cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling Ethylene Bisdithiocarbamate Efficacy Potential in the Presence of a Zoospore Attractant

A common class of fungicides are the ethylene bisdithiocarbamates (EBDCs) which decompose into ethylene bis-isothiocyanate sulfide (EBIS). EBIS is the primary fungitoxic component which is effective on various life stages of oomycete fungi, including zoospores (primary infection agents of oomycete fungal diseases). It is hypothesized that increased fungicide effectiveness can occur if zoospores are attracted to the toxicant (site of fungicide deposition) through chemotaxis using zoospore attractants (ZAs). Several probe studies proved this hypothesis when a ZA was formulated with EBDC products. A highly effective zoospore attractant is isovaleraldehyde (IVA), but IVA is volatile and dissipates rapidly in the environment. Therefore, various precursors for IVA and EBIS were studied to characterize the transient production and decline of EBIS and IVA from precursor material. First-order kinetic material balances and a stochastic modeling tool are created to fully exploit the conditions when the overlap of EBIS and IVA is maximized. A metric is proposed (measure of the overlap of fungicide and ZA residue) as an indirect measure of the potential for preventative fungicide efficacy when ZAs are included within the formulation. Therefore, fungicide formulations containing a ZA can be designed through model deployment that considers the production and decline patterns of both the fungicide and ZA, and the daily environmental dew cycle responsible for achieving the maximum concentration overlap when zoospores are the most infectious (e.g., mobile in the presence of dew) for enhanced crop disease control. It is found that the poly-IVA produrg investigated provides the maximum overlap of EBIS and IVA residues for many different EBDC formulations investigated. This modeling approach, and the examples provided for EBIS and IVA material balances, can be expanded for different fungicides and ZAs allowing for cause/effect to be inferred from multiple interacting factors, and formulations can be designed for optimal release characteristics that maximize the overlap of fungitoxic material and zoospore attractant.
A Pilot Evaluation of the AfterDeployment.org Online Posttraumatic Stress Workshop for Military Service Members and Veterans

This pilot study employed a nonconcurrent, multiple-baseline single-case design to examine the impact of an online self-management posttraumatic stress (PTS) workshop on self-reported symptoms of PTS, depression, and functional impairment. Eleven student veterans with PTS first completed between three and five weekly baseline measures. Second, they took part in eight weekly online workshop sessions, each accompanied by symptom assessments. Third, they completed postintervention outcome measures. We found statistically significant reductions in PTS from baseline across workshop sessions for four of 11 participants, and significant overall reductions in PTS between enrollment and postintervention for five participants. One participant also demonstrated significantly reduced depressive symptoms from baseline across the intervention, and two evidenced significant overall reductions from enrollment to postintervention. Three student veterans showed significantly improved general functioning across the sessions and one reported significant overall functional increase. Finally, five of six participants who completed extended measures of educational function showed significant improvements from enrollment to postintervention. Among secondary outcomes, more than 80% of those taking part said they would recommend the online PTS workshop to a colleague or fellow student with PTS issues. These preliminary findings show that our online PTS workshop can be effective in reducing PTS symptoms in some cases, but also suggest that additional research is needed. With increasing numbers of service members and veterans using the Internet and many reluctant or unable to seek in-person care because of stigma or limited access, the time seems right to further examine the utility of networked PTS resources.
Relationship between body fat and BMI in a US hispanic population-based cohort study: Results from HCHS/SOL

Objective To evaluate the percentage of body fat (%BF)-BMI relationship, identify %BF levels corresponding to adult BMI cut points, and examine %BF-BMI agreement in a diverse Hispanic/Latino population. Methods %BF by bioelectrical impedance analysis was corrected against %BF by 18O dilution in 434 participants of the ancillary Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Corrected %BF was regressed against 1/BMI in the parent study (n = 15,261), fitting models for each age group, by sex, and Hispanic/Latino background; predicted %BF was then computed for each BMI cut point. Results Bioelectrical impedance analysis underestimated %BF by 8.7 ± 0.3% in women and 4.6 ± 0.3% in men (P 0.05). The precision of the %BF-1/BMI association weakened with increasing age in men but not women. The proportion of participants classified as nonobese by BMI but as having obesity by %BF was generally higher among women and older adults (16.4% in women vs. 12.0% in men aged 50-74 years). Conclusions %BF was linearly related to 1/BMI with consistent relationship across Hispanic/Latino backgrounds. BMI cut points consistently underestimated the proportion of Hispanics/Latinos with excess adiposity.
Environmental cues orchestrate regional immune surveillance and protection by pulmonary CTLs

Tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells (TRM) provide preemptive immunity against infections that begin in peripheral tissues by guarding the site of initial pathogen exposure. Their role in immunity to respiratory virus infection is particularly important because severe damage to the alveoli can be avoided when local populations of TRM cells reduce viral burdens and dampen the responses of effector CD8 T cells in the lungs. Although a connection between rapid immune activation and early viral control is well established, the signals that keep TRM cells poised for action in the local tissues remain poorly defined. Recent studies have shown that environmental cues influence the fate decisions of activated CTLs during memory formation. Manipulation of these signaling pathways could provide new ways to capitalize on protection from TRM cells in mucosal tissues, while reducing collateral damage and pathology during vaccination.
Development of predictive models for low-temperature indirect tensile strength of asphalt mixtures

AbstractThermal cracking is the predominant flexible pavement distress in northern climates, causing transverse cracks perpendicular to the direction of traffic. The indirect tensile (IDT) strength test is currently the most widely used method to characterize thermal cracking susceptibility and is required in mechanistic empirical pavement design. When laboratory IDT strength testing data are not available, it is predicted by pavement design software using mixture volumetrics and Superpave performance grade (PG) of the binder. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the IDT strength characteristics of asphalt mixtures commonly used by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and to develop improved prediction methods for IDT strength. Laboratory testing of 62 unique MDOT mixtures (a total of 201 samples with replicates) showed that the pavement design software predicted the IDT strength very poorly. Three models were developed to improve the accuracy of IDT strength prediction. First, the...
The Evolution of Détente with the Soviet Union

Despite her growing unpopularity in the Soviet Union, Pakistan assiduously cultivated the Western powers, and endeavoured to seek security in the Western-sponsored military alliances. Within the pacts, Pakistan’s policy was consistently to upgrade these alliances to the rank of NATO, where an attack on a member was considered to be an aggression against all. In pursuit of this policy, Pakistan found support from Iran, but Turkey remained indifferent as her security was ensured by NATO.
Amylolytic Activity in Taproots of Diploid and Tetraploid Medicago sativa L.

Our objective was to determine whether starch degradation in taproots of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) after defoliation was associated with activity and isoform complement of endo- and exo-amylases. Taproots of genetically comparable diploid (2x) and tetraploid (4x) populations and the tetraploid cultivar Hi-Phy were recovered immmediately after defoliation and at approx. 4-d intervals thereafter. Taproot tissues were analysed for starch concentrations and activities of endo- and exo-amylases (...)
Claude Lefort: Elements for a Political Biography

I should note from the outset that Claude Lefort would never have endorsed the title given to this chapter.1 A political biography rather than a philosophical analysis is a paradoxical way to keep alive one of the most significant political thinkers in post-war France who shied away from the lure and allure of popularity. While many well-known French thinkers since the 1980s have collaborated with younger intellectuals to produce autobiographies on the basis of informal “entretiens,” Lefort turned down several requests to lend himself to this kind of popular simplification of his thought. Politics was central to Lefort’s life and to his thought; indeed, he would refuse to accept their separation, as if one could think without acting or act without thinking. There is a further reason that Lefort would not approve of the idea of a political biography. As he indicated in the title to his study of Machiavelli, to understand the working of political thought it is necessary also to analyze how that work continues to work among new generations.2
Design and synthesis of BODIPY sensitizers with long alkyl chains tethered to N-carbazole and their application for dye sensitized solar cells

Abstract In this study, three boron dipyrromethenes (BODIPY) dyes with extended conjugation and electron donating carbazole groups with different alkyl chain lengths tethered to N-carbazole were synthesized and characterized for dye-sensitized solar cells. The goal was to study the effect of different alkyl chain lengths on dye aggregation at TiO2 surface. The proposed molecular strategy resulted in BODIPY dyes which showed interesting electronic absorption and fluorescence properties. It was observed that intramolecular energy transfer decreases with the increase in alkyl chain length possibly due to induced changes in molecular geometry caused by long alkyl chains. Additionally, interface analysis by impedance spectroscopy in comparison to N719 sensitized TiO2 solar cell showed significant charge transport related losses (Nyquist plot) most likely due to impedance resulted from aggregated BODIPY dye on TiO2 surface. Femtosecond transient absorption studies showed the loss of excited electrons by recombination with oxidized ground state of the sensitizers.
It's a Kid With a Chance: Reconciling California's Delinquency and Dependency Courts Under Dual Status Programs

In this paper I propose that California juvenile dual jurisdiction programs adopt a standard of cooperation, bridging the gap between the delinquency court's focus on remediating the minor's wrongful actions and the dependency court's focus on protecting the minor from third-party abuse and/or neglect. Unique from other proposed practices, this standard is designed to enhance collaborative principals already in place and create one uniform standard to be employed by delinquency and dependency attorneys, judges, and agencies.
Real-time observation of polymerase-promoter contact remodeling during transcription initiation

Critical contacts made between the RNA polymerase (RNAP) holoenzyme and promoter DNA modulate not only the strength of promoter binding, but also the frequency and timing of promoter escape during transcription. Here, we describe a single-molecule optical-trapping assay to study transcription initiation in real time, and use it to map contacts formed between σ70 RNAP holoenzyme from E. coli and the T7A1 promoter, as well as to observe the remodeling of those contacts during the transition to the elongation phase. The strong binding contacts identified in certain well-known promoter regions, such as the −35 and −10 elements, do not necessarily coincide with the most highly conserved portions of these sequences. Strong contacts formed within the spacer region (−10 to −35) and with the −10 element are essential for initiation and promoter escape, respectively, and the holoenzyme releases contacts with promoter elements in a non-sequential fashion during escape. Contacts between RNA polymerase and promoter DNA modulate the strength of binding and the frequency of promoter escape during transcription. Here, the authors describe a single molecule optical-trapping assay to study transcription initiation and observe the dynamic remodeling of enzyme contacts in real time.
Dispossession by Accumulation: The Impacts of Discretionary Arrests in New York City:

Low-income people of color have been shown to experience disproportionate stops, ticketing, and arrests within an order maintenance policing (OMP) approach to urban law enforcement. A small but gro...
Re-emergence of HIV after stopping therapy

A dormant reservoir of human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) is established early on during primary infection1 which consists of latently infected, resting CD4+ T cells carrying replication-competent HIV. This pool can persist even in individuals who are receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)2,3,4. Here we show that this pool rapidly re-emerges within weeks of discontinuing HAART in two patients, and that this re-emergence is associated with the appearance of HIV in the plasma (viraemia) of these patients. Both had been aviraemic while receiving HAART and intermittent treatment with interleukin-2 (ref. 5), and repeated attempts to isolate replication-competent HIV in this population of cells during therapy had been unsuccessful. This finding raises the possibility that there may be other tissue reservoirs of HIV that contribute to early plasma viral rebound following discontinuation of HAART in infected patients.
The influence of the availability of visual cues on the accurate perception of spatial dimensions in architectural virtual environments

Several authors have observed that spatial dimensions tend to be underestimated in virtual environments. In this study, we hypothesize that the availability of visual cues in virtual environments has an influence on the accuracy of perception. An experiment was conducted to compare spatial perception in real and virtual environments that were modeled differently and visualized using a head-mounted display. Results suggest that the greater the availability of visual cues, the greater the level of accuracy in the estimates, especially for egocentric dimensions (p < 0.001). In the end, this study contributes to a better understanding of how architectural virtual environments should be modeled for use in professional or commercial applications where accurate and reliable simulations are required.
Automatic measurement of crimped collagen fiber insertion angle in Optical Coherence Tomography images of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament

We demonstrate an automatic method for quantifying collagen fiber orientation at the Anterior Cruciate Ligament ligament-to-bone insertion regions in Optical Coherence Tomography images. The integrated spatial filter automatically rejects orientations corresponding to crimped fiber features.
Behavioral pedagogy: a Heideggerian hermeneutical analysis of the lived experiences of students and teachers in baccalaureate nursing education.

Utilizing predominantly behavioral approaches, nursing education has moved from hospitals to almost every major university in the last 25 years. However, this approach is not without difficulties. This study, using Heideggerian phenomenology as the philosophical background, seeks to uncover the meaning of practices shaped by behavioral pedagogy within the day-to-day lives of students and teachers in baccalaureate nursing education. The constitutive pattern, "learning-as-cognitive-gain," expresses the relationship between the themes "applying content as thinking," and "content as neutral, unproblematic, and consensual."
Pancreatic uptake of a beta-cell specific 68Ga-labeled GLP-1 peptide analogs in a murine model of islet amyloid-associated diabetes

1219 Objectives Human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) deposition in pancreas islets is closely associated with the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Increased deposition of hIAPP in islets and decreased β cells mass correspond with the development of type 2 diabetes. GLP-1 peptide analogs, which target glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor expressed in pancreatic β cells, have been reported useful in assessing β cell mass in STZ-induced diabetic animal models. In this study, we assessed uptake of 68Ga-labeled bicyclic GLP-1 derivative (EM2198) on a novel amyloid-deposition associated diabetic mouse model to assess the usefulness of this compound in imaging β cells mass. Methods The hIAPP transgenic mice, which express human islet amyloid polypeptide in pancreatic cells driven by the insulin promoter and develop amyloid infiltration in the pancreas, were used to establish a diabetic animal model. Eight week old WT and transgenic mice were fed a high fat diet for 3 months. Body weight and blood glucose levels were monitored. Following injection of 130µCi of 68Ga-NOTA-EM2198, in vivo whole body PET/CT and ex vivo PET/CT imaging of the pancreas was performed on a Siemens Inveon PET/CT system. Results After feeding on a high-fat diet for three months, the blood glucose level of wild type mice was 105±9 mg/dl, as compared to the glucose level of age-matched hIAPP mice increased to 494±81 mg/dl. The body weight was 37±6.9g for the WT mice and 28±3.8g for the hIAPP mice. In vivo PET imaging showed a higher pancreas-to-liver uptake ratio in WT mice (1.9±0.07). versus hIAPP mice (1.47±0.04, p Conclusions The results indicate the usefulness of 68Ga-NOTA-EM2198 as a PET tracer for noninvasive assessment of β cell mass reduction in islet amyloid-associated diabetes.
Pipeline Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms Is Safe and Effective in Patients with Cutaneous Metal Allergy.

Background The Pipeline embolization device (PED) has expanded the range of aneurysms amenable to endovascular treatment, including some that were previously untreatable. The PED contains several metals, including nickel, cobalt, chromium, platinum, and tungsten. The safety of PED implantation in patients with cutaneous metal allergy is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess clinical and angiographic outcomes of PED treatment in patients with cutaneous metal allergy. Methods A single-institution neurointerventional database was retrospectively reviewed for patients with documented cutaneous metal allergy who were treated with the PED. Patient, aneurysm, and procedural data were collected, including perioperative and delayed complications. Posttreatment angiograms were reviewed for in-Pipeline stenosis and aneurysm occlusion. Results Twenty patients with metal allergy underwent 23 PED treatments for 26 aneurysms. The cohort was 95% (19/20) female; mean age was 55.7 years. Aneurysms were primarily anterior circulation (92%, 24/26) and saccular (92%; 24/26); mean size was 8.8 mm (range, 2–32 mm). One PED was implanted in 70% (14/20) of patients, 25% (5/20) had 2 devices placed, and 1 patient had 3 devices. One major procedural complication occurred (4.3%, 1/23) in which a stroke was caused by perioperative PED thrombosis. Angiographic follow-up was available for all patients (mean duration 15.7 months; range, 6–64 months), which demonstrated a complete aneurysm occlusion rate of 88% (23/26). Asymptomatic in-Pipeline stenosis occurred in 2 cases, resulting in 65% and 50% parent artery stenosis, respectively. Conclusions Preliminary results suggest that PED implantation in patients with cutaneous metal allergy is safe and effective.
OldSpot: A Pre-RTL Model for Fine-Grained Aging and Lifetime Optimization

Modern technologies have been experiencing evergrowing power densities as they scale down, raising temperatures and increasing aging and reliability concerns. High-level simulation is necessary in order to measure aging effects on lifetime. Existing simulation tools are inadequate due to their assumptions about homogeneity and failure tolerance. These limitations reduce their accuracy in modeling heterogeneous systems or systems with shared resources, leading to lifetime overestimation. We propose a new open-source tool called "OldSpot" that relaxes these assumptions and integrates low-level models for aging mechanisms with high-level reliability modeling techniques to enable fine-grained lifetime simulation, and then show how it can be used to improve the lifetime of a multicore system by duplicating functional units rather than adding extra cores. Using this structural duplication, we show area improvement by up to 13% while eliminating performance degradation due to failing resources. Additionally, we use OldSpot to show that lifetime and temperature are not perfectly correlated and that aging must be simulated along with temperature for optimal lifetime.
Comparative Statics in Markov Decision Processes: Applying the Envelope Theorem to the Value Function

The Hotz-and-Miller inversion enables us to estimate dynamic models we cannot solve due to the curse of dimensionality. Heretofore, we have had little reason to estimate such intractable models---since we cannot re-optimize them, it seems we cannot use them to conduct counterfactuals. But I find an exception: when the counterfactual change is marginal we can use the envelope theorem to disregard the corresponding policy function change. This means we can estimate a dynamic model and perform comparative statics on its value function and policy function without once solving it. The computational complexity of conducting such a counterfactual does not scale with the size of the state space.
Cardiolipin Alters Rhodobacter sphaeroides Cell Shape by Affecting Peptidoglycan Precursor Biosynthesis.

ABSTRACT Cardiolipin (CL) is an anionic phospholipid that plays an important role in regulating protein biochemistry in bacteria and mitochondria. Deleting the CL synthase gene (Δcls) in Rhodobacter sphaeroides depletes CL and decreases cell length by 20%. Using a chemical biology approach, we found that a CL deficiency does not impair the function of the cell wall elongasome in R. sphaeroides; instead, biosynthesis of the peptidoglycan (PG) precursor lipid II is decreased. Treating R. sphaeroides cells with fosfomycin and d-cycloserine inhibits lipid II biosynthesis and creates phenotypes in cell shape, PG composition, and spatial PG assembly that are strikingly similar to those seen with R. sphaeroides Δcls cells, suggesting that CL deficiency alters the elongation of R. sphaeroides cells by reducing lipid II biosynthesis. We found that MurG—a glycosyltransferase that performs the last step of lipid II biosynthesis—interacts with anionic phospholipids in native (i.e., R. sphaeroides) and artificial membranes. Lipid II production decreases 25% in R. sphaeroides Δcls cells compared to wild-type cells, and overexpression of MurG in R. sphaeroides Δcls cells restores their rod shape, indicating that CL deficiency decreases MurG activity and alters cell shape. The R. sphaeroides Δcls mutant is more sensitive than the wild-type strain to antibiotics targeting PG synthesis, including fosfomycin, d-cycloserine, S-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)isothiourea (A22), mecillinam, and ampicillin, suggesting that CL biosynthesis may be a potential target for combination chemotherapies that block the bacterial cell wall. IMPORTANCE The phospholipid composition of the cell membrane influences the spatial and temporal biochemistry of cells. We studied molecular mechanisms connecting membrane composition to cell morphology in the model bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The peptidoglycan (PG) layer of the cell wall is a dominant component of cell mechanical properties; consequently, it has been an important antibiotic target. We found that the anionic phospholipid cardiolipin (CL) plays a role in determination of the shape of R. sphaeroides cells by affecting PG precursor biosynthesis. Removing CL in R. sphaeroides alters cell morphology and increases its sensitivity to antibiotics targeting proteins synthesizing PG. These studies provide a connection to spatial biochemical control in mitochondria, which contain an inner membrane with topological features in common with R. sphaeroides.
Selective loss of phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1) suppresses migration, invasion, and experimental metastasis in triple negative breast cancer

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women and 90% of these mortalities can be attributed to progression to metastatic disease. In particular, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is extremely aggressive and frequently metastasizes to multiple organs. As TNBCs are categorized by their lack of hormone receptors, these tumors are very heterogeneous and are immune to most targeted therapies. Metabolic changes are observed in the majority of TNBC and a large proportion upregulate enzymes within the serine synthesis pathway, including phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1). In this report, we investigate the role of PSAT1 in migration and invasion potential in a subset of TNBC cell types. We found that the expression of PSAT1 increases with TNBC clinical grade. We also demonstrate that suppression of PSAT1 or phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) does not negatively impact cell proliferation in TNBC cells that are not dependent on de novo serine synthesis. However, we observed that suppression of PSAT1 specifically alters the F-actin cytoskeletal arrangement and morphology in these TNBC cell lines. In addition, suppression of PSAT1 inhibits motility and migration in these TNBC cell lines, which is not recapitulated upon loss of PHGDH. PSAT1 silencing also reduced the number of lung tumor nodules in a model of experimental metastasis; yet did not decrease anchorage-independent growth. Together, these results suggest that PSAT1 functions to drive migratory potential in promoting metastasis in select TNBC cells independent of its role in serine synthesis.
The shrinking role of foreign operations at global financial institutions and its impact on efficiency

Abstract In response to the U.S. and Eurozone financial crises of 2008–2009 and 2010–2012, global financial institutions are under greater scrutiny by investors and regulators. This study finds that these global financial institutions have dramatically reduced their foreign operations which, in turn, has coincided with increased inefficiency during 2014–2017. The firms’ retreat to their home regions is nonlinearly related to inefficiency and has led to inefficiency returning to levels last seen in 2009–2011. These findings indicate that the level of foreign operations is an important determinant that should be included when measuring a large financial firm's efficiency.
Exploratory analysis of myocardial function after extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation vs conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Ventricular unloading is associated with myocardial recovery. We sought to evaluate the association of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) on myocardial function after cardiac arrest. We conducted a retrospective exploratory analysis, comparing ejection fraction (EF) after adult cardiac arrest, between ECPR and conventional CPR. Among 1119 cases of cardiac arrest, 116 had an echocardiogram post-return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and were included. Thirty-eight patients had ≥ 2 echocardiograms. ECPR patients had differences in age, hypertension and chronic heart failure. ECPR patients had a lower EF post-ROSC (24% vs 45%; p < 0.01) and were more likely to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (25% vs 3%; p < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, only ECPR use (β-coeff: 10.4 [95% CI 3.68–17.13]; p < 0.01) independently predicted improved myocardial function. In this exploratory study, EF after cardiac arrest may be more likely to improve among ECPR patients than CCPR patients. Our methodology should be replicated to confirm or refute the validity of our findings.
Perspectivas éticas en el manejo de la pandemia COVID-19 y de su impacto en la salud mental

.As an essential component of medical work throughout history, Ethics becomes even more prominent in public health emergency situations. After presenting the fundamental ethical principles, and emphasizing their value in the medical care of every human being, the inevitable tensions that their application generates in the diverse contexts of the doctor-patient relationship, are examined. Particular attention must be paid to the distinctions between ethical perspectives of individual cases and those related to public health situations such as the massive emergency triggered by the COVID-1 pandemic. On the basis of recent national and international documents, the unavoidable upcoming of new ethical norms that must include socio-cultural, psychological and legal aspects of a highly significant clinical impact, is discussed.
Selection of discharge destination for patients with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury.

To investigate criteria acute care interdisciplinary providers use to select discharge destination for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Cross-sectional, exploratory survey study. Data we...
Comparisons of unscheduled absences among categories of anesthesia practitioners, including anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, and anesthesia residents

Abstract Background An “unscheduled absence” refers to an occurrence when an employee does not appear for work and the absence was without advance approval by an authorized supervisor. Recently we estimated the prevalence of unscheduled absences in a cohort of certified registered nurse anesthetists at the University of Miami. We performed a historical cohort study for all types of anesthesia practitioners at the University of Iowa. Methods Two-years of person-assignment days were studied. The total population was 62,951 regular operating room days among 293 people. There were 56,437 days among 203 practitioners with multiple workdays over multiple quarters. Results In the total population, the 91 nurse anesthetists had 1.48% person-days with an unscheduled absence, comparable to the 1.74% from University of Miami. Most unscheduled absences (99% lower confidence limit 80.1%) resulted in the person being absent from an operating room clinical assignment for just 1 day. Compared with nurse anesthetists, residents and fellows had proportionately fewer unscheduled absences (odds ratio 0.24 [0.13-0.45], P Conclusions To have an adequate daily workforce, anesthesia clinical directors need to estimate the daily expected percentage of assigned anesthesia practitioners who will be absent. Potential inter-group differences should be considered. We provide a worked example showing how to use the results to decide numbers of practitioners to plan daily.
Cannabinoid-2 Agonism with AM2301 Mitigates Morphine-Induced Respiratory Depression.

Introduction: An escalating number of fatalities resulting from accidental opioid overdoses typically attributed to respiratory depression continue to define the opioid epidemic. Opioid respiratory depression results from a decrease in reflexive inspiration within the preBotzinger complex in the brainstem. Objective: Cannabinoid receptor agonism is reported to enhance opioid analgesia, yet whether cannabinoids enhance or inhibit opioid-induced respiratory depression is unknown. Methods: Studies herein sought to define the roles of cannabinoid-1 receptor (CB1R) and cannabinoid-2 receptor (CB2R) on respiratory depression using selective agonists alone and in combination with morphine in male mice. Results: Using whole body plethysmography, the nonselective CB1R and CB2R agonist (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and the CB1R synthetic cannabinoid, AM356, induced respiratory depression, whereas the well-published selective CB2 agonist, JWH 133, and the novel CB2 agonist (AM2301) did not. Moreover, a selective CB2R agonist (AM2301) significantly attenuated morphine sulfate-induced respiratory depression. Conclusion: Notably, findings suggest that attenuation of opioid-induced respiratory depression relies on CB2R activation, supporting selective CB2R agonism as an opioid adjunct therapy.
Detection of long SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid sequences in peripheral blood monocytes collected soon after hospital admission

Many different viruses infect circulating mononuclear cells to disseminate infection to diverse organs. Blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) are being intensively studied as immunologic and pathologic responders to the new pandemic SARS-CoV-2 virus (CoV19) but direct evidence showing CoV19 in these cells has not been published. PBMC myeloid cells that take up residence in various organs can harbor viral genomes for many years in lymphatic tissues, skin and brain, and act as a source for re-infection and/or post-viral organ pathology. To test if PBMC from acutely ill hospitalized patients contain viral nucleic acids, we first analyzed a standard short CoV19 nucleocapsid (NC) 72bp sequence. Because NC proteins protect the viral genome, we further analyzed longer (301nt) adjacent NC stretches by RNA/qPCR. In 2 of 11 patient PBMC, but no uninfected controls, longer NC sequences were positive as early as 2-6 days after hospital admission and were validated by sequencing. The presence of longer NC sequences indicates pathogenic fragments, or possibly the complete infectious virus, are carried by a rare population of monocytes, probably a subset of myeloid migratory cells. Predictably, such cells carried CoV19 to heart and brain with consequent late post-viral immune pathologies that are now evident.
Pentagon Preemption: The 5-Sided Loss of Energy and Power

States have attempted recently to regulate the unique form of electric energy as to its: · Place – forcing power generation to locate in the state or leave the state · Price – Providing a higher price for certain power generated in the state or requiring utilities and their ratepayers to pay above market prices for certain power · Regulatory credit value -- Providing greater credits for in-state power or fuel Some federal courts have struck state regulation of energy and climate change-related renewable technologies as constituting a violation preempted under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution in five dimensions. State regulation has been found by some courts to cross illegally a “bright line” established by the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. This article dissects and analyzes what could be characterized as a pentagon of preemption through recent federal court decisions. The article analyzes in detail both it “inside” dimensions where in-state power is favored compared to out-of-state power, and its exterior dimensions where states attempt to keep certain power outside the state. The article analyzes the impacts of preempted power sector decisions how the sector will evolve under law.
The accumulation of subconcussive impacts on cognitive, imaging, and biomarker outcomes in child and college-aged athletes: a systematic review

Examine the effect of subconcussive impact accumulation on cognitive/functional, imaging, and biomarker outcomes over the course of a single season, specifically in contact sport athletes at collegiate level or younger. Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines and using Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine 2011 Levels of Evidence and Newcastle Ottawa Assessment Scale. PubMed MEDLINE, PsycInfo, SPORT-Discus, Web of Science. Original research in English that addressed the influence of subconcussive impacts on outcomes of interest with minimum preseason and postseason measurement in current youth, high school, or college-aged contact sport athletes. 796 articles were initially identified, and 48 articles were included in this review. The studies mostly involved male football athletes in high school or college and demonstrated an underrepresentation of female and youth studies. Additionally, operationalization of previous concussion history and concussion among studies was very inconsistent. Major methodological differences existed across studies, with ImPACT and diffusion tensor imaging being the most commonly used modalities. Biomarker studies generally showed negative effects, cognitive/functional studies mostly revealed no effects, and advanced imaging studies showed generally negative findings over the season; however, there was variability in the findings across all types of studies. This systematic review revealed growing literature on this topic, but inconsistent methodology and operationalization across studies makes it challenging to draw concrete conclusions. Overall, cognitive measures alone do not seem to detect changes across this timeframe while imaging and biomarker measures may be more sensitive to changes following subconcussive impacts.
Leveraging In-Network Computing and Programmable Switches for Streaming Analysis of Scientific Data

With the emergence of programmable network devices that match the performance of fixed function devices, several recent projects have explored in-network computing, where the processing that is traditionally done outside the network is offloaded to the network devices. In-network computing has typically been applied to network functions (e.g., load balancing, NAT, and DNS), caching, data reduction/aggregation, and coordination/consensus functions. In some cases it has been used to accelerate stream-processing tasks that involve small payloads and simple operations. In this work we focus on leveraging in-network computing for stream processing of scientific datasets with large payloads that require complex operations such as floating-point computations and logarithmic functions. We demonstrate in-network computing for a real-world scientific application performing streaming normalization of a 2-D image from a light source experiment. We discuss the challenges we encountered and potential approaches to address them.
A Rapid Review of Disparities in HIV Prevention and Care Outcomes Among Hispanic/Latino Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States

In the United States, Hispanic/Latino men who have sex with men (HLMSM) are disproportionally affected by HIV. We conducted a rapid review of national surveillance data to examine disparities in HIV prevention and care outcomes among HLMSM. Thirteen reports provided relevant data from 2011 to 2018. Compared to White MSM, a higher percentage of HIV-negative HLMSM reported not taking PrEP and engaging in condomless sex; a lower percentage of HIV-negative HLMSM at risk for HIV reported PrEP awareness and use; and a lower percentage of HIV-positive HLMSM were aware of their status, linked to HIV care, and virally suppressed. Viral suppression rates in HLMSM were better among Ryan White clients than the national rates, suggesting that access to comprehensive care/services reduces disparities. Findings also call for identifying individual, social, and structural factors contributing to condomless sex without PrEP use and HIV status unawareness and identifying best approaches for scaling up comprehensive care/services.
From Surface Labels to Surface Primitives

An analytical framework for object recognition and image segmentation was formulated in Chapter 2. It was proposed that objects can be recognized in range images in a general manner through surface characterization, surface segmentation, and surface matching. Although surface matching is inherently model-dependent, it was proposed that surface characterization and surface segmentation do not require knowledge of objects, only basic knowledge of surfaces. It was shown in Chapter 3 that differential geometric concepts for visible-invariant descriptions of continuous surfaces are applicable to digital surfaces even in the presence of quantization and measurement noise. That is, each point on a continuous or digital surface can be characterized by the spatial properties of other points on the surface in small neighborhoods surrounding the given point. The key difference is that, the neighborhood of a point consists of an uncountably infinite number of points in the continuous surface case whereas a small finite number of points form the neighborhood of a digital surface point.
Holocaust Denial and Libraries: Should Libraries Acquire Revisionist Materials?

L'auteur estime que les bibliotheques devraient acquerir quelques documents revisionistes (sans filtrer l'acces a ces documents) parce qu'ils sont des exemples d'antisemitisme
Cost-effectiveness of treatments for lumbar disc herniation

Lumbar disc herniation is a prevalent condition in the general population that can cause disabling symptoms. The treatment of lumbar disc herniation, like many conditions of the spine, has come under increased scrutiny in this era of value-based health care delivery. In response, there has been an increase in cost-effectiveness research in this area. Studies have demonstrated that surgery is cost-effective for the treatment of symptomatic lumbar disc herniation using a traditional open approach. Such research is limited for specific conservative treatment options as well as alternative surgical approaches to treating this condition, such as the minimally invasive approach.
Proposal of 0.13um new structure LDMOS for automotive PMIC

We could obtain new structure high-side LDMOS with Ron.sp=249mohm*mm2, BVdss=115V by optimizing doping concentration of p+ buried layer located under n-type drift layer and introducing floating poly on STI. And we could also propose 60V fully isolated LDMOS with 51.2mohm*mm2, BVdss of 64V and BVceo of 55V using the same process.
P. carinii induces selective alterations in component expression and biophysical activity of lung surfactant.

Studies of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) suggest an important role for the surfactant system in the pathogenesis of the hypoxemic respiratory insufficiency associated with this infection. We...
Trends in the Surgical Management of Crohn's Disease.

Although medical management of Crohn’s disease has changed in recent years, it is unclear whether surgical management has altered. We examined rate changes of surgical interventions, stoma constructions, and subset of ileostomy and colostomy constructions. We reviewed the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from 1988 to 2011. We examined the number of Crohn’s-related operations and stoma constructions, including ileostomies and colostomies; a multivariable logistic regression model was developed. A total of 355,239 Crohn’s-related operations were analyzed. Operations increased from 13,955 in 1988 to 17,577 in 2011, p < 0.001. Stoma construction increased from 2493 to 4283, p < 0.001. The subset of ileostomies increased from 1201 to 3169, p < 0.001 while colostomies decreased from 1351 to 1201, p = 0.05. Operation percentages resulting in stoma construction increased from 18 to 24 %, p < 0.001. Weight loss (OR 2.25, 95 % CI 1.88, 2.69) and presence of perianal fistulizing disease (OR 2.91, 95 % CI 2.31, 3.67) were most predictive for requiring stoma construction. Crohn’s-related surgical interventions and stoma constructions have increased. The largest predictors for stoma construction are weight loss and perianal fistulizing disease. As a result, nutrition should be optimized and the early involvement of a multidisciplinary team should be considered.
Neutral anodic etching of GaN for vertical or crystallographic alignment

Etching of gallium nitride for various device applications has attracted much attention; however, previous reports have all been performed in acidic or basic etchant solutions. Herein, we demonstrate how neutral electrolytes such as NaNO3 or NaCl can be used to rapidly etch n-GaN electrochemically and achieve a porous structure that is either vertically aligned or faceted according to the GaN crystallography, in NaNO3 and NaCl, respectively. It is demonstrated that the etching properties of NaNO3 and HNO3 are very similar, showing that the etching process in this system is surprisingly insensitive to pH. This neutral-pH process enables safer and greener GaN etching, as well as opening up the possibility of crystallographic etching of GaN using an anodic process.
Compilation of Logic Programs for Restricted And-Parallelism

A variety of different techniques for executing logic programs in parallel have been proposed. One common approach is to provide new language constructs for explicitly controlling the order in which goals execute. Languages containing such constructs include Concurrent Prolog[Shapiro 86], Parlog[Clark 86], and Epilog[Wise 82, Wise 86]. An alternative approach is to have the implementation schedule goals automatically. Conery [Conery 81, Conery 87] has developed mechanisms for monitoring program variables and scheduling goals at run-time. This approach provides a great deal of parallelism, however, it can incur considerable overhead. Chang[Chang 85a, Chang 85b] schedules goals on the basis of a static analysis of the program at compile-time. This approach reduces run-time support, however, it may miss important opportunities for parallelism.
Securing applications with Dyninst

While significant bodies of work exist for sandboxing potentially malicious software and for sanitizing input, there has been little investigation into using binary editing software to perform either of these tasks. However, because binary editors do not require source code and can modify the software, they can generate secure versions of arbitrary binaries and provide better control over the software than existing approaches. In this paper, we explore the application of the binary editing library Dyninst to both the sandboxing and sanitization problems. We also create a prototype of a more advanced graphical tool to perform these tasks. Finally, we lay the groundwork for more complex and functional tools to solve these problems.
Exploiting myopic learning

We show how a principal can exploit myopic social learning in a population of agents in order to implement social or selfish outcomes that would not be possible under the traditional fully-rational agent model. Learning in our model takes a simple form of imitation, or replicator dynamics; a class of learning dynamics that often leads the population to converge to a Nash equilibrium of the underlying game. We show that, for a large class of games, the principal can always obtain strictly better outcomes than the corresponding Nash solution and explicitly specify how such outcomes can be implemented. The methods applied are general enough to accommodate many scenarios, and powerful enough to generate predictions that allude to some empirically observed behavior.
The More Things Change...: Abortion Politics & the Regulation of Assisted Reproductive Technology

Abortion and assisted reproductive technology (“ART”) may seem paradoxical in reproductive health: a woman seeks to terminate a pregnancy in the first, while a woman goes through herculean attempts to attain one in the latter. In fact, they share fundamental concerns: women’s health and autonomy. Both include medical procedures, with potential health risks and benefits, and both help a woman choose whether and when to become a mother. Abortion and ART share another commonality: when these issues enter public and political discourse, consideration of women’s health often recedes into the background. This response to articles by June Carbone and Jody Lynee Madeira suggests that issues central to the development of abortion-related regulation and jurisprudence have the potential to drive the development of ART and related law.