cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of limonene as an indicator for the assessment of environmental air‐quality and health symptoms in office buildings

Abstract Limonene, one of the most prevalent monoterpenes in indoor environment, was evaluated as an indicator of environmental air‐quality. Its association with health symptoms reported by workers was assessed from six large office‐buildings in the Midwestern USA that were identified as ‘non‐complaint’. The two‐year study from November 1996 to October 1998 focussed on monitoring 60 chemicals containing various functional groups including alcohol, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, alkene, carbonyl, ether, and halo‐hydrocarbons. Arithmetic mean of the reported number of physical symptoms was 3.4 ± 1.3 from a health symptoms‐questionnaire containing 19 items and 657 total responses. Wilcoxon‐sign and rank‐sum scores, and Kruskal‐Wallis (K‐W) tests did not indicate a significant association between the six buildings and the total number of symptoms identified by responses (K‐W χ2 = 0.5, df = 5, pH0 = 0.99) or an association between the four seasons and mean number of symptoms (K‐W χ2 = 2.7, df = 3, pH0 = ...
(Z)-2-{2,4-Dimeth-oxy-6-[(E)-4-meth-oxy-styr-yl]benzyl-idene}quinuclidin-3-one.

The crystal structure of the title compound, C25H27NO4, shows the presence of a double bond with Z geometry which connects the quinuclidin-3-one ring and the trimeth­oxy­resveratrol moiety. The dihedral angle between the two benzene rings in the stilbene skeleton is 32.80 (8)°.
The Book That Could Change Alabama

An essay review of A Review of Inside Alabama: A Personal History of My State by Harvey H. Jackson III. This review develops themes illustrating historical failures of politicians, lawyers, and religious leaders and relates those themes to injustices that plague Alabama today. The conclusion discusses how the lessons of history help explain why Governor Bob Riley's 2003 tax reform plan failed. It further offers how those lessons suggest what should be done to implement successful reform in the future.
Introducing Haitian Language and Culture to Students of French in North America

Despite its place in the francophone world and its proximity to North America, the language and culture of Haiti are usually not included within the mainstream French curriculum. This paper will discuss the advantages of introducing students to the language, literature, history, and culture of Haiti within regular French classes. By reading literary excerpts and comparing Haitian Creole with French vocabulary and structures, students develop an appreciation for language in Haiti and how standard French can differ throughout the francophone regions of the world. As well, students gain a deeper awareness of the social and political issues in Haiti by looking at how French and Creole co-exist, and how one language is privileged over the other. By including Haiti in a broader discussion of the francophone world, students learn about its unique situation and history, which allows for a greater understanding of current problems and the influence of the United States in this island nation. In addition, the author briefly discusses a service learning trip to Haiti in spring 2011, where students engaged in several areas of community service and were able to use their basic knowledge of French to form a deeper connection with the Haitian people.
Dell Computer: Business to Business Over the Web

Six years after dropping out of college to focus on his own business reselling PCs and preformatting PC hard disks, Michael Dell had grown his company's annual sales to more than $500 million. Dell Computer earned a reputation for selling quality products. This case describes Dells unique direct approach to producing, selling, and distributing computing equipment. It contains a side-by-side comparison with Compaq before its acquisition by Hewlett-Packard (HP). The case has been used in MBA and executive education programs in many countries.
ACP Journal Club. In acute low back pain, adding oxycodone/acetaminophen or cyclobenzaprine to naproxen did not improve pain or function.

Source Citation Friedman BW, Dym AA, Davitt M, et al. Naproxen with cyclobenzaprine, oxycodone/acetaminophen, or placebo for treating acute low back pain: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2015;31...
'And Yet it Moves' - The First Amendment & Certainty

Surprisingly few, if any, works on the First Amendment have explored the relation between free speech and certainty. The same holds true for decisional law. While this relationship is inherent in much free speech theory and doctrine, its treatment has nonetheless been opaque at best. In what follows, the author teases out - philosophically, textually, and operationally - the meaning of that relationship and why it is important for our First Amendment jurisprudence. In the process, he examines how the First Amendment operates to counter claims of certainty and likewise how it is employed to demand a degree of certainty from those who wish to curb or cabin free speech rights. Drawing its satirical title from words purportedly spoken by Galileo when he was persecuted by ecclesiastical inquisitors for defending the heliocentric theory of Copernicus, the Essay argues that many free speech theories (from Milton to Meiklejohn and beyond) have the net effect of constricting our First Amendment freedoms based on uncertain claims to normative benefits and equally uncertain claims of societal harm. In this general sense, many free speech theorists might be viewed as the descendants (albeit kinder ones) of Galileo’s ecclesiastical detractors insofar as they invoke their own sense of morals (or normative theories) or alleged harms to trump actual facts in order to censor speech. This problem is compounded when First Amendment lawyers must disingenuously pigeonhole their client’s speech into the doctrinal boxes compatible with normative theories. In the course of things, comedy becomes political action, erotic sexual expression becomes self-realization, offensive speech becomes cultural criticism, and imagistic commercial expression becomes consumer information. Strange as it is, in such circumstances falsity is necessarily called into the service of placing a normative face on aberrant expression. By way of a bold counter to all such theories, and duly mindful of the role of some harm in the working scheme of things, the author advances a view of the First Amendment premised less on certainty and normativity than on risk - real risks. Thus understood, the very idea of risk must be an accepted and preferred part of the calculus of decision-making, be it judicial, legislative or executive. Hence, at the philosophical level, a risk-free First Amendment is a contradiction while at the operational level it is a formula for suppression. Undaunted by the specter of criticism of his own experimental views on the matter, the author invites the kind of First Amendment risk-taking once roundly championed by Justice Louis Brandeis, a kind of freedom though uncertain of its success is nevertheless hopeful of its attainment.
Mindfulness for children in public schools: Current research and developmental issues to consider

Mindfulness-based interventions have increased in popularity over the past decade and interest continues to increase in the potential to use mindfulness-based interventions in schools. The current research concerning school-based mindfulness-based interventions is reviewed in this article. This research base is fragmented, as most of the studies are underpowered, use uneven dosing, and have not considered important developmental covariates such as cognitive ability. Suggestions for future research are offered including larger, more systematic intervention studies. Practical considerations for providing mindfulness-based interventions in schools are offered, including potential program evaluation outcome measures.
Cenozoic radiolarians as indicators of neritic versus oceanic conditions in continental-margin deposits; U.S. mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain

Radiolarians show potential value as indicators of neritic versus oceanic conditions in Cenozoic continental-margin deposits. Analyses of radiolarian assemblages from the lower to middle Miocene Calvert Formation (mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain) produce convincing evidence that indicates increasingly neritic environments upward through the section. The Calvert assemblage consists of44 taxa, dominated by spongy spumellarians (typical of modern shelf waters). Radiolarian diversity and the ratio of nassellarians to spumellarians decrease upward through the section. Family group distribution in the Calvert assemblage appears to differ from normal pelagic radiolarian distribution. Also, certain subsurface-dwelling radiolarian taxa found in the lower, phosphatic portion of the section may indicate upwelling during deposition of that interval.
Microtechnologies: art or engineering?

Les recents developpements qui sont intervenus dans le microusinage montrent qu'il peut etre realise beaucoup plus a des couts acceptables que cela ne l'a ete pense possible. L'un des plus grands defis, affirme l'auteur, c'est de faire en sorte que l'ingenieur se laisse emporter par son imagination. Cet article aborde quelques uns des problemes rencontres lors de la fabrication et de l'utilisation de microcomposants usines et propose quelques solutions.
Total condylar prosthesis.

SUMMARY An extensive experience with the total condylar knee prosthesis has demonstrated that it is an effective device in the management of advanced arthritic conditions of the knee. Because of its versatility, most knees with severe deformity and significant bone loss can be treated with this metal on-plastic semi-constrained knee system. As a result, the total condylar prosthesis has greatly reduced the need for more constrained prostheses that necessitate greater bone resection and impart higher stresses to the bone-cement interface.
Inferring connectivity in networked dynamical systems: Challenges using Granger causality.

Determining the interactions and causal relationships between nodes in an unknown networked dynamical system from measurement data alone is a challenging, contemporary task across the physical, biological, and engineering sciences. Statistical methods, such as the increasingly popular Granger causality, are being broadly applied for data-driven discovery of connectivity in fields from economics to neuroscience. A common version of the algorithm is called pairwise-conditional Granger causality, which we systematically test on data generated from a nonlinear model with known causal network structure. Specifically, we simulate networked systems of Kuramoto oscillators and use the Multivariate Granger Causality Toolbox to discover the underlying coupling structure of the system. We compare the inferred results to the original connectivity for a wide range of parameters such as initial conditions, connection strengths, community structures, and natural frequencies. Our results show a significant systematic disparity between the original and inferred network, unless the true structure is extremely sparse or dense. Specifically, the inferred networks have significant discrepancies in the number of edges and the eigenvalues of the connectivity matrix, demonstrating that they typically generate dynamics which are inconsistent with the ground truth. We provide a detailed account of the dynamics for the Erdős-Renyi network model due to its importance in random graph theory and network science. We conclude that Granger causal methods for inferring network structure are highly suspect and should always be checked against a ground truth model. The results also advocate the need to perform such comparisons with any network inference method since the inferred connectivity results appear to have very little to do with the ground truth system.
Essay: Creative Chances and the Burden of Freedom

Essay: Midway through my third year as Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy, I feel very fortunate to be in this post at this time – a time when America and societies worldwide are facing many varied challenges, all flying at us at a rapid pace.
Beampattern synthesis for wideband MIMO radar systems

A MIMO radar system is a radar system with multiple transmitters, each driven with its own signal, coherently with all the other transmitters. In this paper we consider the problem of using this flexibility to transmit wideband signals and control the spatial distribution of transmitted power. We show how the power distribution is a function of the signal cross-spectral density matrix (CSDM), and formulate the problem of determining the CSDM that generates a desired spatial beampattern subject to power constraints on the transmitters. Convex optimization techniques are used to find the numerical solution of the resulting optimization problem.
Deciding about College: How Soon is Soon Enough?:

Background/ContextPrior research has stressed the importance of timing in the college choice process, especially as it relates to receiving early information and making plans and decisions. Little ...
THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCOUNTING TO THE SHAKERS

A desire to be self-sustaining and a dedication to communal property required the Shakers to place great importance on accounting. This importance was underscored by the fact that the spiritual covenants of the Shakers were revised to require accounting procedures and policies including an annual audit. The Shakers circulated manuscripts concerning bookkeeping, and recorded transactions and events in three types of journals: financial, “family,” and spiritual. The Shakers also prepared financial reports. Temporal transactions were a means of maintaining the “gospel order” which elevated accounting procedures to a means of creating and protecting consecrated property.
Core-binding factor β and Runx transcription factors promote adaptive natural killer cell responses

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that have features of adaptive immunity such as clonal expansion and generation of long-lived memory. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) signaling through its downstream transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) is required for the generation of memory NK cells after expansion. We identify gene loci that are highly enriched for STAT4 binding using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing for STAT4 and the permissive histone mark H3K4me3 in activated NK cells. We found that promoter regions of Runx1 and Runx3 are targets of STAT4 and that STAT4 binding during NK cell activation induces epigenetic modifications of Runx gene loci resulting in increased expression. Furthermore, specific ablation of Runx1, Runx3, or their binding partner Cbfb in NK cells resulted in defective clonal expansion and memory formation during viral infection, with evidence for Runx1-mediated control of a cell cycle program. Thus, our study reveals a mechanism whereby STAT4-mediated epigenetic control of individual Runx transcription factors promotes the adaptive behavior of antiviral NK cells.
Inactivated rotavirus vaccine by parenteral administration induces mucosal immunity in mice

To improve the safety and efficacy of oral rotavirus vaccines, we developed an inactivated rotavirus vaccine (IRV) for parenteral administration. Since it remains unknown whether parenteral vaccination can induce mucosal immunity, we performed a comprehensive assessment of immune responses to IRV in mice with an adjuvant-free dissolving polymer MN patch or by alum-adjuvanted IM injection. We demonstrated that IRV induced the expression of the gut homing receptor LPAM-1 on T and B cells in spleen and mLN of vaccinated mice. MN patch IRV vaccination induced a slight Th1 phenotype while IM vaccination induced a balanced Th1/Th2 phenotype. In addition, a dose-sparing effect was seen for rotavirus-specific serum IgG and neutralizing activity for both vaccination routes. Our study is the first to show that parenterally administered IRV can induce mucosal immunity in the gut, in addition to strong serum antibody response, and is a promising candidate vaccine in achieving global immunization against rotavirus.
Microscopic Components Common to Body Fluids

Microscopic elements are found in the sediment obtained by centrifugation of a specific quantity of urine. Elements are viewed by means of a light microscope (one in which simple light is focused through the plane of view), but sometimes special techniques and microscopes may be necessary. These objects may be normal materials that were normally filtered in small amounts into the urine and may be discounted if they fall numerically within a narrow range, such as blood cells and cells found in the linings of the urinary system.
Environmental Design for Cognitive Decline

Cognitive decline, especially substantial changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, significantly changes how individuals interact with their home environment. The nature and extent of these changes are highly individual and in constant flux, and are influenced by neuropathology, normal age-related changes in physical and mental functions, medications, as well as specifics in the patient’s home environment. One consistent observation is that sensitivity to the environment increases sharply with the onset of dementia. As a clinician, it is important to understand the functional challenges that the typical unadapted home presents to a dementia patient, and the guiding principles for a dementia-friendly living space. Equipped with this information, clinicians can serve as a frontline resource, advising patients and their families about practical home management strategies to enhance safety, performance of daily skills, and quality of life.
Control of downstream amplification in the ilvEDA operon in isoleucyl-, valyl-, and leucyl-tRNA synthetase mutants of Escherichiacoli K-12

Abstract The role of isoleucyl-, valyl-, and leucyl-tRNA synthetases in attenuation of the ilvEDA operon was examined. The results indicate that the activities of isoleucyl- and valyl-tRNA synthetases are necessary to maintain attenuation of the ilvEDA operon. Leucyl-tRNA synthetase activity is nonessential for attenuation. These studies imply that uncharged tRNAIle and tRNAVal each may cause deattenuation.
The University-as-Monopolist: Why Parking Problems Persist at University Campuses

A common problem at major university campuses in the United States concerns persistent parking space shortages. While such a situation reflects an inadequate pricing mechanism for parking, it also reflects a result consistent with monopoly providers of parking services. In this paper, we analyze the parking problem from this perspective, utilizing a cost-benefit approach that explains why the incentive structure that exists at American universities makes such problems likely.
Classification and Diagnosis of Cystic Renal Tumors: Role of MR Imaging Versus Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound.

Superior soft tissue and contrast resolution of MR imaging benefits sensitivity to kidney cyst features and classification, which may have an impact on patient management and outcomes. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) may have nearly similar sensitivity for detection of cyst features yet is dependent on patient body habitus and adequacy of visualization windows for the kidneys, which does not have the same impact on MR imaging results. Both MR imaging and CEUS may provide superior kidney cyst assessment compared with contrast-enhanced CT; however, further research is needed, particularly for the identification of role of CEUS.
Carbohydrate consumption and variable-intensity exercise responses in boys and men

The effect of carbohydrate (CHO) supplementation on physiological and perceptual responses to steady-state exercise has been studied in children. However, little is known about these responses to variable-intensity exercise (VIE) and how these responses might differ from adults. This study examined the physiological and perceptual effects of CHO on VIE in boys and men. Eight boys (11.1 ± 0.9 years) and 11 men (23.8 ± 2.1 years) consumed CHO or a placebo (PL) beverage before and throughout VIE (three 12-min cycling bouts with intensity varying every 20–30 s between 25, 50, 75, and 125% peak work rate). Pulmonary gas exchange was assessed during the second 12-min bout. RPE was assessed twice per bout. In CHO, blood glucose increased and then decreased more from pre-exercise to 12 min and was higher in this trial at the end of exercise in men versus boys. In boys, blood glucose in CHO was higher at 24 and 36 min of exercise than in PL. RER during the CHO trial was higher in both groups; the other physiological responses were unaffected by CHO. All RPE measures (whole body, legs and chest) increased over time, but were not different between groups or trials. Blood glucose patterns during VIE were differentially affected by CHO in boys and men, but most physiological and perceptual responses to VIE were unaffected by CHO in either group. Knowledge of the underlying mechanisms of glucose regulation and effects on physical performance during this type of exercise in children is warranted.
Abstract TP161: Differential Expression of PHACTR1 and EDN1 in Atheromatous vs. Normal Carotid Tissue

Introduction: Several related neurovascular phenotypes, including cervical artery dissection, fibromuscular dysplasia, large artery stroke, hypertension, and migraine headache are associated with a...
Paxillin-dependent regulation of apical-basal polarity in mammary gland morphogenesis

Establishing apical-basal epithelial cell polarity is fundamental for mammary gland duct morphogenesis during mammalian development. While the focal adhesion adapter protein paxillin is a well-characterized regulator of mesenchymal cell adhesion signaling, F-actin cytoskeleton remodeling and single cell migration, its role in epithelial tissue organization and mammary gland morphogenesis in vivo has not been investigated. Here, using a newly developed paxillin conditional knockout mouse model with targeted ablation in the mammary epithelium, in combination with ex vivo three-dimensional organoid and acini cultures, we identify new roles for paxillin in the establishment of apical-basal epithelial cell polarity and lumen formation, as well as mammary gland duct diameter and branching. Paxillin is shown to be required for the integrity and apical positioning of the Golgi network, Par complex and the Rab11/MyoVb trafficking machinery. Paxillin depletion also resulted in reduced levels of apical acetylated microtubules, and rescue experiments with the HDAC6 inhibitor tubacin highlight the central role for paxillin-dependent regulation of HDAC6 activity and associated microtubule acetylation in controlling epithelial cell apical-basal polarity and tissue branching morphogenesis.
Robotic Knee Parameter Tuning Using Approximate Policy Iteration

This paper presents an online model-free reinforcement learning based controller realized by approximate dynamic programming for a robotic knee as part of a human-machine system. Traditionally, prosthesis wearers’ gait performance is improved by manually tuning the impedance parameters. In this paper, we show that the parameter tuning problem can be formulated as an optimal control problem and thus solved by dynamic programming. Toward this goal, we constructed an quadratic instantaneous cost, which resulted in a value function that could be approximated by a neural network. The control policy is then solved by the least-squared method iteratively, a framework of which we refer to as approximate policy iteration. We performed extensive simulations based on prosthetic kinetics and human performance data extracted from real human subjects. Our results show that the proposed parameter tuning algorithm can be readily used for adaptive optimal tuning of prosthetic knee control parameters and the tuning process is time and sample efficient.
Knowledge breadth and depth development through successful R&D alliance portfolio configuration: An empirical investigation in the pharmaceutical industry

Abstract Organizational ambidexterity literature has emphasized the importance for firms to engage in dual activities of exploration (knowledge breadth) and exploitation (knowledge depth). However, little research has been done regarding what strategies firms need to adopt in order to achieve these two competing goals. This paper seeks to understand how different R&D alliance portfolio configuration strategies affect firms' ability to develop knowledge breadth and knowledge depth. The central argument is that different R&D alliance portfolio configuration strategies will produce different levels of knowledge structural benefit and relational capital benefit. A firm's preferences for different types of R&D alliance partners influence both the scope of external knowledge it is exposed to (knowledge breadth) as well as its ability to absorb and learn from its partners (knowledge depth). Using a panel data of 64 pharmaceutical firms over 15 years, our empirical results largely support the proposed hypotheses.
Hierarchical time-varying mixed-effects models in high-dimensional time series and longitudinal data studies

ABSTRACTWe propose time-varying coefficient mixed-effects models for continuous multiple time series data and longitudinal data. The challenge is how to simultaneously display serial, clustering, a...
Malabsorption and Malnutrition Disorders

Malabsorptive disorders can be caused by a variety of diseases due to autoimmunity, infection, hypersensitivity reaction, nutritional deficiency, inherited disorders, drugs, neoplastic disorders, and systemic diseases. Celiac disease, collagenous sprue, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth syndrome, and drug-associated injuries are the common causes. These malabsorptive disorders share a spectrum of similar histological features including villous atrophy, chronic inflammation in the lamina propria, and increased intraepithelial lymphocytes on duodenal biopsies. Specific malabsorptive disorders involving lipid, carbohydrates, vitamins such as B12 and folate, zinc, proteins such as cow’s milk and soybean, and bile salt can also occur. Malabsorptive disorders due to congenital enteropathies such as tufting enteropathy and microvillous inclusion disease are rare.
Sustained-release voriconazole-thermogel for subconjunctival injection in horses: ocular toxicity and in-vivo studies

Keratomycosis is a relatively common, sight threatening condition in horses, where treatment is often prolonged and costly. Subconjunctival (SCo) injections offer less resistance to drug diffusion than the topical route, resulting in better penetration to the ocular anterior segment. Voriconazole, a second generation triazole antifungal, is effective against common fungal organisms causing keratomycosis. If combined with a thermogel biomaterial, voriconazole can be easily injected in the SCo space to provide sustained drug release. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the drug concentrations in the anterior segment and clinical effects after SCo injections of voriconazole-containing thermogel: poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide-b-ethylene glycol-b-DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA-PEG-PLGA) in healthy equine eyes. Voriconazole aqueous humor (AH) and tear concentrations were compared between 6 horses, receiving 1% voriconazole applied topically (0.2 mL, q4h) (Vori-Top) or 1.7% voriconazole-thermogel (0.3 mL) injected SCo (Vori-Gel). For the Vori-Gel group, voriconazole concentrations were measured in AH and tears at day 2 and then weekly for 23 days, and at day 2 only for the Vori-Top group. Ocular inflammation was assessed weekly (Vori-Gel) using the modified Hackett-McDonald scoring system. Ocular tissue concentrations of voriconazole following SCo 1.7% voriconazole-thermogel (0.3 mL) injections were evaluated post euthanasia in 6 additional horses at 3 different time points. Three horses received bilateral injections at 2 h (n = 3, right eye (OD)) and 48 h (n = 3, left eye (OS)) prior to euthanasia, and 3 horses were injected unilaterally (OS), 7 days prior to euthanasia. Voriconazole-thermogel was easily injected and well tolerated in all cases, with no major adverse effects. On day 2, drug concentrations in tears were higher in the Vori-Top, but not statistically different from Vori-Gel groups. For the Vori-Gel group, voriconazole was non-quantifiable in the AH at any time point. Total voriconazole concentrations in the cornea were above 0.5 μg/g (the target minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Aspergillus sp.) for up to 48 h; however, concentrations were below this MIC at 7 days post treatment. Voriconazole-thermogel was easily and safely administered to horses, and provided 48 h of sustained release of voriconazole into the cornea. This drug delivery system warrants further clinical evaluation.
The Multifaceted, Comprehensive Vocabulary Instructional Program: Quantitative Findings from a Three-Year Formative Experiment

This article reports on a 3-year formative experiment involving the implementation and testing of a long-term, multifaceted vocabulary instruction program in fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms in t...
Changes to the microbiome of the stomach and intestine of Threespine Sticklebacks associated with infection by the cestode Schistocephalus solidus.

Abstract Helminth parasites are extremely diverse, prevalent, and infective of virtually all phyla. However, until recently, parasitic helminth infections have been studied as interactions between the host and the parasite, leaving out key players; microbes. Microbes play key roles in the biology of all living organisms, and this concept is challenging our understanding of host and parasite interactions. Because the microbiome controls many aspects of the physiology and behavior of their host, the discovery that many helminths can disrupt their host microbiome, either deliberately or as a side effect of infection, is of great significance. However, this phenomenon has been exclusively studied in helminth parasites that inhabit the gut, and hence share the same environment as their host microbiome. In this study we investigate the composition of the microbiome of threespine sticklebacks infected by the cestode Schistocephalus solidus who grows in the sterile body cavity of its intermediate host. Using a combination of qPCR and 16S sequencing approaches we show that S. solidus infection is associated with a significant increase in bacterial load and changes in diversity and composition of the microbiome of bpoth the stomach and intestine of sticklebacks.. We hypothesize that S. solidus interacts with host microbes either directly during the first 24 hours of infection, or indirectly, through modulation of the host immune system. The role of the stickleback microbiome in the outcome of S. solidus infection remains to be investigated. Author summary The classical paradigm assumes that symptoms associated with a parasite infection are due to the parasite itself. However, parasites can alter their host microbiome, meaning that microbes could be the ones responsible for associated diseases, and be the target for new therapeutic strategies. Here, we investigate the association between infection by S. solidus and the diversity and composition of the host gut microbiome. Our study reveals for the first time that a cestode parasite, that grows within the body cavity of its host, could be responsible for changes in the microbiome composition of its host. This suggests that the interplay between parasite and host associated microbes may be due to indirect mechanism, such as modulation of the host immune response. Functional studies are now necessary to determine the mechanisms behind parasite-associated alterations of their host microbiomes.
Automated terrain generation for precise atmospheric boundary layer simulation in the wind tunnel

Abstract This study presents a two-stage framework to characterize boundary layer wind tunnel (BLWT) approach flows naturally developed over grid roughness for partial atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) simulation. The first stage applies curve fitting techniques to a comprehensive series of high-resolution spatially-averaged velocity profile measurements to estimate aerodynamic roughness parameters (ARPs) for a wide range of homogeneous (i.e., equal height) roughness element configurations. For this study, an automated (i.e., computer-controlled) 62 ​× ​18 roughness element array called the Terraformer was used to generate 33 unique roughness element fields. The mean flow structure was captured downwind to the Terraformer, where key ARPs—i.e., the urban canopy attenuation coefficient, zero-plane displacement height, shear (friction) velocity, roughness length, and Coles’ wake strength coefficient—were estimated. In contrast to previous ABL modeling methods that primarily focused on curve fitting of the inertial sublayer (ISL), the proposed approach applies the urban canopy exponential profile within the roughness sublayer (RSL), the log law in the ISL, and the law of the wake in the outer wake layer to model full-depth (i.e., floor to freestream) rough-wall turbulent boundary layers. Further, the method explicitly captures potential variability of Reynolds shear stress in the ISL and the wake strength in the outer layer to generalize characterization of naturally-developed BLs produced by traditional tunnel designs. The second stage applies a morphometric model for each ARP—calibrated with estimates from Stage 1—to predict flow characteristics for a wide range of roughness element configurations, with the goal of producing a deterministic solution for selecting an element configuration to satisfy user-specified aerodynamic objectives for the approach flow. The calibrated models effectively interpolate between estimates, e.g., ARPs estimated for open and suburban terrains can be applied in the second stage model calibration to predict ARPs for a “rough-open” condition without further experimentation. The findings of this study demonstrate that coupling the proposed framework with a mechanized roughness element grid can significantly reduce the trial-and-error required to commission a BLWT, while improving the quality of flow characterization.
Evaluation of STEMI Regionalization on Access, Treatment, and Outcomes Among Adults Living in Nonminority and Minority Communities.

Importance Cardiac care regionalization, specifically for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), has been touted as a potential mechanism to reduce systematic disparities by protocolizing the treatment of these conditions. However, it is unknown whether such regionalization arrangements have widened or narrowed disparities in access, treatment, and outcomes for minority communities. Objective To determine the extent to which disparities in access, treatment, and outcomes have changed for patients with STEMI living in zip codes that are in the top tertile of the Black or Hispanic population compared with patients in nonminority zip codes in regionalized vs nonregionalized counties. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study used a quasi-experimental approach exploiting the different timing of regionalization across California. Nonpublic inpatient data for all patients with STEMI from January 1, 2006, to October 31, 2015, were analyzed using a difference-in-difference-in-differences estimation approach. Exposure Exposure to the intervention was defined as on and after the year a patient's county was exposed to regionalization. Main Outcomes and Measures Access to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-capable hospital, receipt of PCI on the same day and at any time during the hospitalization, and time-specific all-cause mortality. Results This study included 139 494 patients with STEMI; 61.9% of patients were non-Hispanic White, 5.6% Black, 17.8% Hispanic, and 9.0% Asian; 32.8% were women. Access to PCI-capable hospitals improved by 6.3 percentage points (95% CI, 5.5 to 7.1 percentage points; P < .001) when patients in nonminority communities were exposed to regionalization. Patients in minority communities experienced a 1.8-percentage point smaller improvement in access (95% CI, -2.8 to -0.8 percentage points; P < .001), or 28.9% smaller, compared with those in nonminority communities when both were exposed to regionalization. Regionalization was associated with an improvement to same-day PCI and in-hospital PCI by 5.1 percentage points (95% CI, 4.2 to 6.1 percentage points; P < .001) and 5.0 percentage points (95% CI, 4.2 to 5.9 percentage points; P < .001), respectively, for patients in nonminority communities. Patients in minority communities experienced only 33.3% and 15.1% of that benefit. Only White patients in nonminority communities experienced mortality improvement from regionalization. Conclusions and Relevance Although regionalization was associated with improved access to PCI hospitals and receipt of PCI treatment, patients in minority communities derived significantly smaller improvement relative to those in nonminority communities.
The Implementation of an Interpersonal Violence Screening Program in Primary Care Settings: Lessons Learned:

BackgroundInterpersonal violence (IPV) is a public health issue that disproportionately affects women. IPV screening improves likelihood of survivor disclosure and access to additional support. To ...
Dental Screening of Pediatric Inpatients

Background: Dental screening is recommended to start at the time of tooth eruption. However, for a variety of reasons, many children do not receive recommended dental care. Hospitalized children represent an at-risk population for medical issues and a significant subset of pediatric inpatients have complex medical needs for which access to dental care may even be more difficult to obtain. In Massachusetts universal coverage includes dental insurance although children may not have a dental home. Hospitalization of a child should present an …
Fairness Considerations for Enhanced Team Collaboration

Fairness plays an important role in decision-making within teams and its perception has shown to drive performance and individual behavior among team members. Robots deployed within human teams are consistently faced with decisions on how to optimally allocate resources (e.g. tools, attention, gaze) but current solutions often ignore key aspects of fairness. In this work, we look to leverage laboratory experiments to identify key performance and behavioral metrics to further develop algorithmic solutions that include fairness considerations. We look to the well established multi-armed bandit algorithms to frame our problem and establish constraints on how resources are distributed amongst team members.
Considerations in High Voltage Lateral ESD PNP Design

This work investigates design options for three different classes of high voltage lateral ESD PNPs in a 0.5-µm BCD technology. The PNP layout topology is observed to affect the area efficiency as well as the device's I-V characteristic. Collector-tied field plates exert significant control over the device's turn-on voltage, and this is explored using TCAD. A “two-valued on-resistance” is observed in some PNP devices, depending on the doping profile.
Investigating Fracture Network Deformation Using Noble Gas Release

We investigate deformation mechanics of fracture networks in unsaturated fractured rocks from subsurface conventional detonation using dynamic noble gas measurements and changes in air permeability. We dynamically measured the noble gas isotopic composition and helium exhalation of downhole gas before and after a large subsurface conventional detonation. These noble gas measurements were combined with measurements of the subsurface permeability field from 64 discrete sampling intervals before and after the detonation and subsurface mapping of fractures in borehole walls before well completion. We saw no observable increase in radiogenic noble gas release from either an isotopic composition or a helium exhalation point of view. Large increases in permeability were observed in 13 of 64 discrete sampling intervals. Of the sampling intervals which saw large increases in flow, only two locations did not have preexisting fractures mapped at the site. Given the lack of noble gas release and a clear increase in permeability, we infer that most of the strain accommodation of the fractured media occurred along previously existing fractures, rather than the creation of new fractures, even for a high strain rate event. These results have significant implications for how we conceptualize the deformation of rocks with fracture networks above the percolation threshold, with application to a variety of geologic and geological engineering problems.
Towards An ASR Approach Using Acoustic and Language Models for Speech Enhancement

Recent work has shown that deep-learning based speech enhancement performs best when a time-frequency mask is estimated. Unlike speech, these masks have a small range of values that better facilitate regression-based learning. The question remains whether neural-network based speech estimation should be treated as a regression problem. In this work, we propose to modify the speech estimation process, by treating speech enhancement as a classification problem in an ASR-style manner. More specifically, we propose a quantized speech prediction model that classifies speech spectra into a corresponding quantized class. We then train and apply a language-style model that learns the transition probabilities of the quantized classes to ensure more realistic speech spectra. We compare our approach against time-frequency masking approaches, and the results show that our quantized spectra approach leads to improvements.
Combining the AM-PAC “6-Clicks” and the Morse Fall Scale to Predict Individuals at Risk for Falls in an Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital

Abstract Objective To determine the effect of adding the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) Inpatient ‘6-Clicks’ Short Forms to the Morse Fall Scale (MFS) to assess fall risk. Falls that occur in a rehabilitation hospital result in increased morbidity and mortality, increased cost, and negatively affect reimbursement. Identifying individuals at high risk for falls would enable targeted fall prevention strategies and facilitate appropriate resource allocation to address this critical patient safety issue. Design We used a retrospective observational design and repeated k-fold cross-validation (10 repeats and 10 folds) of logistic regression models with falls regressed onto: MFS alone, AM-PAC basic mobility and applied cognitive scales alone, and MFS and AM-PAC combined. Setting Inpatient rehabilitation hospital. Participants After exclusions, 2007 patients from an inpatient setting (N=2007; 131 experienced a fall). Primary diagnoses included 602 individuals with stroke (30%), 502 with brain injury (25%), 321 with spinal cord injury (16%), and 582 with other diagnoses (29%). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Experience of a fall during inpatient stay. Results The MFS at admission was associated with falls (area under the curve [AUC], 0.64). Above and beyond the MFS, AM-PAC applied cognitive and basic mobility at admission were also significantly associated with falls (combined model AUC, 0.70). Although MFS and applied cognition showed linear associations, there was evidence for a nonlinear association with AM-PAC basic mobility. Conclusions The AM-PAC basic mobility and AM-PAC applied cognitive scales showed associations with falls above and beyond the MFS. More work is needed to validate model predictions in an independent sample with truly longitudinal data; prediction accuracy would also need to be substantially improved. However, the current data do suggest that the AM-PAC has the potential to reduce the burden of fall management by focusing resources on a smaller cohort of patients identified as having a high fall risk.
Recent applications of quantitative systems pharmacology and machine learning models across diseases

Quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) is a quantitative and mechanistic platform describing the phenotypic interaction between drugs, biological networks, and disease conditions to predict optimal therapeutic response. In this meta-analysis study, we review the utility of the QSP platform in drug development and therapeutic strategies based on recent publications (2019-2021). We gathered recent original QSP models and described the diversity of their applications based on therapeutic areas, methodologies, software platforms, and functionalities. The collection and investigation of these publications can assist in providing a repository of recent QSP studies to facilitate the discovery and further reusability of QSP models. Our review shows that the largest number of QSP efforts in recent years is in Immuno-Oncology. We also addressed the benefits of integrative approaches in this field by presenting the applications of Machine Learning methods for drug discovery and QSP models. Based on this meta-analysis, we discuss the advantages and limitations of QSP models and propose fields where the QSP approach constitutes a valuable interface for more investigations to tackle complex diseases and improve drug development.
Constrained average path tracking for industrial robots

To eliminate the burden of computing the dynamics while controlling the mechanical manipulator, its dynamic behavior is modeled by a difference equation, which is a natural formulation for computations performed on a digital computer. Quadratic terms representing centrifugal forces are included in the equation to reduce modeling errors. The parameters of the model are estimated based on the minimum variance criterion. The control torque for each joint is computed during each sampling period to minimize the deviation from points on the desired joint path. Desired joint path could be obtained from the Cartesian path using spline function approximations.
Single-Stage, Multi-Product Production/Inventory Systems

A production/inventory system consisting of a single-stage facility producing multiple product types and a warehouse is considered. Demand process is assumed to be Poisson and the excess demand is backordered. Products have a priority structure and the processor is shared according to a switching rule. (R,r) continuous-review inventory control policy is used to start and stop production of each product. Production of a product continues until its target level is reached. Then, a switch-over takes place to the highest priority product a the ones that need the processor's attention. A set-up takes place every time a switch-over occurs. Both processing and set-up times are assumed to have arbitrary distributions. The objective is to obtain performances measures such as the average inventory and backorder levels as well as the probability of having a backorder upon arrival for each product. We have developed an approximation procedure which emphasizes the characterisation of the delay each product type experiences in receiving the processor's attention, once they place a request for it.