cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PS2-12: Opportunities to Improve Aspirin Utilization for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in a Regional Healthcare System

Background/AimsAspirin is a cornerstone of primary cardiovascular disease prevention, but little is known about aspirin use patterns in primary care populations. Aspirin pharmacoepidemiology research presents some particular challenges within the HMO Research Network because aspirin is typically obtained over-the-counter and does not routinely appear in pharmacy claims data. This study leveraged electronic health records from the Marshfield Clinic to identify demographic, clinical, and geographic predictors of aspirin use in adults without cardiovascular disease.MethodsA cross-sectional study was used with years 2010–2012 data from 45–79 year old adults in the Marshfield Epidemiologic Study Area. Individuals who reported regular use (daily or every other day) of aspirin-containing medications during their most recent ambulatory encounter, or had an aspirin contraindication, were considered adherent to aspirin therapy.ResultsPer national guideline, there were 6,950 adults in the target population who were clinically indicated for aspirin therapy for primary cardiovascular disease prevention. Aspirin was underutilized in this population overall, with less than half of all clinically indicated adults adherent to aspirin therapy. Statistically adjusted models found that individuals who were younger, female, not covered by health insurance, did not visit a medical provider regularly, were not obese, or did not have diabetes were least likely to use aspirin. In addition, aspirin use was less common in northeastern communities within the Marshfield Clinic service area.ConclusionsDemographic patterns of aspirin use in this study were largely consistent with previous findings, noting several aspirin use disparities in central Wisconsin adults without cardiovascular disease. Aspirin use was particularly low in those without diabetes and/or without regular physician contact. The methods outlined here on using electronic health records to conduct aspirin pharmacosurveillance can be adopted and refined by other HMO Research Network partners to optimize future cardiovascular disease (primary) prevention initiatives.
Inner asia and the spatial politics of empire: archeology, mobility, and culture

The book represents an important contribution to the study of early nomadic statecrafts and their impacts on shaping the dynamic of Inner Asia's politics. Debate persists among Inner Asia scholars ...
Determination of 4 Kinds of Anions in Drinking Water by Ion Chromatography

[Objective]To establish a method for simultaneous determination of fluoride,chloride,nitrate and sulfate in drinking water by ion chromatography. [Methods]]The determination was based on the"Hygienic Standard for Drinking Water"(GB/T 5750-2006).Samples was separated in SI-524E column and SI-90G protection column with 3.6 mmol/L sodium carbonate(Na2CO3) as eluent. [Results]The detection Limits were F-0.02 mg/L,Cl- 0.01 mg/L,NO3-0.006 mg/L and SO42-0.50 mg/L.Recoveries ranged from 98% to 103%,and correlation coefficients were above 0.999. [Conclusion]This method is simple and sensitive,with good recovery and is suitable for determination of F-,Cl-,NO3-,SO42 in water.
Construction of Lck Gene Antisense RNA Adenoviral Vector and its Effect on Lck Expression in Renal Epithelial Cells

Objective:The objective of this experiment was to construct recombinant adenoviral vector expressing antisense RNA to Lck gene, and investigate its effect on Lck protein expression in renal tubule epithelial cells (TEC).Methods:The Lck cDNA was obtained from TEC of BALB/C mice by RT-PCR and partial Lck cDNA was inserted into pDC 316 plasmid reversely to construct the antisense RNA shuttle plasmid(pDC 316-antisenseLck).The recombinant plasmid was identified through PCR, restriction endonuclease digestion and DNA sequence analysis. This shuttle plasmid and helper plasmid were co-transfected into HEK 293 cells through lipofectin to produce recombinant adenovirus(Ad-antisenseLck), then the recombinant adenovirus was used to infect the TEC. The influence of the adenovirus on Lck protein expression induced by IL-2 stimulations was observed by th way of immunoblotting.Results:The recombinant adenovirus expressing Lck antisense RNA could inhibit the expression of Lck protein in TEC induced by IL-2(P0.05).Conclusion:A kind of Recombinant adenovirus expressing Lck antisense RNA is constructed successfully and it could inhibit Lck protein expression induced by IL-2 stimulations in TEC significantly.
Blood Pressure Responses to Endovascular Stimulation: A Potential Therapy for Autonomic Disorders With Vasodilatation

Background We have previously shown that sympathetic ganglia stimulation via the renal vein rapidly increases blood pressure. This study further investigated the optimal target sites and effective energy levels for stimulation of the renal vasculatures and nearby sympathetic ganglia for rapid increase in blood pressure. Methods The pre-study protocol for endovascular stimulations included 2 minutes of stimulation (1-150 V and 10 pulses per second) and at least 2 minutes of rest during poststimulation. If blood pressure and/or heart rate were changed during the stimulation, time to return to baseline was allowed prior to the next stimulation. Results In 11 acute canine studies, we performed 85 renal artery, 30 renal vein, and 8 hepatic vasculature stimulations. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) rapidly increased during stimulation of renal artery (95 ± 18 mmHg vs. 103 ± 15 mmHg; P 10 V focused on the left renal artery, bilateral renal arteries, and bilateral renal veins (especially the mid segment). Overall, heart rate was unchanged, but muscle fasciculation was observed in 22.0% with an output >10 V (range 15-150 V). Analysis after excluding the stimulations that resulted in fasciculation yielded similar results to the main findings. Conclusions Stimulation of intra-abdominal vasculatures promptly increased the MAP and thus may be a potential treatment option for hypotension in autonomic disorders. Predictors of optimal stimulation include energy delivery and the site of stimulation (for the renal vasculatures), which informs the design of subsequent research.
Calsequestrin Depolymerizes when Ca2+ Concentration Decays in the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum of Skeletal Muscle

Calsequestrin is the major Ca2+ binding protein of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). In solution, it polymerizes as [Ca2+] increases, which in turn endows the protein with greater Ca2+ binding capacity. Within resting muscles calsequestrin appears as linear polymers that fill SR terminal cisternae, but there is no evidence that it depolymerizes when Ca2+ leaves the SR. In voltage-clamped mouse myofibers depolarization-induced Ca2+ release flux features an early peak, followed by a “hump” of Ca2+ stored in calsequestrin (Royer et al. JGP 2010). We measured the effects of prior Ca2+ release on release kinetics, using a conditioning-test pulse protocol. At the shortest intervals after the conditioning release, T=100 ms, peak flux was reduced by 70% and the hump was absent. As T increased the peak recovered with τ=207 ms, but the hump required T>30s for recovery. [Ca2+]SR recovered with τ=240 ms (SEM 53 ms, 11 cells). Thus, restoration of peak flux tracks recovery of the driving [Ca2+] gradient, but restoring the hump takes much longer. It follows that upon releasing Ca2+, calsequestrin enters a long-lasting state that cancels its ability to support Ca2+ release. The hypothesis that the change consists in depolymerization was tested by FRAP of EYFP-calsequestrin and D4cpV-calsequestrin, which revealed an inverse relationship between calsequestrin's diffusion coefficient (Deff) and [Ca2+]SR, consistent with calsequestrin's depolymerization upon reduction of [Ca2+]SR. A similar dependence was found for the Deff of [Ca2+]SR monitor D1ER, indicating that the polymeric network hinders diffusion of species other than calsequestrin. Additional evidences of calsequestrin depolymerization were found in imaging studies of calsequestrin structure in mouse myofibers (Manno et al., this meeting). Supported by NIH grants AR049184 and GM111254.
Practical considerations for exploiting the World Wide Web to create infobuttons.

BACKGROUND We are studying ways to provide automated, context-specific links (called "infobuttons") between clinical information systems (CIS) and other information resources available on the World Wide Web. As part of this work, we observed the information needs that arose when clinicians used a CIS and we classified those needs into generic questions. We then sought general methods for accessing information resources to answer the questions. METHODS For each generic question, we identified a satisfactory resource and then developed a method for retrieving from it the information relevant to the question. We then studied these methods to characterize them into general approaches. RESULTS We identified six general approaches and describe them in detail. These approaches range in complexity from simple, hard-coded links to intelligent agents and calculators. CONCLUSION Web-based information resources can be exploited using a relatively small number of methods, although the specific methods require custom solutions. Standard methods for accessing Web-based resources would simplify the task of linking to CISs.
Decline In Public Substance Use Disorder Treatment Centers Most Serious In Counties With High Shares Of Black Residents

Previous research has associated declines in health care resources such as hospitals and trauma centers with communities’ racial composition. However, little is known about changes in the substance use disorder treatment infrastructure in recent years and the implications for black communities. We used data for the period 2002–10 from the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services to describe changes in the supply of public and private outpatient facilities for substance use disorder treatment, and to determine whether these trends had implications for the geographical availability of these facilities in counties with high percentages of black residents. During the study period the number of publicly owned facilities declined 17.2 percent, whereas the number of private for-profit facilities grew 19.1 percent. At baseline, counties with very high percentages of black residents (that is, more than one standard deviation above the mean) were more likely than counties with less than the mean percen...
Dieselmotoren für leichte Nutzfahrzeuge

Die Anforderungen an die zukunftigen Antriebe fur leichte Nutzfahrzeuge steigen immer weiter an. Fur eine hohe Wirtschaftlichkeit und Effizienz mussen Nutzfahrzeug-Aggregate verbrauchsarm bei gleichzeitig hohen Leistungs- und Drehmomentwerten sein. Damit wird der Zuverlassigkeit und Dauerhaltbarkeit eine zentrale Bedeutung beigemessen. Wegen ihrer Allroundfahigkeiten sind moderne Dieselaggregate bereits seit Jahrzehnten die dominierende Antriebsquelle fur leichte Nutzfahrzeuge.
Religion and the Representative Anecdote: Replacement and Revenge in AMC’s The Walking Dead

ABSTRACTThe current study examines how the horror-based AMC television series The Walking Dead portrays religion in terms of a reframing of the role, if any, of faith in a higher power, and the portrayal of the faithful. The religious-themed discourse of this highly successful story about survivors of a zombie apocalypse as presented through dialogic and visual imagery serves as the text analyzed here; specifically, related episodes set in churches at two separate points in the series that combine to offer a metaphor of “structure” used to disassemble and reconstruct the role of religion. These episodes interlace religious themes to develop an overarching message that forms a representative anecdote of replacement in which the notion of “faith” becomes redefined.
MoS 2 synthesis and high-performance broadband photodetector

In this work, we report on the vapor-based synthesis of molybdenum disulphide (MoS 2 ), which is one of the most widely studied two-dimensional (2D) layered materials since the large body of work conducted on the quintessential layered material, graphene. In addition, we have fabricated and characterized a MoS 2 photodetector which was formed using a visco-elastic stamping technique. This device exhibits a low Schottky barrier height of ∼27 meV and a photoresponsivity of 1,314 A/W at room temperature using a broad band light source with irradiance power of 0.134 nW at 5 V drain-source voltage. Our results show the promise of MoS 2 for photodetectors and a range of other applications.
Boston versus deferred acceptance in an interim setting: An experimental investigation

Abstract While much of the school choice literature advocates strategyproofness, recent research has aimed to improve efficiency using mechanisms that rely on non-truthtelling equilibria. We address two issues that arise from this approach. We first show that even in simple environments with ample feedback and repetition, agents fail to reach non-truthtelling equilibria. We offer another way forward: implementing truth-telling as an ordinal Bayes–Nash equilibrium rather than as a dominant strategy equilibrium. We show that this weaker solution concept can allow for more efficient mechanisms in theory and provide experimental evidence that this is also the case in practice. In fact, truth-telling rates are basically the same whether truthtelling is implemented as an ordinal Bayes–Nash equilibrium or a dominant strategy equilibrium. This provides a proof-of-concept that ordinal Bayes–Nash design might provide a middle path, achieving efficiency gains over strategy-proof mechanisms without relying on real-life agents playing a non-truth-telling equilibrium.
Antiepileptic drugs for treatment of neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain arises from pathology of sensory function in the peripheral nervous system or central nervous system. Neuropathic pain usually results from damage to sensory nerves, but also may occur as an abnormal reaction to nociceptive input. Neuropathic pain is frequently associated with sensory impairment and with the painful sensory phenomena of allodynia (pain from normally innocuous stimuli), hyperalgesia (exaggerated pain from normally painful stimuli) and hyperpathia (lack of sensation that can be accompanied by severe pain).
Drosophila non-muscle myosin II motor activity determines the rate of tissue folding

Non-muscle cell contractility is critical for tissues to adopt shape changes. Although, the non-muscle myosin II holoenzyme (myosin) is a molecular motor that powers contraction of actin cytoskeleton networks, recent studies have questioned the importance of myosin motor activity cell and tissue shape changes. Here, combining the biochemical analysis of enzymatic and motile properties for purified myosin mutants with in vivo measurements of apical constriction for the same mutants, we show that in vivo constriction rate scales with myosin motor activity. We show that so-called phosphomimetic mutants of the Drosophila regulatory light chain (RLC) do not mimic the phosphorylated RLC state in vitro. The defect in the myosin motor activity in these mutants is evident in developing Drosophila embryos where tissue recoil following laser ablation is decreased compared to wild-type tissue. Overall, our data highlights that myosin activity is required for rapid cell contraction and tissue folding in developing Drosophila embryos.
Race and Assisted Housing

AbstractThis article explores racial disparities between assisted housing outcomes of black and white and white households with children. We compare the assisted housing occupied by black and white households with children, and examine whether young adult education, employment, and earnings outcomes in 2011 differ between blacks and whites who spent part of their childhood in assisted housing in the 2000s. We use a special version of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) that has been address-matched to federally assisted housing, and the PSID’s Transition to Adulthood supplement, along with geocode-matched data from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), CoreLogic real estate data, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Statistical methods include difference in means, logit and general linear models. We find no evidence of racial disparities in the type of assisted housing program, the physical quality of project-based developments, or the management of public h...
Design Planning in Hardware Compilers

Along with the fast evolution of programmable and reconfigurable systems, hardware compilers also advanced towards enhanced capabilities and optimization power. The responsibility of early hardware compilers was to map a subset of procedures or time critical computations onto hardware, where reconfigurable hardware was mostly utilized as a co-processing unit. A new generation of hardware compilers are needed to create frameworks for mapping significantly complex applications onto programmable devices. This can be achieved by empowering hardware compilers with new methodologies to increase their efficiency. Design Planning is one such concept. In this paper, we introduce techniques to enable a smooth, non-restrictive interaction between different compilation stages. These techniques are collectively referred to as Design Planning.
SymCerts: Practical Symbolic Execution for Exposing Noncompliance in X.509 Certificate Validation Implementations

The X.509 Public-Key Infrastructure has long been used in the SSL/TLS protocol to achieve authentication. A recent trend of Internet-of-Things (IoT) systems employing small footprint SSL/TLS libraries for secure communication has further propelled its prominence. The security guarantees provided by X.509 hinge on the assumption that the underlying implementation rigorously scrutinizes X.509 certificate chains, and accepts only the valid ones. Noncompliant implementations of X.509 can potentially lead to attacks and/or interoperability issues. In the literature, black-box fuzzing has been used to find flaws in X.509 validation implementations, fuzzing, however, cannot guarantee coverage and thus severe flaws may remain undetected. To thoroughly analyze X.509 implementations in small footprint SSL/TLS libraries, this paper takes the complementary approach of using symbolic execution. We observe that symbolic execution, a technique proven to be effective in finding software implementation flaws, can also be leveraged to expose noncompliance in X.509 implementations. Directly applying an off-the-shelf symbolic execution engine on SSL/TLS libraries is, however, not practical due to the problem of path explosion. To this end, we propose the use of SymCerts, which are X.509 certificate chains carefully constructed with a mixture of symbolic and concrete values. Utilizing SymCerts and some domain-specific optimizations, we symbolically execute the certificate chain validation code of each library and extract path constraints describing its accepting and rejecting certificate universes. These path constraints help us identify missing checks in different libraries. For exposing subtle but intricate noncompliance with X.509 standard, we cross-validate the constraints extracted from different libraries to find further implementation flaws. Our analysis of 9 small footprint X.509 implementations has uncovered 48 instances of noncompliance. Findings and suggestions provided by us have already been incorporated by developers into newer versions of their libraries.
Magnetic and electron spin resonance studies of W doped CoFe2O4 polycrystalline materials

We report the magnetic and electron spin resonance (ESR) properties of W doped CoFe2O4 polycrystalline materials, prepared by standard solid-state reaction method. W was doped (0-15%) in CFO lattice on Fe site. Isothermal magnetization measurements reveal that the coercive field (Hc) (1300-2200 Oe) and saturation magnetization MS (35-82 emu/g) vary strongly as a function of W doping at all the temperatures (4-300 K) measured. We believe that a strong decrease in magnetic anisotropy in CFO after doping with W could cause a decrease in Hc. Up on doping CFO with W in place of Fe, the process transforms part of Fe3+ into Fe2+ due to the creation of more oxygen vacancies. This hinders the super-exchange interaction between Fe3+ and Fe2+, which causes a decrease in MS. Zero-field cooled (ZFC) and field cooled (FC, 1000 Oe) magnetization responses measured at 4 K on 1% W doped CFO show no indication of exchange bias, inferring that there are no other microscopic secondary magnetic phases (no segregation). This o...
On the accuracy of array manifold models

The antenna array manifold is central to high-resolution array processing. The analytic manifold is defined here as the mathematical model of the array response calculated by solving the electromagnetic equations for the waves impinging on the array. Array manifolds commonly used in the array processing literature are simplified and potentially inaccurate versions of the analytic manifold. This paper describes the characteristics of the analytic manifold and how they differ from those of the simplified manifolds. These differences can degrade the performance of direction-of-arrival estimation in challenging super-resolution scenarios. The mutual coupling matrix and its properties are discussed in some detail.
The α7 Integrin as a Target Protein for Cell Surface Mono-ADP-Ribosylation in Muscle Cells

A membrane-associated arginine-specific mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase was purified 215,000-fold from rabbit skeletal muscle and its gene was isolated from a skeletal muscle cDNA library. The enzyme was a glycosylphosphatidyl-inositol-linked protein, present on the surface of differentiated skeletal muscle myoblasts (myotubes). Following incubation of cultured, intact myotubes with [adenylate-32P]NAD and analysis by SDS-PAGE, a major radiolabeled protein of 97/140 kDa (reduced/ nonreduced conditions) was observed. It was identified as integrin a 7 based on its size, binding to a laminin affinity column, immunoprecipitation with a monoclonal antibody, and partial amino acid sequencing.
Ceroid Granulomas of the Gallbladder

The authors report two cases of ceroid-containing granulomas of the gallbladder, an entity not previously reported in the American medical literature. They postulate that in some cases of chronic cholecystitis, bile provides the substrate for the formation of ceroid within histiocytes. The ceroid granulomas were incidental findings associated with chronic cholecystitis and cholelithiasis.
Sichere Industrie 4.0-Plattformen auf Basis von Community-Clouds

Der Beitrag beschreibt die Konzeption und prototypische Realisierung einer foderativen und zugleich hochsicheren IKT-Plattform fur die Kooperation in horizontalen Wertschopfungsnetzwerken, die im Rahmen der Forschungsinitiative Virtual Fort Knox erstellt wurden. Beschrieben werden die technischen Aspekte der IKT-Infrastruktur, Konzepte und Losungen fur die Sicherheit sowie die sozio-emotionalen Einflussfaktoren, insbesondere die Rolle von Vertrauen und Akzeptanz beim Aufbau und Betrieb solcher kooperativen Plattformen. Abschliesend wird auf neue Geschaftsmodelle und deren Bewertung eingegangen.
Long Term Modulation of Intrinsic Membrane Properties of Hippocampal Neurons

We studied the mechanisms of action of acetylcholine (ACh) and dopamine (DA) on hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells of the in vitro slice preparation. ACh caused an initial hyperpolarization in half the cells studied which was eliminated when synaptic transmission was blocked and was therefore presynaptic in origin. Muscarinic excitation was evoked in all neurons and consisted of slow depolarization and a voltage-sensitive increase in membrane resis-tance (RN) which resulted from antagonism of a voltage-dependent K+ conductance. RN increases lasted hours after a single ACh application and concomitant changes in cell firing mode from single sp+kes to burst generation occurred. This long term effect was Ca dependent. DA application resulted in spontaneous hyperpolarization and an increase in the amplitude and duration of the afterhyperpolarizations (AHPs) which normally follow repetitive spiking. These effects were long-lasting and associated with up to a 22% decrease in RN. DA-induced hyperpolarizations persisted in cells impaled with C1− -containing electrodes and had a reversal potential of about −87 mV, findings consistent with an increased K+ conductance. Mn2+ blocked the spontaneous or evoked hyperpolarizations produced by DA (1 μM), ho ver Wger volume DA applications were effective even in low Ca2+, Mn2+ -containing solutions. Intracellular EGTA blocked all DA actions. DA effects were mimicked by DA agonists and by intra- or extracellular application of cAMP, and blocked by DA antagonists. We conclie that DA actions are medied by effect on intracellular [Ca2+] which in turn modulates a Ca2+ -activated K+ conductance. The long term nature of these actions may relate to receptor coupled increases in cAMP.
The International Research Activities of the Institute for Development Anthropology and Increasing Concerns About the Socio-Economic and Environmental Costs of Large Dams for Free Flowing Rivers and Riverine Communities: 1976–1995

David Brokensha, Michael Horowitz and I, while attending a meeting on West Africa in Arizona in 1976, decided to form an Institute for Development Anthropology. Opinions among knowledgeable colleagues were that the three founders would not succeed because of their very different backgrounds and personalities.
Teaching About Religion Within Early Childhood and Elementary Social Studies: Exploring how Preservice Teachers Perceive their Rights and Responsibilities as Educators

The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study is to explore the ways in which preservice teachers seeking either early-childhood or elementary licensure understand their roles and responsibilities in regards to the teaching of religion. Seven participants participated in the study and provided a range of data including – though not limited to – interviews, lesson plans, questionnaires, teaching philosophies, and in-class comments. Findings suggest that preservice teachers have neither the confidence to teach religion nor a strong enough foundation to understand their constitutional rights to expose students to various religions in a non-proselytizing manner. Future scholarship should present practical, meaningful programmatic suggestions for how to best help preservice teachers understand the benefits of teaching various religions and means for doing so effectively.
Present at the Creation: Kenneth Burke at the First CCCC

Though it has been insufficiently noticed, Kenneth Burke spoke at the first meeting of the Conference on College Composition and Communication in Chicago on March 25, 1950. Archival sources reveal that his remarks—“Rhetoric—Old and New”—drew from his recently completed A Rhetoric of Motives and from another volume, The War of Words, that he intended to publish separately. Burke sought to restore instruction in rhetoric to composition courses, explained his newly developed concept of “identification,” and later saw the published version of his remarks mysteriously missing from the first issue of College Composition and Communication.
Blinded by Incentives: Do Rank and File Stock Options Deter Employee Whistle-Blowing?

The Dodd-Frank Act (2010) seeks to encourage whistle-blowing by offering financial rewards to those who bring corporate fraud to light. Firms can counter this legislative action by giving their employees incentives, via rank and file stock options, to remain quiet about financial irregularities. We examine two samples of firms accused of committing financial reporting violations and find that those that grant more rank and file stock options are more likely to avoid employee whistle-blowing, consistent with our hypothesis. Moreover, firms involved in financial reporting violations grant more rank and file stock options relative to a control sample of non-violation firms, pointing to their efforts to discourage whistle-blowing. An investigation into firms’ use of broad based cash profit-sharing programs yields similar though weaker results.
Sensing Asymmetries in Other-than-human Forms:

This essay is an examination of how sensing capacities can draw in, and from, other-than-human entities—both animate and inanimate. Based upon ethnographic field research in Iceland, it describes s...
A molecular dynamics study of the behavior of Xe in U3Si2

Abstract Uranium-silicide (U-Si) fuels are being pursued as a possible accident tolerant fuel (ATF). This uranium alloy fuel benefits from higher thermal conductivity and higher fissile density compared to uranium dioxide (UO2). The role of fission gas swelling on the operational performance of U-Si fuels remains an open question, however, fission gas swelling is a critical phenomenon in UO2, U-Zr and U-Mo nuclear fuels. Given the lack of experimental data, in order to study the fundamentals of bubble formation and evolution in U-Si, it is critical that there be an atomistic description of Xe within the U-Si system. In this work, a recently developed U-Si MEAM interatomic potential is leveraged to generate a description of the U-Si-Xe system fit to density functional theory data. The point defect energies of Xe in U3Si2 are determined, in addition to the point defect segregation energy for Xe with respect to two grain boundary orientations. Finally, the properties of small Xe bubbles are analyzed and an equation of state is developed.
Conventional Wisdom? Analyzing Public Support for a State Constitutional Convention Referendum:

Although fourteen American states periodically hold automatic referendums on whether to hold a state constitutional convention, no state has approved a constitutional convention referendum since 19...
Chitin synthase in encysting Entamoeba invadens

Although the cyst wall of Entamoeba invadens contains chitin, synthesis of this structural polymer during encystation has not been described before. Here we report that conditions which stimulate encystation of the parasite lead to increased chitin synthase (ChS) activity, measured by incorporation of [3H]GlcNAc ([3H]N-acetylglucosamine) from UDP-GlcNAc. The radiolabelled product was precipitable by trichloroacetic acid or ethanol and identified as chitin because it was digested by purified chitinase to radioactive chitobiose and GlcNAc. Cell fractionation indicated that approx. 60% of the enzyme is in the high-speed supernatant. pH-activity profiles showed that soluble ChS has an optimum at 6.0, whereas particulate ChS has a peak at pH 7.0-7.5. Both the activities were dependent on bivalent metal ions, especially Mn2+ and Mn2+ plus Co2+. In contrast with the ChS of other organisms, neither the particulate nor the soluble ChS of E. invadens was activated by trypsin treatment. Soluble and particulate ChS were also stimulated by digitonin and phosphatidylserine, whereas phosphatidylethanolamine stimulated only the soluble ChS. The enzyme activities were inhibited by UDP, UDP-glucose and UDP-GalNAc, but not by the analogues Polyoxin-D or Nikkomycin. This is the first report of an enzyme which is developmentally regulated during encystation of the primitive eukaryotic genus Entamoeba.
Gut Bacterial Bouncers: Keeping Viral Pathogens out of the Epithelium

Intestinal pathogens encounter the microbiota as they seek their host target, potentially impacting the infection. In a recent Cell paper, Shi et al. (2019) show that unique segmented filamentous bacteria prevent rotavirus from infecting the intestinal epithelium. Proposed mechanisms include direct effects on the virus and stimulation of epithelial proliferation.
The Development of Kraepelin's Mature Diagnostic Concept of Catatonic Dementia Praecox: A Close Reading of Relevant Texts.

Through a close reading of texts, this essay traces the development of catatonia from its origination in Kahlbaum's 1874 monograph to Kraepelin's catatonic subtype of his new category of Dementia Praecox (DP) in 1899. In addition to Kraepelin's second to sixth textbook editions, I examine the six articles referenced by Kraepelin: Kahlbaum 1874, Brosius 1877, Neisser 1887, Behr 1891, Schule 1897, and Aschaffenburg 1897 (Behr and Aschaffenburg worked under Kraepelin). While Brosius and Neisser confirmed Kahlbaum's descriptions, Behr, Schule, and Aschaffenburg concluded that his catatonic syndrome was nonspecific and only more narrowly defined forms, especially those with deteriorating course, might be diagnostically valid. Catatonia is first described by Kraepelin as a subform of Verrucktheit (chronic nonaffective delusional insanity) in his second to fourth editions. In his third edition, he adds a catatonic form of Wahnsinn (acute delusional-affective insanity). His fourth and fifth editions contain, respectively, catatonic forms of his two proto-DP concepts: Psychischen Entartungsprocesse and Die Verblodungsprocesse. Kahlbaum's catatonia required a sequential phasic course. Positive psychotic symptoms were rarely noted, and outcome was frequently good. While agreeing on the importance of key catatonic signs (stupor, muteness, posturing, verbigeration, and excitement), Kraepelin narrowed Kahlbaum's concept, dropping the phasic course, emphasizing positive psychotic symptoms and poor outcome. In his fourth to sixth editions, as he tried to integrate his three DP subtypes, he stressed, as suggested by Aschaffenburg and Schule, the close clinical relationship between catatonia and hebephrenia and emphasized the bizarre and passivity delusions seen in catatonia, typical of paranoid DP.
ROC’ing Brown: Understanding the Costs of Desegregation Using a Racial Opportunity Cost Framework

ABSTRACTThe Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision is widely celebrated as a watershed moment in U.S. educational and civil rights history. Sixty-five years have passed since that monumental d...
A Layer-cell Tomography Method for Near-surface Velocity Model Building Using First Arrivals

Variations in the topography and thickness of the near-surface low-velocity weathering zone negatively impact the quality of onshore seismic data and images. Such impact can be mitigated using accurate near-surface velocity models. We propose to estimate near-surface velocities using a layer-cell tomography method which sequentially combines the model parameterizations of multiscale deformable-layer tomography (DLT) and cell tomography. We first estimate the long-wavelength velocity variations using multiscale DLT, which maps the undulating geometry of the weathering base where the angular coverage of first-arrival raypaths is limited. Then we convert the solution model of multiscale DLT into a cell model, and further determine the short-wavelength velocity variations using cell tomography. We test the proposed layer-cell tomography method using synthetic datasets and a field dataset. The results indicate that the new method improves the resolution of the velocity model from the multiscale DLT, and reduces the artifacts in the velocity solution compared to those observed in the cell tomography method. Reverse time migration of the synthetic data shows that using the velocity model from the layer-cell tomography method gives more accurate images of reflectors. For the field dataset test, the layer-cell tomography method yields a high-resolution near-surface velocity model that could be validated by the improvements in the tomostatic correction results.
The broken bridge of public finance: majority rule, earmarked taxes and social engineering

Nobel laureate James Buchanan was influenced substantially by Knut Wicksell’s arguments in favor of unanimous consent or “qualified majorities” for approving or rejecting specific public spending programs. Buchanan thought of Wicksell’s recommendation that spending proposals be tied to dedicated revenue sources as way of erecting a bridge between the two sides of the public budget, thereby forcing politicians to face the same tradeoffs as individuals do when formulating their spending plans. We examine the history of Buchanan’s ideas on public finance and discuss how legislative processes have demolished the bridge between public expenditures and public revenues. In modern practice, tax “earmarking”, whereby local, state and federal governments ostensibly finance specific spending programs with the revenues raised by targeted consumption taxes, often becomes a smokescreen hiding the opportunistic reallocation of taxpayers’ monies to finance unrelated policies or programs. Taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages provide our main case study. Other examples from public finance, past and present, such as selective excise taxes on cigarettes, lottery tickets and motor fuels, along with Alexander Hamilton’s tax on whiskey to pay Revolutionary War debts also are examined.
PHENOTYPIC AND GENOTYPIC ANALYSIS OF SOME RICE VARIETIES FOR GROWTH AND YIELD TRAITS UNDER STRESS CONDITION

Field experiments including 100 rice genotypes from different sources (selected from local and exotic materials) were carried out as a preliminary screening nursery (PSN) at two locations in Sakha Agriculture Research Station (drought conditions) and at New Valley Agriculture Research Station under heat conditions during 2007 rice growing season. Each genotype was planted in four rows, five meter long and 20 cm a part with three replications, where two the outer rows were used as borders and the two inner rows were used to record the data. The best selected genotypes, under both drought and heat conditions, according to their desirable traits, were evaluated under the same conditions during 2008 and 2009 rice growing seasons. These experiments included 18 and 20 out of 100 rice genotypes under drought and heat conditions, respectively. The results indicated that, the vegetative characters comprising of days to heading, plant height, tillers number/plant and leaf area. Also, root characters, comprising root length, root volume, root to shoot ratio and roots number/plant, could be considered as parameters related to tolerance. These traits could be used as selection criteria since they helped the plant to maintain a favorable water balance and, hence, controlled, early stomata closure. Analysis of variance showed significant variations among the vegetative and root characters under drought conditions. Heritability estimates were higher for grain yield (0.92), plant height (0.88), leaf area (0.82), number of grains per panicle, root/shoot ratio (0.81) and days to heading (0.88). Consequently, selection for grain yield and its components could be more effective in the selected genotypes under drought and heat conditions.
An agent-based modeling approach to estimate pathogen exposure risks from wheelchairs.

Background Contributions of contaminated wheelchairs to nosocomial pathogen transmission are relatively unknown. Our aim was to develop a model predicting pathogen exposures for patients utilizing wheelchairs and estimate exposure reduction potential of wheelchair disinfection between rides. Methods An agent-based model was informed by wheelchair location data from a connected 215-bed acute care and 250-bed long-term care facility. Simulated scenarios varied in frequencies of patient wheelchair contamination and wheelchair disinfection in between trips. Clostridioides difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus concentrations on patient hands at the end of wheelchair trips were estimated. Exposure reductions due to disinfection, assuming low real-world efficacies (50%, 70%, and 90%), were compared. Results In the simulation, when few patients introduced contamination to wheelchairs, disinfection in between patients 50% of the time decreased baseline (no disinfection) estimated exposures for the 50th wheelchair rider by >99.999%. When patients had a 50% chance of being contaminated before the wheelchair ride, disinfection did not reduce exposures consistently. Discussion The efficacy of disinfection in between patient rides as an exposure mitigation strategy likely depends on the frequency of infected patient wheelchair use. Conclusions During outbreak, high contamination conditions, disinfection, alone, is not enough to protect patients from wheelchair-mediated exposures.
The influence of reverse arthroplasty humeral component design features on scapular spine strain.

Background Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) humeral implant parameters have been previously studied with respect to range of motion, deltoid function, and stability. However, limited literature exists on the influence of humeral design features on scapular spine strain. The purpose of this cadaveric biomechanical simulator study was to evaluate the role of humeral component lateralization and neck-shaft angle (NSA) on scapular spine strain. Methods Eight fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders were tested using an in vitro shoulder simulator. A custom-designed modular RSA system was implanted that allowed for the in situ adjustment of humeral lateralization and NSA. Scapular spine strain was measured by strain gauges placed along the acromion and scapular spine in clinically relevant positions representative of the Levy fracture zones. All testing was conducted in both abduction and forward elevation. Results In Levy zones 2 and 3, increasing humeral lateralization caused significant incremental decreases in scapular spine strain at 0° and 90° abduction (P .14). Conclusions Some humeral implant design features in RSA have effects on scapular spine strain. Humeral component lateralization had significant effects, whereas adjusting NSA resulted in no substantial differences in scapular spine strain. Understanding humeral component variables is important to allow for design optimization of future RSA implants.
Functional analysis of three Nav1.6 mutations causing early infantile epileptic encephalopathy.

Abstract The voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.6 is associated with more than 300 cases of epileptic encephalopathy. Nav1.6 epilepsy-causing mutations are spread over the entire channel's structure and only 10% of mutations have been characterized at the molecular level, with most of them being gain of function mutations. In this study, we analyzed three previously uncharacterized Nav1.6 epilepsy-causing mutations: G214D, N215D and V216D, located within a mutation hot-spot at the S3-S4 extracellular loop of Domain1. Voltage clamp experiments showed a 6–16 mV hyperpolarizing shift in the activation mid-point for all three mutants. V216D presented the largest shift along with decreased current amplitude, enhanced inactivation and a lack of persistent current. Recordings at hyperpolarized potentials indicated that all three mutants presented gating pore currents. Furthermore, trafficking experiments performed in cultured hippocampal neurons demonstrated that the mutants trafficked properly to the cell surface, with no significant differences regarding surface expression within the axon initial segment or soma compared to wild-type. These trafficking data suggest that the disease-causing consequences are due to only changes in the biophysical properties of the channel. Interestingly, the patient carrying the V216D mutation, which is the mutant with the greatest electrophysiological changes as compared to wild-type, exhibited the most severe phenotype. These results emphasize that these mutations will mandate unique treatment approaches, for normal sodium channel blockers may not work given that the studied mutations present gating pore currents. This study emphasizes the importance of molecular characterization of disease-causing mutations in order to improve the pharmacological treatment of patients.
Provider Perspectives on Early Psychosocial Interventions after Pediatric Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: An Implementation Framework.

This study created a framework incorporating provider perspectives of best practices for early psychosocial intervention to improve caregiver experiences and outcomes after severe pediatric traumat...
The effects of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on suicide terrorism

Suicide terrorism is one of the deadliest terrorist strategies adopted by various terrorist groups around the world, but the 9/11 terrorist attacks have made suicide terrorism a popular attack stra...
A computational model for cardiovascular hemodynamics and protein transport phenomena

The hemodynamics plays a key role in the transport processes, in the blood stream, and thus, on the accumulation and deposition of lipids and medication on the vessel’s wall. Therefore, understanding the hemodynamics of the arterial veins can advance the understanding of transport phenomena and prediction of deposition and buildup of the low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and particulate medication, on the arterial surfaces. Previous studies have showed that for pulsatile flow, laminar-turbulent flow transition may occur, particularly during intense exercises. Experimental and computational studies, of hemodynamics and transport phenomena, pose significant challenges due to the complex aorta’s geometry and arterial fluid dynamics. In the present study, we propose a large-eddy simulation (LES), computational approach, to carry out the hemodynamics and medication dispersion and deposition studies, inside the descending aorta. The analysis reveals that the flow separation causes a preferential deposition and build-up of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) on the arterial surface. Our study also shows that the flow boundary-layer separation is associated with an increase in deposition of the low-density lipoproteins. The analysis reveals the presence of Dean vortices, inside the aorta branches, which contribute to the reduction of the deposition and build-up of low-density lipoproteins on the arterial surfaces. The analysis of medication dispersion and deposition, inside the descending aorta, shows that the total medication deposition increases with the increase of particle size and density. Particles of fiber-like shape are more prone to deposition, and this is due to the fact that fiber-like particles align perfectly with the flow streamlines. Thus, the interaction of complex turbulent eddies with vessel’s wall causes medication deposition. The research shows that LES is a promising tool in the analysis of hemodynamics and medication transport and therefore, it may assist medical planning by providing surgeons with the elements of the blood flow such as, pressure, velocity, vorticity, wall-shear stresses, which cannot be measured in vivo and obtained with imaging techniques.
OCD during COVID-19: Understanding clinical and non-clinical anxiety in the community.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a great deal of anxiety for many individuals. Several papers have noted that individuals with OCD may be particularly negatively impacted by COVID-19, and that the threat of COVID-19 may impact treatment (Banerjee, 2020; Jassi et al., 2020; Sheu et al., 2020). The study presented herein examined OCD-related and COVID-related intrusions in a non-patient sample. Individuals with elevated OCD symptoms reported having both OCD and COVID intrusions at a similar frequency. Further, OCD symptom severity was significantly correlated with the frequency of COVID related intrusions and the amount of distress they caused. However, distress from COVID related intrusions was not significantly correlated with OCD symptom severity. These results shed light on the similarities between reactions to objectively elevated threat and the perceptions of elevated threat experienced in OCD.