cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Semi-probabilistic approach for assessment of the requirement for minimum hull girder section modulus

The paper presents a study on an approximate semi-probabilistic approach for assessment of any given requirement for minimum hull girder section modulus (HGSM). It consists of calculating the HGSM using as input data the reduced (due to corrosion) plates’ thicknesses and longitudinals’ cross-sections with exactly the same probability of exceedance. Its accuracy is checked against results obtained by the complete probabilistic approach developed by the author. In this paper, the requirement for minimum HGSM is based on the IMO (International Maritime Organization)-formulated permissible reduction by 10% of the as-built HGSM. A numerical example is given for a bulk carrier of 25,000 deadweight ton (25K DWT). A comparison between the results obtained by the complete probabilistic method and those obtained by the semi-probabilistic method showed that the accuracy of the semi-probabilistic method is around +8% when the 95th percentile of the corrosion wastage of plates and longitudinals is used, and around −2%...
A PC BASED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONTROL ZONE MODEL FOR AGVS DESIGN

A computerized decision support system is introduced for implementation of the zone control model for AGVS design. A hypothetical design problem is introduced and defined in terms compatible with the system database. The application of the computer model is illustrated through a series of six adjustments in the original design profile corresponding to variation in AGVS design variables including guidepath layout, vehicle routing, vehicle dispatching, and load transfer point location. For each variation, the package is used to study the performance of the proposed system including gridlocking risk factors and the minimum vehicle fleet size needed to meet a fixed throughput requirement.
Rail Lines and Demarcation Lines: A Response

In Ferwerda and Miller (2014), we assess whether granting governing authority to natives reduces resistance to foreign rule. We find that devolving authority significantly lowered levels of violent resistance in WW2 France, an effect we argue is driven by a process of political cooptation. Kocher and Monteiro (2015) challenge these results, arguing that the Germans deliberately placed the demarcation line in proximity to strategic railroads, and that due to external involvement by Allies, the locations of resistance events should not be used to infer political motivations. In this research note, we argue that these critiques do not undermine our core findings. Specifically, we demonstrate (1) that Kocher and Monteiro's account overstates the importance of 'strategic' railways in determining the location of the line, (2) that the presence of these railway lines cannot fully account for our findings, and (3) that resistance was locally-rooted, began before D-Day, and was not directed by the Allies in the regions from which we derive our inferences.
Efficient and Selective Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Reduction of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-Bis(hydroxymethyl)furan using Water as the Hydrogen Source

Reductive biomass conversion has been conventionally conducted using H2 gas under high-temperature and -pressure conditions. In this study, efficient electrochemical reduction of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a key intermediate for biomass conversion, to 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF), an important monomer for industrial processes, was demonstrated using Ag catalytic electrodes. This process uses water as the hydrogen source under ambient conditions and eliminates the need to generate and consume H2 for hydrogenation, providing a practical and efficient route for BHMF production. By systematic investigation of HMF reduction on the Ag electrode surface, BHMF production was achieved with the Faradaic efficiency and selectivity nearing 100%, and plausible reduction mechanisms were also elucidated. Furthermore, construction of a photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) composed of an n-type BiVO4 semiconductor anode, which uses photogenerated holes for water oxidation, and a catalytic Ag cathode, which uses photo...
Blood transfusions, increased rates of surgical NEC, and lower survival: a propensity score-matched analysis

Abstract Purpose We sought to investigate the association between blood transfusions (BT), rates of necrotizing enterocolitis requiring surgical intervention (SNEC), and survival. Methods Blood transfusions in premature infants were identified in the Kids' Inpatient Database (2003–2009). Propensity score-matched analysis compared SNEC outcomes in BT vs. non-BT groups. Multivariate analyses were performed to determine independent predictors of outcome. Results Overall, 663740 cases were identified and 4.9% received BT. Surgical necrotizing enterocolitis occurred in 493 cases in the BT group, while SNEC occurred in 1049 cases in the non-BT group. Propensity score analysis of 20991 BT and 20988 non-BT cases demonstrated higher SNEC rates with BT (odds ratio [OR], 1.21) vs non-BT. Surgical necrotizing enterocolitis with BT had lower survival rates (58%) vs non-BT (67%). Surgical necrotizing enterocolitis with BT had lower length of stay and total charges vs non-BT. On multivariate analyses, SNEC mortality with BT increased for lower gestational age, males (OR, 45.7), African Americans (OR, 64.4), and infants with cardiac anomalies (OR, 50.8) or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (OR, 177). Non-BT SNEC demonstrated higher mortality with lower gestational age and infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (OR, 6.56) or sepsis (OR, 3.66). Conclusion On propensity score-matched analysis, SNEC occurs at higher rates after BT and is associated with lower survival and lower resource utilization vs SNEC without BT.
The Economic Foundation of the Dormant Commerce Clause

Last Term, a sharply divided Supreme Court decided a landmark dormant Commerce Clause case, Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland v. Wynne. Wynne represents the Court’s first clear acknowledgement of the economic underpinnings of one of its main doctrinal tools for resolving tax discrimination cases, the internal consistency test. In deciding Wynne, the Court relied on economic analysis we provided. This Essay explains that analysis, why the majority accepted it, why the dissenters’ objections to the majority’s reasoning miss their mark, and what Wynne means for state taxation. Essential to our analysis and the Court’s decision in Wynne is the idea that states are capable of discriminating not only on an inbound basis, but also on an outbound basis, and that the Commerce Clause prohibits discrimination on either basis. To aid in explicating our position, this Essay introduces the term “retentionism” as an analogue to protectionism. Whereas taxes or regulations are protectionist when they discourage outsiders from engaging in economic activities within a state, taxes or regulations are retentionist when then discourage in-state economic actors from engaging in out-of-state activities. As we show, the tax struck down in Wynne was both protectionist and retentionist.
Practical Aspects of EEG Monitoring During Carotid Endarterectomies

(1983). Practical Aspects of EEG Monitoring During Carotid Endarterectomies. American Journal of EEG Technology: Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 191-203.
Measurement Quantization and Rate Allocation in Compressive Imaging and Image Compression

We present an analysis of measurement quantization and rate allocation problems in compressive imaging and quantify its impact on image formation. Compressive imaging is compared with traditional image compression with respect to measurement data size
Comparison of autologous peripheral blood stem cell dosing by ideal vs actual body weight

In this retrospective study, we evaluated the predictability of PBSC dose for hematopoietic engraftment comparing that calculated by ideal body weight (IBW) vs another calculated by actual body weight (ABW) for each patient. Sixty-three consecutive patients treated similarly using one transplant protocol were analyzed. While all patients had data available on CFU-GM and nucleated cells (NC), data on CD34+ enumeration was present only in 34 patients. We found that 49% of the patients were greater than 25% over their IBW. In addition, least-squares linear regression was used to assess the strength of the linear relationship between the inverse of cell dose/kg of ABW or IBW and time to AGC or platelet engraftment and showed no difference in r2 values for platelet engraftment, while using dose/kg of IBW greatly improved the ability of NC (r2 improved from 0.19 for ABW to 0.35 for IBW) and CFU-GM (r2 improved from 0.35 for ABW to 0.53 for IBW) to predict time to AGC engraftment, but did not change the CD34 r2. Hazard ratios were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression and in all instances were found greater than 1.0 indicating that the probability of engraftment increased as cell dose/kg ABW or IBW increased. Finally, our data showed that 10 patients (16%) could have had one less apheresis procedure performed to obtain their set target stem cell dose calculated per kg IBW rather than ABW. In conclusion, PBSC dose per kg IBW is as good or better predictor of engraftment of AGC and may lead to cost savings in a certain subset of patients.
Broadband Finite Difference Time Domain Modeling

Code was designed at The Ohio State University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in conjunction with the School of Earth Sciences with the goal of forward modeling subsurface geological systems. To attain this goal the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method was implemented through singleand multi-processor systems leading to the name parallel finite difference time domain (PFDTD). Due to known past problems with the FDTD method our PFDTD code was rigorously tested to define the limits of the parameters in modeling a heterogeneous geological setting. A large frequency range was attained along with a variety of conductivities and permittivities. With these developments and the ability to vary grid cell size the OSU code is able to successfully and accurately forward model realistic complex geological systems. Most modeling systems have been restricted to modeling in the high frequency regime (>10 MHz), or low frequency region (kilohertz range) to model either displacement currents, or induction, respectively. Our code enables us to generate accurate three dimensional models in the 500 kHz – 10 MHz range, in addition to the higher frequencies. Inputs to the model include variations in conductivity and permittivity over a three dimensional model space. Model results show that reflection images can be generated even at these low frequencies.
Imaging the Molecular Structure of Polyethylene Blends with Broadband Coherent Raman Microscopy

Polyethylene (PE) has been widely used in a myriad of consumer products and critical infrastructure products such as underground gas and water pipes. These products are often made of blends of multiple types of PE with different molecular architectures. Although the long-term performance of these products is largely dictated by their local molecular structure, it has been studied mostly by indirect and bulk-averaging methods such as calorimetry and neutron scattering due to lack of chemical contrast for conventional imaging techniques. We demonstrate that broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy can acquire images of the chemical composition and molecular orientation of a miscible semicrystalline PE blend with two different molecular architectures. We discuss the detailed crystal structure observed at different length scales and new insights it provides into polymer crystal morphology.
Analysis on Development Status of China's Non-staple Grain Industry—Case of Shanxi Province

With the promotion of people's health consciousness and the development of food processing industry,the demand for non-staple grain is increasing.But Shanxi province,as a main non-staple grain province,was faced with a series of questions such as plant dispersion,backward production,lack of deep processing,scientific research is lag,and lack of government support and so on.The concrete measures were increasing the support for non-staple grain production and input of research,promoting added value,and establishing reserve regulation mechanism.
Modeling regional Love waves: Imperial Valley to Pasadena

Abstract Intermediate-period seismograms recorded at Pasadena of earthquakes occurring along a profile to Imperial Valley are studied in terms of source phenomena versus path effects. Some of the events have known source parameters, determined by teleseismic or near-field studies, and are used as master events in a forward modeling exercise to derive the Green9s functions (displacements at Pasadena due to a pure strike-slip or dip-slip mechanism) that describe the propagation effects along the profile. Both timing and waveforms of records are matched by synthetics calculated from two-dimensional velocity models. The best two-dimensional section begins at Imperial Valley with a thin crust containing the basin structure and thickens towards Pasadena. The detailed nature of the transition zone at the base of the crust controls the early arriving shorter periods (strong motions), while the edge of the basin controls the scattered longer-period surface waves. From the waveform characteristics alone, one can easily distinguish shallow events in the basin from deep events as well as the amount of strike-slip versus dip-slip motions. Those events rupturing the sediments, such as the 1979 Imperial Valley earthquake, can be recognized easily by a late arriving scattered Love wave which has been delayed by the very slow path across the shallow valley structure.
Sparso: Context-driven Optimizations of Sparse Linear Algebra

The sparse matrix is a key data structure in various domains such as high-performance computing, machine learning, and graph analytics. To maximize performance of sparse matrix operations, it is especially important to optimize across the operations and not just within individual operations. While a straightforward per-operation mapping to library routines misses optimization opportunities, manually optimizing across the boundary of library routines is time-consuming and error-prone, sacrificing productivity.This paper introduces Sparso, a framework that automates such optimizations, enabling both high performance and high productivity. In Sparso, a compiler and sparse linear algebra libraries collaboratively discover and exploit context, which we define as the invariant properties of matrices and relationships between them in a program. We present compiler analyses, namely collective reordering analysis and matrix property discovery, to discover the context. The context discovered from these analyses drives key optimizations across library routines and matrices.We have implemented Sparso with the Julia language, Intel MKL and SpMP libraries. We evaluate our context-driven optimizations in 6 representative sparse linear algebra algorithms. Compared with a baseline that invokes high-performance libraries without context optimizations, Sparso results in 1.2~17x (average 5.7x) speedups. Our approach of compiler-library collaboration and context-driven optimizations should be also applicable to other productivity languages such as Matlab, Python, and R.
Commons consent: Librarians, architects and community culture in co-creating academic library learning spaces

Purpose – Constructing academic library learning spaces involves ad hoc groups of agents often with fuzzy inter-relationships. Librarians and their user communities are initially hailed within these groups as prime-movers in realizing projects. Librarians bring to the table contagious ideas generated from their own profession in the hope of securing appropriate funding and planning pre-requisites. All other agents, be they internal community representatives or external architects, assist them in making sense of each other’s standpoints to co-create dynamic learning spaces in “commons consent”. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Using the community culture in The Chinese University of Hong Kong as existed in 2012 as a case study, this paper examines the reality of this process in terms of a new library for learning, teaching and research. Findings – Can librarians hold sway over the priorities of other individual agents, particularly architects, to gain consent to build their initial concept of the commons which they are vigorously promoting as professionally valid and educationally potent? In the co-creation of a building, individual preferences and organizational power structures in ad hoc groups drawn from the university’s distinct cultural environment fuel compromise and even tension around the librarians’ and architects’ original visions. Research limitations/implications – Many other case studies of library building learning commons projects would be useful to add to these findings in sensemaking, co-creation and community cultures. Practical implications – Assists library managers in their management of large buildings projects. Originality/value – An original case study of a major Asian academic library learning commons project which involves sensemaking, co-creation and community cultures ideas imported from construction science.
ATMOSPHERIC AND SOIL WATER INFLUENCES ON THE PLANT WATER BALANCE

Abstract Transpiration from plants is usually greater than root absorption during daylight hours, causing plant water deficits to develop. The severity of water deficits is influenced by atmospheric factors and by the status of water in soil where roots are growing. When plants experience a large water deficit for prolonged periods, both growth and yield are reduced. Experimental evidence indicates that plants can use stored soil water more efficiently if they experience moderate water deficits, causing root systems to absorb water from deeper in the soil. It is possible that limited irrigation in more dryland areas and less supplemental water use in irrigated areas would promote more efficient use of a limited water supply while maintaining moderately high levels of production.
Contextually Based School Consultation: Influential Variables:

The triadic model of consultation, often used to represent the consultation process, is embellished to include a problem-solving approach within a realistic school-based perspective. Eleven variables are considered within three domains: (a) the people involved, (b) their interactional process, and (c) the implementation of specific procedures. Within each domain, the professional literature is reviewed to describe these variables and their potential impact on consultation. Consideration of the variables allows an analysis of facilitators and barriers to consultation practices in applied educational settings.
Identifying the Global Performance of the Construction Industry

This paper presents a literature research assessing the performance and issues of delivering construction services worldwide, by exploring reasons for delays and increased construction costs. The study shows a comparison of the performance of the construction industry between different continents and countries. Multiple research databases were looked through and performance information was taken from over 95 publications. The results reveal that although the construction industry is growing throughout the world, there are many of the same problems being experienced in delivering construction projects in developing countries and developed countries. The literature reveals that all countries and continents are experiencing the same issues. On average, 72% of projects are delayed with 38% increase in original contracted duration, also, 63% of projects experienced cost overruns with 24% increase in original contracted cost. Additionally, rework is also a factor that affects performance and accounts for 6% increase in total project costs. Customer satisfaction on projects is low, and 90% of all major issues causing non-performance are due to people. A best value approach was identified as a potential solution to overcome the poor performance on construction projects with the following results: tested over 1900 times, totaling over $6B of procured services, a 94% on time and 97% on budget, and 98% customer satisfaction.
The Evolution of Hybrid Soft Computing: A Personal Journey

This paper presents the author's personal journey throughout the inception of Soft Computing (SC) and its evolution into Hybrid Soft Computing (HSC). In 2008 the author received the II Cajastur International Prize for Soft Computing, for applications of Hybrid Soft Computing, which is the motivation for this retrospective and prospective view of the field.
Trans Feminism: Recent Philosophical Developments

This article introduces trans feminism as an intersectional analysis of sexist and transphobic forms of oppressions as well as current and historical feminist and trans conflicts over the inclusion of trans women. The first half examines recent feminist philosophical efforts to provide an analysis of the concept woman that is inclusive of trans women. The second examines recent responses to trans-exclusive feminist positions. The article concludes with an assessment of the current state of trans feminist philosophy and outlines challenges for the future.
Intragraft Molecular Pathways Associated with Tolerance Induction in Renal Transplantation

The modern immunosuppression regimen has greatly improved short-term allograft outcomes but not long-term allograft survival. Complications associated with immunosuppression, specifically nephrotoxicity and infection risk, significantly affect graft and patient survival. Inducing and understanding pathways underlying clinical tolerance after transplantation are, therefore, necessary. We previously showed full donor chimerism and immunosuppression withdrawal in highly mismatched allograft recipients using a bioengineered stem cell product (FCRx). Here, we evaluated the gene expression and microRNA expression profiles in renal biopsy samples from tolerance-induced FCRx recipients, paired donor organs before implant, and subjects under standard immunosuppression (SIS) without rejection and with acute rejection. Unlike allograft samples showing acute rejection, samples from FCRx recipients did not show upregulation of T cell- and B cell-mediated rejection pathways. Gene expression pathways differed slightly between FCRx samples and the paired preimplantation donor organ samples, but most of the functional gene networks overlapped. Notably, compared with SIS samples, FCRx samples showed upregulation of genes involved in pathways, like B cell receptor signaling. Additionally, prediction analysis showed inhibition of proinflammatory regulators and activation of anti-inflammatory pathways in FCRx samples. Furthermore, integrative analyses (microRNA and gene expression profiling from the same biopsy sample) identified the induction of regulators with demonstrated roles in the downregulation of inflammatory pathways and maintenance of tissue homeostasis in tolerance-induced FCRx samples compared with SIS samples. This pilot study highlights the utility of molecular intragraft evaluation of pathways related to FCRx-induced tolerance and the use of integrative analyses for identifying upstream regulators of the affected downstream molecular pathways.
Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation and Management of Patients Undergoing Immunosuppression

Hepatitis B reactivation (HBR) occurs in patients with inactive or resolved hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, in whom the host immune response is overtaken by the replicative drive of the virus. While HBR may be clinically silent, there is abrupt reappearance or rise of HBV DNA in the serum (usually > 2 log) with or without a flare of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities. HBR commonly occurs in the setting of B-cell depleting agents and corticosteroids although cytotoxic chemotherapeutic and other immunosuppressant and immunomodulant agents may precipitate it. The risk of HBR may be determined by host characteristics, viral factors, and the type of medical therapy. For an optimal outcome, screening for patients at risk of HBR is critical. For patients identified to be at risk, strategic utilization of antiviral prophylaxis has been shown to improve outcomes.
Caveolin-1 and Breast Cancer

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1), the main protein component of caveolae, is expressed in several differentiated cell types such as mammary epithelial cells. It is well-established that caveolae function as an organizing center that recruits and sequesters various signaling molecules. Several studies have now clearly demonstrated a role for Cav-1 in the development of breast cancer. Indeed, genetic ablation of Cav-1 in mice causes mammary epithelial hyperplasia. Importantly, a dominant-negative mutant of Cav-1 (P132L) has been observed in 19% of breast cancer patients with estrogen receptor-positive tumors. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that a loss of stromal Cav-1 in breast cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is a crucial predictor of tumor recurrence, metastases formation, tamoxifen-resistance, and poor clinical outcome in these patients. Moreover, a new theory termed “autophagic tumor stroma model of cancer” has been proposed regarding tumor progression. In this theory, a lack of Cav-1 in CAFs drives hypoxia, oxidative stress, and autophagy/mitophagy in the breast cancer micro-environment. Finally, these promising findings could provide new potential therapeutic targets that could contribute to the development of more effective therapies and patient stratification.
New Training Algorithm for Neural Networks

Neural networks are finding increasing use as an adaptive signal classifier in many engineering applications. Artificial neural networks have been used for classifying NDE signals such as ultrasonic and eddy current signals. These networks consist of densely interconnected units with variable interconnection weights. The networks can be categorized according to their architecture and learning algorithm. The class of neural networks most commonly used is the multilayer perceptron network. The basic structure of this network consists of one input layer, one output layer, and one or more hidden layers. In order to properly classify input signals, the neural network must first be trained. The network is trained by presenting known input patterns to the input nodes and the corresponding desired output patterns to the output nodes. The network computes the output corresponding to each input and the error between the desired output and the actual output is used to drive an iterative algorithm for updating the weights in a manner that minimizes the error.
Synthesis of (POCOP)Co(Ph)(X) Pincer Complexes and Observation of Aryl–Aryl Reductive Elimination Involving the Pincer Aryl

A series of square-planar, low-spin Co(II) and Co(III) complexes supported by the POCOP pincer ligand have been prepared for the purpose of exploring the reactions potentially involved in aryl halide coupling catalysis (POCOP = 2,6-diisopropylphosphinoxyphenyl). The investigations determined that the Co(III)–aryl intermediates of the envisioned catalytic cycle are accessible, but the desired catalysis is derailed by a C–C reductive elimination reaction that involves the POCOP ligand. Metalation of the parent (POCOP)H ligand with CoCl2 and DMAP led to the formation of (POCOP)CoCl (A-1). Metathesis of A-1 with Me3SiX reagents allowed isolation of (POCOP)CoBr (A-2), (POCOP)CoI (A-3), and (POCOP)CoOTf (A-4). Reactions of A-1 with NaOtBu, MeLi, and PhLi led to (POCOP)CoOtBu (A-5), (POCOP)CoMe (A-6), and (POCOP)CoPh (A-7). Treatment of A-1 with PhSH surprisingly led to (POCOP)CoSPh (A-8) without the need for added base. A-7 could be oxidized to (POCOP)Co(Ph)(Cl) (B-1) using N-chlorosuccinimide; however, samples...
Spatially-Variant Photonic Crystals and Possible Applications

Spatially-variant photonic crystals (SVPCs) are a new concept in photonics that provide new optical properties and an extraordinary means for multiplexing functions and incorporating bio-inspired randomness and materials. In the present work, planar SVPCs based on self-collimation are investigated.
Visible Solidarities: #Asians4BlackLives and Affective Racial Counterpublics

This article examines how uses of ‘Asian-ness’ as racial presence becomes used discursively and visually to form affective racial counterpublics around #Asians4BlackLives/#Justice4AkaiGurley and #SavePeterLiang/#Justice4Liang. Specifically, I look at how how Asian American racial positioning becomes deployed in order to produce feelings of solidarity. Approaching hashtags as both indexical signifiers of solidarity and as an indexing system that archives together an array of media objects, I track media objects across multiple sites in order to examine visual modes of storytelling that affectively mobilize publics and investigate solidarity as discursively mediated, embodied, and affective phenomena. I closely examine how #SavePeterLiang protestors create narratives of victimization in response to the singularity of Liang’s racial body and how the #Asians4BlackLives selfie project uses representational visibility to activate affective politics.
Assessment of the Silver Penetration and Distribution in Carious Lesions of Deciduous Teeth Treated with Silver Diamine Fluoride

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of 38% silver diamine fluoride (SDF) on carious lesions of human deciduous teeth. Ten extracted deciduous incisors with caries were collected and treated with SDF. After the treatment, the teeth were sectioned through the center of the carious lesion. The extent of sliver precipitation was examined using quantitative backscattered electron scanning electron microscopy (qBSE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). The qBSE-SEM images revealed that the silver particles could penetrate through the pellicle complex, along with the rod sheaths into the demineralized enamel rods and the dentinal tubules, and form silver-enriched barriers surrounding the carious lesions at depths up to 2,490.2 μm (mean 744.7 ± 448.7 μm) within the dentinal tubules of the carious lesions, but less likely in the sound enamel. The EDX spectrum analysis revealed that carbon, oxygen, phosphorus, chlorine, silver, and calcium were the main elements detected in the lesions treated with SDF. Additionally, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, zinc, sulfur, and fluorine were detected as the minor elements within the SDF precipitation "zone." The micro-CT analysis further showed that in the deep cavitated lesions, the silver precipitation could be observed in the pulp chamber. These findings provide new evidence defining the SDF mode of action for arresting caries and suggest that the application of a highly concentrated SDF solution on deciduous teeth should be used with caution for various carious lesions.
Investigating Potential Impacts of Credit Failure Risk Mitigation on Habitat Exchange Outcomes

Voluntary, market-based conservation programs are one tool available to land managers and regulators to maintain and enhance environmental resources. One such program type is a habitat exchange, through which a private landowner sells conservation to developers to offset a disturbance on the landscape. Since landowner participation is voluntary, price and contract terms must be sufficiently appealing to induce participation. Moreover, landowners who undertake costly actions to generate sellable credits face risk of failure. In particular, stipulated habitat improvements may fail to be achieved in the future due to events outside the control of landowners, resulting in foregone conservation payments. In the absence of sufficient real-world data for conventional econometric analysis, we implement a laboratory market experiment to assess the impact of market structure, credit failure risk, and a potential reimbursement policy on habitat exchange outcomes (market price, quantity traded, earnings, and efficiency). Findings suggest that failure risk significantly reduces habitat credit production and trade in this market environment, putting the potential success of such emerging markets in question. A private party risk mitigation strategy of buyers reimbursing sellers for production costs on failed units could mitigate these impacts. Specifically, reimbursing sellers for production costs on credits that fail to maintain habitat quality for their contract life can significantly mitigate reductions in conservation production resulting from this risk.
Reducing birth defects in women with epilepsy: Research leading to results

Merely 20 years ago, a report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology recommended that antiepileptic drug (AED) selection for pregnant women with epilepsy should be based on the AED “deemed most appropriate for her seizure type.”1 Scientifically, lumping all AEDs together when chemical structures and mechanisms of action differ greatly was questionable, but the evidence for differential effects on fetal outcomes was sparse. Multiple research studies have now made it clear that the level of risk for major congenital malformation (MCMs) differs substantially among AEDs. The prevalence of MCMs is highest with valproate monotherapy2,3 compared to other monotherapies, and includes neural tube defects, heart malformations, cleft palate, hypospadias, and polydactyly. Likewise, the prevalence of MCMs is higher in polytherapy combinations that include valproate, compared to polytherapies that exclude valproate. MCM rates with some AED monotherapies even approximate the rates in the general population (e.g., levetiracetam, lamotrigine).2,3
Abstract P311: Engagement of a Community Advisory Board Informs an Exercise Intervention in Older African-American Couples

Introduction: Older African-Americans (AA) are vulnerable to cardiometabolic health disparities. As physical inactivity is highly prevalent in this population and regular exercise can help mitigate...
Proactively Offered Text Messages and Mailed Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Smokers in Primary Care Practices: A Pilot Randomized Trial.

Introduction Proactive, population health cessation programs can guide efforts to reach smokers outside of the clinic to encourage quit attempts and treatment use. Aims and methods This study aimed to measure trial feasibility and preliminary effects of a proactive intervention offering text messages (TM) and/or mailed nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to smokers in primary care clinics. From 2017 to 2019 we performed a pilot randomized trial comparing brief telephone advice (control: BA), TM, 2 weeks of mailed NRT, or both interventions (TM + NRT). Patients were identified using electronic health records and contacted proactively by telephone to assess interest in the study. We compared quit attempts, treatment use, and cessation in the intervention arms with BA. Results Of 986 patients contacted, 153 (16%) enrolled (mean age 53 years, 57% female, 76% white, 11% black, 8% Hispanic, 52% insured by Medicaid) and 144 (94%) completed the 12-week assessment. On average, patients in the TM arms received 159 messages (99.4% sent, 0.6% failed), sent 19 messages, and stayed in the program for 61 days. In all groups, a majority of patients reported quit attempts (BA 67% vs. TM 86% [p = .07], NRT 81% [p = .18], TM + NRT 79% [p = .21]) and NRT use (BA 51% vs. NRT 83% [p = .007], TM 65% [p = .25], TM + NRT 76% [p = .03]). Effect estimates for reported 7-day abstinence were BA 10% versus TM 26% (p = .09), NRT 28% (p = .06), and TM + NRT 23% (p = .14). Conclusions Proactively offering TM or mailed nicotine medications was feasible among primary care smokers and a promising approach to promote quit attempts and short-term abstinence. Implications Proactive intervention programs to promote quit attempts outside of office visits among smokers enrolled in primary care practices are needed. TM have potential to engage smokers not planning to quit or to support smokers to make a planned quit attempt. This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of testing a proactive treatment model including TM and/or mailed NRT to promote quit attempts, treatment use, and cessation among nontreatment-seeking smokers in primary care. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03174158.
150-GHz CMOS TX/RX With Digitally Predistorted PAM-4 Modulation for Terahertz Contactless/Plastic Waveguide Communications

In this article, 150-GHz CMOS transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) are presented for contactless and plastic waveguide communications. The implemented system employs a four-level pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM-4) and noncoherent detection. The direct upconversion TX and self-mixing RX suffer amplitude nonlinearity and distort the carrier-modulated multilevel signals. A current-mode digital predistortion is integrated in the PAM-4 modulator to correct the nonlinearity for the carrier-modulated multilevel signaling. Coupling antennas are designed on FR4-HR substrates. The same antenna launches electromagnetic energy into plastic waveguides to extend the communication distance. A plastic printed circuit board (PCB) is introduced by inserting plastic waveguides into copper-coated slots on PCBs to realize terahertz PCB communications. The TX and RX are fabricated in the 28-nm standard bulk CMOS process. The system consumes 60.2 mW under 1.2/1.5 V supply while transferring 30 Gb/s PAM-4 data, achieving 2.01 pJ/bit energy efficiency.
Jihad: A Description

As an Arabic term, the root of jihad indicates exertion or struggle, although it still has more than one contested meaning today. In Islamic tradition, jihad is often interpreted as religiously authorized warfare against non-Muslims and Muslims who are not considered true adherents to the faith. It is important to observe that the term is also used to signify nonviolent and thoroughly internal struggles, such as soul-searching, personal improvement, spiritual betterment, and social activism.
Single-chip holographic beam steering for lidar by a digital micromirror device with angular and spatial hybrid multiplexing

A digital micromirror device (DMD) based holographic beam steering technique is reported that multiplexes fine-steering binary amplitude gratings with a coarse-steering programmable blazed grating. The angular spatial light modulation (ASLM) technique encodes the spatial pattern of the binary amplitude grating at the same plane as the angular modulation set by a phase map of the DMD-based beam steering technique. The beam steering technique is demonstrated at 532 nm and implemented into a 905 nm lidar system. The results of the lidar system tests are presented, achieving a 44° field-of-view, 0.9°×0.4° (H×V) angular resolution, 1 m max distance, 1.5 kHz sampling, and 7.8 FPS video. Scalability techniques are proposed, including max distance increases to over 100 m.
A Good Workman Never Blames His Tools: Appropriate Use of Severity of Illness Scoring Systems Determines Their Utility!

Scoring systems in intensive care units allow assessment of the severity of disease and predicting mortality. They also help in allocation of resources and benchmarking performance when compared to other units and hence to development of skills within a unit. Their use needs to go beyond just mortality prediction and unit statistics. The data collected are useful for resource allocation, unit audits, comparison with local units as well as for quality improvement programs and education. How to cite this article Udani S. A Good Workman Never Blames His Tools: Appropriate Use of Severity of Illness Scoring Systems Determines Their Utility! Indian J Crit Care Med 2020;24(8):628-629.
On the Relationship between the Coronal Magnetic Decay Index and Coronal Mass Ejection Speed

Numerical simulations suggest that kink and torus instabilities are two potential contributors to the initiation and prorogation of eruptive events. A magnetic parameter called the decay index (i.e., the coronal magnetic gradient of the overlying fields above the eruptive flux ropes) could play an important role in controlling the kinematics of eruptions. Previous studies have identified a threshold range of the decay index that distinguishes between eruptive and confined configurations. Here we advance the study by investigating if there is a clear correlation between the decay index and coronal mass ejection (CME) speed. Thirty-eight CMEs associated with filament eruptions and/or two-ribbon flares are selected using the H{alpha} data from the Global H{alpha} Network. The filaments and flare ribbons observed in H{alpha} associated with the CMEs help to locate the magnetic polarity inversion line, along which the decay index is calculated based on the potential field extrapolation using Michelson Doppler Imager magnetograms as boundary conditions. The speeds of CMEs are obtained from the LASCO C2 CME catalog available online. We find that the mean decay index increases with CME speed for those CMEs with a speed below 1000 km s{sup -1} and stays flat around 2.2 for the CMEs with highermore » speeds. In addition, we present a case study of a partial filament eruption, in which the decay indices show different values above the erupted/non-erupted part.« less
MPN-086: Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Data from Patients with Lower-Risk Myelofibrosis (MF) Enrolled in the Myelofibrosis and Essential Thrombocythemia Observational Study (MOST)

Context: MF is a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) that can be accompanied by substantial symptom burden, diminished quality-of-life (QoL), and reduced survival. Objective: To report PROs in patients with lower-risk MF at time of enrollment in the MOST study. Design: MOST is a prospective, longitudinal, multicenter, noninterventional, observational study ( NCT02953704 ). Patients: Eligible adults had low-risk MF, using DIPSS risk categorization, or intermediate-1 risk by age alone (INT-1 age alone). Context: MF is a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) that can be accompanied by substantial symptom burden, diminished quality-of-life (QoL), and reduced survival. Objective: To report PROs in patients with lower-risk MF at time of enrollment in the MOST study. Design: MOST is a prospective, longitudinal, multicenter, noninterventional, observational study ( NCT02953704 ). Patients: Eligible adults had low-risk MF, using DIPSS risk categorization, or intermediate-1 risk by age alone (INT-1 age alone). Main outcome measures: PROs were assessed during usual-care visits every 6 months over 36 months of observation. Patient-reported symptom burden was assessed using the MPN-SAF; TSS was calculated. Health-related QoL was evaluated using the EORTC QLQ-C30 v3.0. Data were summarized descriptively; correlations between PROs and treatment modalities were not assessed. Results: Of 233 pts with lower-risk MF enrolled in MOST between November 29, 2016 and March 29, 2019, 125 with ≥1 PRO assessment at enrollment were included in this analysis (median age, 68 years; median duration from MF diagnosis to enrollment, 2.1 years; INT-1 age alone risk, 58%; full/part-time employment at diagnosis and enrollment, 46% and 33%, respectively). 124 patients completed the MPN-SAF at enrollment. Mean (SD) TSS was 18.1 (15.1) and was higher in women vs men (20.4 [15.8] vs 16.0 [14.2], respectively); 36% of pts had TSS ≥ 20. Fatigue was the highest mean (SD) individual symptom score (3.9 [2.7]) and the most commonly reported severe symptom (score ≥ 7; 22%). 123 patients completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 at enrollment. The highest mean (SD) symptom scale score was fatigue (30.2 [24.0]). The mean (SD) global health status/QoL score was 71.4 (21.0); functional scores ranged from 76.5 (21.3) for emotional functioning to 83.1 (16.1) for physical functioning. Conclusions: Despite having anticipated longer survival, patients with lower-risk MF reported high symptom burden and reduced QoL at the time of enrollment in MOST. Fatigue was the most common and most severe symptom. Future analyses from MOST will enhance understanding of symptom burden in patients with MF and its impact on QoL.
WebOptProfiler: Providing performance clarity for Mobile Webpage Optimizations

Despite decades of research on mobile webpage optimizations, little is known about how these optimizations interoperate. Moreover, there has been little systematic work to understand the scenarios wherein combinations of these optimizations excel. Without a comprehensive understanding of how these optimizations compose with each other and under what conditions they excel, operators cannot determine which optimizations to adopt, and, similarly, developers do not know where to focus their efforts. In this paper, we argue that developers should be required to evaluate and characterize the broader interactions between their proposed optimizations and other optimizations - this is in addition to demonstrating the potential benefits of their approach. To aide developers in characterizing these broader interactions, we propose an analytical model which decomposes web optimizations into virtual speedup functions that operate on well-understood browser processing phases (e.g., processing, rendering, layout, etc., for an object) and we present a web browser-oriented causal profiler which empirically explores interactions between optimizations by using their analytical models to speed up different parts of the Browser during a page load. Our system, WebOptProfiler, identifies and addresses practical issues in extending causal profiling to the webpage optimization domain and provides an algorithm for extracting an analytical model from readily available browser traces.
Potential therapeutic uses of rexinoids

The discovery of nuclear receptors, particularly retinoid X receptors (RXR), and their involvement in numerous pathways related to development sparked interest in their immunomodulatory properties. Genetic models using deletion or overexpression of RXR and the subsequent development of several small molecules that are agonists or antagonists of this receptor support a promising therapeutic role for these receptors in immunology. Bexarotene was approved in 1999 for the treatment of cutaneous T cell lymphoma. Several other small molecule RXR agonists have since been synthesized with limited preclinical development, but none have yet achieved FDA approval. Cancer treatment has recently been revolutionized with the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors, but their success has been restricted to a minority of patients. This review showcases the emerging immunomodulatory effects of RXR and the potential of small molecules that target this receptor as therapies for cancer and other diseases. Here we describe the essential roles that RXR and partner receptors play in T cells, dendritic cells, macrophages and epithelial cells, especially within the tumor microenvironment. Most of these effects are site and cancer type dependent but skew immune cells toward an anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effect. This beneficial effect on immune cells supports the promise of combining rexinoids with approved checkpoint blockade therapies in order to enhance efficacy of the latter and to delay or potentially eliminate drug resistance. The data compiled in this review strongly suggest that targeting RXR nuclear receptors is a promising new avenue in immunomodulation for cancer and other chronic inflammatory diseases.