrees of Venus’ equator, and drift very slowly in longitude. These synchrosats could be useful for continuous monitoring of points on Venus’ surface, such as active landforms or long-lived landers.
Effects of annealing and changes in stress state on fracture toughness of bulk metallic glass

The effects of annealing and changes in stress state on the toughness of both 4 mm thick and 7 mm thick plates of a Zr-Ti-Ni-Cu-Be alloy have been determined. In the amorphous state, both notched and fatigue precracked specimens have been tested. The effects of changing the notch root radius from a fatigue precrack to that of a blunt notch on the fracture toughness are dramatic. The toughness increases from approximately 17.9 ± 1.8 MPa√m in the fatigue precracked specimens to in excess of 130 MPa√m in the notched specimens. These results are compared to similar tests on a range of structural materials, including aluminum alloys, steels, Ti alloys, and metal matrix composites. The increased toughness obtained by increasing the notch root radius in this bulk metallic glass far exceeds that typically observed in other structural materials. Possible reasons for this are presented. In addition, the effects of changes in loading rate and various annealing treatments on the toughness are presented and rationalized via both crack path and fracture surface observations. Annealing of this bulk metallic glass at temperatures below Tg produces increases in strength/hardness, rapid decreases in toughness, and a corresponding change in the fracture morphology. Changes in loading rate did not have a significant effect on the toughness for either notched or fatigue precracked specimens.