cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of Factors Xa and Iia Results in Synergistic Inhibition of Thrombin Generation with Minimal Clot Time Elevation.

Inhibition of either coagulation factor Xa (FXa) or thrombin (FIIa) alters ex vivo biomarkers of coagulation and decreases thrombus size in animal models of experimental thrombosis. The objective of this study was to determine if combining FXa and FIIa inhibitors would synergistically reduce the magnitude of IIa generated without elevating markers of bleeding. A synergistic combination may translate into lower doses, more effective anticoagulation and better safety. To predict the FXa and FIIa inhibitor combinations with the maximum potential for synergy, PD 0313052, a potent, selective FXa inhibitor, and argatroban, a potent FIIa inhibitor, were each tested independently and in combination using an in vitro thrombin generation assay. Individually, PD 0313052 and argatroban reduced total thrombin generation (TG) in a concentration dependent manner with IC 50 ’s of 497±148 and 882±193 nM, respectively. Subsequently, PD 0313052 and argatroban were combined in 96 well plates at concentrations ranging from 0.125x to 8x their respective IC 50 concentrations. Analysis using the Bliss Independence Model identified statistically significant synergistic activity, with the greatest increase (33%) over simple additivity at 249 and 441 nM FXa to FIIa, respectively, both below their respective IC 50 concentrations. Furthermore, combinations of PD 0313052 and argatroban were evaluated in an assay measuring activated clotting time (ACT). Although both PD 0313052 and argatroban dose-dependently elongated the ACT, the combination of 0.5x the TG IC 50 concentrations, which demonstrated the greatest synergy in the TG assay, showed the smallest increase in the ACT, prolonging clotting time by only 15%. These data demonstrate that the combination of a specific factor Xa inhibitor and a specific IIa inhibitor can synergistically reduce thrombin generation without appreciable elevation of ACT, suggesting that dual inhibition of FXa and FIIa, using relatively low doses of each, may provide efficacious and safe treatment for thromboembolic diseases.
Neurotoxin-Induced Catecholaminergic Loss in the Colonic Myenteric Plexus of Rhesus Monkeys.

Objective: Constipation is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Although pathology of the enteric nervous system (ENS) has been associated with constipation in PD, the contribution of catecholaminergic neurodegeneration to this symptom is currently debated. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) on the colonic myenteric plexus and shed light on the role of catecholaminergic innervation in gastrointestinal (GI) function. Methods: Proximal colon tissue from 6-OHDA-treated (n=5) and age-matched control (n=5) rhesus monkeys was immunostained and quantified using ImageJ software. All animals underwent routine daily feces monitoring to assess for constipation or other GI dysfunction. Results: Quantification of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC)- immunoreactivity (-ir) revealed significant reduction in myenteric ganglia of 6-OHDA-treated animals compared to controls (TH-ir: 87.8%, P 30% days) soft stool or diarrhea in 2 of the 5 6-OHDA-treated animals and 0 of the 5 control animals during the 2 months prior to necropsy, with no animals exhibiting signs of constipation. Conclusion: Systemic administration of 6-OHDA to rhesus monkeys significantly reduced catecholaminergic expression in the colonic myenteric plexus without inducing constipation. These findings support the concept that ENS catecholaminergic loss is not responsible for constipation in PD.
Obliquity-paced climate change recorded in Antarctic debris-covered glaciers

The degree to which debris-covered glaciers record past environmental conditions is debated. Here, the authors show that obliquity-paced variations in solar radiation over the past ∼220 ka are expressed in Mullins glacier as repetitive changes in englacial debris and corresponding surface topography.
Realistic GPS Coverage Prediction for Dual-Polarized Controlled Reception Pattern Antennas

Null steering arrays for antijam GPS applications are modeled using dual-polarized antenna elements. Realistic performance is evaluated using the effective carrier-to-noise ratio to determine the percentage of the upper hemisphere, for which GPS satellites are recoverable in the presence of interference. The impact of array size and jammer power level on antijam performance is evaluated, and average results are compared to the literature. The realistic metric is shown to predict higher coverage than previously reported.
Relevance of genetic alterations in squamous and small cell lung cancer

The precision medicine revolution has led to the development and US FDA approval of multiple targeted therapies in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancers, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting EGFR, ALK, and ROS1. However, the development of targeted therapies for squamous cell lung cancers (SQCLCs) and small cell lung cancers (SCLCs) has lagged behind and the mainstay of systemic therapy for most patients with metastatic disease remains chemotherapy; which has seen little meaningful progress over the past three decades. The ideal of precision medicine in these diseases may appear elusive; however, recent comprehensive genomic analysis of SQCLC and SCLC has led to multiple breakthroughs in our understanding of the biology of these diseases and has led to new therapeutic approaches currently under active clinical investigation. This review will focus on the therapeutic relevance of these alterations in their respective diseases and new insights into promising therapeutics currently under investigation.
Wnt signaling and podocyte dysfunction in diabetic nephropathy

Nephropathy is a major microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and often leads to terminal renal failure in addition to contributing significantly to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Despites continuous advances, the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy remains poorly understood. Recent studies have underscored the significance of structural and functional changes in podocytes in the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. The role of podocytes in health and diabetic nephropathy and abnormalities including podocyte hypertrophy, effacement, and apoptosis, and a detailed discussion on the role played by the Wnt-β-catenin signaling pathway in podocyte injury and dysfunction are the focus of this review. In addition, the role played by Wnt signaling in mediating the effects of known therapeutic strategies for diabetic nephropathy is also discussed.
The Cretan Script Family Includes the Carian Alphabet

The Cretan Script Family is a set of related writing systems that have a putative origin in Crete. Recently, Revesz [11] identified the Cretan Hieroglyphs, Linear A, Linear B, the Cypriot syllabary, and the Greek, Old Hungarian, Phoenician, South Arabic and Tifinagh alphabets as members of this script family and using bioinformatics algorithms gave a hypothetical evolutionary tree for their development and presented a map for their likely spread in the Mediterranean and Black Sea areas. The evolutionary tree and the map indicated some unknown writing system in western Anatolia to be the common origin of the Cypriot syllabary and the Old Hungarian alphabet. This paper argues that the missing link may be some ancestor of the Carian alphabet because several Carian alphabet letters show an intermediate stage between the corresponding Cypriot syllabary signs and the Old Hungarian letters.
Bistability in the hydrodynamic resistance of a drop trapped at a microcavity junction

We investigate the flow resistance of a droplet trapped at a constriction in a microcavity located at a microchannel bifurcation as a function of system parameters including capillary number, drop confinement, and viscosity ratio. Using a combination of experiments and volume-of-fluid numerical simulations, we measure the hydrodynamic resistance of the trapped drop and connect it to drop deformation in the microcavity. For drop sizes smaller than the microcavity, we observe a bistable behavior in terms of the resistance of the trapped drop as a function of capillary number. For these underfilled drops, we find that the resistance is low at small capillary number (Ca < 10−3) and jumps to high resistance at a threshold capillary number. For drops equal to the microcavity size, we observe that the bistability vanishes and the drop resistance is of similar magnitude as that of underfilled drops at large capillary number. To explain these findings, we use confocal microscopy and simulations to obtain three-dimensional views of the drop deformation and continuous phase fluid in the microcavity. We observe that the low resistance is due to negligible drop deformation and unobstructed flow of continuous phase through the constriction. The high resistance is due to the drop interface protruding into the constriction restricting the flow of continuous phase through the gutters. Taken together, our results indicate that a trapped drop at a bifurcation can act as a nonlinear resistor and could be potentially used as a soft switch to control droplet trajectories in microfluidic devices.
Rehabilitation model for school buildings

The condition of public school buildings in the US has severely deteriorated. It is estimated that about $300 billion may be required for their repair. To manage these repair projects, an expenditure prioritization system is required. The current prioritization practice lacks a structured methodology that rationalizes its outcomes, which may also lead to misleading conclusions, and accordingly, misuse of available resources. This paper presents a prioritization system for the rehabilitation of Kindergarten through 12th grade public school buildings in California. This system builds on the current school condition assessment process and assists to allocate rehabilitations funds in a rational manner that assures addressing and prioritizing the most deteriorated schools.
Silver Diamine Fluoride: A Successful Anticarious Solution with Limits:

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a solution containing ionic silver, fluoride, and ammonia that arrests the progress of carious lesions and prevents the development of future caries. The silver par...
Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse of the Liver After Fontan Operation: Correlation With Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test

Background The current management paradigm for children with single ventricle heart disease involves a series of palliative surgeries, culminating in the Fontan operation. This physiology results in a high central venous pressure, and in the setting of single ventricle heart disease, results in hepatic injury and fibrosis over time. Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD) is universally present in this cohort, and the current gold standard for diagnosis remains biopsy. Noninvasive assessments of liver fibrosis, such as ultrasound with elastography or acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI), has been utilized in this cohort. The effect of poor cardiovascular efficiency, as measured by cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), on assessments of liver fibrosis remains poorly understood. Methods Retrospective, cross-sectional study. Subjects were evaluated in a multidisciplinary clinic setting for patients who have undergone Fontan operation. CPETs, liver ultrasound with elastography (ARFI), and standard laboratory tests were performed as part of routine clinical care pathway. Statistical analysis included linear correlation. Results There was a poor correlation between mean ARFI velocity and peak oxygen consumption (VO2max) in this cohort (r = .20, P = NS). Similarly, there was poor correlation between ARFI and biomarkers of liver injury, time since Fontan operation and Fontan pressure. Discussion ARFI had poor correlation with functional capacity after Fontan, as measured by VO2max obtained during CPET. While a single measurement of liver elastography was not associated with cardiopulmonary efficiency, longitudinal data may reveal an association.
The Formation of an Old Norse Skaldic School Canon in the Early Thirteenth Century

The academicization of the skaldic art in the twelfth century led to the production of model verses illustrating various meters and variations in the highly formalized poetic imagery, and, later, to skaldic treatises laying out the rules of the art form. In the following it will be argued that it also led to the formation of a clearly demarcated school canon of exemplary skalds. Skaldskaparmal is the text that gives us the clearest picture of the school canon of skalds that emerged in the early thirteenth century. By counting the number of times individual skalds were cited as well as the number of their lines that were cited, this article identifies the hofuðskald (chief poets) of the school canon.
Trajectories of children's attitudes and beliefs about violence in families exposed to intimate partner violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) poses serious risks to the health of women. Numerous studies link children's IPV exposure to various forms of developmental psychopathology. One possible explanatory factor appears to be children's beliefs and attitudes about the violence they have witnessed. Little research has investigated how these beliefs may change over time. The sample consisted of 109 mother-child pairs where the mother experienced IPV in the past 2 years. Multilevel modeling was used to examine change in children's attitudes and beliefs over time. Maternal depression and corporal punishment were associated with higher initial levels of maladaptive beliefs about family violence. Children's beliefs about violence improved over time. Findings indicate that while cognitive treatments may offer some utility for intervening with children, providing intervention support for the broader family system (i.e., around maternal depression and use of corporal punishment) may also be important pathways to supporting families exposed to IPV.
Social Conflict Theories of the Family

Almost 15 years ago, the senior author of this chapter and another sociologist, Joyce Elliott Foss, presented a paper entitled, “In Search of the ‘Missing’ Conceptual Framework in Family Sociology: The Social Conflict Framework,” at the annual meetings of the National Council on Family Relations (Farrington and Foss, 1977). The central thesis of this paper was that it was finally time to “officially discover” the social conflict approach to the study of the family—an approach that seemed to us to be very much implicit within and relevant to the field of family studies. It was our sense that all of the necessary ingredients for such an approach were present and that most of the really difficult work of laying out the parameters of the successful application of principles and concepts of a social conflict perspective on social reality to the study of the family had already been accomplished. All that was really left to do, in our opinion, was to formally recognize the value and the legitimacy of this approach—as had been done systematically with a variety of other theoretical approaches in previous works (Christensen, 1964; Hill and Hansen, 1960; Nye and Berardo, 1966)—and to put it in its rightful place as one of the most important and useful of the theoretical perspectives available to students of the family.
Regression Discontinuity Design: Recent Developments and a Guide to Practice for Researchers in Higher Education

In an educational research climate, where the understanding of causal relationships between predictors and outcome variables is of primary interest, however, randomized experiments are either unethical or unfeasible, researchers have been turning to research designs and statistical techniques that produce causal results in a quasiexperimental manner. One such quasiexperimental design is regression discontinuity (RD), which has been shown to require fewer assumptions than most other designs and the assumptions it does require are verified with nearly the same ease as a randomized experiment. We provide a user friendly guide to RD designs for the educational researcher. We begin by discussing terminology associated with both experimental and RD designs. Next, we describe the process of checking the assumptions associated with an RD design and use an empirical example to illustrate this process. We then expand on the empirical example to show how to obtain estimates of treatment effects in both “sharp” and “fuzzy” RD designs employing both parametric and nonparametric frameworks. Finally, we discuss new developments in RD research and some future applications in educational research. A technical appendix is also included with additional details on the selection of parameters in the estimation procedure and we include a URL link to statistical code to conduct RD analysis.
On Self-Enforcing Contracts, the Right to Hack, and Willfully Ignorant Agents

Various aspects of the proposed draft of Article 2B have been critiqued from a number of different perspectives. This Article comments on Julie Cohen's description of self-enforcing contracts and the technical feasibility of Cohen's proposed "right to hack." Finally, certain provisions of Article 2B are analyzed from the standpoint of a software practitioner-a self-proclaimed hacker.
The Helium-3 Spin-Echo Experiment

Helium-3 spin-echo (HeSE) spectroscopy is a versatile tool that enables the investigation of surface dynamics such as adsorbate diffusion and vibration on atomic length- and pico- to nanosecond timescales. As a scattering technique, HeSE measures in momentum transfer space, which can make data analysis a complex matter. To facilitate the interpretation of experimental results, the physical principles underlying the scattering process are described and an outline of the most common analysis techniques is given.
Genetic control of longissimus dorsi muscle gene expression variation and joint analysis with phenotypic quantitative trait loci in pigs

Economically important growth and meat quality traits in pigs are controlled by cascading molecular events occurring during development and continuing throughout the conversion of muscle to meat. However, little is known about the genes and molecular mechanisms involved in this process. Evaluating transcriptomic profiles of skeletal muscle during the initial steps leading to the conversion of muscle to meat can identify key regulators of polygenic phenotypes. In addition, mapping transcript abundance through genome-wide association analysis using high-density marker genotypes allows identification of genomic regions that control gene expression, referred to as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). In this study, we perform eQTL analyses to identify potential candidate genes and molecular markers regulating growth and meat quality traits in pigs. Messenger RNA transcripts obtained with RNA-seq of longissimus dorsi muscle from 168 F2 animals from a Duroc x Pietrain pig resource population were used to estimate gene expression variation subject to genetic control by mapping eQTL. A total of 339 eQTL were mapped (FDR ≤ 0.01) with 191 exhibiting local-acting regulation. Joint analysis of eQTL with phenotypic QTL (pQTL) segregating in our population revealed 16 genes significantly associated with 21 pQTL for meat quality, carcass composition and growth traits. Ten of these pQTL were for meat quality phenotypes that co-localized with one eQTL on SSC2 (8.8-Mb region) and 11 eQTL on SSC15 (121-Mb region). Biological processes identified for co-localized eQTL genes include calcium signaling (FERM, MRLN, PKP2 and CHRNA9), energy metabolism (SUCLG2 and PFKFB3) and redox hemostasis (NQO1 and CEP128), and results support an important role for activation of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway during the initial conversion of muscle to meat. Co-localization of eQTL with pQTL identified molecular markers significantly associated with both economically important phenotypes and gene transcript abundance. This study reveals candidate genes contributing to variation in pig production traits, and provides new knowledge regarding the genetic architecture of meat quality phenotypes.
The impromptu rhetorical situation

Courses: Public Speaking, Rhetorical Criticism, Persuasion, Political Communication, and Media Communication.Objectives: By the end of this activity, students should be able to: explain the key com...
Summaries in Legal Writing, Part 1

Every legal document should begin with a summary of some kind. This column highlights the importance of up-front summaries by quoting the experts and then offers advice in three before-and-after examples.
Mercury vs. Water: An Analysis of Multi-Institutional Survey Data Assessing Intracranial Pressure Unit of Measure Awareness.

Background Intracranial pressure (ICP) reporting impacts neurosurgical care. Millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and centimeters of water (cmH2O) are both used to report ICP in clinical practice and the literature. In this study, we investigated ICP unit of measure awareness in the neurosurgical community. Methods A survey was conducted at four US academic neurosurgery departments asking the following questions: What is your threshold for a concerning ICP? How many minutes is that ICP sustained for you to be concerned? What unit are you implying when you state that ICP? What unit of measure is an ICP reported on the monitor when transduced? When setting an external ventricular drain Becker bag level, what unit of measure do you set it to? Do you ever manually check an ICP based on a column of cerebrospinal fluid? How many cmH2O is 20 mmHg? Results An ICP of 20 and sustained for five minutes were the two most common answers. Some 71% of residents and 34% of attendings reported using cmH2O as the unit of measure; 18% of residents and 24% of attendings implied different units when discussing ICP than the unit they thought was transduced; and 53% of residents and 34% of attendings did not know the transduced ICP unit of measure reported in their intensive care unit. Conclusions Variability and discrepancies regarding the ICP unit of measure exist in academic neurosurgery departments. Clinicians should familiarize themselves with their hospital's practices. Institutions and all of medicine may consider standardizing the ICP unit of measure, using mmHg as a universal nomenclature.
Entrepreneurial Orientation and Small Business Performance: The Role of Emergent Strategy

The research on entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is undecided as to whether a specific EO improves firm performance. We considered EO in a different light by examining the role of emergent strategy. By considering entrepreneurial orientation as it is effected by emergent strategy, we found a positive relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance. Using Mintzberg's theory of emergent strategy, we investigated and found a negative moderating effect of emergent strategy on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance. We tested these hypotheses using data of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from Mexico.
A Conjectural Brouwer Inequality for Higher-Dimensional Laplacian Spectra.

We present a generalization of Brouwer's conjectural family of inequalities -- a popular family of inequalities in spectral graph theory bounding the partial sum of the Laplacian eigenvalues of graphs -- for the case of abstract simplicial complexes of any dimension. We prove that this family of inequalities holds for shifted simplicial complexes, which generalize threshold graphs, and give tighter bounds (linear in the dimension of the complexes) for simplicial trees. We prove that the conjecture holds for the the first, second, and last partial sums for all simplicial complexes, generalizing many known proofs for graphs to the case of simplicial complexes. We also show that the conjecture holds for the tth partial sum for all simplicial complexes with dimension at least t and matching number greater than $t$. Returning to the special case of graphs, we expand on a known proof to show that the Brouwer's conjecture holds with equality for the tth partial sum where t is the maximum clique size of the graph minus one (or, equivalently, the number of cone vertices). Along the way, we develop machinery that may give further insights into related long-standing conjectures.
Counting and labeling grid related graphs

In this work we explore some graphs associated with the grid P m × P n . A fence is any subgraph of the grid obtained by deleting any feasible number of edges from some or all the copies of P m . We present here a closed formula for the number of non-isomorphic fences obtained from P m × P n , for every m , n ≥ 2 . A rigid grid is a supergraph of the grid, where for every square a pair of opposite vertices are connected; we show that the number of fences built on P m × P n is the same that the number of rigid grids built on P m × P n + 1 . We also introduce a substitution scheme that allows us to substitute any interior edge of any P m in an α -labeled copy of P m × P n to obtain a new graph with an α -labeling. This process can be iterated multiple times on the n copies of P m ; in this way we prove the existence of an α -labeling for any graph obtained via these substitutions; these graphs form a quite robust family of α -graphs where the grid is one of its members. We also show two subfamilies of disconnected graphs that can be obtained using this scheme, proving in that way that they are also α -graphs.
Syntaxin 6-mediated exosome secretion regulates enzalutamide resistance in prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) deaths are typically the result of metastatic castration-resistant PCa (mCRPC). Recently, enzalutamide (Enz), an oral androgen receptor inhibitor, was approved for treating patients with mCRPC. Invariably, all PCa patients eventually develop resistance against Enz. Therefore, novel strategies aimed at overcoming Enz resistance are needed to improve the survival of PCa patients. The role of exosomes in drug resistance has not been fully elucidated in PCa. Therefore, we set out to better understand the exosome's role in the mechanism underlying Enz-resistant PCa. Results showed that Enz-resistant PCa cells (C4-2B, CWR-R1, and LNCaP) secreted significantly higher amounts of exosomes (2-4 folds) compared to Enz-sensitive counterparts. Inhibition of exosome biogenesis in resistant cells by GW4869 and dimethyl amiloride strongly decreased their cell viability. Mechanistic studies revealed upregulation of syntaxin 6 as well as its increased colocalization with CD63 in Enz-resistant PCa cells compared to Enz-sensitive cells. Syntaxin 6 knockdown by specific small interfering RNAs in Enz-resistant PCa cells (C4-2B and CWR-R1) resulted in reduced cell number and increased cell death in the presence of Enz. Furthermore, syntaxin 6 knockdown significantly reduced the exosome secretion in both Enz-resistant C4-2B and CWR-R1 cells. The Cancer Genome Atlas analysis showed increased syntaxin 6 expressions associated with higher Gleason score and decreased progression-free survival in PCa patients. Importantly, IHC analysis showed higher syntaxin 6 expression in cancer tissues from Enz-treated patients compared to Enz naive patients. Overall, syntaxin 6 plays an important role in the secretion of exosomes and increased survival of Enz-resistant PCa cells.
The Design and Anatomy of a First-Year Connection Course for Chemical Engineering Students

Studies have shown that students’ positive experience during their first year in college plays a significant role in their success in terms of persistence and satisfaction. That premise has been the motivation for the development of a first-year connection course by the Department of Chemical Engineering at Tennessee Tech University. Recent implementation of a methodology to help students develop a vision of their future within the chemical engineering profession is described, and the results in terms of retention and progression from first-year to second-year are presented and analyzed.
Limitations of the macrospin approximation of materials with inhomogeneous perpendicular anisotropy

Experimental investigations of the perpendicular anisotropy in thin films that are interpreted using a macrospin model often require the inclusion of a higher-order anisotropy contribution. However, recent ferromagnetic resonance experiments on [Co/Ni] N multilayers indicate that the macrospin model cannot explain the full angular dependence in this system. Using micromagnetic simulations of a system with lateral variations of the second-order perpendicular uniaxial anisotropy, we show that while the macrospin model is able to capture the average properties of the system along high symmetry orientations by including a higher-order anisotropy, the model fails to reproduce the full angle dependence. Our studies provide another indication that higher-order anisotropies may not be intrinsic to these systems but instead may be caused by inhomogeneities.
Alcohol use in daily life: Examining the role of trait and state impulsivity facets.

OBJECTIVES Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods we aimed to investigate the influence of trait and state (momentary) impulsivity on alcohol use behaviors in daily life. Facets of the UPPS trait model of impulsivity (Whiteside & Lynam, 2001) have been found to differentially relate to alcohol-related outcomes and behaviors in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. The present work expands on this by assessing UPPS facets in daily life and examining the contributions of trait and state impulsivity facets to daily life drinking behavior. METHOD Forty-nine participants were prompted at least 6 times per day for 21 days. A total of 4,548 collected EMA reports were included in analyses. Multilevel models were computed predicting daily life alcohol use behaviors from state and trait impulsivity facets and relevant covariates. RESULTS Individual facets of momentary impulsivity differentially related to alcohol outcomes, such that (lack of) premeditation and, to a lesser extent, sensation seeking showed unique patterns of association with drinking and drinking quantity. Only trait levels of (lack of) premeditation were related to drinking behavior in daily life; no other trait UPPS scale significantly related to alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight state difficulties with premeditation as particularly relevant to drinking behavior in daily life. Our results also support the incremental validity of state impulsivity facets over trait level measures in relation to drinking behavior in daily life. These findings offer important insight into the phenomenology of daily life alcohol use and highlight possible avenues for intervention and prevention efforts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Sidekicks and superheroes: a look into student reasoning about concurrency with threads versus actors

When computations consist of different processes or threads that may execute at the same time or in an interleaved manner, we say the computation is concurrent or that it exhibits concurrency. University students often struggle to reason about concurrency. Researchers have presented students with natural language descriptions of scenarios involving concurrency and have evaluated students' natural language responses to explore their prior knowledge and to determine characteristics of student reasoning about concurrency. However, natural language responses are necessarily abstract and pertain to the design stage of software development, while studies in which students are asked to implement solutions provide a more concrete view of student reasoning and reveal difficulties that arise when putting design into practice. In this work we build upon prior work and ask: What are common and problematic features in student approaches to solving concurrency-related problems? How do these features differ from the design phase to the implementation phase of the software development life cycle? In this study we asked students enrolled in a jointly offered upper division undergraduate / MS level course on “Programming with Concurrency” to implement a solution to the same problem (a side-kick/superhero version of the party matching problem) using two different approaches: Threads-based in Java, and Actors-based in Scala. We performed qualitative feature analysis of their implementations and their written reflections to better understand student reasoning when programming concurrent solutions. The feature of additional complexity was found in our earlier natural language study in which students described their designs. Additional complexity was also represented in student implementations in this study and adversely impacted student success as their programs became cumbersome and hard to trace. Student reflections provided insight into their resistance to modeling prior to implementation, and indicated that they found formal modeling techniques difficult. These findings suggest that lighter weight interventions that address student difficulties earlier in the development process may be more palatable to students and thus have substantial impact.
Pinto bean response to seeding rate and herbicides

Field experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017 to evaluate the effects of seeding rate and herbicide programs on weed control and pinto bean yield under irrigation. The experiments comprised a 5 × 5 factorial randomized complete block design with five replications. The weed control treatments comprised a nontreated control, hand-weeded control, EPTC + ethalfluralin PRE, EPTC + ethalfluralin PRE followed by (fb) dimethenamid-P POST at V1, and EPTC + ethalfluralin PRE fb bentazon/imazamox POST. There were five seeding rates ranging from 247,000 to 494,000 seeds ha–1 planted in 19-cm rows. Weed biomass was reduced by 6 kg ha–1 with every additional 1,000 seeds ha–1. EPTC plus ethalfluralin fb either dimethenamid-P or bentazon plus imazamox reduced weed biomass by at least 29% compared to the nontreated control. There was a significant effect of weed control treatment on pinto bean yield (P = 0.0004). However, there was no significant seeding rate (P = 0.42) or seeding rate–by–weed control interaction effect on pinto bean yield (P = 0.38). Pinto bean yield ranged from 3,080 kg ha–1 in the nontreated control to 4,740 kg ha–1 hand-weeded treatment. Increased seeding rate in narrow rows is a cultural practice that can improve weed control in pinto bean but may not necessarily increase yield.
Cross-Sectional Imaging in Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is the clinical syndrome resulting from symptomatic compression of the neurovascular bundle at the thoracic outlet, and is subclassified as neurogenic, venous, or arterial depending on the structure involved. Although primarily a clinical diagnosis, cross-sectional imaging plays an important supplemental role in TOS by identifying the site of involvement, depicting associated complications, revealing an underlying anatomic abnormality, and excluding alternative diagnoses. Imaging findings of NTOS have been described, although the role of cross-sectional imaging in this setting is primarily to exclude concurrent vascular TOS and identify the presence of an anatomic abnormality. Magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomographic (CT) imaging serve as workhorse techniques, as they allow for imaging in multiple positions and readily depict findings of TOS and associated complications. MR imaging is the preferred cross-sectional imaging test in patients with suspected TOS given its lack of ionizing radiation, but CT is used in patients who cannot undergo contrast-enhanced MRI.
Underlying riparian lithology controls redox dynamics during stage-driven mixing

Abstract The interactions between surface water-groundwater (hyporheic) exchange and sediment lithology influence oxidation–reduction (redox) conditions near river-aquifer interfaces. Redox dynamics have implications for subsurface nutrient transformations, but are difficult to assess spatially and temporally using traditional geochemical observations. This study applied continuous, three-dimensional monitoring of redox potential in a shallow riparian aquifer to assess the geochemical response to sediment lithology and hydrogeologic variables. We mapped a series of cross-sectional redox contour plots from throughout the aquifer over a storm event, which captured the dynamics of redox conditions during stage-driven mixing. Results show that redox potential increased by over 400 mV at some locations following river water infiltration during the storm, while persistent zones of high potential endured along preferential, high-conductivity flow paths. Conditions within high-conductivity (>1 cm/s) sediments took longer to recover (up to 30 days) following storms than those within finer, low-conductivity (6.9 × 10−5 cm/s) sediments (days to hours), however, attributed to less organic matter driving nutrient transformations. Dynamic surface water-groundwater interactions intermittently perturb redox conditions, but the underlying sediment lithology ultimately governs the spatial and temporal dynamics of aquifer redox conditions. These novel observations provide fundamental insights into hyporheic exchange and riparian geochemical dynamics broadly applicable to hydrogeology and biogeochemistry.
Although Easier Is It Safe? Low Molecular Weight Heparin Anticoagulation In Infants With Mechanical Prosthetic Valves

Introduction: Anticoagulation in children with mechanical prosthetic valves lacks evidence-based recommendations and as a result, children receive adult-based oral vitamin K antagonists (VKA) regimens. Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) has been proposed as an alternative treatment in adults with mechanical prosthetic valves and VKA failure or intolerance. We report the successful use of LMWH in infants following mechanical valve replacement in whom satisfactory therapeutic anticoagulation could not be achieved with VKA. Case Description: Four pediatric patients underwent surgical replacement of systemic atrioventricular valves with mechanical prostheses at a single pediatric tertiary medical center between 2016 and 2019. Indications for replacement were unsuccessful congenital valve repair (3 patients) and …
KmerKeys: a web resource for searching indexed genome assemblies and variants

K-mers are short DNA sequences that are used for genome sequence analysis. Applications that use k-mers include genome assembly and alignment. Despite these current applications, the wider bioinformatic use of k-mers in has challenges related to the massive scale of genomic sequence data. A single human genome assembly has billions of these short sequences. The sheer amount of computation for effective use of k-mer information is enormous, particularly when involving multiple genome assemblies. To address these issues, we developed a new k-mer indexing data structure based on a hash table tuned for the lookup of k-mer keys. This web application, referred to as KmerKeys (https://kmerkeys.dgi-stanford.org/), provides performant, rapid query speeds for cloud computation on genome assemblies. We enable fuzzy as well as exact k-mer-based searches of assemblies. To enable robust and speedy performance, the website implements cache-friendly hash tables, memory mapping and massive parallel processing. Our method employs a scalable and efficient data structure that can be used to jointly index and search a large collection of human genome assembly information. One can include variant databases and their associated metadata such as the gnomAD population variant catalog. This feature enables the incorporation of future genomic information into sequencing analysis.
An Analytical Propagation Model for Diffusion-Based Molecular Communication Systems

A novel analytical propagation model for diffusive molecular communication systems in a three-dimensional fluid environment is derived. The model takes into account the geometry of a spherical receiver, the inclination angle, and the reaction rate of the receiver to accurately model the time-varying distribution and the number of absorbed information molecules at the receiver over a period of time. Accordingly, we derive an expression for the net number of accumulatively-absorbed information molecules at the surface of the receiver. We also study the bit error rate (BER) performance of diffusion-based molecular communications in the presence of the inter-symbol interference. Simulations based on the developed model show the impact of the transmitter-receiver distance, the reaction rate at the surface of the receiver and the diffusion constant of the environment on the fraction of absorbed molecules and the BER performance. A particle-based simulator is implemented to verify the accuracy of the proposed model. Moreover, our results are compared with that of a conventional model, where the geometry of the receiver and the inclination angle are ignored. It is shown that, especially at small transmitter-receiver separation distances, the proposed model predicts a significantly smaller number of absorbed molecules compared to the conventional models.
How Advances in Technology Keep Reducing Interventionist Policy Rationales

Rationales for government interventions in the market are typically based on theories of market failure set within a framework of fixed private-sector practices and technologies. However, continuous technological progress and entrepreneurial innovation are eroding the theoretical foundations of these policies, making them increasingly obsolete. This paper describes the four pillars of market failure doctrine and provides examples of how the market is using technology to solve problems previously considered to necessitate government intervention.
Halogen Bonding in Dithiane/Iodofluorobenzene Mixtures: A New Class of Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents.

While research into deep eutectic solvents (DESs) has expanded over the previous two decades, the focus has remained on the utilization of hydrogen bond donors in these systems. Additionally, the majority of the known DESs rely on at least one ionic component. Through the combination of 1,3-dithiane and 1,2-diiodo-3,4,5,6-tetrafluorobenzene (1,2-F4 DIB), we report the first known DES based on halogen bonding. This mixture remains a liquid, with a eutectic melting temperature of 13.7 °C over a range of 1,3-dithiane mole fraction (0.35 to 0.75). Additionally, cocrystals of 1,3- and 1,4-dithiane with 1,2-, 1,3-, and 1,4-F4 DIB, as well as 1,3,5-trifluoro-2,4,6-triiodobenzene were studied via single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These data reveal a wide range of halogen bonding strengths (0.85<RXB <0.99; RXB =normalized halogen bond distance parameter) and geometries about the sulfur atom. By including intermolecular interactions beyond hydrogen bonding, the scope of possible DES systems can be greatly expanded.
How I Do It Making Effective Educational Videos for Clinical Teaching

Pre-recorded video content in medical education has become more common. Increasingly accessible technology coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent need for distanced learning has greatly increased the interest and need for high-quality video content. The use of short educational videos to augment other teaching methods has been shown to improve learners' experiences, knowledge retention and understanding of content. Multiple studies have demonstrated that video education can be a highly effective tool for learning, particularly for hard to visualize processes and for procedural education. Videos allow learners to view content at their own pace and revisit materials on demand. Additionally, well-designed videos can be repurposed by educators, ultimately reducing time needed to create high-quality educational content. Currently available technology allows educators to create high quality videos at minimal cost and with a modest investment of time. This article details practical tips for creating high-yield educational videos.
Toward an Optimal Decarceration Strategy

With mounting support for dramatic criminal justice reform, the question is no longer whether we should decarcerate American prisons but how. This question is far more complicated than it might seem. We could cut the prison population in half, for example, by drastically shortening sentences. Or we could reduce prison admissions. Or we could do both. And we could do either or both for countless combinations of criminal offenses. Moreover, even when they reach the same numeric target, these strategies are not equivalent. They would have vastly different consequences for both prisoners and the public and widely varying timeframes to take effect. To pick among them, we need richer metrics and more precise empirical estimates to evaluate their consequences. This Article begins by proposing metrics to evaluate the relative merits of competing decarceration strategies. The public debate has focused almost exclusively on how we might decarcerate while minimizing any increases in crime and has, therefore, underappreciated the costs of prison itself. We should consider at least three more metrics: the social harm of incarceration, racial disparity, and timing. Next, the Article develops an empirical methodology to identify the range of strategies that would reduce the national prison population by 25, 50, and 75%. Finally, it identifies the best performing strategies against each metric. The results have several broader takeaways. First, the optimal approach to decarceration depends heavily on which metrics we value most. The results thus quantify a stark set of policy choices behind a seemingly simple objective. Second, the results confirm that, to dramatically shrink prisons, it is critical to decarcerate a substantial number of people convicted of violent offenses—a fact that may surprise the majority of Americans who believe people convicted of drug offenses occupy half of prison beds. Finally, the results show that race-neutral decarceration strategies are likely to exacerbate rather than mitigate racial disparities. Armed with the conceptual tools and methodologies developed in this Article, we can make more informed decisions about how to best scale down prisons, given our priorities and constraints.
The cellular immune response against Epstein-Barr virus decreases during ocrelizumab treatment

Background Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is strongly associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). After initial infection, EBV maintains a life-long latent infection in B lymphocytes. Depletion of B lymphocytes from the blood with the anti-CD20 antibody ocrelizumab markedly reduces disease activity in MS. Our objective was to measure the effect of ocrelizumab treatment on the cellular immune response to EBV. Methods Blood was collected from MS patients before and during ocrelizumab treatment. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with various antigens, and the response was measured using tritiated thymidine for proliferation and ELIspot for number of interferon-γ producing cells. Results The proliferation to autologous EBV-infected cells (LCL) was decreased after both 6 and 12 months of treatment. The number of interferon-γ producing cells on ELIspot in response to stimulation with either LCL or EBV also decreased. Responses to varicella zoster virus, influenza virus, and a mitogen did not change significantly. Conclusion The cellular immune response to EBV and LCL decreases during treatment with ocrelizumab. The benefit of ocrelizumab for MS may be through removal of EBV antigenic stimulus.
Association of Physical Activity and Physical Functioning Phenotypes With Fall Risk Among Women.

Objective: Physical activity (PA) may slow aging-related declines in physical functioning (PF), but the relationship of PA and falls is not well understood. This study examined the association of P...