cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding large social-ecological systems: introducing the SESMAD project

This article introduces the Social-ecological systems meta-analysis database (SESMAD) project, which is the project behind the case studies and synthetic articles contained in this special issue of the International Journal of the Commons . SESMAD is an internationally collaborative meta-analysis project that builds on previous seminally synthetic work on small-scale common-pool resource systems conducted at the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis at Indiana University. This project is guided by the following research question: can the variables found to be important in explaining outcomes on small-scale systems be scaled up to explain outcomes in large-scale environmental governance? In this special issue we report on our findings thus far through a set of case studies of large-scale environmental governance, a paper that describes our conceptual advances, and a paper that compares these five case studies to further examine our central research question.
Efficient selection and analysis of critical-reliability paths and gates

Aging effects such as negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) and hot carrier injection (HCI) have become major concerns when designing reliable circuits at sub-45nm technologies. It is vital to efficiently identify the paths that age at a faster rate than others in the field. Moreover, gates having the most impact on the degradation of these paths must be identified for compensation purposes. In this paper, we propose (i) a new timing analysis flow, which can quickly and accurately predict path and gate degradation due to NBTI and HCI effects, and (ii) a novel algorithm that can effectively identify the smallest set of critical-reliability gates while quantitatively evaluates their relative importance to path delay degradation. This facilitates reliability-enhancement methods to efficiently mitigate reliability threats using minimum area overhead. Our simulation results on several benchmark circuits demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed technique.
Daniel I.C. Wang: a tribute to an inspirational leader and colleague.

Daniel I.C. Wang has been an influential leader of the biotechnology industry over the past four decades through his inspirational research activities, the legions of students and other researchers that have studied under him, his development of many research and educational initiatives, both nationally and internationally, and the advice he has given worldwide to companies, research institutions, universities, and governments. He has played an important role in the mentoring and nurturing of junior faculty members, and has been a supportive collaborator in research and teaching. This two-part article provides a brief overview of Danny Wang's many contributions to furthering the global development of biotechnology, with particular emphasis on his recent activities in Asia, and concludes with an account of his research collaborations with the author over the oast two decades.
Interaction effects of slurry chemistry on chemical mechanical planarization of electroplated copper

Recent studies have been conducted investigating the effects of slurry chemistry on the copper CMP process. Slurry pH and hydrogen peroxide concentration are two important variables that must be carefully formulated in order to achieve desired removal rates and uniformity. In applications such as through-wafer vertical interconnects, slurry chemistry effects must be thoroughly understood when copper plating thicknesses can measure up to 20 /spl mu/m thick. The species of copper present on the surface of the wafer can be controlled through formulation of the slurry chemistry resulting in minimizing non-uniformity while aggressively removing copper. Using a design of experiments (DOE) approach, this study was performed, investigating the interaction between the two variables during CMP. Using statistical analysis techniques, a better understanding of the interaction behavior between the two variables and the effect on removal rate and uniformity is achieved.
Cosmic rays underground

Primary cosmic rays almost never reach sea level. Secondary particles do. Hadrons, electrons and γ-rays interact immediately with the rock and are quickly absorbed. 10 meters of rock provide two to three times more column depth than the whole atmosphere. Only very high energy muons (E > 500 GeV) can penetrate deep underground where they can be detected by underground detectors. So can neutrinos with their very small interaction cross-section.
Rural Health Disparities

Rural-urban health disparities have been noted for a variety of mortality and morbidity conditions and are seen in the United States and internationally. Two conceptual arguments are often given to explain potential health disparities based on rural or urban residence, including composition arguments that focus on the characteristics of individuals in certain locations and contextual arguments that argue that characteristics of places themselves lead to potential disparities in health outcomes. This chapter first reviews literature on compositional and contextual explanations for health disparities in the United States and internationally. Next an empirical analysis of 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data for adults in the United States is provided that explores these two potential explanations in documenting rural-urban health disparities for several morbidity conditions. Policy makers interested in eliminating rural health disparities must acknowledge the complex interplay between compositional and contextual factors in influencing health outcomes for rural populations.
Abstract T P241: Glial Responses in a Pediatric Model of Ischemic Stroke

Pediatric arterial ischemic stroke affects hundreds of children in the United States each year, with a majority of surviving children suffering long-term neurologic deficit. Initial studies suggest that recovery from stroke is greater among juveniles compared to neonates or adults. We have developed a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse model of pediatric stroke in order to understand the cellular responses unique to the juvenile developmental time period. One strikingly understudied aspect of stroke, especially in juvenile subjects, is its impact on glia, in particular myelinating glia. Therefore, the glial responses following experimentally-induced stroke in juvenile mice were investigated. Methods: P20-25 mice were subjected to 45 min MCAO with an intraluminal filament. Animals were analyzed at 24 hr, 3, 7 and 30 days of recovery. Results: Due to the high metabolic activity of myelinating oligodendrocytes during pediatric development, we hypothesized that oligodendrocytes would be particularl...
Skin-grafting in the treatment of osteomyelitic war wounds.

Techniques of plastic surgery can be applied to the treatment of certain types of osteomyelitic wounds. Success in producing healing by free skin-grafting has been considerable. Later stages of reconstruction in these instances have succeeded, often in proportion to the operator's facility in performing pedicle skin transplants. In replacing free skin grafts with pedicles in this group of patients, dead space presents a major problem. Contrary to the experience of others, attempts at Ashford General Hospital to fill such cavities with iliac-bone chips have resulted in a high proportion of infection; and other filling materials have been used, with varied success.
Toward to smart world: self awareness/adaptive traffic signal control system

The intelligent and self-adaptive urban traffic signal control (TSC) system has become a development trend of intelligent transportation system (ITS). The most city dwellers are concerned with the urban traffic issues very much. So, to provide a self awareness and adaptive facilities in traffic signal control system is become more and more urgent. However, many roadway and traffic applications have not been tapped: primarily sensor networks for highway and traffic algorithms that alleviate generic problems such as roadway congestion. This is due to the fact that sensor network technology (as well as imagers and microradars) is a very recent development. Since sensor networks are relatively new, not many applications have been explored in depth. In this paper, we proposed a self awareness and adaptive urban traffic signal control (TSC) system that could provide both the video surveillance and the traffic surveillance as smart hyperspace. We investigated the vision-based surveillance and to keep sight of the unpredictable and hardly measurable disturbances may perturb the traffic flow. We integrated and performed the vision-based methodologies that include the object segmentation, classify and tracking methodologies to know well the real time measurements in urban road. According to the real time traffic measurement, we derived a grid Agent Communication and the Adaptive Traffic Signal Control strategy to adapt the traffic signal time automatically. By comparing the experimental result obtained by traditional traffic signal control system which improves the traffic queuing situation, we confirmed the efficiency of our vision based smart TSC approach.
Network Data Management in R

A major advantage of using R for network analysis is the power and flexibility of the tools for accessing and manipulating the actual network data. One of the things that I often tell my quantitative methods students is that they will typically spend the majority of their time dealing with data management tasks and challenges. In fact, the time spent analyzing and modeling data is dwarfed by the time spent getting data ready for analyses. This is no different for network analysis. In fact, given the specialized nature of network data, the data management tasks loom even larger. In this chapter we cover three main topics. First, the general nature of network data is explored and defined. Second, we learn how network data objects can be created and managed in R. Finally, a number of typical network data management tasks are illustrated through a set of examples.
An assessment of factors affecting the reliability of total alkalinity measurements

Abstract The accuracy and precision of different methods for detecting the endpoint of the total alkalinity titration and the typical accuracy and precision obtained for alkalinity analyses by a large sample of laboratories were investigated. The optimum, endpoint for total alkalinity titrations decreased from pH 5.0 at 10 mg l − 1 alkalinity to pH 4.2 for 300 mg l − 1 alkalinity or more. The appropriate color changes for bromocresol green-methyl red (BG-MR) and methyl orange (MO) indicators also varied with the initial total alkalinity of samples. Despite differences in pHs at endpoints for samples of different alkalinities, when the best endpoint pH, best color of BG-MR and MO, or the endpoint of methyl purple were used in titrations of standard solutions, there were few differences between measured alkalinities and standard alkalinities — the accuracy was better than ± 3 mg l − 1 . Results of spike and recovery tests on aquaculture pond water samples also revealed that an accuracy of ± 3 mg l − 1 alkalinity could be achieved on either unfiltered or filtered samples by all four methods of acceptable endpoint detection. Although precision of measurements could not be consistently maintained below ± 1 mg l − 1 , coefficients of variation for repeated measurements usually were less than 3% for all methods of endpoint detection. Nevertheless, this degree of precision was adequate to achieve good accuracy that is the major concern in water analysis. Variations in alkalinity measurement that could result from improper selection of endpoint pH (or color) were rather small — usually not more than ± 5 mg l − 1 . In an interlaboratory comparison of alkalinity determinations on standard solutions, most laboratories reported inaccurate alkalinities. These inaccuracies were greater than possible endpoint variations. The most likely sources of error contributing to poor results by the different laboratories were improperly standardized acid for alkalinity titrations, reliance on burets or other titrating devices with coarse calibrations, and use of excessively small sample volumes. Moreover, it was clear that most of the participating laboratories did not have a satisfactory method of quality control. Statement of relevance Alkalinity is important as a source of carbon for photosynthesis, as a buffer, and as a general index of productivity. Thus, it is often measured, but by several different methods of endpoint detection. This study provides useful information of the reliability of alkalinity analyses and recommends how to maintain acceptable precision and accuracy of the procedure.
EFFECTS OF THREE KINDS OF STRESSORS ON HUMAN LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE

In order to compare the effects of three stress producing operations on learning and performance, Ss were required to perform on a series of mental multiplication problems in four trials while they were either paced, shocked, distracted, or not subjected to any stressor conditions. It was found that pacing resulted in significantly fewer multiplication errors and significantly more rapid responding than the other conditions. There were no differences between the shock, distraction and control conditions in multiplication errors or performance time. The data suggest that some stressors have unique characteristics which may affect learning and performance, but that the particular effects of stressors probably vary with the task and the manner in which the stressor is presented.
Implementation of the Burnett terms into the NPARC code for predicting the low density flows

In this study, three dimensional Burnett terms, second order stresses and heat fluxes in Cartesian coordinates, are derived from the Chapman-Enskog expansion and integrated into the NPARC code. It becomes a Burnett equations solver. In order to verify this modified code, tests were conducted for flow over a sphere with various Mach numbers and Reynolds numbers. Attention is focused on the near-wake flow structure behind the sphere. The Knudsen number is in the order of 0.01, which the Navier-Stokes equations are still marginally valid. Comparisons of the near wake Row computed by the Burnett equations and the Navier-Stokes equations or the direct simulation Monte Carlo method (DSMC) are discussed. The results show that the Burnett equations solver is capable of predicting low density flow accurately. INTRODUCTION For spacecrafts maneuvering in very high altitude, the ambient air becomes so rarefied that the Knudsen number effect must be taken into account, and the validity of the Navier-Stokes equations is in doubt. Based on the Chapman-Enskog expansion to obtain the solution of the Boltzmann equation, the distribution function can be expanded into a regular series with the Knudsen number as the expansion parameter. The Knudsen number is defined as
Acoustic Wave Interaction with Counterflow Methane-Air Premixed Flames

Under certain operating conditions, many combustion systems exhibit large amplitude pressure oscillations coupled with unsteadiness in the combustion processes (thermoacoustic instabilities). Model-based active control approaches are being pursued to suppress the potentially destructive instabilities, where a fundamental understanding of the flame-acoustics coupling mechanisms is critical. The formulation of a detailed numerical model for the investigation of the spontaneous resonant interaction of longitudinal acoustic waves with planar counterflow flames is presented, with the inclusion of compressibility and finite-rate chemistry effects. For well-resolved simulations, the occurrence of self-sustained thermo-acoustic instabilities in methane-air premixed counterflow flames is analyzed for a range of flow strain rates, employing both detailed and global one-step chemical kinetic models. It is shown that the response of the flame to acoustic perturbations is dependent on the flow strain rate as well as on the reaction mechanism employed. In particular, unlike their non-premixed counterpart, premixed counterflow flames modeled with detailed chemical kinetics show the potential for flame-acoustics coupling. The sensitivity of chemical kinetic parameters on the acoustic response is investigated for several one-step models.
Organic electronics: Efficiency through dilution

The detrimental effects of charge trapping in organic semiconductors can be minimized by diluting the electroactive polymer in an insulating host.
Wavelet Packet Transform based Speech Enhancement via Two-Dimensional SPP Estimator with Generalized Gamma Priors

Although various speech enhancement techniques have been developed for different applications, existing methods are limited in noisy environments with high ambient noise levels. Speech presence probability (SPP) estimation is a speech enhancement technique to reduce speech distortions, especially for low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) scenario. In this paper, we propose a new two-dimensional (2D) Teager energy operators (TEOs) improved SPP estimator for speech enhancement in time-frequency (T-F) domain. Wavelet packet transform (WPT) as a multiband decomposition technique is used to concentrate the energy distribution of speech components. A minimum mean-square error (MMSE) estimator is obtained based on the generalized gamma distribution speech model in WPT domain. In addition, the speech samples corrupted by environment and occupational noise (i.e., machine shop, factory and station) at different input SNRs are used to validate the proposed algorithm. Results suggest that the proposed method achieves a significant enhancement on perceptual quality, compared with four conventional speech enhancement algorithms (i.e., MMSE-84, MMSE-04, Wiener-96, and BTW).
Optimization of high-contrast metastructure silicon waveguides for wavelength-tunable delay

The ability to tune the delay of an optical signal is a key component in photonics-based RF phased-array beamforming applications. Recent work has shown that high-contrast metastructure waveguides can be designed for a wide range of delay tuned by carrier injection or signal wavelength, enabling two-dimensional beam steering. In this work, we further explore the parameter space of these structures to maximize the delay change over optical wavelength while maintaining low insertion loss, with the goal of implementing phased-array beamforming in integrated photonic devices.
Study of Electrocatalytic Properties of Metal-Organic Framework PCN-223 for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

A highly robust metal–organic framework (MOF) constructed from Zr6 oxo clusters and Fe(III) porphyrin linkers, PCN-223-Fe was investigated as a heterogeneous catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Films of the framework were grown on a conductive FTO substrate and showed a high catalytic current upon application of cathodic potentials and achieved high H2O/H2O2 selectivity. In addition, the effect of the proton source on the catalytic performance was also investigated.
Arthropod Envenomation in North America

Arthropods (phylum Arthopoda) account for a higher percentage of morbidity and mortality to humans than do mammalian bites, snake bites, or marine envenomation. They are ubiquitous in domestic dwellings, caves, and campsites and in wilderness settings such as deserts, forests, and lakes. Although arthropods are most intrusive during warmer months, many are active throughout the winter, particularly indoors. Arthropods are also nocturnal and often bite unsuspecting victims while they are sleeping. Encounters with humans are generally defensive, accidental, or reactive. An individual stung by an insect or bitten by an arachnid may experience pain and local swelling, an anaphylactic reaction, or life-threatening toxicity. This review discusses the clinical presentation and latest treatment recommendations for bites and stings from spiders, scorpions, bees, ants, ticks and centipedes of North America.
Effects of doping on the electronic properties of NbSe3.

We have measured the resistance of V-doped ${\mathrm{NbSe}}_{3}$ over the temperature range 10 mK--180 K. The V concentration of each sample was determined by energy dispersive x-ray analysis. The addition of impurities depresses the charge-density-wave transition temperatures, causes a metal-insulator transition to occur at \ensuremath{\sim}0.34 at. % V, and induces inhomogeneous superconductivity for V concentrations in the range 0.15--0.4 at. %. Using additional data from a Ta-doped sample, we are able to simultaneously explain these three effects as the result of an induced gap which grows with doping.
El discurso feminista en Chile y las imágenes de la mujer en la República Española

Este trabajo analiza como las imagenes sobre la mujer surgidas en la Segunda Republica espanola y la Guerra Civil espanola influenciaron la construccion del discurso feminista en Chile en los 30. El corpus esta compuesto por tres publicaciones periodicas feministas chilenas de la decada del 30: Nosotras (Valparaiso 1931-1935); Accion Femenina (Santiago 1922- 1939) y La Mujer Nueva (Santiago 1935-1942). Se utiliza el analisis de discurso para trabajar los textos surgidos en un contexto de radicalizacion politica. La defensa de la Republica espanola se transformo en un elemento que aporto a la consolidacion del discurso feminista latinoamericano, especificamente chileno, reforzando una nueva subjetividad femenina representada por la “mujer nueva”.
Implementing secure e-mail on the open internet with MailTrust

E-mail is generally regarded as an insecure method of electronic communication for numerous reasons. Most notably, the default does not guarantee the authentic identity of either the intended sender or receiver of a message, nor does it guarantee the confidentiality and integrity of the message. While these problems can partially be addressed with commonly utilized technologies involving certificates and e-mail client plugins, current practice is insufficient for high-security applications, such as classified communications among clients of different e-mail systems. The research presented here leverages “Trustmarks” (which were developed primarily to support efficient single sign on in a federated environment) to support secure e-mails between multiple systems where there are particularly stringent confidentiality and integrity requirements. Such a system could increase the ability of users at disparate organizations to communicate without fear that sensitive information might intentionally or accidentally be disclosed. Although there are many barriers to adoption, such a system might also eventually reduce the reliance on separate communication networks and systems for classified communications.
Characterizing tissue perfusion after lower extremity intervention using two-dimensional color-coded digital subtraction angiography

Abstract Objective Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of the peripheral arterial vasculature provides lumenographic information but only a qualitative assessment of blood flow. The ability to quantify adequate tissue perfusion of the lower extremities would enable real-time perfusion assessment during DSA of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). In this study, we used a novel real-time imaging software to delineate tissue perfusion parameters in the foot in PAD patients. Methods Between March 2015 and June 2016, patients (N = 31) underwent lower extremity angiography using a two-dimensional perfusion (2DP) imaging protocol (Philips Healthcare, Andover, Mass). Of the 31 enrolled patients, 16 patients received preintervention and postintervention DSA images (18 angiograms), while contrast agent injection settings and the position of the foot, catheter, and C-arm were kept constant. The region of interest for perfusion measurements was taken at the level of the medial malleolus. Perfusion parameters included arrival time (AT) of contrast material, wash-in rate (WIR), time to peak (TTP) contrast intensity, and area under the curve (AUC). Results Patients (mean age, 67 years; male, 61%) undergoing 2DP had limbs classified as Rutherford class 3 (n = 9 limbs), class 4 (n = 11), and class 5 (n = 14) ischemia with a mean ankle-brachial index of 0.63. For the whole cohort, median (interquartile range) AT measured 5.20 (3.10-7.25) seconds; WIR, 61.95 (43.53-86.43) signal intensity (SI)/s; TTP, 3.80 (2.88-4.50) seconds; peak intensity, 725.00 (613.75-1138.00) SI; and AUC, 12,084.00 (6742.80-17,059.70) SI*s. A subset of patients had 2DP performed before and after intervention (n = 18 cases). A detectable improvement in SI and two-dimensional flow parameters was seen after intervention. Average AT of contrast material to the region of interest shortened after intervention with percentage decrease of 30.1% ± 49.1%, corresponding decrease in TTP of 17.6% ± 24.7%, increase in WIR of 68.8% ± 94.2% and in AUC of 10.5% ± 37.6%, decrease in mean transit time of 18.7% ± 28.1%, and increase in peak of 34.4% ± 42.2%. Conclusions The 2DP imaging allows measurement of blood flow in real time as an adjunct to DSA. The AT may be the most sensitive marker of perfusion change in the lower extremity. Quantitative thresholds based on 2DP hold promise for immediate treatment effectiveness assessment in patients with PAD.
Tuberculosis during pregnancy in the United States: Racial/ethnic disparities in pregnancy complications and in-hospital death.

Background Despite decades of efforts to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) in the United States (US), TB still contributes to adverse ill health, especially among racial/ethnic minorities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2016, about 87% of the TB cases reported in the US were among racial and ethnic minorities. The objective of this study is to explore the risks for pregnancy complications and in-hospital death among mothers diagnosed with TB across racial/ethnic groups in the US. Methods This retrospective cohort study utilized National Inpatient Sample data for all inpatient hospital discharges in the US. We analyzed pregnancy-related hospitalizations and births in the US from January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2014 (n = 57,393,459). Multivariable logistic regression was applied to generate odds ratios for the association between TB status and the primary study outcomes (i.e., pregnancy complications and in-hospital death) across racial/ethnic categories. Results The prevalence of TB was 7.1 per 100,000 pregnancy-related hospitalizations. The overall prevalence of pregnancy complications was 80% greater among TB-infected mothers than their uninfected counterparts. Severe pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, placenta previa, post-partum hemorrhage, sepsis and anemia occurred with greater frequency among mothers with a TB diagnosis than those without TB, irrespective of race/ethnicity. The rate of in-hospital death among TB patients was 37 times greater among TB-infected than in non-TB infected mothers (468.8 per 100,000 versus 12.6 per 100,000). A 3-fold increased risk of in-hospital death was observed among black TB-negative mothers compared to their white counterparts. No racial/ethnic disparities in maternal morbidity or in-hospital death were found among mothers with TB disease. Conclusion TB continues to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality among pregnant women in the US. Resources to address TB disease should also target pregnant women, especially racial/ethnic minorities who bear the greatest burden of the disease.
Dissociations of conscious and unconscious perception in TMS-induced blindsight

Abstract As with some patients with primary visual cortex (V1) damage, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over V1 reliably induces blindsight, whereby observers can correctly discriminate the attributes of visual stimuli despite being unable to detect them. This TMS-induced blindsight has been demonstrated to reflect a form of unconscious vision that relies upon different neural pathways than with conscious vision. However, the timing of the neural processes mediating TMS-induced blindsight has been unclear, especially when considering suggestions that TMS interferes with feedback processes to V1 that mediate conscious visual perception. To better elucidate the neural mechanisms that give rise to blindsight, we tested TMS-induced blindsight for the orientation of visual stimuli across a range of stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) to assess how different latencies of visual cortex disruption, relative to a visual stimulus, affect detection rates and forced-choice discrimination accuracy. At all TMS latencies, including at SOAs with substantial visual suppression from TMS, discrimination performance was significantly above-chance, demonstrating the consistency of TMS-induced blindsight. Crucially, we observed two windows of maximum visual suppression from TMS at SOAs between 65 and 105 ms, but consistent above-chance discrimination performance accuracy across these windows. However, at longer SOAs, detection and discrimination covaried, suggesting a dependency of discrimination performance on detection only when detection rates exceed threshold levels of normal vision. Taken together, these results indicate that unconscious discrimination occurs independently of detection, including at TMS intervals that optimally interfere with conscious visual perception. They further suggest that forced-choice discrimination is less dependent on feedback processes to V1 than visual awareness and that TMS-induced blindsight is not the same as near-threshold vision.
Automatic semantic edge labeling over legal citation graphs

A large number of cross-references to various bodies of text are used in legal texts, each serving a different purpose. It is often necessary for authorities and companies to look into certain types of these citations. Yet, there is a lack of automatic tools to aid in this process. Recently, citation graphs have been used to improve the intelligibility of complex rule frameworks. We propose an algorithm that builds the citation graph from a document and automatically labels each edge according to its purpose. Our method uses the citing text only and thus works only on citations who’s purpose can be uniquely identified by their surrounding text. This framework is then applied to the US code. This paper includes defining and evaluating a standard gold set of labels that cover a vast majority of citation types which appear in the “US Code” but are still short enough for practical use. We also proposed a novel linear-chain conditional random field model that extracts the features required for labeling the citations from the surrounding text. We then analyzed the effectiveness of different clustering methods such as K-means and support vector machine to automatically label each citation with the corresponding label. Besides this, we talk about the practical difficulties of this task and give a comparison of human accuracy compared to our end-to-end algorithm.
Association of Urinary Incontinence with Cognition, Transfers and Discharge Destination in Acute Stroke Inpatient Rehabilitation.

Abstract Background Acute-stroke prognostic indicators remain controversial including relationship of urinary incontinence with outcomes in cognition, transfers, and discharge destination. Objective To examine if urinary incontinence is associated with inpatient-rehabilitation (IR) outcomes in cognition, transfers, and discharge destinations. Design Retrospective observational study of 303 of 579(52%) acute-stroke patients admitted to IR 2012-2015 with complete urinary incontinence (total assistance for bladder management). Discharge Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores were correlated for continence, cognition, transfers-(bed/chair/wheelchair), and discharge destination. Results Patients were admitted to IR on average 7.4 days after acute stroke. Average length-of-stay in IR was 14 days. At discharge 118 of 303(39%) remained urinary incontinent (total assistance). Continence/bladder-management FIM scores at discharge were associated with cognition FIM scores at discharge (chi square =105.8; P Conclusions 52% stroke patients were total assistance with bladder management for urinary incontinence on IR admission. Partial to complete continence recovery occurred in 61%. Continence/bladder-management FIM scores at discharge were associated with cognition and transfer FIM scores, and discharge destinations.
Academic Performance in Community Colleges: The Influences of Part-Time and Full-Time Instructors:

Understanding the relative impacts of part-time adjuncts in community colleges is highly policy-relevant, partly because community colleges rely on part-time faculty heavily and partly because comm...
Overlooked Trends in Observed Global Annual Precipitation Reveal Underestimated Risks

Numerous human and environmental systems are sensitive to the spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation, including agriculture, water supply, and ecosystems. Trends in observed precipitation form an important line of evidence to understand how changes may increase system vulnerabilities. Linear trends reported in US and global climate assessments reflect changes in mean annual precipitation. Mean trends may not reflect changes across other quantiles in the precipitation probability distribution, including the tails (very high and low precipitation levels), leading to systematic mischaracterization of climate risk. Here we reanalyze global annual precipitation using quantile regression to reveal overlooked trends. We find trends in the tails inconsistent with the mean in 44.4% of land area and 40.7% of rainfed agricultural regions. Previously undetected trends offer a more accurate view of the changing climate. This work enables reappraisals of risk aggregated over thresholds in human and environmental systems, enabling revaluation of threats and identification of appropriate adaptation strategies.
Trends in mental health service use by age among adults with serious mental illness.

Abstract Purpose This study examines trends in mental health service use among 18- to 64-year-old adults with serious mental illness (SMI). Methods Data are from approximately 22,200 adults with SMI who participated in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an annual nationally representative survey of the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population. A regression restricted spline modeled the trend in mental health service use by age among adults with SMI. Results Approximately 20 to 50% of adults with SMI did not receive past-year mental health services. The odds of past-year service use increased by 3% per year until age 52 years. Conclusions From age 18 to 52 years, age incrementally increases the likelihood that an adult with SMI makes treatment contact.
Historical Overview of Petroleum and Seismology

A brief history of petroleum exploration in the United States from the late 1850’s to the present illustrates the progression of scientific thought and techniques that evolved globally during this period. The first subsurface drilling specifically targeting hydrocarbons is credited to Colonel Edwin L. Drake in 1859 along Oil Creek, Pennsylvania. Exploration efforts following his discovery through the remainder of the 19th century focused on location of surface seeps and slicks. After the turn of the 20th century the need to locate larger hydrocarbon accumulations required better understanding of the subsurface. Two foundational tools were developed in the 1920’s that would revolutionize subsurface interpretation; well logs as direct down hole measurements and seismic refraction profiles. The emphasis was location of large structural closures. The seismic application advanced to include source and reservoir prediction as well as fluid type as 3D seismic data were developed in the 1970’s and 80’s. Image quality and resolution were greatly enhanced as well as interpretation of seismic attributes such as coherency, curvature, dip azimuth, and near vs. far offset AVO analysis during the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Advanced application continues with the evaluation of rock properties and micro-seismicity associated with unconventional plays.
THE DEVELOPMENT AND READABILITY OF THE CONCUSSION QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE-YOUTH FOR ASSESSING HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE FOLLOWING SPORT-RELATED CONCUSSION:

Background:While the assessment of symptoms, cognition, balance, and oculomotor function is common among sports medicine clinicians, there has been increased attention on assessing the patient’s pe...
Optimal Supply Chains for Biofuel Production

Abstract Both environmental and economic performances are critical in the development of the biofuel industry for it to truly be a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based transportation fuels. In this chapter, that challenge is examined for a 9-state region in the Midwestern United States by formulating and solving a supply chain optimization problem with the competing objectives of maximizing profit (as Net Present Value) and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. Recent life cycle analysis literature on biofuels is leveraged to quantify the impact of each activity in the biofuel supply chain. The resulting multiobjective mixed integer linear program is solved using an e-constraint approach that yields the Pareto Frontier of efficient supply chain designs. This allows for the identification of supply chain decisions that greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions for minimal economic losses.
Unanswered Questions About Uncertainty, Information, and Investment Decisions

Books far too often come with answers only. They convey a warm feeling that everything is under control. This book is not in that tradition. Hopefully, it will inspire some to realize that the frontier of knowledge in ROA is only work in progress and at an early stage of progress. Unanswered questions are the prerequisites to change, progress, and even sometime scientific revolutions. This book is an invitation for those who think that ROA can make a difference to help making it go to the next level.
Time-dependent tuning of balance control and aftereffects following optical flow perturbation training in older adults

Walking balance in older adults is disproportionately susceptible to lateral instability provoked by optical flow perturbations. The prolonged exposure to these perturbations could promote reactive balance control and increased balance confidence in older adults, but this scientific premise has yet to be investigated. This proof of concept study was designed to investigate the propensity for time-dependent tuning of walking balance control and the presence of aftereffects in older adults following a single session of optical flow perturbation training. Thirteen older adults participated in a randomized, crossover design performed on different days that included 10 min of treadmill walking with (experimental session) and without (control session) optical flow perturbations. We used electromyographic recordings of leg muscle activity and 3D motion capture to quantify foot placement kinematics, lateral margin of stability, and antagonist coactivation during normal walking (baseline), early (min 1) and late (min 10) responses to perturbations, and aftereffects immediately following perturbation cessation (post). At their onset, perturbations elicited 17% wider and 7% shorter steps, higher step width and length variability (+171% and +132%, respectively), larger and more variable margins of stability (MoS), and roughly twice the antagonist leg muscle coactivation (p-values<0.05). Despite continued perturbations, most outcomes returned to values observed during normal, unperturbed walking by the end of prolonged exposure. After 10 min of perturbation training and their subsequent cessation, older adults walked with longer and more narrow steps, modest increases in foot placement variability, and roughly half the MoS variability and antagonist lower leg muscle coactivation as they did before training. Findings suggest that older adults: (i) respond to the onset of perturbations using generalized anticipatory balance control, (ii) deprioritize that strategy following prolonged exposure to perturbations, and (iii) upon removal of perturbations, exhibit short-term aftereffects that indicate a lessening of anticipatory control, an increase in reactive control, and/or increased balance confidence. We consider this an early, proof-of-concept study into the clinical utility of prolonged exposure to optical flow perturbations as a training tool for corrective motor adjustments relevant to walking balance integrity toward reinforcing task-specific, reactive control and/or improving balance confidence in older adults. clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT03341728 ). Registered 14 November 2017.
History of Childhood Maltreatment: Associations with Aggression and College Outcomes

About one-third of college students report a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) which may lead to heightened arousal and emotional dysregulation; thus, there is reason to hypothesize problems w...
Initial Clinical Experience Treating Patients with Breast Cancer on a 6-MV Flattening-Filter-Free O-Ring Linear Accelerator.

Abstract Purpose Radiation therapy (RT) is commonly used in the treatment of gynecologic cancers. Intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) has been shown to reduce gastrointestinal toxicity compared with 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional RT modalities. We report the initial clinical experience using IMRT for gynecologic cancers with a novel 6MV flattening filter free O-ring linear accelerator (6X-FFF ORL). Methods and Materials We retrospectively identified consecutive women with uterine or cervical cancer who received pelvic RT on Halcyon (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA), a novel 6X-FFF ORL. We report their clinicopathologic data, RT details, early disease-control outcomes, acute toxicities, dose-volume histogram data, couch corrections, and treatment times. Results Seventeen women received RT on a 6X-FFF ORL for uterine cancer (76%) or cervical cancer (24%) between January 2017 and September 2019. RT was delivered postoperatively (82%) or to intact disease (18%), to a median dose of 50.4 Gy (range, 19.8-55.0 Gy) in 25 fractions (range, 11-28), with 12% receiving extended-field RT and 65% receiving chemotherapy. Target and organ-at-risk constraints were met in all plans. The 3-dimensional vector couch correction average was 0.90 ± 0.37 cm. The mean beam-on time was 2.9 ± 0.4 min and mean treatment time, from imaging start to beam-off, was 3.6 ± 0.4 min. Grade 2 fatigue, anorexia, diarrhea, bloating, and nausea occurred in 41%, 12%, 12%, 6%, and 6% of patients, respectively. There were no grade ≥3 toxicities. Conclusions In the initial clinical report of pelvic RT for gynecologic cancers using a 6X-FFF ORL, the linac showed versatility in treatment; comparability to flattening-filtered IMRT for early disease-control, toxicity, and dosimetry; and treatment speed that compared favorably to IMRT on a C-arm gantry. Accordingly, a 6X-FFF ORL may increase throughput or reduce day length in departments with high gynecologic cancer volumes, without compromising clinical outcomes.
Echocardiographic quantitation of left heart size and function in 122 healthy dogs: A prospective study proposing reference intervals and assessing repeatability.

Background Broadly applicable reference intervals (RIs) for measurements of left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) size and function generated prospectively using statistically appropriate methods are limited. Objectives To generate body size-independent RIs for linear, area, and volume measurements of LA size and LV size and function. Animals Healthy adult dogs (n = 122) of variable size and somatotype. Methods Prospective study. All dogs underwent an echocardiogram performed by the same examiner. Effects of body weight, sex, age, and heart rate were evaluated by regression and correlation analyses. Scaling exponents and prediction intervals were generated for linear measurements using the allometric equation. After normalization to body weight, 95% RIs were determined using nonparametric methods with 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles serving as the lower and upper limits (each with 90% confidence intervals), respectively. Results Linear LA and LV measurements were strongly correlated (R2 ≥ 0.79) with body weight. Scaling exponents were close to the expected 1/3 (0.299-0.392). Prediction intervals for linear measurements of LV chamber size were considerably narrower than previously reported. Weak correlations (r = -0.42 to -0.50) among LV fractional shortening, fractional area change, and ejection fraction and body weight were identified. No other meaningful relationships were identified between the measurements and sex, age, and heart rate. Conclusions and clinical importance Body size-independent RIs for several linear, area, and volume measurements of LA and LV size and function were generated prospectively from a large and diverse reference population and are available for clinical use.
Gentrification And The Health Of Low-Income Children In New York City.

Although the pace of gentrification has accelerated in cities across the US, little is known about the health consequences of growing up in gentrifying neighborhoods. We used New York State Medicai...
Neutrophil trafficking on-a-chip: an in vitro, organotypic model for investigating neutrophil priming, extravasation, and migration with spatiotemporal control.

Neutrophil trafficking is essential for a strong and productive immune response to infection and injury. During acute inflammation, signals from resident immune cells, fibroblasts, and the endothelium help to prime, attract, and activate circulating neutrophils at sites of inflammation. Due to current limitations with in vitro and animal models, our understanding of these events is incomplete. In this paper, we describe a microfluidic technology which incorporates a lumen-based vascular component with a high degree of spatiotemporal control to facilitate the study of neutrophil trafficking using primary human cells. The improved spatiotemporal control allows functional selection of neutrophils based on their migratory capacity. We use this technology to investigate neutrophil–endothelial interactions and find that these interactions are necessary for robust neutrophil chemotaxis to interleukin-8 (IL-8) and priming of the neutrophils. In agreement with previous studies, we observed that transendothelial migration (TEM) is required for neutrophils to enter a primed phenotypic state. TEM neutrophils not only produce a significantly higher amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) when treated with PMA, but also upregulate genes involved in ROS production (CYBB, NCF1, NFKB1, NFKBIA), cell adhesion (CEACAM-8, ITGAM), and chemokine receptors (CXCR2, TNFRSF1A). These results suggest that neutrophil–endothelial interactions are crucial to neutrophil chemotaxis and ROS generation.
Col-6, a Compound Found in Edible Plants, Induces Apoptosis of Human Leukemia Cells and Down-Regulate Bcl-2 Expression.

Abstract Col-6 is a compound found in certain edible plants. Col-6 has been synthesized, and structurely-characterized. This study investigated its effects on the growth of human promyelocytic leukemic cell line, HL-60. Exposure of HL-60 cells to Col-6 at high concentrations (≥40 μM) resulted in cytolysis in 90% cells within 72 hours. At lower concentrations ( Conclusion: Col-6, a compound found in edible plants, induced apoptosis of HL-60 cells and down-regulation of bcl-2. Col-6 may be a potential novel anti-leukemia agent. Further in vivo study is indicated.