cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compliance with a New York State 2010 HIV Testing Law: Is There Racial/Ethnic Bias in HIV Testing? Experience of Monroe County, New York, 2012

Background : While routine HIV testing in the general population is a national recommendation, actual practice may vary. Purpose : To determine risk factors associated with HIV testing after the adoption of a New York State law in 2010 mandating that healthcare providers offer HIV testing in all clinical settings. Methods. : Survey data from Monroe County, New York, were collected in 2012 for adults aged 18-64 years and analyzed in 2014. Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors independently associated with HIV testing and high-risk behavior. Results : Among adults aged 18-34 years, fewer Whites were offered HIV testing in the past year by their doctors compared with Blacks (34% vs 64%) despite having similar rates of any HIV high-risk behavior (20% overall). For adults aged 35-64 years, fewer Whites than Blacks were ever tested for HIV (42% vs 71%), offered HIV testing in past year (17% vs 40%), and reported any HIV high-risk behavior (3% vs 13%). Latinos showed intermediate levels. With logistic regression analysis, ever tested for HIV was independently associated with only race/ethnicity; offered HIV testing in the past year was associated with females, Blacks and Latinos, aged 18-34 years, and having a routine health checkup in past year; any HIV high-risk behavior was associated with only younger age. Conclusions : To improve HIV testing rates as well as compliance with state laws and national guidelines, targeted efforts should be considered that improve perceptions of risk and emphasize the value of routine HIV screening, including those directed at white adults and their health care providers. Ethn Dis. 2016;26(1):91-98; doi:10.18865/ed.26.1.91
Unmanned aircraft system sense and avoid integrity and continuity

This paper describes new methods to reach safety targets for sense-and-avoid sensors for unmanned aircraft systems by evaluating integrity and continuity risks. These methods can be used to set sensor requirements. The closest-point-of-approach distance and time to closest point of approach, τ, are used to measure the hazards associated with the intruder aircraft. The contribution to knowledge in this paper is a new method that uses hazard state estimates and estimate error to establish 1) the integrity risk of the sense-and-avoid system not detecting imminent loss of self-separation, and 2) the probability of false alert, the flight-path continuity risk. A sensitivity analysis evaluates the impact on integrity and continuity of sensor noise, range, and sample interval. The methods described in this paper can be used to set potential sense-and-avoid sensor requirements for unmanned aircraft system integration into the National Airspace System.
The C. elegans gene pag-3 is homologous to the zinc finger proto-oncogene gfi-1

Mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans gene pag-3 result in misexpression of touch receptor-specific genes in the BDU interneurons and in motility defects. We cloned pag-3 and found that the gene encodes a C2H2-type zinc finger protein related to the mammalian GFI-1 protein. Sequencing of the three pag-3 alleles showed that two apparent null alleles encode a nonsense mutation before the zinc fingers and a missense mutation in the fourth zinc finger that changes a coordinating histidine to a tyrosine. The third allele contains a nonsense mutation in the N-terminal region but is not a null allele. Northern analysis showed that a single pag-3 transcript of about 1.6 kb is present in embryos and L1, L2 and L3 larvae. pag-3 message levels were about twofold higher in pag-3 mutants than in wild-type animals, which suggested that pag-3 may negatively regulate its own expression. pag-3lacZ fusion genes were expressed in the BDU interneurons, the touch neurons, 11 VA and 11 VB ventral cord motor neurons, two AVF interneurons and in unidentified neurons of the retrovesicular ganglion. The BDU neurons and the ALM touch neurons are lineal sister cells in the AB.a lineage and the VA and VB motor neurons are lineal sister cells in the AB.p lineage. The VA motor neurons are required for backward movement and the VB motor neurons are required for forward movement. Mosaic analysis showed that the wild-type pag-3 gene is required in the AB.p lineage for coordinated movement and in the AB.a lineage to suppress touch neuron gene expression in the BDU neurons. Because pag-3 is expressed in both the BDU neurons and in the touch neurons, another protein(s) not expressed in the touch neurons may interact with pag-3 to repress touch neuron gene expression in the BDU neurons. Alternatively, another protein in the touch receptor cells may inactivate PAG-3 and allow expression of the touch receptor program. These results show that pag-3 is a temporally regulated gene that is expressed early in development and functions in multiple types of neurons. They also strongly suggest that the PAG3 protein is a DNA-binding protein with properties similar to the mammalian proto-oncogene product GFI-1.
Heroes and Holidays: The Status of Diversity Initiatives at Liberal Arts College Libraries.

Studies about diversity initiatives in academic libraries have primarily focused on large research libraries. But what kinds of diversity work occur at smaller libraries? This study examines the status of diversity initiatives, especially those aimed at students, at national liberal arts college libraries. Results from a survey of library directors reveal that, while diversity programming happens informally at most libraries, and while diversity is valued by library directors, diversity work has not been prioritized at the organizational level in any systematic manner.
Exploring the Current State of and Future Directions for Visual Communication Curriculum in the United States

A web-based survey of administrators (N = 59) and visual instructors (N = 60) was employed to examine the state of visual communication curricula among U.S. journalism and mass communication programs. Findings indicate courses were small, skills-based, and required for a limited number of students. Instructors had strong professional backgrounds, had strong opinions for expanding visual communication education, and had less confidence than administrators did that their students would have competence upon landing a job.
Tuning in and catching on? Examining the relationship between pandemic communication and awareness and knowledge of MERS in the USA.

Background Large-scale influenza outbreaks over the last decade, such as SARS and H1N1, have brought to global attention the importance of emergency risk communication and prompted the international community to develop communication responses. Since pandemic outbreaks are relatively infrequent, there is a dearth of evidence addressing the following questions: (i) Have the resources invested in strategic and routine communication for past pandemic outbreaks yielded public health preparedness benefits? (ii) Have past efforts sensitized people to pay attention to new pandemic threats? The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) that was followed closely by major media outlets in the USA provides an opportunity to examine the relationship between exposure to public communication about epidemics and public awareness and knowledge about new risks. Methods In December, 2013, we surveyed a nationally representative sample of 627 American adults and examined the associations between people's awareness to prior pandemics and their awareness of and knowledge about MERS. Results Awareness of prior pandemics was significantly associated with awareness and knowledge of MERS. The most common sources from which people first heard about MERS were also identified. Conclusions Communication inequalities were observed between racial/ethnic and socioeconomic positions, suggesting a need for more effective pandemic communication.
Hospital-Based Training for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Representatives

A hospital-based training program for pharmaceutical manufacturers' representatives is described. The pharmacy department of a large teaching institution established a training program for new sales representatives of a major pharmaceutical company. Goals were outlined by the sales training manager and the pharmacy department. The sales training personnel, department of pharmacy, and the cooperating departments of medicine, surgery, and nursing worked together to formulate objectives for the sessions, and teaching responsibilities were delegated to members of all these departments. The program length varied from one to five days. A formal contract was developed specifying content, program dates, and reimbursement. The institution is reimbursed for the use of the facility, materials, and administrative overhead. The program's success has led to the development of similar programs with several other companies. The extra income has enabled the pharmacy to create a new division within the department. Evaluations from more than 500 sales representatives who have participated in the programs have been consistently positive. The pharmacy department in a teaching institution has the resources to provide a training program for sales representatives that can be an additional source of income.
Downregulation of SOST/sclerostin by PTH: a novel mechanism of hormonal control of bone formation mediated by osteocytes.

Both chronic excess of PTH, as in hyperparathyroidism, and intermittent elevation of PTH (by daily injections) increase the number of osteoblasts. However, whereas the former condition can lead to bone catabolism, intermittent administration of PTH causes bone anabolism. The striking difference between bone loss and bone gain in the two conditions might result from a negative vs. positive balance between formation and resorption within each bone remodeling unit, or from de novo bone formation not coupled to previous resorption in the case of intermittent PTH administration. In any event, increased osteoblast number can be achieved by increased osteoblast production from progenitors, or decreased osteoblast apoptosis, or a combination of the two events. Studies in mice indicate that chronic and intermittent PTH increase osteoblast number by distinct mechanisms (Figure 1). Thus, whereas the increase in osteoblast number and the anabolic effect of intermittent PTH in cancellous bone can be accounted for by attenuation of osteoblast apoptosis, chronic elevation of endogenous PTH had no effect on osteoblast survival. The osteoblast specific transcription factor Runx2 is required for the antiapoptotic effect of PTH; however, PTH also stimulates proteasomal proteolysis of Runx2. Based on this, we have reasoned that repeated injections of the hormone are needed to inhibit osteoblast apoptosis because the duration of the PTH-induced survival signaling is self-limited by downregulation of Runx2; and that the inability of chronic elevation of PTH to attenuate osteoblast apoptosis may be due to a decrease in Runx2 levels below the threshold needed for survival signaling. Nevertheless, the increase in osteoblasts seen with chronic PTH elevation cannot be accounted for by inhibition of osteoblast apoptosis and therefore must result from increased osteoblast production. Recent studies indicate that the osteoblastogenic action of chronic elevation of PTH may result from actions of the hormone on osteocytes via changes in Sost expression. Consistent with evidence that Sost is upregulated by Runx2 and that PTH induces proteasomal degradation of Runx2 protein, continuous elevation of PTH dramatically reduces the expression of Sost mRNA and sclerostin in osteocytes in vivo and in vitro. These findings demonstrate a direct effect of PTH on osteocytes and were independently confirmed by other investigators. PTH also acts on stromal/osteoblastic cells to stimulate the production of growth factors and J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact 2006; 6(4):358-359
Bowel in Chest: Type IV Hiatal Hernia

doi:10.3121/cmr.2016.1332 A man, age 81 years, presented with frequent nausea and non-bloody vomiting for the past week, and a 3-day history of worsening epigastric abdominal pain with no flatus or bowel movements. He was tachycardic (120 bpm) and hypotensive (86/40 mm Hg). Upper abdomen was profoundly tender and distended. Laboratory results were significant for leukocytosis (20 x 103/uL; normals 4.1– 10.9 x 103/uL), acute kidney injury (creatinine 1.8 mg/dL; normals 0.6–1.3 mg/dL), and lactic acidosis (lactate 6.0 mmol/L; normals 0.5–2.1 mmol/L). Chest radiograph demonstrated air-filled loops of the colon over the midline of the lower thorax (figure 1). Abdominal computed tomography confirmed type IV hiatal hernia (figures 2 and 3). The patient received aggressive hemodynamic resuscitation in the intensive care unit. Exploratory laparotomy with hernia reduction and extended right hemicolectomy, due to extensive colonic necrosis, was performed. Gastrostomy tube was placed.
A novel approach for tracking control of differential drive robots subject to hard input constraints

This paper studies the issue of input saturation in tracking control of differential drive robots. Although the structure of control strategy is a determinant factor for the occurrence of saturation phenomena, having a trajectory for the robot that is compatible with the bounds on the inputs is a necessary condition for avoiding saturation. In this study, analytic conditions for determining the compatibility of a trajectory with the input constraints are derived. Moreover, the problem of refining an incompatible trajectory to make it consistent with the input constraints is studied. This paper also proposes a novel control strategy for trajectory tracking of differential drive robots which can guarantee tracking and preservation of the input constraints provided that the desired trajectory satisfy compatibility conditions. In case of incompatibility of desired trajectory the proposed controller can simultaneously refine the trajectory and use the adjusted version for robot control, guaranteeing convergence of the robot to the geometric profile of trajectory. To demonstrate the power of developed theory, the problem of cooperative load carrying for two input-constrained differential robots has been studied. Simulation results show the validity of the derived control strategy.
Integrated Aeroelastic Control Optimization

In this paper a new design and analysis method for aeroelastic control of composite lifting surfaces is presented. The novel feature of the method is the integration of the active control design to the structural design through aeroelastic tailoring. The design is posed as an optimization problem to determine fiber orientations of the individual laminae of the composite structure, together with an optimum quadratic control cost to maximize the critical (flutter or divergence) speed of the system. The method is illustrated for the design of a symmetric cantilevered composite plate, of a given geometry, with structural and control constraints.
Whistleblowing, the War on Science, and the Impending Trump Administration: Methods of Assault and Defense in an Accelerating Conflict

A “war on science” has been extensively described in academic literature and press reports, but the descriptions tend to be historical and journalistic narratives. Using examples drawn from available literature, we develop concise classification schemes to document methods of direct and indirect suppression of science in government and of methods of resistance and counter-attack. Recent anti-science policies in Canada and the U.S. and more recent reversals of these policies are compared to identify the role that political systems and political culture may play in implementing, encouraging, or impeding “war on science” policies and practices. The comparison allows speculation as to likely policies of the newly elected Trump administration in the U.S. based on Trump’s position statements and presidential appointments. Future pathways in the development of scientific resistance are also speculatively described.
Abstract 137: Clinical Outcomes After Cardiac Stress Testing Among U.S. Patients Younger Than 65, 2006-2012

Background: Recent studies of national practice patterns suggest that there is inconsistency in the appropriateness of referrals for cardiac stress testing. However, little is known about the prevalence of relevant clinical outcomes such as coronary revascularization or acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after stress testing. Methods: Using administrative claims from a large national private insurer, we conducted an observational cohort study of patients aged 25-64 who underwent de novo stress testing from 2006-2012. We excluded patients with a prior diagnosis of coronary artery disease, heart failure, or stroke. We calculated rates of AMI and coronary angiography with or without revascularization in the year following stress testing. We estimated logistic regression models that included demographic characteristics (age, sex, and race) and relevant comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia). Finally, we stratified the cohort into quintiles based on their risk of having an AMI or revascularization event in order to describe the characteristics of patients at lowest and highest risk. Results: We identified 564,313 patients (mean age 50, 49% women, 73% white) who underwent stress testing during the study period. Among these patients, 15% had diabetes, 37% had hypertension, and 42% had dyslipidemia. Within one year, 2.5% of the cohort underwent coronary revascularization or were hospitalized for AMI, and 2.7% underwent coronary angiography without revascularization. In the risk-stratified analysis, 0.5% of patients in the lowest risk quintile had an AMI or revascularization event, compared to 6.2% in the highest risk quintile (p Conclusion: The percentage of commercially insured U.S. patients who had an AMI or revascularization event within 1 year of stress testing was small. In the lowest risk quintile, the a priori prevalence of coronary disease risk factors was low, and the rates of subsequent AMI and revascularization was extremely low, raising questions about the value of stress testing in this subgroup.
Absence of clinical disease and contact transmission of HPAI H5NX clade 2.3.4.4 from North America in experimentally infected pigs.

Background In the fall of 2014, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N8 clade 2.3.4.4 was introduced into North America by migrating waterfowl from Asia where, through reassortment, novel HPAI H5N2 and H5N1 viruses emerged. Objectives Assess the susceptibility of pigs to HPAI H5N1, H5N2, and H5N8 clade 2.3.3.3 from North America. Methods Pigs and trachea explants were inoculated with a representative panel of H5NX clade 2.3.4.4 HPAI viruses from North America. Nasal swabs, BALF, and sera were collected to assess replication and transmission in challenged and direct contact pigs by RRT-PCR, virus isolation, hemagglutination inhibition, and ELISA. Results Limited virus replication was restricted to the lower respiratory tract of challenged pigs, though absent in the nasal passages and trachea cultures, as determined by RRT-PCR in all samples. Seroconversion of inoculated pigs was detected by NP ELISA but was not reliably detected by antigen-specific hemagglutination inhibition. Boost with adjuvanted virus was required for the production of neutralizing antibodies to assess cross-reactivity between wild-type avian strains. All RRT-PCR and serology tests were negative for contact animals indicating a failure of transmission from primary inoculated pigs. Conclusions H5NX clade 2.3.4.4 strains can replicate in the lower respiratory tract of swine upon high titer inoculation, though appear to be incapable of replication in swine nasal epithelium in vivo or ex vivo in trachea explants in culture. Infected pigs did not produce high levels of serum antibodies following infection. Collectively, our data show HPAI H5NX clade 2.3.4.4 viruses to be poorly adapted for replication and transmission in swine.
Posibles pérdidas y ganacias en el sector agrícola bajo un Tratado de Libre Comercio entre Estados Unidos y México

El proposito de este articulo es analizar las condiciones de la integracion de los sectores agricolas de los dos paises bajo un tratado de libre comercio. Los abrumadores retos que presenta Estados Unidos para la agricultura mexicana se relacionan con la excesiva capacidad productiva de la agricultura estadunidense y la capacidad del sector para responder a las iniciativas de las politicas. Se estudia como ejemplo la competitividad de dos tipos de cultivos: hortalizas para su procesamiento y granos basicos. Dado que las "reglas del juego" cambian debido a la accion gubernamental, unos ganan y otros pierden, por lo que se necesita que al menos una parte de las ganancias potenciales se redistribuyan a quienes pierden con los cambios y solo los gobiernos tienen la capacidad de organizar una respuesta como esta
Prenatal exposure to disaster-related traumatic stress and developmental trajectories of temperament in early childhood: Superstorm Sandy pregnancy study.

Abstract Background Little is known about the impact of prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) on the developmental trajectory of temperament and few studies have been able to incorporate a natural disaster as a quasi-experimental stressor. The current study investigated PNMS related to Superstorm Sandy (‘Sandy’), a hurricane that struck the New York metropolitan area in October 2012, in terms of objective exposure during pregnancy, subjective stress reaction as assessed by maternal symptoms of post-traumatic stress, and their impact on the developmental changes in temperament during early childhood. Method A subsample of 318 mother-child dyads was drawn from the Stress in Pregnancy Study. Temperament was measured at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. Results Objective exposure was associated with greater High-Intensity Pleasure, Approach, Perceptual Sensitivity and Fearfulness, but lower Cuddliness and Duration of Orientation at 6 months. Objective exposure and its interaction with subjective stress reaction predicted developmental changes in temperament. In particular, objective exposure was linked to greater increases in Activity Level but decreases in High-Intensity Pleasure, Approach, and Fearfulness. The combination of objective exposure and subjective stress reaction was also associated with greater increases in Activity Level. Limitations Temperament was measured solely via maternal report. Trimester-specific effects of Sandy on temperament were not examined. Conclusion This is the first study to examine the effects of prenatal maternal exposure to a natural disaster on trajectories of early childhood temperament. Findings suggest that both objective stress exposure and subjective stress reaction in-utero predict developmental trajectories of temperament in early childhood.
An initial assessment of small business risk management approaches for cyber security threats

While larger companies have resources to address cyber security issues, small companies often do not. Usually, a business owner or his immediate family members handle many different roles within the small business. Because of a lack of information technology knowledge and resources to hire that knowledge, many small businesses are at a great risk of having their systems compromised. The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a field study that included over 370 interviews with small business owners about their approach to risk management, including those related to cyber security threats. Results indicate that small business owners are often likely to have the basic tools related to technology risk management in place, but lack the policies, procedures and training to secure their information resources. Additionally, responses indicated a majority of respondents do not use strong passwords to protect their information assets.
The Sacred and the Profane in the Marketplace

This chapter modifies Randall Collins’ interaction ritual chains theory in order to identify how individuals distinguish between what is sacred (off limits to competitive market rules) and what is profane. The empirical examples come from international trade shows in Thailand, home decor and handicraft markets in Thailand and Costa Rica as well as from small factories and artisans’ workshops. Interaction rituals enable individuals to embody moral codes and to revivify distinctions between the sacred and the profane. Individuals are not fully cognizant of the moral standards they have embodied, but these standards accomplished anew with each interaction and begin to crystallize when there is a focused interaction where most distractions are submerged. While each market situation regenerates normative principles, the concatenation of these normative principles throughout a chain of interactions gives rise to trans-situational values. Although, Durkheim theorized the clear separation of the sacred from the profane and thought about the machinations of the market as profane, Durkheim’s analysis of religious ritual can usefully be applied to such nonreligious realms as the marketplace. By taking a Durkheimian approach, one can identify various ritual ingredients that regenerate moral distinctions in the marketplace, and one can ask how the disabling or the removal of those ingredients might alter the regeneration of these distinctions.
Financial Incentives and Their Varying Effects on Productivity

The premise for this paper is simple: The impact of financial incentives on productivity is quite variable. In some instances financial incentives are powerful stimulants to increased productivity by individuals, work groups, and entire organizations. In other instances, financial incentives have little or no impact on productivity at work. And, on occasion, the introduction of financial incentives precipitates a decline in productivity.
The Role of Mineral Carbonation in Carbon Capture

Mineral carbonation takes place through the reaction of CO2 with an alkalinity source that includes divalent cations such as calcium (Ca2 +) andmagnesium (Mg2 +) as well as hydroxyl anions to form stable carbonate minerals. Similar to algae-based (Chap. 7) and electrochemical CO2 reduction (Chap. 8) processes, mineral carbonation has the potential to couple the capture with the long-term storage of CO2. Although most studies of mineral carbonation to date have focused on the carbonation of a pure CO2 gas (i.e., assuming a previous capture step), CCS in a single-step mineral carbonation process may one day be possible. Therefore, it is important to consider this concept in the broader portfolio of CO2 capture technologies. Figure 9.1 shows a possible mineral carbonation stream in which an alkalinity source reacts with CO2 to form mineral carbonate. Energy requirements include thermal or mechanical treatment of the alkalinity source to improve its reactivity toward mineral carbonation. Determining the end use of the mineral carbonate may provide an upper limit on how much energy one is willing to spend on the carbonation process.
Data-driven Modeling for Aviation Safety Diagnosis and Prognosis

The safety of the air transportation system is affected by a variety of uncertainties arising from multiple sources. This paper investigates a diagnosis and prognosis approach to detect anomalies in the flight trajectory, diagnose root causes, and then perform prognosis regarding the risk of occurrence of adverse events, in the presence of various sources of uncertainty. The proposed method is illustrated using a three-step procedure. First, using flight trajectory data, we evaluate the probabilities of system states corresponding to each failure case, from which we formulate a state-space model. Next, we perform anomaly detection for a specific flight trajectory by developing a Bayesian state estimation-based method, and subsequently identify the cause of the detected anomaly. Once the root cause is identified, prognosis is performed to predict the future state in a probabilistic manner. The proposed method is illustrated using near-ground landing data synthetically generated from an open source air traffic simulator – BlueSky. The simulation data mimicking the nearground landing process with different initial states (e.g., aircraft altitude and speed, response delay, and brake performance) and other factors (such as wind direction) are used to demonstrate the procedures of diagnosis and prognosis.
The Effect of Prostaglandin E1 on Pulmonoplegia before and after Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion

Purpose The lungs on ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) are kept under suboptimal condition in terms of graft preservation and their status can be compromised against cold ischemia (CI) after EVLP. Prostaglandin E1 (PG) is routinely used for pulmonoplegia against CI in clinical practice, however not used after EVLP. In this study, we investigated the effect of PG on graft preservation for the lungs before and after EVLP. Methods Lewis rats lungs were procured with cold Perfadex and were assigned for 4 different preservation groups: 1) 8h CI, 2) 8h CI with PG, 3) 2h EVLP + 6h CI and 4) 2h EVLP + 6h CI with PG. Lungs in group 3 and 4 were subjected to normothermic EVLP for 2h then kept under 4°C for 6h. PG (30 μg) was intravenously administered into grafts at graft procurement for group 2 and those at 2h EVLP for group 4. After preservation, left lungs in all groups were transplanted orthotopically using cuff technique in syngeneic rats and evaluated 2h after reperfusion. Results The lungs treated with PG on procurement showed better graft function after transplant following 8h CI than those without PG. Also, less inflammation and less endothelial barrier damage were found in PG treated lung tissue than control. However, the lungs treated with PG after EVLP showed worse posttransplant graft quality compared to those with no treatment after EVLP, although there was no difference in EVLP data. Further analysis showed PG depleted energy in the tissue after EVLP. Conclusion Lungs can obtain CI tolerance via a PG-induced protection mechanism that appears to be supported by cellular energy production. Importantly, PG may be unsuitable for post-EVLP pulmonoplegia due to disrupted cellular metabolic environment.
Stimulated activity in the neural tissue

This paper presents a short selective tutorial on the processes in neurons and neural tissue, such as saltatory excitation transfer in myelinated axons, nonsynaptic propagation of excitation from one activated neuron to the nearest neighbors (ephaptic coupling), and their mathematical descriptions. All these processes are associated with charging the active axon membrane to a potential difference exceeding the threshold, due to currents in the extracellular and intracellular media, resulting in the initiation of action potentials. Also, the issues of control of the activity of nervous tissue in external microwave or ultrasonic fields are considered. It is shown that such an effect can be a result of the action potential activation threshold changing, caused by the forced redistribution of the unbounded transmembrane protein ion channels.
Towards Flexible Ridesharing Experiences: Human-Centered Design of Segmented Shared Spaces.

The increasing usage of ride-sharing and autonomous vehicles has presented a need for personalized mobility experiences. This research defines these needs through an investigation from passengers who have used or will use these services. User-behaviors and user pain-points were categorized through in-depth interviews and observations. The most pressing categories were defined to be safety, privacy, and comfort. The variety of responses and user pain points defined a need for a flexible solution that employ a safe, private, and comfortable experience during a shared ride. We present a human-centered design solution that segments the shared space and provides a sense of security through personal physical space, privacy through asymmetrical viewing of neighboring passengers, and comfort through increasing the field of view of the passenger.
Intravenous and Oral Tranexamic Acid Are Equivalent at Reducing Blood Loss in Thoracolumbar Spinal Fusion: A Prospective Randomized Trial

Study Design.A prospective randomized trial of patients enrolled at a university affiliated tertiary medical center between February and December 2017.Objective.To compare perioperative blood loss in patients undergoing elective posterior thoracolumbar fusion who were treated with intravenous (IV) v
Integrating Family Caregiver Support Into a Gynecologic Oncology Practice: An ASCO Quality Training Program Project.

PURPOSE:A needs assessment of family caregivers (CGs) in our gynecologic oncology clinic found that 50% of CGs report nine or more distressing unmet needs, but only 19% of patients had a documented...
Pharmacist-Led Annual Wellness Visits: A Review.

Objective:To summarize findings of pharmacist involvement with Medicare Annual Wellness Visits (AWV), including the number of pharmacist interventions, patient/provider satisfaction, and billing mo...
Estimation of the carrier frequency of fumarate hydratase alterations and implications for kidney cancer risk in hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cancer

Background Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cancer (HLRCC) is a cancer syndrome associated with a germline mutation in fumarate hydratase (FH). The syndrome is associated with cutaneous and uterine leiomyomas, and some patients develop a lethal form of kidney cancer. This study provides estimates for the FH carrier frequency and kidney cancer penetrance. Methods Data sets containing sequencing data for the FH gene were used: the 1000 Genomes Project (1000GP) and the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC). Alterations in the FH gene were characterized on the basis of different variant risk tiers: 1) ClinVar annotated variants, 2) loss-of-function alterations, and 3) highly impactful missense alterations. The cumulative incidence of FH alterations overall and by different world populations was evaluated in 1000GP and ExAC. A lifetime penetrance of HLRCC kidney cancer risk was generated with 3 estimates of the annual incidence. Results The overall allele frequencies of tier 1 to 3 FH alterations in the ExAC and 1000GP data sets were 2.54 × 10-3 (1 in 393) and 1.20 × 10-3 (1 in 835), respectively. There were differences in the allele frequencies of FH alterations between world populations. Based on various estimates of the percentage of kidney cancers with FH alterations, the lifetime kidney cancer penetrance for carrier estimate 3 in ExAC was 1.7% to 5.8%. Conclusions FH alterations are common and are carried by approximately 1 in 1000 individuals according to the more conservative estimates. The lifetime kidney cancer penetrance appears lower than previously estimated. Although databases are not population cohorts, they provide a useful quantitative estimate of rare variants with low penetrance.
Urinary Tract Infection After Midurethral Sling.

Objective The aim of the study was to clarify which baseline, operative, and postoperative factors are associated with the development and recurrence of urinary tract infection (UTI) after midurethral sling (MUS). Methods This is a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent a MUS from February 2010 to April 2014 within a single practice with 2 surgeons. Distribution of perioperative factors with relation to 6-week UTI occurrence (primary outcome) and recurrent UTI (secondary outcome) within a year after surgery were analyzed using Student's t test and χ test. Then, independent risk factors were determined using multiple logistic regression. A P value of less than 0.05 defined statistical significance. Results From the 500 patients who underwent MUS, 79 (15.8%) developed a UTI within 6 weeks of surgery and 5.8% had recurrent UTI within a year. Looking at the independent effects, patients with a history of recurrent UTI and voiding dysfunction requiring catheterization more than 24 hours were at a higher risk of developing UTI within 6 weeks after surgery. In addition, having a history of recurrent UTI, asymptomatic bacteriuria, and postoperative UTI within 6 weeks after surgery were significantly associated with postoperative recurrent UTI. Conclusions In this study, we identified baseline and postoperative characteristics that are associated with greater risk of UTI within 6 weeks and recurrent UTI after MUS. These factors can be potentially modified or useful in counseling patients on personalized risks and benefits of the surgical procedure.
CIDP Diagnostic Criteria and Response to Treatment

AbstractIntroduction: Diagnostic criteria for CIDP have been proven useful for clinical trials. However, use of these criteria in clinics has been limited by time constraints and unknown usefulness in predicting outcomes. Methods: A retrospective chart review of CIDP patients at the University of Kansas seen between 2008 and 2014 was performed. We determined the diagnostic criteria fulfilled by each patient and assessed treatment responses. A positive response was defined by improvement sensory or motor examination as determined by a neuromuscular physician.Results: There were 38 total patients included in the study. The response rate to IVIG in patients who fulfilled EFNS/PNS criteria was 20/22 (90.1%). Among patients who fulfilled AAN criteria, 8/9 (88.9%) responded positively to IVIG. Slightly lower response rates were seen in patients fulfilling INCAT criteria and Saperstein criteria at 10/15 (66.7%) and 12/17 (70.6%), respectively.Discussion: EFNS/PNS and AAN criteria can similarly predict IVIG treatment response.
A Hopf-Lax Formula in Hamilton–Jacobi Analysis of Reach-Avoid Problems

Reach-avoid problems compute control laws under which a dynamic system can reach a desired set of states while avoiding another set. They are used in solving a variety of problems, such as goal-seeking and obstacle avoidance. Hamilton-Jacobi analysis provides a method for solving reach-avoid problems, through a corresponding Hamilton-Jacobi (HJ) equation. Although the HJ equation can be utilized for a general class of problems, computing the solution of the HJ equation by grid-based methods has exponential complexity in the dimension of the continuous state. To alleviate this complexity, this letter presents a generalized version of the Hopf-Lax formula and proves its correctness for solving the reach-avoid problem. The method does not rely on discretization of the state space. A numerical algorithm for the proposed Hopf-Lax formula is presented, and demonstrated using a 12D vehicle example.
Young adult e-cigarette use: A latent class analysis of device and flavor use, 2018-2019.

Abstract Objective The myriad of e-cigarette devices and flavors used by young adults (YAs) complicates identification of the particular e-cigarette products that are associated with more frequent tobacco use and merit consideration for regulation. The current study used latent class analysis to identify distinct patterns of e-cigarette device and flavor use and evaluate their association with vaping and smoking frequency. Methods Cross-sectional survey data (2018–2019) from a Southern California cohort were analyzed. YAs reporting past 30-day nicotine vaping (N = 550; M age = 19.2 years) self-reported e-cigarette device type/brand and flavor. Six device (e-cig/vape pen, mech mod, box mod, JUUL, non-JUUL pod, disposable) and three flavor (tobacco, mint/menthol, sweet/fruit) indicators were included in a latent class analysis. Past 30-day nicotine vaping and cigarette smoking frequency were assessed as correlates of device and flavor class membership. Results Three classes were identified: Any Pod–Mint/Menthol or Sweet/Fruit Flavor Users (prevalance:47%); Non-JUUL–Sweet/Fruit Flavor Users (28%); and Poly-Device–Poly-Flavor Users (25%). Greater frequency of vaping and smoking were associated with higher odds of belonging to the Poly-Device–Poly-Flavor Users class vs. the Any Pod–Mint/Menthol or Sweet/Fruit Flavor Users (vaping: aOR[95%CI] = 1.36[1.16, 1.59], p Conclusions Although YAs that predominately used pod devices alongside non-tobacco flavors were most common, YAs characterized by a proclivity toward using many different devices and flavors were appreciably prevalent and smoked and vaped more frequently. Regulations targeting a wide spectrum of vaping products may be optimal in protecting YA health.
Is Tax Competition Strategic? Spatial Distributions of Business Property Tax Abatements in the Chicago Suburbs:

The authors analyze the locations of property tax abatements awarded to businesses in Cook County, Illinois from 2012 to 2014 to explore their spatial distribution and to examine local government m...
VELOC: VEry Low Overhead Checkpointing in the Age of Exascale.

Checkpointing large amounts of related data concurrently to stable storage is a common I/O pattern of many HPC applications. However, such a pattern frequently leads to I/O bottlenecks that lead to poor scalability and performance. As modern HPC infrastructures continue to evolve, there is a growing gap between compute capacity vs. I/O capabilities. Furthermore, the storage hierarchy is becoming increasingly heterogeneous: in addition to parallel file systems, it comprises burst buffers, key-value stores, deep memory hierarchies at node level, etc. In this context, state of art is insufficient to deal with the diversity of vendor APIs, performance and persistency characteristics. This extended abstract presents an overview of VeloC (Very Low Overhead Checkpointing System), a checkpointing runtime specifically design to address these challenges for the next generation Exascale HPC applications and systems. VeloC offers a simple API at user level, while employing an advanced multi-level resilience strategy that transparently optimizes the performance and scalability of checkpointing by leveraging heterogeneous storage.
Fearing the Loss of the Black Body: Why Coates' Between the World and Me Confesses His Repressed Neurobiological History of Emotional and Physical Abuse and Reveals the Taboo Subject of the Caregiver's Impulse to Traumatically Destroy Their Children

In Between the World and Me, published in 2015, Ta-Nehisi Coates argues that blacks live in fear of losing their bodies due to slavery, Jim Crow, and modern racial discrimination. Under these social institutions and violent practices, the latter of which continues today, society’s Dreamers, Plunderers, and Destroyers can take black lives with virtual impunity, all of which cause black folks to live in fear of losing their bodies. I disagree. I argue that the primary source of such fear arose in the earliest years of the infant’s life by parents, who abused, traumatized, and neglected their infants. Such abuse, traumata, and neglect, including emotional oppression, can constitute toxic stress. Once the infant’s stress response system has been repeatedly triggered, such abuse, trauma, and neglect can be an anlage of a death anxiety and learned helplessness in the neonate child and can cause them to associate rejection with abandonment, which is tantamount to actual or symbolic “death.” Thereafter, these children can live with a free-floating fear of death. The mechanism that triggers a “psychopathic” response in children or adult children can be racism, violence, or aggression in the primary (i.e., home), secondary (i.e., school) and tertiary (e.g., work) environments. As a reflex, especially to avoid the taboo subject of parents “killing” their infants and toddlers and to repress the scandalous truth of the mother’s (or caregiver’s) impulse to traumatically destroy their children, blacks conventionally assign this fear of death solely to white racism, America’s history of racial oppression, or racialized violence. However, by studying the neurobiological history of children, especially due to a parent’s abuse, trauma, and neglect of her infant and toddler, researchers have altered conventional wisdom about the probable origins of psychopathologies. Such abuse, trauma, and neglect, especially intentional violence from parent to infant, disrupt this vital relationship, in which parents cannot be separated psychologically and developmentally from their children. To the infant and toddler, this violent disruption can be foreboding doom, and anxiety of death that the child and adult child have learned to assign not to the actual experience of “violent” and rejecting parents, but to imaginary experiences of violence and death by whites that deny blacks access to the taboo subject of black caregivers who rely on violent, death dealing parenting styles and on their unconscious impulse to traumatically destroy their own children.
Dynamic Changes in the Dairy Market

Leaders from all parts of the dairy industry are finding out that they have to get up every morning and try to put themselves out of business. They do it because if they do not, someone else will. This is not just because of the 1996 FAIR farm bill. They do it because in today's market, if they do not come up with a better dairy product or a better way of marketing that product, they will fall behind. The dairy industry is becoming more competitive and more consumer oriented. Today, we are competing on a world wide basis and continued innovation in production techniques and product development and marketing are needed to keep the U.S. dairy industry at the forefront of world agriculture. Consumers of today are accustomed to getting what they want and the industry must provide that or the customer will go somewhere else. One of the main changes we are seeing in the dairy industry is that we are becoming more market oriented and, thanks to the 1996 farm bill, we are assured that this trend will continue in the future. I want to divide the discussion of the changes in dairy marketing into four areas: dairy farmers and their cooperatives; the Federal milk marketing order system; the processing sector; and a miscellaneous category including international markets, managing risks, and food safety.
Plant hormones and the biosynthesis of gibberellins: the early-13-hydroxylation pathway leading to GA1.

This report will briefly review the gibberellin (GA) biosynthetic pathway, from mevalonic acid (MVA) to ent-kau-rene, to GA12-aldehyde, to the C19 gibberellins. Emphasis will be given to the early-13-hydroxylation pathway, a branch pathway from GA12-aldehyde that leads to the bioactive gibberellin, GA1. The use of GA mutants in the analysis of GA biosynthesis will be discussed. Thus it is not the purpose of this paper to give a detailed analysis of the GA biosynthetic pathway, nor to give an analysis of the chemistry of this interesting class of natural products, nor to review the physiology of the gibberellins.
Critical Legal Studies

Critical legal studies (CLS) is a label for movements of leftist legal academics in the USA, Britain, and France which reached their height of influence in the 1980s and 90s. Critics target their critiques to the dominant modes of legal reasoning, scholarship, and teaching in their legal cultures. These modes usually pretend to be neutral and apolitical, but critics see them as expressions of conflicting political ideologies. Critics do not assume law is merely a superstructural reflection of a material base of determining economic relations, or as simply an instrument of ruling-class power, but treat the content and forms of law and legal reasoning as relatively autonomous active force fields in the structuration and interpretation of the economy and social world. Ideologies hidden in law often serve to produce, reproduce, and justify inequalities and illegitimate hierarchies; but they also express utopian aspirations and point to plausible alternative social arrangements. The critics' aims have been to bring into view the latent ideologies and contradictory structures of the legal order, and to capture and reorient enclaves of legal scholarship, teaching, and practice, and to use them to reimagine and incrementally put into practice alternative legal ideas and policies.