cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applications of Multi-Type Branching Processes

Two applications of multi-type branching processes to epidemic models are presented. The first application is to an SEIR epidemic model and the second application is to the same epidemic model but with dispersal. The SEIR epidemic is modeled as a two-type branching process. Occurrence of an outbreak depends on the number of exposed and infectious individuals. It is shown that the offspring pgfs for the exposed and infectious populations lead to an explicit formula for the probability of an outbreak.
Inside Ethnicity: Suburban Outlooks

Stuart Hall’s essay ‘New ethnicities’ (1996 [1988]) attempts to describe and conceptualize a ‘shift’ in black cultural politics in Great Britain in the 1980s. Hall’s argument belongs with related tendencies in a period which saw the formation of independent black film units and co-ops, the advent of Channel 4 and a new commissioning policy for minority programmes, and the appearance of new black authors, dramatists, bands and singers. These changes had been described by Kobena Mercer in the essay ‘Recoding Narratives of Race and Nation’, and this had been included, along with Hall’s essay, in the publication Black Film/British Cinema (1988), following a conference at the ICA in London, an event which itself signalled the shift in the terms of debate Hall sought to identify. Other contemporary essays by Hall, especially, (‘Minimal Selves’, 1987, ‘Cultural Identity and Diaspora’, 1990), helped frame this new thinking as did the earlier film and literary texts discussed below. Together, this work and associated debate can be said to register and respond to the broader social and political trends which saw ‘race relations’ in Great Britain move into the critical and confrontational stage of direct clashes with police as Thatcherism took hold. The analyses by Martin Jacques and Hall (1983, 1988) of Thatcherism as a form of ‘authoritarian populism’, and their arguments for a radical and progressive populism which would contest this hegemonic form, had also begun to appear from the early 1980s.
Is Eastern Europe to Blame for Falling Corporate Taxes in Europe? The Politics of Tax Competition Following EU Enlargement

When a dozen new countries joined the European Union in the mid-2000s, political tensions spiked over disparities in corporate income tax rates. Since the time of enlargement, leaders have tried repeatedly to enhance corporate tax coordination within the EU, as a result of fears of downward pressure on corporate tax rates and states’ weakening ability to collect revenues. At the same time, leaders from new member states in Eastern Europe with low corporate tax rates have contended that regional efforts to coordinate tax policies are not worthwhile, given that corporate tax competition is a global phenomenon. This article argues that corporate tax competition is more acute at the regional than the global level. While corporate tax rates are falling inside and outside the EU, we demonstrate using a large multiyear, multiregional data set that Eastern European countries have extremely low corporate tax rates relative to other EU and non-EU countries, even when controlling for multiple domestic economic and p...
Further optimization of peptide substrate enhanced assay performance for BoNT/A detection by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

Rapid and sensitive detection of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), which cause botulism, is essential in a public health emergency or bioterrorism event. We have previously developed a mass spectrometry (MS)-based functional method, Endopep-MS assay, for the fast detection and differentiation of all BoNT serotypes by affinity enriching the toxin and detecting the serotype-specific cleavage products of peptide substrates derived from the in vivo targets. To improve the performance of the Endopep-MS assay, we report here the further optimization of the peptide substrate for the detection of serotype A botulinum neurotoxins. An increased substrate cleavage was achieved by extending the original peptide N-terminus with optimized amino acid sequence, increasing the detection sensitivity of the method. In addition, the resistance of the substrate to nonspecific hydrolysis was dramatically improved by selectively substituting amino acids at the scissile bond and various other positions of the extended peptide. Moreover, incorporating the N-terminal hydrophobic residues dramatically improved the relative intensity of the cleavage products in the mass spectra. This allowed easy detection of the cleavage products, further enhancing the performance of the assay. The limit of detection for spiked serum sample was enhanced from 0.5 to 0.1 mouseLD50 and from 0.5 to 0.2 mouseLD50 for spiked stool.
Determination of material properties for ANSYS progressive damage analysis of laminated composites

Abstract A method is presented to calculate the material parameters required by the progressive damage analysis (PDA) material-model in ANSYS®. The proposed method is based on fitting results calculated with PDA to experimental data by using Design of Experiments and Direct Optimization. The method uses experimental modulus-reduction vs. strain data for only two laminates to fit all the parameters required by PDA transverse/shear damage mode. Fitted parameters are then used to predict and compare with the experimental response of other laminates. Mesh sensitivity of PDA is studied by performing p- and h-mesh refinement. PDA can then be used to predict the response with damage evolution of any layup.
Engineering cell aggregates through incorporated polymeric microparticles.

Abstract Ex vivo cell aggregates must overcome significant limitations in the transport of nutrients, drugs, and signaling proteins compared to vascularized native tissue. Further, engineered extracellular environments often fail to sufficiently replicate tethered signaling cues and the complex architecture of native tissue. Co-cultures of cells with microparticles (MPs) is a growing field directed towards overcoming many of these challenges by providing local and controlled presentation of both soluble and tethered proteins and small molecules. Further, co-cultured MPs offer a mechanism to better control aggregate architecture and even to report key characteristics of the local microenvironment such as pH or oxygen levels. Herein, we provide a brief introduction to established and developing strategies for MP production including the choice of MP materials, fabrication techniques, and techniques for incorporating additional functionality. In all cases, we emphasize the specific utility of each approach to form MPs useful for applications in cell aggregate co-culture. We review established techniques to integrate cells and MPs. We highlight those strategies that promote targeted heterogeneity or homogeneity, and we describe approaches to engineer cell-particle and particle–particle interactions that enhance aggregate stability and biological response. Finally, we review advances in key application areas of MP aggregates and future areas of development. Statement of Significant Cell-scaled polymer microparticles (MPs) integrated into cellular aggregates have been shown to be a powerful tool to direct cell response. MPs have supported the development of healthy cartilage, islets, nerves, and vasculature by the maintenance of soluble gradients as well as by the local presentation of tethered cues and diffusing proteins and small molecules. MPs integrated with pluripotent stem cells have directed in vivo expansion and differentiation. Looking forward, MPs are expected to support both the characterization and development of in vitro tissue systems for applications such as drug testing platforms. However, useful co-cultures must be designed keeping in mind the limitations and attributes of each material strategy within the context of the overall tissue biology. The present review integrates prospectives from materials development, drug delivery, and tissue engineering to provide a toolbox for the development and application of MPs useful for long-term co-culture within cell aggregates.
Advancing Scientific Methods in Community and Cultural Context to Promote Health Equity: Lessons From Intervention Outcomes Research With American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

Evidence-based interventions hold promise for reducing gaps in health equity across diverse populations, but evidence about effectiveness within these populations lags behind the mainstream, often ...
The effects of dietary supplementation with n-3 fatty acids on the behavioral and neuroinflammatory phenotype of the Fmr1 knockout mouse

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a genetic trinucleotide (CGG) overexpansion mutation in the FMR1 gene coding for fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). This disorder is characterized by marked intellectual disability, as well as other autistic-like behavioral phenotypes. Supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) has been proposed as an alternative treatment for a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders, including Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Previous results have examined the efficacy of this treatment paradigm in the FXS mouse model, though it is not known how the efficacy varies between background strains. In the present study, male FVB/129 Fmr1 knockout and Fmr1 wildtype littermates were assigned to one of three diet conditions following weaning on PD21: standard lab chow, EPA/DHA enriched chow, and a diet controlling for the increase in fat associated with the former. Upon reaching postnatal day 90, animals were tested in a several behavioral assays, which included elevated plus maze, social partition, nose poke assay, delay fear conditioning and prepulse inhibition. Results revealed that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids attenuated alterations in prepulse inhibition behavior and hyperactivity. Results also revealed that the increased dietary fatty acid composition significantly impacted sociability and repetitive behavior. These behavioral changes were associated with reduction in hippocampal expression of IL-6 resulting from dietary supplementation omega-3 fatty acids.
3D modeling of BAW-based multiferroic antennas

The thin-film multiferroic bulk-acoustic-wave (BAW) antennas consisting of piezoelectric and magneto-elastic materials are modeled. The effect of ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) on the radiation efficiency is demonstrated. As the applied in-plane magnetic DC field aligns the FMR frequency of the magneto-elastic layer with that of the BAW resonance of the structure, peaks in radiation efficiency are observed. Benchmark against the conventional dipole antenna and Chu's limit validates the advantage of the multiferroic antennas. This work represents the first three-dimensional investigation in magneto-elastic coupling based thin-film multiferroic antennas for potential applications in electrically small antennas.
CTG18.1 Expansion in TCF4 Among African Americans With Fuchs' Corneal Dystrophy.

Purpose Studies of Fuchs' dystrophy have largely focused on individuals of European origin. Characterization of disease among African Americans is required to ensure prognostic factors and therapeutic approaches are applicable across diverse patient populations. Methods We assessed all self-reported black and white patients aged older than 40 years at a tertiary care institution with a diagnosis of cataract over a 3-year period for concurrent diagnosis of Fuchs' dystrophy. Affected patients in a longitudinal cohort were invited to provide a blood sample from which we extracted genomic DNA. The CTG18.1 trinucleotide repeat length was determined using a two-step, triplet repeat primed PCR protocol. Expansion was defined as >40 CTG repeats. Demographic information, including race, was documented. Results Of 59,365 self-reported black and white adults who presented for cataract evaluation, the odds ratio of presenting with Fuchs' dystrophy among black compared to white patients was 0.6992 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.6210-0.7872). A total of 60 black and 549 white patients with Fuchs' corneal dystrophy enrolled in the longitudinal study, of which 21 (35.0%) black and 343 (62.5%) white patients demonstrated trinucleotide repeat expansion, a significant difference (P = 7.7 × 10-5). In a multivariable linear regression model, repeat expansion but not race was significantly associated with mean clinical grading of severity. Conclusions Black patients with Fuchs' dystrophy were less likely than white patients to demonstrate CTG18.1 allele expansion. The data contribute to our understanding of population differences in clinical presentation, and highlight the need for considering diversity of patient populations in clinical research.
Relationship of procedural numbers with meaningful procedural autonomy in general surgery residents

Abstract Background Concerns exist regarding the competency of general surgery graduates with performing core general surgery procedures. Current competence assessment incorporates minimal procedural numbers requirements. Methods Based on the Zwisch scale we evaluated the level of autonomy achieved by categorical PGY1-5 general surgery residents at 14 U.S. general surgery resident training programs between September 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016. With 5 of the most commonly performed core general surgery procedures, we correlated the level of autonomy achieved by each resident with the number of procedures they had performed before the evaluation period, with the intent of identifying specific target numbers that would correlate with the achievement of meaningful autonomy for each procedure with most residents. Results Whereas a definitive target number was identified for laparoscopic appendectomy (i.e. 25), for the other 4 procedures studied (i.e. laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 52; open inguinal hernia repair, 42; ventral hernia repair, 35; and partial colectomy, 60), target numbers identified were less definitive and/or were higher than many residents will experience during their surgical residency training. Conclusions We conclude that procedural target numbers are generally not effective in predicting procedural competence and should not be used as the basis for determining residents' readiness for independent practice.
Fundamentals of Crystal Growth from Vapors

Crystallization from vapors has gained great importance in the preparation of epitaxial and polycrystalline layers of semiconductors, insulators and metals, as well as for the growth of some semiconductor bulk crystals. The vapor growth of bulk materials is typically conducted in closed or semi-closed systems. If the vapor pressure of a material at a desired growth temperature exceeds 10-2 torr or so, it may be efficiently grown by Physical Vapor Transport, PVT (sublimation-condensation), Figure la. If the vapor pressure is too low for practical PVT rates, one may utilize a reversible reaction between the solid material and a gaseous “transport agent” that results only in volatile products, for Chemical Vapor Transport, CVT, Figure lb. The growth of solid layers, on the other hand, is typically conducted in open flow systems, either by Physical Vapor Deposition, PVD, Figure 1c, where the transport from the subliming source to the growth region is enhanced by a flowing carrier gas, or by Chemical Vapor Deposition, CVD, Figure 1d, where a reactive gas mixture is blown over a hot substrate. Occasionally, open flow systems have also been used for the growth of bulk crystals. There exists a large number of compilations of experimental techniques and theoretical models for these and other vapor growth processes in reviews [1–9] and proceedings of international conferences [10–15].
Ultrasound of the Hepatoportal Circulation

Doppler assessment of blood flow through the liver has become an important clinical tool for evaluating abnormalities of the liver. Alterations in flow patterns in the portal and hepatic vessels can provide important information about the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the liver and cardiovascular system. As a result, liver Doppler has become part of the evaluation of any patient with known or suspected liver disease. Proper equipment and techniques are required for adequate evaluation of hepatic blood vessels.
The Basics of C Programming

The source code for a C program contains at least the following elements: 1. Preprocessor directives, including: (a) standard header files (b) constant definitions 2. Main function header and body 3. Reserved words and identifiers 4. Comments (optional, but required as a matter of style)
Severe metabolic disturbance in an human immunodeficiency virus-exposed newborn: Possible effect of In utero antiretroviral exposure

The use of antiretroviral (ARV) medications has successfully reduced maternal transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 to newborns, but metabolic and mitochondrial toxicities in newborns continue to be a concern. We report the case of a 10-day-old full-term female infant born to an HIV-positive mother presenting with lethargy and respiratory distress. Maternal ARV medications included nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and an integrase strand transcriptase inhibitors (INSTIs). Infant ARV prophylaxis included two NRTIs and a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. At presentation, laboratory tests were significant for hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, severe metabolic acidosis, and acute kidney injury. She was resuscitated with fluids and a stress dose of hydrocortisone (HC), which resulted in improvement of her condition within 48 h. Adrenal profile on the day of admission revealed elevated levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, androstenedione, aldosterone, and elevated plasma renin activity. HC was tapered and the patient was discharged on the day of life (DOL) 26. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test off HC for one night that was performed on DOL31 showed a normal cortisol response of 35.8 mcg/dL at 60 min. HC was later discontinued. A repeat ACTH stimulation test off HC for 7 days that was performed on DOL59 yielded a normal cortisol response of 27.6 mcg/dL at 60 min. This report reveals severe metabolic disturbances suggestive of adrenal insufficiency (AI) in a neonate exposed to a combination of ARV medications in utero and postnatally with improvement of symptoms after glucocorticoid treatment. The AI was transient in nature, which resolved after cessation of ARV therapy.
Flipping the Paleontology Classroom

Lecturing has been a staple of university pedagogy, but a shift is ongoing because of evidence that active engagement with content helps strengthen learning and build more advanced skills. The flipped classroom, which delivers content to students outside of the class meeting, is one approach to maximize time for active learning. The fundamental benefit of a flipped class is that students learn more, but ensuring student preparation and engagement can be challenging. Evaluation policies can provide incentives to guide student effort. Flipping a class requires an initial time commitment, but the workload associated with evaluating student work during the course can be mitigated. The personal interactions from active learning are extremely rewarding for students and instructors, especially when class sizes are small and suitable room layouts are available. Overall, flipping a course doesn't require special training, just a willingness to experiment, reflect, and adjust.
The Lotus Sutra: A Biography , by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.

The Lotus Sutra: A Biography, by Donald S. Lopez, Jr. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2016. 257 pp., $29.95 (hb). ISBN 978-0-691-15220-2
Validity of Actigraphy in Young Adults With Insomnia

Objective/Background: Actigraphy is an inexpensive and objective wrist-worn activity sensor that has been validated for the measurement of sleep onset latency (SOL), number of awakenings (NWAK), wa...
Biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular dysfunction in inherited cystathionine β-synthase deficient homocystinuria and the impact of taurine treatment in a phase 1/2 human clinical trial.

Study objective A phase 1/2 clinical trial was performed in individuals with cystathionine β synthase (CBS) deficient homocystinuria with aims to: (a) assess pharmacokinetics and safety of taurine therapy, (b) evaluate oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular function in CBS deficiency, and (c) evaluate the impact of short-term taurine treatment. Methods Individuals with pyridoxine-nonresponsive CBS deficiency with homocysteine >50 μM, without inflammatory disorder or on antioxidant therapy were enrolled. Biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation, endothelial function (brachial artery flow-mediated dilation [FMD]), and disease-related metabolites obtained at baseline were compared to normal values. While maintaining current treatment, patients were treated with 75 mg/kg taurine twice daily, and treatment response assessed after 4 hours and 4 days. Results Fourteen patients (8-35 years; 8 males, 6 females) were enrolled with baseline homocysteine levels 161 ± 67 μM. The study found high-dose taurine to be safe when excluding preexisting hypertriglyceridemia. Taurine pharmacokinetics showed a rapid peak level returning to near normal levels at 12 hours, but had slow accumulation and elevated predosing levels after 4 days of treatment. Only a single parameter of oxidative stress, 2,3-dinor-8-isoprostaglandin-F2α, was elevated at baseline, with no elevated inflammatory parameters, and no change in FMD values overall. Taurine had no effect on any of these parameters. However, the effect of taurine was strongly related to pretreatment FMD values; and taurine significantly improved FMD in the subset of individuals with pretreatment FMD values 125 μM, pertinent to endothelial function. Conclusion Taurine improves endothelial function in CBS-deficient homocystinuria in patients with preexisting reduced function.
Tagging wearable accelerometers in camera frames through information translation between vision sensors and accelerometers

This paper presents a methodology to detect an object with an accelerometer potentially among many other moving objects in a camera scene. By matching sensor readings from a wearable accelerometer with analogous readings from a single camera or plurality of cameras, we detect instances of the same physical movement that both modalities capture. This has a wide range of potential applications in the cyber-physical systems domain such as identification, localization, and detecting context for activity recognition. We present an approach to project data from camera frames into accelerometer frames, where they share the same physical representation, allowing for comparing and determining similarities between the two modalities by using computational algorithms in the cyber world. This is challenging as depth is unknown when using a single 2D camera. We translate camera measurements into the acceleration physical domain and acquire an estimated depth, when the depth is not varying significantly during the motion. We model this translation as an optimization problem to find the optimal depth that maximizes the similarity between readings of the camera and accelerometer. Additionally, we discuss a potential solution with multiple cameras that works for arbitrary varying depth motions. Experimental results demonstrate that the system can detect matching between data stemming from physical movements observed by a wearable accelerometer and a single camera or plurality of cameras.
Emergence of Neuronal and Glial Cell Lineages in Primate Brain

It has become increasingly evident that the interaction between glial and neuronal cells in the developing mammalian brain plays an important role in the migration and compartmentalization of young neurons and, later, in their maintenance and the regulation of their environment. Furthermore, it appears that genetically or environmentally induced disturbances of neuronal—glial interactions during development may lead to structural, biochemical, and functional abnormalities of the brain (e.g., Rakic, 1975a; Caviness and Rakic, 1978; Volpe, 1981). Since the majority of cells in the mammalian brain are of glial lineages, it is safe to say that each neuron is likely to be in direct contact with at least one glial cell, but probably with several glial cells. However, although it is well established that both neuronal and glial cells derive from the neuroepithelium of the primitive neural tube, it has proved difficult to determine the exact timing and cellular mechanisms that lead to divergence of these two cell lines.
Abstract ES2-1: The EMT and metastasis controversy: Where things stand in 2018

A pubmed search for epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis brings up almost 9000 papers, the vast majority which provide a positive link between this developmental process, which is hijacked by many tumor cells, and tumor progression. As the field has evolved, it has become apparent that there is not a “one size fits all” definition for EMT, and that the process is instead plastic, with epithelial and mesenchymal states being on the far left and right ends of a continuum where cells can exist in various intermediate states. How do these different intermediate states contribute to metastasis, if they do at all? And do these EMT cancer cells work in isolation, or do they form part of a cooperative network of heterogeneous tumor cells, together facilitating the metastatic process? In this talk, I will discuss the controversy around whether and how EMT is involved in the metastatic process, and the significant progress that we and other labs across the country have made in understanding its role in, and contribution to, the metastatic cascade. Citation Format: Ford H. The EMT and metastasis controversy: Where things stand in 2018 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr ES2-1.
Prospective Evaluation of Opioid Use After Adoption of a Prescribing Guideline for Outpatient Foot and Ankle Surgery.

Background:In 2016, our provider group adopted an initial prescription opioid maximum guideline to reduce overprescription of opioids. The purpose of this study was to prospectively assess opioid c...
Uber’s early entry decisions in the US

Early entry decisions of the firm are crucial to its success. Ride-sharing businesses developed due to technology and government regulation. With the advent of the ride-sharing technology, firms li...
Whiteness and the Emergence of the Republican Party in the Early Twentieth-Century South

In the post-Reconstruction South, two Republican factions vied for control of state party organizations. The Black-and-Tans sought to keep the party inclusive and integrated, while the Lily-Whites worked to turn the GOP into a whites-only party. The Lily-Whites ultimately emerged victorious, as they took over most state parties by the early twentieth century. Yet no comprehensive data exist to measure how the conflict played out in each state. To fill this void, we present original data that track the racial composition of Republican National Convention delegations from the South between 1868 and 1952. We then use these data in a set of statistical analyses to show that, once disfranchising laws were put into place, the “whitening” of the GOP in the South led to a significant increase in the Republican Party's vote totals in the region. Overall, our results suggest that the Lily-White takeover of the Southern GOP was a necessary step in the Republican Party's reemergence—and eventual dominance—in the region during the second half of the twentieth century.
Topographically Guided UAV for Identifying Tension Cracks Using Image-Based Analytics in Open-Pit Mines

Aerial imaging of an open-pit mine integrated with the visual analytics offers a novel approach for routine monitoring of tension cracks for mine safety. Tension cracks may occur on work- or catch-benches that are excavated according to a computer aided design (CAD) model. The size of the tension cracks, their locations, and evolutions is commonly used to predict slope failures and to assure the mine safety operations. The goal of this research was to replace the current manual interventions with an automated platform for routine report generations for the mine controller. First, a drone was flown on a preprogrammed flight trajectory at a constant elevation to generate a mosaic and a depth map image. Next, work-, catch-benches, and access roads were automatically identified and represented by their medial axes. Subsequently, the waypoints from each medial axis were sequentially uploaded into the drone for scanning the corresponding regions at high-resolution. These high-resolution images were then used to delineate tension cracks. The delineation of tension cracks was performed using steerable filters, ENet, and UNet deep learning models for comparison. The ENet model, with the leave-one-out cross-validation method, produced the best performance profile with an Aggregated Jaccard Index and F1-Score of 0.51 and 0.79, respectively.
Complete Genome Sequences of Seven Strains of Pseudomonas spp. Isolated from Boreal Forest Soil in Interior Alaska

Here, we describe the complete genome assemblies of seven Pseudomonas sp. isolates collected from a boreal forest soil on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. Using the VolTRAX v2 multiplex library preparation for Nanopore sequencing and Illumina reads for polishing, we assembled complete genome sequences for each of the isolates.
Relationship between covariance of Wigner functions and transformation noncontextuality

We relate two notions of classicality for quantum transformations often arising in popular subtheories of quantum mechanics: covariance of the Wigner representation of the theory and the existence of a transformation noncontextual ontological model of the theory. We show that covariance implies transformation noncontextuality. The converse holds provided that the underlying ontological model is the one given by the Wigner representation. In addition, we investigate the relationships of covariance and transformation noncontextuality with the existence of a positivity preserving quasiprobability distribution for the transformations of the theory. We conclude that covariance implies transformation noncontextuality, which implies positivity preservation. Therefore the violation of the latter is a stronger notion of nonclassicality than the violation of the former.
Pregnant Patients and COVID-19

The management of COVID-19 disease in pregnancy requires an understanding of the physiology of pregnancy, the fetoplacental unit, and the ability to adapt critical care principles to this unique population. Though the majority of pregnant patients who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 remain asymptomatic or have mild disease and recover without undergoing delivery (Wu and McGoogan, JAMA 323(13), 2020), a significant number develop critical illness and may have prolonged and complex disease courses (Huntley et al., Obstet Gynecol. 2020). Decision-making in these patients can be challenging and requires a multidisciplinary approach involving intensivists, obstetricians/maternal-fetal medicine specialists, anesthesiologists, and neonatologists. Here we discuss current recommendations surrounding identification of high-risk patients, the safety of investigational therapies, controversial topics in management, and evidence-based care of critically ill parturients.
Examining Police Interactions with the Mentally Ill in the United States

Mental illness has already become a complication and controversial topic within the criminal justice system in the eyes of medical and psychological professionals and the public-at-large. People with such a medical condition cannot function normally and routinely make irrational decisions in many situations. According to the American Psychiatric Association, in a single year nearly 1 in 5 (or 19%) of U.S. adults experience some form of mental illness. The Statistics Help Officer Training (SHOT) project is an ongoing officer-involved shooting database at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury in Connecticut. According to the SHOT data, it is revealed that at least 1 in every 4 (or 25%) of all police shootings in the United States involve an individual who exhibited symptoms of mental illness. As such, it should be obvious that police officers should be better trained to deal with the mentally ill in order to better identify relevant and underlying mental health conditions, direct those individuals to proper resources for treatment, and to avoid the use of force by police personnel.
Renomination of Judicial Nominees to the U.S. District Court and U.S. Court of Appeals

Presidents, under Article II of the U.S. Constitution, have the authority to nominate individuals to the federal judiciary with the advice and consent of the Senate. This power allows a president to influence the ideological composition of the federal judiciary. When the Senate fails to confirm presidents’ nominees, though, the Senate effectively thwarts a president’s ability to influence the federal judiciary’s composition. If the Senate rejects a president’s judicial nominee, the president can nominate a new nominee. However, presidents are increasingly renominating failed judicial nominees in an effort to maintain some influence over the federal judiciary. This paper considers when presidents will renominate a failed judicial nominee and when the Senate will confirm. This paper finds that the decision to renominate and confirm a failed judicial nominee is influenced by ideological factors, the year of a president’s term, and presidential capital.
Identification of celastrol as a novel HIV-1 latency reversal agent by an image-based screen

Although current antiretroviral therapies (ART) are successful in controlling HIV-1 infection, a stable viral reservoir reactivates when ART is discontinued. Consequently, there is a major research effort to develop approaches to disrupt the latent viral reservoir and enhance the immune system's ability to clear HIV-1. A number of small molecules, termed latency reversal agents (LRAs), have been identified which can reactivate latent HIV-1 in cell lines and patients' cells ex vivo. However, clinical trials have suggested that combinations of LRAs will be required to efficiently reactivate HIV-1 in vivo, especially LRAs that act synergistically by functioning through distinct pathways. To identify novel LRAs, we used an image-based assay to screen a natural compound library for the ability to induce a low level of aggregation of resting primary CD4+ T cells from healthy donors. We identified celastrol as a novel LRA. Celastrol functions synergistically with other classes of LRA to reactivate latent HIV-1 in a Jurkat cell line, suggesting a novel mechanism in its LRA activity. Additionally, celastrol does not appear to activate resting CD4+ T cells at levels at which it can reactivate latent HIV-1. Celastrol appears to represent a novel class of LRAs and it therefore can serve as a lead compound for LRA development.
Transparent Asynchronous Parallel I/O Using Background Threads

Moving toward exascale computing, the size of data stored and accessed by applications is ever increasing. However, traditional disk-based storage has not seen improvements that keep up with the explosion of data volume or the speed of processors. Multiple levels of non-volatile storage devices are being added to handle bursty I/O, however, moving data across the storage hierarchy can take longer than the data generation or analysis. Asynchronous I/O can reduce the impact of I/O latency as it allows applications to schedule I/O early and to check their status later. I/O is thus overlapped with application communication or computation or both, effectively hiding some or all of the I/O latency. POSIX and MPI-I/O provide asynchronous read and write operations, but lack the support for non-data operations such as file open and close. Users also have to manually manage data dependencies and use low-level byte offsets, which requires significant effort and expertise to adopt. In this article, we present an asynchronous I/O framework that supports all types of I/O operations, manages data dependencies transparently and automatically, provides implicit and explicit modes for application flexibility, and error information retrieval. We implemented these techniques in HDF5. Our evaluation of several benchmarks and application workloads demonstrates it effectiveness on hiding the I/O cost from the application.
Influence of simultaneous optimisation to enhance the stress-based fatigue life of bellows joint

Motion compensators utilized in process equipment pipe connections must be able to achieve maximum expansion-contraction cycle life with low stress levels. Due to bellows convolution complicated ge...
What Is Computable? What Is Feasibly Computable? A Physicist’s Viewpoint

In this chapter, we show how the questions of what is computable and what is feasibly computable can be viewed from the viewpoint of physics: what is computable within the current physics? what is computable if we assume—as many physicists do—that no final physical theory is possible? what is computable if we consider data processing, i.e., computations based on physical inputs? Our physics-based analysis of these questions leads to some unexpected answers, both positive and negative. For example, we show that under the no-physical-theory-is-perfect assumption, almost all problems are feasibly solvable—but not all of them.
Deep Slabs Subjected to Static and Blast Loading

The results of experimental static tests on square, deep, reinforced and plain concrete slabs show that the governing mode of failure is shear. The magnitude of static failure overpressures ranged from 810 psi to 1,683 psi. The deep, reinforced and plain concrete slabs tested in the field were subjected to a peak air-blast pressure of approximately 5,000 psi. Based on post test visual examination of the field test slabs, their response appeared to be similar to the shallower deep slabs tested statically, i.e. the mode of response was shear. Static tests were conducted on 21 deep-slab specimens having a constant span-to-thickness ratio, \IL/t\N, of 4.12. Six additional deep-slab specimens were included in a field test, with three slabs having an \IL/t\N ratio of 3.5 and three a ratio of 2.6. All of the slabs had a constant square length of 30.25 in. and were supported over a 24-in. diam clear span.
Adaptive Spectral Element Simulations of Thin Premixed Flame Sheet Deformations

The high order Spectral Element Method is used to solve the reaction-diffusion-advection problem as described by the premixed flame case. An h–p adaptive refinement-coarsening algorithm is developed based on a posteriori error estimators. Simulations of the wrinkling of a premixed flame front are used to illustrate how the mesh is adaptively refined. A similar, idealized heat transfer problem is used to show the adaptive refinement and coarsening of the mesh. Adaptivity efficiently provides high resolution in areas of the domain where large or rapidly varying physical changes exist, while saving unnecessary computation where the solution is smooth or physical phenomena have passed by.
Sound generated by instability waves of supersonic flows. I Two-dimensional mixing layers. II - Axisymmetric jets

An investigation is conducted of the phenomenon of sound generation by spatially growing instability waves in high-speed flows. It is pointed out that this process of noise generation is most effective when the flow is supersonic relative to the ambient speed of sound. The inner and outer asymptotic expansions corresponding to an excited instability wave in a two-dimensional mixing layer and its associated acoustic fields are constructed in terms of the inner and outer spatial variables. In matching the solutions, the intermediate matching principle of Van Dyke and Cole is followed. The validity of the theory is tested by applying it to an axisymmetric supersonic jet and comparing the calculated results with experimental measurements. Very favorable agreements are found both in the calculated instability-wave amplitude distribution (the inner solution) and the near pressure field level contours (the outer solution) in each case.
True Muonium $(\mu^+ \mu^-)$ on the Light Front: A Toy Model

Applying Discretized Light Cone Quantization, we perform the first calculation of the spectrum of true muonium, the $\mu^+ \mu^-$ atom, as modified by the inclusion of an $|e\bar e \rangle$ Fock component. The shift in the mass eigenvalue is found to be largest for triplet states. If $m_e$ is taken to be a substantial fraction of $m_\mu$, the integrated probability of the electronic component of the $1 \, {}^3 /! S_1$ state is found to be as large as $O(10^{-2})$. Initial studies of the Lamb shift for the atom are performed. Directions for making the simulations fully realistic are discussed.
Observations on Amoeba Feeding on the Ciliate Frontonia

1. Amoeba occasionally feeds on the ciliate Frontonia. 2. In the instances of feeding observed, the Frontonia was not ingested whole but was cut in half by the Amoeba. 3. One half of the Frontonia is engulfed in a food cup of the Amoeba, the pseudopods of the cup producing an annular constriction in the middle region of the ciliate. 4. The pseudopodial collar or cup flows distally and presses against the free half of the Frontonia. Thus the halves are pushed continuously farther apart, until the attenuated interconnecting strand is severed and one-half of the Frontonia is simultaneously engulfed.
Ethics and the internet: a novel approach to computer literacy

This report outlines three years of teaching college freshman topics covered in a typical literacy class: word processing, presentation software, and web use and programming. Coverage of ethical theory and its application to Internet use and misuse is an integral part of this attempt to effect responsible use of technology. The paper outlines the historical background for such a course, suggests myriad sources for course materials, and proposed a research model for testing the efficacy of the computing component as well as the ethical reasoning component of the course.
An overview of social work education in the United States: new directions and new opportunities

The social work profession in 2009 is a global profession and given its breadth and scope as a worldwide profession, we should not be surprised by the diversity found in the profession's practices and in its educational programmes. This paper outlines current issues, emerging trends in the United States for social work education, and presents a broad overview of the 2008 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards, the Council on Social Work Education's policy that creates the framework for American social work education. What is presented is only an illustration of one nation, among more than 190 world-wide, as it defines the social work profession and its education for professional practice. The extent to which the experiences in the United States influence social work practice elsewhere in the global community is left to those local professionals or national professional associations to craft a culturally relevant profession that promotes human well-being.
A procedure for the optimal phase-out of product lines

The phasing out of products is not an uncommon occurrence in times of rapid technological change. The problem of terminating the production of complex apparatus is compounded when it involves entire families of related products. This paper describes a linear programming procedure that establishes an optimal policy of phase-out so that the final production runs will reduce the terminal inventory consistent with maximum income at an acceptable return on investment.
D1 Dopamine Receptor dDA1 Is Required in the Mushroom Body Neurons for Aversive and Appetitive Learning in Drosophila

Drosophila has robust behavioral plasticity to avoid or prefer the odor that predicts punishment or food reward, respectively. Both types of plasticity are mediated by the mushroom body (MB) neurons in the brain, in which various signaling molecules play crucial roles. However, important yet unresolved molecules are the receptors that initiate aversive or appetitive learning cascades in the MB. We have shown previously that D1 dopamine receptor dDA1 is highly enriched in the MB neuropil. Here, we demonstrate that dDA1 is a key receptor that mediates both aversive and appetitive learning in pavlovian olfactory conditioning. We identified two mutants, dumb 1 and dumb 2 , with abnormal dDA1 expression. When trained with the same conditioned stimuli, both dumb alleles showed negligible learning in electric shock-mediated conditioning while they exhibited moderately impaired learning in sugar-mediated conditioning. These phenotypes were not attributable to anomalous sensory modalities of dumb mutants because their olfactory acuity, shock reactivity, and sugar preference were comparable to those of control lines. Remarkably, the dumb mutant's impaired performance in both paradigms was fully rescued by reinstating dDA1 expression in the same subset of MB neurons, indicating the critical roles of the MB dDA1 in aversive as well as appetitive learning. Previous studies using dopamine receptor antagonists implicate the involvement of D1/D5 receptors in various pavlovian conditioning tasks in mammals; however, these have not been supported by the studies of D1- or D5-deficient animals. The findings described here unambiguously clarify the critical roles of D1 dopamine receptor in aversive and appetitive pavlovian conditioning.
Emergency Communications with Limited-English-Proficiency Populations

AbstractObjective. We investigated 9-1-1 telecommunicators’ perceptions of communication difficulties with callers who have limited English proficiency (LEP) and the frequency and outcomes of specific communication behaviors. Methods. A survey was administered to 150 telecommunicators from four 9-1-1 call centers of a metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest to assess their experience working with LEP callers. In addition, 172 9-1-1 recordings (86 of which were labeled by telecommunicators as having a “language barrier”) were abstracted for telecommunicators’ communication behaviors and care delivery outcomes. All recordings were for patients who were in presumed cardiac arrest (patient unconscious and not breathing). Additionally, computer-assisted dispatch (CAD) reports were abstracted to assess dispatch practices with regard to timing of basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS) dispatch. Results. One hundred twenty-three of the telecommunicators (82%%) filled out the survey. The major...
Enhanced control of porous silicon morphology from macropore to mesopore formation

Porous silicon (PSi) is a versatile material that possesses a wide range of morphologies. There are two main types of microstructures that are widely used and well studied: branchy mesoporous silicon with pore sizes from 10 nm to 50 nm and classical macroporous silicon with pore sizes from 500 nm to 20 μm. Much less work has been done on structures with intermediate pore sizes from 100 nm to 300 nm. Applications such as immunoassays biosensing can greatly benefit from the intermediate morphology due to the larger pore openings compared to mesopores, and increased internal surface compared to classical macropores. In this work we demonstrate well-defined macropore of 150 nm diameter in average and precise control of the porous silicon morphology transition from smooth macropores to branchy mesopores on one substrate with one electrolyte. A multilayer structure (microcavity) consisting of both mesopores and macropores is presented.